Ray truly felt at his lowest in his life, knowing what was to come... and more than likely, he could probably guess that his life would be forfeit after everything. Tremaine would probably get him to be blamed with Leila, that Leila was the one who got him to get the poison. Either way, Ella would, more than likely, be dead, Leila and himself imprisoned or executed... He closed his eyes even tighter as more tears came out.
He soon heard a faint pulsing, ringing sound, and he blinked as it wasn't familiar since the loud castle clock would be echoing through the small valley, and his breath caught as he saw the brightest star of the sky, the first star, the wishing star, and the Evening Star...Many names, yet it wasn't what he thought when the star seemed to glow down into the earth, revealing a beautiful woman with silken hair with the color of corn, flawless pale skin like the beach sand, and the most brilliant blue eyes that seemed to shine, wearing a modest blue dress of sparkles and lacy, beautiful wings. He thought she was an angel.
Nothing was said for a few moments as Ray was trying to find his voice and speak as he just continued to stare, wondering if what was happening was even real. "Wh-Who are you?", Ray whispered, finally finding it.
Evangeline smiled softly, "I'm the Blue Fairy, dear Ray. I have no name unfortunately. I grant wishes to people who has a pure heart, and I have heard your wish. I have watched over this Earth for centuries, and tonight is no different.", waiting for that moment in her vision she had seen years ago.
"You...you aren't an angel? You should grant other wishes to people who deserve it...I don't...My heart is dark because I did something horrible...", Ray spoke softly in shame.
Evangeline spoke sternly, "Are you certain of that? Were you the one who wants to kill an innocent child and frame an innocent woman?", and Ray shook his head, "No, but I...I brought the poison...What else could I do? The mistress swore to take my son away from me permanently if I dared to do anything against her, including telling of what she planned...", with a sob.
Evangeline knew that Ray was in dire straits, that he needed her help, that Leila and her family was going to need her help less if Tremaine would succeed in her inhumane plot.
Evangeline spoke, "But you aren't using the poison, she is. Would you want your son to see you degraded to the point he is scared of losing you? Would you risk your life to save your son if she went to poison him instead?".
Ray's breath caught, his heart raced at the thought of his son dying like that...No, he doesn't deserve that, and Naveen thought the world of him...
"No, I can't have my son abandoned! I would do anything to save him!", Ray replied strongly as he stood up, and Evangeline nodded, "Now that's a pure heart, and you truly have courage. Do it for Naveen. Naveen has friends in that castle, and that includes Ella. She doesn't deserve the crime; she deserves to be a child. What are you going to do now?".
Ray narrowed his eyes, "I'm going to the castle and stop her from poisoning the little cherie! But I have no horse...", stuck for a moment as he was worried that he couldn't make it in time if he ran all the way.
Evangeline smiled warmly, "Oh, don't worry, I have a way to do small favors besides wishes.", before flicking her wand at a horse statue, changing it to grow and change into a real horse with a halter and reins.
Ray was amazed for a moment, about to mount the horse when he paused, "Wait, what about Naveen?", and Evangeline gave a soft smile, "He's behind you.".
The father turned around and saw Naveen smiling at him, "Go, papa! Miss Blue Fairy is gonna play with me and tuck me in bed!", and Ray kissed his forehead, "I love you, Naveen.", seeing his son's proud look at him, and Naveen smiled, "Love you, Papa!".
Ray then mounted the horse, tightened the reins, and looked at Evangeline, "You'll watch over him?", and Evangeline nodded, "You have my word, dear Ray.", and Ray looked relieved before giving her a kind smile, "I hope you don't mind, but I've almost mistaken you for an angel...I like the name of Evangeline...It suits you, milady.".
Evangeline thought it was best to tell him all about that name later; after the plot would hopefully be foiled. "Thank you...", she smiled. "Now hurry, there's little time left...".
Ray nodded as he took a deep breath and pulled on the reins, giving the horse a decent kick as it headed off, leaving Evangeline and Naveen alone. "Is... will Papa be alright?", Naveen asked as she kneeled down next to him, "Yes... I think he will be...".
Naveen nodded, and Evangeline smiled, "Come along, little one, it's a bit cool outside. Shall we play a game near the fireplace, and afterwards, a story for bed?", and Naveen smiled, "Yes, please, Miss Blue Fairy.".
"Call me Evangeline, dear Naveen. I think I like the name your father gave me.", Evangeline smiled, and Naveen smiled, taking her hand, leading her to the back of the manor, to the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Ray was all but urging his horse to run, praying that he'd make it in time, all the way to the castle, which is the brightest building in the small kingdom, the ballroom full of people, chatting and having fun, with the young prince of five years old playing with the children of nobles and commoners.
Ray was quickly thinking in his mind, just how exactly he was going to be able to pull this sort of thing off. No way the guards would let him through, he was sure of that, but maybe he could get someone...
He has to try, he has to. The front would be obvious...He has to use the gardens or side of the ballroom wall...He urged his horse faster as he got closer and closer to the castle, scanning the windows of the ballroom before finding a familiar face...Leila.
She looked happy, seeming to laugh at something Jules said, and then he saw Ella in the distant part of the ballroom, chasing one of the kids in a game, and then Tremaine...He saw her pocket something continually, to check something to be sure it was there, and realized that it was the poison.
He knew the color and shape of the poison by heart, thanks to buying it. A dark blue child-sized vial. She's going to slip it soon into Ella's cup by offer, he knew. He jumped off his horse, knocking on the windows near Leila, but the music and the conversations was so loud they can't hear it.
He kept waving and knocking to grab Leila's attention when she was about to look in her direction, probably to take in the flowers when her eyes widened, seeing him, and Ray nodded, pointing to a door in the distance, looking frantic when he heard guards yelling, "Stop, stop him!".
He ran to the door with more guards as Leila excused herself quickly, and she ran to the door from inside the ballroom, and Ray pleaded with the guards blocking the door, "Please, let me through! I have a mistress in there, and I have news for her!", and one of the guards demanded, "No slaves allowed!".
"Gentlemen! Gentlemen! Please!", Leila ran over to them as Ray's eyes were focused on Tremaine; thankfully she still was oblivious to things as the guards were backing up Ray away with Leila following them.
"This black yours?", one of the guards asked as Leila shook her head. "No... but I do know him. And if he has something important to say, I'd very much like to hear it.", she told them as the guards looked at each other and continued to drag Ray away.
"You tell it while we take you back to the outer grounds.", the guard said as Leila sighed. Whatever Ray wanted to say, at least she could hear it.
Ray quickly looked at Leila, "Leila, Ella's in danger!", switching his eyes continually between Tremaine and Leila, "Eleanor Tremaine, she is going to poison her, to frame you so she can marry Jules! She threatened my son to ensure that I don't say anything, but I can't hold back! You got to hurry back in! She's going to slip it into Ella's cup!".
Leila turned her head to look at Tremaine before looking back at him. "Are you absolutely sure about that?", she had to ask. "Ray, that's a serious accusation; I mean, she's of higher standing, if I accuse her on the word of a slave-".
"I'm the one who got the poison for her! It's the truth! You must stop her!", Ray sprouted out frantically, looking at Leila straight in the eyes.
Ray added, "Somebody watched over me, all of this! Evangeline, the Blue Fairy from the Evening Star!", and Leila widened her eyes, realizing that Evangeline would never have lied, and she saw everything. The guards may not have understood the magnitude of Evangeline's loyalty, but Leila does.
She replied, "What color, shape?!", and Ray replied, "Dark blue, child-sized vial! Hurry!", and Leila narrowed her eyes, and ran back to the ballroom, searching for Tremaine among the windows before finding her slipping a poison vial of dark blue, child-sized, into a child-sized cup, and ran even faster as best as she could through the crowd as Tremaine was approaching Ella.
She was too late however, as Tremaine got to Ella first. "Here you are, Ella.", she said; keeping her murderous mask on tight as she feigned innocence. "Mademoiselle Leila wanted me to give this to you.". Ella happily took the cup as Leila grabbed a nearby drink from a surprised server and reached the two in the nick of time.
"No, no, Madame Tremaine.", Leila quickly said. "Can't you tell Ella is quite thirsty this evening? She needs a bit larger of a cup.". Leila chuckled, "But I'll be happy to drink that one instead. I've already had a few cups before.". Leila hoped she knew what she was doing.
The murder plan was all worked out in her head: all was probably a plot to help Tremaine win not only their bet, but also worm her way into Jules' grieving heart. But someone was going to have to be poisoned by it or else Tremaine would easily just cut her losses and try something else soon.
Jules had partly saw Leila's determined look as she was heading to Ella and Tremaine, having got a drink from a server's tray, and he became confused when he saw their interaction, with Eleanor looking affronted for a second, almost angry, and he walked over, replying, "Ladies, what's going on? Is Ella alright?".
"I'm fine, Papa!", Ella smiled as she drank the normal drink that Leila snatched from the tray, and Leila replied, "Oh, Eleanor was meaning to offer Ella this drink, but Ella looked thirstier, so I figured she needed a bigger drink to replenish. Excuse me for a second, I'm parched from coming all the way here.", before taking a deep breath inwardly, drinking the cup of poisoned liquid, smacking her lips, "Huh, tastes funny. You sure you weren't giving Ella champagne? She's too you-", before screaming out in pain as she clenched her stomach, falling as she cried, tears falling as she heard Jules's horrified yell, "Leila!".
For the poison, being child-sized and slipped into the drink, it would have killed Ella instantly with almost no issues, but since Leila drank it, it didn't kill her, but rather caused her immune system to fight the fast poison viciously, and with her age and the experiences of life she went through, the immune system's half as effective as a healthy adult at the prime of 18-20.
Jules ran right over to her as he tried to help hold her up while she was on the floor. "Someone fetch the doctor! Please!", he shouted before he noticed Eleanor slowly backing away. "And someone make sure she doesn't leave!", he pointed as a look of anger flashed on his face in her direction. The words 'tastes funny' ringing in his mind as he turned his attention back to Leila.
Jules barely heard the king's voice, "Do what he says!", as guards ran alongside Leila's family, with a couple guards arresting Eleanor, as he focused on Leila, "Leila, please don't leave me!".
Leila cried in pain as she gave a pained look at Jules, "It hurts...Is E-Ella alright?", as he glanced barely to see Perla comforting Ella and Carlo, and Jules replied, "Yes, she's alright. How...how did you know?".
"R-Ray. He was forced on threat of Eleanor selling his son, to buy the poison, to frame me for killing Ella...He did it for Naveen, to come here...despite being afraid of Eleanor...She broke the deal...she knew that you and Ella were more attracted to me...", Leila choked out, blood on her lips.
Jules widened his eyes, "Don't talk more, you're hurting!", horror clenching into his heart, and Leila gave a groan in pain, "I...I was sworn to keep it quiet on our accord, Eleanor and I..Two weeks of courtship, your hand...I was to get Ray and Naveen, and free them myself, to ask her to keep shut about our...our brief affair before we came into official courting...she saw us that night...by the pond...She...was threatening to ruin me, and in relation, you...".
Jules shook his head. "Please, don't talk of all that now... you can tell me all about what happened when you're much better...", he whispered as he glanced around. "Where the hell is that doctor!?", he shouted.
Two doctors came over, one from the village and one from the castle, and they knew each other, being friends, and not caring about social boundaries, they agreed to work together to help this woman who is in great pain.
"Sire, take her in your arms, we better get her to a quiet room!", one of the doctors told Jules, and Jules nodded, gently taking Leila up as he went to stand up, with Leila crying in pain, clenching into his waistcoat, her skin slowly having sweat, getting pale, as Jules replied, "I'm here, Leila, I'm here...", shocked that this night flipped on its side...
He wasn't going to propose to her, but he was intending to ask her if they could make this serious as he found that he loves her...He was trying to be a gentleman for her, to not want to scare her into commitment too fast, to not hurt her, but this...this feels like his fault, even if Eleanor hurt her...
"Let me come with!", Perla called out as Jules glanced back before looking to the doctors, "She might be able to help; she knows some herbal remedies that could help, and this is her mother-in-law after all.".
The doctors nodded, "Alright, she can come.", and Perla kissed Carlo, and assured Ella, "Leila is going to be okay, Ella. Stay with Carlo and the others, okay?", and Ella nodded, frightened and scared since she saw Leila fall and her papa horrified.
Perla gently urged the children to stay by Juliet and Jiminy's sides as she quickly joined the doctors and Jules carrying Leila, as she writhed in pain, choking out blood as she whimpered, "Jules...I'm scared...I don't want to l-leave you...I l-love you.".
"I love you too, Leila...", Jules told her; though obviously saying it at this moment was one more of fear and worry that she wasn't going to make it. It took a few minutes before they finally arrived in a room and Jules placed her on a bed.
"Now, what exactly happened?", one of the doctors asked. "Poison... the champagne she drank was poisoned.", Jules explained. "But I think it was just the one up so no need to worry about the rest of the party falling ill as well.".
The other doctor nodded, "Ah, good. Because if the poison was in the little water fountain, it would have happened earlier when the party started. And who was the perpetrator behind the poison?".
Jules glowered angrily, seething, "Eleanor Tremaine! She was going to poison my daughter, but Leila, she took her place...", horror and anger in his heart. He would have lost his daughter...
Leila whispered in pain, "It was worth it...I would have done it a hundred times if it would have saved Ella...No one should lose their child...", resting her hand on Jules' cheek.
"Please, mademoiselle, don't speak...", one of the doctors advised. "Okay, we at least know what we're working with... my guess would be that it was something fast acting for a young girl... for a woman like her on the other hand; well, we do have time to act...".
Perla replied, "What do you suggest?", and the other doctor replied, "We have some herbs here, along with a bit of equipment to make the herbal remedies. You work on those while we use some medicine.".
Perla nodded as the doctors pulled out the herbs and equipment from their medicine bags, and Perla quickly went to work as the doctors went to use the medicine, one by one, carefully.