Novel Full Chapter 1609: The Poisoneer (Part-2)
Chapter 1609: The Poisoneer (Part-2)
“Your Majesty… Lord Shahel’s killer certianly could not have been me. And certainly there was never any ill will between either of us. I believe not a single person here can contest that.”
“Rather, if you look, you will find the mysterious assassin specifically targeted three…four people from your faction- Me, Lord Assazd, Lord Shahel and Lady Mikaya and only one from the other side, the unlucky Amenheraft. This proves without any…”
“Bah! What foul and treachrous speech!” Even the usually patient Pasha Vivizan was unable to keep his temper in check watching Alexander twist the most clear words into such malicious knots.
He roared with a shaking voice, “You killed Assazd because he was helping His Majesty break free from your puppet control. And you tried to kill our lord despite the treaty. And you certainly killed the poor boy Shahel because that promiscuous lass told you to. I am sure all the girl had to do was dangle her legs and…”
“Vivizan!” However before the elderly lord could go on, he was shut down by a much louder and furious roar, shouting at the top of his voice, “Slander my daughter another word and I will rip your tongue out.”
“….” The Pasha of Ankoot did not dare take that risk, knowing how blindly the bear like man loved his daughter. Evidence, proof and witness would mean nothing in front of the trusting father.
So he wisely backed off, very animatedly pursing his lips.
This let Alexander have the perfect opportunity to make a comeback, as he chimed in a sweet, urging voice, “Your Majesty… all the assassin’s actions very clearly show where he is coming from. It is apparent as day that his wish is to break any alliance we might be trying to form, be it internally or externally. And there is only one person in this place who truly wants to stop us.”
“…..” The thesis however caused a great frown to form on Ptolomy’s face.
“Lord Alexander has indeed made some good points! The assassin’s motives seem pretty clear,” And it became darker upon the Queen Mother’s comment.
The simple fact of the matter was that Ptolomy did not like Alexander. And wished to reject whatever he said, regardless of whether it was true or not.
This feeling became as apparent as the day when Ptolomy, betraying all convention, suddenly turned to face the Pasha of Ankoot and asked,
“What does Lord Vivizan say? Did my brother truly plot this? I do not believe it!”
“..!!!..” The move was so surprising it shocked even the man in question, a slightly gaping look flashing over his wizened face. He had never seen or even heard of anything like this in all his years.
And if that was the state of the experience lord, what was there to say about the rest of the younger, greener court?
Shock, confusion, dismay and in the case of Alexander, absolute anger as his heart threatened to almost explode. If he had a javelin in his hand, the man would have surely skwered Ptolomy with it, all consequences be damned.
“Indeed Your Grace is most wise,” Pasha Vivizan naturally took full advantage of the open goal post Ptolomy had set up for him, swiftly nodding his head like a chicken, and producing an oily, flattering grin, “We all knew such a simple thing could never get past you. Truly you are your father’s son, able to see through all illusions! ”
If Alexander could have barfed, he would have done so right then- the sycophantic voice and look sent such shivers down his spine. He knew his self respect would never have allowed him to go so low.
But there was a reason Pasha Vivizan went there- because it produced results.
One could clearly see Ptolomy’s face visibly softening, and his eyes turning cool and happy hearing the words.
So the shrewd lord followed up with a deadly accusation, pointing his thin, bony fingers at Alexander and proudly sneering,
“In fact, Your Grace, we should all recall how he has called for the independence of all the provinces. So if there is anyone who does not want to see us form alliances or even let the civil war come to an end, it is him! And why should he? He is nothing but a foreign slave, sent by his masters here to destroy our great empire and turn us into slaves for the Thesians.”
“…..” The accusation was so ridiculous that Alexander would have looked like a fool if he tried to even entertain it.
However that also did not mean this did not affect him. Rather Alexander was quite affected.
Because he suddenly felt a lot more hostile eyes beginning to turn their gaze on him.
And by a lot, he really meant a lot. i.e, almost the entire court.
At first he could not believe people were buying this absolute drivel, as a wave of absolute incredulity washed over his heart.
However as the people continued to seriously consider this, that shock began to develop into fear, and Alexander started to become wary that things were getting out of control.
’Damn it!’
When he first came to court, he had a pretty good plan about how things were going to go. And things were indeed going pretty well- he even had Pasha Vivizan boxed in quite well… until Ptolomy decided to openly backstab him out of nowhere and threw him into a pit.
Such an abrupt turn of events made the man’s heart thump wildly unlike any time before.
“….” In response to Pasha Vivizan’s accusation, Alexander simply stayed quiet, there was nothing to deny and even if there was- he knew he would not be able to convince Ptolomy and thus, by extension the rest of the court anyway.
So right now he was only thinking about how to cut his losses and retreat.
“Hahaha, I had forgotten you also once served under Alozmer, Lord Vivizan.” The tense atmosphere of the court however was suddenly cut like a sharp razor by this loud, mirthful chuckle of the Lord of Matrak.
Then as the bear like man stepped forward with an imperious gait, he sneered with a mocking look, “The one who wants us to enslave us all is not Alexander but you. I did not want to speak about this because I still lack the irrefutable proof but I know for a fact that that worthless son in law of mine has been in secret talks wih the Thesian city states. He has repeatedly urged them to attack my province and Adhan from the west while he pushes from the east.”
“…!!!…” The news was like a bolt in a clear blue sky even for Pasha Vivizan, forget the rest lower down the ladder.
He had no idea of any such plans.
And if he did not know, it was safe to say there was none. Pasha Farzah was simply making things up. So the former was just about to deny and expose the latter.
However, the loud boisterous cry of the giant man cut off the weaker one even before he got to try.
“Alexander having any loyalty to the city states makes no sense. What can they even give him? Back to being in bondage and slavery? Rather it is Amenheraft who can give our western neighbors what they want. They were denied Zanzan and ports from us, so they must have decided to support the failed prince! Ahhh… how shameless, to accuse us of selling the motherland when you are the true culprit!”
“What! Is this true!”
“Allying with the city states? I cannot believe it.”
“No, impossible!”
“But why not? Did Pasha Farzah also not do it?”
“Heh! Your think our Prince is like him? He is from the divine lineage.”
“Right! He would never! Only cowards…”
“Is that why your prince ran when Alexander took the city? Why did he not fight…is was so brave?”
Predictably Pasha Farzah’s words caused a great deal of confusion and chorus in the court, and soon the discourse took every possible turn, until the halls began to slightly vibrate.
“… Pasha…. Farzah…” The men only calmed down when Lord Vivian opened his mouth.
And it was a very scary type of opening, because he made sure to chew out each and every syllable of the words with great vehemence, thus making his gruff voice sound like the growl of a suppressed beast.
The old man was furious like he had only been a few times before- because he had been so close to cornering Alexander, in fact, he basically had the poor man in his arrow’s tip.
But now he had been magically saved by Pasha Farzah’s entrance. To him this made no sense because Pasha Vivizan thought the latter would be similarly angry over losing his newest son in law.
“Are you saying this based on something real… or is it simply your whims and fancy?” He very severely called out, asking for proof.
“I have received such whispers from my spies.” Pasha Farzah very cooly replied, and then to cover all his bases, quickly added with a mysterious curve of his eyes,
“Of course there might be a third reason. And that is that the Thesians you were in contact with have betrayed you. They have decided to kill people from both sides and then let us blame each other… goading us to launch a full fledged war…. all while they sit back and enjoy. And then once we are tired and exhausted…”
“When I was in talks wth Cantagena, I do remember hearing of a mysterious poison technique.”