Palace Ghosts

Chapter 12

"Didn't you notice?" I asked.
"Notice what?" he asked. "All of this is new, everything is different, there are plenty of things to notice."
"No, not about this, but about the jury and the Judge? They were acting strange, jumping on every opportunity to kill someone. Do you think that it's possible that someone might have bribed them?" I asked.
Taviq looked stunned for a moment, and Rhys looked confused. "Yes possibly, but why, and who?" asked Taviq.
"The why I'm not sure about, but haven't you noticed? The Queen has been acting awfully strange lately. I never knew that she was the vindictive sort," I said.
"She's not vindictive, at least she wasn't before her husband's death," said Taviq.
"Would she, by any chance, have something against your family?" I asked.
Taviq shook his head doubtfully. "Not that I know of," he replied, simply.
"Wait!" said Rhys suddenly. His brow was creased, and he was evidently in the midst of thinking. "The Queen was the only daughter of a Baron by the name of Klamet. Taviq, would you say that the Queen is about the age of your father?" asked Rhys sharply.
Taviq stopped in his tracks, a finger on his temple. "Yes, I would say there is no more then a five year difference between him and the Queen."
"Very good! I thought so. I know that the Queen's father Baron Klamet was the greatest rival of your grandfather, Baron Elwinn, perhaps that old wound is still fresh."
"Yes! That must be it, I'd forgotten the Queen was the daughter of Lord Klamet," mused Taviq thoughtfully, chewing his lip.
"Is there anything else to the story?" I asked. I didn't believe that a simple rivalry would make the Queen that vengeful.
"Baron Elwinn died in his own time, as did Baron Klamet," said Rhys with a shrug.
"Well actually," began Taviq. "Baron Klamet died before Baron Elwinn, many people claimed that Baron Klamet had been poisoned, but there was never enough evidence gathered to prosecute Baron Elwinn," said Taviq.
"So if that were true, then obviously the Queen would have a grudge against your line," said Rhys.
"But wouldn't her grudge be just?" asked Taviq.
"No, it is never just to kill the children because of their father's crime," said Rhys.
"Since we're blue someone has evidently wronged us, but would it be the Queen, the jury, or the Judge, or could it be all of them at once?" I asked.
"If the Queen bribed or threatened anyone in court, then her actions are punishable by death," said Rhys.
"True, so I suppose all of the guilt falls on her," said Taviq.
"Yes, but how would we go about exposing her for it? After all the first time is always harder then the second and third, so what would prevent her from bribing a Judge again?" I asked.
"Kianna, the first thing you need to realise, is that dead people have no influence. You can't go expose someone when you're dead," said Rhys reprovingly.
"But what if I could find someone who could see ghosts, we could work out a plan!" I objected.
"Kianna, Kianna, Kianna, first of all the chance of you finding someone like that is very slim. Second of all, why would they do what you want them to do? Third of all, asking anyone to go up against royalty, is like asking them to hang themselves. And forth of all, you barely have any evidence at all, why should the court believe your random person?" asked Rhys, sadly.
He wasn't being mean, he was being realistic. The chance of the Queen being hanged was almost nonexistent.
"But Rhys, I think I might personally know someone who can see ghosts," I said with a mischievous smile.
Rhys shrugged in defeat. "Fine, you can try, but remember, this is someone's life that you're toying with."

...oOo...

I wound my way through the streets, avoiding people as I went, as I had not yet grown accustomed to being vapour. It didn't take long to arrive, the house was at the corner of town, it was two storeys, and looked quite comfortable and cozy.
My hand reached for the door handle and passed through, then I remembered and walk through the door, Taviq and Rhys followed me. Inside it was dark. I could vaguely hear the crackling of the fire.
Across from the fire there was a chair, and in the chair was a man in his early twenties. He had bluish green eyes and dark brown hair, he was writing something in a book.
Everything in the room was fuzzy, dim and somehow distant, except for him. I could see him as clear as daylight.
"Zarek," I said, my voice sounded distant and almost unrecognisable. But he knew my voice well.
"Kianna?" he rose from his chair and turned to face me. "You're dead?" he asked. He glanced at my companions.
"Yes, that's why we're here, Taviq and I were hung today in the square. As you can see, we're innocent, and I want to bring the person who wronged us to justice," I said.
"That is a dangerous request, my sister," said Zarek.
"Even more dangerous then you think," I said drifting towards him. "The person who wronged us was the Queen herself," I said.
"If you want to make the Queen pay for her actions, you must have evidence that is beyond doubt," said Zarek.
"I have enough evidence to intrigue you already, and I'm going to gather enough to convince you," I said.
"Good tell me what you know, then come back to me when you have real evidence," said Zarek, seating himself once more.

...oOo...

The next couple days passed quickly. I spied on the Queen, the Judge, and prominent members of the jury. It didn't take long for me to gather enough information. The only problem was that the revelation would have to happen on a particular day, all at once, with the perfect timing, otherwise mine and Taviq's chance of going into the afterlife would be gone.
Taviq sat on a sofa in my brother's place though he wasn't actually sitting, just hovering. His fingers were on his temples and his eyes stared intensely at nothing. Zarek, Taviq and Rhys listened with rapt attention to my plan.
"...but it will all have to happen in three days," I concluded.
"Wait a moment, back up, why is the Queen trying to get Baron Elwinn hung too?" asked Zarek in suspicious confusion.
"I guess getting me wasn't good enough, I'm my father's only son, I think she plans on destroying the house of Elwinn," said Taviq darkly.
"If I slip up, Baron Elwinn, and myself are going to the grave," said Zarek.
"Don't slip up, and besides it would be almost impossible. After all, you don't really have to say that much. You just need to have the crowd's attention, that way the Queen can't arrest you unless she wants a full mutiny," I said.
Zarek nodded. "I'll do it, for you Kianna."
"Be careful Zarek," said Rhys with a sad nod.