Chapter 5: A rotten apple

"What do you mean? The man is dead for heavens sake! And you only bring this up now? Half a day later?" thundered the voice of the queen. Fury had swallowed her up in red. "Who dares to trifle with my staff?"

Enzo, a guard, flinched away at her anger. One could swear she was about to breathe fire from her mouth with all the aggravation she was hurling towards her guards. "Does anyone even know who did this?" she barks, her wings flaring viciously and her eyes seemed to glimmer red.

Enzo slowly shook his head — crestfallen that he couldn't answer the queen.

Riona waved a hand dismissing the troop. "I hope you have at least searched the grounds, but do it again." Right after the last guard left the great hall, she dropped to her throne, her pointed ears still rung as her blood simmered. Face in her palm. The queen desperately pushed back tears. Yet another incident to ruin her and cause her stress. Worst of all, it was unfortunately one of the best caretakers from her stables... A good friend of Drystan...

Who was it? An infiltrator? An intruder?

She huffed and just to her splendid luck, no one saw the murderer. No one. Not even the nosy stable boys caught a glimpse of the culprit. They only found Bert bleeding lifelessly on the gravel. "Fantastic, now I have a killer on the loose and endangered Lords."

"Your highness?"

Her head shot up to meet one of Lord Favian's cousins, Lord Culbert. A reserved man at most and if she were to add a generous description: snarky. He was not a man she would normally be accompanied by and would never be if it were up to her.

"Yes?" she replied, wishing him to turn and leave as swiftly as he arrived. Perhaps he could be eliminated next?

"I heard there is quite a ruckus happening and I couldn't help but give in to curiosity."

"Perhaps if you close your ears, then curiosity wouldn't be bothering you," she stated blatantly expressing her dislike towards the man before her.

"That was quite hurtful." He frowned.

"It was intended to be." She rolled her eyes.

Culbert straightened, wings fluttering in a silent fit and dramatically pointing his nose up. Riona only looked with boredom, hiding her red eyes with her low-hung eyelids. Unbelievable twat can't even receive a hint, she thinks to herself, mentally chocking the daylights out of him.

"Anyway, have you found the culprit? Or even have the slightest clue who it could possible be," he asked, sending her a side glance of mockery, for he knew she didn't have an answer. Riona leaned back, observing the man, returning the mockery, "Now is Lord Culbert worried for his life? My my, what a scared meadow cat you are."

He scrunched his face sourly. "How dare you compare me to a scruffy scared meadow cat? I'm a fearless lion!"

"Really?" she snorted, "You don't strike me as one."

"I'll have you know that I am the bravest of the lot!"

"Is that so? Then be my guest and prove this bravery. Be brave enough to leave through those doors and not return. That'll certainly leave me speechless," she laughed sarcastically.

His face dropped to one of an unimpressed goat. "You humor me, your majesty."

She waved it off. "State your business and get on with it. I rather face this before my headache arrives."

"What's that about a headache?" called the oh too familiar voice of no other man than Vally. Riona pinched the bridge of her nose as she mumbled irritably, "Oh look, there it is."

Culbert scrunched his nose with pure dislike as he spat rather rudely, "What are you doing here?"

Vally smiled charmingly towards the Lord and bowed gracefully for the queen. "How has the day been treating malady?"

"Just splendid. I suppose your day has been marvelous, now hasn't it?"

"Always and all the more when I'm blessed by your smile."

Culbert snorted, "She's not smiling, dimwit."

Vally shrugged. "Worth the shot. You should see her smile, it is absolutely radiant —Oh wait, you haven't."

A cackle erupted which struck both men stupefied and their eyes glanced widely towards the throne. Riona was laughing openly and wholly unladylike. She wiped an imaginary tear and giggled, "Sledged! May your dreams never be haunted by this moment, Culbert. If only you could have seen yourself."

Culbert folded his arms, tilting his head to Vally with a smirk. "Well done, good sir. It certainly does makes her seem more exquisite."

Riona shook her head, returning her dull expression to it's rightful place. "Enough. We must take the situation at hand seriously. A member of the staff has been killed and we still have no lead on who is to blame for the innocent blood spilt."

"Was he truly innocent if he was killed?" questioned Culbert. Vally side eyed the Lord, yet kept his mouth sealed and silent. Riona wondered now interested, "What has you thinking otherwise?"

"Well," started Culbert, switching his weight from one foot to the other and his eyes not meeting hers, "Why would his life be taken for no reason? He must have been entangled in some sort of business to have caused him such a dreadful... demise. Perhaps he had threatened an individual from the castle?"

Vally had not moved, not even flicking his green wings, though he had listened carefully to the man beside him. Riona caught on to his peculiar silence. "And the reason to your stillness, Lord Vally?"

"I couldn't agree more, your highness."

Riona steadily rose from her seat, her eyes not leaving Vally. "I'll have Enzo investigate his history."

"Brilliant, but what could a groomer possibly mangle himself in besides trading old horseshoes?" prompted Culbert, to which the queen flicked her eyes towards him. Had she mentioned that it had been a groomer to have lost his life?

"Your highness, terribly sorry to interrupt. I have set up a table outside for afternoon tea, would you care to join the Lords, even just for a scone?" asked Ulric, approaching from the pillars. Culbert had already seemed to have gathered his thoughts for his feet carried him towards the doors, leaving the other two behind without pondering a second thought.

"If there is apple pie by any chance, then I'll dash like Lord Culbert," she smiled, suble appreciation tugging the corners of her lips.

Ulric grinned brightly in reply. It was not just any day that Riona was playing with humor — even if it was harsh... Especially when circumstances provided unfavorable events.