Alex raised his eyebrows in surprise. Had he argued with Nikolas? Really?
"I didn't think the two of you talked to each other when I wasn't around."
"He stopped me in the corridor to tell me something, and we argued."
"We still have his vote, right? Otherwise, I'll go and beat him up."
William lowered his gaze. "Yes, we do. You don't need to worry."
For some reason, Alex felt like he was hiding something from him. However, he doubted Nikolas would vote against them just because he'd argued with William. He wasn't the type to hold a grudge.
"Shall we go back to focusing on the drug?"
William smiled. "I think that's best."
For the rest of the morning, they leafed through every book they could find, and in the end, William identified three possible substances.
He stacked the books to one side, then took a sheet of paper and dipped his nib into the inkwell.
"The first substance is Vipergrass root," William said as he wrote. "It's fairly common in Vellara, but difficult to handle, and extracting the active compound causes irritation to the hands."
"And ingesting it causes an allergic reaction, as well as strong sexual arousal."
"They might have used small quantities. In that case, you might not have had any reaction when you took it."
He dipped the nib into the ink again. "The second substance is Silantro seed. It's rare both in our kingdom and beyond, but it can be bought on the black market at a very high cost."
"And if it comes into contact with silver, it blackens it."
"If it had been administered to you here in the palace, you would have noticed."
Alex nodded. "And the third is… the Azaron flower?"
William confirmed with a nod without stopping writing. "It's rare in Vellara, but it's imported from the southern kingdoms or Xia. It's expensive, but not for a wealthy merchant or a noble, and it doesn't cause allergic reactions."
"And Narea is the main port that imports it." Alex frowned. "Now that I think about it, the bastard who kidnapped you also imported aphrodisiacs."
"Really?"
"Sven didn't know the name, but they were also used as medicines."
William lowered his gaze to the page. "The Azaron flower is also used to treat certain illnesses. The roots reduce fever."
"What if… it were connected to what happened in Narea? To the disappearance of the money and everything?"
"The timing doesn't match, Your Highness." William looked at him. "When did you first have symptoms?"
"I'm not sure. Up until our first night together, I was fine, and even afterward, during the journey to Lenz, I felt like myself."
"But during the return journey, you couldn't keep your hands off me." William grimaced. "And I wasn't any better."
"Wait a moment, Will. If it started in Lenz or during the return journey, and it continued until now, that means…"
Alex fell silent. He didn't dare to finish the sentence, because it meant admitting that one of his own men had been drugging him.
He ran his hands over his face, as the pain of that betrayal tightened his throat.
"It's impossible. It can't be."
William stroked his hand. "I'm sorry."
"What if… whoever it was didn't know what they were doing?"
"It's possible, but they are trained to protect you. That includes poisons and drugs."
The mage was right, but for Alex, it was hard to accept that someone he had trusted could turn against him like that.
He leaned back against the chair. "Which substance do you think we're dealing with?"
William took his chin between his fingers. "If I had to guess, I'd say the Azaron flower. Probably in very small quantities."
"Is there an antidote?"
"Yes. I can prepare it for you by this evening, if I can find all the ingredients."
"Don't tell anyone. If I get better, we'll know that's it."
William furrowed his brow, as if in thought. "There's still one thing that doesn't add up."
Alex looked at him. "What?"
"How did they manage to drug your food while we were guests of the duchess? They couldn't have known which dish was yours. And at the table, it was only the three of us."
"Flori couldn't have betrayed me."
"I didn't mean to imply that, Your Highness. Your cousin seemed genuinely worried about you."
Alex sighed and ran a hand over his forehead. "So what? Are you saying it's not the drug?"
"No, but perhaps it wasn't put in the food."
"Then where?"
William thought for several moments. "Perhaps… in your flask, mixed with the water."
If that were the case, maybe it hadn't been one of his soldiers. Maybe someone had drugged his water before departure.
"If they diluted it in the water, maybe the first effects only appeared after the drug had built up in my body."
"I can check if you give me the flask."
Alex grimaced. "I emptied it shortly after we got back. Sorry."
William grew thoughtful again, the tip of his pen lightly tapping against the paper. "Perhaps they might not have taken into account that the water would dilute the effect."
"Do you think they might try again?"
"It's possible. It's best if you warn His Majesty and ask Sven to investigate your guard."
"Will, if they used higher doses, I… what effects would I have?"
"A far greater arousal, almost certainly with a persistent erection. Your perception of danger would probably decrease, and your reflexes would slow."
Alex gave a bitter smile. "Quite a collection, huh."
William took his hand and squeezed it. "Your Highness, I would never allow anything to happen to you. By tonight, you will have the antidote."
"Thank you." He intertwined their fingers. "But if they get to me before you do—if I become uncontrollable like in Astya—don't sacrifice yourself. I don't want to have sex with you in that state."
"I can't promise that."
"William—"
"Your Highness, if it were to happen, I wouldn't allow anyone to see you in that state, nor to touch you. Am I clear?"
"Clear."
William gave him a smile that faded at once. "The murder could be connected to the drug. The maid might have been involved or seen someone. It seems unlikely to be a coincidence."
"It's possible. I need to speak with my father."
Alex rose from the chair, but immediately froze as soon as he felt his cock stir between his legs. He flushed.
Spirits, not again! He brought a hand to his mouth and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself, but the more he tried, the more the arousal grew.
"Are you all right?" William asked.
"No. I have… a small problem."
"Oh."
"This is what I was telling you about earlier. Just being close to you makes me hard."
"Do you… want me to take care of it?"
Alex lowered his gaze to him. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't know how I might react—I'd rather not put you at risk."
"Your Highness, I'm not defenseless. And I can use my hands."
"All right, all right. But be careful."
He fell back into the chair and rested his head against the backrest.
William knelt between his legs, unbuttoned his trousers, and pulled them down, his hands caressing him gently. Arousal flared in his chest, and Alex tightened his fingers around the armrests.
"Will—"
William brushed him with his tongue and drew a moan from his lips. He rubbed his thumb over the tip, and Alex cursed through his teeth and came with a growl.
"I'm sorry, I… I should have warned you, but it was… too fast." He rested his head back against the chair, his chest burning. "Are you all right?"
"Yes. Don't worry." William stood and wiped his face with a handkerchief. "How do you feel?"
"A little better than before, but I feel like things are getting worse."
If that were the case, however, it meant they were still drugging him.
"You need that antidote, Your Highness. If you allow me, I'll get to work immediately."
Alex nodded and rubbed his forehead. "I'll go talk to my father. When it's ready, come find me."
William nodded, took the volumes the prince had brought from the library, and left.
Alex remained seated at the desk for a while, his gaze fixed on the ceiling and the arousal beginning to slither beneath his skin again. Then he stood and left.
He passed through several corridors until he reached his father's study. He knocked and entered.
The king was seated at his desk, alone, with a mountain of paperwork before him. He looked up at Alex and motioned for him to sit.
"You want to talk about yesterday, don't you?"
"Have you discovered anything, Father?"
"The physician confirms she was murdered. She had a few superficial wounds and a deeper one to the abdomen; she died of blood loss. The weapon was found behind the door, probably abandoned there by the killer."
"Do you know who did it, or why?"
"Not yet. The woman had no family, had worked here for several months, and had caused no trouble."
"I see." Alex moistened his lips. "There's… something I must speak to you about, Father."
His father looked him in the eye. "Is it important?"
"I fear so." Alex clenched his fists. "William and I believe someone is drugging me."
"Explain."
He blushed. "I'm almost constantly aroused. The situation is getting worse, and we think it's an aphrodisiac."
His father's gaze sharpened. "Have you, by any chance, started frequenting brothels again?"
"No," Alex snapped. "I don't go there anymore, I told you."
"And have you… invited someone into your chambers?"
"I'm telling you someone is drugging me, and all you can do is ask about my sex life?"
"I'm trying to understand whether you brought this trouble on yourself."
Alex scowled. "Even if I'm sleeping with someone, what does it matter?"
"It matters because it can make you vulnerable. You can't give just anyone access to your private chambers."
"I trust him more than I trust Sven. He would never hurt me. He can't hurt me!"
His father's eyes widened, and a flash of understanding shone in his blue irises. Had he understood? Even if he had, what could he possibly do to separate them?
"Can we not talk about this?"
"All right. Have you identified the drug?"
"Yes. William is preparing an antidote for me."
"Because of the Crown Pact, he might suffer the effects of the aphrodisiac along with you. Tell him to be careful."
"The murder might be connected to my situation."
"I will investigate further, but I doubt I will find anything."
"I can handle it myself, Father."
His father shook his head. "You must think about your work and next week's vote. And about staying out of trouble." He held out a sheet of paper to him. "And you must start thinking about marriage. This time, seriously."