Smell A Rat

[Author's POV]

[Flashback]

A few days after the incident in the palace, all the guests were sent back to their homes. The security around the king's court has been increased after at least five people were injured. The news about the incident spread to everyone in Esterash within a day and caused a huge uproar. A false rumour was also created among the Tamerlaine folks that the empire would fall into anarchy if the king did not do anything to stop the next attack.

Brak!

The loud sound of hands slamming the table stopped all the noise in the castle hall. All the attention turned back to the source of the sound, which was George, who was tired of all this fuss.

Behind George, there was Kazech standing with a cold gaze staring at all the nobles attending this sudden meeting. They were busy talking to themselves about the cost of damage and the possibilities of the next attack.

"Your Majesty, apologies for interrupting. But, is the main culprit been captured?"

Kazech turned to the left. He saw Duke Mortbein, the sly old fox from the west. He always tried to find the empire's flaws and blamed the king for his good reputation.

"We're still doing the investigation."

Mortbein put a surprised face. "Your Majesty! It can't be true!"

"What are you saying?"

"All the Tamerlaine people would fall in great terror if we didn't settle the main culprit soon. They will consider that this reign is too weak to protect them from the threat, and Tamerlaine will end in downfall, Your Majesty!"

"That's right, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty, please consider our opinion!"

Kazech felt irritated hearing all of those nobles' trash opinions. He moved forward and prepared to take out his sword from the sheath when George lifted his right palm and said that Kazech did not need to interfere in this matter.

George looked forward again. His gaze coldly landed on Mortbein. "Say what you want, Mortbein."

He moved forward with a sad face. But Kazech could see a little grin appear on Mortbein's face. He was really a sly person. "Honestly, I don't want to say this. But, as an empire that upholds law and justice, please punish the queen as she was the one who conducted the banquet and put all the guests in danger. Your Majesty, please laid down the queen from her position and—"

"MORTBEIN! YOU'VE CROSSED THE LINE!" This time, George stood up and screamed so loud that his voice echoed through the enormous hall of the palace. Kazech was also startled when seeing that his father could get mad like that. All this time, he thought that George was calm and could manage his emotion well in difficult situations. Well, being calm did not mean that someone could not get mad when somebody messed with them.

Not only Kazech but Mortbein was also surprised until he fell to the ground with a wide gasp in his round mouth. A terrified expression was written all over his face when he realized that, this time, he was overstepping the boundaries. Mortbein hurriedly bowed down and asked for apologies. "Y-Your Majesty! Please forgive me! I don't mean to punish the queen! I-I just want to establish the law of this empire to show that Tamerlaine is still strong and didn't get affected by the last incident!"

"Y-Your Majesty, the things that have been said by Duke Mortbein is true!"

"Please consider this, Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

"Your Majesty!"

Kazech wanted to get down and punched Mortbein, who made this fuss and provoked all the nobles to join his side. Even though he knew that George could give the order to put him in jail or even execute him the next morning.

"Haaaaaaaah—"

He turned to the right and saw his father massaging the temple before sitting on the throne again.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" Kazech whispered behind George's back.

"Yes. No problem, Son."

After that, George opened his eyes and stared at Mortbein, who was still in his bow position. He was thinking hard for a while before opening his mouth in an unpleasant mood. "The queen will be annulled from her position for six months consecutive as her punishment. Other than that, the investigation will be continued until done. If I find one of the culprits in this room, I will hang them in front of the castle gate and make their corpse the crow's dinner." Silence filled out the hall. No one dared to make noise in this tension. Even Mortbein did not dare to look up and still faced the ceramic with sweat pouring down his fat cheeks.

"You may leave this room now."

All of the nobles gulped in their saliva and bowed respectfully to the King before rushing out from the hall because they were afraid of George's threat. Now only Kazech and George were left in the room.

"Your Majesty, do you really need to go that far?" Kazech clenched his hand, and he felt upset because he could not do anything to protect his mother.

"Sometimes there are things in this world that we can't control, Son. It would be best if you learned to accept that. If not, you may get lost in the maze you created yourself." George said that with a solemn expression before he got up from his throne and walked out of the room, back to his bedroom that was right beside the throne room.

Even though his father said that not everything could be controlled, Kazech could not stay silent like this. His mother was innocent, yet she must receive a punishment just because she was the one who conducted the banquet. Even though she did not know that someone might attack the banquet. Was she punished for upholding the justice of Tamerlaine's law? What the hell was that?

"If that's so, I just need to find the main culprit and make him receive punishment instead of my mother." With a burning desire to find the culprit, Kazech left the room and headed to the jail, where the assassin was interrogated. He promised himself he would find them, whatever it took or cost.