Palace Ghosts

Chapter 7

"Taviq, I just talked to a ghost who was a chief detective about fifty years ago. He concludes that the King actually died from suffocation," I said, excited at my discovery.
"Suffocation? What about poison, or maybe even strangulation?" asked Taviq, frowning and not convinced.
"Not poison, because there's no sores or marks in his mouth or oesophagus, not strangulation because there's no signs of bruising, or a rope, or a garrotte," I said, conclusively.
"I see, but how, would someone suffocate a person who's as physically able as the King?" asked Taviq.
I shrugged. "He could drug him."
Taviq looked at me strangely. "Yes, I suppose he could," was all he said. 

...oOo...

I talked with Valena, Lathion, Rhys and Fudin about Baron Frox. Valena was convinced that Baron Frox just happened to be a very good actor, Lathion agreed, Rhys thought otherwise though. He was adamant that Baron Frox was wholly and completely innocent, and was also a victim of the crime. Fudin agreed that there was no way that Baron Frox was a murderer. "...in fact," said Fudin. "I doubt that he has ever intentionally hurt someone before."
The rest of the day I worked hard, scrubbing Baron Elwinn's room until it sparkled. I had been almost negligent lately, being busy with my own inquiries and interrogation. But luckily Baron Elwinn was naturally a tidy man, so that I didn't have much to clean up after.

...oOo...

The next morning I was surprised to find a letter in my room, it had been slipped under my bedroom door during the night. Curiously, I inspected the seal it was made from crimson red wax, and had the signet of Baron Elwinn. I quickly slit it open with my penknife. The envelope contained just one page.

To Kianna Emilia Latricia,
I have found your work inadequate, and therefor I am going to have to let you go. I'm sorry for this inconvenience. You will be out of the palace by this afternoon. Good day.

I stared at the letter in disbelieving silence. I read through it two more times, but each time it said the same thing. I grabbed all of my belongings and stuffed them into my rucksack. I left the clothes he had given me on the bed, and laid the letter on top of the clothes. Then, with a piece of charcoal, I scrawled a sentence on the bottom of the page.

Thank you for your generosity and hospitality, this incident will not soon be forgotten.

I reread it several times, content, it sounded cold and condemning, which, at the moment, was what I wanted to convey to him. I slipped the letter in the envelope, and then I managed to reseal it, it looked like no one had ever opened it.

Then I left, I ran. I knew that I could have done my job better, but I certainly wouldn't have described my work as 'inadequate'. Once I was out of the palace, I slowed my run to a trot, panting for breath. I was angry, angry at Baron Elwinn, angry at Taviq, but most of all I was angry at my father, Gardír. I hated how he treated me, shouting and yelling at the slightest provocation. He was always so detestable, so disagreeable, and so deplorable.
"Kianna! What are you doing? Where are you going?" asked Rhys Caiden, trying to catch up with my swift pace.
"I've been laid off, and I don't want to talk right now," I snapped.
Rhys look taken aback, and he paused in his tracks.
"Laid off? What do you mean, he can't possibly think that laying you off is a good idea!" Rhys exclaimed.
"Well, he does," I said, angrily.
"Kianna! Please stop and just look at me!" he said.
I turned around to face him reluctantly. My emotions which were running high, suddenly cooled. Seeing Rhys' caring face, and concern for me, immediately made me open towards him.
"I'll go back to working with my father, but I need you to report to me about anything, and everything that is happening in the palace," I said, firmly.
"Of course, whatever you wish," he said, honestly.
I smiled wryly at him. "I'll go back to the sweatshop while you peruse the palace."
He smiled back. "As you wish m'lady," he said, with a well practiced bow.

...oOo...

I entered my father's shop, he was lounging on a leather chair, drinking something that was iced. He looked like a lazy lord or emperor.
"Kianna," he said in surprise. It wasn't long before he managed to turn his surprise into contempt. "I assume you're here to ask me for money, or better yet you've been fired?" he said, both accusatorially and sarcastically.
"I was laid off," I said, firmly.
"Oh, so you were fired." A smile twitched at the edge of his mouth. It took all my willpower not to attack him. Instead I spit on him and walked up to my room, closing the door sharply behind me and bolting it.

...oOo...

The next few days were a nightmare. I paid dearly for my glob of saliva. I stained, tanned, and washed leather for hours on end. It wasn't back breaking work, but it was tedious, and the shop was hot and stuffy, which made me perspire and thirst all the more.
The ghosts reported everything to me, the changes in the assignment of the guards, the interviews, the change of the interrogator. And the increasing likelihood that Baron Frox would be found guilty of the crime. Court was scheduled to take place in two days, in anticipation of the interrogator's conclusion. Meanwhile, I stayed busy, dealing with my father's bad temper and the never ending stream of leather that needed to be tended in some way.
Suddenly Rhys entered the workshop. "I have news, the physicians only just came public. It's about the King's murder, apparently he was sedated with chloroform before suffocating to death, the knife wound was delivered after the King's death," said Rhys, triumphantly.
"I knew it!" I exclaimed. "I knew he was dead before he was knifed, I knew he had suffocated, and—." I stopped abruptly, realisation dawning across my world. My heart plummeted, and my brain spun, quickly reliving scenes.
"Rhys," I choked.
"Yes, what is it Kianna?" he asked, concerned, noticing the change in my voice.
"We've been so close to the murderer the whole time," I managed to say hoarsely.
"What?! Who?" he asked, shocked.
"Taviq Elwinn," I managed to gasp. Rhys' mouth fell open in surprise, shock and horror.
"Oh gods," he gasped.