The Barbarian's Tale

A few days later, Rae heard that Duke Ashem had left the palace to check in on a hunting lodge he owned in the valley and took the chance to continue his investigation.

He only had to linger on the outskirts of the Shana’s palace for a few minutes before Zott appeared before him.

“What are you doing here?” He said, his eyes like cold metal. Rae breathed a sigh of relief. The beast was before him, whole if not happy, and displaying his usual dumb loyalty. However angry Duke Ashem might have been, he hadn’t done anything terrible to punish his dog.

“I came to see if you’ve found anything else out. I haven’t been able to do much… I’ve been mulling over the issue ever since I left,” he said and saw the dog’s expression soften.

“I actually do have something…” Zott began.

It seems the source of the tainted bun had come to light, and the true motive of the poisoner was thus revealed. Duke Bejuk, had ordered a course of medicinal herbs to help the Shana with her pregnancy. Worried that the Ashem kitchen staff wouldn’t know how best to prepare the herbs, he had his own people make a meat bun and bring it over in time for lunch.

“So the Shana was the true target? And Jiwat was only poisoned by accident?” Rae asked.

“Miss Jiwat was able to identify the one who brought the bun over from the Bejuk’s residence, but they don’t appear to know anything. That place is not quite as secure as the Shana’s palace, it seems possible that someone could sneak in and tamper with the food before it left the kitchens,”

Rae found that likely. Moreover, Duke Bejuk’s concoctions could sometimes smell so foul that they could easily be mixed up with something poisonous…

“Could someone really have sneaked in? Wouldn’t Bejuk’s servants be the more likely culprits?”At that question, Zott smiled, his teeth slightly pointed.

“If I can enter undetected, surely there are others who have. I investigated the servants last night. None of them were suspicious, there is another possibility…”

“Duke Bejuk, or another of his inner circle,” Rae finished.

While not a comfortable possibility, it was one Rae couldn’t ignore. Bejuk’s loyalties were clear and had placed him in opposition to Duke Ashem. Furthermore, while the birth of another Shakje would be problematic for Rae, the Bejuk had the most to lose in the conflict that would inevitability erupt. With the Kaolin and Ashem camps locked in mortal warfare, and the Shak’s camp in shambles, there would be none to help Bejuk stave off the advances of the desert peoples. Rae shook his head.

“Duke Bejuk wouldn’t do such a thing. He might be loyal to me now, but his true allegiance will always be to my late father. He wouldn’t harm the Shana, nor the unborn child, regardless of the political implications,”

“If the Duke did want to harm the Shana, he’s had dozens of opportunities during the time I’ve been here alone. It seems every day he brews a new concoction. The healers he’s brought with him are much the same,” Zott said.

“Also… could it be?” Rae thought aloud, “Jiwat has already mostly recovered… and she’s only small. If the poison was intended for the Shana… Could the culprit have mistaken the dosage?”

He was now confident that there was no need to suspect Bejuk. No one trained in the healing arts would make such a mistake.

“It’s possible, but… I don’t know all that much about poisons-“ Zott said, and Rae couldn’t help but scoff, “really! Not enough to identify what was used here anyway… but maybe the bun wasn’t intended to harm the Shana too much, but instead to harm her baby?”

“That could be the case but it doesn’t bring us any closer to finding the culprit. If that truly was the motive, the killer must be acting on my behalf… and I truly can’t imagine who on my side would commit such an act…”

An awkward silence. Zott opened his mouth, but whatever thought he had was never formed into words. He scratched the back of his neck.

“There are still some leads I need to investigate,” Zott said at last and turned to leave, “you… keep your eyes open for anyone acting strangely. Let me know if you think of anything else,”

Rae might have bristled at being ordered around by this servant -or whatever Zott was- but he took these words as what they were: a declaration of trust. Camaraderie, at least until the poisoner was caught, or Duke Ashem gave orders otherwise.

Rae smiled and bid his farewells to Zott, and would have left had they not been interrupted.

“Hey! Didn’t I tell you to leave him be?”

The haughty voice startled Rae, who turned to see Ven Ashem glaring at Zott with hot fury.

Ven closed the distance between them quickly, placing himself between Rae and Zott. Despite the rage that oozed from Ven’s every movement, Zott’s face remained blank, and his tone indifferent.

“Young master, it’s not-“

“You scram! Go wait on my father if you want his attention so badly. Don’t you dare lay a hand on him!” Ven said before turning to Rae, “Did he hurt you?”

“…well…”

In truth, Zott had hurt Rae only a few days ago, but Rae had downplayed the details as best he could to Gaori, and had decided against bothering Duke Bejuk with his only minor injuries.

Before Rae could decide exactly how truthful he wanted to be, Ven had reached up and cupped his cheek in his hand.

“You have a bruise here…” he said, his voice suddenly turning so tender. His hand was soft, befitting a young master who had never worked a day in his life, save for the slight impression left by a bowstring. And so warm! It sent a shudder down Rae’s spine. Whatever injury Ven was so engrossed by, Rae was sure that touch alone would be enough to heal it.

“We had an altercation a few days ago. I suspected he might have been behind the attempt on Miss Jiwat, but we’ve already settled matters,” Zott said, as honest as he was foolish.

Ven’s hand was gone from Rae’s cheek, and he spun to face Zott.

“You!-”

Rae knew Ven was going to attack before it happened. The way his whole body tensed when he spat the word. His fists were clenched, but he didn’t raise a hand.

Instead, he kicked Zott in the shin. And then, when Zott stumbled, he kicked him again until he fell.

This all happened in less than a second, so while Rae had seen the tell-tale signs of coming violence in his stance, there was nothing he could do to stop it. Only when Ven pulled back for a third kick, did Rae’s hand close around his arm.

“Stop!-“ Rae cried, “-Stop! We were just talking!”

Zott let out a grunt on the ground, and Rae was torn between checking him for injuries and holding on to Ven. After a few long seconds, Zott crawled into a sitting position and rubbed at the areas where Ven’s foot had impacted.

“Your majesty needn’t be so worried. You endured much worse twice now,”

Rae didn’t think so. The worst he’d felt in his two encounters with Zott had been fear. The fear had numbed any pain he felt to a dull ache and it didn’t hit him again until long after he was safe and among friends.

Watching Ven’s foot connect, the hollow sound of his boot hitting bone, that sounded so painful Rae was close to vomiting. Zott’s expression had barely changed, which reminded Rae of his beastly nature. When Ven tensed again at Zott’s words Rae gripped him even tighter.

“Don’t-! Don’t. That won’t help anything!”

At last, Ven exhaled and took a step back.

“Your majesty is certainly merciful,” he said in a voice still tight with rage.

Now that Rae felt it was safe to loosen his grip, he felt a little foolish.

“Now, now, it’s not like that. Zott has been helping me investigate the matter with the child, so he’s still useful to me. Please don’t hurt him anymore,”

“Investigate? You can hardly trust him with such a sensitive matter… there are much better people you could depend upon…” Ven said, eyeing Rae.

“Oh! That’s not… Well…” Rae’s brain was still whirring at the brutal scene he had just witnessed and was struggling to keep up with the conversation. He looked desperately at Zott but received no help.

“He’s not the only one helping me… Gaori will too. And- and I was thinking of asking you for help also,” Rae said.

“Me?”

A smile lit up Ven’s face.

It wasn’t something Rae had made up on the spot. The previous evening, he had asked Gaori for ideas for how to look into other people of note in the Shak’s camp. Gaori had reminded him of Ven Ashem’s proclivities. And his passion for tea. A gregarious man of the town, who had already demonstrated his fealty to Rae… There was no one better suited.

“I was hoping you might introduce me to the people you have tea with,” Rae said, and seeing the smirk on Ven’s face, “And help me investigate them! I need to get to know the manner of all the important players in this area, to understand any possible motives… would you help me?”

When Rae had asked the final question, almost at his wit’s end, that warm, weighty hand appeared on his head and stroked his hair.

“I’m at your service, your majesty”