Chapter 184: Interrogated!
"Do you think she is dangerous?" he asked, voice low.
"I think she is unpredictable," Elric said. "And those with knowledge they keep to themselves, they are always the first to tip the scales of power."
The king stopped in front of him. "Then perhaps it’s time we learn exactly how much she knows."
He turned to the messenger. "Send word back. Keep an eye on her. Everything she makes, everything she says—I want it documented."
"And the duke?" the messenger asked carefully.
King William’s eyes narrowed. "If he’s let a woman become his shield, his negotiator, and his cure... then perhaps he’s more attached than we thought. That, too, is worth watching. Bring me the three arms of the empire." Edward’s eyes changed as he heard his father’s command.
"Father... I do not think she is dangerous. Olivia is too kind to harm someone." WIlliam looked at his son like he was a fool.
"And yet she played with you, used you to gain power and then discarded you like a broken tool. Do you feel no shame in protecting her? Or are you hiding something, Edward? I might have offered you a fair chance to win the crown from Elio. but I would never accept treason against me." The voice had a threat Edward could not ignore.
He lowered his head at once and did not continue. William finally looked away, his gaze dark and full of danger.
The next morning, three men rode out under the royal banner—Sir Merek, a seasoned knight with sharp eyes and a silent tongue; Brother Alden, a soft-spoken cleric with knowledge of herbs and poisons; and Tomas, a scribe too young to be harmless, too observant to be ignored.
Officially, they were to oversee the final stages of the treaty’s documentation and assist in the duke’s efforts to stabilize the region’s health. Unofficially, they were the king’s eyes. They were sent to peel back the layers of Lady Olivia’s mystery, to measure her influence over the duke and the manor. And see if she holds a possible threat.