Lyra sat in her garden reading over the messages sent to her from Prince Ailwin and Commander Ryo, when Pia came rus.h.i.+ng in.Looking at her personal maid"s flush face, Lyra knew something was up.
"What did you find out?" She asked as she put down the work in front of her.
"Lady Delju and Lord Cohnal have been sleeping together, I"m sure of it. This is the four time I have caught her sneaking out of his place! Lord Mano has also caught sight of her early this morning, but I don"t think he has caught on to their affair yet." Pia retold the incident she saw.
"Mm...probably not." Mano is quite busy help their daughter with her research.
"….but that"s not all!" Pia gasped for breath before continuing, "I just saw a group of males and an elder enter Lord Cohnal"s residence, and they have yet to come out before I left."
"Who were they and how many?" Lyra didn"t feel good about this.
"One is Lord Cohnal"s younger brother, an elder and the rest are males from the branch families….about twenty or so. " Pia reported. "Do you think they are up to something?"
"Yes, Brother Cohnal has always has his eyes on becoming clan leader. One would think he would have given up on the idea of it by now…"
"You think he is starting a mutiny…" Pia whispered as her eyes zoomed around the garden to make sure no one overhears them.
"En...but why would he do it now after so many years?" Lyra pondered.
"Maybe he wants to be with Lady Delju." Pia guessed.
"No, he may have loved Delju at one point, but he is not a fool in love."
"Then what could make him do this?"
"Maybe he knows something we don"t." Lyra looked down at the reports on her table.
"Should we tell Lord Mano…?"
"En...I"ll tell him. You go hide these." She pa.s.sed Pia the reports and rush out the garden.
With everything that is going on, the last thing we need is a power hungry brother, causing a civil war within the clan.
Lyra reached Mano"s office just when he finish sending his report to Mikaela.
*Knock**knock**knock
"Come in."
"Mano…" Lyra entered with anxious eyes and a serious face.
"What is it?"
Closing the door behind her and locking it, she motion for Mano to active a barrier around them.
"What is going on Lyra?"
"I believe Brother Cohnal is going to come after you."
"Cohnal... What makes you say that?"
Lyra explain to Mano everything she and Pia have gather over the weeks of watching Lady Delju.
"I figured as much when I saw her this morning…" Mano said indifferently, after Lyra confirmed Delju"s and Cohnal"s affair.
"You are taking this very smoothly."
"Lyra, I have always known that either my brothers or my uncles would try something one day."
She looked at him in surprise, "Then Cohnal really is plotting against you…"
"En...for years now. Though I had hoped he would eventually give up, but it seems he feels now is the time."
"What are you going to do?"
"Don"t worry about it…" Mano didn"t explain his plan, he just went back behind his desk to type out a new message.
Later that night, Cohnal had his second meeting with all his followers, including Lady Delju. He informed them of the task they each needed to do and when.
Originally, he had planned to force Mano to give up his position by fighting him, but since his backer wants things done fast, he going to use Delju.
Looking at the female he had once loved, but now only sees a tool. Cohnal mental thanked her for being so stupid. Pulling Delju into another room, he told her her part in the plan.
"Delju, you need to request for Mano to stay the night with you tomorrow."
"What!?" Is he asking me to sleep with Mano after I chose him…?
"Listen to me!" Cohnal quickly stopped her protest, "When he gets there serve him something to eat and put this into his food and drink." He pa.s.sed Delju a small vial.
"What is it?" Delju wanted to peek inside, but he stilled her hands.
"Don"t open it until you are ready to give it to Mano."
"Is it poison?" Delju whispered, afraid to hold the small bottle.
Cohnal nodded his head.
Never one to dirty her hands, Delju wanted to give the vial back to him, and tell him to get someone else to do it.
However, he clasp her palms around the small bottle as he pulled her closer to him.
"You are the only person I can trust with this task. Once Mano is out of the way, you will be mine and the only madam of the Amara clan." Kissing her pa.s.sionately, Cohnal hugged Delju tightly before walking away.
Delju stood there on wobbly legs, daze by Cohnal"s love for her and the picture he painted of their future.
Glancing down at the vial in her bandaged hands, Delju gripped it hard before placing it inside her pocket.
Once Cohnal saw that Delju had agree to his plan, he walked back into his meeting hall and nodded his head at his uncle, who walked out the door.
The minute Delju opens that bottle, both her and Mano will suffer from the effects of the poison.
All he has to do then is kill the rest of Mano"s family, and marry his uncle"s niece to secure the position as clan head.
He felt bad for killing Delju, but he couldn"t let her stand in his way. Plus, she is already Mano"s wife. If he doesn"t kill her, then she and Sienna will take control over the clan one day. There is no way he can allow that to happen.
Delju came back into the room with a sweet smile on her face as she looked at Cohnal. When he saw it, he though about asking her to stay the night with one last time.
Lady Delju stared at Cohnal"s face, she didn"t see the hint melancholy in his eyes when he looked at her. All she could see was their future together.