Chapter 61
Sixty-one
Edwin
Part of me was still in disbelief. The knowledge of my murder in our first lives hadn’t felt real, not with me still actively breathing. It’d been easy to dismiss.
This, though…this was real.
Looking at my bag of candy, knowing a single piece of it would have likely killed me, was an awakening.
If not for James insisting I test everything before putting it into my mouth, I’d have popped a peppermint without thinking twice.
I’d always kept peppermints in my desk drawer, and the bag was from a shop I frequented; there was nothing alarming about it. Not even slightly suspicious.
The incident shook me down to my very marrow. Everything suddenly felt sharp, tenuous, my own faith in my normal routine shaken.
James, of course, was on the warpath, more enraged than I’d ever seen him—including last night, and last night had been a fiasco of the first water!
But me in danger set him off in a way nothing else could.
I think he feared he’d failed me, somehow, in not preventing this attempt.
When, really, his forethought had safeguarded me.
I’d have to reassure him at some point tonight. This was clearly not the time.
Captain Rowan and Commander Harland arrived at the office at nearly the same moment, with equal amounts of concern on their faces. I told them the story, showed them the evidence, and Captain Rowan immediately used the needles to test some of the other candy.
I mean, I wouldn’t trust anything else in the bag and planned to turn the whole thing in for evidence.
“All of them are poisoned, it seems,” he finally said after using five needles. “Even peppermints not on top are poisoned.”
Oh, that was what he’d been checking.
“So, was this meant to be more of a slow-acting poison?” I mused. I hated my mind for being so logical right now, even as I panicked emotionally, but maybe it was for the better that I could still think. “Not an immediate death, but something that would kill me within the month or so?”
“We’ll need to ascertain which poison it is to know.” Commander Harland pointed to the bag. “Your Highness, may I ask why you have silver needles?”
Oh shit.
James smoothly answered, “I feared for myself and Edwin when Victor returned. He’s quite livid with me and isn’t known for using good sense, after all.”
“Ah, quite.” Commander Harland grimaced. “I’ll take charge.”
“Do, and report which poison it is. I should tell you I’ve handed silver needles to my siblings as well, in case of collateral damage, as it were, but someone should likely prepare food tasters for the king and queen.”
Commander Harland nodded grimly. “I will do so promptly. I can attest there were no troubling reports or unknown people in the palace for the past week, so I fear this was an inside job.”
I’d had a few minutes to think while waiting on these two men to arrive, and I felt I might have an answer.
“The only time this office is ever unlocked without the secretarial staff being present is in the morning, generally around six a.m., in order for the cleaning staff to enter. They are here from six to eight; I generally pass them in the hallways when I come in. I was not here this morning, of course, so I don’t know who came to clean. ”
“Seems a good place to start.” Captain Rowan headed out of the room.
Commander Harland trailed right on his heels, already muttering to himself darkly.
I had no idea what he planned to do next, but my priority was James.
His eyes met mine, and in those emerald green eyes I saw nothing but rage. “She did this. I know she did.”
“You’re likely right. We probably won’t be able to prove it.”
“No, she’ll have done this very cleverly. Still, I’d love to strangle her.”
I didn’t care if other people were in the room.
They were all trying to figure out the culprit and motive, talking amongst themselves, so I had a window to reassure James without being watched.
I gave him a hug and felt him lean into it, his head resting against mine.
I hated how upset he was. I hated I’d been targeted once more.
The fear was now alive and well in his heart again, and I didn’t want that for either of us.
Fear was an insidious beast that could wear down the soul and break the spirit. I did not wish for it in our lives.
“Thank you.” With a sigh, he stepped back but kept his arms loosely around my shoulders. “I needed that. I think we need to put more safety precautions in place until she’s well and truly gone. I also need a plan for how to get rid of her swiftly.”
“Let’s pull people in and brainstorm,” I offered.
“Helena especially needs to be informed. I have no doubt these poisoned candies were a reaction to the disastrous after-dinner show last night, but on the off chance I’m wrong, she might well be a target.
There are still people who want you to marry her, after all, so Valentina might consider her a rival. ”
“Vuheia bless. An excellent point, and one we should move on.”
As if our words had summoned her, Helena appeared in the doorway, cheeks flushed and short of breath. She didn’t stop until she had hands on me, her grip on my shoulders tight. “Edwin, tell me you didn’t eat anything!”
“I didn’t,” I reassured her, touched by her alarm. “I fortunately used the silver needle on it first.”
A hand over her heart, she let out a relieved breath. “Thank all the gods.”
Captain Rowan came back, this time with a maid I knew in tow. She was crying her eyes out and, upon seeing me, rushed closer. “Edwin! I’m so, so sorry. I had no idea it was poisoned!”
Ah, well, the answer of who put it here was right in front of me. “Rosa, breathe. Take us back to the beginning.”
I kept a hand on James, mostly to keep him in check, because he was mad enough to take it out on Rosa right now. I didn’t for one second think she’d done this to hurt me.
She breathed out, wiped her face, then drew two things from her pocket: a note and a pouch? I took both from her, listening intently as she explained.
“Both of these sat on the table in the break room this morning. It wasn’t addressed to me, just anyone.
The note said whoever picked up this task would be given some pocket money for making sure your peppermints were fresh and the bag full every day.
The peppermints were provided too. I was just to sneak them in while I cleaned. It’s signed Prince James!”
I unfolded the note and showed it to James so we could both read it. It actually read much like she had said, nothing about the note at all strange or suspicious. In fact, James routinely did little things like this for me, so no wonder Rosa hadn’t batted an eye.
I could tell from the weight, the pouch held a significant amount of money. “How much is in here?”
“A hundred silver. Which I did think odd. Isn’t that too much? But Prince James has always been so incredibly generous…”
I could see all too well how this could happen and Rosa not think anything of it. “Rosa, take a deep breath. I do not think you’re mad enough to poison me.”
She smiled, tears in her eyes. “I should hope not. You’re my friend, and I’d never hurt either you or Prince James like this.”
I dug out my handkerchief and dried her eyes, trying to reassure her. “I’m glad to hear it. From now on, if you see another note, report it immediately. We’ll spread word among the staff to not blindly trust any notes or generous gifts, all right?”
“Absolutely, I’ll bring it straight to you if I see something else. But who could have done this?”
“We have a guess but no proof.”
She nodded uncertainly.
I turned to Captain Rowan. “Whatever punishment she is to be given for this, lower the severity of it for my sake. I truly do not believe she intended harm.”
Captain Rowan sighed. “Unfortunately, I have to punish her. Because there’s poison involved, my hands are tied. How about we say she’s under house arrest for a week without pay?”
I looked to Rosa, who seemed relieved at this very minor punishment, and this was honestly the best Captain Rowan could likely do.
The rules in place here at the palace had very strict consequences, after all.
It was why the guards who were supposed to protect Helena’s rooms had been promptly fired and sentenced to a year in prison.
They’d been derelict in duty, and had taken a bribe to be not at their stations for an hour.
Rosa was getting off lightly in comparison to them. “Then do that.”
James stirred at my side, unhappy, but even he seemed to realize Rosa wasn’t the real culprit. “I want a change in how things are handled. None of my offices or rooms will be cleaned without a knight present.”
Captain Rowan lifted a staying hand. “I promise you, this will not happen again. I will have two knights stationed at all times and the room thoroughly checked before anyone can start work. That includes food tasting. I would ask for no one to leave food behind, not even candy. It’s a vulnerability we do not need right now. ”
James looked to the rest of the secretaries. “Please follow whatever instructions he gives you.”
Phila was the first to say, “Of course! It’s for our safety as well as yours. I have a thought, in fact. Can I see that note? I want to prove the handwriting was somehow copied.”
That would be nice evidence to add to our investigation file, and might lead to the actual mastermind.
While people took the note and compared it to something James had just been writing, I felt a tap on my shoulder. Helena stood right behind me, expression pensive but with this little spark of mischief flirting around her mouth.
“Edwin, I think we need to have a little tête-à-tête.”
I nodded grimly, already guessing where she was going.
“We need to plan on how to get this bitch out of here,” Helena continued. “How about we start by making her life as miserable and inconvenient as possible?”
Her mischief bloomed brighter, my own anticipation rising to the mark. “You’ve got ideas?”
“I do,” she purred.
“Then by all means, let’s hear them.” I glanced about and sighed. “No more work is going to happen today, I can assure you.”
I’d likely be staying at my house again tonight, because my lover would be too nervous in the palace to sleep. The least I could do to while away the time was think of how best to exact some revenge.
Just because I couldn’t prove it was Valentina didn’t mean I couldn’t retaliate.