11. Timas
Chapter 11
Timas
“ W hat do you mean Aecus killed someone?” The words send fire through my veins. That can’t be possible. Garrick stares at me, never flinching at my raised voice.
“According to these letters, he had a weapon and clothes covered in blood. Unless someone has gone to the healers with severe injuries, I think it’s safe to assume he has killed someone. Whatever happened, the blackmailers got a hold of the weapons and clothes and used it against him to force him to do what they want; which appears to be getting you to bond with the Night Court Queen.” Garrick holds up the letters to emphasize his point. A burning fire ignites inside of me. How could one of my own council members KILL one of my people? Is he working with the Night Court?
“It would make sense that this is what he was trying to hide from us, though I wonder about the first part of the first letter. If Aecus killed someone drunk, it’s possible he can’t remember what he has done.” Estola’s calm assessment makes me stop to think. Even his wife—an onlooker to his life of constant drinking—says he is acting odd. Emilia’s hand slips into mine, and I turn to look at her. Not even the serenity of her pale blue eyes can sooth the turmoil swirling around in my head. Still, I value her presence and her ability to give me stable ground when everything else around me falls to pieces. Taking a deep breath, I look to my friend and second in command.
“What do you think?” I ask Milori. He has been awfully quiet since he found us in my suite. I was annoyed at first when they went to Aecus’ house, my sneaky little flower sending them on a covert mission I knew nothing about. But with the information they returned with, it was worth the risk, and I feel embarrassed for not heeding her advice. If I truly believe that my bond is to help balance me and is to be my equal, I should trust her judgment. I feel a twist of disappointment in myself and I inwardly cringe.
Milori takes a moment before he answers. “It seems a little too cut and dry to be the Night Court’s doing which we have already discussed. As for Aecus killing someone, I struggle to see how that is possible or what his motive might be. It would be best to confront him and see what he says. Speculating is only going to add more questions and we need answers.” He makes a good point.
“Ok First thing in the morning we will visit Aecus and see what he has to say.”
***
We’ve arrived early enough that the upper level of the city is quiet. I’m not concerned as to whether Aecus thinks the time is unreasonable; the rest of us have been up for hours. Besides, I’m the King, so I can technically show up unannounced whenever I want, though I try not to do it often. Milori knocks on the door, and after several moments, a young woman comes to the door. Her eyes widen at our presence. I don’t want to be waiting too long because, sun forbid, Aecus has an inclination as to why we are here, and he runs. Walking into the house, the woman takes several steps back to get out of my way. Milori shuts the door behind us.
“Bring Aecus to the door.” I leave no room for argument as the young woman hurries down the hallway and knocks on a door. I hear words being exchanged with—what I can only assume, is Aecus—before he slowly walks down the hall. His steps are awkward, and he squints as if the lights are causing him pain. He is hungover, and I wonder how he could have pulled off a murder when he isn’t even able to function sometimes.
“Your Majesty. Is everything alright?” I know I should approach this with a calm demeanor, but the weight of these murders sits heavy on my shoulders. Anxiousness swells in my stomach, I clench my teeth together hoping to relieve some of the tension. It doesn’t. Frustration grips me which makes me snap at Aecus’ question.
“No, Aecus, everything is not alright. There has been much that has confused me about some of the decisions you have made recently. Why call for a vote on the Royal Compliance Act? And don’t lie to me, we found the letters. ”
The colour drains from his face, and he backs up a step. The hungover state he is in is quickly replaced by adrenaline at my words.
“W-what are you talking about, Your Majesty?” My hands clench at my side, and lightning crackles over my skin.
“Do not play dumb. The blackmail notes I have here prove that you killed someone, so explain to me what happened.” I lift the letters up and take a menacing step toward him, and his already drained face somehow becomes paler. He tries to raise his hands up, trying to ward off my advances. But, that just angers me more. Did the man he killed do the same? Did he beg for his life? My markings start to glow as power thrums through me. I raise my hand, about to come down on Aecus for lying to me, but Milori steps in between us.
“What are you doing?” I growl at Milori. “This man has killed a Fae citizen and you are protecting him!”
“I don’t think he did it.” My eyes snap to Milori’s, but I’m confused by his statement. All the evidence points to him doing this.
“What are you talking about? We have proof! Evidence that he committed a crime against the Fae people. Milori turns from me and looks at Aecus.
“Raise your hands above your head.” Milori instructs Aecus.
“Pardon?” A bewildered look flashes across his face. So Milori asks again .
“Raise your hands above your head.” Slowly, Aecus moves to raise his hands above his head, but his right stops below the level of his shoulder. My brow pulls in confusion.
“How did you injure your shoulder?” Milori asks.
“While I was serving a few hundred years ago. I nearly lost my arm, and the healers were unable to heal it entirely despite being the best healers I could buy. It hasn’t been the same since. I still have pain in the arm and it has been getting worse over the years.” A report I read on the council members comes to mind, the battle where Aecus injured himself was a terribly sad tale to read. I never really considered too hard why he would turn to libations that would make him forget, but pain is a good motivator. Then it dawns on me.
“He couldn’t have done it,” I say. Milori turning back to me, and Aecus is even more confused.
“The examiner said that the stab wounds came from someone stabbing from above. He wouldn’t be able to get his arm up high enough to inflict any kind of damage.” Milori’s assessment is true, but it still begs the question: what happened? Turning to look at Aecus, I see him from a different perspective. I see him as a man who served his people and has been dealing with a lifelong injury from that service, and someone is trying to set him up for murder.
“What happened?” I ask Aecus. He adjusts himself from a protective position and takes a deep breath.
“I was down in the lower section of the city. I had heard of a good game going on at the lower city tavern. I like it better down there sometimes because they are more free with their conversation and their money. I was winning, and someone came up to me and offered to buy me a drink to celebrate my streak of good luck. I don’t remember much after that. I played for a while longer, and then I remember walking with someone back to the upper city, but that’s it. The next thing I know I wake up laying next to a body with a knife in my hands, covered in blood. I panicked! I somehow managed to leave and make it back to my house, but the world continued to shift around me. I didn’t feel drunk like normal; I couldn’t even feel my own limbs. This was dizzy like when I usually drink but this type of dizzy was more like I was under water being thrown around in the current.” I glance over at Milori, and I know we are thinking the same thing: he must have been drugged. “When I made it home, I got out of my clothes, and crawled into bed. I woke up a few hours later and found the note. I looked for my clothes and the dagger and I couldn’t find them. That’s when I knew my fate was sealed and I needed to do what the note said.” Utter despair covers his face.
“Do you remember what the person who walked you home looked like?” Milori asks. Aecus starts shaking his head immediately.
“No, not really. He was wearing a hood, which was odd, but it was a Fae man that I did not know.” The lower tavern is filled with Orcs, Humans, and Fae alike, so there is not much to go on.
“We’ll find out who really did this,” I say to Aecus, and his shoulders drop as if the weight of the blackmail has finally been lifted.
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Perhaps you should rethink your love of drink and games. I will talk to the royal healer to see if there isn’t some way we can relieve some of the pain you deal with.” Aecus is taken aback by the offer, but gratitude crosses his face. I am surprised he has not sought out help again. A lot has changed in the past hundred years, but if you have spent that time drinking the pain away, perhaps it is not something you would consider. It would be good to see him restored. With a quick nod, Milori and I leave and head for the lower city tavern.
Pushing open the old and worn door to the tavern, the hinges squeak with the motion. The room goes quiet as the patrons see Milori and I enter. There aren’t a lot of people around yet due to the time of day, but the place isn’t empty. Hopefully someone will have answers for us.
I head straight for the barman, weaving through the interspersed tables and finally reaching the long bar at the back of the room. The Fae man standing behind the bar wipes his hands on the towel tied around his waist. His shocked expression isn’t surprising since it is unusual for me to come to the lower city and even more surprising for me to come to this run-down tavern. Milori steps up to the bar and gets the man’s attention; it is likely better if he speaks .
“Good morning. I wonder if we could ask you a few questions.” The barman—obviously trying to keep calm—nods in response. “A couple of evenings ago Councilman Aecus was here playing in a game. We want to know if you saw anyone who was with him, buying him drinks perhaps.” The barman swallows around his nerves and is able to speak with a relatively calm tone despite his obvious nervousness.
“I remember Councilman Aecus being here, but I do not remember who was with him. It was a very busy night, and I was understaffed. I’m sorry.” A feeling of disappointment sits heavy on me, but it doesn’t last long.
“I saw who he was with.” Turning to my right, a large Orc sits at a small round table with an ale mug in his hand. The table looks tiny in comparison to the hulking Orc, but it seems to be holding his weight as he leans on it, bringing the mug up to his mouth for a drink. The man looks like he has seen many battles; a large scar covers his left eye as if someone cut right through it. His arms are covered in similar faint scars and, even for an Orc, he is a hulking figure. Milori and I walk over to him as he leans back in his chair.
“What did you see?” Milori asks, but his tone is guarded.
“The game was a rousing one. The pot was big, too. That councilman was doing well, winning hand after hand to many people’s displeasure. Then a Fae guy came in wearing some really fancy cloak; he definitely wasn’t someone who lived in the lower city. He scanned the place, looking for something, then he saw your councilman and headed straight for him. He had black hair, I think. It peaked out of the cloak when he was talking to the councilman. He bought him several drinks, and the councilman started losing and acting far more drunk than he should have been. He is here often enough. I’ve seen him put back so much drink and it barely touches him, but that night was different. The guy that was buying him the drinks said something to him and led him out of the tavern. He didn’t even take his winnings, which surprised many, then caused quite the raucous when everyone decided it was theirs. After they walked out we didn’t see them again.”
Milori thanks the Orc and tosses him some coins. After leaving the tavern, I’m still confused as to what even happened and why someone would frame Aecus.
“I think it’s clear Aecus didn’t do it.” Milori said as we walk to the carriage that brought us down to the lower city.
“I agree but why try to frame him? Why try to make it seem like it was a Night Court attack? Or maybe it wasn’t intended to portray a Night Court attack but we perceived it that way because of the current state of the city,” I ruminate.
Milori brushes his hand through his already messy hair, mulling over the same information I am.
“I don’t know, but we do know Aecus did not kill the man and he is being used. Someone really does not want you to bond with Emilia, and if that’s the case, then we have another enemy within the city besides the Night Court.” Dread fills me at his words, but he’s right, and now we need to be looking for another enemy.