My Charlotte Hates Me

Chapter 96: Pry

"Guards, take away Rosette's weapon for investigation," His Majesty ordered.

"Please! Your Majesty! Stripping me of my family's family heirloom would be the same as stripping me nude. Please do not let them shame me!" Rosette protested.

"You know...that does not sound too bad. We can make sure you do not have any other weapons on you right now. You will cooperate, won't you?" I asked with a wide grin on my face.

Rosette covered her body with her arms and shook with fear as she put on a pitiful begging face for the Guards near her and then to His Majesty.

"Your Majesty, please do not let them do this to me," Rosette begged.

"...You are begging the wrong person," His Majesty said coldly.

Rosette quickly turned towards me and cried.

"Please, save me, Lady Charlotte," Rosette begged.

"...It would be inappropriate to take her clothes off right now in the presence of so many men. Let's just take her heirloom for now," I suggested.

"N-No!" Rosette protested.

The Guards pried the dagger from Rosette's hands and handed it to me. I noticed the sheathe was carefully wrapped with a white cloth while connected to the scabbard with a thin red rope. When I shook it, there was a distinct rattling sound as if the scabbard was not properly fitted to the blade. I untied the rope pulled out a dagger with a curved blade with letter carvings and removed the wrapping around the sheathe.

The style and markings closely resembled that of a Northern Tribe and were a genuine article itself from the marking on top of the sheathing. It was definitely from the Swali Tribe from the bird markings on top of their weapons, but they were not an aggressive group unless treaded upon their private land. There have been rumors of a precious mineral on their land after they began selling their handmade jewelry with precious jewels. Rosette intended to kill me put the blame on a nonaggressive tribe and give the Nobles another reason to tread their land and wipe out their people.

"Y-Your Majesty, that is not mine! I swear that someone must have switched it," Rosette said.

"It is a weapon that you keep on your waist at all times. You would have known the difference in weight if the weight had changed suddenly. The only reason why it did not alert you was because you changed it out yourself," I said.

"...That is not true," Rosette said.

"It is not easy to obtain a foreign weapon especially if their main source of trade is their fruits and vegetables. Most tribal weapons are simple manmade stone weapons, but so are the many other Indigenous Tribes around the kingdom. You needed a weapon with special markings to help place the blame on a foreign assassin that not many people were aware of. A long investigation would be needed. In the meantime, you would destroy any remaining evidence pointing to yourself," I surmised.

"Where on earth would I obtain a foreign weapon? You said that it would not be easy to procure!" Rosette said.

"I said that it was not easy not impossible. Your collaborators gave you a weapon from a tribe that they had their eye on...The Swali Tribal land is rumored to be the home of precious minerals. Your collaborators figured that you could place the blame on them and give the Nobles who assisted you a reason to seize and investigate their land," I said.

"No one would not be caught assisting an assassination especially if they were not to gain anything from your death!" Rosette said.

"Of course, everyone stands to reason to gain from everything especially with the Queen gone from the Castle especially if they knew that I was the prime Queen Consort candidate. With me out of the way they could introduce a close relative of theirs or someone easy to manipulate...Of course, that is what you suggested if they were to help you," I said.