The Princesss Unusual Way of Interrogating Criminals
Payne, the steward, strode forward, holding a purple sandalwood tray with the practiced confidence of a man used to presenting treasures. On it rested the Cloudpiercer Bow.
The moment Cassidy saw it, she was in love.
The thing was a work of art. The bow itself was deep-sea ebony, polished to a warm, inky glow, with tips carved into coiling golden griffons, their scales impossibly detailed.
Two pigeon's blood rubies anchored the string.
It looked like it would form an arc as graceful as a wisp of cloud while radiating pure power.
It was, without a doubt, a one-of-a-kind treasure.
Cassidy rushed over, dropping her own chipped old bow without a second thought.
"Now *this*," she muttered, her voice full of excitement, "this is a bow with style. Something truly fit for a princess like me."
Overjoyed, she turned to the emperor and laid on the praise.
"Uncle, don't you worry," she cooed. "I'll have my contacts in the underworld track down some more of those oranges for you. I guarantee you'll live to be a hundred, healthy and happy."
Ashworth was practically green with envy. "Brother, what about that one in your private treasury, "
"Get out!" the emperor cut him off before he could even finish.
To keep the two troublemakers from pushing their luck and starting to eye his entire private collection, he quickly had them both escorted out of the palace.
The father-daughter duo, accustomed to being kicked out of the palace every few days, wasn't the least bit embarrassed. They just linked arms and headed home, happy as could be.
The next day, they split up. Ashworth went to Crestfall Manor to keep an eye on the Duke of Crestfall and look for that servant, Leo, while Cassidy headed off to interrogate the prisoner from the night before.
It was nearly noon by the time Cassidy arrived at the Onyx Guard headquarters.
Vaughn Garrison had been waiting all morning. When the princess finally strolled in, he couldn't help but ask, "Have you had lunch yet, Princess?"
Cassidy rubbed her stomach. "You guys serve lunch here, too?"
*Nice perk,* she thought. *The Capital Inspection Bureau definitely needs to step up its game.*
Vaughn was speechless.
"If you don't mind, Princess, I can have the kitchen prepare something."
So they *did* serve food.
Cassidy nodded without a hint of hesitation. If they were offering, why turn down a free meal?
After inhaling her complimentary lunch, Cassidy finally remembered why she was there.
"Garrison, where's that scoundrel from last night?"
Seeing she was finally ready to get down to business, Vaughn replied quickly, "He's locked in a cell, Princess. I can take you to him now."
A few moments later, she was following Vaughn into the bone-chilling cold of the prison. Chained to a stone pillar was the man who'd chased her across half the city the night before, his wrists and ankles rubbed raw and red.
Cassidy stepped forward, thought for a moment, and asked him sincerely, "Who sent you to kill the Marquis of Stonehaven?"
The man hung his head, but his back was ramrod straight. He clearly had no intention of cooperating.
Reid Donovan, a veteran guard, saw the stalemate and stepped forward. "Princess, this one's not talking. I'll get the men ready for a proper interrogation. I guarantee we can make him talk."
Cassidy waved a hand, a hint of disgust in her voice. "Don't waste your time. Get him on his feet and bring him with me."
A full-blown interrogation would take too long, and this guy looked like a tough nut to crack. Even if they did beat a confession out of him, Cassidy wouldn't trust a word of it. She only trusted what she investigated herself. She couldn't help it; she was just that confident.
Vaughn looked confused. "Where are you taking him, Princess?"
"To investigate, of course! Garrison, get me a prison cart. I'm going to parade him through the streets. I refuse to believe that in a city as big as Argent, *nobody* will recognize him."
Cassidy strode out, head held high, the Cloudpiercer Bow she'd just squeezed out of the emperor slung over her shoulder.
As she swept past Vaughn, she couldn't resist showing off. "Garrison," she said, striking a pose with her new bow. "Notice anything different about me today?"
The tips of Vaughn's ears went bright red. For a rare moment, the composed captain was flustered. "You... you look exceptionally well today, Princess," he stammered.
"I'm not asking about my complexion!" she huffed. "I'm asking about the *bow*! Isn't it amazing? Does it look good on me? Doesn't it just scream 'legendary hero'?"
Her eyes sparkled, eagerly awaiting his praise.
Vaughn opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
*Of course,* he thought. *This isn't about interrogation. She just wants to show off her new bow.*
Meeting her expectant gaze, Vaughn's Adam's apple bobbed. "It's a unique design," he said, his voice sincere. "You can tell it's a formidable weapon just by looking at it. You have excellent taste, Princess."
Satisfied with the compliment, Cassidy swept out of the prison. She mounted her little donkey, Maserati, who clip-clopped cheerfully toward the streets of Argent. Judging by the animal's jaunty steps, both rider and donkey were in exceptionally high spirits.
Vaughn had no choice but to order his men to lock the prisoner in the cart. He then mounted his horse and led a contingent of the Onyx Guard after the princess. He had no idea what she was planning, but his orders from the emperor were to protect her and help her solve the case.
Cassidy rode at the front on her little donkey, with Vaughn following close behind on his horse to ensure her safety. The prison cart rumbled steadily behind them, flanked by the Onyx Guard marching in neat formation. The moment the massive procession hit the streets of Argent, every head turned.
The manor guards, already briefed by the princess, pulled out gongs and started banging them, their voices booming over the noise.
"The Capital Inspection Bureau is on the case! By order of the princess, a reward of ten thousand dollars to anyone who can identify this man or his accomplices!"
*Clang! Clang!* The crisp sound of the gongs cut through the chatter as the guards repeated the bounty again and again.
"Ten thousand dollars?"
The crowd went wild. Curiosity instantly turned into a frenzy as everyone surged toward the prison cart, desperate for a clear look at the man chained inside.
Two of her people, Auspicious and As-Desired, started handing out pre-drawn sketches of the prisoner to the crowd, telling them to report to the Capital Inspection Bureau to claim the reward if they recognized him.
The entire detachment of the Onyx Guard could only stare, dumbfounded, at the spectacle.
*This* was how they interrogated a criminal?
Vaughn, who had overseen the Ministry of Justice for years, was floored.
To him, an interrogation was something done in a dark room with the right tools to persuade a man to talk.
He had never seen anything like this, beating gongs, offering reward money, and letting the public do the work. It was completely unheard of.
Seeing the princess's confident expression, Vaughn could only glue his eyes to the man in the cart, ready to stop anyone from using the chaos to land a fatal blow and silence their only lead.
Cassidy, bow slung over her back, led the parade on her little donkey, making sure every single resident of Argent got a good long look at the prisoner's face.
The man in the cart, now the center of the entire city's attention, was on the verge of breaking. He covered his face with his hands, his eyes filled with a potent mix of despair and shame.
He was a killer, a man who'd walked through hell and back in the underworld.
Pain and interrogation were just part of the job.
Even after being captured, he hadn't been worried.
It was just a matter of enduring physical suffering.
As long as he gritted his teeth and kept his mouth shut, he knew he'd find a way to escape.
But this? This was a thousand times worse.