Earlier, most people stayed quiet as they thought of the things shoved right in front of them. Not only would there be more tasks to attend to, but there might also be a reshuffle in the inner court. Some hadn't gotten past the fact those men had seen and spoken to the king before they could. It was not even because the king was sentencing them.
As for Kanaru, he retreated from the center. He looked in the direction of his room. He buried the crown underneath all his clothes to keep it from being seen if someone dared to steal from him. It was not like he didn't lock the vault he found in that tower.
"Make way! This is official business!"
From the doors came a loud explosion and a voice Kanaru hadn't heard for so long. Rodnir kicked the door open as if running inside before anyone else could. Even Natucha and Sierra frowned at his action of damaging the palace. However, the others just screamed and ran away from the origin of the loud boom.
"Rodnir, let me arrest him myself!" Ushka burst in running after him. With her hands holding her skirt up, everyone saw her chestnut fur embracing her legs that morphed into those of a deer.
They also didn't expect the outer court to gather in the main lounge of the living spaces. Rodnir's eyes landed on Kanaru quickly, but he didn't stay looking as he walked briskly toward them. His hand went smoothing his creased clothes. "Natucha, please remain after our business. The king has a lot of tasks for you. Right now, however…"
Ushka drove her hateful gaze at the people there, including Sierra and Rosamund. Then, she spotted Kanaru in the crowd. Since the man wasn't the person named, she left him alone. She just huffed and then continued scanning the crowd for the person she was looking for. She didn't even care if Rodnir discreetly made his way to Kanaru after he finished talking to Natucha.
Her hand shot out and pointed a finger at Eann. "Eann Glasswind, stay where you are. I know what you have done, and it's best for you to come without resistance!"
"Huh? What did I do?" Eann flinched, the people around him deliberately stepping away from him. Puri didn't move, but her friend pulled her away before Ushka could isolate her as well.
"Little thief, where is it? Don't you know that stealing the king's crown is the worst kind of offense that you can do?" Ushka laughed as she dropped her gathered skirt, acting like she was still fully in her human form. "Guards, if you will."
Eann gasped and denied it, but his words got caught in his tongue. He wanted to say that he didn't take it as it never even landed in his hands. Neither did he notice if the king was wearing the crown when he came. Perhaps they only knew the king came to see him because of the lamp.
He then turned in Kanaru's direction. "Wait! Why am I the only suspect? I'm not the only one he saw last night! Kanaru, you said he was there with you, too, right? Help me!"
"Wait, don't take him just—!" Kanaru wanted to run to stop the guards, who all bore angry eyes at the thief. However, Rodnir grabbed Kanaru's arm and pulled him back. It was so forceful that Kanaru felt pain and was sent to the floor.
"Don't say anything anymore." Rodnir crouched down to hold Kanaru down where he sat. "You wouldn't want them to find out where Fenris slept last night."
Kanaru froze.
He then looked back at Rodnir's face in horror, ignoring how Natucha followed the guards as if bargaining with their treatment. Ushka didn't even present proof. At the foreign, silencing gaze coming from Rodnir's eyes, Kanaru then asked, "Did His Majesty say Eann stole it? What proof did they have to believe he was the thief?"
"Nothing." Rodnir just watched Eann get dragged by the guards, the prince screaming for help. "They probably just heard him mention Eann's name. The girls of the inner court are extremely jealous. If he's not the thief, they'll release him at the order of the king. Just leave it be."
"What will happen to him now?" Kanaru asked again as they got up from the floor, his tone darker than earlier. Rodnir glanced at him once as if feeling the building anger inside the prince.
The king's ward crossed his arms on his chest. "He will be in solitary until the trial. He won't be getting food or anything for starters. Luckily, he's not alone. The neighboring cells wouldn't be too quiet."
Kanaru's fists balled. "They didn't have proof, yet Eann's reputation will be tarnished like this. You knew this shouldn't stand… but why aren't you doing anything?"
"It's more important to find the crown. Now that everyone heard it was stolen, they would be looking for it. It won't be in his belongings, but they are already inside the tower by the time they realize that. They might start looking in your room next." Rodnir scoffed and glanced down at Kanaru's glare. "Let's just go back and retrieve the crown—"
"I heard that concubines who assault higher-ups are also sent to solitary. Rodnir, can you do me a favor and put our cells next to each other's?"
"Next to each other's? Why would you have a cell—?" Rodnir hadn't even finished asking when he turned to Kanaru again. However, instead of an intense gaze coming from a pretty boy…
What met Rodnir's face was Kanaru's fist!
Bang! Everyone was watching how Eann struggled in the hands of the guards, but they all saw how he gasped in pure horror. He even screamed: "Kanaru! What did you do?"
Before they knew it, the scent of a unicorn's blood wafted in the air. The guards turned to find Rodnir, but he was already on the ground. They even saw how Rodnir caught a kick coming from Kanaru. Half of the guards ran to seize the rampaging bird prince. Rodnir just accepted someone's help before gesturing a waving hand at them.
"Two of them in solitary. Get them out of my sight." Rodnir grumbled his orders, Rosamund coming to clear his face from the blood. He then also dusted and smoothed his clothes. A glare soon shot at the guard who helped him up. "Take a partner and guard the sixth and the seventh floors of the tower. No one goes in and out—but me. Not even anyone from the inner court."
"Yes, sir!"
In an instant, the whole outer court was thrown into loud chattering. Not only did Eann steal the king's crown, but Kanaru also assaulted the king's ward out of nowhere. Those two newbies looked the tamest among the males, but look at the crimes they did. If they were executed that very day, no one would even doubt the sentences.