"I think we should put his body back now, Leon," Matthew spoke up, as they both discussed late that night while the guards were still in the search.
"I beg to disagree" Leon raved at Matthew's words. "Not until whoever killed my father is caught and punished for his atrocities."
"Involving your father's corpse is enough treachery, Leon. Overlook the validity that you are the Crown Prince. If the high priest finds out he performed those rituals on anyone but the King, you will be in severe trouble." Matthew let him know
"Then we should hope he doesn't find out because I would still not be releasing my father's body to him for the completion of the rite," he affirmed and Matthew narrowed his eyes at his words before he sighed in frustration.
They had spent the entire night in search of the knife or at least, any clue leading to it, even investigating the servants sent to the guest room, yet, not a single trace was found. The only thread they had found related to this case, was that of the servant who had eavesdropped on the Prince's conversation the previous night.
Whether they wanted to accept it or not, she was not the suspect they were looking for.
It was someone of a notorious root, smart enough to leave questions in their heads and to do so clearing out any evidence. It made them believe this person was working alone and had single-handedly carried out these actions because if he wasn't, there would have been glimmers by now. Whatever the situation was, Matthew was aware they wouldn't find the person at this brink but he was having a hard time explaining it to Leon, who was hellbent on finding his father's murderer.
"What if the person already long escaped from the palace before we even found out?" he gave a possibility, trying to reason with Leon. His brows still ached up, waiting anxiously for his reply.
"I do not doubt it but I also don't believe the person committed these crimes and left no trace."
"It is also a possibility, Leon." Matthew deadpanned. It was Leon's turn to narrow his eyes.
"Then it simply means that someone in the palace is being disloyal."
Matthew closed his eyes in dismay, attempting to say something else when Leon raised his hand to stop him.
"My decision remains. No one steps out of the palace till my father's burial rites are over in the next three days.
If we still don't find a clue by then, I would let all the guests leave." he added to put Matthew at ease.
"What about your father's corpse?" he asked as that was what worried him the most. He knew that if the priest found out about the King not being the one those rituals had been conducted on and it was just a rogue's body that was put in the tomb, there would be so much ruckus, considering how these rites he recited were meant for only royals.
Leon gave it a thought before replying,
"You can replace it with the rogue's body now. There's no use of it."
Mathew could sense the annoyance in his tone and he too admitted he was annoyed. The plan was not supposed to get messy and this culprit had outsmarted.
"We'll find your father's killer at the right time, Leon. You do not have to worry. Things happen for a reason." Matthew appealed to him with his hands placed on his friend's shoulders when he noticed his distress.
"Alright then. We should keep the guests busy for the meantime before their minds begin to wander about," he said and Matthew nodded.
"Stop!" both of them heard someone say while they were discussing. They curiously spun their heads in the direction where the shout came from.
A guard ordered some maids that were leaving the guest quarters that night before inquiring from them and letting them go.
Farther away from the corner of his eyes, Leon finally noticed a red hair that had already exited the quarter and for a moment, he noticed she was slightly limping and he raised an eyebrow.
He stared her in the eyes and when she met his gaze, he noticed how she hurriedly turned around and walked faster, making his eyebrows furrow at her action.
He was oriented concerning what had transpired earlier in the dungeon with her and Matthew. He was also aware that she had left her uniform with him the day he had helped her when he met her in the woods, passed out. His eyes narrowed at her as he remembered he had asked a servant to dry clean the uniform and he had kept it in his wardrobe, hoping to give her himself. So how did she end up getting it? Did she sneak into his room or was this another spare she had...?
"...Leon" he finally snapped out of his introspection when Matthew called his name again, flickering his hands for him to see.
"What happened? What are looking at?" Matthew asked curiously, also glancing where Leon had been looking the whole time but he saw no one there as Melina and Cinna were long gone."
"Nothing" came the brief reply and though Matthew could tell it wasn't nothing, he brushed it away thinking it was related to his grievances for his father. Matthew sighed and drooped his head.
"Let it go, Leon. Your father needs to rest. If it is meant to be, we would find his killer. I am sure it's no longer mandatory to find your father's killer before you can rule." the appealing words of his right-hand man reached him.
"My father already abolished the rule," Leon said, bobbing his head in reasoning.
King Lucas also had problems finding his father's killer as the man was assassinated when he was alone. It frustrated him so much that when he finally found the traitors and could now sit on the throne, he immediately nullified the rule of a prince finding his father's killers if his father was slain.
"But you would need to marry your betrothed as it is your father's last wish. It is the last honour you can give him and I know you do not have any plans to marry Jordyn." Matthew tried to list out certain things Leon would need to do to at least show his father the respect he deserved but Leon's mind was long gone elsewhere.
Despite it not being a pressing matter, he wondered how the redhead maid had managed to get her uniform. He was sure servants were not given spares so did she borrow this?
"We'll see later, Matt. You can tell the guards to end the search now." he tapped Matthew's shoulders, giving him a stiff smile of encouragement before he departed.
The young man inquisitively walked to his room, passing through different corridors that were guarded before he finally reached his royal chamber. It was a large space enough for ten people to comfortably live in. Entering another compartment, which was his room, he pulled the beautiful rose gold-plated wardrobe handles, searching the exact spot where he had kept the uniform folded only to find it empty. From the look of things, someone had come in here to collect as it affected the other clothes arranged there.
He clenched his jaw before closing the wardrobe back, this time with a loud thud.
The lady sure had guts.