Chapter 70
Chapter
Seventy
Now dressed, Elias strode with Gerard and Senta down the corridor.
“They’ve just brought the queen consort to us,” Senta said. “We’ve put her in one of the rooms. She arrived back at the White Monastery a little while ago, but a healer monk assessed her before she was brought here.”
Senta looked between them. “We thought we’d get the two of you before we questioned her. We decided against going to Father. He is not well enough, and who knows when he will be.”
Gerard nodded. “And I imagine it will be quite a shock for him to learn how his wife betrayed him. Who knows what the effect of learning that would have on his recovery.”
“Our thoughts exactly,” Senta said. “Grand Shield Dahlia also informed us that the bodies from the battle have been brought to the monastery.”
“Already?” Elias asked. “I thought it would take them a while to locate all of them.”
“Several necromancers went with them and assisted with finding the corpses.” Her lips pressed together in a firm line. “But the grand shield said that none of the bodies could be identified as the robed figures you, Gerard, and Father spoke of.”
“What?” Elias frowned. “How?”
She sighed. “I don’t know.”
“What happened to them?” Elias gazed ahead as they walked. He had killed them! He knew he had. So where were they now? What had happened to the bodies?
Cold dripped down the centre of his spine. Could more robed figures have gone in and removed them before the grand shield and her people got there? How many of them were there?
He’d seen four. Three of them he’d killed. So at least one more was out there. But could there be more? And could they have really been so organised as to get there so quickly?
Hopefully they could find out something from the queen consort. Elias couldn’t tell if he was too strung out and tired, but he just couldn’t make sense of any of it.
Up ahead, Konrad, Luther, Onyx, and Juniper stood along with the grand shield, two warrior monks, and four Draconian guards.
“I was thinking for the interrogation, it might be best if not all of us go in,” Konrad said as the three approached. “That would overwhelm her.”
“I agree,” the grand shield said.
“I think it best if Elias and I are present,” Gerard said immediately. “We’ve spoken to her already, and she seemed willing to talk to us. Elias in particular was very good at getting her to speak.”
Elias held back a smile. He’d never been known by others to be competent at—well, anything useful. He found he quite liked it.
Konrad stepped towards the door. “I should be there too. Since Father cannot be and I am crown prince.”
“I would advise you to bring no more in,” the grand shield said. “She is in quite a … fragile state. I worry any more individuals might overwhelm her and tip her into hysteria, and she will become unable to answer questions.”
“That makes sense,” Senta said, although Elias could hear the disappointment in her tone.
The others nodded. They did not seem perturbed to be left out of the interrogation.
“We could threaten her with death if she does not speak.” Konrad stared at the closed door. “She might be queen consort, but she is still a traitor to the kingdom. Death is the punishment for traitors.”
“I would advise against that. At least to start with,” Elias said. “I think I can get her to talk. I can lead the questioning. I believe I understand her and how her mind works.”
Gerard nodded immediately. Warmth suffused Elias all the way to his fingers and toes at Gerard’s instant trust.
However, Konrad stared at him assessingly for several long moments. Finally he let out a breath. “Fine. But I’ll step in if needed.”
Elias did not know how Konrad would determine if it was needed, but he supposed that would have to do.
Elias, Konrad, and Gerard entered the bedroom. Two Draconian guards stood just inside the door. The queen consort’s wrists had been shackled, and Elias immediately recognised them as the ones that would stop her from being able to shift.
The queen consort sat on the bed, hunched over. She lifted her head as they entered the room. Tears streamed from red and swollen eyes. They fixed on Elias immediately.
“You will make sure everyone knows, won’t you?” she pleaded. “You’ll tell them my children had nothing to do with it. I told you where the attack was happening. I did what you said!” Her voice broke as she sobbed, body heaving.
Elias’s chest tightened. She really was such a pitiful and pathetic sight. It was hard not to feel a little sorry for her, even after everything she had done.
Elias knelt in front of her. “We will, Queen Consort. We will tell everyone the truth, that your children had nothing to do with the scheme. They will not be harmed.” He placed his hand on her knee.
She sagged and gripped it. “Thank you. Thank you.”
“But you must tell us everything now. Everything you know,” Elias said softly. He did not think he needed to press her as hard as he had before. They had time, and he knew how to work her.
“I …” She glanced between the three of them before her eyes finally settled on Elias. She leaned in close. “There are things I cannot tell,” she whispered. “I just cannot!”
Elias’s eyes bored into her teary ones. “You will have to. For your children’s sake.
We will tell the truth. But everyone will have questions about what happened.
To properly clear their names, we need to know everything.
Otherwise, your children’s names might be forever tainted. You don’t want that, do you?”
To be honest, Elias was not sure how they could completely avoid that. Their mother’s behaviour would stain them, no matter what happened now. But still, he would do all in his power to clear their names, if the queen consort cooperated.
“I vow to you that I will strive to ensure the truth is known by all about your children,” Elias pledged. “But you have to tell us everything. The entire truth.”
She stared at him, breathing heavily. She swallowed, clearly still unsure.
“If you tell us everything,” Gerard said, “I will ensure that your children are given proper positions in the kingdom. They will no longer be overlooked. You have my word.”
The queen consort let out a breath. “Really?” she asked, voice hopeful. “You will make sure they are important? That they are seen.” She looked to Konrad.
Konrad nodded. “You have my word as well.”
She smiled through her tears. “Then I will tell you all I know.”