King Adrain's gaze pierced the grand hall as he scrutinized the ornate knife, a family heirloom that wove tales through generations. The rich tapestry of suspicion unfolded as he traced the intricate craftsmanship, each curve a whisper of secrets.
"Whose knife is this?" King Adrain demanded, his eyes locking onto the second prince who grinned with a wicked charm. "Mine, brother," he replied with a sinister smile that hung in the air like a brewing storm.
"I believe yours is grey. How does it turn green?" The king's voice cut through the tension, his suspicion unyielding. The second prince's response dripped with cunning defiance, "You may be mistaken, Majesty, or perhaps you seek to cast shadows before you feel threatened on your throne."
Undeterred, King Adrain persisted, his focus now on the seventh prince. "Where is your knife?" The seventh prince, a favorite of the king, sighed with a hint of sorrow. "I lost it before the day of the fifth prince's murder."
A somber glance passed between them, a silent acknowledgment of the tragic irony. The king sighed, torn between duty and affection, as he gestured for his guards to take the seventh prince for further investigation.
As the young prince was led away, his desperate pleas echoed in the grand hall, a symphony of sorrow. "Brother! Please! I can't do that! I am young! Brothers, talk to the king! Ahahaha," his cries lingered in the air like haunting melodies.
King Adrain, burdened by the weight of suspicion, moved to the center of the hall. "This concludes today's proceedings. The investigation into our brothers' demise shall persist." The assembled court bowed in respect, but before the hall emptied, the second prince leaned in with a cryptic utterance.
"The insect eating a vegetable is under the vegetable," he spoke in riddles, leaving the king puzzled in his wake. The chapter ended with an air thick with deception, as shadows of betrayal danced on the edges of royal intrigue.