Love and Other Crimes

Dark As Pitch

The sun was rising. Maxwell was staring at the beautiful colors of the dawn.

He had barely slept that night. The state was thriving. But it wasn't the country Maxwell was worrying about. It was Henry. After all those years he had spent by his side, he couldn't help but care for him.

Edward and Edith were worryingly peaceful lately. They seemed friendly with Brigitte, even when Henry wasn't there. Brigitte was happy with their change. Henry, after the latest time's tensions, felt relieved. But Maxwell wasn't buying. He had known them since the day they were born. "What should I do?"

Brigitte knew they had found out about her letters with her father. Those where he was furiously asking her to proceed with his plan to find out and reveal to him confidential information about Malgravia's affairs and she was refusing, telling him she loved her husband. Brigitte had asked Henry and Maxwell, the only people knowing about these letters, to reveal nothing about the whole thing. "I'm gaining the people's trust. We can't know what sort of impact this would have."

The two men promised her to reveal nothing. Maxwell, however, had kept one letter. The one Brigitte was confessing her love for Henry to her father and denying cooperating with him. Did any urgent occasion show up, it might prove life-saving.

"What if this occasion is now?" Edward and Edith were keenly studying on something lately. And Maxwell was certain it wasn't for good. Showing that letter to the little siblings, he might keep ahead of several misfortunes.

He let the family have breakfast together first. And then, when he saw Henry heading to the army headquarters, he followed Edith and Edward. The letter was already in his pocket.

The two of them were sitting on a bench at the veranda close to the breakfast room. They were talking about something, supposedly light-heartedly. But it was obvious to Maxwell that they were truly agitated. "What are they up to?"

"Good morning, Maxwell!"

Edward saw him first. Edith immediately quit what she was about to say. The two siblings looked as if Maxwell caught them in the middle of something bad.

"Good morning!"

"How come you're not busy at this time?"

"Actually I am busy... But I remembered something I had forgotten to show you."

"What is it?"

"Oh, it's not a big deal! Just this letter..."

Maxwell took the letter out of his pocket.

"Remember when we had found out about the correspondence of someone in the palace with the palace of Redland? It was Brigitte. But it was not what we expected..."

Edith and Edward looked a little happy upon hearing his first words. But anxiety took hold with his last words. Maxwell handed them the letter.

The more the two siblings read, the larger their eye sockets were growing. They stared at each other for a moment upon finishing the letter. It seemed like their eyes were about to tear up, but they wouldn't let them. Their hands were almost shivering. "Too much of a reaction for just feeling remorse for their behavior!" Edward looked at Maxwell.

"And... Are you sure this is the truth? I mean... It could be a misleading letter!"

"Yes, I'm sure! This letter wasn't meant to come to us! We have worthy spies who can verify such things."

Edith pulled her brother's arm.

"Please excuse us, Maxwell! We've got to do something urgent!"

The two of them ran to the interior of the palace. A few seconds later, Maxwell perceived a strange, uneasy noise coming from the palace; like terrified people not knowing what to do. He rushed inside too.

He first saw Edith and Edward, a few paces further. They stood motionless, staring at something in front of them. He heard a servant saying that they had already asked for the doctor and someone was on the way to call the king. A few servants were standing around a woman, sitting at the table. She seemed like sleeping on it, but...

A servant walked a few steps back, thus letting Maxwell see the woman's face. Brigitte was lying still, motionless, with her brown eyes wide open. An intense terror was drawn on the pretty face, but mostly inside those brown eyes. A dark liquid was spilled on the table, probably coming from the fallen cup next to her hand.

The doctor arrived soon enough. And he told them what they had already realized. "I'm so sorry! It's too late for the queen. She's dead."

Maxwell asked him to have a chat with him in private. Such a sudden death was truly shocking for a so young woman. The doctor agreed. But he needed to examine the dead body before any conclusions. The conversation was interrupted by some noise. Maxwell clearly heard Henry's voice. He was screaming.