Later that evening, the Duchess sought Alexia out, once Portia had fallen asleep in her room.
"Alexia," she said in a low voice, "tell me everything."
Alexia took a breath. "Your Grace… Portia's food was tampered with. She was being fed a strong contraceptive—one that's meant to be taken only once a month. All the symptoms she had—bitterness, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, fever—they match the side effects."
The Duchess's face went white. Her fingers clenched around the edge of her shawl.
"She was already weak from the trip to Silverfall," Alexia continued, "and her body couldn't take it. If she hadn't had the fever already, the effects might have been milder, but it became dangerous in her condition."
The Duchess was silent for a long moment. Her eyes burned with restrained fury.
"I sent my daughter into the lion's den," she whispered bitterly. "I knew the palace was full of vipers. But she is the Crown Princess. What choice did we have?"
