I hope you lovelies enjoy!!!

Chapter Twenty One

I was proven right once again. It was a long day already, and it was far from over.

Each interview was conducted in the room; however, when interviewed, we were taken to the opposite end of the room and turned so that we could not make eye contact with one another.

The council had begun by questioning Shaterria, the easiest of us all. She was not there, so she did not have much to tell. It was when we arrived that they were interested in, attacking her with question after question. Once finished, she was told to leave before they began questioning Sage.

He handled each one cooly with the same reserved look, giving away nothing. He did not rush his answers nor hesitate. He did not grow angry at their accusations towards the King but answered just as he had with the question before.

I was next. They questioned my every whereabout and my every answer. However, this was not a first time for me so I did not give in to their redundancy. I answered with the shortest answer, keeping my replies simple. When finished, I could see Council Member Warren's face etched with annoyance, satisfying me. He wasn't receiving what he wanted, which was clear evidence indicating that the King was guilty.

Next was the King's questioning. This was done differently, the council members returning to their seats while I sat beside the King. I was told not to make eye contact with him and the table had been moved so that I could not sway the King with gestures or touches.

"Provide a detailed account of your whereabouts the last day of the previous week," Council Member Warren said, his eyes watching King Sandalius. But occasionally they would flicker to me with suspicion when I moved the slightest.

"I woke and prepared for our weekly walk throughout the forest. I met with the others, speaking to Shaterria about possible messages that would be sent to the castle. We then left her and I took the lead, Rowan and Sage following behind.

I could smell that something was wrong so I continued in that direction and found the body there. Rowan and Sage took me back, and I remained in my room with Rowan for the evening."

"And what appeared to have done this to the man?" Scribbling.

"It appeared to have been done by a predator." There was a pause.

"Such as a wolf?" Warren was quick to jump on this.

"Yes, such as a wolf," the King said, pulling the words out reluctantly. He had already begun tensing, taking offense to the indirect accusation.

"And you have the ability to transform into a wolf at will. Is this correct?" Warren asked, the others watching intently. One held a pen in his hand, scribbling every word down.

"Yes." This was kept short as he was instructed; however, I could hear a hint of hostility laced within the single word. It seemed the councilmen did not notice, as they continued on without fear.

"We were informed that you left the castle several times without supervision of your guard and Rowan, who you have brought here to make you less of a beast. Is this true?" This was asked with a bit of malice, something the King caught onto.

His eyes had flickered at Warren's tone, but he did not allow it to sway him so easily. "Yes, this is true."

Council Member Warren almost seemed excited as he asked the next question. "Can you tell us what you recall from the last time you left the castle alone and when it occurred in relevance to the murder?"

The King hesitated before answering. "I last left the castle two days before I found the body. I cannot recall what happened during this time."

Warren leaned back in his chair at this, seeming to believe he was now in the lead. "If you cannot recall what happened, then tell us what you do remember. Do you remember anything odd when you gained your awareness?"

The King did not reply at first, taking a second before saying, "I was covered in blood."

Council Member Warren smirked for a brief second before changing courses. "Wolves were hunted to extinction within this forest. Who did that leave you to believe had committed this gruesome crime?"

The King's jaw clenched at the question, the silence surrounding us. "I do not know who I believed had killed him," he answered. But it was not what Council Member Warren wanted.

He raised an eyebrow before quickly saying, "You do not know? You did not question as to what could have broken a man's ribs and ripped out his tongue so viciously? Was it simply something that you were so accustomed to that you did not feel rage towards whoever had committed the crime?"

The King's posture had changed during Council Member Warren's attack. His eyes had hardened, holding the same coldness they had when I had first met him. His expression was one made of stone, portraying that he was no longer interested in talking to his guests. Even his hands, which had once been by his side, were now coiled tightly together in his lap.

"Perhaps it is time for a break," I said, my eyes turning back to the councilmen. They all turned to me, startled that I was still sitting there. They had been so involved in watching the King and waiting for an accidental confession.

"There is no time for a break. Answer the question," Warren pressed, ignoring my suggestion. I frowned but knew better than to snap at him.

I touched the King's arm, feeling it tense slightly before relaxing at the contact. However, just as I had begun calming him Warren started yelling.

"Enough, Rowan! You will be asked to leave," he snapped, pointing at my hand on the King's arm. He did not hesitate in directing his anger towards the King as well, temporarily forgetting what he was capable of.

"Who do you think did this? I will not ask again!" he exclaimed, his eyes holding a wildfire that was spreading throughout his entire body.

The King was calm as he stood up, his eyes not once leaving Council Member Warren's. He walked towards him, fear putting out the fire within seconds, and leaned until he was at eye level before saying one word: "Me." Then, he stormed out the room, the door slamming on the way out.

I followed behind him, but not before heading Warren's words. "This is not over. Your King will be found guilty and he will be killed, Rowan. Leave while you still have time."

It was not he who I ran into downstairs, but a startled looking Sage and Shaterria. Before they could question me, I asked, "Where did he go?"

"He ran outside. What happened?" Shaterria asked, her eyes filled with worry. Instead of answering, I left and was greeted by the wind. I ran towards the forest without the slightest idea of how to go about finding him.

I decided to follow the path we usually took, thinking the King would not venture somewhere else out of fear of hurting someone. It was a long walk and I was completely surrounded by nature, silence floating in the air while nature played around me. However, I did eventually find him, sitting near the rotting log that had once sheltered him from the rain.

"It was not your fault, King Sandalius. Warren was accusing you, not taking a neutral stand as he was supposed to. Do not allow him to get to you. If I did, I would not be here," I said softly before finding a spot beside him, resting my hands on the grass.

He did not reply but instead looked at me. He had calmed down, this much I could tell. His hazel eyes no longer held any sort of anger but instead held nothing. They were empty once again, simply mirroring my reflection.

"Do you truly believe you did this? Do you think you are capable of doing it?" I asked, watching as he laughed humorlessly.

"Do not forget how I earned my title, Rowan. It was by killing and nothing more," he said, his eyes flickering to a nearby tree.

I frowned before correcting myself. "You are a different person now than you were in the past. You may have been capable of doing so then, but it does not mean you would do so now."

He tilted his head, considering my words. "Am I different? I have not seen change." He was still staring at the tree with a faraway look as if thinking about something else.

I nodded at his question. "If you truly believe you have not changed, then why did you not kill Warren and the other councilmen?" To this, he did not have an answer.

We sat in silence, but within it was comfort. We remained like that, side by side, until he spoke up again, surprising me. "It is best if you leave now. I will allow you to take your father and leave without consequence. You should do so before things become worse."

He did not look at me as he said this, but at the ground. He seemed to have a resigned look as if he had accepted his fate. I was quiet before I surprised us both with my next sentence.

"I am not leaving."

He snapped his head up, hazel eyes studying me. "I have given you a free pass. You are a bigger fool than I thought if you do not take it. Do you not realize what could happen? You could potentially be blamed for it as well."

I knew this was a possibility but I would not allow it to deter me from the reason I was sent here. "Do you not remember what I told you, King Sandalius? I have told you that I do not scare easily and I still stand by those words. I will not allow you to push me away. I was sent here to help you and I am going to stay here to do just that."

I thought perhaps had annoyed him or that he would have no response because he did not speak for a few moments. I was startled when he spoke again, saying a name.

"Kieran." I blinked, confused.

"Kieran?" I repeated slowly, wondering what meaning it held.

He nodded, seeming to relax further at the name. "Yes, that is my name. I would prefer if you called me by it for the remainder of your time here," he said, a smile briefly appearing on his face.

I too smiled, momentarily forgetting about today's events. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Kieran."