A servant was holding a golden cup on a silver tray, this drink was meant for only to the King.
With steady steps a young boy walked through the busy kitchen area and climbed up the stone stairs which led to the throne room.
As soon as the boy reached the top of the stairs warm light of the candles, merry music and laughter greeted him. King Richard was celebrating with his peers and they were enjoying their feast. Jesters were entertaining the King and his guests with their tricks, while the servants served their master.
There had been much of salt in the King Richard's roast so he had asked some more of wine.
Since the order came directly from the King himself the royal cupbearer who had sworn the oath of loyalty to the King prepared the drink.
However he was an old man so his knees were not as good as they used to be so the boy had to deliver the drink instead. All the other servants were busy with their doings so no one saw how the boy dropped some drops of his own liqueur into the wine to gain some extra flavour.
Two old women had paid him quite handsomely if he would put some drops of their own homemade potion to the King Richard's drink.
The boy had agreed and took the purse of gold and flask of potion from the women.
He had not sworn loyalty to the King and in fact he hated Richard so he felt no remorse after he had poured two drops of the black liquid in to the wine.
When he reached the King he bowed slightly and passed the tray at him.
- Thank you Peter, the King thanked.
Peter was slightly amazed, Richard knew his name when most the castle's staff didn't even cared to know his name.
King Richard rocked the cup gently in his hand while he watched the silly performance of the jesters.
- Drink it your wretched King, Peter thought in his bitter mind.
The jesters were putting on incredibly comic show which had made Richard to forget his thirst for moment. He just held the cup irritatingly in his hand and was not even near to drink it.
- Is there something wrong, Richard asked when he saw the boy still standing near at him.
- Eh, nothing your grace, I just thought that you would like to have something else too.
- No thank you Peter you may leave now.
Why he had to be so hideously polite towards to him?!
Peter started to walk away slowly and at the throne room's door he looked over his shoulder and saw how the King took the cup to his lips and took a drink.
A triumphant smile appeared to Peter's face when retired to the shadowy part of the castle.
He had succeeded and now he needed to disappear before anyone could notice what he had done to the King Richard.
Richard drank the cup empty and focused to watch the show again.
His jesters were always good for laugh and tonight they had put on the best show he had ever seen.
Now when one of them was juggling with wooden tenpins he showed remarkable skills.
The tenpins flew high and higher in the air when the jester was juggling with them.
Then the tenpins started to lose their normal shape.
Was this part of the show, Richard wasn't quite sure but he felt a gross feeling in his gut when he took a closer look of those tenpins.
The tenpins moved now even more rapidly and they broke out from their old shape. The wooden structure was replaced with flesh and blood and under that wooden shell hatched out human heads.
The heads were all in blood which was still steaming from warmth. Horrid expression still lingered on those dead faces which he recognised. That jester was juggling with the heads of his father, brother Edmund and Salisbury!
Fresh blood splashed all over the throne room and nobody seemed to notice it.
The peers laughed at the witty jester whose hands were as red as the executioner's.
The gory show made Richard's face to grow pale and he cried aloud the jester to stop that grotesque performance of his.
The jester stopped at once and looked puzzled like the rest of the guests.
Cold sweat was running down on Richard's cheeks and he looked again those loose heads which the jester was still holding in his hands but now they were tenpins again.
What was going on?
Heavy silence fell to the room and the sickening feeling in Richard's stomach grew more intense.
He wiped his face on his sleeve and his hands were shaking.
He needed to get out and have some of fresh air, the wine was obviously going into his head already.
- My dear comrades I must announce to you that although the night is still young your King will now retire. Good night, he announced and got up onto his feet.
All of his guest rose up too and looked at him worried.
Richard's legs were also shaking and after two steps he fell down.
His servants ran quickly to his aid and someone started to call for doctor.
Richard tried to get up from the floor but he had totally lost the control of his body.
He felt that all his joints and vanished and he was as helpless as a newborn baby.
The room around him started to spin violently faster and faster until it was all melange.
Different shapes and colours mixed together although it was completely absurd. Shadows ate all the lights away until it was only pitch black darkness around him.
He trembled in fear and he wanted to cry for help but invisible force pushed him down and blocked his mouth.
All the noises faded away bit by bit leaving him in mute darkness which was cold and dead.