Chapter 134


    Sabotage? The girls around us burst into loud chatter.


    “Could it be possible? How would she do it?”


    “Anything’s possible. She could have done it.”


    “Someone get the guards! If it’s true, that’s an attempt on the Queen’s life!”


    At the sound of that usation, the guards closed in around my table. One of them scurried off, only to


    return quickly with Joseph himself in tow.


    “This is getting out of hand,” I said. “Linda, tell them this wasn’t sabotage.


    “Why would I?” Linda said. “How else would my appetizer make the Queen sick? You didn’t…. poison


    it,


    did you, Piper?”


    At the mention of poison, the crowd gasped.


    “What? No!” I held my hands up, but the guards had taken renewed interest in me.


    “What’s this about poison?” Joseph said, bullying his way to my side.


    “Nothing,” I said quickly.


    “She poisoned the Queen!” Linda said, pointing. In the past five seconds, she had taken that wild idea


    andtched onto it, doubling down. Could she not simply see that her eggs had spoiled?


    “She didn’t keep her eggs on ice and they went bad,” I said. “That’s all that happened.”


    Joseph crossed his arms. Lifting his chin, he peered down the length of his nose at me.


    “An usation of poisoning is a serious matter,” he said.


    “Tell that to Linda. I didn’t have anything to do with –”


    Joseph ignored me. “We will investigate. But in the meantime, the used should be ced into the


    dungeons for the sake of the Queen.”


    My stomach dropped. “What?”


    I looked around, searching for Elva in the crowd. Fortunately Mark had pulled her away. They watched


    from very far back, near the edge of the gardens. Hopefully, she was too far away to hear.


    A guard grabbed me roughly by the arm.


    1/2


    +15 BONUS


    “Hey!” I struggled, but they were trained soldiers, paid for their strength. Without my wolf, I was an


    absolute weakling inparison.


    “Now, wait one minute,” Nichs said. He politely weaved his way through the crowd, approaching me.


    When he was close enough, he red at the guard’s hold on my arm until the guard released me.


    “Your Royal Highness,” Joseph said, dipping his head. “This is a serious matter. Please allow me


    permission to handle it as I see fit.”


    Nichs stared at him tly. “Denied.”


    Joseph blinked, apparently not expecting that reaction. Just how much free reign did this Captain of the


    Guard usually have?


    “In fact, rather than your typical investigation, I have a suggestion of my own,” Nichs said.


    He looked first to me, offering me a reassuring nod, then looked to Linda.


    “Perhaps Linda would like to remake her food, with all of us watching. If she is actually as good a cook


    as she indicates, she should be able to prove it in front of all of us. Then we will take this usation of


    poisoning under advisement. But not before.”


    Linda paled as he spoke, but eventually agreed. “Of course, I would be happy toplete any


    challenge Your Royal Highness deems necessary.”


    Prince Nichs nodded, as if that decided everything. Maybe it did. This must have been one of the


    benefits of being a royal. I wasn’t about to speak out against it, especially since it was directly helping


    me.


    “Sir,” Joseph said, voice terse. “Until such an event can be nned, surely we should lock away the


    used – if only on the off chance she hasmitted the crime. Don’t we owe it to our Queen to take


    every precaution?”


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    Nichs looked to Nathan. “An event like this shouldn’t take all that long to prepare for, should it,


    Nathan?”


    “I will see to it at once, Your Royal Highness. The kitchen is likely being used to prepare lunch, but


    afterwards, I don’t see any reason why we could not utilize the space.”


    “Very good, Nathan. Thank you,


    Nathan bowed, then turned and hurried to see to the duty.