Page 28 of The Sorrow of Shadows

“Is that...Oleander?” I say out loud, mostly to myself.

“I didn’t think oleander grew around here,” Jades replies.

“It doesn’t as far as I know, but that definitely looks like it.” I take a few steps closer, following the trail of flowers downriver. Jade and Julian follow behind me, careful not to touch the dangerous red petals. They were typically only deadly if ingested, but they could still cause a rash from touch alone.

The further down the trail we follow, the more abundant the flowers become. A few yards down, we approach a large grouping of flowers along the bank, but as we get closer, I realize what else is among them. A startled gasp leaves my lips when I see a body nestled amidst the red, purple, and yellow petals.

The lifeless brown eyes of a castle servant stare up at the sky. She looks young, but it’s hard to say for sure with her body bloated and face disfigured, suggesting she’s been out here for several days. Most of her skin has also wrinkled from being submerged in the water, so it’s hard to say her exact age.

The way the flowers have gathered around her head makes it look as if she’s resting on a bed of wildflowers. The beauty of the petals serves as a tragic juxtaposition to her decomposing body.

“It looks like her throat was slit,” Julian says solemnly.

Sure enough, there’s a deep red line across her throat. What did this poor female do to deserve this?

“Have either of you heard of any servants gone missing?” I question.

“No,” they respond in unison.

“But that’s not saying much,” Jade adds. “We haven’t been here for long. I can ask around and see what I can find out.”

“I wonder...” Julian starts, his voice trailing off.

“If this female is linked to the poisoning?” I finish his thought with a sigh. “I wonder the same. It seems like too much of a coincidence that she would turn up dead when we still haven’t found the one responsible for adding the water hemlock to Lord Aurelius's eggs.”

“And you don’t believe in coincidences,” Jade adds.

“No. I don’t.”

“Let’s get her out of the water so we can figure out who she is and put her to rest,” Julian says, taking a step forward.

I put a hand on his chest. “Stop. If you touch that you’ll probably break out in a rash. I’ll grab someone with a water Gift to move the flowers away from the body first.”

Julian rolls his eyes and pushes forward anyway. “Really, Breyla? It’s a bit of itching. It’s a miracle the wildlife hasn’t started eating the body already. Let’s just get her out of the river.”

He pushes past me, clearly disobeying my order, but I know it’s pointless to argue. Since he’s already in the thick of the flowers, I might as well let him finish. He scoops her body up and leaves the river. Avoiding the oleander, Jade and I exit a few feet up and follow Julian.

We’re still sopping wet when we reach the spot where we left our clothing. I reach down, scooping up my and Julian’s leathers.

The confused looks we receive from the castle guards as thethree of us reach the gates would be funny in any other situation. As it is, we have yet another dead body and more questions. My heart sinks at how much I feel I’m failing to protect my people.

Better is expected of me. My people should feel safe in their own kingdom, yet they aren’t. I swore an oath to always put my subjects first, but I can’t even keep them alive in my own damn castle.

Commander Nolan greets us on the other side of the castle walls. “General, I was alerted there was a body—” He stops in his tracks, seeing the bloated corpse of the servant in Julian’s arms. “I see. How can I be of assistance?”

“Commander Julian will take the body to the physicians for further examination. I need you to find out who she is. Question the palace staff until you find out who was missing. By my estimations, she’s been dead several days. An absence like that would have been noticed. Once you identify her, please let me know so I can alert her family.”

“Very well, General.” Nolan nods in understanding. “Do you have any idea what happened to the poor girl?”

I sigh, stepping closer to him. Voice low, I say, “She was murdered, throat slit. I think it could be connected to the attempt made on Lord Aurelius’s life. I don’t want to create hysteria, so please keep this quiet for now. If anyone asks, let them believe she drowned.”

“Of course. You have my word.”

I nod to Julian, silently indicating for him to take the body on to the physicians.

Nolan steps closer, resting a gentle hand on my shoulder. “You seem more troubled than I would have expected. You okay, kid?”

He’s right, I am more troubled than I ought to be. I’ve seen more bodies than I could count; it came with waging war and leading an army. I should be used to seeing the dead—and insome ways I am—but it’s still not easy. Each life lost inside the castle adds to my growing feeling of inadequacy.

---