Chapter 220 - Accusing A Queen

"W-What?" the Queen looked at Daniel in shock, "You think I tried to kill you?"

"Watch your tongue Vincent before I cut it out!" Daniel yelled, pulling his sword now and pointing it at Vincent, "That is my wife!"

As soon as the King pulled his sword it started a chain reaction.  Ian had his sword in his hand in an instant and then all the guards did as well, the royal guards and the Adair guards.  The room was filled with flashing silver and Ian moved to stand in front of Delaney, at Vincent's side.  His sword aimed at the King whose eyes went wide as he eyed the enormous blade.

Vincent was the only one who didn't react.  He stood perfectly still with no blade in hand.  He looked at his cousin evenly.

"Someone tried to have me killed Danny," he said quietly, "Just like the other heirs.  They tried to poison me."

"What?" Daniel hissed, his blade lowering a little so Ian automatically let his fall a bit too, "Someone tried to poison you?  To... to kill you?"

Vincent nodded, "Yes.  If you have it studied I'm sure it will be the same poison that killed the other heirs."

"You have it?"

"Yes," Vincent replied and pulled the small vial with the red wax stopper from his pocket.  He held it up for the King to see but didn't give it to him yet.

"My God," Daniel hissed, "That looks the same as the empty vial they found at the home of the last heir to die.  They found it thrown in a fire but it had rolled out and was sitting in the cool ashes.  Vince how... how did you get that?"

"It was given to me by the person who was supposed to use it to kill me," Vincent told him, "But he couldn't do it.  I asked him where he got the poison and he said from the Queen."

Daniel turned to look at Sophia in shock.  The Queen's face looked equal parts shocked and afraid.

"Wait," she said quietly, shaking her head, "I didn't do that.  I didn't try to poison you, Vincent."

"The person told me you did Sophia.  He said you promised him a great reward if he did it.  He was quite scared since you're a Queen so he agreed."

"No," she shook her head, "No I didn't do that.  I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You poisoned my wife and then you tried to poison me."

"Vincent!" Daniel shouted and took another step forward, his blade now at his cousin's throat.  Ian moved forward too, trying to edge a bit in front of Vincent.

"This is the last time I will warn you to watch how you speak about my wife," he hissed, "The next time I will make sure this blade pierces your skin."

"Daniel," Violet spoke up now, moving to stand on the other side of her son, "You can't deny the proof we have.  Your wife gave Delaney poison to make sure she couldn't have children and then she tried to kill Vincent on top of it.  We have spoken to the person who received the poison from her.  We also have Delaney's statement about your wife taking her to get a potion and even telling her not to tell anyone."

"I didn't want her to tell anyone because I'm embarrassed," Sophia said with a shaky voice, "I didn't want people to know I'd gotten so desperate to have a child that I had resorted to working with witches."

"And what about the poison you gave to kill Vincent?"

"Daniel!" Anna shouted at him, "Why are you doing and saying nothing while all these hideous people are accusing my sister of such horrible things!  You know she didn't do any of these things.  For all we know this is some kind of revenge for what happened the last time they were at court.

Daniel hesitated, looking at Vincent now, "Is that true Vince?  Is this revenge for what I... for what I did to you?"

Delaney looked between her husband and the King.  She felt something pulling on her skirt and when she looked down she saw little William there with wide eyes.  She signaled for him to be quiet and turned back to Vincent.

"Danny you've known me all my life.  Do you really think I would make up such serious lies about your wife just to hurt you?"

"We have always loved Sophia," Violet added, "Why would we ever choose to hurt her unless we thought it was the truth?"

"Daniel throw these people into the dungeons!  How dare you let them speak about my sister like this!"

The King hesitated, looking down at his wife with her tear-stained and terrified face.  He looked at Daniel standing tall and unflinching before him.  The man covered in horrible scars because he had gone to war when the King sent him and he hadn't returned until he had won.

Beside Delaney, William tugged on her skirts again.  She waved a hand for him to stop but the boy shook his head and tugged again.  Delaney frowned and looked back to the men, trying to ignore the child.

The King's turned to his guards, "Go fetch the witch Luna.  Clear the great hall so fewer people will see her and move up the back stairs but bring her to me."

The guards nodded and a handful of them left to do as they were told.  Daniel turned back to Vincent with a determined expression.

"I will look at all the evidence Vince but you must tell me.  Who was it that brought the poison to try to kill you?"

Vincent hesitated.  They had hoped only to mention William as a last resort.  The King could decide the boy deserved to be punished too.  William was still pulling at Delaney's skirt but now she moved to step in front of him, keeping him hidden from the King's view.

"I want to believe my wife Vince," Daniel said seriously, "I don't want to believe she's capable of such things.  You love Delaney so I know you understand.  I don't want to find out you've been lying to me either though.  You've been by my side my entire life.  So now all I can do is speak to the witch and speak to whoever your man is that says my wife told him to kill you.  Who is he?"

"He's not a man," Vincent gave in, "He's a boy who worked in your kitchens.  We offered him a position in our household and he took it.  It was him she sent the poison with intended for me."

"I have no idea what you're talking about!" Sophia shook her head as tears fell from her eyes.

"A servant boy?" Anna demanded, "Are we to really believe the words of a servant boy over the words of a Queen?  He has no right to speak about my sister like this!  Slit the hideous man's throat and be done with it!"

"Where is this boy?" Daniel looked at his cousin, "Produce him so I might speak to him.  I want to hear what he has to say."

One of the doors in the back of the room was thrown open and two guards carried in a woman making strange noises and fighting to get away from them.  A third guard quickly closed the door and they dragged forward the witch Luna.  Luckily she was wearing more clothing this time Delaney noticed.  A long black skirt and a sort of short top that only covered her breasts and shoulders but left her midriff exposed.

The guards carried her forward and dropped her to the ground in front of the King.  The woman had her wrists bound together and looked up through her long red hair with wild eyes going from one person to the next.  She was clearly angry.

Daniel looked down at her for a moment before looking back at Vincent.  "I want to speak to the boy," he repeated.

William was tugging urgently at Delaney's skirt but when Vincent stepped back to reveal him the boy froze.

The room was silent as everyone turned to look at William expectantly.  The boy looked terrified from one face to the next but when his eyes landed on the King's they remained there.

"Step forward boy," Daniel said evenly.

Vincent held out a hand to gesture for William to stand between him and Ian so the child moved slowly forward to do so.

"Tell me," Daniel looked at him seriously, "Were you given poison and told to use it to kill the Duke?"

William hesitated but then swallowed and nodded.  Both Anna and Sophia stared at him with matching looks of fear.

"Alright," Daniel nodded as well, "Now this is very important boy... who gave you the potion and told you to kill Lord Adair?  Was it my wife?  The Queen?"

William looked at him with round, fearful eyes and they all waited for his reply.  Suddenly Delaney gasped as the boy slowly started to shake his head.

"N-no," he whispered.