SO OVERDRAMATIC...
ALL RIGHT, I'M HERE! HAPPY NOW?!
WHERE'S THE PRINCESS? SHE FAINTS EVERY OTHER DAY, SO WHY ALL THE FUSS?
HMPH! LOOK AT HER! SHE'S PERFECTLY FINE!
SHE'S NOT EVEN DYING! WHAT A WASTE OF MY TIME!
WHO IS GOING TO ANSWER FOR IT IF THIS COSTS ME LADY VIRNA'S FAVOR?!
FIRST, YOU REFUSE A ROYAL SUMMONS,
AND NOW YOU DARE INSULT A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL FAMILY?
!!
Y-YOUR MAJESTY?!
HOW DARE A MERE PHYSICIAN INDULGE IN SUCH TREACHEROUS THOUGHTS?!
F-FORGIVE ME, YOUR MAJESTY!
I-I'VE COMMITTED A GRAVE OFFENSE...!
INDEED.
AND YOU WILL ANSWER FOR IT.
WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? TAKE HIM AWAY AT ONCE!
HE WILL BE SEVERELY PUNISHED FOR HIS BLATANT DISLOYALTY TO THE CROWN!
STRIP HIM OF HIS TITLE IMMEDIATELY,
AND MAKE CERTAIN HIS ENTIRE FAMILY NEVER SETS FOOT IN THE CAPITAL AGAIN!
PLEASE, YOUR MAJESTY!
ANYTHING BUT THAT...! YOUR MAJESTY...!!
TO THINK THE PRINCESS'S STANDING HAS FALLEN THIS LOW...
HAS MY PERSONAL PHYSICIAN ARRIVED YET?
YES, YOUR MAJESTY! HE IS WAITING OUTSIDE!
PLEASE DO NOT WORRY, YOUR MAJESTY.
SIR HEROTUS WILL TAKE EXCELLENT CARE OF THE PRINCESS.
HOW IS SHE?
HER CONDITION IS QUITE SERIOUS.
I'M SURPRISED SHE LASTED FIVE DAYS IN THIS STATE...
I WILL DO EVERYTHING IN MY POWER TO TREAT HER, YOUR MAJESTY.
PLEASE DO NOT WORRY, AND TRY TO GET SOME REST.
WHAT...?
THAT IS THE COTTAGE HOUSE, WHERE DUCHESS CLAUDIO AND LADY VIRNA ARE STAYING.
HOW IS IT THAT A PRINCESS IS LEFT TO LIVE IN SUCH POOR CONDITIONS,
WHILE A SIDE BRANCH OF THE FAMILY LIVES IN SUCH OPULENCE?
I'VE LET GRIEF BLIND ME FOR FAR TOO LONG.
Episode 14
HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN ASLEEP?
!!
YOUR HIGHNESS!
ARE YOU ALL RIGHT? YOU SHOULDN'T BE GETTING UP YET.
SHE LOOKS LIKE SHE'S BEEN WORRIED SICK...
I'M FINE, NERIL. THANK YOU FOR WORRYING ABOUT ME.
COULD YOU TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED WHILE I WAS ASLEEP?
YES, OF COURSE.
TO START,
MADAM QUEZIN IS DEAD.
AFTER YOU COLLAPSED,
SHE WAS PUNISHED FOR HER OFFENSE AGAINST THE ROYAL FAMILY AND LATER DIED IN PRISON.
IT WAS ALSO REVEALED THAT SHE HAD BEEN EMBEZZLING FROM THE PALACE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AFTER THAT, THE QUEEN DOWAGER STEPPED FORWARD AND ANNOUNCED SHE WOULD RESTORE ORDER TO THE ROYAL COURT,
AND GIVEN THE GRAVITY OF THE SITUATION, THE CHANCELLOR ALSO OFFERED HIS SUPPORT.
THE INVESTIGATION IMPLICATED BOTH THE NEARLY 20 DEPARTMENTS UNDER QUEZIN'S AUTHORITY AND THE BLACK EYE MERCHANT GUILD, THE OFFICIAL SUPPLIER TO THE PALACE.
MANY WERE EXECUTED AS A RESULT.
SINCE THEN, WORD HAS SPREAD IN SOCIAL CIRCLES THAT HER MAJESTY HAS GROWN MORE FAVORABLE TOWARD YOU.
MANY SEE THIS AS A WELCOME TURN, BELIEVING THIS WILL WEAKEN THE LORD PROTECTOR'S INFLUENCE.
AS YOU KNOW, THE BLACK EYE MERCHANT GUILD WAS HIS SECRET SOURCE OF FUNDING, SO THIS WILL DEAL HIM A SIGNIFICANT BLOW.
GOOD...
HAS BARONESS PINATELLI TAKEN OVER AS THE NEW HEAD MAID?
YES, YOUR HIGHNESS. JUST AS YOU INTENDED.
AS SOON AS SHE WAS APPOINTED, SHE BEGAN A FULL INVESTIGATION OF THE PALACE, STARTING WITH THE MOST CORRUPT DEPARTMENTS.
THAT TAKES CARE OF QUEZIN, MY UNCLE'S SECOND MOST SIGNIFICANT ALLY.
NOW, TO GET RID OF HIS RIGHT-HAND MAN, COUNT ETIENNE.
BUT BEFORE I DO...
NERIL,
WHERE IS MARIEU BEING HELD?
IT'S BEEN A WHILE, MARIEU.
Y-YOUR HIGHNESS!
YOU REALLY CAME...!
PLEASE SAVE ME, YOUR HIGHNESS!
I BEG YOU... FOR OLD TIMES' SAKE...!
I WAS WRONG! I PROMISE I WILL NEVER BETRAY YOU AGAIN!
I STILL REMEMBER HOW YOU TURNED AGAINST ME IN FRONT OF MY GRANDMOTHER,
AND YET YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE YOU?
YOUR PROMISES WILL MEAN NOTHING ONCE YOU NO LONGER NEED ME.
THAT'S NOT TRUE!!
I-I WILL SERVE YOU FOREVER!
I'LL DO ANYTHING YOU ASK, SO PLEASE...!
CAN YOU SWEAR TO THAT?
Y-YES! I SWEAR!
THEN DRINK THIS.
IT'S A POISON THAT SLOWLY PARALYZES THE LIMBS.
UNLESS YOU TAKE THE ANTIDOTE REGULARLY, YOUR BODY WILL GRADUALLY STIFFEN UNTIL YOU DIE.
Y-YOUR HIGHNESS...?
YOU SAID YOU WOULD DO ANYTHING I ASK, DID YOU NOT?
OR WAS THAT ANOTHER LIE TO SAVE YOUR SKIN?
N-NO... OF COURSE NOT. I-I WILL DO AS YOU SAY...
MARIEU, YOUR LOVER IS SAMON, DUKE CLAUDIO'S SON.
IF I AM TO BRING DOWN HOUSE CLAUDIO,
I'LL NEED YOU ALIVE.
In Chapter 14 of The Crown I Will Claim series, after the disrespectful physician is punished, Princess Medea regains consciousness and begins turning the palace power dynamics in her favor. Learning of Madam Quezin's death and the collapse of her uncle's financial resources, Medea forces the traitor Marieu to submit by making her drink poison and takes a critical step toward destroying the Claudio Dynasty.
