The throne room was filled with people that it made a buzzing sound. It was going to be dawn soon but they all gathered there. They are all discussing the terrible news. The Crown Prince has been murdered. Vrag entered and immediately approached by Klog and Juwan.
"This is a dire situation, Your Highness..." Klog start to fill in details to Vrag.
Everybody know on the Crown Prince fondness for women. He always have several women accompany him almost every night. Today the chambermaid found him dead, no women in his room. The chambermaid is being interrogated. She said the Crown Prince'd room is unusually quiet that she decided to check.
"You are the one that murdered him!!" a scream can be heard. The audience now turned to the source of the voice.
The woman has disheveled hair with tears overflowing. The other lady with auburn hair covered her face with her gold color fan.
"This is ridiculous!! What proof do you have to accuse me of such crime!"
"After my son died, your son will be the Crown Prince!!"
"Ladies, please..."
One of the ministers tried to break out the fight between the two mistresses. Vrag recognized them, the lady with auburn hair is the Second Prince's mother. Her son is the second in line to the throne, this incident will benefit her the most.
The King entered the throne room with the Queen. Everybody gave them a bow.
While the King have many mistresses to bear children for him, The Queen has been arranging all the education needed for all the Princes and Princesses. She was unable to bear children for him until Vrag. Vrag is born as the fifth Prince, he has long way to go to succeed the throne but the fact that he is the Queen's son has created a divider between the factions.
Slothia's power faction is divided between three oldest noble families: Vermello, Juodas, and Lilla.
Since the war start, as Vrag excelled in military, Juodas which occupied military power in Slothia has started to support him instead of the Crown Prince. Vrag so called victory in Judecca is the turning point of the power house. He was glorified as a hero, the people love him. Nevertheless, he is the son born from the Queen. The nobles though still divided between the Crown Prince with Lilla faction support and the Second Prince Thyr is back up by Vermello faction.
Thyr's mother is born from Vermello family. Thyr always have a gentlemanly demeanor, the ladies love him but he is always at his polite attitude even when courting ladies to join his harem. His harem is only filled with noble's daughters, he refused to take commoners as indirect insult to the Crown Prince that is born from a commoner womb.
Vrag dislike Thyr the most among his brothers. Behind his calm, gentleman attitude he is sneaky like a weasel.
"We will held the funeral tomorrow..." sadness can be heard from the King's voice.
"I will appoint Klog to prepare the funeral and... this will be investigated..."
"I will make sure the culprit and the family will regret killing a Slothian royal..."
The soldiers brought a coffin where the Crown Prince is laid. The funeral will be held in the throne room. The maids has started to bring in flowers in baskets and perfumes. They start to fill the coffin with flowers and the perfume fragrance fill in the air. The Crown Prince mother broken down in tears crying beside the lifeless body of her son.
The Queen has rise from her throne and give the grieving mother her moral support.
Vrag approached the coffin and watch the face of his lifeless half-brother. Vrag and the Crown Prince has twelve years difference in age. When Vrag was still a toddler, only the Crown Prince played with him. The politics has distance them from each other as they grow older. They never talk to each other much except for royal family dinners.
Vrag hold the cold hand of the dead body. "Khiv, I will find who did this." he whispered.
The crying sounds of the women can be heard in the room. The one that caught everybody's attention is a woman with silky long brown curls. Liliana Lilla, the Crown Prince betrothed and supposedly the future Queen.
Despite the Crown Prince fondness with women, he never slept with her saying that her wedding with him will be a sacred one. Liliana is crying with her father trying to console her.
"My King, after the funeral it's best to choose the new Crown Prince." Thyr's mother suddenly opened her mouth and whispers of disbelieve can be heard among the attendees.
"Mother, please. This is a grieving moments for all of us." Thyr suddenly cut his own mother's words and some praised can be heard among the peers. Vrag didn't buy it. He can feel an anger rising inside him.
"Father, please allow me to be in charge of the investigation."
All eyes on Vrag now.
"My son, you can leave this to the military agents..."
"I insist, Father. This is the last thing I can do for Khiv."
Nobody address the Crown Prince by name except Vrag. Despite the distance created by politics in the Palace, Crown Prince and Vrag still feel a little bit attachment to each other. Crown Prince has made the request to Vrag to call him by his name instead of "Brother"
"How do we know that you are not the one behind all this commotion?" suddenly Thyr's mother joining their conversation. Whispers can be heard among the spectators as the lady is so brave to accuse Vrag of orchestrating the poisoning of Crown Prince.
"My Lady." Vrag turned to Thyr's mother and gave her a cold smile. "If I want to be a King now, I will just execute all the Princes before me here, including your son."
"You!!"
"I don't use cowardice like poisons..." Vrag look around and see horrified looks from the nobles.
"You all are aware I have all the people I need for a small massacre."
"This... This is outrageus!! Are you threatening us?" Thyr has come to his mother's aid. Her mother clinging to him now.
"I will find the one responsible for this and I will make sure all his families will not continue such a dirty bloodline."
Vrag has sent a warning to everyone in the hall. Everybody know what kind of temper this Prince have and nobody dare to make a word. The silence has filled the room and only his steps can be heard as he walked out. Juwan has followed him out then closing the door behind him.