Esther’s POV
The first sign something had gone wrong was the screaming.
Not the usual palace whispers or courtly scuffles, but a shriek so loud it cut through the marble corridors like a blade. I’d been in the infirmary reorganizing tinctures when the sound crashed over me, followed by the frantic pound of boots.
By the time I reached the eastern stairwell, Amanda’s ladies-in-waiting were already clustered there, wailing and clutching at one another. Amanda herself lay sprawled on the landing, crimson dress pooling like spilled wine. Her palms cradled her abdomen.
“She poisoned her!” one of the attendants cried, pointing a shaking finger down the hallway toward me. “The doctor, she gave her the herbs!”
My mouth went dry. “What?”
Amanda’s head rolled toward me. Tears streaked her chee
