The Prince's Wedding

A Favour. 6

The kitchen staff, the servants and the maidens stand uniformly in front of me, quiet and yet, scared.

I can see it in their eyes.

In the way most of them fidget with their clothes and fingers.

Fear....

Still, among them is a killer. A killer after Melissa.

The question is....who?

After leaving the physician's place, we'd checked Halley's room and sure enough, her platter of fruits and food was there, untouched. She had eaten Melissa's food...so she was definitely not the target.

It was Melissa.

Beside me, Felipe stands to my right and Caspian to my left, and everyone remains quiet as I observe the crowd.

My father never had to deal with this.

No poisoning conspiracy, no killing attempts...

So why now?

Why me?

And more importantly....why Melissa?

She had remained with the physician and her sister, refusing to come and frankly, I don't blame her.

She'd spent more time with these people than I ever did or intend to in my entire life...and still, one or more of them wanted to get rid of her.

"Dominic, step out." I say, referring to the head of the kitchen staff and he steps out, then bows.

"Victoria, out." The head of the maidens, a short, middle-aged chubby woman, steps out and curtsies.

"Edward. Out." Head of the servants, a tall and lanky young man walks out and bows.

I stay quiet for a while, observing their faces, waiting to see a reaction or a slip up. But they look just as frightened as everyone else and I can't tell if it's because they're naturally scared of me or they know what's happened.

"You're all summoned here because in one way or the other, you all play a part in making the food, organizing it and distributing it in this castle."

I observe their faces.

Nothing.

"And somehow, in doing that, someone here compromised the food and because of that treacherous act, the young Lady Halley is currently lying unconscious in the physician's place."

Then the murmurs rise.

The exchange of glances.

The shock.

But still I don't find what I'm looking for....

Guilt.

Anger.

"I'm about to ask a question and I will only ask it once. After which the three of you," I look at the three representatives I've called out,

"Will tell me the truth about what you know of this. And if the perpetrator or perpetrators refuse to confess after I count to three, you will all permanently lose your jobs and be sent to the dungeon."

Their gasps fill the room and the murmurs rise even louder.

"Silence!" Felipe says and the room becomes quiet again.

I observe them one more time, then I let the words out.

"Whom amongst you, attempted to poison Lady Melissa by putting spider venom in her food?"

I watch them gasp, looking at each other and murmuring,

"Spider venom?"

"Poison?"

I watch their faces patiently, waiting.

Then Dominic steps forward.

"Your Majesty, I can assure you I monitored the entire cooking process in the kitchen today. I was present from the beginning to the end and I inspected every dish myself before it left the kitchen. None of my kitchen staff had a hand in this." Then he bows and moves backwards.

He looks scared but his words sound sincere and firm.

Victoria steps up next.

"Your Majesty, I can't say that I was in charge of every maiden at that moment, neither can I say I knew of all their actions. But I will say honestly that I had no part in this and I hope they didn't either." She says, sounding sure and honest.

Then I turn to Edward and I catch it.

The look. Fear.

And not the innocent type, the guilty type.

"Edward?" I call out to him and he looks up, as though realizing where he is.

"We're waiting."

"I...." He begins, visibly scared and sweating profusely, "I know nothing of any of this, Your Majesty."

"And what about the servants?"

"I don't know, Your Majesty."

He is shaking at this point.

I turn to Felipe and he looks at me just as well, then slightly nods.

"Very well." I say, turning back to the crowd.

"Whoever did this, you have to the count of three to admit your actions and get a minimum punishment. One."

The murmurs rise even higher, and I watch them look at one another in panic.

"Two."

I turn to Edward and our gazes meet. He looks so scared, it seems he may pass out.

"Three. Guards, take them all to the dungeon."

The guards surround them and the murmurs rise into panicked shouts.

"Wait, Your Majesty." Edward says and I raise up my hand, palm up, to halt the guards as the room becomes quiet.

"Yes?"

"I.... I may have... I may have seen something." He says and turns to the crowd for a while before turning back to me.

"I'm waiting."

"Earlier today, a-after the Lady Melissa l-left for the castle g-grounds...." He hesitates and turns back to the crowd.

"Don't worry, Edward. Tell us what you know." Felipe says and he nods.

"I saw Rupert leave Lady Melissa's chambers discreetly, I thought it was odd at the moment but I only guessed he was there at your command. I didn't realize it had any significance till now, Your Majesty."

"LIES!"

Rupert marches forward now, heaving with anger and a deadly look in his eyes.

"All lies! I would never enter the lady's chambers! I'm not a maiden and you have no proof!"

"Search him." I turn to the guards and they grab him by both arms while another pats him down.

"What? No! This is preposterous!"

At this point, everyone is quiet except for a screaming Rupert while the guards search him.

"Your Majesty." One of the guards call out to me as he holds up a small glass vial, containing a tiny amount of a black liquid.

"That's my medicine! It's not venom or poison!" Rupert defends and this time I walk up to them as I signal the guards to let him go.

"Your medicine?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. I use it for my eyes, they're starting to go." He says stubbornly as I take the vial from the guard and observe it.

"Fine. Then you would have no problem taking it with food."

I click my fingers at Caspian and he walks over with a plate of soup in which I pour the liquid into.

Rupert frowns.

"But... I...."

"That's an order."

The room is dead silent and I observe him as he takes the soup, thinking to myself,

Why the hell would this boy want Melissa gone?

Rupert takes a spoonful of soup and raises it to his mouth, then looks up at me. Our eyes meet and I see the panic in them.

Gotcha.

He instantly drops the soup and makes a beeline for the door, racing towards it as fast as I've ever seen as he pushes everyone out of his way.

"Seize him!"

But the guards are way ahead of me and they get him before he even makes it halfway. I watch as a cocky grin spreads on his face as they drag him closer and somehow, it sparks something ugly and angry within me.

"Do you realize what you attempted?! You insignificant fool! A little girl is unconscious because of your murderous act! She could have died! I should have your head for this!"

"Oh please! I was never after that girl, but you know as well as I do that the Lady Melissa doesn't belong here Your Majesty."

"That is not your decision to make!"

"You think it's just me?! Most of us have worked as servants and guards and maidens for years in this castle without a single upgrade! And then a commoner is betrothed to you and she instantly becomes a Lady and Royalty! You should be thanking me, you don't even like her and you've never failed to show it! I was doing you a favour!"

I throw my fist to his face, connecting the punch directly to his nose and mouth and blood splatters out. But Rupert looks up at me and smiles despite the blood and I know the damage has been done.

The words have been said and they sting badly. For a second I can feel all eyes on me.

'You don't even like her and you've never failed to show it!'

"Tie him up to starve at the crypt." I say and his smile vanishes as the guards drag him away.

"Wait the crypt? No! No, you can't! That place is for dead people!! You can't! Please!"

And the doors shut behind him.

The room remains quiet with the crowd still awaiting their fate, but all I can think of are Ruperts words.

'You should be thanking me!'

I whip around and head for the door, suddenly needing to get out, with Caspian behind me while Felipe addresses them.

"You may all resume your duties, but it will be subject to rotation decided by the council tomorrow. For today, every one here will be under intense inspection...."

His voice trails off when I leave the throne room and I don't stop walking until I've gotten to my chambers.

‘I was doing you a favour!’

I groan out loud, willing the words to leave my head as I pace back and forth.

It’s not my fault.

It’s not my fault!

It’s not. My. Fault!

“It’s not your fault—”

“I know that!” I yell, stopping halfway as I turn to Caspian.

“You think I don’t know that?! I had no hand to play in this!”

“Of course, Your Majesty.”

“Yet he had the audacity to say that to me!”

“He was just being a coward.”

“Then he should die as one! I want him hanged!” I yell and Caspian’s eyes widen in horror.

“Your Majesty—”

“He attempted murder and he insulted my reputation, Caspian!”

“But, the people—”

“I don’t care!”

“You should.”

This time it’s Felipe talking as he walks in.

“You cannot talk me out of this, Felipe.” I warn him and he just sighs.

“Your Majesty, with all due respect,—”

“Didn’t any of you hear what he said to me?!”

“The more reason why hanging him is completely out of question! Whether you like it or not, they heard what he said to you, and you’ve already sent him to starve at the crypt. These people are scared and they are acting on it, fast. You hang him, and that’s another attempt on Lady Melissa’s life because it’s more proof to their belief that they’ve been maltreated here and they may fear you for it, but they will hate her for it. Sure they can’t even try to kill you but if she dies….you lose your throne…and they all know that.”

By the time Felipe stops talking, I’ve lost all the rage in me….and I’m back to the beginning.

Why the hell do I have to run this kingdom?

Why the hell am I stuck here with these complicated people?

I hate this place….

“Address them, address the betrothal. It’s time to start approaching this matter rationally, Your Majesty.” He says more calmly but I can barely think straight.

Why do I have to be in this position? A little girl is deathly ill, and my image has been injured twice. First by Melissa and now this i***t!

And I’m supposed to be rational?

“Get out.” I say as I back them, my thoughts and emotions battling within me.

“Yes, Your Majesty.” I hear Caspian say, then the sound of his receding footsteps followed by the door opening and shutting.

“Felipe…” I warn and I hear him sigh.

“How long do you think you can run from this?” He asks and I take a deep breath.

“I’m not running from anything.”

“You have to find a safe way for her to eat, you have to restore sanity among the staff, you have to address the betrothal, you have to invite her to the ball—”

“I didn’t ask for any of this, okay?” I say and turn to him, my hands balled into fists.

“My father could have just let me do what I want, but he just had to pin me here with this betrothal and now I’m responsible for a bunch of people that I could care less about. You go ahead and handle her eating arrangements and that’s as far as I’m willing to handle. I’m not restoring or addressing anything and I’m definitely not taking her to that ball. So for the last time, get out.”

This time Felipe doesn’t say anything, he simply bows and leaves….

And I’m stuck with Rupert’s words still….

‘I was doing you a favour.’