Chapter 162

Basil went with the search team and went around the house revealing all the telltale signs of a hidden safe. There were several hidden throughout the mansion and with a few looks at the logbooks, he gave them every code he could. He had the servants detained and opened every hidden door and passageway with burning red eyes.

The knights who had gone with him reported back that it was a bit like working with a less frightening, though far more angry, version of Adolph.

Adolph wasn't surprised that Basil was taking the lead in the investigation. It was probably a deeper wound than he realized yet to know that his family members had been stabbing him in the back all these years. After all, Basil was a Mirabelle, but above that, he was the heir to the throne. Every act of treachery could have jeopardized that.

"Will he be okay?" Raven asked over lunch.

Laurel grimaced and swirled her tea as Adolph shook his head, "I can only let him prove what he needs to within reason But no. I don't think he will be okay for a long time."

Raven nodded, "Surely, there has to be someone in the pack that hasn't been involved in this?"

Adolph was doubtful. Gavin's father had been a greedy man too. His father always said that it simply ran in the family.

Basil returned with the latest carriage full of his family members and had them marched to the dungeons, ignoring their pleas for mercy.

"If you are found innocent," Basil said, "There will be no need for mercy."

The man trembled, shuddered, and said nothing. It was all Basil needed to see to know that he was among the guilty. No one looked at him in the eye after he'd said that and he'd taken a rotation to question them all with the logbooks in front of him about how much each of them was given and for what.

Most of it was money for trinkets or new clothes. There were a few who had needed money for home repairs or travel, but it had all been frivolous and enough money to be considered grand theft.

Theft wasn't enough to be murdered over, but their involvement with plots against Laura had been.

Basil glared at the old woman who had the nerve to look proud.

"She wasn't the luna you needed. You should have married a woman like your mother. It was for the best"

"The best for your pockets," Basil growled.

"You didn't care for her anyway! You didn't even mourn her or let her grave settle before marrying that Delia girl-"

"Do not throw my mistakes in my face when you are facing execution!"

Her jaw trembled, "You You wouldn't let your father execute me."

"Did you or did you not provide my grandfather with poison with the intention to have my late wife, the former luna, murdered?"

Her eyes grew hard and Basil glared at her as she remained silent.

"Your silence is just as good as an admission of guilt."

"But Basil-"

"Save your pleas," Basil growled. "It would be one thing to simply take the money without knowing. It is something different to take from the kingdom I am heir to. You betrayed the kingdom. You betrayed your king and me as well. I have nothing more to say to you."

He gestured to the guard, "Take her back to her cell and bring in the next."

He let out a shuddering breath.

"Perhaps you should take a break," Chasel said from the doorway and walked to him, hauling him to his feet. "It's after dinner. Get out. They'll keep until tomorrow."

He tried to protest, but Chasel shoved him towards a group of guards who had been a part of his escort before ushering him towards the mess hall and shoving him into a seat, and forcing him to eat with everyone else.

For a while, it was like being back on the border, eating with all the soldiers there with no regard to his social standing. There was more jam here, but the company was the same. The loud stories from the knights and bawdy jokes kept his mind off the reality.

After dinner, he left the castle and headed towards the training pitch. He wasn't going to sleep any time soon, so he picked up a training sword from the barrel and started going through his strike drills.

Chasel came to him to report about Basil's interrogation efforts and Adolph sighed.

"Thank you for forcing him to eat. I'll take it from here."

Chasel nodded. He changed out of his formal wear, leaving him in plain breeches, a tunic, and his sword belt.

Adolph carried a bottle of whiskey and two glasses downstairs after Laurel had gone to bed, using his senses to find his son. It wasn't hard. Basil was the only one who would be in his wing and there was nothing but silence coming from that direction. He drifted through the castle until his feet led him out towards the training pitch. He hadn't gotten that close when he heard the familiar sounds of breathing through strike drills.

It was crazy that Basil would be drawn to the training pitch the way he had been. When he couldn't sleep as a child, he went to the pitch and fumbled about trying to imitate the knights and his father until he started training. Then, it was just a way to calm himself.

When he arrived, he found Basil midway through sword evasion drills. He'd gotten faster on his feet. There was less hesitation in the way he moved from one stance to another. He was drenched with sweat and reminded Adolph of a younger version of himself as he took a seat on a bench to watch quietly.

Basil executed a quick string of forward attacks before stumbling a bit, telling Adolph that he'd hit his limit.

"Come have a drink with your father."

Basil froze and lowered his blade.

" I don't want to be here," Basil said softly. "Would you Would you let me return to the border before the executions?"

Basil looked up, regretting how weak it sounded, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to watch the executions with any measure of sanity. Sure, he knew they were all traitors in one way or another, but they had once been family.

He remembered visiting with most of them, sharing meals and such with all of them. It felt as though his entire childhood and adolescence had been a lie as most of them had been actively stealing from the same throne he was supposed to inherit.

Would he inherit it still? Did he want to inherit it? He thought back to the one person he promised himself he wouldn't think about until he returned and grit his teeth.

His wolf was adamant. He had to make his peace with that, but was it that simple? What about his father?

How would he feel about her? Maybe it would be easier to let Laurel's child inherit the throne.

"I know there are more things to be done to fix everything he's done, but I I just can't."

"You can leave in the morning if you want," Adolph said and poured to glasses. "After breakfast. Raven and the others will want to say goodbye. You'll need to finish basic training at least."

"I couldn't stay beyond that?"

Adolph smiled, "We can talk about it then if that's what you want."

Basil nodded and came to sit beside him. He didn't touch the glass as he leaned forward, letting his sword clatter to the ground as he let out a wet shuddering breath. His eyes were burning along with every muscle in his body.

Tears came as a sob escaped him.

"All of them" Basil gasped. "A-All of them"

Adolph didn't know if Basil knew that Olivia had also been a part of Gavin's treachery and to what extent that Olivia knew she was being used, but if he could spare his son that knowledge, he would. It was unlikely as Basil had decoded most of the logbooks that detailed all of Gavin's plans.

"I cannot promise that it will get easier," Adolph said. "I can only tell you that you are not alone."

Basil sniffled and nodded shakily, "I just I don't want to believe it I don't want to keep finding more and more evidence, but I do And I keep thinking that if I'd been smarter if I'd just tried harder then so much wouldn't have happened."

"You're taking on too much guilt, Basil. It's not yours to bear." Adolph sighed and took a drink, "For now, drink and go to bed, Basil."

Basil sniffled and took the drink. He drank the full glass and Adolph walked him back to his room. He waited, listening for Basil to fall asleep or at least get in bed. When he was certain that Basil was asleep, he headed back to his chambers and climbed in next to Laurel with a low sigh.