11.
"Being Tricked"
The night that followed was terrible for Adah, who was shocked by Lady Grinta's unexpected death, as they all were. What probably shocked her the most was the fact that Lady Grinta was very much alive and well just earlier that day when she visited her, and seemed perfectly fine, at least as close to it as she had been lately. She was nowhere near death. So what happened that struck so suddenly that it killed her?
No one was giving her an answer. Most were just as lost as she was, and was wondering the same thing as she. And as for Methusael, he remained tight-lipped about the matter. Adah wasn't sure what to think about that, he really didn't know for certain either, but then again Methusael had already proven himself very adept at hiding the truth. She suspected that he at least had a hunch. The fact that he only had a hunch, though, surprised her, as it made it seem that it was distinct possibility that he really had not anticipated the death. Only time would tell.
But either way, Methusael had gotten what he had really wanted anyway. Lady Grinta was now dead.
And as a result, Adah could hardly sleep that night.
But she imagined that Kani was having a even worse night than she. He had just lost yet another family member, at quite possibly one of the worse times possible. He couldn't be taking this well. Adah's heart both went out for him in sympathy and worried for him at the same time. She wondered what his reaction will be to this death. With Hax's murder, he secluded himself away from everyone else in misery for more than a week. What would he do now?
It was one of the many things that was plaguing Adah's mind that night.
Finally, well into the night, after Adah became fairly confident that she wasn't going to get much sleep tonight, and her worry getting to her, she decided to go and check on Kani, to see if he was having similar trouble. She wasn't sure what she was going to do if she saw that he was, but she decided to cross that bridge when she came to it. Sneaking out of bed, she slipped out into the silent corridors and headed for Kani's bedchambers.
Arriving there, she carefully placed one ear against the door and listened. She couldn't hear much, but she could make out what sounded like Kani tossing and turning in bed. Deciding she wanted a closer look, she carefully unlatched the bedchamber door, and nudged it open slightly, with the idea of getting a peak inside. Sure enough, Kani was in bed, and he even seemed to be asleep, more than Adah could say about herself, but it was a very fitful sleep. He was tossing, turning, trembling, and moaning in his sleep, possibly having some kind of bad dream.
Adah stared and watched in alarmed fascination, unsure what to do now. But the door that she had nudged open had continued to open gradually until it thumped against the wall. The thump it made wouldn't have seemed that loud during the day, but in the middle of the night in a deadly silent castle, it seemed several times louder. With a gasp, Adah quickly ducked back into the corridor, and listened carefully to see if Kani heard the thump with a beating heart. She hadn't thought about it up until now as she was so sleep deprived and probably not thinking straight, but peeking in on Kani like that seemed both wrong and very suspicious feeling. She wasn't sure what Kani would think of her spying on him like she had been.
While it seemed that Kani had indeed heard the thump, though, as his rustling suddenly stopped and he was heard sitting up and looking around, after a few moments and apparently upon finding nothing out of the ordinary, all fell silent again as Kani apparently went back to sleep. When it became clear that Kani wasn't coming out here to investigate the noise, Adah let out her breath and relaxed a little, walking away and heading back to bed, regretting her poor choice of coming here in the first place.
Whatever the case, she only became more worried for Kani, knowing that whatever he was dreaming was probably induced by recent bad events.
At dawn that morning, Lady Grinta's body was laid to rest, next to Hax's grave.
Unlike Hax's funeral, Adah attended this funeral, partly because she felt she should be present for this one, and because she felt Kani would need the support of a friend. Thereby she insisted that she by his side for the proceedings. In the end, however, Kani got through the funeral proceedings remarkably well and managed to keep fairly calm. It was Adah who needed the support, because as she watched Lady Grinta's body be lowered into the grave, the trauma of it all got to her, and she got very light-headed and very nearly collapsed into tears several times.
Methusael conducted the proceedings at Kani's request.
After the funeral proceedings, Kani was officially inaugurated as the lord of the land, and was crowned. It was a very sober event, and was kind of done half-heartedly. Adah was pleased to note, however, that instead of Methusael placing the crown on Kani's head, as it was the usual tradition, Mordecai did it instead. Adah was further pleased to notice that Methusael seemed a little put out by that. Obviously the rift between the two that had been growing as of late was still present.
Kani wore the crown long enough for the rest of the ceremony, but then quickly removed it and returned it to his box the moment it was over. Adah could tell he didn't really want anything to do with that crown.
After the ceremony had concluded, a late breakfast was held for everyone. It was intended to be held in celebration of Kani's crowning, and was usually a cheerful and happy event, but today it was understandably silent and depressed. Kani was given an extra special meal as part of the event, but he didn't eat it, and eventually excused himself and was absent for the rest of the meal.
Adah didn't really feel like eating either, but she stayed and forced herself to. She sat beside Bluejay who looked to be doing the same thing. For a long time, neither of them spoke. There seemed to be little that needed to be said. But the silence eventually got to Adah, so she finally broke the silence with what she hoped to be a conversation starter, albeit a depressing one.
"It's been a rough couple of days," she murmured aloud.
Bluejay nodded in agreement. "I pity Lord Kani," she said, "He's the only living member of his family left."
Adah blinked, and lowered her head, not liking being reminded of this terrible fact.
"How do you think he's handling all of this?" Bluejay asked next.
"Not well," Adah replied, "He's doing better than when Hax was…murdered…but, uh, I don't know if he can keep it up forever."
Bluejay's ears drooped at this news. "That is not good," she said with a sigh, "I need to talk to Kani."
"Why? What's to talk about? His mother's passed on, short and simple."
"A great deal actually," Bluejay looked at her with a deadly serious expression, "You're not going to like this, but Methusael told me when…"
But whatever it was she was about the say, she didn't get to finish it as suddenly two members of the royal guard arrived at her chair.
"Mistress Bluejay, you're to come with us," one of them said, as they pulled her up.
"What?" Bluejay said, turning a little pale as she looked back and forth between the pair, "What for?"
"We have orders to place you under arrest and bring you before his lordship for questioning," came the response.
"Arrest?" Adah repeated, rising also, but the guards ignored her as they took Bluejay and started leading her away.
Bluejay did not resist. In fact, she seemed to have an inkling of understanding about what this was about.
Adah felt a bad feeling rise up her throat, and quickly followed the two guards. They went straight to the throne room, where, as expected, Kani was waiting, along with a smattering of other creatures who had turned up to watch, mostly out of curiosity, it seemed. He sat in the throne, looking ill and weary, but also overcome with emotion, anger being one of the more predominant. Mordecai stood beside him, trying to help keep him calm. Adah quickly hurried over stand beside Kani upon her arrival, if only to ask for an explanation, but Kani's look made it clear that she wasn't to say anything to him about the matter just yet. He wasn't in the mood.
Also in the room was Methusael, who stood to one side, watching the proceedings. His eyes followed Adah to Kani, which she did not like, but then just as quickly jumped back to Bluejay as she was brought before Kani. Adah turned her attention to the healer vixen as well. She seemed a little puzzled, like she wasn't entirely sure what this was about, but like Adah already suspected, she seemed to have a good hunch. She was also repeatedly shooting Methusael dark looks, indicating he played a major role in whatever had led to Bluejay ending up here, but Methusael ignored them. Adah was led to wonder what terrible thing Methusael had arranged now.
Bluejay, however, addressed Kani politely, curtsying and everything, although that probably did not help Kani feel better in his present state.
"What is it, your lordship?" Bluejay inquired politely, trying to act cheerful and calm, but not quite succeeding.
Kani was silent for a moment, as he glared at Bluejay during that time. Pushing Mordecai away, he addressed Methusael. "Methusael, state the charges."
Adah blinked in surprise. Charges? What charges?
She didn't have to wait long, as Methusael promptly stepped forward and addressed Bluejay in a official manner. "Bluejay, chief healer of Midnight Castle, you are hereby charged with charges of conspiracy, plotting against his lordship and the royal family of Fennix, and for the murder of Lady Grinta Fennix," he said it with a very loud and flat voice, not giving the seriousness of these rather unexpected charges enough credit, "How do you plea?"
Bluejay had started objecting before Methusael had even finished speaking though, dropping the calm demeanor of before. "Not guilty! I would never...surely you don't think that I...Lord Kani, please, be reasonable, and see that I didn't do any of that! You...you don't really believe all of that, do you?" She looked pleadingly at Kani.
Adah looked inquiringly at Kani as well, as this was all news to her. Lady Grinta, murdered? And Bluejay is being blamed for it?
Kani's response to Bluejay's pleas was very bitter. "Right now, Bluejay, I don't know what to think. Just that my mother is dead, and somebeast is responsible! And by the fur, I want to know who!"
Adah realized with a start that she knew who. Methusael. It had to be. He really did take matters into his own paws, preformed the murder that Adah would not, and was now pinning it on Bluejay, probably the most innocent creature here. Adah stared daggers into Methusael's back, which was currently turned to her.
"I don't know!" Bluejay retorted, the best she could do, obviously. She probably really didn't know.
Kani wouldn't take that for an answer, though. "Somebody here does! And right now, you seem like the most likely creature behind it all, Bluejay. But I don't care who it is, just so long as justice is served! Somebeast murdered my mother, just like somebeast murdered my brother!" he froze suddenly, "By the claw, you did kill Hax too?"
"No!" Bluejay exclaimed, but so did Adah, even though she wasn't acknowledged, possibly not even heard. She knew who murdered Hax. Bluejay had no involvement in that either, and she wasn't going to let Bluejay be blamed for it. "I'm not guilty!" Bluejay continued to object.
Methusael, of course, couldn't resist adding in his two bits at this point. "That's what they all say."
Kani told Methusael to shush, and said to Bluejay that if it wasn't her, then who was it? By this point in time, Adah was having a severe internal battle. She was very tempted to step forward and reveal everything that she knew, and bring Methusael to justice once and for all. This had gone on for long enough. Two creatures had been murdered because of one creature. Things were rapidly spiraling out of paw. It was time that it stopped, and Adah was the creature who would have to step forward and do it. But knowing that in doing so would also reveal her own involvement in Hax's murder, she struggled to find the nerve.
Bluejay was desperately trying to prove her innocence. "How should I know? With all due respect your lordship, I probably know less about the whole matter than you do! I don't know what happened or how her ladyship was poisoned, but I had no part in it! All I did was what I had always been doing, preparing harmless medicine and administering it to my patient!"
Adah glanced at Bluejay, replaying what she said back in her mind. Lady Grinta was poisoned? Well, that actually made sense, seeing that the fact she had been murdered had gone this long without being discovered, but now Adah was wondering how Lady Grinta was poisoned.
Kani had the answer. "Methusael reports that the poison was in the medicine itself, Bluejay. It was prepared by replacing one herb usually used in the medicine with another, identical one that is deadly. The stores of the herb you kept in Lady Grinta's bedchamber had been completely replaced with this new, poisonous herb."
Adah's heart nearly stopped at this announcement, suddenly feeling about ready to faint, breakfast threatening to not stay her stomach for much longer, as she realized with an indescribable chill of fear what this meant.
She remembered the bowl of herbs she had refilled the afternoon of Lady Grinta's death.
Oh no.
And at that moment, she caught Methusael's eye for a split second as he glanced expectantly back at her and realized she had been successfully tricked yet again.
And now Adah was to blame for yet another murder.
Bluejay, at the moment, was looking exactly how Adah felt at the moment, turning very pale and falling to her knees in shock. "What? I…I…I gave her poisoned medicine," she shook her head, "Master Kani, it wasn't me! I…I…how…I…" she trailed off, unable to say more, fighting back tears.
Adah then realized that Bluejay was about to be blamed for everything, and, knowing the punishment for murder, she looked at Kani in alarm. He couldn't do this! He couldn't allow an innocent creature to be executed for a murder she had next to no part in! She couldn't allow that to happen.
Kani, however, made no comment, and was suddenly lost in deep thought.
Methusael took over. "A likely story. You can't even bring enough evidence to prove that you aren't guilty."
"Methusael, be quiet please, and let me think," Kani urged suddenly.
Methusael didn't seem to hear. "The odds are very much against you, Bluejay, you might as well confess. You are too skilled at your work at a healer to prove yourself not guilty, you could've easily poisoned her ladyship, and clearly, you expected some kind of profit from it too. How long have you been plotting against her?"
"Methusael…"
Bluejay gave Methsael a terrible look that Adah could relate to, and gave Methusael's back what she hoped to be a similar glare. "I didn't do it. You can't truly prove it either, you just have enough evidence to fit the most obvious creature to blame. Me! But I didn't do it! I would never do such a thing, and why should I? My family line has been loyal to the rulers and masters of this land for many seasons, for untold generations! And we have never betrayed anybody!"
"No better time to change sides, isn't it?" Methsuael jibed.
"Methusael, SHUT UP!"
All eyes shot to Kani, Methusael immediately falling silent, caught off guard at the outburst. Adah, despite everything, had to resist the urge to praise Kani for finally telling Methusael to shut up. About time somebody did. Now that Kani had silence, though, he allowed it to continue for a few more minutes as he thought, studying Bluejay as he did so. He was gradually calming down, but he was the only one. Methusael was still stung by the outburst, Bluejay was clearly terrified, the onlookers were stunned, and Adah was leaning against the wall behind her so to keep from passing out, trying to keep the emotions she felt from being tricked into murdering Lady Grinta at bay long enough to get through this unprecedented trial of an innocent person.
Finally, Kani made his choice. "Put her in the dungeons. She is to stay there for the time being, but she is to be treated well. Make sure she had plenty of food and water, and anything else, within reason, that she might need. Now please, go."
The guards obeyed immediately and with a little prompting managed to move the stunned Bluejay out of the room to be locked up. Adah felt her stomach sink further into the pit of guilt that dwelled within her, and felt even more ill at this, even though the punishment wasn't what was expected, and was actually better than the alternative. The proceedings were rapidly breaking up from there. The onlookers were beginning to leave, and Kani rose in preparation to depart.
"Lord, I must question this choice," Methusael objected suddenly, moving to block Kani's path, "All the evidence suggests…"
"I know the evidence, Methusael, you explained it all to me unless there's something you left out," Kani interrupted contemptuously
"No, sire. But Bluejay has been convicted for murder. Our laws state…"
"I know the laws, Methusael, but I have the right to determine when they should be used. But you so-called evidence isn't evidence. It's only a theory that happens to fit the facts. You don't know with any more surety than I do that Bluejay killed anybody. Therefore, I will not condemn a possibly innocent creature to death until I know for sure that she's guilty. For all you know, she could've been framed! Leaving the real killer free to strike again! Look, she's being locked up for the time being, if she is the killer, then we have nothing to worry about for the time being. Be happy you have that much, Methusael."
He pushed past Methusael and started on his way, but Methusael again moved to block it.
"Master Kani, with all due respect…" he began.
Kani cut him short. "Prove to me, and I mean actually prove, that she killed my mother, Methusael, then I'll let you personally carry out the execution."
And with that, he left, Mordecai quickly following after him like the loyal servant he was. Methusael watched them leave as he gave his answer.
"Yes milord."
Then he departed as well. Adah watched him go, hesitated for a second longer, then hurried after Kani, keeping pace with Mordecai, her choice made. She was going to tell him everything. Regardless of the consequences. This had gone on far enough. More than far enough. If Adah didn't reveal all soon, who knew where this could next, what terrible things would soon follow.
Kani went straight to his study, and did not address the presence of his two shadows until he had settled himself into his desk. With a sigh, knowing that both creatures needed addressing, he chose to start with Mordecai, the simpler of the two to deal with, Adah knew.
"Mordecai, you're excused from your duties, go please," Kani instructed.
"Yes milord," Mordecai said and without further comment, departed.
That left Adah, who wasn't going to be turned down so easily. And Kani knew it, but he tried anyway.
"Adah, I'm really not in the mood to talk."
Adah closed the door behind her with her footpaw. "Tough, you're going to listen."
"Well, what is it you wanted to say?" Kani snapped angrily, "That I'm making the wrong choice? That I'm letting my grief for the murder of my family cloud my thinking? That I'm letting a killer off easy? That everything will work out in the end? Because it won't Adah. I know it. I think that my troubles are only just going to get worse, I know it. Something terribly wrong is happening here, and by the fur and claw, it seems that it's all meant to drive me up the wall. And oh, it's driving me up the wall, all right! So far up that I'll hurt myself when I stop and fall back down!" he cursed suddenly, "Adah, I can't handle this. I…I just can't. I shouldn't have to do this, I never should've have to deal with any of this. If things had gone as they should've, mother would still be happily in control of her lands, those lands would still be at peace, I would still have a brother, and…" he trailed off, shaking his head, "Good seasons, I would still have a family, too. A actual, living, breathing, family…oh by the fur…"
And before Adah could say anything, Kani broke down under all of the grief. Slapping the desktop repeatedly and dropping his head down onto it, he broke down into tears and bitterly wept. Adah silently watched him do this for several moments, and felt her heart pity him for his predicament. Her nerve quickly failed her after that, and she couldn't bear to bring Kani anymore bad news by telling him the truth.
So…she didn't, and held her tongue about the matter further still.
And for a moment, Adah simply stood there and watched Kani. He had stopped crying just as quickly as it had begun, and now just sat there with his laying on the desktop, but that still didn't change the fact about how sad and pitiful he appeared. Adah hesitated a moment, then did exactly what seemed to be natural to her. She approached Kani and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close into a caring hug. Kani did not resist, and in fact, hugged back, resting his head against her body.
"I just wanted to tell you that you did the right thing, Kani," she said, knowing she could say that much truthfully.
Kani was still a little teary eyed as he challenged the comment. "Did I, Adah? Because I certainly hope you are right. I don't think I can handle it if I'm wrong."
Adah nodded in agreement, a little teary eyed herself. "I don't think you could either."
