The End is Near
As soon as Bellatrix was gone, Jadis immediately ran to the part of the garden where she knew the herbs were grown. Walking over to the one she knew was called alium, she grabbed it and pulled it up by the roots. Then she ran full speed inside to her bedroom and quickly changed into the servant's clothes of Ancilla which she still had. Still holding the alium and shivering a bit from the memory of her last experience in those clothes, she made her way down to the kitchens. Once she was in the palace kitchens, she bustled about as if she worked there everyday and as a result of this and her false uniform no one took a second look at her.
Taking out a chopping board, she ground up the root of the alium and sprinkled it onto the plate which she recognized as belonging to her father because it was pure gold. After that, she put back the chopping board and threw away the remains of the alium as she ran back to her bedroom. That night at dinner the king suddenly started to choke and even though attendants rushed to him, nothing could be done to save him for when they inspected him they knew the cause to be traces of alium. It was an herb which Aduncus had been severely allergic to and which had caused a deadly reaction to which Jadis acted concerned as the face of her father turned purple, and then she cried out when it ceased twitching altogether but in triumph but not in grief. The chief officials were called and his body was borne away to the palace temple to be made ready for burial.
Funerals in Charn were quick, for mortality was not popular with the inhabitants so they tried to be reminded of it as little as possible. So King Aduncus was laid beside his fathers that very night as his widow and daughter looked on and soon after that, Ara, his queen, went mad with grief and had to be sent away to the country the next night. Thus, Jadis rose to the throne of Charn. Her first act as queen was to send riders all throughout the kingdom to search for her sister and off rewards for her capture.
She instructed rumormongers to say that Princess Bellatrix was in possession of a dangerous secret that could destroy the entire world. The princess must be captured and put to death before she can unleash her full power. Posters containing a detailed description of her were circulated throughout the entire kingdom. They described her as being cursed by the gods with a paralyzed arm for seeking ultimate power from them to destroy the entire world. Soon, a nationwide search was on for the disfigured witch-princess.
Across the Desert of Aridus, a heated argument was took place in the palace of the king.
"Alacer, do not be a fool! Now more than ever we need to stay on Charn's good side!" yelled King Altor.
"When such evil arises, the answer is not to such up to it but to resist it lest you become its slave!" replied Alacer. "I refuse to be married to such a cold woman who would paralyze her own sister!"
"Alacer," said his mother sternly. "This is not about your preference of who to marry. It is about keeping Affinis alive and it is your responsibility as the future king."
"The woman is mad!" screamed Alacer. "Not you, Mother," he added to the look on his mother's face. "I would just rather not share the same bedroom with a woman bent on world annihilation."
The royal family was anxious for the future but not as much as they were the next day. Word reached them of Jadis' rise to the throne. Struggling not to panic, King Altor called together his family and Princess Bellatrix and told them the news. Alacer's mother gasped and Bellatrix just shut her eyes as if in pain while even Alacer's gentlemen-in-waiting opened their mouths in shock. There was silence in the throne room for a while and then Prince Alacer was the first to speak.
"Father, if there ever was a time to strike Charn, it is now. Jadis has not yet learned the Deplorable Word. It is not too late."
"My son, this is not the time for rash actions."
"But the prince is right," countered Bellatrix. "Jadis punishes those who displease her with paralysis. She will not hesitate to use her powers. Believe me, I know," she finished quietly.
Alacer's mother patted her knee.
"We know, dear," she comforted.
"Perhaps you all are right," said King Altor after a pause. "Jadis' reign is still green and if we can nip it in the bud, then that would practically free the whole world from the tyranny of Charn. Very well. Let us then destroy tyranny forever. Muster the army."