Hyle glanced at me, and then the chair, and then back at me. I gestured again, and he took a seat, looking like he was ordered to sit on thorns. He sat upright with his arms straight, as if there was a metal rod in his spine.
The way he behaved reminded me of freshly grads who just came into the police force- all super formal and disciplined. I smiled a little.
"Tea? Oh wait, Hanes said that it's not a good idea to eat and drink with people in the palace," I said with a shrug.
At the uttered name, Hyle flinched, looking at me like I was a strange new creature.
"Are you Hanes's- I mean- His Majesty's bodyguard?"
"Yes, my lady," he answered promptly, looking down.
"Let's get to know each other a little, then. We'll be seeing each other around. Could I ask- how old are you?" I realised I didn't even know Regica's age.
"Twenty-three, my lady."
"Oh, I heard I'm twenty-three too. I guess we're friends, then."
Hyle recoiled a little back, looking at me strangely, and then down again.
"Right. You had things to ask me."
Hyle looked so utterly relieved that I was getting down to business that I felt almost apologetic for attempting small talk. "Not many questions, my lady. Did you notice anything suspicious about Regica?"
"Not really. She was really sweet to me." I wet my lips. My throat felt parched.
"If I may ask- at what times did she serve you the medication?"
"As far as I can remember, about two times a day."
"Forgive me for my intrusiveness, but did she ask or mention anything suspicious to you? Or perhaps anything about Irennia?" Hyle asked, cautiously.
Irennia. When I heard that name, the hairs on my arms seemed to rise. The possibilities, situations and words came together in my head. I leaned my arms on the table.
"Is the hypothesis that someone from Irennia hired Regica to slowly poison me? Or at least, prevent my treatment?"
Hyle pursed his lips. "Nothing is decided yet, my lady."
"It's okay, it's nothing sensitive because I'm from Irennia. You can talk to me frankly about it. I can't remember anything about it anyway," I shrugged. "There's low possibility that palace maid Regica herself would have planned the whole thing. You're investigating who was behind her, aren't you?"
Hyle nodded. "Yes, my lady."
"Exactly the point, Lady Helena. That will create reason for your brother Crown Prince Kezar to rise to the throne, to lead the army to war. In midst of the chaos I will help you escape back to Irennia, and your hostage life here will end. The people of Castrinsa are already suffering because of the aftermath of the war. They will rise up against Hanes, and it will create opportunity to bring the more fitting man to the throne of Castrinsa."
Hanes wanted to win over the Irennian common people's hearts, to ease the complete taking over of Irennia.
Someone who wanted me dead, then, was someone who was inside Catrinsa and was against Hanes, or someone from Irennia who was relying on the rumour that Hanes was the one that shot me, and by poisoning me and putting that on Hanes, wanted Irennia to go back to war with Catrinsa.
The bleak reality was this: there was no way of knowing whether I would even be able to go back to my body, my era. So for as long as I was here, I needed to stay alive. That meant I needed to figure out who was behind Regica. If Regica was even part of the whole incident in the first place. She could have been a scapegoat.
It was perfect timing. I would be leaving for Irennia the next morning. Investigation of Irennia could be done tomorrow. For now, I needed to figure out some things about Catrinsa.
"Do you know the family members of His Majesty? How does the royal family look like?"
Hyle cleared his throat, looking a little uncomfortable, but started to recite the names.
"His Majesty is the eighty-ninth emperor of Catrinsa Kingdom. He is the biological son of Emperor Regentine, the eighty-seventh emperor and Empress Estellia. Emperor Regentine had three concubines: Lady Narcia, Lady Kefe and Lady Bethath, in this order of their ranking.
"Lady Narcia had one son, Prince Deseta, who was a year older than His Majesty. Lady Kefe had one son, eight year old Prince Gikit. Lady Bethath has one daughter, nineteen year old Princess Lise."
"All past tense," I muttered, "except for Lady Bethath."
Hyle nodded. "Emperor Regentine passed away three years ago from an attack during the uprising. Empress Estellia passed away when His Majesty was ten years old, from an illness. Lady Narcia, Lady Kefe and Lady Bethath are all still present and living in the palace. But Prince Deseta passed away two years ago, and Prince Gikit also passed away in the same year as Emperor Regentine due to an attack in the uprising. Princess Lise still lives in the castle."
No detail of passing, just for Prince Deseta. So he must be the one. "How many years has it been since His Majesty has been on the throne, Hyle?"
At my question, Hyle seemed to know what I was getting at. "Two years, my lady."
"So Prince Deseta is the only son of Lady Narcia." I remembered the smell of iron that hit my nose as I was leaving the room Regica had died in. "He's the one everyone says His Majesty killed."
"I was present that night, my lady." It was the first time there was such strength in Hyle's voice. He looked at me in the eye, speaking politely, but firmly. "Emperor Regentine was the eighty-ninth emperor, my lady. His Majesty is the ninety-first. That is because Prince Deseta rose to the throne and was the ninetieth emperor for a year. Even though he was Prince, and His Majesty at the time was Crown Prince because he was the rightful heir to the throne as the son of the Emperor and Empress."
Wait, what? Then why the killing of Deseta?
"Even though he was the rightful heir, His Majesty at the time yielded to the throne to Prince Deseta, my lady. His Majesty knew that Prince Deseta was interested in the throne, and he respected his older brother's wishes. Despite having no obligation to," Hyle added for emphasis. "But some time into Prince Deseta's rule, he told His Majesty that there was a group of assassins who were threatening his life, and that he needed protection. His Majesty who was at the time put in charge of military control, engaged in a fight with a group of assassins who had snuck into Prince Deseta's residence in the middle of the night. To protect Prince Deseta."
Hyle bit his lip, and for a brief second, his eyes flashed with quiet anger. "But quite outrageously, His Majesty was accused of trying to use the assassins to kill Prince Deseta. His Majesty surrendered himself to Prince Deseta, willing to be investigated to prove his loyalty. But Prince Deseta tried to kill His Majesty and they were engaged in a fight. His Majesty never dealt with attack blows, he only defended himself. But Prince Deseta died- without a blow from His Majesty- trying to kill His Majesty."
"You've heard the rumours, haven't you? I killed my biological brother and rose to the throne. You think I can't kill my concubine?"
I knew it. He was a liar.
I smiled tightly. "Thanks for telling me all this. I realise I didn't know anything important about this place. Please tell me more some time."
"My honour, my lady. Forgive me for speaking so much," Hyle muttered, "it's just that... it was...of my humble opinion that you should know that the rumours are not true."
"No, I should know, thank you. I'm kind of...married to Hanes after all." Married. What a strange word. "Do you have anything else you want to ask me about Regica?"
"No, nothing else, my lady. If more is revealed during the investigation, I will ensure you are made aware."
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