Chapter 23 ~ Accusing fingers

I choked. The air stuck in my throat made me start a coughing fit which only died down when I started to take deep breaths.

"I thought you didn't have a sense of humour," I mumbled loud enough for them all to hear. Sir Harper stood unamused, gesturing the guards forward.

"You have the right to stay silent," a guard, who I wasn't familiar with, said and forced my arms behind my back even though I showed no resistance. "Anything you say can and will be held against you in the court of law."

My eyes widened, and I looked over to Christopher, who must've been thinking the same thing I was, whatever it was that I was thinking.

"There's got to be a mistake, there's no way Arianna could have done this," Christopher said, his stunned tone somehow remained certain. "Give me an explanation now."

Sir Harper let out a small sigh, as if he was going to explain something entirely obvious. "That's what we thought first but we found the items in her room, tucked underneath her bed rather well," he explained calmly.

I blinked, the air getting stuck in my throat again leading to more coughs. He couldn't be serious, tell me he's not being serious. There's no way –

"She's been framed, there's no way it's her," Christopher swore. I felt relief flood though me. Thank you!

"Be it her or not, the items were found in her room so she will be taken for further questioning, that is the law," Sir Harper stated, his voice strict and remorseless as ever and as was his face. He turned towards me and if I wasn't mistaken I could see the ever so slightest glimmer of glee in his eyes.

My gaze hardened into him and I bit down onto my tongue, I'm innocent we all know that I'm innocent here, why –

I immediately thought back to the fortune teller, did she have to be right?

'Someone fair will pay the wages' are you serious? What did I do to deserve this?

The guards pushed me forward and I didn't resist, knowing it would cause more trouble in the long run. The handcuffs were tight and I could feel the entirety of me tense up, I kept my teeth clenched, somehow managing to keep my mouth out of order. I didn't want to say anything stupid.

At least not yet anyway.

Shock and anger weren't something I was used to Christopher, but I knew that I was in good hands when I saw that look of determination. "I'll get you out of this trouble Arianna," Christopher promised, his voice trembling with anger. "Someone take me to the chief and get my father on the phone."

The guards, surrounding me like I was a threat to society, escorted me, with Sir Harper in front. He walked proudly towards the palace, obviously pleased that he had arrested the culprit. I could barely see the garden on the way in, something that somehow always used to be my solace started to look artificial and overpowering. My normal quick steps started to slow, as if my body not my mind or my heart, felt the reality of the situation.

They can't be serious, can they? Me? Stealing the items? Why on earth –

"Miss Irving, we have no time to spare, I suggest you carry on walking before you're taken by force," a guard warned, his voice stern and impatient. I looked up at him, seeing the ire and frustration in his thick eyebrows and quickly complied.

I sighed quietly and started to walk again, trying to keep a steady pace. But I could feel the eyes of the people in the castle bore into me, boring holes in every direction particularly in my handcuffed hands.

"Arianna, there you are, I was just – what is going on here?" Juliet exclaimed. The usually composed princess had her mouth agape as she examined the scene, her face contorted in confusion when – I guess – she couldn't find an adequate explanation for what was going on.

She caught my gaze and asked me with her eyes, but I shrugged. I was almost as clueless as she was.

"Honestly, what is going here?" Juliet asked, her voice rising. "Sir Harper, an explanation now."

"As you should already know, an investigation has been in pursuit in order to find the criminal who has stolen from the royal family and other nobles. Arianna is a prime suspect and is being taken into custody," Sir Harper explained in a calm, yet impatient manner.

Juliet's face contorted in confusion. "You definitely got the wrong person Sir Harper, there's no way Arianna is responsible. There must be a mistake," Juliet exclaimed, her voice raising slightly in volume.

"Arianna is simply a suspect, she will not be put on trial just yet Juliet. She will be just taken for questioning, now if you will, we shall leave. As it's the Autumn Ball today as well we are pressed for time," Sir Harper said, you could tell that his impatience was rising from how tight his voice was.

Juliet paused, knowing that even as a princess there wasn't much she could do in the current situation. "When will the King and Queen arrive be back at the castle?" She asked curtly.

"By the time the ball starts I'm sure," he replied using a matter-of-fact tone.

"And Prince Christopher?" She pressed.

"He was just in the gardens, I'm sure he is talking to some officers right at this minute."

Juliet nodded and moved out of the way. But she my gaze as I continued to walk away, and could tell she was promising me that she and Christopher will be getting to the bottom of this. Before she was out of my sight, I saw her hurry away.

I was taken to an unfamiliar part of the palace, somewhere a level below the grounds that had stony walls and black metal. Please don't tell me they're going to put me in a literal dungeon? Or was there really an execution chamber after all?

It took me a while to realise that I had been taken to a holding cell. My possessions had been taken and secured and I couldn't remember sitting on the hard, lumpy, uncomfortable... what is it? Am I on a bed?

My eyes surveyed over my surroundings and I found nothing but a bed and metal bars that separated me from the manned guards outside, each armed and impassively brooding.

I lifted my hands off my lap, ignoring the raised hairs on my arms but then dropped them and tried to remember, what is going on?

I was kissing Christopher and feeling happy and so in love and then all of a sudden, I remember being shackled, even at the protest of Christopher, and brought inside the palace... am I inside the palace?

Juliet somehow crossed paths with us and demanded an explanation about why am I being taken into custody? Arianna is a prime suspect.

There is no way. I could remember seeing that defiant expression as she hastened away, maybe towards Christopher who may or may not be still befuddled or enraged in the gardens.

After that I could just remember my heart, beating and beating faster and faster, was it running a marathon or a sprint? That was all I could think of before I found myself here, frozen and unable to string together a thought that was longer than what

Honestly though, just what, what is going on? Why, why am I here? I'm accused of theft you say Sir Harper? I'm a prime suspect? The possessions were found in my room after someone had given a tip off? What?

* * *

"I'll ask you again Miss Irving how did those possessions end up in your room?" A stern toned miserable looking lady asked me for the third time.

I was in an interrogation room or whatever it was called. It had a boring interior just like my holding cell had with white walls, a mirror which I knew there were probably several people behind and the table which separated me from my interrogators.

I would have liked this to be a more good cop/bad cop kind of situation, but it looks like I am stuck with two bad cops.

"I'm telling you that someone must have put them there. I am being framed," I insisted for like, the tenth time. Do these people even listen?

"No suspicious fingerprints where found on the items," the man said. His voice and face seemed to mimic the woman's. It made me wonder that maybe they were twins in their past life.

"I bet my fingerprints weren't even on them."

"Whether they were there or not, there was hair samples that led to you," the man continued knowingly and accusingly.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Oh, so maybe they took some out of my hairbrush." How are these people even detectives? Shouldn't they know stuff like this? "Listen, I am being framed. Why would I steal that stuff? What motive would I had? What leverage would it give me? What will I gain from this? I don't know about you but I'm already rich. Being a thief is totally not worth it."

Their deadpan expressions remained and that meant they were still unconvinced. What happened to innocent until proven guilty?

"Well Miss Irving it is no secret that you did not want to marry the prince," the man continued.

This time I really did roll my eyes. "So, I decided to steal from the royal family and nobles? Because going to jail is better than marrying a prince?" I questioned. They can't be serious right now. "I mean, yeah I know what I said in the past but that was me being me. Listen, if I still didn't want to marry him, I wouldn't be making out with him in the palace gardens!" I ignored the sudden flush on my cheeks and continued. "I would have ran away a long time ago and then come back after he settled with kids or something."

The officers remained silent, showing no emotion to the argument I made, and it made me wonder whether they cared for what I was saying at all. They probably didn't to be honest.

Which of course doesn't help me at all, does it?

The lady shifted in her seat and brought out a file I didn't know she had. She placed it on the table and kept it closed. I was dying to reach forward and open it, but I didn't want to give them another reason to keep me here. "It says in the records, you've been accommodated here for a few years, is there any reason for that?" She asked, clearly dropping the previous point and disregarding what I had said.

What does that have to do with anything anyway?

I shrugged but the room fell silent because I knew that everyone wanted a verbal justification.

"Yes, yes I have," I said. I stayed silent, telling them with my eyes that I wasn't going to elaborate unless they asked more questions. I mean I did that for my own reasons, I had permission and I didn't get in anyone's way. Me and Juliet were roommates and now I'm with Christopher.

Christopher. God just thinking about him makes me nauseous and I mean this in the best way possible. I wonder what he and Juliet are doing now? Are they attending the Autumn ball pretending as if nothing happened?

If anything, I was surprised I was being interrogated today, I only had to spend a few long hours in that ghastly room before they decided to put me out of my misery and question me to death in this equally ghastly room.

But then again, I did very shamelessly say that I would fight the police without my lawyer. They're probably waiting for me to say something dumb quick so they can lock me up until trial and enjoy the party themselves.

"Why have you been staying at this palace Miss Irving? You are not a member of the royal family neither are you an employee, you do not need to be living here," the man asked suddenly. His eyes were more focused on me than before, almost as if he was going to catch me out. "You could be considered closer than what is appropriate for a mere noble. You probably know a lot more about the castle than you should. That is a security threat in itself." He then paused before continuing. "What else are you planning? There must be something. You can't be there for no reason."

So, I probably shouldn't say anything rashly from now on.

I took a deep breath in hoping it would calm the butterflies that just erupted in my stomach. It wasn't something I wanted to talk about. I already felt I had enough with my family, Juliet and even the Queen. Christopher wanted to know a bit too.

Why did these people have to know? Why is this even relevant?

I continued to focus on my breathing. I knew that they had the upper hand here and that withholding this information wasn't going to end well. Who knew was I going to be convicted for murder next?

I shuddered and then looked back at the stiff interrogators (who seriously looked like they needed to get laid, let's be real and hardened my gaze. "Fine. Since, I refuse to let you use such an irrelevant and unnecessary piece of information against, but I'll tell you the truth." I wanted to smile at the sudden surge of confidence but as I opened my mouth to continue, I felt my voice quietening. "I hated living at home after... Nigel died. I hated it. I couldn't stay there. I stayed a lot at my grandparents, but it didn't really help a lot. So, Juliet, who, you know, is my best friend, let me stay in her chambers and I did, and I know it's been a few years, and some may say that I have overstayed my welcome, but I've just felt like going home was really difficult. Besides, even though I lived in the palace for a few years, I didn't like to spend all my time there. I have so much documented time doing other things outside the palace you know. I do have a social life. I did go to high school."

"But you've been able to go home more recently?" The lady asked, again disregarding most of what I had to say.

"Yes, because, you know, people do eventually recover. I do miss my family. I feel bad for not showing my face as often as I should. It has nothing to do with the royal family, just me and my feelings towards my brother's death," I said. I could feel a burn in my throat and tears prick in my eyes.

I knew it had been years and maybe I never really let myself think about it and recover because it hurt so much, but what did that have to do with now? What could they possible do to link the two?

"Miss Irving, it comes to our understanding that the reason for Nigel's death is negligence of health."

My mouth went dry. What did Nigel suddenly have to do with anything?

"But it could also be considered that his cause of death may have been due to negligence of workplace care."

I felt my chest tightening.

"And that workplace was working in the palace as a cavalry solider."

Silence enveloped the room next and it was suffocating. I knew what they were trying to say. That this is revenge because they didn't look after my brother. That I had a clear motive to commit the crime, but seriously? Wouldn't I have done something else to avenge my brother? Wouldn't I done a more terrible crime to bring him justice?

I didn't cave into speaking, mainly because I knew I couldn't speak confidently and that would be another thing they could use against me.

I was really on my own, wasn't I?

The tense silence broke when the woman finally spoke and while, I already knew what she had to say, it still made my blood run cold.

"Miss Irving it is safe to say that your motive is clear. You're avenging your brother, aren't you?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

...

it's been two and a half years. I'm 22 and I'm in my final year of university. I can't believe it's taken me this long to write this (yes I did start writing this chapter two and a half years ago)

I'm sorry and thank you, if you are still reading. I love you. 

Next update: soon, hopefully.

Ciao ~ Ami