“Please. Tell Father. If Gautier goes away, we can ask Father right now.”
“What’s going on?” demanded Jaime. There was no way Zacharie had decided this on a random whim.
“Why do I have to tell Father right now?” Aleric asked slowly. “And why is Gautier banging on my door?”
Zacharie hesitated. “I don’t want to go to Narter, and…”
Aleric, sitting up in bed, glanced down his brother’s body. “Are you hurt?”
Zacharie flinched when Gautier pounded on the sitting room door so hard, it sounded like he was trying to knock it down.
“ZACHARIE! It’s late! Knock off this nonsense.”
“Whatever’s going on, you better tell us right now,” Jaime snapped in a low voice. “I don’t think Gautier is simply eager to go to bed.”
Zacharie paused and spoke in a rush. “I-I wasn’t supposed to say you were his son, and he got mad at me. It’s a secret.”
“I’m not his son! There’s no secret.”
Zacharie lifted his shirt, and Aleric’s eyes widened as he immediately got out of bed.
Jaime caught a glimpse of the bruise on his side. Shit. Someone had slugged him likely more than once judging by the tones of the black and blue.
“He hit you?” demanded Aleric.
Zacharie dropped his shirt and moved away as Aleric reached for him. “Don’t touch it. I wasn’t supposed to say anything about it. I mean, not the bruise, but that too. No one is supposed to know Jaime is his son.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” asked Jaime. “I know who my Father is.”
Zacharie glanced at him. “Gautier said so.”
“Then Gautier’s been eating funny mushrooms from the forest. Aleric, we need to show Lord Monet. He can’t deny his son being bruised, and he needs to be arrested for assault.”
“You expect us to walk right past him?” Aleric demanded as Gautier knocked again. “He’s not letting up.”
“Well…he can’t stand there and knock all night. I’m pretty sure he’s not strong enough to break through either.”
Aleric went for his sword on the dresser and grabbed Jaime’s from where he’d leaned it against the wall. “Here. I don’t think Gautier is going to be content to let us take Zacharie to Father.”
As if on cue, Gautier thumped on the thick wood again. “I’m not playing games. It’s late.”
“I think he suspects. He’s practically been pasted to my side all day and…He went to the privy room, so I snuck out. He was mad at me this morning because I wouldn’t do what he asked, and if we go to Narter, I don’t know what to do. The more I think about it-” Zacharie’s breath hitched.
“What are you talking about?” Aleric kept his voice low. “Suspects what?”
“I killed Olivier, and I tried to poison Alex last night.”
Aleric’s mouth dropped slightly, and Jaime spoke. “You poisoned the physician?” Gautier slammed his fist into the door. He had to be kidding.
“Zacharie! Why are you ignoring me? Aleric, send your damn brother out here now!”
“Don’t open the door, but you see if you can get him to go away.” Aleric turned to his brother. “Tell me what happened.”
Jaime hurried into the sitting room. He caught something about a glass and rubbing the edge.
Fuck. If Gautier knew Zacharie was blabbing…but what could he do? He approached the sitting room door to call through it. “Hey, Zacharie’s talking to Aleric. Can you give him a minute? You’re kind of distracting.”
“It’s almost midnight,” came Gautier’s acid tone.
