Lesatan slowly awoke to the sounds of many hurried foot steps outside his dorm room door. He looked over to Piera who was also waking to the sounds. Standing up, he grabbed a pair of pants from the ground and threw on a button up shirt, before locating his shoes.
While all this occurred Piera sat on the bed with the blanket pulled up to chest level over her bare skin. Outside the yelling accompanied the rushed footsteps and Lesatan opened the door to the hall to find a Mondue guard running passed him.
"Halt!" He ordered and the Mondue stopped.
"Yes, milord?" The Mondue's voice shook and he looked like he did not want to be speaking with the Prince at that moment, or perhaps he was simply hurried.
"What has happened?" Lesatan asked and motioned towards the noise of the others down the hall from them.
The Mondue looked nervous and he cleared his throat before speaking. "Your father has been found dead, milord."
Without another word, Lesatan ran towards his father's bedroom only to find it was surrounded by Mondue guards.
"Move aside!" Lesatan demanded over and over again and it seemed that no one was listening to his commands. Krius' hand was placed on his chest and it caused him to look up at his adviser. "What has happened? Is my father dead?"
Krius nodded, "Your mother awoke beside him and he obviously passed many hours ago. Do not go in there. It is not a sight you wish to see, Lesatan." He was speaking to him as a friend and not an adviser in those moments.
"Make them step aside!" Lesatan ordered as he tried to fight back any tears that appeared in his eyes.
Krius turned to the other Mondues and waved his hand. He had ordered them not to allow the Prince or Princess inside until he could speak to them. Of course, they wouldn't tell them they couldn't see their father so they pretended not to hear him.
Lesatan stepped inside the room as Mondue investigators searched the room. In the corner of the elegantly decorated room sat his mother on a chair. She was still in her thin, white sleeping dress; her eyes were fixed on the dead man in the bed. She bore no emotion on her face but she did not seem to acknowledge anyone either. She did not move when Lesatan placed his hand on her shoulder.
Walking towards the bed, Lesatan looked at his father. He laid on his back with vomit overflowing from his mouth. His red eyes were wide open as if he had been aware that is his last moments had come for him. He hadn't even taken off his clothing yet or slipped under the covers. It seemed he managed to get his boots off and nothing more. This meant that he probably died soon after he left his father.
"Lord Damek is also sick. Looking much like your father." Krius told him as he stood to the side. "It appears to be poison."
Lesatan looked up from his father to his adviser, "Damek has been poisoned as well?" He asked with shock in his voice.
"The Princess." One of the other Mondue whispered and Krius rushed out to speak to her.
"No! Move aside or I will put you aside!" Lenore's voice echoed throughout the room and soon she appeared in the doorway. She made her way over to her brother and looked down at her father. They both stared silently, neither one seemed capable of processing what they were looking at and so they said nothing.
After several moments, they both slowly turned their heads and their eyes locked for some times, before they placed them back on their father. Lenore reached out her hand and took hold of her brother's own hand. He squeezed her hand gently as they both remained stuck in position as others moved around them.
Several doctors and alchemist scurried around Damek's bedroom as he laid in bed with his life hanging in the balance. He was too sick to speak to those trying to save his life and sometimes could not react in time to vomit in the bucket beside him. Therefore vomit covered his face and clothing though they tried to keep him as clean as possible.
Though his body would not do as it was told, his mind worked perfectly clear. He thought to himself how undignified this death would be, and he wondered what he would be remembered for once the poison took hold of him.
Those trying to create an antidote in his dorm room had no idea that he could hear every word they spoke, and that they were taking all of his hope of survival away.
"We don't know what poison he ingested and therefore we can not know what antidote to give him." He had heard on man say.
"We try whatever we can. Even if we give hi conflicting medicines and he dies, it was more of a chance than doing nothing at all." Another had said.
Damek couldn't sit up or even look at them. Everyone was merely a voice in his head as his eyes were heavy and when he could open them he could barely see the hand in front of his face. He would have liked to cry or call out, anything to let them know that he was still inside this body.
"He's not the Prince, we needn't fear his passing." Someone else had mumbled to another as they stood over him and wiped the vomit from his face.
Damek knew the man was speaking the truth but if he could open his eyes and see the man's face he would make him pay for those words. Only if he survived however.
His mind went to Lenore and he hoped that she would come to see him before he left this world. She had no idea the plans he had set in motion and even though he could never tell her, she would at least rule the land someday and not that damnable Lesatan. She deserved it more than her brother ever did, and even with his death he would be certain to see to that.
Everything he had done had been for her and to some extent his own hubris. In those moments, he hoped that she would have looked kindly enough upon him to visit just one time. That would be all he required but he would not be able to speak this wish or say anything to her if she appeared.
"The King seemed to have the same poison, and he died over night." Someone in the room said aloud.
"Perhaps, Lord Damek ingested less of it therefore it is taking a longer time to take him?" A deep voice man questioned.
"You may be right, but he is much younger so he may be able to fight it off for some time. Maybe long enough for us to discover what it was they ate?" There was hope in the man's voice and Damek swore it sounded like the man that had just informed someone that he was not a Prince and his death meant nothing.
"No, if we do not do something soon, there will be nothing left of him to save."
"Pardon me?" Someone else entered the room, but it was not Lenore's voice instead it was that of Marius Decoste.
"Yes?"
"May I sit with him for a while? He is my friend." Marius asked and when no one said anything in return, Damek assumed that meant that they had agreed.
He could feel Marius' heavy body sit on the bed beside him, which meant he was blocking his bucket as he had been at the edge of the bed. It took a moment to realize what Marius was filling his mouth with some sort of liquid.
After he swallowed, Marius moved his mouth closer to his ear. "I know you are in there. Try not to vomit for an hour or you will lose your only chance of survival." With that his weight was gone and Marius left the room.
Lesatan stood in his study with his advisers standing along the wall except for Lenore who was sitting in the chair in front of her brother's desk. The Prince paced the room as his rage began to boil over as he thought of what could have happened to his father.
"Nothing! They tell us nothing!" Lesatan barked. "My father has been murdered and they pretend that there is no need to answer to me!"
"Milord, it may be that there are no answers as of yet. The Mondues are still examining the evidence." Armand informed him before stepping forward and placing his hand on Lenore's shoulder as she was unexpectedly quiet. "For now they must think everyone immediately around the King is guilty of the act until they have a clear path to follow."
"I think what we should worry about more is how both the King and Damek were poisoned, but you are unharmed." Krius watched as Lesatan stopped in his track and seemed to stop to think for several moments.
"Damek, my father, and I were in the dining hall last night." His body fell limp for a moment. "They both drank the wine I gave my father at my wedding, but I refrained because..." He didn't seem to want to explain.
"Because why?" Enoch asked.
"The Queen thinks that alcohol is a poison and hinders children from being conceived." Lenore finally answered when it was apparent that Lesatan was too embarrassed to give a response to the question.
Enoch stood confused and looked between the other advisers. "Why would that be an issue at this moment?"
"I was not aware you were trying to conceive, my Prince." Armand swallowed and looked to Krius with worry in his eyes. "So soon after the wedding?"
"That is not the issue here!" Lesatan snapped and looked down to his sister. "Mother will blame you."
Lenore's brows came together. "You said it yourself, the only link Damek and Father had last night was drinking the wine that you purchased. I never had my hand on that bottle therefore how could I possibly have poisoned it?"
"We should bring the wine to the attention of the Mondues." Armand suggested and once more looked to Krius. "Do you not agree?"
Krius seemed hesitate, "We do not know that was the cause of their deaths. Bringing it forth would only make our Prince look guilty."
"Not bringing it forward only to have it revealed by Damek if he recovers would look much worse." Armand argued and then turned his attention to Lesatan. "We must inform them. If anything they might be able to understand what poison has a hold on your cousin and save his life."
There was silence in the room as Lesatan thought over what he was being advised to do. He turned to look out the window and stared down at the place where his father's carriage had arrived just the day before.
"Krius may be right, at least for now." The Prince finally spoke and then exhaled loudly. "Damek may not live and there would be no link between the three of us."
"That is cowardly." Lenore stood from her chair. "You must bring the evidence forward. It will make it appear as if you have nothing to hide. Someone might have poisoned that bottle of wine and we could use it to track down whose hands touched it."
"Then I assign that to you with your discretion." Lesatan waved his hand at his sister. "I am certain that you'll be able to discover the truth before it returns to me."
Lenore frowned, "And you would let Damek die to protect yourself? He did nothing wrong other than drink with you and father."
"Men must die for their King and sometimes they do so without knowing it." Lesatan walked over to his chair and sat down. "This is the burden of the crown."
Piera couldn't stand to wait in her room for another moment so she invited Ophelia to walk with her around the dorm court. It was practically empty as anyone other than the Royal Family and advisers were removed from the premises. She had no idea where the other Royals would be sent to lay their heads but in truth in those moments she didn't truly care.
The tournament had been canceled. This was the first time in University history that they had ever shut it down and it seemed that it would not be reopened for some time.
Mondue guards were constantly watching the gate and walking along the pathways to ensure the safety of the family within. Piera didn't realize how many guards that the school had in place as it seemed at least five times more than what was normally about.
"Apisarn is considered it's own city state by Ronea. A place where the students rule to create better rulers, correct?" Ophelia asked as she walked beside her thoughtful friend.
Piera nodded her head as she wondered exactly where the woman was going with this train of thought. "Yes, this is true."
"In the past, there have been murders on the grounds and the student council decided the fate of the killer. However that was for another student, would this be so for a King?" Ophelia asked and stopped near the fountain to look at Piera.
She thought for several moments of the history of crimes that had been committed within the school halls. "I... I am not certain. I believe there was once a prince that was killed by his brother here, and that was overseen by the student council, but they were both students here."
The Souchan girl sighed, "I am sorry to ask you such questions. I have not allowed the severeness of what has occurred to sink in yet."
Piera patted her shoulder softly and gave her a slight smile. "No need to apologize. I think I am finding this surreal as well." Her eyes then shifted to the distance where she saw Lenore and Lesatan standing side by side. They were sitting on a bench near the rose garden.
"Nothing like tragedy to end old rivalries, I suppose." Ophelia frowned deeply as she watched the brother and sister pair speaking to one another. "What do you think they are discussing?"
Piera watched her husband place his face in his hand and Lenore rubbed his shoulder briefly. "I do not know, but we should not be seeing this." She grabbed Ophelia's hand and led her away from the scene.
When they were in the halls of the dorm she slowed her walk and released Ophelia's hand with a deep sigh. It may not be real for her yet, but it was certainly real for her husband.
"I do not know how to comfort him." She admitted as they walked back to her bedroom. "This death has come before I truly know him."
"Truly know him? He is your husband." Ophelia seemed confused.
"I know he is my husband, but he is difficult to understand at times. When he is angry sometimes he wants me to just listen and other times he wants me to talk the situation out with him. He makes my head spin in circles and I do not know what to do when he comes to my room tonight." Piera swallowed as a Mondue guard opened her bedroom door for her.
The two girls entered and Piera sat down on the edge of her bed while Ophelia remained standing.
"You should... just be there." Ophelia suggested. "There is no need to talk. Just hold him if he wants you to or give him space. Grief is not anger. He may even need to be closer than usual for a time. You have never seen him with loss, you will not know what he does with it until tonight."
Piera nodded her head, "Yes, I suppose so." Looking around the room, she stood from her bed and walked over to her vanity to check her face. When she finished, she looked to Ophelia. "I do not think your services will be needed today, Ophelia. Why do you not go home and spend some time with my brother? Inform him of what you have seen and heard. Perhaps, he and Remus might be able to help with the investigation in an unofficial manner."
Ophelia bowed her head, "Yes, of course."
Lesatan sat on the bench with his face in his hands as Lenore placed her hand gently between his shoulder blades. They both sat in silence for several moments as they processed what had happened that morning. It was hard to believe that in one night the country had lost its king and they their father. Since it was obviously murder, things would become very complicated.
Part of Lenore was angry as she never got to see her father one last time because of her brother's selfishness, but she knew now was not the time. As much as she wanted to get angry with him, she knew this would have to wait if it ever needed to be brought to the forefront at all.
Lesatan finally sat up straight and dropped his hands to his knees. "Father would want us to find justice for the victim... even if the victim was him."
"Yes, but since this occurred on university grounds that means that the trial would be held here and by the student council. Do you think you should oversee such a trial? Could you be just?" Lenore watched her brother contemplate her questions as he stared at the fountain in the distance.
"No. I would wish for them to suffer." Lesatan admitted honestly, before her sighed. "Could you?"
Lenore shook her head, "No, and since Damek is the next in line, he couldn't either since he was a victim of the poisoning."
"Damek isn't a student here anymore, either. None of our other relatives go to this school, therefore who would sit on the council in our place?" Lesatan swallowed. "Perhaps, we are thinking too far ahead. The killer has yet to be captured and we should focus on that alone."
"We can do nothing in that area at this time. We should start thinking about who should preside over the trial. Honestly, I do not trust any Royal to do so with fairness in their hearts." Lenore leaned so her back completely touched the bench and her head fell back as she closed her eyes.
"You are correct, especially if the killer is of the Royal party. He or she may have close friends and therefore be privy to special treatment." Lesatan swallowed. "Who then?"
Lenore's eyes popped open and she looked at him. "Piera's brother, Byron Nicoletti. He keeps no close ties to anyone and sees justice through only the evidence. He has no interest in becoming overly emotion and he can not be bought."
The Prince stood from the bench and began to pace in front of her. "I suppose that since he is the brother of the future Queen that people and the council would find difficulties rejecting him as my placeholder."
"Good, then for now we will summon him unless we decide on someone else later." Lenore sighed and realized that the conversation had ended too soon and she had no where to direct the conversation anymore.
Lesatan seemed to come to this understanding as well and began to look nervous. "Who do you think would be this daring? It couldn't be a resistance group and they surely would have taken credit for it somehow by now."
She shrugged her shoulders, "That is for the Mondues to discover. We play no part in it otherwise people will say that we had a hand in directing the case where we wished. We can not allow the murderer to go free because we played too great of a part in solving it." A slight smirk came to her lips. "Father asked me to recreate something lost by both your mother and Ophelia's father. I can not discuss it with you now, but I am certain that it will assist us in finding the answers out. Though the information would have to get to the Mondues through someone other than us."
"Father assigned a mission to you?" He seemed shock. "You never shared this with me? I should have been informed."
"Father assigned you to convince me to stand at your side and you never mentioned it to me." Lenore scoffed. "Of course, you failed your mission, didn't you? Anyway, I shall get things moving and you continue to stay... here."
Santh stood by a small garden outside the Royal Dorms. He could see that several extra guards were placed at the entrance of the gates, and knew if he wanted they would allow him through. He knew inside that there were plenty of Mondues running about as they tried to figure out the mystery behind the earth shattering death.
The entire university had no one walking the paths. Everyone was in their dorm rooms as the tournament arena sat well decorated but unused. It was rather eery to walk around as it seemed that over night everyone had disappeared except around the Royal Dorm.
He wanted to go inside and comfort Lenore. He knew she would be hurting more than anyone else would be privy to and she would stand strong for everyone. However, he felt that she could break down in front of him, he could give her that for a moment.
Though his feet had brought him to the dorm, his heart told him that he could not enter. She wanted him to stay away and he had to respect her wish no matter how much pain it brought his heart.
His heart never hurt more than standing outside of the dorm and looking at the building that housed the woman he loved. She was suffering inside that building before her father's death and now it was a suffocating type of pain. He felt like he could feel her torment in the wind, but he could do nothing to save her from this. She was on her own.
"Santh?" A little voice broke his thoughts and he turned his attention to the girl that had walked out of the Royal Dorms to stand in front of him. She had sneaked up on him and he hadn't even noticed, and that moment made him realize how lost in thought he was and how he could help nothing in those moments of despair.
"Shall I walk you back to the dorms?" He offered her.
Ophelia smiled, "Yes, please. Did Byron send you?" She began to walk beside him, and realized that he slowed his long stride so she wouldn't have to keep up with him.
"No." He responded bluntly and immediately wish he had just made up a reason, but nothing that didn't involve Lenore came to mind.
"I see." She was quiet for a moment. "It feels like we are on the long break again. No students in the pathways."
"I thought it felt as if over night the world had disappeared. There are decorations for the tournament everywhere, but no people participating in them." Santh wanted to ask about Lenore, but he didn't know how to bring the topic up and instead thought he could work his way to the subject.
"Lenore is alright." Ophelia said seeming to read his mind. "I mean her father was just murdered, however she seems to be handling it well. Not that I can get close enough to talk to her. She doesn't speak to me."
"Has she cried?" He didn't know why he asked that, but it was something his heart needed to know.
"Not that I have seen. If she has it has not been done publicly." Ophelia seemed to understand his question and did not judge him even in her own mind.
"Of course, she wouldn't. She only allows those closest to her to see her weakness." Santh sighed heavily.
Ophelia didn't know what to say to the large man. It was strange to see him in such a mood. He wasn't brooding as per usual, but instead he seemed genuinely upset over Lenore's well being. Of course, she was as well. She felt she would regret asking the next question, but asked anyway. "Did you have hopes of seeing her? Is that why you came to the dorms?"
He nodded. "I did, but I remembered that she asked me to leave her alone. Therefore, I shall do just that until she desires differently."
She was surprised that he was open about his feelings with her and decided to remain silently. There was no need to ruin a perfectly honest conversation by pointing out the honesty.
Piera entered the bedroom that the Queen had been moved to as they were still looking through the bedroom that the King had been found in. She looked around the dark brown room that was nothing like the pastel colors that the Queen usually surrounded herself with. Furs on the bed instead of down filled blankets and leather chairs and benches instead of rich, luxurious fabrics were all signs that Aletta was not somewhere she would be comfortable.
Sitting on the windowsill, Aletta stared out over the dorm court. Her eyes were red though she was not crying at least not anymore. She was still wearing the clothes she had slept in and found her husband dead beside her in. There was a blank look on her face as if her mind were hundreds of miles away and she no longer wanted to be part of this reality.
"Milady, you summoned me?" Piera closed the door behind her and moved to the bench at the end of the bed. Sitting down she stared at her Queen for several moments as she waited for her to acknowledge her. "Milady?" She stood up and walked over to the window where she placed her hand on Aletta's shoulder.
She was quick to startle and turned her head to find her daughter-in-law. "You startled me, Piera."
"I did not mean to, I called to you twice. I am sorry." Piera moved back to the bench and sat down quickly.
Aletta swallowed and turned her eyes back to whatever interested her so in the outside world. "The monster lives out there somewhere. There will be no mercy when he is found. I will..." Her voice cracked. "ensure that he suffers as greatly as my husband did."
"I believe the university will try the murderer." Piera informed her and immediately wished she had never spoken.
The Queen jumped up and her white under dress flowed around her feet. "I will never allow the students to punish that monster!" She screamed. "I will destroy him myself! Piece by piece, I will tear at his flesh! When he can take no more, I shall eat his very soul!" She lost all strength in her legs and fell back to the windowsill as her voice cracked once more. "My love... that beast stole my love." A tear rolled down her cheek.
Piera was unsure what to say in those moments as she never thought that Aletta loved her husband and she knew Lesatan thought the same.
As if she read Piera's mind, Aletta began to speak. "The whole country thinks... I just wanted the crown and that was true for a time. I did horrible things in order to find and kill his daughter." She wiped a tear from his cheek. "I wanted her dead for so long until I realized..." She tossed her head back as if she was fighting the tears. "that I loved him. Even though he was fully aware of what I was doing, he never treated me harshly and always had a kind word. I thought at first it was because he wanted me to stop trying to assassinate Lenore, and perhaps it was true. However, once I knew she was beyond my reach, I told him that I stopped and he continued to be kind."
Aletta placed her head against the cool window before she continued. "I loved him and when I had Lenore beside me, I had a daughter, but pride... my disgusting pride. I couldn't just show them I loved them, no I had already locked myself in tightly as their villain." Tears began to stream down her face. "I should have been a better wife, but all I did was hold tightly to my pride and never allowed myself to change. I always thought there would be another day."
Piera waited calmly on the bench as she watched the Queen try to stop her tears.
"I simply can not believe that someone would kill him. He was a good man who was kind to me even though I was the cruelest monster. Perhaps, his killer helped him finally get away from the true monster in his life." She couldn't stop her tears.
"I do not think that he thought you a monster. He never seemed frustrated or exhausted when you entered the room. He always welcomed you." Piera stood up and walked over to stand with her hand on the Queen's shoulders.
"Yes, but that is only a testament to how wonderful he was... or maybe how terrified I made him for fear of his daughter's life." She sobbed.
Piera swallowed, "You can not change or show this side to the King, but you can for Lenore. There is still time with her."
"There is no time. I am a monster forever in the eyes of my beloved."
Ophelia had not wanted to go straight to the dorm and had convinced Santh to go into the village with her. None of the stores were open as everyone mourned their King, therefore the two had walked around the hamlet but spoke little.
After some times of feeling like they were the only two people on the planet, Santh suggested they return to the dorm. Ophelia had agreed but she was afraid of the questions that the others would ask of her. She didn't want to gossip about Lenore or Piera nor did she wish to tell them any details that she had learned about the King's death. There had been no news released on how he had died only that he had passed away during the night.
Santh seemed to understand why she was avoiding going back as they walked down the pathways of the university. "You'll have to face everyone eventually."
"I know." She spoke with a sigh and stared down at the ground beneath her feet as she walked beside him.
When they approached the dirt path, Santh stopped her. "If you do not wish to answer their questions, just tell them so. It's a private matter and you serve Princess Piera and therefore value her privacy and that of her family's."
A small grin came to her lips as hoped entered into her eyes. "Do you think that they would stop then? Would they go away?"
Santh chuckled, which was a relatively unheard sound. "No, but you could then walk away and hide yourself in your room."
"You are a big jerk, aren't you?" She began to walk down the dirt path with Santh following behind her.
When she arrived in the now flowered court, there were several girls standings about, but Remus and Routine approached her. Jolon and Anton went inside the dorm and motioned for everyone to follow them. All the girls complied.
"Is Piera alright?" Routine asked with what sounded suspiciously like worry in his voice. He could have gone to see her, but feared that it would be inappropriate at the moment.
Ophelia nodded. "She is fine."
"And Lenore?" He wanted to ensure that his friend was not in need of him, but of course he wouldn't bring himself to see her either.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Her father has been murdered, how well could she be?"
A wave of relief washed over him, before he turned around and went into the dorm to begin his studies. He had no idea how long classes would be canceled because of this.
"So, the rumors are true? It was murder?" Remus asked and it looked as if he was fighting back both rage and sorrow. "My father... this will hurt him greatly. The two are the closest of friends, and I have no doubt he will ensure that justice will be done for his friend."
"Piera seems to believe that this will all be investigated and tried on university grounds. Ronea will have to wait with baited breath for our own brand of justice." Ophelia explained and knew immediately it was not the answer that Remus wanted to here.
"A bunch of students receding over the murder of the country's king? That would be a complete scandal, there is no way the headmaster would..."
Santh cut him off. "This university is founded on the students treating it as a small nation within a country. That hamlet out there lives and dies by what laws the students pass as do all the students within it's walls. Murders have be tried and killers brought to justice on these grounds for hundreds of years. Just because a man is a King does not then allow us to destroy everything this school stands for."
Remus pressed his lips together and stormed out of the court through the dirt path.
After he disappeared, Santh looked down at the small woman beside him. "See it wasn't nearly as bad as you thought it would be, now was it?"
Piera entered her bedroom to find Lesatan laying on his back staring up at the canopy. There were no tears in his eyes but they were slightly swollen and red. There was a tea tray sitting on the small table in her room that the servants brought in no doubt moments before on his order. So, she walked over and poured herself a small cup before sitting down at the small white table.
She sipped her tea quietly and wondered if he knew she was in here. She thought perhaps what he needed was silent companionship and then she worried that she was not being supportive. A million things came to mind to say but they all sounded either cold or cliché. Her heart couldn't take anymore of the silence but her mind told her that might be what he wanted.
"Come lay beside me." Lesatan finally broke the silence and for the moment she at least had some direction.
Putting her cup down, she walked over to the bed and laid down. He put his arm out so she could use it to rest her head. She thought to lay on her back like him, but decided to lay on her side so she could see his face.
Lesatan did not look at her. "Have you been well today? You haven't spoken much and you seem to be tip toeing around."
"I... I do not mean to be, Les. I am just unsure what I should be doing, and no one can tell me a direct answer." She swallowed her throat slightly dry.
He chuckled. "Even on days such as these, you can bring a smile to me if only for a moment." There was a pause before he sighed. "I can not become king just yet. I have to finish school and there was still so much to prove to my father."
"I do not think your father needed you to prove anything to him. He cared for you a great deal." Piera tried to comfort him.
"There was one thing he asked of me. He wanted me to become friends with Lenore and keep her safe by my side as an adviser. All he wanted after he died was that I did not harm my own sister and that she remained in the capital." He pressed his lips together as he thought over the words he had just spoken. "I couldn't even do that. Initially, I was jealous that he loved Lenore so much that he would ask that of me, but now... now I realize that perhaps I needed Lenore at my side. He was trying to show that to me, and I ignored it for pettiness."
Piera was silent. She didn't know how to respond to his confession but before she knew exactly what she was going to say she began to speak. "Perhaps then you are not mad that you didn't prove you could do it to your father, but instead angry that you have yet to prove it to Lenore."
He turned his head slightly and stared at the woman lying beside him. "No, I am angry that I didn't prove it to him, but you have a point. Lenore is still here. I can still try to fulfill my father's wish even if he will never see it."
"Souchans believe that our relatives visit us from time to time." Piera didn't know why she told him such a thing, but she did.
"My mother's beliefs from the Vinsons, who as you know were once part of the Mondues, believe just as them. That you return to the hereafter and leave the world of the living to the living." He looked back up at the canopy. "I would like for the Souchan version to be right, if just in this one matter."
Piera moved closer and laid her head on his shoulder before placing her hand on his chest. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed steady. "You are more calm than I thought you would be, are you alright?"
"Believe it or not, Lenore has a way of calming one's nerves. She makes you plan and talk ahead, so you are not eating at yourselves over present events." He licked his lips briefly. "Perhaps mother was wrong about her all along."
In the late hours of the evening, Damek began to awake from his petrified state. The alchemists and doctors that surrounded him patted themselves on the back for somehow finding a cure when they did not know the poison. After some time they began to funnel out and return to their rooms and dorms for the night.
Many of the alchemists had been professors at the school and Damek hissed internally at them as he remembered they had all given up on him. However, he could not stew in his anger for very long as he laid in his bed because the Mondues soon arrived.
There was three of them in total. They dressed in guard garbs and stood at the end of his bed. Damek wore no shirt as it had been removed from him due to sweat and vomit, but his legs were tucked neatly under his blanket. He felt nude under the eyes of his lessers, but tried to remain diginified in front of them.
"Are you feeling alright, milord?" The brown haired Mondue who stood at the front asked even though Damek knew he truly did not care.
"I have suffered the worst pain of my entire life. Touched death and somehow have returned, alright would not be the word I would use." Damek shot back.
In truth, his head was throbbing and his stomach turned with hunger though he knew he could not eat. His throat was sore from the stomach fluid he had vomited up, and worst of all for him, he had no idea the long term affects the poison would have on him.
"Do you know how you and the King became poisoned?" The Mondue asked after completely ignoring Damek's words.
Damek thought for a moment as he did not want to answer too quickly. "Last night, Lesatan, my uncle, and I were in the private dining hall. That was the only time I was with the King since his arrival yesterday."
"Did you eat or drink anything?" He asked as the other two stood stoically behind him. They weren't even writing anything down.
Licking his dry lips, he mentally told himself he needed to take care of them, before answering. "We were drinking a bottle of wine. I remember the King said it was the bottle he had gotten for his gift at my cousin's wedding this year."
"Prince Lesatan's wedding?"
Damek nodded his head.
"Therefore according to wedding customs, it was also a gift from Prince Lesatan?" He asked and the two Mondues standing behind him looked at each other briefly.
Damek fought a grin. "Yes, I would suppose so."
"You say that Lesatan was in the room with you while you drank? Did he have any of the wine?" The Mondue calmly asked.
Thinking for a moment, Damek felt great pride swell in his chest. "No, no, he didn't. I believe that is why my uncle asked me to drink with him. I only came in to give my greetings. I believe that Lesatan was not drinking because he is trying to conceive an heir." At that moment, Damek grabbed his head and took a deep breath.
"Are you alright?" The Mondue stepped forward. "Shall I summon someone?"
He slowly shook his head. "No, I just need to rest, please show yourselves out. Perhaps, I will be more capable of answering questions in the morning."
"Of course, our apologizes. Goodnight, milord."
Once they were out of the room, Damek laid back in his bed with his head on the pillow and a grin slowly formed on his lips. The board had been set, now he just had to make sure all the pieces went where he wanted them to go. That seemed to be a rather easy task so far, minus his own poisoning. Though as he thought of it, his own poisoning gave him better leverage that it was in fact not him who poisoned the King.
While all this occurred Piera sat on the bed with the blanket pulled up to chest level over her bare skin. Outside the yelling accompanied the rushed footsteps and Lesatan opened the door to the hall to find a Mondue guard running passed him.
"Halt!" He ordered and the Mondue stopped.
"Yes, milord?" The Mondue's voice shook and he looked like he did not want to be speaking with the Prince at that moment, or perhaps he was simply hurried.
"What has happened?" Lesatan asked and motioned towards the noise of the others down the hall from them.
The Mondue looked nervous and he cleared his throat before speaking. "Your father has been found dead, milord."
Without another word, Lesatan ran towards his father's bedroom only to find it was surrounded by Mondue guards.
"Move aside!" Lesatan demanded over and over again and it seemed that no one was listening to his commands. Krius' hand was placed on his chest and it caused him to look up at his adviser. "What has happened? Is my father dead?"
Krius nodded, "Your mother awoke beside him and he obviously passed many hours ago. Do not go in there. It is not a sight you wish to see, Lesatan." He was speaking to him as a friend and not an adviser in those moments.
"Make them step aside!" Lesatan ordered as he tried to fight back any tears that appeared in his eyes.
Krius turned to the other Mondues and waved his hand. He had ordered them not to allow the Prince or Princess inside until he could speak to them. Of course, they wouldn't tell them they couldn't see their father so they pretended not to hear him.
Lesatan stepped inside the room as Mondue investigators searched the room. In the corner of the elegantly decorated room sat his mother on a chair. She was still in her thin, white sleeping dress; her eyes were fixed on the dead man in the bed. She bore no emotion on her face but she did not seem to acknowledge anyone either. She did not move when Lesatan placed his hand on her shoulder.
Walking towards the bed, Lesatan looked at his father. He laid on his back with vomit overflowing from his mouth. His red eyes were wide open as if he had been aware that is his last moments had come for him. He hadn't even taken off his clothing yet or slipped under the covers. It seemed he managed to get his boots off and nothing more. This meant that he probably died soon after he left his father.
"Lord Damek is also sick. Looking much like your father." Krius told him as he stood to the side. "It appears to be poison."
Lesatan looked up from his father to his adviser, "Damek has been poisoned as well?" He asked with shock in his voice.
"The Princess." One of the other Mondue whispered and Krius rushed out to speak to her.
"No! Move aside or I will put you aside!" Lenore's voice echoed throughout the room and soon she appeared in the doorway. She made her way over to her brother and looked down at her father. They both stared silently, neither one seemed capable of processing what they were looking at and so they said nothing.
After several moments, they both slowly turned their heads and their eyes locked for some times, before they placed them back on their father. Lenore reached out her hand and took hold of her brother's own hand. He squeezed her hand gently as they both remained stuck in position as others moved around them.
-***-
Several doctors and alchemist scurried around Damek's bedroom as he laid in bed with his life hanging in the balance. He was too sick to speak to those trying to save his life and sometimes could not react in time to vomit in the bucket beside him. Therefore vomit covered his face and clothing though they tried to keep him as clean as possible.
Though his body would not do as it was told, his mind worked perfectly clear. He thought to himself how undignified this death would be, and he wondered what he would be remembered for once the poison took hold of him.
Those trying to create an antidote in his dorm room had no idea that he could hear every word they spoke, and that they were taking all of his hope of survival away.
"We don't know what poison he ingested and therefore we can not know what antidote to give him." He had heard on man say.
"We try whatever we can. Even if we give hi conflicting medicines and he dies, it was more of a chance than doing nothing at all." Another had said.
Damek couldn't sit up or even look at them. Everyone was merely a voice in his head as his eyes were heavy and when he could open them he could barely see the hand in front of his face. He would have liked to cry or call out, anything to let them know that he was still inside this body.
"He's not the Prince, we needn't fear his passing." Someone else had mumbled to another as they stood over him and wiped the vomit from his face.
Damek knew the man was speaking the truth but if he could open his eyes and see the man's face he would make him pay for those words. Only if he survived however.
His mind went to Lenore and he hoped that she would come to see him before he left this world. She had no idea the plans he had set in motion and even though he could never tell her, she would at least rule the land someday and not that damnable Lesatan. She deserved it more than her brother ever did, and even with his death he would be certain to see to that.
Everything he had done had been for her and to some extent his own hubris. In those moments, he hoped that she would have looked kindly enough upon him to visit just one time. That would be all he required but he would not be able to speak this wish or say anything to her if she appeared.
"The King seemed to have the same poison, and he died over night." Someone in the room said aloud.
"Perhaps, Lord Damek ingested less of it therefore it is taking a longer time to take him?" A deep voice man questioned.
"You may be right, but he is much younger so he may be able to fight it off for some time. Maybe long enough for us to discover what it was they ate?" There was hope in the man's voice and Damek swore it sounded like the man that had just informed someone that he was not a Prince and his death meant nothing.
"No, if we do not do something soon, there will be nothing left of him to save."
"Pardon me?" Someone else entered the room, but it was not Lenore's voice instead it was that of Marius Decoste.
"Yes?"
"May I sit with him for a while? He is my friend." Marius asked and when no one said anything in return, Damek assumed that meant that they had agreed.
He could feel Marius' heavy body sit on the bed beside him, which meant he was blocking his bucket as he had been at the edge of the bed. It took a moment to realize what Marius was filling his mouth with some sort of liquid.
After he swallowed, Marius moved his mouth closer to his ear. "I know you are in there. Try not to vomit for an hour or you will lose your only chance of survival." With that his weight was gone and Marius left the room.
-***-
Lesatan stood in his study with his advisers standing along the wall except for Lenore who was sitting in the chair in front of her brother's desk. The Prince paced the room as his rage began to boil over as he thought of what could have happened to his father.
"Nothing! They tell us nothing!" Lesatan barked. "My father has been murdered and they pretend that there is no need to answer to me!"
"Milord, it may be that there are no answers as of yet. The Mondues are still examining the evidence." Armand informed him before stepping forward and placing his hand on Lenore's shoulder as she was unexpectedly quiet. "For now they must think everyone immediately around the King is guilty of the act until they have a clear path to follow."
"I think what we should worry about more is how both the King and Damek were poisoned, but you are unharmed." Krius watched as Lesatan stopped in his track and seemed to stop to think for several moments.
"Damek, my father, and I were in the dining hall last night." His body fell limp for a moment. "They both drank the wine I gave my father at my wedding, but I refrained because..." He didn't seem to want to explain.
"Because why?" Enoch asked.
"The Queen thinks that alcohol is a poison and hinders children from being conceived." Lenore finally answered when it was apparent that Lesatan was too embarrassed to give a response to the question.
Enoch stood confused and looked between the other advisers. "Why would that be an issue at this moment?"
"I was not aware you were trying to conceive, my Prince." Armand swallowed and looked to Krius with worry in his eyes. "So soon after the wedding?"
"That is not the issue here!" Lesatan snapped and looked down to his sister. "Mother will blame you."
Lenore's brows came together. "You said it yourself, the only link Damek and Father had last night was drinking the wine that you purchased. I never had my hand on that bottle therefore how could I possibly have poisoned it?"
"We should bring the wine to the attention of the Mondues." Armand suggested and once more looked to Krius. "Do you not agree?"
Krius seemed hesitate, "We do not know that was the cause of their deaths. Bringing it forth would only make our Prince look guilty."
"Not bringing it forward only to have it revealed by Damek if he recovers would look much worse." Armand argued and then turned his attention to Lesatan. "We must inform them. If anything they might be able to understand what poison has a hold on your cousin and save his life."
There was silence in the room as Lesatan thought over what he was being advised to do. He turned to look out the window and stared down at the place where his father's carriage had arrived just the day before.
"Krius may be right, at least for now." The Prince finally spoke and then exhaled loudly. "Damek may not live and there would be no link between the three of us."
"That is cowardly." Lenore stood from her chair. "You must bring the evidence forward. It will make it appear as if you have nothing to hide. Someone might have poisoned that bottle of wine and we could use it to track down whose hands touched it."
"Then I assign that to you with your discretion." Lesatan waved his hand at his sister. "I am certain that you'll be able to discover the truth before it returns to me."
Lenore frowned, "And you would let Damek die to protect yourself? He did nothing wrong other than drink with you and father."
"Men must die for their King and sometimes they do so without knowing it." Lesatan walked over to his chair and sat down. "This is the burden of the crown."
-***-
Piera couldn't stand to wait in her room for another moment so she invited Ophelia to walk with her around the dorm court. It was practically empty as anyone other than the Royal Family and advisers were removed from the premises. She had no idea where the other Royals would be sent to lay their heads but in truth in those moments she didn't truly care.
The tournament had been canceled. This was the first time in University history that they had ever shut it down and it seemed that it would not be reopened for some time.
Mondue guards were constantly watching the gate and walking along the pathways to ensure the safety of the family within. Piera didn't realize how many guards that the school had in place as it seemed at least five times more than what was normally about.
"Apisarn is considered it's own city state by Ronea. A place where the students rule to create better rulers, correct?" Ophelia asked as she walked beside her thoughtful friend.
Piera nodded her head as she wondered exactly where the woman was going with this train of thought. "Yes, this is true."
"In the past, there have been murders on the grounds and the student council decided the fate of the killer. However that was for another student, would this be so for a King?" Ophelia asked and stopped near the fountain to look at Piera.
She thought for several moments of the history of crimes that had been committed within the school halls. "I... I am not certain. I believe there was once a prince that was killed by his brother here, and that was overseen by the student council, but they were both students here."
The Souchan girl sighed, "I am sorry to ask you such questions. I have not allowed the severeness of what has occurred to sink in yet."
Piera patted her shoulder softly and gave her a slight smile. "No need to apologize. I think I am finding this surreal as well." Her eyes then shifted to the distance where she saw Lenore and Lesatan standing side by side. They were sitting on a bench near the rose garden.
"Nothing like tragedy to end old rivalries, I suppose." Ophelia frowned deeply as she watched the brother and sister pair speaking to one another. "What do you think they are discussing?"
Piera watched her husband place his face in his hand and Lenore rubbed his shoulder briefly. "I do not know, but we should not be seeing this." She grabbed Ophelia's hand and led her away from the scene.
When they were in the halls of the dorm she slowed her walk and released Ophelia's hand with a deep sigh. It may not be real for her yet, but it was certainly real for her husband.
"I do not know how to comfort him." She admitted as they walked back to her bedroom. "This death has come before I truly know him."
"Truly know him? He is your husband." Ophelia seemed confused.
"I know he is my husband, but he is difficult to understand at times. When he is angry sometimes he wants me to just listen and other times he wants me to talk the situation out with him. He makes my head spin in circles and I do not know what to do when he comes to my room tonight." Piera swallowed as a Mondue guard opened her bedroom door for her.
The two girls entered and Piera sat down on the edge of her bed while Ophelia remained standing.
"You should... just be there." Ophelia suggested. "There is no need to talk. Just hold him if he wants you to or give him space. Grief is not anger. He may even need to be closer than usual for a time. You have never seen him with loss, you will not know what he does with it until tonight."
Piera nodded her head, "Yes, I suppose so." Looking around the room, she stood from her bed and walked over to her vanity to check her face. When she finished, she looked to Ophelia. "I do not think your services will be needed today, Ophelia. Why do you not go home and spend some time with my brother? Inform him of what you have seen and heard. Perhaps, he and Remus might be able to help with the investigation in an unofficial manner."
Ophelia bowed her head, "Yes, of course."
-***-
Lesatan sat on the bench with his face in his hands as Lenore placed her hand gently between his shoulder blades. They both sat in silence for several moments as they processed what had happened that morning. It was hard to believe that in one night the country had lost its king and they their father. Since it was obviously murder, things would become very complicated.
Part of Lenore was angry as she never got to see her father one last time because of her brother's selfishness, but she knew now was not the time. As much as she wanted to get angry with him, she knew this would have to wait if it ever needed to be brought to the forefront at all.
Lesatan finally sat up straight and dropped his hands to his knees. "Father would want us to find justice for the victim... even if the victim was him."
"Yes, but since this occurred on university grounds that means that the trial would be held here and by the student council. Do you think you should oversee such a trial? Could you be just?" Lenore watched her brother contemplate her questions as he stared at the fountain in the distance.
"No. I would wish for them to suffer." Lesatan admitted honestly, before her sighed. "Could you?"
Lenore shook her head, "No, and since Damek is the next in line, he couldn't either since he was a victim of the poisoning."
"Damek isn't a student here anymore, either. None of our other relatives go to this school, therefore who would sit on the council in our place?" Lesatan swallowed. "Perhaps, we are thinking too far ahead. The killer has yet to be captured and we should focus on that alone."
"We can do nothing in that area at this time. We should start thinking about who should preside over the trial. Honestly, I do not trust any Royal to do so with fairness in their hearts." Lenore leaned so her back completely touched the bench and her head fell back as she closed her eyes.
"You are correct, especially if the killer is of the Royal party. He or she may have close friends and therefore be privy to special treatment." Lesatan swallowed. "Who then?"
Lenore's eyes popped open and she looked at him. "Piera's brother, Byron Nicoletti. He keeps no close ties to anyone and sees justice through only the evidence. He has no interest in becoming overly emotion and he can not be bought."
The Prince stood from the bench and began to pace in front of her. "I suppose that since he is the brother of the future Queen that people and the council would find difficulties rejecting him as my placeholder."
"Good, then for now we will summon him unless we decide on someone else later." Lenore sighed and realized that the conversation had ended too soon and she had no where to direct the conversation anymore.
Lesatan seemed to come to this understanding as well and began to look nervous. "Who do you think would be this daring? It couldn't be a resistance group and they surely would have taken credit for it somehow by now."
She shrugged her shoulders, "That is for the Mondues to discover. We play no part in it otherwise people will say that we had a hand in directing the case where we wished. We can not allow the murderer to go free because we played too great of a part in solving it." A slight smirk came to her lips. "Father asked me to recreate something lost by both your mother and Ophelia's father. I can not discuss it with you now, but I am certain that it will assist us in finding the answers out. Though the information would have to get to the Mondues through someone other than us."
"Father assigned a mission to you?" He seemed shock. "You never shared this with me? I should have been informed."
"Father assigned you to convince me to stand at your side and you never mentioned it to me." Lenore scoffed. "Of course, you failed your mission, didn't you? Anyway, I shall get things moving and you continue to stay... here."
-***-
Santh stood by a small garden outside the Royal Dorms. He could see that several extra guards were placed at the entrance of the gates, and knew if he wanted they would allow him through. He knew inside that there were plenty of Mondues running about as they tried to figure out the mystery behind the earth shattering death.
The entire university had no one walking the paths. Everyone was in their dorm rooms as the tournament arena sat well decorated but unused. It was rather eery to walk around as it seemed that over night everyone had disappeared except around the Royal Dorm.
He wanted to go inside and comfort Lenore. He knew she would be hurting more than anyone else would be privy to and she would stand strong for everyone. However, he felt that she could break down in front of him, he could give her that for a moment.
Though his feet had brought him to the dorm, his heart told him that he could not enter. She wanted him to stay away and he had to respect her wish no matter how much pain it brought his heart.
His heart never hurt more than standing outside of the dorm and looking at the building that housed the woman he loved. She was suffering inside that building before her father's death and now it was a suffocating type of pain. He felt like he could feel her torment in the wind, but he could do nothing to save her from this. She was on her own.
"Santh?" A little voice broke his thoughts and he turned his attention to the girl that had walked out of the Royal Dorms to stand in front of him. She had sneaked up on him and he hadn't even noticed, and that moment made him realize how lost in thought he was and how he could help nothing in those moments of despair.
"Shall I walk you back to the dorms?" He offered her.
Ophelia smiled, "Yes, please. Did Byron send you?" She began to walk beside him, and realized that he slowed his long stride so she wouldn't have to keep up with him.
"No." He responded bluntly and immediately wish he had just made up a reason, but nothing that didn't involve Lenore came to mind.
"I see." She was quiet for a moment. "It feels like we are on the long break again. No students in the pathways."
"I thought it felt as if over night the world had disappeared. There are decorations for the tournament everywhere, but no people participating in them." Santh wanted to ask about Lenore, but he didn't know how to bring the topic up and instead thought he could work his way to the subject.
"Lenore is alright." Ophelia said seeming to read his mind. "I mean her father was just murdered, however she seems to be handling it well. Not that I can get close enough to talk to her. She doesn't speak to me."
"Has she cried?" He didn't know why he asked that, but it was something his heart needed to know.
"Not that I have seen. If she has it has not been done publicly." Ophelia seemed to understand his question and did not judge him even in her own mind.
"Of course, she wouldn't. She only allows those closest to her to see her weakness." Santh sighed heavily.
Ophelia didn't know what to say to the large man. It was strange to see him in such a mood. He wasn't brooding as per usual, but instead he seemed genuinely upset over Lenore's well being. Of course, she was as well. She felt she would regret asking the next question, but asked anyway. "Did you have hopes of seeing her? Is that why you came to the dorms?"
He nodded. "I did, but I remembered that she asked me to leave her alone. Therefore, I shall do just that until she desires differently."
She was surprised that he was open about his feelings with her and decided to remain silently. There was no need to ruin a perfectly honest conversation by pointing out the honesty.
-***-
Piera entered the bedroom that the Queen had been moved to as they were still looking through the bedroom that the King had been found in. She looked around the dark brown room that was nothing like the pastel colors that the Queen usually surrounded herself with. Furs on the bed instead of down filled blankets and leather chairs and benches instead of rich, luxurious fabrics were all signs that Aletta was not somewhere she would be comfortable.
Sitting on the windowsill, Aletta stared out over the dorm court. Her eyes were red though she was not crying at least not anymore. She was still wearing the clothes she had slept in and found her husband dead beside her in. There was a blank look on her face as if her mind were hundreds of miles away and she no longer wanted to be part of this reality.
"Milady, you summoned me?" Piera closed the door behind her and moved to the bench at the end of the bed. Sitting down she stared at her Queen for several moments as she waited for her to acknowledge her. "Milady?" She stood up and walked over to the window where she placed her hand on Aletta's shoulder.
She was quick to startle and turned her head to find her daughter-in-law. "You startled me, Piera."
"I did not mean to, I called to you twice. I am sorry." Piera moved back to the bench and sat down quickly.
Aletta swallowed and turned her eyes back to whatever interested her so in the outside world. "The monster lives out there somewhere. There will be no mercy when he is found. I will..." Her voice cracked. "ensure that he suffers as greatly as my husband did."
"I believe the university will try the murderer." Piera informed her and immediately wished she had never spoken.
The Queen jumped up and her white under dress flowed around her feet. "I will never allow the students to punish that monster!" She screamed. "I will destroy him myself! Piece by piece, I will tear at his flesh! When he can take no more, I shall eat his very soul!" She lost all strength in her legs and fell back to the windowsill as her voice cracked once more. "My love... that beast stole my love." A tear rolled down her cheek.
Piera was unsure what to say in those moments as she never thought that Aletta loved her husband and she knew Lesatan thought the same.
As if she read Piera's mind, Aletta began to speak. "The whole country thinks... I just wanted the crown and that was true for a time. I did horrible things in order to find and kill his daughter." She wiped a tear from his cheek. "I wanted her dead for so long until I realized..." She tossed her head back as if she was fighting the tears. "that I loved him. Even though he was fully aware of what I was doing, he never treated me harshly and always had a kind word. I thought at first it was because he wanted me to stop trying to assassinate Lenore, and perhaps it was true. However, once I knew she was beyond my reach, I told him that I stopped and he continued to be kind."
Aletta placed her head against the cool window before she continued. "I loved him and when I had Lenore beside me, I had a daughter, but pride... my disgusting pride. I couldn't just show them I loved them, no I had already locked myself in tightly as their villain." Tears began to stream down her face. "I should have been a better wife, but all I did was hold tightly to my pride and never allowed myself to change. I always thought there would be another day."
Piera waited calmly on the bench as she watched the Queen try to stop her tears.
"I simply can not believe that someone would kill him. He was a good man who was kind to me even though I was the cruelest monster. Perhaps, his killer helped him finally get away from the true monster in his life." She couldn't stop her tears.
"I do not think that he thought you a monster. He never seemed frustrated or exhausted when you entered the room. He always welcomed you." Piera stood up and walked over to stand with her hand on the Queen's shoulders.
"Yes, but that is only a testament to how wonderful he was... or maybe how terrified I made him for fear of his daughter's life." She sobbed.
Piera swallowed, "You can not change or show this side to the King, but you can for Lenore. There is still time with her."
"There is no time. I am a monster forever in the eyes of my beloved."
-***-
Ophelia had not wanted to go straight to the dorm and had convinced Santh to go into the village with her. None of the stores were open as everyone mourned their King, therefore the two had walked around the hamlet but spoke little.
After some times of feeling like they were the only two people on the planet, Santh suggested they return to the dorm. Ophelia had agreed but she was afraid of the questions that the others would ask of her. She didn't want to gossip about Lenore or Piera nor did she wish to tell them any details that she had learned about the King's death. There had been no news released on how he had died only that he had passed away during the night.
Santh seemed to understand why she was avoiding going back as they walked down the pathways of the university. "You'll have to face everyone eventually."
"I know." She spoke with a sigh and stared down at the ground beneath her feet as she walked beside him.
When they approached the dirt path, Santh stopped her. "If you do not wish to answer their questions, just tell them so. It's a private matter and you serve Princess Piera and therefore value her privacy and that of her family's."
A small grin came to her lips as hoped entered into her eyes. "Do you think that they would stop then? Would they go away?"
Santh chuckled, which was a relatively unheard sound. "No, but you could then walk away and hide yourself in your room."
"You are a big jerk, aren't you?" She began to walk down the dirt path with Santh following behind her.
When she arrived in the now flowered court, there were several girls standings about, but Remus and Routine approached her. Jolon and Anton went inside the dorm and motioned for everyone to follow them. All the girls complied.
"Is Piera alright?" Routine asked with what sounded suspiciously like worry in his voice. He could have gone to see her, but feared that it would be inappropriate at the moment.
Ophelia nodded. "She is fine."
"And Lenore?" He wanted to ensure that his friend was not in need of him, but of course he wouldn't bring himself to see her either.
She shrugged her shoulders. "Her father has been murdered, how well could she be?"
A wave of relief washed over him, before he turned around and went into the dorm to begin his studies. He had no idea how long classes would be canceled because of this.
"So, the rumors are true? It was murder?" Remus asked and it looked as if he was fighting back both rage and sorrow. "My father... this will hurt him greatly. The two are the closest of friends, and I have no doubt he will ensure that justice will be done for his friend."
"Piera seems to believe that this will all be investigated and tried on university grounds. Ronea will have to wait with baited breath for our own brand of justice." Ophelia explained and knew immediately it was not the answer that Remus wanted to here.
"A bunch of students receding over the murder of the country's king? That would be a complete scandal, there is no way the headmaster would..."
Santh cut him off. "This university is founded on the students treating it as a small nation within a country. That hamlet out there lives and dies by what laws the students pass as do all the students within it's walls. Murders have be tried and killers brought to justice on these grounds for hundreds of years. Just because a man is a King does not then allow us to destroy everything this school stands for."
Remus pressed his lips together and stormed out of the court through the dirt path.
After he disappeared, Santh looked down at the small woman beside him. "See it wasn't nearly as bad as you thought it would be, now was it?"
-***-
Piera entered her bedroom to find Lesatan laying on his back staring up at the canopy. There were no tears in his eyes but they were slightly swollen and red. There was a tea tray sitting on the small table in her room that the servants brought in no doubt moments before on his order. So, she walked over and poured herself a small cup before sitting down at the small white table.
She sipped her tea quietly and wondered if he knew she was in here. She thought perhaps what he needed was silent companionship and then she worried that she was not being supportive. A million things came to mind to say but they all sounded either cold or cliché. Her heart couldn't take anymore of the silence but her mind told her that might be what he wanted.
"Come lay beside me." Lesatan finally broke the silence and for the moment she at least had some direction.
Putting her cup down, she walked over to the bed and laid down. He put his arm out so she could use it to rest her head. She thought to lay on her back like him, but decided to lay on her side so she could see his face.
Lesatan did not look at her. "Have you been well today? You haven't spoken much and you seem to be tip toeing around."
"I... I do not mean to be, Les. I am just unsure what I should be doing, and no one can tell me a direct answer." She swallowed her throat slightly dry.
He chuckled. "Even on days such as these, you can bring a smile to me if only for a moment." There was a pause before he sighed. "I can not become king just yet. I have to finish school and there was still so much to prove to my father."
"I do not think your father needed you to prove anything to him. He cared for you a great deal." Piera tried to comfort him.
"There was one thing he asked of me. He wanted me to become friends with Lenore and keep her safe by my side as an adviser. All he wanted after he died was that I did not harm my own sister and that she remained in the capital." He pressed his lips together as he thought over the words he had just spoken. "I couldn't even do that. Initially, I was jealous that he loved Lenore so much that he would ask that of me, but now... now I realize that perhaps I needed Lenore at my side. He was trying to show that to me, and I ignored it for pettiness."
Piera was silent. She didn't know how to respond to his confession but before she knew exactly what she was going to say she began to speak. "Perhaps then you are not mad that you didn't prove you could do it to your father, but instead angry that you have yet to prove it to Lenore."
He turned his head slightly and stared at the woman lying beside him. "No, I am angry that I didn't prove it to him, but you have a point. Lenore is still here. I can still try to fulfill my father's wish even if he will never see it."
"Souchans believe that our relatives visit us from time to time." Piera didn't know why she told him such a thing, but she did.
"My mother's beliefs from the Vinsons, who as you know were once part of the Mondues, believe just as them. That you return to the hereafter and leave the world of the living to the living." He looked back up at the canopy. "I would like for the Souchan version to be right, if just in this one matter."
Piera moved closer and laid her head on his shoulder before placing her hand on his chest. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed steady. "You are more calm than I thought you would be, are you alright?"
"Believe it or not, Lenore has a way of calming one's nerves. She makes you plan and talk ahead, so you are not eating at yourselves over present events." He licked his lips briefly. "Perhaps mother was wrong about her all along."
-***-
In the late hours of the evening, Damek began to awake from his petrified state. The alchemists and doctors that surrounded him patted themselves on the back for somehow finding a cure when they did not know the poison. After some time they began to funnel out and return to their rooms and dorms for the night.
Many of the alchemists had been professors at the school and Damek hissed internally at them as he remembered they had all given up on him. However, he could not stew in his anger for very long as he laid in his bed because the Mondues soon arrived.
There was three of them in total. They dressed in guard garbs and stood at the end of his bed. Damek wore no shirt as it had been removed from him due to sweat and vomit, but his legs were tucked neatly under his blanket. He felt nude under the eyes of his lessers, but tried to remain diginified in front of them.
"Are you feeling alright, milord?" The brown haired Mondue who stood at the front asked even though Damek knew he truly did not care.
"I have suffered the worst pain of my entire life. Touched death and somehow have returned, alright would not be the word I would use." Damek shot back.
In truth, his head was throbbing and his stomach turned with hunger though he knew he could not eat. His throat was sore from the stomach fluid he had vomited up, and worst of all for him, he had no idea the long term affects the poison would have on him.
"Do you know how you and the King became poisoned?" The Mondue asked after completely ignoring Damek's words.
Damek thought for a moment as he did not want to answer too quickly. "Last night, Lesatan, my uncle, and I were in the private dining hall. That was the only time I was with the King since his arrival yesterday."
"Did you eat or drink anything?" He asked as the other two stood stoically behind him. They weren't even writing anything down.
Licking his dry lips, he mentally told himself he needed to take care of them, before answering. "We were drinking a bottle of wine. I remember the King said it was the bottle he had gotten for his gift at my cousin's wedding this year."
"Prince Lesatan's wedding?"
Damek nodded his head.
"Therefore according to wedding customs, it was also a gift from Prince Lesatan?" He asked and the two Mondues standing behind him looked at each other briefly.
Damek fought a grin. "Yes, I would suppose so."
"You say that Lesatan was in the room with you while you drank? Did he have any of the wine?" The Mondue calmly asked.
Thinking for a moment, Damek felt great pride swell in his chest. "No, no, he didn't. I believe that is why my uncle asked me to drink with him. I only came in to give my greetings. I believe that Lesatan was not drinking because he is trying to conceive an heir." At that moment, Damek grabbed his head and took a deep breath.
"Are you alright?" The Mondue stepped forward. "Shall I summon someone?"
He slowly shook his head. "No, I just need to rest, please show yourselves out. Perhaps, I will be more capable of answering questions in the morning."
"Of course, our apologizes. Goodnight, milord."
Once they were out of the room, Damek laid back in his bed with his head on the pillow and a grin slowly formed on his lips. The board had been set, now he just had to make sure all the pieces went where he wanted them to go. That seemed to be a rather easy task so far, minus his own poisoning. Though as he thought of it, his own poisoning gave him better leverage that it was in fact not him who poisoned the King.