Will You Uncover The Secret Betrothal? (Choose Your Path)
The Apothecary, Chapter 9: "The Betrothal"
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The Apothecary is an interactive story in which your choices determine your fate. Don’t read the sections in order. At the end of each section, make your choice and click on the corresponding link to be taken to your next section. Will you choose to save the duke from a fairy curse, or will you aid the prince in a darker quest?
Start Here: Dangerous Rumors
(continued from Chapter 8, find all chapters here)
You’ve brewed a potion for the prince—a potion that could help the prince return to the fairy realm.
If you used the correct ingredient.
You’ve made your choice: either the skull or the mushroom.
And what will happen to you that you’ve brewed the prince’s potion? The duke said it would change you, but the prince seems to have no qualms.
By the time the prince returns, the potion is finished.
He takes the vial from you, all of his attention on the strange liquid roiling within. He hardly seems to notice you at all. A sudden surge of anxiety goes through you. “Now you’ll take me back to my apothecary?” you ask.
He doesn’t take his eyes from the potion. “No,” he says softly, and dread settles over you. “The queen has asked to see you again.”
You try not to let dread overwhelm you as he leads you to the throne room…
Sunlight streaming through the window illuminates the queen on her throne and makes her jeweled gown glitter. The site is so dazzling, you look away—
And see with a start that the duke stands leaning against a wall, weighted with the misery of his curse. His glaze flicks toward you and you offer him a smile, but he only casts a wary look toward the queen.
“I’ve heard reports,” the queen says, claiming your attention, “of your skill with potions.” Her eyes flash. With suspicion or envy? “But I wasn’t sure whether to believe them until the prince assured me they were true.”
You look to the prince and he offers you a tight smile. He can’t have wanted the queen to suspect you’ve been brewing a potion for him. The queen must have her own reason for you calling you here.
The queen gestures toward the duke with a pale, silvery hand. “The duke has been ill of late. Did you know?”
Under her commanding stare, you answer…
“Yes, the duke told me.” Go to Connected.
“I’m sorry to hear it.” Go to Courteous.
Trapped
“The queen commanded it,” the prince says. He touches your cheek. “And you always make for interesting company.”
You still don’t know whether the prince means to make you drink the corpse’s crown potion.
You need to ask just the right question…
“Is the potion dangerous?” Go to Terror.
“What ability does the potion give?” Go to Talent.
Desperate
“The prince will take you to where you can brew this antidote for the duke,” the queen commands. The prince starts toward you, but you don’t want to leave without speaking to the duke. You need to warn him that the queen means to kill him.
“First, may I speak with the duke?”
The duke straightens and gives you a hopeful look. The queen seems to notice and frowns. “For what reason?” she asks you.
“I need to understand the nature of his illness before I can treat it.” Go to Secrets.
“I need to assess his fever before I know how long the antidote must simmer.” Go to Stealth.
Test
“Anyone at all.” The prince smiles. “Even a half-human like me. But the door can only be opened by someone with second sight. Someone who can see the mechanism that locks the door.”
At last, you understand—
“The potion I brewed gives a person second sight, which will let them unlock the door.”
“Second sight is a strange gift,” the prince says, gazing into the fire.
“You must be eager to drink the potion,” you say, and search his face for a reaction. “But could it be dangerous for you?”
“Any potion that creates such a change in a person has the chance to be dangerous,” the prince says, his expression unreadable.
“Then you must be brave to chance it,” you try.
The firelight dances in prince’s vacant eyes. “It’s not so much courage as desperation. It’s lonely here for me. I feel that the fairy realm must hold something better.”
He suddenly turns from the fire. “But never mind. You have an antidote to brew.”
Go to Secret Vow.
Noxious Tonic
The prince takes you back to the fiery forge and unloads more potion ingredients from his pockets. Ingredients meant to poison the duke.
“The queen wants to pretend that she’s helping the duke,” you say weakly, “but she isn’t.”
The prince lifts his eyebrows. “I hope you’re not about to suggest something treasonous. Of course the queen wants her stepson to get well.” A smile plays at the corners of his lips. He knows just as you do that she has given you a poisonous recipe.
“She wants to me to brew a potion that will kill him, and then she’ll pin the blame on me.”
The prince draws close, as if afraid of being overheard. “The queen would like to be rid of the duke because he stands in her way of making a treaty with a neighboring kingdom. The king is inclined to make a make a treaty with a different kingdom, one the queen isn’t interested in. The duke supports him.”
“What will happen to me if I brew the poisonous potion?”
“The duke will die.” The prince grimaces. “And then you will be killed for treason.”
You shiver, and the prince gives you a pitying look. “I wasn’t sure you would recognize the poisonous ingredient in the queen’s instructions for the potion,” he says.
“Do you still underestimate my skill?”
The prince shrugs. “We’ll soon see just how skilled you are. I have the potion you brewed for me. Will it take me through the door to the fairy realm?”
You think of the duke’s warning. Can it be true that the prince means to make you drink the corpse’s crown potion?
Perhaps if you’re clever, you can find a way to make the prince tell you.
“Why haven’t you gone to the door yet? Why wait here with me?” Go to Trapped.
“How will the potion help you get through the door to the fairy realm?” Go to Tormented.
Terror
“Dangerous?” The prince tilts his head to the side and studies you. Does he suspect that the duke warned you? “Do you worry for me?”
The prince is still evading you. Which question will reveal what you need to know about the potion?
“Why is it difficult to get through the door to the fairy realm?” Go to Trial.
“Who can pass through to the fairy realm once the door is opened?” Go to Test.
Connected
The queen frowns at your answer.
The duke stands straighter, as if to get your attention, but you’re too nervous to look at him. Clearly, you’ve made the queen suspicious.
“I confess,” the queen goes on, “that my own potions are not always suited for humans. But perhaps you can brew an antidote for the duke.”
You can hardly hide your shock. “I? Brew an antidote?” Can she really mean for you to help the duke? But then you see that she holds a paper in her hand…
The prince brings it to you and you quickly scan it. Instructions for an antidote—but not the one you would make. This one calls for a certain, little-known plant that your father once taught you about.
A plant he told you was poisonous.
The queen means to kill the duke—and pin the blame on you.
Refuse to make the potion? Go to Determined.
Stay quiet and hope you can evade the request? Go to Desperate.
Talent
“It lends second sight to the person who drinks it,” the prince answers.
Second sight—why should the prince need second sight?
You need to know about the fairy door…
“Why is it difficult to get through the door to the fairy realm?” Go to Trial.
“Who can pass through to the fairy realm once the door is opened?” Go to Test.
Gaze
The queen taps her silvery fingertips against the arm of her chair, considering. Finally, she inclines her head.
The duke watches eagerly as you step toward him. You can feel the queen’s attention on you as you draw close to the duke, and you try not to let it frighten you.
You place a hand along the side of the duke’s face and lean close, pretending to examine his eyes. He gazes back at you, so expectant that your breath comes up short. You struggle to focus on the warning you mean to give him.
But before you can speak, he whispers, “Did you brew the potion for the prince? Did it affect you in some way?”
The edge of your hand brushes the black mark that creeps up from his jawline, and he winces. The curse is worsening. You see now that it has started to tinge his lips.
You swallow your dread and say in a low voice, “I don’t think it has affected me.” You don’t understand the concern that flares in his eyes.
“Listen,” the duke says. “I once managed to get the prince to tell me why he wanted you to brew a potion for him, and he taunted me by saying that the potion would do something dangerous to you.”
You shake your head. “It’s clear now that he lied to worry you.”
The duke gives you a grim look. “No. If the potion hasn’t had an effect on you yet, then it must be that the effect will only come once you drink it.”
“But the potion is for the prince—” you start to say.
The queen’s voice cuts through your confusion. “Leave the duke,” she commands. “The prince will take you to brew the antidote.”
You have no time to warn the duke, or to get more answers. The prince steps toward you and pulls you away.
As the prince guides you toward the door, you ask the queen, “Will the prince take me to my apothecary?”
It’s the prince who answers: “In your long absence, the town council saw fit to give over the use of your shop to another apothecary. I’m sorry.”
Your knees threaten to buckle. “But—my father. His heart will break to know I’ve lost his shop.”
The prince puts a steadying arm under yours. “Perhaps if you brew the potion the queen requests, she will intervene with the town council on your behalf.”
The world seems to to darken as you stumble from the room. “But she wants me to brew poison.”
Go to Noxious Tonic.
Tormented
“The door cannot be opened by an ordinary human,” the prince says. “Or even by a half-human like me.”
Such a cryptic answer doesn’t tell you much. But it does make you think that only a true fairy, like the queen, can get through the door—
Unless a person drinks the right potion. Are you onto something?
You need to ask the right question to understand what fate awaits you.
“Why is it difficult to get through the door to the fairy realm?” Go to Trial.
“Who can pass through to the fairy realm once the door is opened?” Go to Test.
Courteous
The queen studies you for a moment, and you try to keep your anxiety hidden.
“I confess,” the queen goes on, “that my own potions are not always suited for humans. But perhaps you can brew an antidote for the duke.”
You can hardly hide your shock. “I? Brew an antidote?” Can she really mean for you to help the duke? But then you see that she holds a paper in her hand…
The prince brings it to you and you quickly scan it. Instructions for an antidote—but not the one you would make. This one calls for a certain, little-known plant that your father once taught you about.
A plant he told you was poisonous.
The queen means to kill the duke—and pin the blame on you.
Refuse to make the potion? Go to Determined.
Stay quiet and hope you can evade the request? Go to Desperate.
Stealth
The queen taps her silvery fingertips against the arm of her chair, considering. Finally, she inclines her head.
The duke watches eagerly as you step toward him. You can feel the queen’s attention on you as you draw close to the duke, and you try not to let it frighten you.
You place a hand along the side of the duke’s face, pretending to assess his fever. He gazes back at you, so expectant that your breath comes up short. You struggle to focus on the warning you mean to give him.
But before you can speak, he whispers, “Did you brew the potion for the prince? Did it affect you in some way?”
The edge of your hand brushes the black mark that creeps up from his jawline, and he winces. The curse is worsening. You see now that it has started to tinge his lips.
You swallow your dread and say in a low voice, “I don’t think it has affected me.” You don’t understand the concern that flares in his eyes.
“Listen,” the duke says. “I once managed to get the prince to tell me why he wanted you to brew a potion for him, and he taunted me by saying that the potion would do something dangerous to you.”
You shake your head. “It’s clear now that he lied to worry you.”
The duke gives you a grim look. “No. If the potion hasn’t had an effect on you yet, then it must be that the effect will only come once you drink it.”
“But the potion is for the prince—” you start to say.
The queen’s voice cuts through your confusion. “Leave the duke,” she commands. “The prince will take you to brew the antidote.”
You have no time to warn the duke, or to get more answers. The prince steps toward you and pulls you away.
As the prince guides you toward the door, you ask the queen, “Will the prince take me to my apothecary?”
It’s the prince who answers: “In your long absence, the town council saw fit to give over the use of your shop to another apothecary. I’m sorry.”
Your knees threaten to buckle. “But—my father. His heart will break to know I’ve lost his shop.”
The prince puts a steadying arm under yours. “Perhaps if you brew the potion the queen requests, she will intervene with the town council on your behalf.”
The world seems to to darken as you stumble from the room. “But she wants me to brew poison.”
Go to Noxious Tonic.
Touch
The queen taps her silvery fingertips against the arm of her chair, considering. Finally, she inclines her head.
The duke watches eagerly as you step toward him. You can feel the queen’s attention on you as you draw close to the duke, and you try not to let it frighten you.
You find the duke’s wrist and close your fingers around it. His pulse beats weakly, and his skin is hot. He inches closer to you, leaning into your grasp so that your breath comes up short. You struggle to focus on the warning you mean to give him.
But before you can speak, he whispers, “Did you brew the potion for the prince? Did it affect you in some way?”
The edge of your hand brushes the black mark that creeps along his arm, and he winces. The curse is worsening. You see now that it has started to creep up past his jawline as well.
You swallow your dread and say in a low voice, “I don’t think it has affected me.” You don’t understand the concern that flares in his eyes.
“Listen,” the duke says. “I once managed to get the prince to tell me why he wanted you to brew a potion for him, and he taunted me by saying that the potion would do something dangerous to you.”
You shake your head. “It’s clear now that he lied to worry you.”
The duke gives you a grim look. “No. If the potion hasn’t had an effect on you yet, then it must be that the effect will only come once you drink it.”
“But the potion is for the prince—” you start to say.
The queen’s voice cuts through your confusion. “Leave the duke,” she commands. “The prince will take you to brew the antidote.”
You have no time to warn the duke, or to get more answers. The prince steps toward you and pulls you away.
As the prince guides you toward the door, you ask the queen, “Will the prince take me to my apothecary?”
It’s the prince who answers: “In your long absence, the town council saw fit to give over the use of your shop to another apothecary. I’m sorry.”
Your knees threaten to buckle. “But—my father. His heart will break to know I’ve lost his shop.”
The prince puts a steadying arm under yours. “Perhaps if you brew the potion the queen requests, she will intervene with the town council on your behalf.”
The world seems to to darken as you stumble from the room. “But she wants me to brew poison.”
Go to Noxious Tonic.
Determined
You can’t refuse the queen directly, so you try flattery: “A potion such as this takes a skill far beyond mine. Surely only the queen could manage such a complex potion.”
The queen smiles. “Not at all. The prince assures me you have made many complex potions. I hear rumors from town, and he confirms them.”
And the prince wouldn’t mind if you poisoned the duke so that he could be free of the brother who hopes to block his passage into the fairy realm.
You chance a quick look at the prince and he gives you a cryptic smile.
Go to Desperate.
Trial
“The door can only be opened by someone with second sight,” the prince explains. “Someone who can see the mechanism that locks the door.”
At last, you understand—
“The potion I brewed gives a person second sight, which will let them unlock the door.”
“Second sight is a strange gift,” the prince says, gazing into the fire.
“You must be eager to drink the potion,” you say, and search his face for a reaction. “But could it be dangerous for you?”
“Any potion that creates such a change in a person has the chance to be dangerous,” the prince says, his expression unreadable.
“Then you must be brave to chance it,” you try.
The firelight dances in prince’s vacant eyes. “It’s not so much courage as desperation. It’s lonely here for me. I feel that the fairy realm must hold something better.”
He suddenly turns from the fire. “But never mind. You have an antidote to brew.”
Go to Secret Vow.
Secrets
The queen tosses her long fall of silvery hair. “Understand his illness? Never mind that. All you need to do is brew the antidote.”
You realize now that she won’t want you to know that the duke is ill because she cursed him. She doesn’t know the duke already told you.
You try again…
“I need to examine the whites of his eyes to know how much beetroot to add to the antidote.” Go to Gaze.
“I need to feel his pulse to decide how hot to boil the brew.” Go to Touch.
Secret Vow
You’re not sure how you can focus on your work with so much running through your mind. You still aren’t sure whether the prince means to make you drink the potion you brewed for him. And he admitted that it will have a dangerous effect.
But you gather what you need—not the ingredients for the queen’s poisonous potion but for the true antidote.
“I see you intend to help the duke after all,” the prince says, as you take the crystals from your pocket. “But you might want to reconsider how strong you make that antidote. Once the duke gets well, the treaty with the other kingdom will be ratified.”
The warning in his gaze gives you pause. “Is there a reason I shouldn’t want the duke to ratify the treaty?” you ask.
“Didn’t the duke tell you how he plans to uphold the treaty?” The prince’s tone is light, mocking.
Your stomach twists.
“He’s betrothed to the ruler’s daughter,” the prince says.
The crystals slip from your hand and clatter onto the floor. The duke is betrothed?
“Oh, I see he never mentioned it,” the prince says. “You’ve been so devoted to him but he hasn’t offered you the same loyalty.”
The prince leans to pick up a crystal and holds it out to you. The firelight makes it gleam darkly. “If you made the antidote weak, he would depend on you to brew more. Who knows, maybe he would even fall in love with you—enough to break his betrothal?”
The prince’s voice buzzes through your head. He’s only mocking you. And yet… is there some truth to his words?
The duke never told you about his betrothal. He secrecy feels like betrayal.
You have a heavy decision make…
End of Chapter 9.
Return to the beginning? Go to Start Here: Dangerous Rumors.
Come back soon for the FINALE, Chapter 10: The Final Potion. At the door to the fairy realm, your potions have the power to save or condemn the prince, the duke, and even yourself.