CHAPTER 517: THE PERFECT PLAN

There was a thin line between love and hate. Eleanor crossed that line. From a hopeless romantic she turned into a ruthless queen who played the court and used whatever she could to achieve her goals.

No matter the bloodshed. It was for a greater course.

Eleanor had accidentally stumbled upon information about the sorcerers in the old palace library. A group of dark magic practitioners who fought the kingdom in the shadows.

The origins of the sorcerers were built out of resentment. Centuries ago before Draconia was created by the god of strength, Maximus. The lords ruled the lands of Theraxia.

The lords constantly fought against each other until Maximus appeared and unified the land. He fell in love with his mortal bride, the daughter of the Lord of the land where Vitalis stood now and founded Draconia.

But not everyone was satisfied with this. Some of the lords who walked close to Maximus and gained the gift of magic from him were not happy with his rule.

There was no way mortals could fight a god. Maximus exterminated them or so he thought. The lords died, but their descendants still carried the resentment. The order of the veil was formed out of that resentment.

A group of dark magic practitioners now known as the sorcerers. Eleanor, in her quest for power and revenge, sought them, knowing they would be the right tool. That’s when we found a little village girl.

Sarah seemed an ordinary village girl on the outside but as a matter of fact she was the head sorceress and leader of the order of the veil. Eleanor was able to manipulate Sarah therefore controlling the order.

She planned on using them until they were useless. She would exterminate them with royal might and everything was going according to plan until Callista started investigating.

The lights faded, and Eleanor was left struck. Sarah stood before her. Callista was Sarah. "I guess this is enough evidence, your majesty. " Callista smugly said.

Eleanor laughed, and a smile graced her lips. "So what are you going to do ?" She scoffed at Callista.

"I will expose the one behind the lives lost. How could the queen be so cruel?" Callista chimed. Eleanor tilted her head, and a smirk graced her lips.

"You won’t do that?" She said, " If you wanted to, you would not have confronted me, knowing I can stop you."

What Eleanor did not understand was how Sarah had been dead all this time. Did it mean she has been walking with Callista?

But the priestess was rescued from slavery by Lucian shortly after Cedric’s marriage.

Eleanor smiled but her eyes were dead and sharp. What did Callista want? Who was she?

Eleanor was certain Callista was more than just the lost daughter of the Nightshade family

"I guess I can’t fool someone like you. It is hard to believe someone as pure as Lucian is your son." Callista said. Her voice trailed.

Eleanor scoffed. She was once just like Lucian, but this world changed her.

Callista was dark, Eleanor saw this darkness from the start. Her pure act never fooled the queen. At first, she was wary of her, but soon accepted her after she became a Nightshade.

.

Lucian was a bright light and needed someone dark by his side. "What do you want? I am sure you didn’t come here to chat."

"You are right," Callista mentioned, then muttered her incantations changing her appearance back to her original face. Eleanor was still bewildered by the transformation.

What was Callista’s true intention? It felt like she was dancing to Callista’s music.

"Dear queen, we both have the same noble course, which is to crown Lucian, but_" she paused. The smile on her face finally fell. "There must be a villain in this story. The mastermind behind the scenes."

Eleanor’s eyes widen, astonishment written all over her face. It could not be what she was thinking. "You want me to take the fall for my actions." The queen mentioned.

Something in the way her eyes sparkled already answered the question. "Was that your initial plan? I know you planned on getting rid of the sorcerers because bringing down Kaiden wasn’t your true plan but Lucian was."

Eleanor would never have left a problematic group around to pose trouble for Lucian once he took the throne.

"If you were able to live as Sarah and Callista at the same time you are smart enough to know my next plan." The queen knew if Callista could figure out that she was the sponsor and the one behind the head sorceress. She knew her next plan.

Eleanor didn’t bother asking how Callista was able to use Sarah’s identity.

Callista would never review that fact. The prettiest things are always the most dangerous.

"Your plan was simple after taking out Cedric with Kaiden’s death you planned on framing Karissa," Callista answered. Eleanor never approached the sorcerers directly. All they knew was that someone from the palace was their master.

At first, the thought Eleanor would not pop into your mind; she was the perfect queen. Marinette had no interest since she had only girls and was referred to as Kaiden’s favourite wife.

The original Sarah thought her sponsor was Karissa. Eleanor never gave Sarah direct instructions. Instead, she used Karissa’s handmaid. It was her perfectly calculated plan

Eleanor shrugged then approached the fireplace. She sat across the fire, then picked up her cup of tea from the table. Her eyes lingered on the table longer than necessary.

The single primrose still maintained its vibrant colour for close to 30 years now. It glowed in the jar.

She never thought of getting rid of it. The rose was once a symbol of her undying one-sided love; now it was a symbol for her resentment towards the same man she once loved.

Ironically, despite her hatred for Kaiden, her love for her children never changed. Eleanor took a slow sip of her tea, she didn’t confirm Callista’s words. She left her imagination to answer the question.

She brought down the cup. Her eyes were unreadable. Eleanor sighed, staring at the fire keenly. "How do you plan on getting rid of Cedric?" Callista asked from behind her

Eleanor’s eyes flickered with her brows furrowed, her lips parted. "Someone is at the door." The queen calmly said. She didn’t panic about their conversation being eavesdropped on.

The door creaked slightly, Callista’s head

snapped to it. Someone was indeed there, but why didn’t she sense them?