A/N: No Legolas in this chapter, but I promise that he'll be in the next one! There's just some stuff I need to cover - trust me, please :)

When the king finished his tale about Legolas' poisoning and what had happened since then Eärnil fell backwards in his chair. "That's insane," he declared with conviction. "That's just utterly demented."

"I won't argue with you on that point," said Aragorn grimly, "but that's not really what I want to hear right now. I already know that whoever did this is a madman. What I need from all of you now are ideas about motives and possible suspects." Of course, Aragorn had his own thoughts on the topic but a little politics might be called for in the situation. If he came right out and accused one of their own so soon after achieving this tentative peace they might feel betrayed. He couldn't be there to help Legolas if he also had to contend with an openly hostile council – it was best to carefully nudge them toward the conclusion. "Who do you think would do such a thing?"

"Sire, I cannot even begin to guess," spoke up Turgon, his features still twisted in shock at the notion that someone had actually succeeded in doing harm to the prince consort. "There is no one in all the lands who would benefit from the deaths of Prince Legolas and your child."

"Yes, and every rational person is aware of that. That's why I believe that this was done because of less-than-rational reasons," replied Aragorn as he slowly but steadily turned his pointed stare to one particular Man who was seated in a far corner of the table out of everyone else's line of vision. "In fact, I suspect that this would-be assassin is someone who's convinced himself that somehow he and all of Gondor would be better off were I not married to whom I'm married. He probably has a long list of imaginary offenses that my husband has done to him; maybe he even considers himself to be engaged in a feud with Legolas despite all evidence that any conflict between them is completely one-sided. That is the kind of Man who would risk everything to commit this rather stupid act."

Every single head, either following the king's glare or else on their own volition, swiveled to look at Cirion. The disgraced lord grimaced at all of them but was dancing on the inside. It wasn't the best way to get attention at the council meetings again, but he could make it work in his favor. "It is amazing to me how you suddenly trumpet your appreciation for the plain and honest truth one moment and continue to turn a blind eye to that over-important bed warmer's machinations the next," he spat out contemptuously.

Aragorn's face twisted as a hate he never thought was possible surged through his body. "You –"

"Is there a problem, my king? It was nothing but the plain and honest truth," smirked Cirion. "The elf uses his body, beauty, and charms to manipulate your decisions in everything that you do; and no more so than in your dealings with me. Any other conclusion is nothing but a vicious lie. I need no evidence other than what has been presented just now: he's told you that I'm responsible for trying to kill him and his child and you believe it wholeheartedly."

"You must admit, Cirion," said Belecthor, "that no suspect is more feasible than you. You've made it no secret how much you despise Prince Legolas, even now when silence would be prudent."

"Because I have several good reasons to!" Cirion growled. "How long have I had to endure that elf's presence in the citadel, the court, even the advisors' council meetings after he stole what is by right mine and my family's – "

"That is enough." Aragorn's command was so fierce and authoritative that Cirion's next words died on his tongue. "That elf is not only my husband but also the love of my life. It is only by his good graces that you are still allowed to sit on this council and dwell in Minas Tirith – or Gondor for that matter. Legolas has been nothing but fair and even-handed when it comes to you and this is how you respond? What did you think would have happened if he'd died? Did you honestly believe that were he taken away from me that I would ever marry anyone else, let alone the daughter of his murderer?"

Cirion wasn't at all intimidated by the king's accusations – if anything, he felt that he was at last vindicated. "You heard him, my fellow advisors," he announced triumphantly. "King Elessar has declared openly that the word of that elf whore is law, for he condemns one of your own on nothing more than that. I stand accused of attempted murder simply because I was brave enough to point out his manipulations. Are you still eager to accept this situation, to tiptoe around that creature's unpredictable and selfish whims until the day comes when he decides that you too must go? Is it now clear that we must do whatever we have to do in order to preserve the natural order of things in Gondor?"

Aragorn was on his feet in an instant but he wasn't the first one to reply. "You are, without a doubt, the most vile, hateful, and bitter Man in all of Middle-earth and I include all Easterlings and Haradrim in that assessment," spat out Eärnil, outraged at the slander and astounded by the depths of Cirion's delusions. He'd called him mad before, but never in his wildest dreams did he think that his former ally was that far gone. "Are you really so convinced of your own significance that you believe that Prince Legolas has nothing better to do than endlessly plot your downfall? For the record, I absolutely agree that you are the one behind this whole poison plot and not because of I've been bewitched or out of a compulsion to please King Elessar. I condemn you because of the treasonous, venomous, bile that spews from your lips every time you speak. You are a madman, Cirion; and what's more, a madman with the motivation, means, and opportunity to commit this heinous act." He sneered when Cirion gave him a deadly glare before turning his eyes to the other advisors. "Do not look around for support, for you have no allies left here."

"Or so you think," Cirion hissed, "but remember that not all of my colleagues possess about as much faithfulness as an orc." His gaze rested on an old friend. "What say you, Tanondor? Have you the courage to stand with me against the king's tyranny?"

He was graced with a horrified look for only a moment before Tanondor turned back to face Aragorn. "He speaks not for me, sire," the advisor stated. "Do we have to listen to this for much longer? It would be my pleasure to call for the guards."

"Yes, I believe that would be an excellent thing to do," said Aragorn, his eyes burning with fury as he scowled at Cirion. "We'll be able to conduct business much better once he's locked away in a cell in the deepest corner of the dungeons."

Finally panicked, Cirion held out his hands in a gesture of defensive protest. Despite the weeks of being ignored and shunned, he always believed that all the other advisors were just waiting for the right moment to side with him against the prince. To be so utterly abandoned when the time came had not been figured in with his plans. "You do not understand, sire," his voice shook as he spoke. "I am not at all involved in the plot against the prince."

"So now he's the prince instead of that elf whore?" asked Belecthor incredulously. The sheer audacity of it all would have made him laugh out loud had the circumstances not been so serious. "You've admitted freely that you hate him, prattled on constantly about how he 'stole' the king from your daughter, threw around veiled threats and blatant insults, and even attacked him in this very room a few weeks ago! Now you have the nerve to stand there and claim this nonsense that you're innocent? You're anything but."

"I do not deny any of that," replied Cirion forcefully. "But think for a moment: what good would it do me if he were dead? King Elessar would no doubt slip into an irrevocable mourning and further neglect his duties to the council; the people would idealize him in memory; and the whole realm would be encouraged to revere him as if he were some grand Vala instead of some lustful creature from the woods. Just thinking aboutit makes me nauseous! I want him to be scorned and spat upon, not martyred."

"That's not exactly the best defense that I've ever heard," observed Eärnil frostily.

Cirion's blood boiled. "Well how about this then, oh honest advisor," he shot back, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "The prince was poisoned at lunch yesterday, correct? I was here attending a meeting at the time his food was prepared, and all of you can bear witness to that."

"Yesterday's meeting did not carry on right up to lunch and I seem to recall the way you bolted out of here as soon as we adjourned," Aragorn told him. "I don't see how any of this helps your case."

"That's where Eärnil comes in, sire," Cirion smiled nastily at his former friend. "Go on; tell them where I went after I left."

Eärnil shut his eyes in resignation as realization hit him. "He stopped me in the corridor to force some more of his insane paranoia down my throat," he muttered quietly. "We were never out of sight from this room's doorway."

"Prince Legolas' lunch was already prepared by then," Cirion proclaimed. "He was most likely on his way down to bask in his father's and Lord Gimli's adoration while I was still waiting to speak with Eärnil."

"And how do we know that you didn't bribe someone to do your dirty work for you?" demanded Turgon as doubt began to mingle with his suspicions.

"Who? One of the kitchen staff?" Cirion snorted. "Any one of them would have just taken my money and fled, or told the king what I was bribing them to do. For something of this magnitude I'd take care of it myself; that's the only way it would be done right."

Aragorn sat silently, mulling over all that he'd just heard. "Very well, Lord Cirion," he conceded thoughtfully. While he still wasn't entirely convinced that the fallen advisor was innocent, the Man knew that he couldn't jeopardize the safety of Legolas and their son by stubbornly clinging to his suspicions without considering other possibilities. "You will not be locked in the dungeons. Guards!"

"You just said –"

"That you wouldn't be locked up, I know," interrupted Aragorn as the guards came through the door. "And you won't be. There is a chance that you didn't poison my husband, but you did just try to turn the council against my rule. There's a word for that, Lord Cirion: treason. I feel more than justified now in stripping you of your seat on the advisors' council."

"King Elessar, please!"

Aragorn ignored the Man's forlorn protest. "I'll allow you to keep your title, though I doubt it'll do you much good wherever you end up," he went on. "You have two weeks to vacate the city of Minas Tirith and the realm of Gondor and do not attempt to beg for more time. I'm only granting you that much out of sheer pity for your wife and daughter. The guards here will escort you to your house and make sure that you cause no further mischief. Get him out of my sight."

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

"I feel a little odd saying this," commented Tanondor grudgingly after the guards had closed the door behind them, "but I wish that it was unmistakably evident that he was responsible for the prince's poisoning. I can't think of anyone else who would do it!"

"We don't know that it's not him," debated Eärnil. "At any rate, we shouldn't disallow his involvement on his word alone that he wouldn't bribe someone else to carry this out."

"And he shall be included in the investigation," Faramir said. "Along with any other suspects that we can think of. Now, all of you are deeply embedded in court life; do you have any other explanations other than ones that involve Lord Cirion?"

The room fell quiet as the advisors stared blankly at each other. "It doesn't have to be something obvious," Aragorn told them anxiously. After how far they'd come in learning how to work together he couldn't let their efforts go to waste now! Legolas and the baby were depending on their collaboration. "Don't worry about arresting an innocent Man; right now let's just concentrate on general people and possible motives – anything, no matter how farfetched it seems. I'd rather deliberate over a lot of unlikely theories than overlook the correct answer because it appeared to be too outrageous. Come, please; start tossing ideas around."

"The kitchen staff must be questioned, of course," offered Tanondor. "Even if it turns out that none of them were involved, someone might have seen something that was unremarkable at the time but significant now."

"And the servants who brought the food to the prince as well," chimed in Turgon.

"We must also include ourselves in the questioning," added Belecthor sagely. "I must agree with King Thranduil," he added under their resisting reactions. "This comes across as a political assassination and we are the citizens most involved in that aspect of Gondorian life. I believe that we should subject ourselves to the same scrutiny as very other suspect, if only to clear the air."

Eärnil knitted his eyebrows. "If the assassination is politically motivated," he said, "then we should also speak with the foreign dignitaries. We do not know everything there is to know about them. It could be that one of them is aiming to take down the newly restored monarchy out of fear or resentment of Gondor's power."

"But how would they get access to the kitchen?" argued Turgon. "Only the servants can go in and out of there without raising suspicion. If anyone else did, it would cause gossip; if a stranger did it, it would cause a scandal."

"No stone unturned," Aragorn reminded him. "We'll talk to them as well, but as politely and discreetly as possible. We can't go around inviting people to the city and then accusing them of misconduct on theories alone. I don't want to insult anyone and risk war unless we are absolutely certain."

"My king, what about a plot among the people?" suggested Belecthor. "Prince Legolas is neither Gondorian or even of the race of Men. I haven't heard of any, but some might be concerned about the purity of the royal bloodline."

"I've entertained that thought as well," Faramir spoke up. "But every noble worth his schooling knows that the bloodline of the Numenorian kings descended from Elros, who was himself of elven and Mannish lineage. Most are viewing Prince Legolas' pregnancy as a chance to renew the strength of that line. Some commoners might now be aware of all of this, but how would they get to the prince's food? No guard would let a commoner walked at will through the citadel and none of them have access to the amount of money that would be required to get someone else to administer the poison."

Turgon pinched the bridge of his nose. This was all so damnably frustrating! For every possible explanation there was an even more persuasive reason why it wasn't likely. "Maybe there was no grand scheme," he stated. "We could be over-thinking and thereby missing the point entirely. It could simply be the random act of a madman or criminal."

"One does not simply wind up poisoning the pregnant prince consort," refuted Belecthor. "An act of this nature takes planning, perhaps an exorbitant amount of wealth to convince someone to endanger their lives by committing treason, and most certainly a high level of desperation. No, my friend; whoever did this did it deliberately."

"Which brings us back to the questions of who and why," sighed Eärnil. "Prince Legolas is a popular figure among the people and respected by most of the delegates and nobles. I cannot figure out who else besides Cirion would even hope to benefit from having him murdered. I agree with Turgon in one respect: we're missing something. I know it."

"This has been an – unusual – meeting," noted Aragorn as he apprised each one of their faces. "Unexpectedly helpful and certainly draining. I think we've exhausted our powers of thought and reasoning for the moment; and so we'll adjourn for now. I'll send errand runners out as soon as possible with your tasks in this investigation as well as the times when you'll all be interrogated separately. We will meet tomorrow at the same time, and every day after that while it's still necessary, to discuss progress, findings, new ideas, and everything else that comes up. You are dismissed." He paused for a second. "And thank you."

Faramir remained seated by Aragorn's side while the advisors left. "I can help you divide up the advisors' duties," he offered. "And, if you wish, I can set the schedule for their interrogations by myself so that you can return to Legolas' side."

Aragorn gave him a small smile. "Thank you, my friend," he said gratefully. "Not only for this but for all that you've done since before the day of the coronation. I know I haven't been the easiest official to work with. Please know that I'm sorry for demanding so much of your time."

"You just needed to come around at your own pace," was Faramir's generous reply. He smiled dryly. "But Eowyn might like to hear that apology; she's a little more hotheaded than I am."

"I'll get right to that as soon as I'm well armored."

"I've never been more proud of you at one of these meetings than I was today," Faramir said suddenly. "I know how belittling that sounds, but it's true." His expression became deadly serious. "Let's get down to business. You need to get back to the Houses to keep a close eye on Legolas."

The king's breath caught in his chest. "Do you think –"

"Whoever was brazen enough to do this won't be satisfied until he's succeeded," declared Faramir firmly. "Don't leave Legolas unprotected for a second until we've solved this puzzle once and for all."

To be continued…

A/N: This story now has over 400 reviews! Thank you all so much for taking the time to drop me some words.

Mistake realization (for all you eagle-eyes out there): I take all of the names of made-up characters out of the appendices (that's not the mistake). However, when Tanondor's name is actually supposed to be Tarondor but now that I've already named him, that typographical error will stay as is. Thank God for spell-check, without which the advisors may have different names every time they're mentioned!