The royals could all get poisoned for all Roche cared. She balanced precariously on an electric ladder rigged with sensors that adjusted to her movements. She slammed books onto the shelves angrily. Her cheeks were still hot at the prince's accusation.

Her, a traitor? It was laughable. She already had an illegal substance running through her veins, she didn't need to become a political enemy of the state on top of that. Roche slid down the ladder, the impact of the stone floors painfully rocketing up her ankles. She grumbled to herself and stalked off towards the broom closet to get the cleaning supplies.

It hadn't been the first time someone had used her Irulian roots to insult her or blame her for something because of what she looked like, but she'd thought that in the city where views were more forward that it would happen less often. She squeezed her eyes shut. It had been a foolish thought. Whatever. The royals could choke on a datura flower.

The thought was so venomous that it gave Roche pause. Her mind drifted back to the datura flower and the Council of Seven. She wandered back to Verita's quarters. Verita hadn't returned yet, she was still discussing the plague with Leinos. Roche shook her head. She couldn't believe that they'd been married once and now had to work together. Talk about awkward.

Roche thumbed through a few more books about datura, but none of them mentioned much about enchantments. The closest she'd found was an ancient tome from around the birth of the Faultless Kingdom a few centuries ago, warning that the poisonous effects of the datura flower could be enhanced, minimized, or changed with inkblood enchantment. Roche nearly threw the book across the room. No shit, she thought bitterly, That's what enchantments were for! This was ridiculous. There was no way that this library had anything about inkblood or enchantments. Verita had told Roche, with no small amount of disappointment, that such books had been used as kindling for the pyres for inkblood wielders.

The door swung open and Verita entered, her face lined with worry. She unclasped her robe with a sigh, hanging it on a hook on the wall. Roche clambered to her feet.

"What happened?" she asked. Verita ran a hand over her face.

"Leinos got a few more reports this morning of this illness from his couriers in Irulia. Princess Tigris managed to wheedle more information out of the ambassador, but the symptoms don't match anything we've seen before."

Roche's heart sank. "So... is the ambassador lying?"

"No," Verita bit her lip hard enough to draw blood. Her eyes were hazy with thought. "The reports of illness can't be falsified. Some of the Faultless Kingdom's garrisons at the borders have been infected. Whatever this illness is, it's spreading faster than anything we've seen."

Roche didn't even know what to think. "The timing is too convenient. The king-"

"I'm not sure what he's going to do," Verita murmured, "But whatever he does, he must do it quickly. The Faultless Kingdom will be overrun in days if this continues. And I think I know what might be causing this illness."

-------

"So this illness is serious," the King didn't have a calculating glint to his eyes anymore. He looked serious and concerned. The ambassador lowered his head respectfully. The room was dead silent.

"Correct, sire. The victims show no symptoms until they just... drop." the ambassador explained. The king glanced at Leinos, who nodded gravely.

"This matches the descriptions I've been given, sire. It appears to be a nervous illness, but the method of transmission cannot be determined. It is unnatural."

"Unnatural?" the king repeated curiously, leaning forward in his seat. The cunning gleam returned to his eyes, and Roche's stomach twisted nervously. That can't be good. "What do you mean by unnatural?"

Leinos' eyes darted to Verita, who stepped forward. She curtsied deeply.

"My lord, if I may?"

"Please," the King said, gesturing to the space beside the ambassador. Verita nodded gratefully. Roche followed her, each step feeling like a weight was attached to her heels. She risked a glance at the royal children, and she noticed that they all looked pale. Their argument filtered through Roche's mind.

"Sire, Leinos requested that I search the archives for illnesses matching that which Irulia faces. It seems to match the signs of a Wailer's Curse." Verita explained.

"A curse?" the King muttered, his eyes widening, "As in... an inkblood curse?"

Verita hesitated. "It is possible, yes."

Shit. Roche thought as the King shot to his feet. He stood over the ambassador, his shadow creeping over the Irulian man who had gone very still.

"Your kingdom is ridden with inkblood and threatens the Faultless City, and you have come to beg our mercy?" the King seethed. He stood nose to nose with the ambassador. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. Out of her periphery, Roche could see Tigris and Aodh's hands drifting towards their weapons.

The ambassador remained impressively passive. Perhaps that was why Irulia had sent this willowy man to plead for their nation, because any other sane man would have collapsed in terror at the king's furious expression. He simply blinked up at the king.

"Sire, as you can imagine, Irulia detests inkblood as much as the Faultless Kingdom. We are united on that front. Truly, my elders had no idea that this ailment stemmed from this inkblood." the ambassador replied smoothly, ignoring the way the King's nostrils flared. "This is the first I have heard about such a curse."

Roche whipped her gaze across the room. Finn's cheeks had pinkened ever so slightly. Tigris and Aodh were on the edges of their seats, muscles coiled. Roche felt sick. They were grasping their father's every word.

"The kingdoms all voted unanimously on the inkblood ban. By allowing this curse to break free, Irulia has violated that oath. You've allowed inkblood to threaten my kingdom once again." Romulus growled. The ambassador's smile wavered, his only sign of weakness in his poised facade. He dipped his head in concession.

"It is... unfortunate. Again, this is the first we've heard of such a curse. This claim will need to be confirmed."

"What else could this devilry be?" the King snapped, the tips of his crown glinting menacingly. The ambassador's eyes went cold.

"Inkblood is a serious crime, my lord." the ambassador said, all warmth gone from his voice. "It is not an allegation Irulia takes lightly."

"My kingdom's citizens are at risk. It must be taken seriously." King Romulus spat. The air was thick and muddled with their fervor, heavy with accusation. The Irulian ambassador drew himself up to his full height.

"With the Faultless Kingdom's aid, Irulia will be able to dedicate its resources to the war against inkblood. We will be able to annihilate this threat and strengthen the bonds between our kingdoms."

"I've seen Irulia's response to inkblood in the past." King Romulus responded coolly, "And it was not nearly strict enough."

"That was a different time." argued the ambassador. Romulus flashed him a tight smile that made Roche shiver.

"Perhaps," the king murmured, "Perhaps not. Verita!"

At Roche's side, Verita jumped slightly, but her face gave away none of her panic. "Yes, my lord?"

"What information do you have about this curse?"

Verita curtsied deeply. Roche fumbled to find the right scroll, slapping it into Verita's waiting hand. Her heart was lodged in her throat as she felt the press of eyes against them. A nudge of Verita's hip warned her to melt into the shadows. Roche obliged happily.

"The curse is a targeted one," Verita explained, "It will attack victim to victim until it reaches the intended target, known by the inkblood wielder only."

"And how can the curse be broken?" Tigris demanded from the throne. For once, her father didn't seem to care that she'd spoken out of turn. Verita's jaw clicked.

"The records do not say." Verita admitted. Romulus' eyes flicked back to the ambassador, whose golden skin had gone ashen.

"What do you mean 'intended target'?" the King boomed. Roche had no idea how Verita kept her face passive.

"The curse will travel from the inkblood wielder to a victim named in the curse. It fully depends on the intentions of the wielder." Verita repeated. Romulus spun to face the ambassador, his eyes glowing with hate.

"And this curse is now making its way to the Faultless Kingdom." he said softly, "Towards the city. Someone means to do us harm."

"Sire-" the Irulian ambassador pleaded.

"An Irulian," the king boomed, and Roche flinched at the fury in his voice, "Means to harm the royal family? And you've come to us for aid?"

"We didn't know," the Irulian ambassador begged, all traces of regality gone, "I had no idea. This is the first I've heard of this curse. King Romulus, we only meant to negotiate a better tariff-"

"This is unacceptable." the King thundered on, cutting off the ambassador, "Irulia must put an end to this curse if there is any hope for peace."

The Irulian blanched. "The curse was not sanctioned, we didn't-"

"Do you take me as a fool?" the King snarled, his lips twisting wryly, "It is known that Irulia is failing to meet the quota. This curse may cow a lesser king into reducing your tariffs, but the Faultless Kingdom does not bow to inkblood!"

The Irulian shook his head, eyes steeped with pain. "King Romulus, you must believe me when I say that the elders had no idea of this curse. This was not sanctioned or intended. Whoever has done this... it was not us!"

"I don't want your excuses, I want this curse lifted." the king sneered. He stalked closer to the ambassador, waiting until their eyes locked. Grey met blue. Some kind of understanding passed between them, some kind of explanation that left the Irulian looking like he'd been kicked in the gut.

"Three days." the King said softly, "Irulia has three days to lift this curse. After that point, I have no option but to declare war and commandeer Irulia, for the safety of the Faultless Kingdom's citizens."

Roche's jaw dropped. Finn gaped wordlessly. The ambassador's eyes were the size of dinner plates. He clasped his hands together.

"King Romulus-"

"Dismissed." the king interrupted coolly. He tilted his chin up and stormed out of the council room. The nobles parted around him, like a rock cleaving through ocean waves. His children scrambled to their feet, curtsied, and hurried after their father. A papery hand wrapped around Roche's wrist.

"Come on!" Verita hissed, dragging Roche after them. Roche barely managed to get her feet under her, her heels cracking.

"Where?"

"After the King! It is the royal librarian's job to provide him with advice for the next steps. Now stay silent, and keep out of the way. As my apprentice, you must be there, but you must hold your tongue." Verita explained. Goosebumps rose on Roche's arms as she raced after the spry librarian.

The Faultless Kingdom was going to war.

A/N Yikes, things are not looking good for Irulia rn. Ngl, I feel bad for the ambassador. All his interactions with King Romulus go like:

Ambassador: Hi-

Romulus: Irulia sux :P

Ambassador: But we're having a crisis.

Romulus: aRe yOu tHrEaTeNiNg mE/mY fAmiLy/mY kInGdOm?!?!?!

Well, what do you think about King Romulus and the decision to go to war? As always, comment any criticism you have, I love to see it :D Enjoy!