Bride of the Dark Lord

#38 The Conspiracy II

If this present incident had occurred a few days ago, I'd have been certain of the response Ashton would give. With a smile on that dimpled face of his, he'd have screamed his faith in me. His belief in my innocence, in not being able to hurt a fellow mortal.

But not today, I could feel it. He loved Regalis and won't tell him what I did, but that didn't mean, he should have to yell out loud that he fully believed that I couldn't kill another person's spouse.

"I..." Ashton stuttered, very poorly "I..."

"Ashton say something!" Nadia  yelled "you know the truth. Physician Bernwald is so jealous of Lady Xemein so, he killed Wallace to get rid of her!"

"What? How dare...?" Bernwald started but Nadia continued, "these past weeks everyone has been singing her praises. Even high-ranking soldiers now go to her to get treated. You were jealous. Admit it!"

"Are you confu...?"

She didn't let Physician Bernwald to finish speaking. "Since she cured the mage bane. She became like a god in this camp. Admit it!" Nadia screamed, "your ego, as the head physician, could not bear to watch a mere woman surpass you".

"Your Highness, for General Aldrada, trying to damage my good name, I challenge him to a duel of..."

Regalis lifted his hand, signalling Physician Bernwald to keep quiet.

"General Ashton?" Regalis said. His eyes on his good friend.

"I would rather, not cast a vote" Ashton said, and looked away from Nadia who stared at him with shock. She must have been thinking that her dear friend had now turned into another Armalith sexist, who believed a man's word would simply have more truth than that of a woman's.

"I'm not voting" Ashton insisted. After what he saw the other night, he could have said, he didn't believe in my innocence, but if he did, he'd be hurting someone he cared  for. Not to do that, and also, not to act against his conscience, which didn't trust me, he chose to be neutral.

Since Ashton insisted on not voting, the votes of the Generals was tied. Three were against me, three stood for me.

Had Ashton not seen what he saw, I wouldn't be in this situation right now. A situation where whether I lived or died, was bring determined, based on a crime I didn't even commit. 

I could run away. Absorbing everyone's Gift as I fled, but how far would I get away, before I got tired and my body collapsed. Exhaustion, being the terrible side effect of certain Gifts of the Mother of Light.

My life now depended on what Regalis would say. He trys his best to be a good and fair leader, so, what would his decision be?

He could easily tell everyone to shut up and forget the accusation, however, if in this camp, Wallace has a brother or people, who he meant a lot to, I could end up being their target of revenge - a target they would want dead too. Hence, it was better, this case got settled. But how would it be resolved?

Regalis looked at Bernwald, "anything else you wish to say?"

Bernwald replied, "why would I lie against a mere woman?"

General Irving and his fellow unGifted Generals - Engel and Fredebert - nodded their heads in agreement with Bernwald's wise words.  

"Lady Xemein. Any word?" Regalis looked at me. And I stared back at him. Imploring him inwardly to believe me. I didn't kill Wallace. I didn't spend hours scraping off layers of his scaled skin to now finally choose to end his life.

"I didn't kill him. But someone did. So, we must find the murderer, to give his wife and kids justice" I said.

I didn't care whether or not it was Bernwald, but whomever killed Wallace, had to be punished. Wallace did not suffer for months, for his life to now be snatched away from him, when he could have lived a very long life with his wife, kids and even, grandkids by his side.

"Cederic" Regalis said. "Get on a horse. Or use your Gift. Whichever. But do not stop to eat or drink, until you find a truthseeker and bring her here".

"Your Highness!" the unGifted Generals, along with Bernwald gasped.

The military didn't use Gifted truthseekers. In a case of the word of a superior against that of a lower ranked, the superior was always right. After all, what did the superior have to gain by lying about someone below him?

"A truthseeker? Your Highness. We don't need one! Lady Xemein did something wrong, so, she should just simply admit it and apologize" General Irving said.

Apologize? I thought. This man wants me dead. For murdering a soldier, no amount of apologies could set one free, a death sentence was the only road available for one.

"Cederic" Regalis called "get what I requested".

With Cederic's Gift of speed, he would be back to the camp before sunset, and then, my fate will be decided.

Will I live or die? I felt my soul tremble. 

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