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We received some sad news this week. A member of the ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
therealljidol named ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
agirlnamedluna passed away suddenly. She was a great writer and a fascinating person (in the best sense of the word "fascinating").
clauderainsrm, the head honcho of LJIdol, was a favorite subject of Luna's writing. Specifically, she loved killing him off. He's asked that we write stories killing him off in tribute to her, so this is my "Claude-o-cide" tribute to Luna.
---
Bezoar
The Queen rarely granted private audiences. Perhaps she never did. Not in an official capacity. Everyone agreed that it was highly unusual that she'd be seeing Dr. Sithius in private, but the sensitive nature of the business surely warranted discretion.
The Queen's food taster - Mr. Cassio - had died while performing his duties, and in a most gruesome way as well. Every monarch has enemies and The Queen has voiced some opinions (in private, but you know how people talk) about the possible suspects and motives. The popular opinion was that a certain group of Franciscans who'd been highly critical of her were the likely suspects.
However, The Queen was known for prudence and didn't want to take any public action without definitive proof. That's why she summoned Dr. Sithius, known far and wide as the wisest scholar in the entire country, to the court. In addition to her reputation for wisdom, Dr. Sithius was known for her unflinching, impartial dedication to the truth. If Dr. Sithius couldn't root out the poisoner, nobody could.
Her investigation proved exhaustive and lengthy. A month after she arrived, Dr. Sithius requested the meeting. A suspect, the court believed, had been identified.
After seeing to the country's morning business, all of the other court officials and courtiers were ushered out of the Queen's chamber. The doors were barred. The Queen and Dr. Sithius were alone.
"So, Sithius, have you done our bidding? Have you learned who tried to poison us?"
"I have, your majesty. I know who poisoned Mr. Cassio beyond a shadow of a doubt."
"Mr. Cassio was our mouth. If somebody poisoned him, surely they were trying to poison me."
"No, your majesty, I believe he was the actual intended victim."
"I see."
In the throne room, the Queen had a rather opulent throne, raised above all those who came to seek her justice. Here in the chamber, she sat at the same table as her councilors, in the same chairs that they sat in. She was shorter than her subjects might imagine but always seemed bigger than everyone around her. Dr. Sithius stood at the other end of the table, bathed in natural light from a window above the Queen's head.
"Tell me, Sithius, why would somebody want Mr. Cassio dead?"
Dr. Sithius stared straight at the Queen.
"I don't know, your majesty. You'll have to tell me."
The Queen gasped audibly and seemed like she might rise from her chair. Instead, a slight smile crossed her face. She relaxed into her chair.
"We were lovers. He'd grown... tiresome. He started to say things in public to get my attention. Nothing, I hope, that anyone else picked up on, but I believe I had reason to be worried. I told him that I often found the kitchen's meat to be too bland and asked him to put some salt on it before passing it to me."
"I thought it might be something like that, your majesty. I discovered cyanide in your salt shaker. That, of course, would be a good way for an enemy of the state to get around the food tester."
"I'm disappointed that I was so obvious, Sithius."
"If its any consolation, your majesty, I've questioned everyone in your court extremely thoroughly and not a one of them suspects that you had anything to do with this. They all, quite logically, think that somebody was trying to poison you."
"Well, that is a relief. This puts us in a rather awkward position, you and we. As you can imagine, I'd be loathe for this information to leave this room."
"Hence my desire to make sure this meeting was as confidential as possible. I have no desire to place the country in a state of turmoil. I have even less desire to put my life on the line on behalf of a man who displeased your majesty, like Mr. Cassio. However, I also have my reputation to consider - failing to find a suspect would do that grievous harm. Indeed, accusing a suspect with anything less than ironclad evidence for a capital offense would call into question your majesty's justice."
"Agreed."
"Allow me to propose a solution."
A smile crossed The Queen's face.
"In your kitchen, you have a young man who assists the cook. Mr. Rains."
"A very agreeable young man, one with great wit, lauded for his kindness of spirit by all who know him."
"His uncle is a Franciscan."
"I'm aware of this."
"He's very close to his uncle, and that gives him motive. He has access to your food, which gives him opportunity. The cook took sick that day and left him to finish preparing the meals. I believe that the cook already secretly suspects him and has only remained quiet about it because Mr. Rains is such a kind young man. Best of all, he lives in a spare room in the apothecary's house, so he has access to cyanide."
"We see. You are proposing that we proclaim Mr. Rains to be the poisoner doing the bidding of the Franciscans."
"The court is primed to believe that the Franciscans are behind this. Your majesty has made no secret of your desire to rid the country of them."
"We agree that this is the best course of action. Sithius, its dangerous to tell a monarch of their crimes. Even though you've presented us with a solution that is satisfactory to both of us, we wonder why an intelligent woman such as yourself would put yourself in jeopardy."
"My Queen, if you are to have any confidence in me addressing issues like this in the future, its vital that you know that I'm competent and thorough."
"Dr. Sithius, you can expect to hear from us again in the future when we require your expertise. Leave now. On your way out, instruct the guards that its our will that Mr. Rains be taken to the tower under heavy guard."
"Of course, your majesty."
The execution of the hapless cook's assistant and the purge of Franciscans that followed marked the start of a period of great nationalism. Sometimes, alone, the Queen would feel a tickle of guilt, like a hair in the back of her throat, but as she looked out over her prosperous and happy country, she knew she'd done the right thing.
therealljidol named agirlnamedluna passed away suddenly. She was a great writer and a fascinating person (in the best sense of the word "fascinating"). clauderainsrm, the head honcho of LJIdol, was a favorite subject of Luna's writing. Specifically, she loved killing him off. He's asked that we write stories killing him off in tribute to her, so this is my "Claude-o-cide" tribute to Luna.---
Bezoar
The Queen rarely granted private audiences. Perhaps she never did. Not in an official capacity. Everyone agreed that it was highly unusual that she'd be seeing Dr. Sithius in private, but the sensitive nature of the business surely warranted discretion.
The Queen's food taster - Mr. Cassio - had died while performing his duties, and in a most gruesome way as well. Every monarch has enemies and The Queen has voiced some opinions (in private, but you know how people talk) about the possible suspects and motives. The popular opinion was that a certain group of Franciscans who'd been highly critical of her were the likely suspects.
However, The Queen was known for prudence and didn't want to take any public action without definitive proof. That's why she summoned Dr. Sithius, known far and wide as the wisest scholar in the entire country, to the court. In addition to her reputation for wisdom, Dr. Sithius was known for her unflinching, impartial dedication to the truth. If Dr. Sithius couldn't root out the poisoner, nobody could.
Her investigation proved exhaustive and lengthy. A month after she arrived, Dr. Sithius requested the meeting. A suspect, the court believed, had been identified.
After seeing to the country's morning business, all of the other court officials and courtiers were ushered out of the Queen's chamber. The doors were barred. The Queen and Dr. Sithius were alone.
"So, Sithius, have you done our bidding? Have you learned who tried to poison us?"
"I have, your majesty. I know who poisoned Mr. Cassio beyond a shadow of a doubt."
"Mr. Cassio was our mouth. If somebody poisoned him, surely they were trying to poison me."
"No, your majesty, I believe he was the actual intended victim."
"I see."
In the throne room, the Queen had a rather opulent throne, raised above all those who came to seek her justice. Here in the chamber, she sat at the same table as her councilors, in the same chairs that they sat in. She was shorter than her subjects might imagine but always seemed bigger than everyone around her. Dr. Sithius stood at the other end of the table, bathed in natural light from a window above the Queen's head.
"Tell me, Sithius, why would somebody want Mr. Cassio dead?"
Dr. Sithius stared straight at the Queen.
"I don't know, your majesty. You'll have to tell me."
The Queen gasped audibly and seemed like she might rise from her chair. Instead, a slight smile crossed her face. She relaxed into her chair.
"We were lovers. He'd grown... tiresome. He started to say things in public to get my attention. Nothing, I hope, that anyone else picked up on, but I believe I had reason to be worried. I told him that I often found the kitchen's meat to be too bland and asked him to put some salt on it before passing it to me."
"I thought it might be something like that, your majesty. I discovered cyanide in your salt shaker. That, of course, would be a good way for an enemy of the state to get around the food tester."
"I'm disappointed that I was so obvious, Sithius."
"If its any consolation, your majesty, I've questioned everyone in your court extremely thoroughly and not a one of them suspects that you had anything to do with this. They all, quite logically, think that somebody was trying to poison you."
"Well, that is a relief. This puts us in a rather awkward position, you and we. As you can imagine, I'd be loathe for this information to leave this room."
"Hence my desire to make sure this meeting was as confidential as possible. I have no desire to place the country in a state of turmoil. I have even less desire to put my life on the line on behalf of a man who displeased your majesty, like Mr. Cassio. However, I also have my reputation to consider - failing to find a suspect would do that grievous harm. Indeed, accusing a suspect with anything less than ironclad evidence for a capital offense would call into question your majesty's justice."
"Agreed."
"Allow me to propose a solution."
A smile crossed The Queen's face.
"In your kitchen, you have a young man who assists the cook. Mr. Rains."
"A very agreeable young man, one with great wit, lauded for his kindness of spirit by all who know him."
"His uncle is a Franciscan."
"I'm aware of this."
"He's very close to his uncle, and that gives him motive. He has access to your food, which gives him opportunity. The cook took sick that day and left him to finish preparing the meals. I believe that the cook already secretly suspects him and has only remained quiet about it because Mr. Rains is such a kind young man. Best of all, he lives in a spare room in the apothecary's house, so he has access to cyanide."
"We see. You are proposing that we proclaim Mr. Rains to be the poisoner doing the bidding of the Franciscans."
"The court is primed to believe that the Franciscans are behind this. Your majesty has made no secret of your desire to rid the country of them."
"We agree that this is the best course of action. Sithius, its dangerous to tell a monarch of their crimes. Even though you've presented us with a solution that is satisfactory to both of us, we wonder why an intelligent woman such as yourself would put yourself in jeopardy."
"My Queen, if you are to have any confidence in me addressing issues like this in the future, its vital that you know that I'm competent and thorough."
"Dr. Sithius, you can expect to hear from us again in the future when we require your expertise. Leave now. On your way out, instruct the guards that its our will that Mr. Rains be taken to the tower under heavy guard."
"Of course, your majesty."
The execution of the hapless cook's assistant and the purge of Franciscans that followed marked the start of a period of great nationalism. Sometimes, alone, the Queen would feel a tickle of guilt, like a hair in the back of her throat, but as she looked out over her prosperous and happy country, she knew she'd done the right thing.
