Chapter Eighteen
“We can’t just stand by and wait for something to happen,” Prince Mikos was saying, as he paced the floor of his quarters. “And they have poison, you say? We have to identify these men.”
Consort Ryan, who was also in the cabin with us, watched us both nervously.
These men wouldn’t go easy, and we all knew it.
There was a sense of barely controlled violence in the room, and I was about as angry and disappointed as I’d ever been.
To think I had trusted these men and would have given up my life for any one of them.
Their dishonor was a stain on me. It wasn’t all of them, but for any of them to betray my trust and the prince’s trust so badly made me furious.
“Agreed,” I said. “I think this confirms my theory that the ones behind all of this must be one or more of the Imperial Guards. Since they’re here with us on this ship, they’re some of my most trusted men.”
“Yes, I remember the names of those you took with you. All of them are excellent warriors and soldiers. If one or more of them is guilty of this treason, then it’s hard to know who we can trust.”
“That’s a future problem, Your Highness. And we’ll figure it out. For now, we have to work out how to manage the next few days and narrow down the field even further when we reach Tygeria. I say we arrest them all tonight and secure them so they can’t be a danger to anyone.”
“Yes, I agree.” He glanced up at me. “See that it’s done.”
“Gladly.”
A knock on the door startled all of us, I think, though the prince quickly recovered. “Oh, four hells, I asked Larz and his family to join us. They need to be told about this new threat against them.”
He opened the hatch door and the three of them came in, looking a little wary.
Taran’s eyes went directly to me and lingered for a few seconds before he turned abruptly away, sticking his lips out in a little pout that probably no one would have noticed except for me.
He was letting me know he still hadn’t forgiven me.
It was extremely irritating and at the same time, adorable.
And when had I ever used that word before in my entire life? Gods, I believed he might actually be driving me crazy.
Ryan invited them all to sit down and Larz and Janos took a seat on a small divan against the wall, while Ryan and Prince Mikos sat on the end of their bed.
I was leaning with my shoulder against a wall near the hatch in the room. I caught Taran’s eye and jerked my head at him, indicating he should come and stand by me. He blushed but obeyed and quickly came over to stand beside me.
“The general has uncovered some new information that you need to be aware of,” Prince Mikos began. “Kirstos, please tell them what you know.”
I quickly informed them of what I’d overheard, trying my best not to alarm them unnecessarily, though Janos’s complexion paled noticeably at the word ‘poison.’ I remembered that poison as method of assassination had once been popular on Laltana.
Beside me, I could hear an increase in Taran’s breathing, too, but for the most part, he remained calm, and I was proud of them both for not panicking. Not too much, anyway.
“I thought this was all over,” Prince Larz said. “And that we had our culprit in Bryos. How extensive is this plot anyway? Will my family even be safe now on Tygeria?”
“It’s being taken care of,” Prince Mikos replied.
“In the short time he’s been back on Tygeria, Father and the council have already made at least a dozen arrests, and he says there will probably be more to come.
All of the ones involved were close family members of the missing boys, and some of them are talking and giving up information during their interrogations.
I feel confident that we can handle this thing and get it under control.
It’s already creating a lot of talk and scandal on Tygeria, according to what Father told me.
By the time Janos testifies in front of the council and we give our own testimony in support of him, you should be able to go home to Laltana and begin to put this all behind you. ”
“I hope you’re right,” Larz said. “But what do we do about this current situation?”
“We find those responsible and arrest them,” I said.
Larz gave me a look. “And just how do we do that? Do you know who they are?”
“I have a good idea.” I explained how I figured it was one of the nine Imperial guards who had arrived on Moravia with me.
“I wish I could narrow it further, but while I could hear them talking to each other on the observation deck earlier today, I couldn’t see them at all clearly, so I don’t have specifics.
I’m afraid this will badly tarnish all of their reputations and some of them may not deserve that. ”
“What else can we do though?” Larz asked.
I lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “The opportunity to defeat an enemy is often provided by the enemy himself,” I said softly.
“Oh, I think I see what he means,” Janos said, laying a hand on Larz’s arm. “We set a trap for them. We give them an opening and see which one takes the bait? Yes. I want this thing to be done and over with.”
“But wouldn’t that be too dangerous?” the Consort Ryan asked. “The poison is deadly—the most deadly known on Tygeria.”
“We’ll take precautions,” I said.
“And these are Imperial soldiers, after all,” Ryan continued. “Even though only one or two of them may be guilty.”
From beside me, Taran spoke up. “Perhaps you could have a dinner for them. A banquet to thank them for their service to us on Moravia. That should give them ample opportunity to try something.”
“That’s a good idea,” Janos said.
“No, I don’t like it,” Larz said. “Absolutely not. I don’t want you anywhere near them.”
“I’m not suicidal, Larz. I’ll be careful. We should give them the chance they’re looking for.”
“No,” I interrupted. “Prince Larz is right. It’s far too dangerous. If they realized what was happening, they might get violent or some of them might even shift. The humans and Laltanans in attendance could be hurt, and it would be hard to protect them completely.”
“Then what do you suggest, General?” Prince Mikos asked.
“A dinner with all of them would be easy enough to arrange. We’ll make sure the food and drink is out in the open and not guarded, which should give them the opportunity they need.
But let’s wait until we’re almost on Tygeria and have no one except other Tygerian soldiers in attendance.
We’ll say the others have been delayed, and hope they’ve already revealed themselves on our recording devices.
If not and we gain no proof or a confession of guilt, then I’ll have no choice but to arrest them all.
In the meantime, Your Highness, you should stay in your rooms, and don’t show yourself or your consort to any of them.
I’m going to find a few of my men to help me.
I know that all of them can’t be involved.
I’ll give them serums to make sure they tell me the truth of the matter. ”
“Can you do that?” Janos asked.
“I can do anything I want to. With Prince Mikos’s approval.”
“Which you have.”
I nodded. “It’s settled then. We have a plan. Prince Larz, it’s vital that you stay inside your room for the next few days with your consort and accept no food or drink given to you unless it’s by one of the people in this room or on an approved list of servants.”
“I understand.”
“With your permission, Your Highness, I’ll keep Taran with me and make sure he’s safe.” I glanced back at him. “He can be rash and likes to do as he pleases.”
Taran whipped his head around to glare at me, but I noticed that neither of his parents seemed surprised by my offer nor offended by what I’d said. Larz cleared it up with his next comment.
“Yes, my omak has informed me about this...attachment the two of you have formed. He’s a grown man. I leave it up to Taran to decide if this is what he wants.”
Everyone turned to look at him and he blushed again. Grown man, my ass. Perhaps in age he was, but certainly not in actions. At least, I’d seen little sign of it so far.
“Yes,” he replied, so softly I could barely hear him. “That’s acceptable to me.” He still hadn’t looked fully at me.
“Won’t the Imperial Guards think it strange that we stay in our rooms so long?” Taran asked.
I shrugged. “It’s not their place to think about such things. And those who do will only reveal themselves.”
“Goddess, Tygerians can be so arrogant,” Taran whispered to me. I turned back to him.
“It’s not arrogance; it’s just the way it is. I’m stating a fact. Our Imperial training is to never question the royals or their decisions and simply do as they say.”
“If you say so.”
“I just did.”
He rolled his eyes at me in that irritating way he had. I wanted to kiss him right there in Prince Mikos’s quarters until he was swooning at my feet. I wanted to wrap him in my arms and never let anything hurt him again. I had to make myself turn away.
“So, we have a plan,” Prince Mikos said.
“Everyone will stay in their quarters and allow no visitors and eat nothing that isn’t given to you by a list of people I’ll be sending over on your communicators.
Don’t worry. It will be a very short list. Meanwhile, Kirstos will arrange a trap for the ones involved in this to allow them to ‘reveal’ themselves. ”
People were getting to their feet and moving toward the door, so I stood up as well, and bowed to the prince. “I’ll come to see you at first meal and tell you which men I want to speak to first.”
He nodded, and I took Taran’s arm to lead him from the room. My quarters were close by, and we headed there right away.
Taran pulled back a little. “Wait, I need to go by my quarters and pick up a few things.”
“Like what?”
“Clothes, for one thing.”
“You don’t need any for tonight and I’ll bring you some things in the morning.”
“I’ll need my soaps and my razor. And something to sleep in.”
“You can use my soaps, and you have no need for a razor, as you have no beard.”