Chapter 18

"The most dangerous criminals are all still here your majesty. Upon the initial count all the prisoners added up " Officer Mang announced to Cedric in his office. "Of course now an identity check is now underway to ensure the identity of all the registerd prisoners."

When Officer Mang finished explaining the situation, Cedric was quiet for a moment. The Azir prison was a maximum security prison that held some of the most dangerous crmininals of the Kajun empire. If any one of them had escaped.....

Cedric already had enough on his plate he didn't want to have more things to be worried about.

Though Officer Mang claims none of the prisoners are missing and extra identification check is being done Cedric couldn't help but be worried. At the end of the day those guards didn't just suddenely faint by themseleves

"Do you have any ideas as to what could possibly have made the guards pass out?"

"Not yet, you majesty. It's still being investigated as all the guards say they didn't see anything before it happened."

Cedric thought about it deeply for a moment before saying. "I want to question all the guards that were affected at the time."

"Yes, your majesty."

Cedric was taken to an interrogation room where all the guards that were on duty at the time where brought to him. They were questioned by Cedric one at a time. All their stories added up, they claimed they didn't see anyone nor hear anything before they lost consciousness. All the other guards that were conscious also say they saw and heard nothing.

This whole situation was highly concerning to Cedric. It appeared as if nothing had been taken and no prisoner had escaped but of course the circumstances were strange. Something must have happened. The aching feeling that perhaps that something more serious was perhaps at play, from the rebel attack to this supposed prison break in.

It was now late at night so Cedric ordered the officer to get some sleep and they would continue the prisoner identification check and would have results the following day.

Of course Cedric didn't sleep much only getting getting 2 or 3 hours before waking up and failing to sleep again. He looked from the bed he lay thinking of Aston and Arya and wondered what they had done for the day. After letting out an exhausted sigh he got up and He decided to go over the reports of the incident instead checking if there was anything he missed.

The following day Cedric wanted to requestion the guards that were on duty. He felt maybe he hadnt asked them to give enough details of what happened, now he wanted to be thorough. Officer Mang was surprised they were going to be questioned again as it was going to be the 3rd time in 2 days. He doubted they were any new details they could give but didn't question the emperor.

Cedric re-entered the interrogation room and the first guard was brought to him.

"Yesterday, when I questioned you I realized perhaps my questions had been too vague." Cedric started. "You say you didn't hear or see anyone before it happened correct?"

"Yes, your majestry." The guard answered wondering where the emperor was going with this.

"Can you think of any minor details, anything small that you might have noticed before it happened?"

The was a little bit confused as thought if there was anything he may have

"It could have been a light flickering just before or a something you would easily pass off as nothing unusual." Cedric gave as an example.

The guard continued to think about it and just as he was about to say there wasn't anything, he thought of something.

"Well," The guard started. "There is one thing. Just before I lost consciousness, I remember smelling something sweet."

"Something sweet?" Cedric asked. "Did it smell like food or....?"

"It was more like a fruit or a sweet smelling flower."

"I see....anything else?"

"No. That's the only thing"

"Alright, then you may go." Cedric said as he dismissed the guard.

Then other guards that had lost consciousness were brought to him. They all corroborated the story of the sweet smell like the first guard. The guards that stayed conscious said that they never smelled anything. Leading Cedric to conclude that the scent must have played a role in this.

It looked like they now had a lead on what happened. But where did the smell come from if they didn't see or hear anything? He would have to wait for the prison to finish their investigation to see what new information would be brought forward.

One Cedrics knights then came to him with a letter in hand, Your majesty, the message from the sea wall border was finally sent with no issues this time." Cedric quickly took the letter from the servant and ripped the the envelope open. He then took out the paper to read it's contents. When he was done he simply looked in confusion.

In the report the liuetenent in charge at the sea wall border claimed after an investigation of the rebel attack they found two horses to be missing from the base. Suggesting someone possibly some of the rebels during the attack had escaped. The lieutenant also reported that an order had been put out to find the horses.

Cedric let out a frustrated sigh. It was just one mystery after another. The letter, the rebel attack, the missing horses, the sweet smell. When would it stop? It's more likely the first letter sent to inform him this had been intentionally lost to keep him finding out.

It was then that there was another knock at the door. Cedric called out for them to enter and in came in a prison guard. He was out of breath as if he ran to the office.

"What's the matter?" Officer Wang taken aback by the guards appearance.

"We've just finished the prisoner identification check one of the prisoners is missing."

Cedric jump out of his seat at this. "What ?" he asked.

"there is a person in one of the cells who doesn't quite match the description of the prisoner who is supposed to be inside.

" Who?"

" Jasmine the former empress."

Take me there now!" Cedric yelled out as he rushed out of the office.

The staff members ran out shaking from Cedrics anger as he led him to Jasmines cell.

When Jasmine was arrested 6 years ago, for lying to the royal family and stealing the crown prince she sentenced to life in the Azur prison.

Upon reaching Jasmines cell The door was opened and he entered along with several guards. Inside sat a woman in the bed. She had lilac hair like Jasmine but it didn't seem natural. Neither did she look like her.

The woman looked up in surprise as Cedric came up to her and roughly grabbed her by the shoulders. "Who are you? Where is Jasmine?"

The woman winced in pain.

"He said by the time you figure it out, it would be too late."

" Who? Who is he?" Cedric asked again with more vigor.

"I-I don't know who he is I swear. He told me if I pretended to be someone he promised he would give me medicine for my mother. She's sick. He didn't tell me anything about himself. I swear."

"He said I should tell you by the time you figure out it will be too late."

Cedrics eyes widened in realization. He put it all together. The sweet smell, Jasmine. Jasmine was a herbalist and was capable of making all kinds of potions is it possible

The one thing Jasmine wanted was Aston! He remembered the odd feeling he'd when he Aston and Arya went for a ride in the forest. Like they were being watched.

It was possible everything was all connected.

"I have to Cedric annouced as he ran to leave the prison.