Shatter Like Glass-Cinderella Retold

Part Thirty-Five

Peder stared at the guard in front of him. Alvaro was one of the younger recruits. Though Peder had not trained him personally, he had paid close attention to him the past several years. The boy had risen through the first few ranks rather quickly. He was extremely keen and agile.

That was why Peder knew he had not missed the Kingslayers sneaking aboard. If the revolutionaries had gotten onto the ship the night before, Alvaro would have seen them and reported it. Either the Viridian nobles had been killed by someone already on board, or Alvaro was one of the men responsible for the nobles' deaths.

"Tell me again what you saw last night," Peder stated, watching the young man closely.

Alvaro showed no signs of frustration or exasperation as he explained, "I saw nothing, Captain. I saw nothing but the townspeople below and the birds flying about. In the middle of the night, I overheard a shift change near the mast, but no one snuck onto this ship."

"How then," Peder continued, "do you explain my uncle's death? Someone poisoned Grand Duke Faban and several members of nobility. The murders happened under your watch, Lieutenant. Please, explain that to me."

"They must have scaled the other side of the ship," Alvaro replied. "There is only one guard over there: Caius, and he dozes often."

Peder's good eye narrowed. "Given this a lot of thought?"

The boy blinked in surprise. "No, captain, not really."

He was lying. It would have been much safer to admit he had considered it. He could have insisted he was only doing his job. Peder, too, had paid close mind to the ship's defenses. Admittedly, though, he had not noticed Caius's sleeping habits. It seemed Alvaro was even more thorough than he was. Why would he pay such close attention if he were innocent?

"I see," Peder said. He clasped his hands behind his back and paced across the deck. His lieutenant watched him. Was he trying to determine whether he had been found out? Perhaps not; perhaps Peder was jumping to conclusions. Still, though, Alvaro was the third guard Peder suspected had ties to the Kingslayers. The other two had been certainties. After only a few minutes of prodding, one attempted to flee. The second confessed. They described how they had grown tired of serving the greedy nobility, tired of their family starving nearly to death, and tired of the wars the Russo family sparked every few decades. He continued to rant about Peder's family until Peder thrust his sword through the man's chest. Two guards, each men that Peder had known for years. Peder never would have thought they would betray those they were charged with protecting. Was Alvaro the same?

Stopping to turn back towards the boy, Peder said, "I know of Beatrice."

Alvaro's pupils widened in anger. He did not try to regain composure.

"Your sister," Peder continued, "was humiliated by my brother. No doubt you despised him for it."

"Emlen did not simply shame my sister," Alvaro snapped. "He tormented her, tortured her, and no one did anything about it, not even you. The Grand Duke even had the matter hushed so as not to hurt the crown prince's reputation."

Peder did not bother to defend himself. Emlen never told Peder about many of the awful things he had done. It was only after Beatrice jumped from her window that Peder learned what his brother had done to her. This was not what Alvaro wanted to hear.

Instead, Peder said, "I suppose you were thinking of her when you agreed to poison my uncle."

The lieutenant flinched. "I did not poison anyone."

"Do not lie, Alvaro. Lucien already told me that you are allied with the Kingslayers. How could you refuse them, after everything that had happened to your sister?"