arriving at the truth

"It must be one of the members of the royal family," the chatter of the shocked nobles hammered into the skull of the General. Like a horde of angry flies, their faceless voices surrounded her from all sides. She grimaced but kept her back straightened as she watched the scene unfold before her very eyes.

"If all the knights were accounted for then that could only mean it was one of the princes." One brave woman's voice rose above the rest. Kiera noticed how the nobles did not dare to include King Gerrod's name. "The second and fourth princes are currently outside the capital so it couldn't have been them."

All eyes turned to the Solomon royalty, to the three princes that stood next to the king's throne. Unlike his older brothers, the young Prince Michael was daunted by their stares. The fifteen-year-old took a step back as if he wanted to run, cracking the dignified appearance of the line of royalty. At that moment his face was that of a regular boy, but a jab from the second princess was enough for him to compose himself. Any uneasiness the fifth Prince felt had now been wiped from his face.

"What is the meaning of this?" King Gerrod finally broke through the noise that was generated by the nobles.

"You dare slander the name of the royal family?!" Turning his head, his nostrils flared as he narrowed his eyes at the Head Knight.

Sir Pavel blanched, managing to get a few words out among the chaos of the room, "I misspoke. Please forgive me your Majesty!" The cacophony of the voices generated by the nobles made it hard for Solomon King to hear the string of apologies that flowed from the Head Knight.

"QUIET!" King Gerrod banged his fist against the armrest of his throne. "I will not allow for any baseless accusations to be thrown about!" He struck out his arm, pointing into the crowd to the gaggle of knights. "Is there anyone here that has some real evidence?

The knights looked amongst themselves, many seemed too hesitant to speak. One lone hand rose up and Kiera saw the instant the expression on Sir Pavel's face changed. His white-gloved hands balled into tight fists by his side, stepping forth to keep the knight from coming forward.

"Stand down before you embarrass yourself!"

"Helios," Kiera heard her King call the name of the ninth General, and was not surprised when the ninth General suddenly grabbed the Head Knight, twisting his arm around his back.

"What? Unhand me!" Hawked the Head Knight as he struggled to free himself from the vine-like grip of the Beast General.

"It seems as if," the chilling tone of the Beast King made shivers go up her spine as her inner Wolf heard his voice, "Sir Pavel here does not want this young knight to speak." His words punctured the silence that had overtaken the room. "Surely there must be a reason why he is so desperate."

No one dared to speak as the air in the room became thick with tension. There was a look in the Beast King's eyes that made everyone hold their breaths. He was a man that no one wanted to push over the edge. Humans have never seen the Lion Lord irate, but most could tell they did not wish to.

"Speak, knight."

The young knight that had raised his hand looked to his king who nodded at him to do as the Beast King commanded. Even the knight was similarly intimidated by the Beast King's piercing stare.

As the knight stepped forward from the line of the other Solomon knights, Kiera recognized his face as the one Sam had brought with him the day he went to visit her in the dungeons. He was one of the younger knights of his group with a rather unique appearance for a knight. With an upturned nose and slicked back hazelnut colored hair, his light brown eyes drooped at the outer corners which made him look as if he was in a state of perpetual weariness.

"My name is Marlon De Vas Pier. I have been a knight under Sir Pavel's command for three years." His voice was exactly as Kiera remembered.

"What can you tell us, Sir Marlon? Have you brought any evidence that you wish to bring forth?"

Knight Marlon nodded once, glancing briefly at Sir Pavel before focusing once more on the Beast King. "Your Majesty, I was one of the knights who arrived first at the scene of the murder. I became suspicious of my commanding officer when after a visit from a guest, went to go supervise one of the patrols. He almost never directly supervises, but for whatever reason, he was all too eager to visit a completely random route."

"This is ridiculous! Are you all going to listen to some young man over a man who has been Head Knight for decades?" Sir Pavel yelled out but then yelped in pain when Helios twisted his arm behind his back. Kiera could tell Helios was relishing the yelp of pain that escaped the Head Knight's mouth.

"Please continue Sir Marlon." The Beast King said after the interruption, not taking his eyes off of the knight. "Can you tell us the identity of the Head Knight's guest?"

Marlon shook his head.

"He wore a hood over his head so I could not see his face. But I do remember feeling there was something off about the way he seemed to be in a great hurry to meet with Sir Pavel. I wanted to search his person since he was a suspicious individual but Sir Pavel allowed him through into his office. I quite vividly remember the man had a sword strapped to his belt. He also reeked of blood."

"Who was this man Sir Pavel?" King William's attention went to the Head Knight who seemed to look more unwell with each passing moment. "Why would a man who reeked of blood visit you on the day of the Western King's murder? Answer me."

"I c-can't say," the Head Knight stumbled over his own words with a fazed glaze over his eyes causing King William to narrow his amber eyes at him. He grew even more disconcerted when King William stalked his way.

"Why can't you tell us? Is the identity of this person above even the title of a King?" The Beast King loomed above the Head Knight and he shrunk back, understanding the immense difference in size only after the Beast King stood before him. With a low voice, the King told him, "I command you to speak. This is within my right after you falsely accused and imprisoned one of my people. Speak now before I lose all of my patience."

Kiera had never seen a person change so much in such a short time. From start to finish, she had been watching in astonishment as the arrogant Head Knight slipped into another blunder after the next. He bowed before the Beast King, sniveling and in a pool of his own sweat as he blubbered out words that finally proved Kiera's innocence.

"I-It was the prince! The prince, it was all him!" Gasps filled the air as the fans started to flutter rapidly in the hands of the noblewomen gathered. "First Prince Demos told me where to go to find the body of the king but I had nothing else to do with it! I swear!"

Kiera shook off the hands of the knights that had been on her throughout the trial, she felt she did not have to be held in captivity any longer as the truth of the murder had been finally revealed. The knights who were once her guards backed away from her, perhaps thinking she would retaliate once she had been freed but Kiera could not have cared less. She focused on how the trial will end.

She looked up and her eyes connected with Sam's right away as if he had been waiting for her. The small smile that he gave her was enough to spread warmth to her body. She welcomed the feeling as her body was cold after her time spent in the dungeons.

"Lies!" Prince Demos snarled, jumping away from his father's side. Even in the wake of the Head Knight's confession, he denied any notion of his involvement. "Do not listen to him! He lies to the faces of everyone here!"

"You all heard the testimonies from two knights." King William turned around with his hands clasped behind his back. "If we were to search your palace Prince Demos, would we find the sword that was used to kill the Western King?"

Prince Demos continually shook his head, denying everything. Suggesting to Kiera that the foolish first Prince had kept the sword in his possession after he killed the king.

"If we take into consideration the testimony of Sir Marlon, and if he and the other knights match the prince's sword with the sword they remember on the man that visited Sir Pavel on the day of the murder, then it appears that we have found the murderer."

The first prince turned and faced the throne.

"Father," he said in his plea to the Solomon King. "Are you going to let them accuse your firstborn like this?"

Before his father could give an answer to him, Sam stepped in between them.

"Oh brother," the sadness that dripped from Sam's lips was every bit convincing in the eyes and ears of the people, "our father cannot do anything for you anymore. His hands are tied, and your fate now belongs to the Western Crown Prince."

If there was a time in which Kiera swore she saw a glimpse of the future, she would have said it was then as her eyes saw a certain glint of elation within Sam's emerald eyes. Underneath the light, she saw his blond hair shine. In its shine, she could have sworn to see the halo of a golden crown placed on top of his head.

She saw the tiniest hint of a smile on his lips but as soon as she blinked it was gone.