Chapter 207: The beast killed again.
~Raphael's POV~
Three days had passed since Ava and I had reconciled, and the warmth of her forgiveness filled my chest.
This morning, she had insisted we walk through the gardens together, her hand firmly in mine as she spoke of new trade agreements that other kingdoms were finally recognizing their existence.
To anyone watching, we appeared to be the picture-perfect. A queen and her consort, planning their kingdom's future with quiet intimacy.
But I know what her people truly thought of me. After all, I had walked upon them countless times. And when Ava wasn't around, they deliberately insulted me to annoy me.
Today, was no different.
'Look at them, came the bitter whisper from a gardener trimming roses nearby. 'She's completely under his spell. That monster has bewitched our queen.'
'Disgusting,' thought a young noblewoman who curtsied politely as we passed. ' How can she stand to touch that creature? My skin crawls just looking at him.'
I kept my expression neutral, my fingers gentle as they intertwined with Ava's, but each thought struck a chord.
The reconciliation that had brought me such joy was only deepening their hatred.
"The roses are particularly beautiful this year," Ava said, pausing to admire a climbing variety that had wound itself around a marble pillar. "Don't you think so?"
"They are," I agreed, though my attention was focused on the groundskeeper who was staring at us with undisguised loathing. 'Unnatural beast,' his mind spat. 'Poisoning everything he touches, including our beloved queen.'
Ava seemed oblivious to the hostile thoughts surrounding us, or perhaps she'd simply learned to ignore them.
As we made our way back toward the castle, I noticed how the servants and guards fell silent whenever we approached, their inner voices a chorus of fear and resentment.
They bowed respectfully to their queen, but I could feel their eyes following me.
'Soon,' came a thought from somewhere in the crowd. 'Soon we'll be rid of this abomination.'
I paused, trying to identify the source, but the thought had already faded into the general inner noise of the courtyard.
"Is everything alright?" Ava asked, noticing my hesitation.
"Of course," I lied, squeezing her hand gently. "Just admiring the architecture."
That evening, exhaustion took over as I made my way to our chambers. I longed for the peace of sleep, for a few hours of respite from the minds that plagued my every waking moment.
But when I reached my chambers, something felt wrong.
The door was slightly open, though I was certain I'd closed it securely. I pushed the door open slowly, my senses on high alert.
It appeared empty, but I could smell the people in the room and the steel mixed with oil.
Moving silently across the floor, I noticed that the bed had been disturbed, the covers pulled back as if someone had been searching underneath.
A chair had been moved slightly from its usual position, and there were muddy footprints on the carpet that definitely weren't mine. Someone has certainly entered my chambers.
The attack came from behind the heavy curtains blocking the window.
Four figures lunged at me, their movements coordinated and precise. Professional assassins, not the desperate amateurs I might have expected.
Fools. Why do they even try? Have they not heard about me?
I twisted away from the first two attackers' blades, using their moments to send them crashing into the wall, while catching the second set of men's wrists before their daggers could find their mark.
"Who sent you?" I demanded, applying enough pressure to their wrist to make them drop their weapons.
The first assassin was already recovering, reaching for a backup blade, but I was faster. A kick sent him flying backwards into the carved wooden bedpost with enough force to knock the wind from his lungs.
All four men were now my prisoners, their weapons scattered across the ground. I bound them with ice chains that glowed faintly in the dim light, their struggles futile against bonds forged from divine energy.
"Now then," I said, taking a seat across from them. "Let's discuss why you thought it wise to attack me."
The first assassin, a grizzled man with scars across his knuckles, glared at me with pure hatred. "We're not telling you anything, demon."
But his mind was already betraying him. 'Minister Aldric promised us gold and safe passage,' his thoughts screamed. 'Said it would look like a crime of passion if we made it bloody enough. But we can't let him know, our families will pay the price if Aldric discovers we failed.'
The second assassin, younger with nervous eyes, was even less guarded in his thoughts. 'Minister Gavron said this monster reads minds, but that's impossible. We stick to the story, we came here on our own, patriots defending the kingdom. They can't prove otherwise.'
"Minister Aldric and Minister Gavron," I said quietly, watching both men's faces go pale. "Interesting partnership. Tell me, what did they promise?”
"We don't know what you're talking about," the older assassin spat, but his mind was screaming in panic. 'How does he know? Did someone betray us? Are we walking into a trap?'
"Your thoughts are louder than your words," I told him. "Both ministers want me dead, and they're using you to accomplish it. The question is; are you prepared to die for their ambitions?"
The younger man's composure failed first. "Our children," he whispered. "They threatened our children if we didn't succeed."
"Shut up, Marcia!" the older man snarled. "Don't say another word!"
"There might be another way," I said carefully. "If you testify before the queen about who sent you, she could offer protection for your families. Justice for the ministers who put you in this position."
Hope flickered in Marcia's eyes, but his companion's thoughts turned dark and resolute.
I saw his hand moving toward his belt a split second too late.
"No!" I lunged forward, but the older assassin had already bitten down on a concealed poison capsule. Bitter almond scent filled the air as his body convulsed.
Marcia, seeing his partner's choice, reached for his own hidden vial. "I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice filled with tears. "Tell my daughter I tried to be brave."
The poison worked quickly. Within moments, both men lay still. I checked the other two; they were dead as well. I had flung them too hard.
I knelt beside their bodies, frustration and sorrow warring in my chest. They had been victims as much as villains, caught between impossible choices.
Hurried footsteps echo in the corridor outside, multiple pairs, moving quickly. Before I could decide how to handle the situation, the door burst open.
Two palace servants stumbled into the room, their arms full of fresh linens they'd apparently been bringing to change the bedding. As if they had been changing the bedding before this. It is obvious, it is all a set-up.
They took one look at the scene, me standing beside four dead bodies, chains still glowing faintly around the corpses, and their bundles crashed to the floor.
"Murder!" one of them screamed, a middle-aged woman whose face had gone white with terror. "The beast has killed again!"
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