AO 7 Ch 27

Emlyn drummed her fingers on the bench as we sat in the central garden of the palace. "Let me get this straight. No one gets to leave the palace?" Emlyn asked again, already knowing the answer. 

"That about sums it up," I said with a smile, glancing out over the garden.

It was beautiful, rich velvety roses sat nearby while artfully overgrown and blooming bushes made neat, semi-private alcoves all over the garden. Groups of royals were clustered all around talking after we’d been carefully dismissed from the upcoming dinner. Instead it was clear that deals were being brokered for power all over the place.

"I know you're still enjoying, well, quite frankly, everything going on. You'd be a little less suspicious if you weren't so excited about all of this." Emlyn told me.

While we sat on a bench, Eva was doing social laps around the palace and had somehow dragged Maribelle and Aurelia to watch over her.

Zuri had disappeared to find Uncle Valken and get a better picture of what he'd learned so far in his discussions.

And while it looked like I was simply sitting around enjoying the drama unfolding, I was doing my part as well. I was taking in every detail happening around me, really like the best kind of murder mystery detective. And I kept reminding Emlyn of that fact whenever she would bring up the topic. 

The gardens, perhaps the calming element of nature, had been a big draw for everyone. The Vel’shae were inspecting the scene of the fallen princess. A dozen of them had swarmed the hall after the princess dropped and asked that no one leave. It really wan’t a request, there was an undertone that you wouldn’t like what happened if you tried to leave.

Sadly, I needed the Vel’shae if I was to ever figure out what happened to my father, they were core to everything here at the palace.

I had not met the Vel’shae leading it. He was younger than Lord Valken. His serpentine nature was telling me which of the magical spheres he had implanted inside of him as he stepped into the gardens.

"Everyone, if I can have your attention," he said. The garden immediately quieted down and we watched over a rose bush. "Princess Lillian is dead. As far as we can tell, her soul collapsed. From everything that has been reported to us, the collapse occurred over a short period of time." 

One of the other princes had his hand in the air not a few seconds later. "Is this the same thing that happened to the queen?" 

The Vel'shae cleared his throat. "We are unable to verify if it is the same cause of death. However, the queen did have her soul collapse over the period of one week." 

Murmurs rocketed through the gardens as each and every member of the royal family suddenly had an opinion on the current situation. Even as spread out as the groups were, it quickly became loud.

"Calm down, calm down," the Vel'shae motioned to the group. "What is important right now is that everyone understands that there is no risk to any of you. This isn't a disease that is going to be transferred..." 

He was cut off as the idea of it being a disease sent princes and princesses into a near panic. The Vel'shae looked exasperated.

So, of course, I did my part by raising my hand and getting involved.

"Ard, put that hand down," Emlyn said, only for me to get the attention of the Vel’shae. Really her tone probably did it, but she’d never admit that.

“Too late.” I murmured to her before speaking up. "Yes, hello, I'm Arden Aldis.” I was fully prepared to launch into my glowing list of accomplishments before the Vel’shae cut me off.

"I am aware of you and of your reported heritage. That Lord Valken vouches for you goes a long way. However, his insight is not perfect. Nor is the royal palace particularly in a place to investigate at present."

"Ah, that's fine," I said, waving a hand. "I just wanted to ask if both of their souls collapsed in the same way. You know, go in and take a peek at the wreckage see if the manner was similar?" 

The Vel'shae frowned at me and the garden was quiet enough for my words to echo off the distant stone walls.

I took that as a sign that I should continue. "If so, we could determine the cause of the collapse was perhaps the same type of soul attack."

Now I was admittedly causing trouble as the mention of it being a soul attack delightfully sent even more princes and princesses into a panic. 

"Oh, sorry, not saying it was a soul attack. But that seems like a viable theory and I would love to understand more about how these two incidents are related." I smiled and waited. 

The Vel'shae frowned even further. "I'm afraid we cannot give you a definite answer to that question," he said, repeating himself several times. 

"I understand," I said, "so, I would like to inspect both of their souls.”

“Given the present situation..." the Vel'shae stared at me and continued slowly as if to painfully explain a point, "Given the present situation, everyone here is a suspect." 

I smiled at him. "Except maybe the Avente mage who was nowhere near the queen when the first death occured." I hoped my smile at this point conveyed that I was completely innocent and willing to help. And not that I just wanted to solve the mystery like a ruggedly handsome spy caught in a dangerous situation with the only possible way out to solve a rival kingdom’s murder.

Definitely not that. 

"Your assessment could be valuable," the Vel'shae said hesitantly. 

"Of course, you should probably get multiple people's assessments," I encouraged them. "And if they all line up, then you know that either A, they all worked together to kill the Queen, or B, they're telling the truth. Though B is the more likely option if you can snap them up right now before they have a chance to corroborate a likely story." 

The Vel'shae paused. "We will randomly select several mages to inspect them so that we can be sure they haven't had a chance to make plans." 

I shot him a pair of finger guns. "There you go. That's a really good idea. Now, can I get to be one of them because I had such a great idea?" 

The Vel'shae glanced to the side, where an older female Vel’shae was standing and nodded in affirmation.

I took that as approval enough and bounded over. "Yes, let's do this," I said excitedly and rubbed my hands together. It seems my antics were noticed by the rest of my anchors as they converged on me. 

"I am with him," Emlyn said, daring the Vel'shae to tell her to go away.

Of course, she gave her a quick nod. "It wouldn't be right of me to separate a mage from his anchor.”

“At least someone here has common sense." Emlyn huffed and fell into line behind me as I excitedly moved across the garden in the direction I knew they had taken the young princess earlier. 

"What is the purpose of this?" Eva whispered to me. 

"Of course, to get this all done sooner," I shrugged. “We have to finish all of this up before we get to go on to the fun part, where I get to figure out who killed my father. Besides, do you really want to stay uninvolved, only for whoever did this to take control of the situation?" 

"No, I suppose I don't," Eva said with narrowed eyes. 

"Exactly, so if everyone's suspicious of everyone, and whoever killed the queen and this mage want everyone suspicious and disoriented, the best thing we can do is solve it.” I strode forward, confused at why I had to explain all of this.

"Sometimes you make a surprising amount of sense, Ard," Eva said. 

"Don't say that like it's a revelation." I scowled at her, and then looked at Emlyn. "You caused this, didn't you? You made all of them think I'm nothing but a fool, when in truth, my brilliance is overflowing." I held my forehead as if it was simply a burden to be this intelligent. 

"Something about you is definitely a burden," Emlyn said with a giant smile plastered across her face, and her blue eyes shining with mirth. Deep down she loved me and my antics. Somewhere, very deep.

"Well now, since Emlyn's enjoying herself so much, let's continue." I told the group.

In a coordinated manner, the Vel'shae and my anchors all collapsed on me as we reached the edge of the gardens.

"Which way?" I asked the Vel'shae. 

"Please follow me and don't wander off," she said. "Some of the others are eager to point to the interloper amidst us as the problem." 

I gasped and held a hand to my chest. "Emlyn, can you believe it?”

“Ard, I know you're nervous, but do try and be quiet." She told me.

"I'll try, but is it okay if I fail?" I smirked guiltily, having to get at least one more in me. 

Emlyn didn't respond, instead guarding me as we walked through the palace.

I hadn't really appreciated that between dwelling on having to wear a veil and then the amusement of the murder. My mind had been a little occupied. Now relieved of that burden, I noticed that the Zenovian palace was quite similar to the Avente, though without murals depicting the former rulers as monsters. Instead, there were more than a few that nearly treated them as gods. 

"What's this one?" I asked Eva as we passed by one inlaid with gold. Obviously it must be the most important one.

"It's the story of Zenov," Eva said. "The founder of, well, all of this continent's civilized countries. You'd get along well with him, Ard. He was born a carpenter's son, out in a small town rather than a city, certainly not royal and certainly not noble. Yet despite all of that, he chanced upon the opportunity to gain magic, granted to him by a goddess most beautiful." 

I grinned to myself, having heard this story before. "Look, Missy, it's you!" I pointed at the mural, only for the Vel'shae, leading us to turn at me and frown. 

"The goddess who gave Zenov his magic’s name was Hecate, or Mistress of the Night, but I just call her Missy." I told him.

The Vel'shae, who had paused, stood there and blinked at me.

"What? She doesn't pitch too much of a fuss when I use her nicknames. I don't think you should either." I answered.

"The goddess who gave magic to humans was none other than Syr," the Vel'shae said to me as if I must be an idiot.

I looked back at the mural, noticing the figure had an exaggerated bust. "Oh, you think it's Cowtits."

In my defense, I had just grown used to using that name, so when the other Vel'shae lunged at me, with his hands morphing into claws, I was fairly surprised.

The shock lasted only long enough for Emlyn to come between me and the Vel'shae. Her arms as hard as rocks as she blocked his claws. Then Maribelle slipped underneath her and gutted the Vel'shae like a freshly caught fish before throttling him into the wall.

"Ooh, that's going to sting," I winced.

The Vel'shae was trying to keep his innards in his body, while Maribelle had already flitted around behind him, her daggers holding his neck and her gaze fixed on the second Vel'shae.

"If it's any consolation, he didn't mean that in any sort of slander," Eva tried to release the tension.

However, the Vel'shae, currently being held down by Maribelle, was practically frothing at the mouth. Thankfully, between his serpent fangs and his scaly head, I was fairly certain he could heal from the injuries. Being gutted wasn't lethal. 

"Do your people take disrespect so lightly?" The older female Vel'shae lorded over me. 

"It's only disrespect if it's false," I retorted.

The Vel'shae was seething, but at least she wasn’t going to strike me. Certainly not with anchors all ready to tear her apart.

Well, I guess it was time to explain their own history to them.

“Missy is the goddess of magic. She granted Zenov the ability and opened his soul to magic at a significant cost to herself. Yet, while she was bearing that cost, a second goddess, with an incredibly ponderous chest, came in and took part of Hecate's gift as the cost for giving Zenov the ability to control the magic. She gave him four seeds of monsters, each containing two elements of magic." I stated all this steadily while staring both murderous Vel'shae in the eyes.

The Vel’shae responded. "They teach history a little differently in Avente, though I wouldn't expect them to understand the true value, given that they stole nearly everything they know.”

"As a four-sphere mage, I have caught the interest of both Hecate and Freya. All eight elements circle around me. Thus, I learned this history, not from a book, not from a lesson, but from those who lived it themselves. What do I need to do to prove this to you?" I asked, but then came up with the answer myself.

I snapped my fingers and deposited Missy, Ditzy, and Bad Kitty between me and the Vel'shae. 

"Go ahead, Missy, tell them about how you're the one who really gave Zenov magic." I smiled, excited to watch her tell off these Vel’shae.

Missy had landed on her rear like she’d just been sitting and I caught her by surprise. She was wearing a strange pair of flimsy glasses, one side red, the other side blue. She was eating some golden treat out of a red and white striped bucket. It seems she hadn't been alone, as Ditzy was also wearing a pair of the glasses and had a dusting of treat on her face. 

"I'm to believe these three are goddesses?" the older Vel'shae said with absolute disbelief. 

Meanwhile, Missy spun on me. "A little warning, please, Ard." 

"I thought that was plenty of warning, considering you three watch every move I make." I shrugged.

"It's not every move," Missy argued. 

"Some days it seems like it," I said, unwilling to give ground. Besides, I was fairly certain they were just watching.

"Ard, you shouldn't be so harsh on these guardians of your people," Bad Kitty said. She moved with a fluid, unnatural grace, slipping past the Vel'shae and anchors locked in a stalemate. There was a flicker of her signature Bad Kitty tail.

"Now, she, I might believe, is a goddess.” The Vel'shae stated.

"Who? Bad Kitty over here?" I hooked a thumb in her direction, only for disbelief to mar the Vel'shae's face. 

"Perhaps I spoke too soon," she corrected herself.

"Ard, you really aren't doing yourself any favors.” Emlyn shook her head. "Perhaps you could, I don't know, keep quiet for just a minute."

"Emlyn, we're trapped in a palace with a murderer. How can I stay quiet?" I asked with complete sincerity.

"Sorry," Emlyn apologized to the Vel'shae. "He gets excited about the strangest things."

"It's not that I'm excited about the murder, or being trapped," I clarified. "I'm excited about the mystery." I smiled at the Vel'shae who were looking at me suspiciously, which I acknowledged was possibly my own fault.

"Perhaps we could release my compatriot and continue our trip to evaluate the queen and the princess.” The Vel’shae said, her eyes shifting over to Maribelle who she was watching a bit more carefully.

“Ooh, yes." I rubbed my hands together. "That would probably be best. Emlyn gets cranky if she doesn't have her nap promptly after the noonday sun. So it's important we get a hurry on. Not to mention, these three do nothing but cause endless trouble." I pointed to the goddesses.

The Vel'shae regarded me for a long moment before turning to Emlyn. "I had thought guarding the first four sphere mage in a thousand years would be an incredible honor. Now I understand what a burden it is that you bear for the rest of the world."

Maribelle growled and nearly went for the Vel’shae’s head once again. "Do be careful the way you speak about my master.”

"Of course, regardless of who you serve, respect is a currency that must be paid," the older Vel'shae bowed to Maribelle. "We mean none of you any harm. He just overreacted at the same disrespect you just experienced." 

Maribelle narrowed her eyes but nodded, no longer going for blood. “If you do it again, I will kill you and end your lineage.”

The older of the two gave me a look asking for help.

“Oh, if you think I can control that one, you are very very wrong.” I shrugged helplessly.

The Vel’shae who she had been detaining rubbed at his neck and quickly put more space between himself and my anchors.

"Talia, what do we do about them?" The Vel'shae asked the older one, pointing at the three goddesses, of which Ditzy had now stolen Missy's red and white striped bucket and had begun pounding the treat by the fistful while watching everything going on. 

"I suppose we take them as well," Talia bowed to the three, "though you aren't exactly what I would expect from a goddess."

"No, you'd probably expect bigger tits. After all, Freya has set an expectation now, hasn't she?" Missy snorted and squinted at the mural before waving her hand and changing the depiction of Freya to one of her.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Ditzy entoned. “And besides, they're not beautiful. They are horribly, horrifically overdone." Ditzy continued on, “but I think Ard is a tad too disrespectful, calling her Cowtits.”

“He's not wrong, they are egregious," Bad Kitty agreed. "Though, because she is also the goddess of monsters, I've half wondered if she's suckled a hydra to age on those. Perhaps that's why they've become so large."

As we talked about the prodigious size of Freya's breasts, the younger Vel’shae cast a strange glance at Maribelle.

"Oh, even bigger, the mural didn't do her justice,” I paused rethinking that one, “or it did do her justice, against the injustice that she's done to herself. I can only assume as a goddess, you can change that, right?" I asked the other three in our midst.

"Ard, people's interpretation of you does put a pressure on what you look like at all times." Ditzy tossed her hair.

"So since you're the goddess of beauty, people have just failed you?" I asked and winked.

Ditzy let out an aggrieved sigh. "Must you constantly test your boundaries?"

"Yes, because if I call you beautiful too much, it's going to go to your head, Ditzy. Let's be honest, you probably have an ego that's painful to deal with." All of my anchors, the goddesses, and even the two Vel'shae leading me, leading us, stared back at me as if I'd grown a second head.

AN - Don't mind me just sitting in a dark room cackling to myself as I write this. I do love Ard.