A/N: Okay sorry for the amount of time it has taken me to update. I had exams and I kinda forgot where I was going with the story for a while, but it's back on track now. There's not really any RichardXKahlan in this chapter but it does move the story along a bit.

Chapter six

"Please state your name," the councillor said through a sinister smile.

"Cara Mason," she drawled, hiding her grin. Richard had told her that the Council of Aydindril intended to pin Julian's murder on her and Cara was amused by the thought. NO-one would ever best her, whether it was in a fight or a battle with words.

"Miss Mason, could you please tell the Council why you killed Julian Smithson." Bryce was the man's name. His ugly yellow face was dominated by a smug smile. Cara glanced back at Kahlan, who nodded to her, looking grim.

Cara sighed. "What would you like me to say? That he tried it on with me? Or that I simply didn't like him. We've been over this yesterday. I didn't do it."

"But, Miss Mason, did you or did you not attack Mr Smithson whilst on your way here to Aydindril?"

"Yes."

"And why was that?"

"He refused to answer the Mother Confessor and Lord Rahl's questions. It's my job as a Mord'Sith to ensure that everyone does as they say."

Bryce hissed. It wasn't going as he had planned.

"So you didn't use your agiel on him because he attacked you?"

"No," Cara said forcefully. She was getting tired of the repetition. The Council of Aydindril had asked her the same questions yesterday. At that moment she fervently wished she wasn't a Mord'Sith so Kahlan would know she was telling the truth.

"So you didn't want revenge?"

"I already had it."

"And how did you exact revenge on Julian, Miss Mason?" Across the room Richard groaned.

"I put a rat in his bed. Happy?" Cara asked sarcastically.

"So you intended to hurt him then? You had a motive, and you used it. You have a history of violence, don't you Cara? You killed your father. You've killed lots of people for lesser reasons than being attacked."

Richard interrupted, shouting vehemently that Cara didn't know what she was doing when she killed her father – she has been misled.

"But the rat you put in Mr Smithson's bed was intended to hurt him, was it not, Miss Mason?"

"It was a rat! It wasn't going to seriously hurt him. All it did was nip his toes and annoy him slightly."

"Where were you, Miss Mason, when Julian's body was discovered?"

"With Zedd in the Wizard's Keep."

"And Wizard Zorander can confirm this, can he?"

"Well, I'm sure if you ask him, he will tell you the same thing," Cara muttered, growing tired of the mind games.

"Where were you when Julian was murdered?"

"How should I know? You don't even know what time it was when he was killed!"

"I'll rephrase the question, Miss Mason. Where were you before you accompanied Wizard Zorander to the Wizard's Keep?" Bryce asked determinedly. He refused to give up in his quest to pin the murder on Cara.

"Lord Rahl ordered me to eat, he was giving me the day off, and so I was in the Kitchens talking to Bernadette."

Cara received a black look from Bryce, who then turned and flatly eyed Richard. "Is this true?"

"Of course it is," Richard snapped. "Cara doesn't lie." Inside his head, the sentence continued to include, 'unlike you.'

One of the other Councillors leaned over and whispered something in Bryce's ear.

"This meeting is adjourned until tomorrow. It appears the Council needs to speak with Bernadette," he said through gritted teeth, looking frustrated.

Cara walked towards Richard and Kahlan, who were urgently whispering. They stopped, however, as soon as the Mord'Sith drew near. Her red leather always got that result. People would stop whatever they were doing, just to stare at her. Men would often look at her in lust or fear; women would look at her in fear, disapproving of her. Richard and Kahlan neither looked at her in lust, fear or disparagement; they regarded her as a friend, they simply did not want her to overhear what they were arguing about.

"Come on, Cara," Kahlan said quietly as soon as she was in earshot. "Let's go and find something to do."

Kahlan grabbed Cara's wrist, not glancing over her shoulder at Richard once. Cara, on the other hand, twisted and stared back at Lord Rahl, confused as to what his orders were. Richard just stared after the two women, letting them go. He had decided to do some of his own detective work, but Kahlan didn't agree with him. She thought he would get into more trouble.

A/N: I know, it was a short chapter. It just felt like the right place to end it, given where the story is going next. But sorry about that anyway. Please review to tell me any suspicions or ideas you have about Julian's murder! :P