“This is dangerous, Jacqueline. We could be on the brink of war,” Jaquobie warned.
“I doubt it,” she replied coolly. “He cannot have many followers supporting him. He’s been in a cell for nearly twenty years with no connection to the outside world. No, someone else has been masterminding this little scheme in the shadows.”
“You mean, the person who drugged the guards is not a puppet but a puppet master?” George’s eyebrows rose.
“If I had to guess, yes,” Jax replied.
Vyanti interjected. “Laceroot is a very uncommon specimen, Your Grace. Not many people know about its memory properties.”
“How would someone come across it, then?” she questioned.
He shrugged. “I learned about it during my time at the Academy whilst studying herbology and its medicinal uses for my physician’s residency.”
“Virtues, no.” Jax gasped, raising her hand to her slack jaw. She pictured Charles Montivarius’s sly grin after they ran into each other during her nighttime stroll. “Charles. Charles is a student at the Academy; he’s a practicing physician. I saw him out in the halls last night.” Her words tumbled out of her mouth rapidly as everything clicked into place. “It was well after midnight, too. He must have been coming from the dungeons.”
George turned a steely gaze onto his men. “Find him. And bring him to the throne room.”
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Jax sat on her gilded throne, clutching the arms with such ferocity that her knuckles turned white. She heard Charles’s voice before seeing him escorted through the doors of the vast chamber. “Really, now, Captain, what’s this all about?” he questioned. When he caught sight of Jax, his expression transformed from one of annoyance to confusion.
His forehead glistened with nervous sweat. “Duchess? Have I done something wrong?”
George brought him closer to the throne, stopping at the bottom of the steps leading up to her platform.
With calculated finesse, she examined Charles’s lanky figure, watching him squirm as the silence dragged on and his questions went unanswered.
She finally asked, “Charles, can you please recount your movements last night?”
He readily acquiesced. “Why yes, Duchess. I returned to my rooms after dinner, only to head over to the archives for a bit of research.” His cheeks reddened under the intense gazes of George, Jaquobie, and the Ducal Guard. “I came back, oh, an hour or so after midnight, ran into you, if you recall. I saw my sister’s light on when I arrived back at my suite, so I popped into her room for a quick chat before going to bed.”
“What time did you go to bed?” she pressed.
“I don’t know. Maybe around one thirty?” He looked uncertain. “What’s going on here? Has something happened?”
Jax sat back in her throne, wishing she did not have to look at her friend like he was a criminal. “Please, Charles, just answer me truthfully.”
“I am, Duchess,” he said in earnest. “Just ask my sister. Just ask the courtiers who’ve been trailing me around.”
“Unfortunately, your courtiers retired to their own chambers after they escorted you back from dinner.” Jax rubbed her temples. “But why don’t we have Lady Giovanna speak on your behalf?”
“What am I being accused of?” Charles began to tremble before her. “Please, Your Grace. I am telling the truth.”
She met his pleading gaze and saw it in his eyes. “I’m so sorry, my friend. I really am. I just cannot take the risk.” She directed her next words to George. “Please, bring Lady Giovanna to me.”
He returned with the young actress not five minutes later, her expression as confused as her brother’s.
“Duchess, what’s all this about? There we were, getting ready to go down to breakfast, and the next, Charles is practically being dragged away like a thug.”
Jax ignored her outburst. “Lady Giovanna, can you please recount for us your brother’s activities last night?”
“Is this some Saphirian wedding tradition?” Giovanna asked with a little giggle, obviously not yet understanding the seriousness of the situation.
Jax just gave her a tight smile and waited.
“Well…” Giovanna’s eyes darted to her brother, who was seated off to the side of the room with a guard’s hand on his shoulder. Turning her attention back to Jax, she continued. “Charles and I arrived at our suites after dinner. It couldn’t have been any later than ten o’clock. He said he wanted to research some new method Master Vyanti talked about. He was gone for a few hours. I was up reading, engrossed in my book, when he came back. He teased me for losing track of time over a silly romance novel, then went into his own chambers for bed.”
“And do you know if he left his chambers again?”
“No…I was asleep.” Giovanna brightened. “But I’m sure our guardsmen would be able to tell you that. There were two men guarding our wing last night.”
Jax felt a stab of foolishness. How could she have overlooked that? Of course the night patrols would be able to report to them who was in their rooms and when. They had been assigned for that very reason.
George cleared his throat, interrupting her floundering interrogation. “I sent for the night guards the minute Vyanti told us the attack happened around midnight. They’ll be able to give us a full report once you’re done here.”
How did I miss that conversation? Jax’s thoughts were muddled and her head throbbed. She realized her lack of sleep had caught up to her.
George came to her side and whispered in her ear. “You seemed so sure Charles was a suspect, I didn’t want to get my head bitten off by questioning your decision.”
I guess I deserve this for always demanding he listen to my orders despite his own better judgment, Jax thought miserably. Her embarrassment was palpable. She’d completely lost her grip on reason, too desperate to get to the bottom of this to see things clearly. Not to mention her state of sleep-deprivation after being awake all night. To Charles and Giovanna she sheepishly said, “You two must be wondering what this madness is all about…”
Taking the two into her confidence, she summarized the devious events that had taken place since Uma’s disappearance, ending with Reinbeck’s escape. Rubbing her temples with exhaustion, she said, “I’m so sorry, Charles. You must think me a monster to even remotely believe you could be capable of such a thing.” Her amethyst eyes filled with tears at being such a callous excuse for a friend.
“A monster? No,” he said, giving her forearm a tender squeeze. “All you stand accused of is being a concerned friend. I’m so sorry to hear about Uma. I do hope this Reinbeck bloke hasn’t harmed her.”
Jax trembled at the thought.
“Why don’t I go assist Master Vyanti with the victims?” Charles offered. He excused himself, still looking a bit shaken from the entire encounter.
Jax turned to his sister, who looked rightly upset on his behalf. “Giovanna, I cannot apologize enough,” she said for what felt like the hundredth time.
“It must be incredibly lonely for you, Jacqueline,” the young actress replied, “to be so distrusting of everyone around you, even those who consider you a loyal friend.”
Jax felt her heart collapse in her chest. “I sometimes wonder if I’d be better off alone, for all the pain I seem to cause people.”
Giovanna took her hand. “Don’t think like that, Duchess. You are worth the trouble for some of us.”
“Then I haven’t completely obliterated our friendship?” Jax asked, hope in her eyes.
“You’ll have to try harder next time,” Giovanna responded with a wink. “Uma is lucky to have you fighting for her.”
After Giovanna had taken her leave, Jax returned to her chair and waited for the night patrolmen to assemble for questioning.
Most appeared in their night clothes, having been woken from sleep at their Captain’s command to report to the throne room. Their numbers were impressive. Jax counted at least fifty guardsmen before her.
“I’m sure Captai
n Solomon has brought you up to speed on the evening’s events,” she announced to the room of sleepy-eyed sentries. She wondered if she looked as tired as they did. “We believe a guest within the castle is responsible for aiding in Reinbeck’s escape and possibly orchestrating Lady Uma’s disappearance. If you please, did anyone show suspicious behavior or leave their rooms at any time during the night?”
She saw a few hands raise and pointed to the guardsman closest to her.
“Your Grace, I was assigned to Sir Charles and Lady Giovanna Montivarius’s chambers along with Neville, here.” The young soldier pointed to his potbellied friend standing next to him. “Sir Charles left his chambers a little after ten in the evening, saying he was off to the library, and then arrived back around one thirty in the morning.”
She nodded, relieved at the validation of both Giovanna and Charles’s stories. “Anyone else?”
Another guard spoke up. “I was on patrol near the Viscounts’ suites. Viscount Emyr left his room shortly after returning from dinner. He came back not an hour later, around eleven, and didn’t leave his chambers again.”
Jax’s lips drew tightly together. “Did he say where he’d been?”
“No, Your Grace. I hardly think he knew I was there,” the guard replied. “He seemed a bit preoccupied with his thoughts.”
“I escorted the Pettrauds back to their rooms per your request, Your Grace.”
Jax turned to the familiar voice from last night, recognizing one of the three guards who had helped her manage the unruly brothers. “That’s right, I did run into those three out and about, as well.”
A sentry spoke from the back row. “You may have led them back to their rooms, Geralt, but they didn’t stay there.”
“Excuse me?” Jax commanded the man to speak.
He marched forward. “The name’s Kaleb, Your Grace. I was assigned to the Pettraudian delegation’s wing last night. The first time I saw the brothers last night was when they came back with Geralt, here. That was around two in the morning. They stayed in their rooms for a bit, but then left together around three thirty.”
Jax’s face went white. “Did they say where they were going?”
“No, ma’am. They just took off.”
Her thoughts went back to her unsettling encounter with the brothers during her walk to the archives. Philippe’s bruised and smirking face filled her mind, along with the sound of something sloshing against muted glass.
“Virtues, the bottle!” she exclaimed to George, who stood by her side. She clutched his arm for support. “When I ran into Perry’s brothers, Philippe was holding a half-empty bottle.”
“You think it was used to drug the guards?” George puzzled.
“It very well could be,” she said, dread flooding through her. “Does anyone have anything else to report?”
The group shook their heads collectively. It appeared no other guests had been out of their rooms last night.
“What would you like us to do?” George looked to her for guidance, knowing that he could hardly just go off and arrest the future Duke of Pettraud and his kin.
“We need to speak to them. I can’t go jumping to conclusions like I did with Charles. Thank goodness he’s a dear friend and understood our concerns.” Jax twisted her mouth. “I doubt Duke Pettraud and his sons would be so forgiving.”
“Are you referring to all his sons?” George asked with hesitation.
Perry! How was she going to explain all this to him? “Jaquobie, bring Lord Pettraud here, please.”
Jaquobie nodded from the shadows and went to find her fiancé.
She returned her attention to the Captain of the Ducal Guard. “George, wrangle up Perry’s brothers, but do not use force. Just tell them I’m inviting them for some civil conversation.”
Waving all her guardsmen away in dismissal, the room emptied like a cracked teacup, leaving Jax alone for the first time in hours.
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“Jax?” Perry’s call traveled up the length of the throne room. “Jaquobie seemed particularly out of sorts this morning. Anything the matter?”
His concern for her erased the unpleasant memory of last night’s heated words. She rose from her throne and threw her arms around him. “Oh, Perry, where to begin?” She sighed, then recounted everything that had taken place since they parted ways the previous evening.
“Reinbeck escaped with inside help, meaning one or more of our guests are working against us.” Jax clasped her hands tightly as she finished bringing him up to speed.
Perry’s forehead wrinkled with worry. “Who would do such a thing?”
She swallowed the ball of guilt in her throat. “I just got done questioning members of the night patrol, and it appears that only a few select parties were out of their rooms last night.” She paused, steeling herself for his reaction. “Sir Charles, whom I have already vetted and cleared of any wrongdoing; Viscount Emyr, who left for a short while and returned long before the crime was committed; and—” she swallowed before concluding, “…and your brothers.”
“My brothers?” Perry repeated. “My brothers? You think my brothers did this?”
Jax gripped her hands so tightly her knuckles went pale. “No, of course I don’t want to believe they did this, but I cannot say I have no doubts. I ran into them myself last night, on my way to the library. Philippe had a half-empty bottle in his ha—”
“A bottle that you think drugged the guards in the dungeon?” Perry interrupted.
“Jax,” George called from one of the side chambers, his footsteps growing louder as he approached. “The Pettrauds are not in their suites.”
Perry cringed. “Jax, it’s not what you think…”
She whipped her head in his direction. “Perry, I know they’re your brothers, but you can’t overlook the mounting evidence that seems to be piling up against them.”
“I know where they went, Jax!” he said, his voice loud with urgency and looking like he might burst. Calming himself down, he continued, “I know where they went, and I know why they were out and about the castle last night.”
At a loss for words, she could only wait for him to explain.
“They came to my suite after dinner,” Perry began, “doing their best to convince me to have one last hurrah with them. Some glorious brotherly celebration. A stag night, if you will,” he admitted, his ears the color of a blooming rose. “Apparently, my socking Philippe somehow won their affection. They had tried to convince my friends to help arrange it, but they all bowed out. I, of course, refused the offer as well, and they decided to go off and have a night of wild abandon on my behalf.”
Realization dawned on Jax, and her mouth dropped open. “Your brothers are at a brothel?”
“I told them to go to Lady Ophelia’s,” Perry responded sheepishly, referring to the well-known establishment on the outskirts of Sephretta. “You’ll find them there, Captain.”
Jax threw her head back and laughed at the absurdity. Now, the cautious way Skander, Edmund, Bran, and Emyr had been acting before dinner last night made sense. They had been trying to keep the Pettrauds’ plans a secret from her. Tears streamed down her cheeks, and her stomach throbbed by the time she regained control of herself.
“Are you all right?” Perry was looking at her as though she was anything but.
“How the mighty have fallen,” she said with a snort. “I used to be able to figure puzzles like these out, dearest. Here I was, ready to accuse your brothers of murder, kidnapping, and treason, when in fact, they’re having the time of their lives at a brothel.” Her laughter abruptly transformed into guilt-ridden sobs as her failure to find Uma’s kidnapper crashed down upon her.
Perry gathered her in his arms, holding her close.
“What am I missing?” she pleaded through her whimpers. “Uma’s life is at stake, for Virtues’ sake.”
He didn’t have an answer for her. Perry simply tightened his embrace.
Chapter Seventeen
Unknowingly throwi
ng salt on Jax’s wounded pride, Philippe, Elias, and Kaul sauntered into the banquet hall later that morning, clearly pleased with the intimate pleasures Lady Ophelia’s had provided. Jax had barely touched the apple-cinnamon cake before her, and upon seeing their smug faces, she knew her appetite would not return.
Everyone currently residing in the castle attended the late formal breakfast that morning, reveling in the remaining hours before wedding guests filled the halls. Jax fielded concerned glances from Carriena, Charles, and Giovanna throughout the whole meal, and she tried to reassure them with a smile, worried that their anxious demeanor would alert the others that something was amiss.
Jax found herself near the castle entrance a while later, pacing as she watched the gate for any new arrivals. Captain Solomon had organized a search party to secure each caravan before it was allowed entry into the palace, therefore making it slow going for her guests. She wanted to mitigate any tension that they might feel at the search by being there to personally greet them when they finally stepped out of their carriages.
Her eyes detected squads of archers positioned along the tops of the walls, keeping watch over the border in case someone decided to rush the fortress. She hoped none of her guests would notice them, for she found their presence unnerving.
The gate laboriously parted, and Jax watched with curiosity as a small wagon pulled by a donkey rolled through. I can’t imagine anyone I know arriving in that.
The fresh-faced woman who’d been steering the cart leaped out of her seat and curtsied beside her donkey. “Your Grace! What an honor. I did not expect you to greet me what with all that is going on.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t believe we’ve met?” Jax wondered why this woman had been allowed entry.
“Virtues, no. I…I suppose we haven’t. I’ve been dealing with Lady Uma throughout this whole affair,” the woman stammered through her furious blushing.
Jax’s eyes trailed to the contents of the wagon, taking in the beautiful display of Saphirian irises and emerald green orchids from Pettraud. “Oh, you must be the florist!”
Throne of Threats (Ducal Detective Mysteries Book 5) Page 15