“You would if you were trying to get rid of me because you’re afraid I’ll take your spot,” Zacharie snapped. “This is what Gautier told me. It turned out they couldn’t get me, so they went after you. It made sense because a plot might involve something to hurt the perpetrator. They need to look innocent, and if they can appear like a victim to a point, it’ll throw off suspicion. Those guys simply decided to kill and rob you to get paid despitenot finishing the actual job. Gautier said we couldn’t tell Father, and it didn’t make full sense. I know you hate me, but you’re not a killer, and I kept thinking about what you said…I started to wonder if Gautier had plotted. At the same time, I couldn’t imagine him doing so because...I love him.”
Love didn't mean a person was good. Zacharie had stumbled onto the truth, although in a broken way.
“When you threw the cards, I was mad, and I wanted to hurt you back. It felt like you'd abandoned me, and that’s why I insulted your Mother. I thought Gautier might be right, but I don’t want you to die, and he’s saying I’m in danger.”
Aleric took a deep breath as Jaime came to the bedroom door, holding his sword. “Gautier knows I like Winter’s Edge sherry from Iceland,” he started since that was the first thing Zacharie had told him. “It’s expensive to buy and transport across the realm, and most of the courtiers don’t like it, so we don’t often get any.”
“Okay?”
“Gautier said I was supposed to bring a bottle of it and two small cups to him a couple of nights ago and try to make up,” Zacharie added. “He picked a drink Aleric would love.”
Jaime stepped back to look at Aleric’s sideboard. He only had a few glasses and sealed bottles of wine that he hadn’t touched in a while. He didn’t have any sherry glasses since he rarely drank it.
“The sherry would be poisoned.”
Zacharie shook his head. “No, the glasses would have poison rubbed on the rim. I’d have to drink the sherry too. If not, he’d suspect.”
“He told you to do this?” asked Jaime.
Zacharie nodded. “I was to drink out of the one with a blue band around the bottom because it’d be the safe glass. The strong mint in the Winter’s Edge would hide anything. I refusedto take the glasses to him that night, and the next morning is when I started everything in the Hall. I knew if I pissed Aleric off enough, there was no way he'd drink anything I offered.”
“Where are the glasses and the sherry?” asked Aleric.
“In Gautier’s rooms. He tried to get me to go last night too, and I told him I was too scared. He’s furious, and I’m afraid to go away with him. I think he found the note, and he knows I didn’t believe him at first.”
“Wait, why the outburst?”
Zacharie’s face pinched. “Aleric’s not going to drink sherry with me and hear apologies after I just shamed and embarrassed him a second time. Father announced Aleric’s marriage, so I went with it. Gautier hit me for it, and he still wanted me to try. He’s said Aleric’s trying to have me killed so his position is safe.”
Damn it. Zacharie had tried to protect him, although he’d gone about it in a very brattish way.
“I don’t think Gautier’s in the hallway,” said Jaime. “I don’t know where he went or what he’s doing. We need to go to Lord Monet, get him up, and tell him what’s happening.”
“He might have guards on his side,” said Aleric. “There’s usually eight on duty at night. We’ll go to the city and get those. Come on.”
Zacharie hesitated. “I killed Olivier. I had a feeling he’d tried to poison Aleric because he was too sick after his injury. I found something to slip into the herbs he always had for tea in the morning. It strained his heart.”
“It was defense,” said Aleric. “He won’t do anything to you, and I won’t let him. I know you’re scared, but there are three of us right here. Come on.”
Aleric gave Zacharie his dagger before they went to the sitting room door. Jaime went first by throwing it open and entering the hallway with his flaming sword.
“It’s clear.”
The Castle had never felt so empty and abandoned when they hurried to Father’s rooms. Aleric didn’t knock, and Father damn near jumped out of his armchair when they entered with weapons drawn.
“What the fuck?” He sleepily blinked at his sons and Jaime. “Why are you locking the door?”
“Zacharie can tell you the whole thing later,” Aleric said as Father rubbed one of his knees and reached down for the book that had fallen out of his lap. He must have dozed off while reading. “I wasn’t lying, Gautier beat me, and he tried to drug me that night. Olivier poisoned me, he’s harmed Zacharie, and he wants me dead.” Father stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “Show him.”
Zacharie lifted his shirt to show the bruising. “Everything he said was true. If Alex hit me, why not Aleric? There’s other stuff too.”
Anger flared for a moment in Aleric as Father gaped at the bruise. “If you’d fucking believed me earlier…I wasn’t lying. He beat me with a belt and left me on my bedroom floor.”
“I don’t know what Gautier’s doing now,” said Jaime. “He needs to be locked up.”
“Even if you don’t believeme,at least lock him up for beating your youngest,” snapped Aleric. “If you think Zacharie’s lying too, I’ll take him right out of here, and I don’t know if we’ll ever come back.”
No heirs, no chance to be the lord. Father might not be a target with no way for Gautier to get his position, and Aleric wasn’t going to stick around if Father wasn’t willing to believe the evidence right in front of his face.
