Chapter 15: Veil of Deceit Unraveled**
In the dimly lit investigation room, the air hung heavy with tension as the accused prince, battered and young, defended himself.
"I am telling the truth; I placed it in my chamber," he declared amidst the echoes of his beating, a defiant spark in his eyes. The investigator, driven by suspicion, delivered a resounding slap, demanding the truth.
"Tell me the truth!" he shouted, intensity cutting through the room. The prince, just 18 and a few months, pleaded innocence, recounting how he innocently left the knife in his room.
The minister of crimes stormed in, disapproving of the investigator's methods. "Who told you to beat him?" he demanded, his anger palpable. The investigator stammered, defending his suspicion, but the minister's rebuke was swift.
"He's a suspect but a prince! Have you forgotten your manners? Are you ready to lose your job?" The minister's words struck with authority, and the guard promptly ushered the prince out, a plea lingering in his departure.
The minister resumed control, settling into his seat. "I apologize, my prince. Your age doesn't make you a target of responsibility. We seek the truth. Where did you put it?" The prince, now composed, replied, "Under my bed."
"When was the last time you used it?" The minister inquired, probing for clarity. "I never used it, your majesty," the prince maintained his innocence as the king entered the room.
"I knew this was a plot," the king declared, taking a seat beside the minister. Suspicion lingered, casting shadows over the accused prince. "Tell me, did the second prince orchestrate this, and you are complicit?" The king's piercing gaze aimed to unravel the truth, yet the seventh prince swiftly defended himself.
"I am innocent! He didn't!" he exclaimed, emotions bubbling to the surface.
"What promises did he make to you? Land, gold, silver, diamonds?" The king's questions were relentless, seeking the elusive thread of truth. Silence enveloped the room, and the seventh prince hesitated.
"But I like you, even though our mothers differ. I sense a plot between you two, and you can help. We need solid evidence," the king implored, attempting to navigate the intricate web of deception. Tears welled in the seventh prince's eyes as he cried, "I swear, I know nothing! Ah... ah... ah..." The chapter concluded with the prince's emotional turmoil, leaving the reader on the precipice of a tangled conspiracy.