"What can you tell me about the Maester, Benjen?"
"Medrick?" Benjen frowned. "He's not so old as he seems. Keeps to himself most days. Speaks little, and only when spoken to. I never had much dealings with him. Never saw the need."
Wylis nodded and tiredly glanced around. His heart felt heavy at the sight of Ashara holding sleeping Arthria in her arms. He was personally confused. He did believe that it was the Maester. But he didn't understand why he did it.
As long as it was Maester Medrick's personal action, it was fine. But if it was a grand strategy of the Citadel, then that was an issue. Yet, he couldn't understand why the Citadel would do that.
While it wasn't proven, he had spoken with Archmaester Marwyn enough. The man hinted that the Citadel didn't like dragons and could have used poison, sabotage, and other ways to kill them and bring science and reason to Westeros.
If that was the case, then Wylis believed that he was the greatest inventor and bringer of science. Targeting him made no sense. Unless it was due to jealousy and a need for control, as he didn't share his inventions with the Citadel.
Qyburn isn't important enough to earn me such ire either.
"Could be anything. For now, I don't think Lord Hornwood did this. Poison like that is a Maester's craft. If you look at what's come before, it smells of the Boltons. Still, I won't rule out the Maester having his own cause. We'll need a trap to catch the bastard."
"What trap?" asked Benjen.
Wylis looked at Ashara. "I'll need you to play the sick one. Not for long, I swear it. But you must look near death, as if poison's taken hold. Chett will bring your food and water himself, clean and safe. Lord Hornwood has to think this dire, else he won't grant me leave to handle it."
"I will do it, Wylis." Ashara agreed right away. "Best Arthria remains with me. It's not safe anymore."
"I agree." Wylis turned to Benjen. "Go, tell Chett what's passed. He'll know what must be done. Come morning, I'll stir trouble in the castle and play the angry man and feign fury. I'll lay the blame on Lord Hornwood. You, in the meantime, catch me five small mice and bring them here."
"What will you do with mice, my lord?" Benjen asked.
"A demonstration."
####
Lord Halys Hornwood woke up with a headache, groaning in his bed. He only remembered snippets from last night. All the tales Lord Kaiser had shared with him. He truly felt honored that he could host a man like him.
"Another day, another feast." Lord Halys muttered and got out of his bed, gazing at his noble wife getting ready, combing her hair by the dresser. "I shall go hunting with Lord Kaiser today. You should keep Lady Ashara and the little one company."
"Of course. But… I find it difficult to know how to address her. She is a paramour and—"
"Now then, she's still of noble birth, mind you. Daughter of House Dayne, sister to a famed knight. She's a lady, my wife. Give her the same respect you'd grant Lady Kaiser, won't you? I've not seen Lord Kaiser treat her otherwise."
"Understoo—"
Knock! Knock!
Interrupting his wife, Halys noted a heavy knock on his bedchamber's door. He walked over to it and unlocked it, finding his captain standing with a grave face.
"M'lord! Lord Kaiser… L-Lady Ashara… She's been poisoned!"
It took moments for the smile to fade away from Halys' face. It took moments for his mind to fully register what his captain had just said. And he was actually was looking forward to the day's activities with Lord Kaiser…
"What? Nonsense, who would dare such a thing in my castle?"
"M'lord, Lord Kaiser is furious! He… he nearly killed me in range. It's true, the poison."
"Move!" Lord Halys pushed the stammering captain aside and stormed out of the chamber, still dressed in his sleeping robes. He didn't just walk, he ran like his life depended on it and quickly reached the guest chamber.
He noticed Lord Kaiser's guards standing outside the door. Once he reached the door, there stood Lord Kaiser's tall squire, blocking the way.
"What's happened here? Where is Lord Kaiser? How fares Lady Ashara?"
Lord Halys felt somewhat intimidated by that tall squire. But to his luck, Lord Kaiser appeared right then and invited him in. He eyed the bed right away and found Lady Ashara on it. Her face was paler, her eyes baggy, and her lips dry. The little girl, Arthria, was snuggled beside her.
"My lord, what happened?" he asked.
"Ashara was poisoned, Lord Hornwood. I felt something was off at the feast last night, but I let it pass. Fool of me. Poisons don't touch me, and bad meat's never laid me low. But Ashara… she isn't made the same."
Lord Halys nearly lost his footing, his legs gone weak. "Poisoned? But my lord… we both ate from the same tray, aye, and drank from the same pitcher. How can that be?"
Instead of an answer, he saw Lord Kaiser move. He watched as Lord Kaiser filled a cup with water and then fed it to a small mouse. It took a few moments, but the mouse started to squeak and wail.
"The poison was not in the food and water served, Lord Hornwood. It was smeared on the cups and plates. A slow, creeping poison to weaken my body and leave me open to any common fever that comes along. Not some simple brew, mind you."
Lord Halys stared at the mouse dying a slow death. At last, he dropped to his heels and gazed at the dead mouse. His hands shivered, scared of this incident coming out in the open. Lord Kaiser was a famous man with many enemies but powerful allies. Especially his friendship with King Robert, it was widely known. If word of this reached King's Landing, he feared there would be retribution.
"My lord, this was none of my doing. I had longed to welcome you here, to feast beside you as is right." Lord Halys clarified. "I will see this matter set right, I will find the truth—"
"No need. Call the maid who set these cups and the water jar here. And the ones who brought my plates. I'll find the guilty hand myself. If you're clean of this, it will be settled within hours."
"Of course!"
Lord Halys didn't question it and immediately got to work. He called in additional men-at-arms and locked down the entire castle, gathering everyone in his great hall so none could destroy evidence if there was any.
After that, he arrested the maids who brought water to Lord Wylis' bedchamber and served the plates during the feast.
By the time Lord Kaiser came to interrogate them, he had dressed fitting his stature, yet… the inside of his robes was drenched in nervous sweat.
His hope for a delightful gathering and forging new connections had come to this.
I will tear them alive who did this!
He rarely got angry. That day he was.
####
Wylis stood in front of the three maids who had served him during his stay. He was taller than them by more than two heads and looked imposing. His dark, fur-collared cloak only made his shoulders broader.
He stared at their frightened faces. The three maids were all young, but not new in the castle.
Wylis had a hidden trump card in this matter. Normally, it would have been hard to find the true culprit. But with his Eye of the Judge skill, it was innate to him to recognise a criminal merely by the way of speech and standing.
"Tell me, did you try to poison me? Or did someone tell you to poison me? Who placed those plates in your hands before they reached me? And who gave you the jar and cup for my chamber?"
Wylis asked multiple questions at the same time, overwhelming the three maids. All three of them were reacting the same, crying, pressing their hands on their mouths. Their eyes were wide, filled with panic and fear.
"Speak!" Lord Hornwood roared with rage. "Tell the truth, or I'll see the three of you hanged for it. Bread and salt were given beneath my roof, a sacred bond, and it's been broken all the same. I would know who's done this, I would, so tell me now!"
Wylis only focused on three women. The Eye of the Judge wasn't a magical ability. It was a skill instead, one that made him highly perceptive of the other person's body language and speech patterns. It was tuned to find criminals, and that meant if someone felt guilty in their heart for something they did, he would notice.
Two of the three maids were crying and revealed nothing but fear to him. They were weeping nonstop. However, the third maid, on the right, was hiding something more. The faint movements of her eyes, the little movements of her fingers. They stood out to Wylis.
"You!" Wylis stepped right in front of that maid. "Gemma, was it? Why did you do it? Who ordered you? Was it for coin?"
"I-I didn't do it—!"
Pa!
Wylis slapped her right across the face with controlled strength. He didn't want to knock her out or break her neck.
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Advance chapters on [PATREON] are in long-form format. I have 12 long chapters of this story on P@treon. That's equal to 45-50 Webnovel chapters.
Check out Solo Dacey Mormont & Wylis X Elia NSFW art, and advance chapters at [email protected]/MrPlotThickens Or Subscribestar.adult/mrplotthickens
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