Her Reputation (The Empire: Book 1)

by Laura R Cole

CHAPTER 9

  Phoenix sat with her mother on the terrace. She fingered the teacup in front of her distractedly.

  “Rhys mentioned something to me about the heralds that has become increasingly disturbing as this mystery behind the attacks grows.” Queen Layna said. Phoenix had not been at all surprised to learn that Layna had put Rhys to the task of investigating the rumors. Though the boy did not recognize the usefulness of his own skills to their fullest, the Queen was well-aware and eager to take advantage.

  “What’s that?” Phoenix asked.

  “He said that the day they arrived at the palace he overheard them talking. While he only overheard a snippet of their conversation, that small bit was unusual. They apparently said ‘what if they find out about him?’ and I can’t help but wonder what they meant.”

  “Have any of the people I’m sure you have watching them seen anything suspicious?”

  “No,” her mother answered. “The most unusual thing that they did was steal a branch from the gardens, but I’m told that it is something used to make a sleeping aid. So other than it being odd that they didn’t simply ask one of the healers for something rather than go and make it themselves, it’s not particularly strange.”

  “And really, if I were in a foreign country, I’d probably feel safer mixing my own sleep aids as well,” Phoenix added.

  “True. So to what then, did that strange comment refer?”

  “Perhaps we should ask them.” Phoenix paused and then added, “Delicately. We certainly don’t want to make it seem like we’re accusing them of anything. Herald Siajan seems the canny sort, though, I would imagine he’d be able to understand why in the midst of our investigation we’d want to question everything. As much as we have tried to shield it from them, I have no doubt they are quite informed on the matter.”

  “Unfortunately, you’re right, my dear.” Her mother sighed. “Would you like to come with me to ask? They seem to enjoy your company.”

  “Of course. I asked Herald Siajan to accompany me for a walk later anyway to discuss our differing customs, so we can find a way to work it in.”

  Later, they met Siajan at the gardens, and he seemed pleased to have the Queen accompany them on their walk. Eventually, her mother brought up the subject she was loathe to discuss.

  “I hate to have to ask you this, Herald, but I can only hope for your understanding in the midst of our current crisis. We must explore every avenue.” Siajan’s lack of response indicated that he knew what she was talking about, so she continued. “Someone overheard a comment that you made which indicated that there was something you didn’t want us to find out about ‘him’.”

  A brief flash of anger spread across Siajan’s face but was quickly quelled and replaced with his pleasant smile. “Indeed, Your Majesty,” he replied after a moment. “There is something that we have not been entirely forthcoming about.” He paused again. “In light of your crisis, and given the hospitality you have shown us, I believe that we can trust you with the information.” He glanced around as though checking to see that no one else was within earshot. Even the guards had hung back. “The young man, Nathiwen, who travels with us is more than he seems. He is actually a member of Her Royal Eminence’s household.” He paused a third time. “He is her son.”

  The Queen wore an expression of disbelief. “The heir has been here this whole time and not acknowledged? We have not shown him the proper respect due! You must think us awful.”

  “You misunderstand,” Siajan corrected her, “I said he is her son, not the heir. And we chose not to share this information for a reason. We could hardly expect you to know who he was without telling you.”

  Phoenix and the Queen both gave him confused expressions.

  “His ailment makes him unfit to rule. That’s really why we were out sailing around. The boy seems to enjoy it, and it keeps him away from the people where he would be an embarrassment for the Empress. We didn’t plan to stumble upon you, and therefore didn’t want you to realize how important of a person he was while you were still unknown to us. Surely, you understand a mother not wanting to put her son in danger.”

  “I see,” nodded the Queen, looking over at Phoenix. “I can definitely understand that.”

  “I hope that you understand as well,” he went on, “that though I am sharing this information with the two of you as a show of faith and so that you can see that we have nothing to do with your troubles, it would still be in Nathiwen’s best interest for his true identity to remain unknown. While I feel that the two of you can be trusted not to use this information against him, there may still be those in your kingdom who would. After all, there are those working to undermine your own heir,” he said pointedly.

  “You have my word,” the Queen nodded. Siajan turned to Phoenix.

  “And mine as well,” she answered his unspoken question.

  “Thank you,” Siajan replied. “I would point out as well that we have no motivation for such attacks. What could we possibly gain from causing trouble with you?”

  “I absolutely agree,” Queen Layna assured him.

  “Is it possible that a potion was taken that could have caused such a thing?” Phoenix asked. “I don’t mean to further implicate you, but the nature of the attack seems to be something we don’t understand.”

  Siajan went pale for a moment. “We did have an incident with a potion going missing while we were traveling the city…” he began.

  “Could this potion cause the kind of response we’re seeing?”

  Siajan hesitated, but finally answered negatively. “No, no I don’t see how. Most likely it slipped my belt and smashed somewhere during our tour of the city. Seeing as how the rest of the valuables in the purse were untouched, it is unlikely to have been a robbery. And even so, the missing vial would not cause the symptoms you are looking for. Perhaps an unfavorable reaction depending on who took it, but it would not put someone in a comatose state. I’m afraid that our potions are not the culprit here, however convenient an explanation they would seem to be.”

  “You’re probably right,” Phoenix agreed.

  They dropped the subject and went on to other things, but Phoenix couldn’t shake the thought. Perhaps it had been the potion after all. If someone had stolen and used it, that could explain why they couldn’t figure out the cause of the men’s misfortune. But unless Siajan was an excellent liar – which Phoenix did not think he was – she believed that he had nothing to do with the attacks. And he was certainly correct in his point that the attacks would gain the empire nothing. The use of a potion by someone else though could certainly explain the strange symptoms. Perhaps Siajan simply didn’t know how it might affect someone with talent given the fact that it seemed as though there were very few, if any, people in the empire with it. Or he may even be downplaying the effect it might have simply to further dissuade them from believing the heralds had anything to do with it. So maybe someone else knew what the potion would do to a person from Elaeld and was able to use it against them. The question remained, however: Who would have knowledge of what the strangers’ potions could do?