Page 67 of Ties of Deception

My heart thundered as the Amazone strode silently in front of me. I struggled to keep pace in my floor-length dress. Despite the early hour, there were servants everywhere, and the palace was filled with a strange frantic energy. I looked around for any sign of Ethen, but he wasn’t in the corridor or in any of the adjoining ones.

Had somebody poisoned Charity? Another Grace in the contest? Or somebody trying to cover their tracks after poisoning the ambassador? Maybe somebody had forced her to do the crime. Or was she could be faking the illness to gain sympathy now that she knew that I’d discovered her guilt. Surely she hadn’t willingly drunk that potion? Had a proper physician examined her?

The Amazone stepped to one side and gestured for me to enter a grand door flanked by ornamental pillars with glimmering golden veins. I had never been in the council room before and paused to take in the sparkling marble floor and red velvet chairs, orienting myself before being ushered to stand with a selection of maids and another dozen Graces along one wall. Only Charity was missing.

The empress sat impeccably straight-backed in an imposing gold chair on a raised platform. Her golden gown was made from multiple strips of fabric that were splayed out around her legs and tumbled down the steps. Her braided hair was clasped in gold bands and gathered in an elaborate twist above her head, adding to her height.

The empress cleared her throat and tilted her face down in a superior, thunderous expression as she looked at each of us in turn. “There has been a most disturbing incident in the palace, and no one will leave this room until we have reached the bottom of it.” She pointed to the quiet maid I had seen in Charity’s room who had taken the box with the poison from me. “Come forward.” The maid stepped to the center of the room, her hands clasped over her grey overtunic and her head bowed.

The empress softened her voice a little but was no less threatening. “How is your mistress? Has Lady Charity regained consciousness?”

The maid’s shoulders trembled a little. “She is recovering, Your Majesty. But an hour ago, we weren’t sure if she was going to make it. She was as pale as death.”

The empress lifted her eyes back to us as muttering broke out around me. “As you all know, Graces can’t fall ill. There is only one substance that can harm her, and it is banned from the empire. Nightstar is rare and can only be grown in the Unseen Lands. It appears Lady Charity has been poisoned by this substance.” Despite the empress’s stern gaze, the shocked murmurs only heightened. The empress clapped her hands, and they died at once. She turned her attention back to the maid. “Who gave her the poison?”

My heart sank. I could see where this was going. The maid bowed her head as if scared of her own words. “It was Lady Purity.”

I desperately tried to think of the best way to deal with this. The empress raised an eyebrow. I took a step forward. “I didpresentthe poison to Charity.”

The empress slammed her palm flat on the table, and I flinched without meaning to. “You admit to trying to murder another goddess? Were you aware that this poison can affect even those who are immortal?”

I swallowed feeling like my chance to speak was being stolen from me. “I was aware, Your Majesty. But I hadn’t expected her to take it. I had given it to her as evidence. It was meant to be a…a warning.”

The empress stood, incredulous. “A warning? A warning for what? That you would poison her if she didn’t do as you said? Did you learn nothing from Serene? It doesn’t always take much to push somebody too far.”

Charity’s maid crumpled, rubbing tears from her cheeks and stealing the empress’s attention before I could reply. “Lady Purity said it was a gift. I wonder if the pressure of winning the heart of the prince was becoming too much for them.”

The empress touched her fingers to her forehead. “I can’t believe what I am hearing.”

I fell to my knees and spread my arms. “Your Majesty, please listen, this isn’t what you think.”

The empress’s anger only rose. “You presented poison to Charity as a gift, intending it as awarning? And only shortly after somebody was poisoned atyourbanquet? You were already under suspicion. What else could you possibly mean by this?”

I blew out a shaking breath. I didn’t have enough evidence to convict Charity. If I accused her of being the one who poisoned the ambassador, would it make the situation worse? Would the empress believe I was throwing around meaningless accusations to cover my back?

I closed my eyes and forced myself to reply in a calm, clear voice. “I believe the ambassador was poisoned by nightstar, Your Majesty. I surmised that the poisoner may have used it because she wasn’t sure if he was the child of a Grace, as many nobles are.”

The empress narrowed her eyes. “You said ‘she.’ Do you know who the poisoner is? And what has this to do with Charity?”

I stood up from my kneeling position and raised my chin, deciding honesty was my only way forward. “I’ve been investigating the incident due to my role as banquet host, and I found the kitchen servant who put the poison in his drink. She still had part of the bottle left over. Since she used to be Charity’s servant, but I had no solid evidence, I took the poison to confront Charity and to warn her not to act in such a way again, even if she didn’t get caught.”

The empress’s face darkened. “If you found the servant involved, why didn’t you bring her straight to me with the evidence of the poison? Don’t you understand that the mere possession of nightstar is enough to get you banished from the capital?”

I swallowed. “I…I wanted to find the real person behind it, Your Majesty, and to do that I believed I needed to act quickly.”

The maid threw herself to her knees. “Your Majesty, Lady Charity would never poison anyone. What could she possibly have to gain from killing somebody as important as an ambassador? She wasn’t even at that banquet.”

She paused, gesturing to me with a frown. “Then Lady Purity appeared with this bottle in her possession, saying she had a witness willing to accuse Lady Charity of the poisoning—even though she didn’t—and hands her the nightstar. What was Lady Charity to think other than that Lady Purity was the murderer and was about to frame Lady Charity unless she conceded to her wishes? Lady Purity was even getting rid of the evidence, by placing the poison bottle in Lady Charity’s possession. She was deeply, deeply distressed when Lady Purity left. She didn’t want to be framed for something she hadn’t done.”

No, no, no, this was not what I had intended. Had that really been how Charity had interpreted my words? Was she actually innocent? The maid spoke so well, I wasn’t sure of anything any more.

The empress narrowed her eyes at me again, her fury deepening. “This servant girl who you took the poison from—what was her name?”

I opened and closed my mouth. Ethen hadn’t told me. “I believe she is currently being questioned.”

“By who?” The empress leaned forward. “Did youpersonallytake the vial from her possession? Have youpersonallyheard her confession?”

No, it was Ethen. But I couldn’t say that. If I said I’d received this information from him, it would be clear that we were working together. They would identify me as the Fated Grace, and all of our plans would be ruined. We would be separated and Ethen would be blamed for the murder of the ambassador. But if I didn’t say he was the one who had questioned the servant and confiscated the poison,Iwould be tried for murder. Neither was an option.

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