CHAPTER 239: 239: BLACKMAIL

"So son... you’re going to stand by me, right? You’re going to support me, right?" She stared desperately at her son as though she was looking for something in his face.

"Mum... what..." Lysander stammered. "What do you want me to do?" He was scared of asking, but he did anyway.

"I want you to help me ruin him," Queen Lea said. "That wizard of EL, I want you to help me destroy him for good. Help avenge me."

Lysander staggered backward as he stared at her. "Mum..."

"You have to do it," She said, her voice desperate. "You have to help me. He insulted me. He’s out to ruin my reputation and walk down on me. You have to stand with me. You have to help me take him down..."

Lysander shook his head. "I can’t do it. I can’t do that, mum. Just let him be... let it be, mum. Why do you have to get involved?"

"You’ll have to do as I say!" She snapped, desperate. She stared at her son standing at a distance. He had taken steps backwards, further away from her.

"You’ll help me..." she said in a lower tone now. "Help me get revenge on him..."

Lysander shook his head. "I don’t know if I can.."

Queen Lea stared at her son; she couldn’t let her son betray her. She couldn’t let him disobey her orders. He was her last shot at getting at the wizard of EL, so she had to make use of him.

"Am I not useful to you as a mother anymore?" She questioned. "Don’t you see me as anything anymore?"

"No. It’s not that at all. It’s just..."

"Then prove it!" Queen Lea snapped. "Listen to my words! Do as I said!"

"But..." Lysander shook his head. He was still skeptical about it. He didn’t think he could help his mother with such a thing. Especially with something against Eden.

But Queen Lea was prepared. She had means of convincing him.

She laughed hysterically as she pulled out a dagger from her side. Lysander was shook as he watched his mother place the dagger by her neck.

"What are you doing...?" Lysander demanded in shock.

Queen Lea laughed. "If you, my son, don’t listen to me and do as I say, then I don’t see a reason to live anymore! I’ve failed in life and might as well take my pathetic life!"

She threatened to kill herself with the dagger while Lysander panicked. "Mum! Don’t do that! Don’t!"

"I have no choice! It’s the only way I can stay sane now! That wizard of EL is driving me insane! He’s out to get me! And if you’re not going to help me, I’ll just kill myself and rest in peace!"

Queen Lea kept threatening to cut herself with the dagger. Lysander panicked while stepping forward, closer to her. "No! Don’t do this, mum! Don’t... stop!"

He tried stopping her but she said, "And what are you going to do for me if I don’t kill myself? Huh? Will you help me? Will you take away this shame from me?"

She questioned, but Lysander stood there staring. He had endless thoughts running through his head. He didn’t know what to say at all.

"No? You’re not going to help? Then why should I stop then?!" Now she had used the dagger and cut her wrist. Blood began gushing out as Lysander panicked.

"No!" He rushed and knelt before his mother, trying to take the dagger away from her. But she held it tightly.

"Why would I listen to you? If I want peace of mind I’ll end my life! It’s none of your business so let me do what I want!" She snapped, struggling to take the dagger and end herself.

Lysander tried taking it from her but to no avail. He was scared that she’d hurt herself. Or worse still, end her life. So he knew he had to do something.

"Stop now! I’ll do as you say!" Lysander said. That was the only way he knew he could save his mother.

And as soon as he said it, Queen Lea stopped and stared at her son. A smile on her face now. "Huh? What did you say...? You’ll help me?"

Lysander hesitated and then said, "Yes... I will..."

Queen Lea smiled as she stared at her son, taking his cheeks in her hands. "That’s good. That’s my son. That’s what I trained. You’ll do as I say... I know it."

Lysander knelt there mute, lots of thoughts running through his mind. He was skeptical and didn’t know what to think of at the moment. He had already said it and couldn’t take his words back. Now he had to listen to what his mum had to say.

"I want you to poison him," Queen Lea said, staring at him.

Lysander stared up at her, shocked. "What?"

"It’s simple. Give him some poisoned drinks. From today till the day of the engagement ceremony. That’s all you need to do. Slowly, feed him with it. And then that’s it..." she smiled hysterically while staring at her son.

Lysander stared at his mother in shock, listening to her words. "But..."

"You’ll do it. You said you will. Else I’ll end myself. You have to listen to me. Huh?" she said.

He hesitated. "That... He’s the wizard of EL.. how can I possibly... do anything to him..?" He didn’t want to do it. But he had already promised her. And he could tell she wasn’t in her right sense; she could take her life anytime soon, and that was the last thing he wanted.

"It doesn’t matter. All you have to do is give it to him. He trusts you, so he’ll take it without questions. I’ll handle the poison to take him down. Okay?" She smiled staring at Lysander. "You’ll do as I say, right?"

Lysander hesitated, staring at her for a while. Endless thoughts ran through his mind. But at the end of the day, all he could say was, "Yes. Sure. I will do it, Mum."