Dracoelum

Chapter 12

The death

"Caeser. Is. Dead." The words resonated in his mind.

Ambrose dressed hastily and was put through the door before Aurelia even wrapped the sheets around her body.

The speedy footsteps of Ambrose was barely audible through the nightly silence. The whole castle was asleep except the king, queen and the Three guards who found the dead body of the royal advisor.

Upon reaching the  small hall, Ambrose learned more. Caeser was reported to have retired early to his chamber from the wedding. Quite some time later, the king had asked for Caeser to be summoned. The guards had knocked patiently for about a quarter of an hour and then had knocked more loudly. When they called for him, they got no answer in reply so they began breaking the door. That took another half an hour since the doors were made of exceptionally thick solid wood.

Upon breaking the door, their eyes fixed on blood and the trail of dark blood led them to the body. One of the guards rushed to fetch the infirmary. The healer had tried her best to save the royal advisor but it was too late, she had said. Apparently, the injury had occurred in a critical place and was too deep.

The king say on a stool and had not spoken a word since Ambrose arrived and perhaps even before. The Queen kept a straight face but still tears fell down them. The king and Queen were too stunned by Caeser's death and so had not done anything to handle the situation.

Ambrose summoned two other guards apart from the three present among them. He gave orders to guard the chamber of the deceased and not let anyone in other than the king, queen and himself.

There was a royal council but the king had only one trusted advisor. Losing him was disastrous. Ambrose knew how the king saw Caeser like his brother apart from being his well wisher.

Ambrose knelt down infront of his father.
" Father,  had you felt anything strange tonight? I  did, I did feel something....I didn't know how to tell it.... It was like....Anger and fear all mixed up. Like something bad was going to happen. Tell me father, did you feel anything like that?"

The king was silent, for a moment, for two and even for three.

" Speak father....did you or did you not?"

Sudden and slow,  two purple draco eyes gazed at him. Ambrose had to gasp, those eyes scared him even at his older age.

"I did. I even made sure if anything sinister was happening and all reports were clear," the king told him, quietly.

" What about you mother? Did you feel strange too?" Asked Ambrose.

" Thinking about it, I did have... A queer feeling during the wedding. I did not think about it much. I assumed it was just exhaustion...." said the queen.

" Very queer indeed. All of us had a sinister sensation but nothing of mysterious activity had taken place. If only we had been more precautious..."

" Sometimes sinister sensations could be a mere warning for something that has not much importance and it could also be a sign for something to happen in the future. Which is why I took it lightly,"the king said, "but I should have been more vigilant! This was a deviously executed murder! Among us! Among all our guards!"He raged.