Louisa's POV
I couldn't believe this was happening to me.
Josephine was literally filing the first suit, trying to blame everything on me!
And the most tricky thing was, I didn't even know how to defend myself. I knew exactly what happened behind Lucas' assassination, Gianna's kidnapping, and last night's chaos in camp.
But I didn't have any proof!
The traveling druid had already been killed by Lucas. He obviously couldn't tell the truth behind the assassination and kidnapping.
Mana and Mata could speak up for me, but their voices couldn't be heard by anyone except me.
Josephine's maid was supposed to be the witness and testify to Josephine's crime, but she was gone.
My only hope was Akela, but who would believe a crazy redhead girl? Especially when she knew nothing but shopping and daydreaming.
Then, Josephine blew the final strike.
"The potion box! Check her potion box! She was cooking something for all the soldiers in the camp the other night and she must have added something to their meals!" She said.
She knew what was missing from my potion box because she had her maid steal the potion from me the other day!
"Jo, you don't have to yell like this every time you want to make your point. Everyone can hear you," Zackery said and smiled at her.
Josephine softened her voice and said, "Zack, you know me. I hate witches. They're plaguing our kingdom and tarnishing our blood. They're supposed to be hanged and burnt. If she's innocent, let her take out her potion box, and let's take a look!"
Zackery looked at Josephine and said, "Jo, I understand it's been very stressful these days. Why don't you go back to your tent and lie down for a bit? You look very pale. In the afternoon, we can go to the Moon Goddess Temple together."
Josephine said, "Zack, I have to put this whole thing to a stop. This girl is getting on my nerves. She's having an evil agenda and she has to be punished!"
Having said that, she charged outside and grabbed my potion box, flipped it open in front of everyone, and said, "See! There's one bottle missing!"
Then, she took out the prescription and read it out loud, "Sativamus Grass potion. For anesthetic purposes only. Take precautions during Full Moon's day, for it leads to violent ecstasy. This is proof! She poisoned all the soldiers in this camp for some unspeakable purpose!"
Everyone was looking at me.
Will stepped forward and tried to block me with his body.
Mana and Mata stood next to the sides of my body and looked up at me.
"Miss, why don't you tell them that you haven't done any of this?" Mana said.
"Shall we hypnotize that screaming lady? I can make her walk like a chicken," Mata said.
I held them in my arms and said to Josephine, "I haven't done any of the things you've mentioned and you, of all people, should know it."
"What do you mean?" Josephine waved the potion box in her hand like a flag. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you suggesting that I have something to do with all this?"
"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm telling the truth. You sent your maid to sneak into my tent the other day to steal the Sativamus Grass potion. But she bumped into Akela, so you wanted to have Akela killed. That was why you sent your maid to stick a piece of a handkerchief in the window of her tent. You planned to sneak into her tent through the window while she was asleep and kill her. But when you were there, Akela wasn't in the tent. So you had to leave in a hurry. That was why you dropped your earrings in her tent, which were later discovered by her. Then, you sent your maid to add wolfsbane to my tea, trying to kill me. Akela saw her again, so you decided to kill your maid. She tried to run away from you and was saved by my personal guards. They kept her in the stable, so you created chaos in the camp with Sativamus Grass and sneaked into the stable to seduce Biri with your tight skirt and alcohol. You made Biri drunk and killed your maid. And now, you came to my tent this early in the morning to accuse me of poisoning soldiers and killing Lucas. You can't be more wrong."
Then, I took a deep breath and said, "I will never want to kill Lucas or harm his soldiers because he's my..."
Slap.
I didn't finish my sentence before Lucas slapped me across the cheek.
I was shocked and petrified.
Will was trying to jump at Lucas, but the sun started to come out, he had to shift into a little bat and run into the tent and hide.
Mana and Mata held Lucas' legs and tried to stop him, but were kicked away by him.
"Shut up, she-wolf!" Lucas strangled my throat and said.
"Don't you say one more word," he added.
I was petrified and stared at Lucas with fear.
I could see the vein in his forehead and the crazy look in his eyes. I thought he was about to kill me.
Why?
Why did he treat me like this?
Why couldn't he admit in front of everyone that I was his mate?
My vision was blurred by tears and I couldn't breathe. Then, I heard Zackery's voice -
"Lucas, leave that girl alone."
Lucas took a glance at Zackery and said, "You Excellency, I really think you should stay out of this."
Zackery said in his authoritative voice, "As always, we have disputes over a lot of issues. But you know how it ends. Leave that girl alone, Lucas. Now."
Lucas clenched his jaw and eventually loosed his grip on my throat and I dropped to the ground.
Mana and Mata crawled to me and said, "Miss! Are you OK?"
I saw the blood on the corner of their mouth and became outrageous.
"Why did you hurt my friends?!" I shouted at him as soon as I regained my breath.