Chapter 31

The first case to be heard was that concerning the murder of King Nherycyn. The assembled representatives listened to Athar direct the testimonies of Setryv, Mharkhel, Vhyqyrd, Ellycyn and others.

Setryv stated that he had little doubt it was the Prince he saw waiting for the King by the doors of the royal suite. Although Setryv did not actually see the fatal blow delivered, he saw no one else entering or leaving the hallway. Upon giving chase, the blonde knight could detect no trace of the assailant and assumed that he escaped by means of a secret passage, most of which were only known to the royal family.

Mharkhel testified that the murderer could not possibly be Rhenycyn. But when asked to support his statement, the big knight only delivered a sermon on the exemplary character of the Prince and could not offer any solid proof of innocence. At that point, Athar called attention to the fact that Setryv and Mharkhel had been on opposite sides as of late. When relating his version of the events surrounding King Nherycyn's demise, Mharkhel grudgingly admitted that the murderer wore clothing similar to what the Prince had been wearing and was roughly the same size as Rhenycyn. He also confirmed that no other person entered or left the hallway.

Vhyqyrd stated that he considered Mharkhel and Setryv the two best Knights of the Flaming Sword and that he had no reason to question the accuracy of their accounts. Also, that upon being apprehended, Rhenycyn's clothing showed no traces of blood nor had his sword been marked in any way. But a bloody sword such as the one the Prince carried was found outside the castle grounds. Asked if anything else had been reported to him or if anyone was conspicuously missing, the Captain of the Guard responded that nothing was out of the ordinary. Only that a knight of Sevhert'ah had been found murdered in the lower-class section of the capital.