Author's Note: The murderer of Lavinia is revealed! I bet I fooled ya!
When Gunther saw Sir Bedwyr and thirty knights saddling up, he called for Smithy to fetch his horse. When he rode up to the company, he offered his help. Sir Bedwyr looked at the speaker, and immediately yelled, "You were given no orders to come with us! Go back to the practice yard! It is no longer necessary to go over the writs!"
"So you have found the man behind it?"
"Go back to the practice yard, boy!" Sir Bedwyr said through grinding teeth, letting his Welsh accent slip. That was a sure sign to leave Sir Bedwyr alone, Gunther had found. But as Gunther watched the knights leave, he rode out on his horse, following them.
They were making their way to town, he observed, and so he took a shortcut so that he might arrive faster. When he saw them ride through the city gates, he had stabled his horse at his father's stables and sat down on a bench with some lunch, trying to remain hidden.
Gunther watched as the knights rode to the nobles' district, and he quietly finished his lunch and followed. As they continued Gunther found that they were heading for his father's house, or very near to it. But the farther they went, the lower Gunther's gut seemed to sink, until the stopped directly in front of the house of Magnus. The knights dismounted, and opened the door without regard to knocking, without regard to the protesting maid. Gunther knew that they were searching the house, because he saw a knight through the windows on the second floor, as well as one on the first. A thought ran through Gunther's head, Could father have…No! He would not! But the longer time passed the more he could believe it.
He headed toward the stable, which was across the street from the house itself. There he found his father, saddling a horse. Gunther stood in the doorway. Magnus noticed his son.
"Good boy, coming to warn me of the knights. I already knew though. Thank you anyways." Gunther did not move an inch. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to be going." Gunther stayed where he was. "Move boy!" Gunther did not move. "If you do not move, you shall never know you your mother was!" By now, Magnus was growing angry, but still, Gunther did not move.
Gunther spoke, "I know that my mother was a whore as well as you do. I also know you had her killed to save your reputation-"
"Gunther-"
"Just as I know that you had Princess Lavinia killed-"
"Son-"
"And the rest of the royal family was next. And do not call me son. I am not related to you. Not anymore."
"There's the scoundrel! He's trying to escape on horseback!" one of the searching knights yelled out. "And it looks like his son was warning him!" The knight grabbed Gunther by the neck, turned him against one of the stall doors and bound him with rawhide strips. Another knight came and did the same to Magnus.
Sir Bedwyr walked up, and after the initial shock of seeing Gunther, turned angry, and with a heavy Welsh accent, ordered them be taken to the castle.
"Jane! Can you stand?" Pepper asked. "The knights are arriving, Magnus in hand."
"Capital. I think I can manage." She slowly made her way out of the bed, stood up, started to fall only to be caught by Pepper.
"Perhaps we should have Jester or Smithy help you!" added Pepper.
No sooner were the words spoken than Jester appeared, saw Jane supported by Pepper, ran down the stairs, and completely lifted Jane off the floor. "Wouldn't want you to miss it!" Jester responded to the surprised look on Jane's face. He gave a nervous smile, and started carrying her up to the main gates, where a crowd was forming, Pepper following with Rake. They all attempted to see over other's heads, Jane especially once she was let down as she still could not stand straight.
Finally, they caught a glimpse of the knights, sitting tall in their saddles, and at the end of the parade, there were two men tied to the horses. One had black hair and beard, flecked with gray, rich if the hefty paunch he carried was any indication. Must be Magnus, Jane thought. Next to him, was a younger man, with black hair slicked back, athletic looking, and wearing a knight's garb. "No," Jane said quietly, barely audible, "No," this one louder than the first, but still, only Jester heard it, "No!" this one a scream of defiance, yelling her outrage at such a farce. Almost under her breath, she added, "I will not believe it."
All the knights led the two men to the throne room, but only Sir Bedwyr and two other knights continued in. When Jane and her friends arrived at the guarded doors, the knights allowed Jane in, but no one else, because she was a squire of the realm. One of the knights helped her to hobble forward, allowing her to see the entire affair.
Sir Bedwyr was speaking. "-conspired together on the death of the Princess, as well as the rest of the royal family."
King Caradoc, sat on his throne, with the queen to his right, and Cuthbert standing to his left. To this the King asked, "Do the accused have anything to say for themselves?"
"I had nothing to do with it. I do not understand this farce! I was readying my horse for an afternoon ride, when my son arrived, telling me knights were coming to arrest me for he Princess' murder, such a shame, by the way-" rambled Magnus, trying to defend himself.
"This man lies. He hired the assassins, he was readying his horse to escape, I am not his son, not anymore, and I gave him no warning. I do not know why, but he had the Princess killed." Gunther boldly stated
"Quiet, son!" exclaimed Magnus.
"I am no son of yours! I may have been born of your seed, carelessly sown, but no father would allow his son the shame of committing high treason, of committing murder. You are no father of mine!" spat Gunther.
"Quiet!" demanded King Caradoc. "Take them both to the dungeons to be questioned further. I will have the truth out of the both of you!"
Jane's eyes grew wide in horror. Magnus, she knew, was responsible for Lavinia's death. But she could not believe Gunther could do something like that. Besides the fact that he came up with the idea that it was an assassins guild. Why would he bring us closer to catching the people he hired? And now, he was to be questioned. Doubtless, Gunther told the truth. But after being questioned, anyone would lie if it meant a painless death. She had to speak to Sir Ivon. She told the knight supporting her such, and he brought her to the entrance to the throne room. There, she asked Pepper to take her back to the kitchen.
When she arrived, she began telling Sir Ivon of what happened, and her theory. The longer she talked, the more anger crossed his face. When she finished, he called for the chamberlain, and began to stand up. Ivon, unlike Jane, was able to hold his own balance.
"Am I to come?" Jane asked, almost pleading.
"Aye, that would be why I called for your father. That and they can't harm the lad if he's not in his cell." When Chamberlain arrived, he took over the support of his daughter, and the group made their way down to the cells for murderers.
"Ah, there is the chamberlain. I was afraid I would have to question the squire and merchant in the hall. And Sir Ivon! I was told you were still injured."
"Not that badly."
"And the senior squire. I don't know if it was a good decision to have her watch her comrade's questioning."
"That is because she will not." Sir Ivon walked forward, until he was nose to nose with the Welshman. The fury of the Welsh is famous, but not as famous as that of the Scot. The Welshman backed down.
"We must still imprison him. And it is a direct order of the King to question him."
"Then tell the king you did, and no matter what, he stuck to his original story."
At Sir Ivon's words, the chamberlain gasped. "Would you rather see an innocent knight tortured and killed? I will not, however, prevent you from torturing Magnus, the dirty scoundrel!"
The chamberlain lowered his head in submission, as much as he hated lying to the King, he hated watching an innocent man admit a crime so that he may at least die without pain. He would stay silent. Each knight hung his head as well. Their lips were sealed. The Chamberlain opened a cell for Gunther and another one for Magnus. It was unfortunate that Gunther would have to hear his own father being tortured, even if he had renounced him, but it was better than being 'questioned' himself.
The lot of them watched Sir Bedwyr question Magnus. Magnus maintained his innocence, for quite some time, but eventually admitted his guilt, and that his son had nothing to do with the planning. It seemed that Magnus wanted the throne for himself, and planned to not only murder the current royal family, but anyone who attempted to take the throne, at which point he would take the throne.
That night, Jane slept in her own room, feeling something she had not felt since the death of her friend the Princess more than a week ago. Something, that to the untrained eye, appeared to be happiness.
Author's Note: This might seem like the end, but it is not. Please keep reviewing!