“Honestly, Your Majesty, do you think I’m an idiot?” Ahlvie asked in exasperation.
King Edric sighed and turned his head away from Ahlvie. He impatiently tapped his foot. Frustration was written on every line of his face.
Prince Kael simply looked ready to punch Ahlvie in the face. That, at least, Ahlvie could handle. He had been in fistfights before.
However, this absurd accusation about Zorian…well, Ahlvie wasn’t sure what to do about it, except continue to rebuff them.
“Yes. Yes, we do,” Prince Kael grumbled.
He stalked across the room and slammed his hands down on the sides of Ahlvie’s chair. His blue-gray eyes were menacing, but Ahlvie laughed in his face.
“Find something funny?”
“This whole situation actually.”
“Zorian was a good man, and now, he’s dead because of you.”
“Kael,” King Edric said sharply, “that’s enough. We need proof before we can incriminate High Order Ahlvie.”
Prince Kael shoved away from Ahlvie. “He brought Zorian in. He has no alibi, and a servant found his clothes bloody and torn. How much more evidence do we need, Edric?”
Ahlvie raised a finger to interject. “I have an alibi.”
King Edric dragged his hand down his face. “Let’s start at the beginning, Ahlvie. Where were you last night? Who were you with? What were you doing?”
“Like I said before, I went out on the town, as I do on most other nights. I left through the side exit by the High Order quarters around midnight. Two guards saw me leave—Maurus and Brenner. I was at the Howling Raven, dicing and meeting a lady I fancy. You can speak to people there to confirm that.”
“Yes, we’ll send someone down there,” King Edric said.
“Anyway, a man accused me of cheating.”
“Were you?” Prince Kael interjected.
Ahlvie shot them a toothy grin. “I would never.”
Prince Kael blew out his breath. “Right.”
“Continue,” King Edric said.
“All right. We got into a fight. He pulled a knife on me, which explains the condition of my clothes. I returned late through the gate, and then I passed out in the stables.”
“Can anyone attest to where you were you left the Howling Raven until you reported finding Zorian?” King Edric asked.
Ahlvie sighed and sank further in his seat. “This whole thing is insane. I’ve been at court for over a year. Why would I suddenly start killing off people now?”
“That’s what we’re trying to figure out,” Prince Kael said. He crossed his arms and stared down his nose at Ahlvie.
“If I killed a guy, do you think I’d be stupid enough to bring forward the evidence? I made it into First Class because I’m a genius.” He cracked a smug smile. “I wouldn’t suddenly slip up and do something this moronic. Whoever killed Zorian was either sloppy or wanted to be found.”
“Exactly what the killer would say,” Prince Kael said.
“You’re wasting your time!” Ahlvie cried.
He leaned forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees. He didn’t care how long they kept him in here. He wasn’t going to suddenly confess to a murder that he hadn’t committed. He didn’t think the King even believed that he had done it. They just needed someone to pin it on.
“We might be,” King Edric conceded. “But first, answer the question. Did you see anyone else after you supposedly left for the stables?”
“Okay. Fine. Yes, I saw that new Affiliate. What’s her name?”
“Cyrene?” King Edric and Prince Kael asked nearly at once.
“That’s the one.”
Their eyes met, and something passed between them. If Ahlvie didn’t know better, he’d say it was almost…jealousy. But while the Prince bedded nearly every Affiliate who walked, the King normally steered clear of them. Ahlvie wondered if they’d be looking at each other like that now if they had seen the drowned rat wandering around the stable yard before he had helped her.
“What was she doing out on the night of her Presenting?” King Edric asked. His hands fisted at his sides, and he blatantly ignored the hard stare from his brother.
Ahlvie shrugged and analyzed the two of them with interest. “No idea. I didn’t ask questions. Just helped her back to her rooms, changed my clothes, talked to Reeve for a minute, and then left.”
“High Order Reeve? Cyrene’s brother?” King Edric asked.
“Yeah, sure.”
The King sighed heavily. “We’ll have to bring them both in to confirm this. Kael, have a guard bring them in and send someone down to the Howling Raven to inquire about Ahlvie’s dicing.”
The Prince glared at his brother’s command, but he left the room without a word.
“Let’s hope that all of this holds up,” King Edric said to Ahlvie candidly.
“What good would it do for me to lie?”
“That is an excellent question and one I intend to get an answer to.”