Diana had one thought. Where was George on the night Calhoun's parents were murdered? Where had he gone? And how can a human have murdered Joyce? If she was as ruthless as people claimed, was she not supposed to be as strong too? Or was she all bark and no bite?
"Felix, how did Calhoun handle the matter?" Diana asked. Evander was feeling left out already. And that was because his father was not the gamma at that time. Calhoun had chosen him as the gamma after the death of the previous one.
"Well, he didn't do much. At least not to the knowledge of the people. Even my father, Kris, did not know much about his reaction."
"The people just got to figure out that Calhoun had killed every servant in the castle."
Diana turned to stare at the throne. "Was this always the meeting changer? I did hear him mention one day that he had changed everything here since his parents' death. That true?"
"Very true, lady Diana," Evander answered. "It came as a huge shock to everyone. The only thing he couldn't change was the lineage of the Betas."
"Meaning your lineage wasn't usually the gamma?" Diana asked. Things were getting a little complicated. But she could just buss it down to the fact that Calhoun was such a weird person.
"Exactly," Evander answered.
"Felix, there is a room in the castle that leads somewhere else. Calhoun told me about it, he keeps some potions there. I want to go there." Diana said.
Felix looked at her, alarmed. Evander was confused. What was he talking about? What were they talking about?
"Um, listen... That place is sacred-"
"Sacred my ass." Diana spat. "You still think about the sacred when Calhoun is half dead?"
"Half dead?" Evander exclaimed.
She rolled her eyes in response. "Of course! Calhoun is almost dead. Look, we need to know the details of the murder that happened within these castle walls."
"Perhaps we can show you to the former Alpha's room," Evander suggested. "Then we can look around to see if there are any clues as to their death."
"What do you mean? How can you check for clues? Calhoun is almost thirty years of age. If his parents died when he was eighteen then that's like ten years already." Diana said. "How can we find any clues?"
Felix glanced at Evander.
"Wait, is there something you both are not telling me?" Diana asked. "Why did Calhoun change the chamber for the king?"
Felix sighed. "Wanna tell her, Evan?"
"Lady Diana, after his parents' death, Calhoun massacred a whole lot of servants-"
"I got that part already." Diana interrupted. "Tell me what I want to know."
"I was getting there," Evander murmured. "Calhoun changed the location because he refused to bury his parents."
Diana's face contorted to a disgusted one. What? Did this also mean that there was a decade-old corpse in the room? And there was a chance that they could be two?
"He didn't bury them? Their bodies would have decomposed!" Diana exclaimed. "The room would be so disgusting."
"Not really," Felix commented. "He sends a woman to apply some special oil on their skin, it preserves the flesh and skin for three full moons."
It did not change the expression on her face. If she was the one that had to apply oil on a dead body, she would puke out her guts.
"A woman? I take it she had survived the massacre too." Diana said.
"Yes, she was able to escape on the promise that she would preserve the late king's and queen's dead bodies," Felix answered.
"Diana, you must understand that these words are secrets as old as the death of the king and queen," Evander whispered. "No other ear has heard of these things. The way we have kept it secret, you must also keep it secret."
Diana nodded slowly. It was somehow too much of a secret for her to keep. It's not like she had a choice.
"I wonder what would be his reaction when he wakes up." Diana muttered. "We have to find George's family."
"Why?"
"They know something," Diana said. "Do you think that a family afraid of Calhoun would dare to plan a murder? Do you think that they would allow George to betray the king unto death?"
Felix thought about it. "You're right. It must have been a harbored thought."
"Yes!" Evander supported. "I believe that George's family must accept to kill the king."
"George must have been in cohorts with Eugene," Diana said. "Why? Because he would not dare to support someone that did not stand a chance to defeat Calhoun. That was why when he saw that Eugene had died, he knew he had to kill Calhoun off."
"Otherwise, Calhoun would have been able to trace treachery down to him." Felix supported.
"And he would have been killed before he would be able to protect himself," Evander added.
Diana smiled. "So I want you both to get them for me. Tonight, before the morning."
"Sure." Felix agreed. They got up while she still sat there. She watched them leave and she still sat, deep in thought. Hearing a little about Calhoun's past made her somehow understand him all the more.
She had lost both of her parents but at different points in her life. Her father was someone she did not know too well. She was still too tender when he died and her mother had remarried while she was still young too.
The only unfortunate thing was the version of Thomas she had married. If her mother had married this version of Thomas, she wouldn't have suffered the way she did.
"But I also would not have met Cal." She whispered. So somehow, the suffering was not for naught.
"I need to find that couple," Diana whispered to herself as she got up. But who knew where the former king's chamber was?
She went to the servant's quarters. A particular young maid came out and from the way she did, Diana could sense the pride that emanated from her.
"What's your name?"
"Tricia."
Diana's brows came up. "Tricia? As in Patricia?"
The girl nodded. "Who are you? Why are you dressed in the king's night dress?"
Diana smiled. "I am his wife."
"Pfft." Tricia laughed mockingly. "You must be the runaway slave. He could not ever stop talking about you."
"Oh really?" Diana asked, faking surprise.
Patricia nodded.
"I could say the same about you. George had so much to say about you..."
"Hm." Tricia hummed, lifting her chin.
"Before he died, that is." Diana completed her sentence. Tricia glared at her.
"Mind the kind of jokes you make, slave." She warned.
"Slave?" Diana reiterated. "I wonder what gave you the temerity to call me, slave."
"Were you not the king's slave?" Tricia demanded.
"I was his wife, his woman. I bore his child." Diana explained. "I am no slave. Never was, never will be."
Tricia scowled. Nobody told her anything about the child. "Everyone says you were his slave-"
"Everyone lied." Diana refuted. "I was never his slave. Even he can attest to that."
"And what happens if he calls you his slave?"
"I leave," Diana answered. "I called you for a different reason other than to discuss my nonexistent past."
"What is?" Tricia asked.
Diana stared at her. Was she trustworthy? Could she trust her so well? What if she spoke to her and in the end, the girl betrayed her?
"How long have you worked here?"
"Not long." She answered. "Why?"
"How well do you know the castle?" Diana asked again.
Patricia looked suspicious. "A little more than the others."
Diana smirked. "Can you point out which chamber belonged to the previous king and queen?"
Patricia went silent. Why was this former slave searching for the previous king and queen's chamber? What did she need it for?
"Why do you need to know?" She whispered.
Diana smiled. "You don't want to know. But if you show me the place, I will finish what I want and then I will tell you why I needed to know."
"I can't tell you," Patricia said firmly. "If you want me to tell you, you will have to tell me why you need to know the place first."
Diana chuckled. "Don't you want to know what has happened to George?"
"I don't care."
"Liar," Diana said softly. "You want to know so badly, you're afraid I will lie to you."
"No!" Patricia exclaimed.
"See? Now you're getting upset because I have known the truth."
"Get away from me!" Patricia yelled.
"You're the one standing before me. You can return to the servant's quarters while I return to my man's chamber." Diana bragged. "Then I get cuddled all through the night while you sleep, cold. Lonely. Just because you refused to be calm and hear about George."
"Hm, I'm not surprised he's a servant. His name befits his status. George... Perhaps also the name of a dog."
"Shut the fuck up!" Patricia roared angrily.
Thomas was running towards them in no time. "What the hell is happening here? Diana, why are you letting this lowlife traitor raise her voice at you?"
Diana chuckled. "Traitor?"
"Yes of course."
"I did nothing." Patricia defended.
Diana scoffed. "Tell me, Thomas. What did she do?"
"She poisoned the king," Thomas said.
Patricia raised her voice again, "I did nothing!"
"You seem too quick to defend yourself, Tricia. That is enough to know what you did."
Tears began to gather in her eyes. "I did not do anything, I swear."
"Aw. Show me and I will pretend not to know." Diana bargained.
"D, the boy has been waiting for you to return. He cried a while ago." Thomas reported. Patricia's gaze turned to the child in Thomas's arms. Staring at him, he was no doubt related to Calhoun. Why? Why did Diana get everything and she got nothing?
"Is he...?" She whispered.
"Obviously." Diana scoffed. "Are we doing this or not?"
Patricia bit her lips. "Are you a wolf too?"
Diana nodded once. Patricia dipped her hand into the pocket of her maid dress and took out a small bottle of oil.
"Sniff this and you'll be able to find the place you require." She said.
"Why should I trust you to not poison me?" Diana demanded.
Patricia sobered up. "I did not poison King Calhoun, I would have never done that."
Diana stared at her. "Walk with me."
Patricia sighed. What was there to refute anymore? She had to follow Diana. They left Thomas and Coco in the corridor and made their way to the tower where Calhoun always stood, but they didn't stop there, they continued walking around the corridor.
"Tell me what happened," Diana said softly. "And I want the truth. This is the one chance I'm giving you to hear you out without judging you. Be sure that if you lie, you might not live to see the next full moon."
"I fell in love with King Calhoun. When I returned from my break, I was informed that he summoned me to his chamber. With my heart in my hands, I went to see him."
"When I arrived, he told me that I was the new slave to serve him. I wondered within me what had happened."
"Well, I tried my best to serve him but he was too good-looking. I couldn't help but fall in love with him-"
"Why are you emphasizing it?" Diana murmured. "I get that you loved my man but why to emphasize?"
"So, one thing after another, the way he murdered people made me afraid but it somehow still made me fall harder for him. One would wonder if I was in my right mind."
"Even I would," Diana murmured.
"But it started one night. I had gone to seduce him intentionally. He was in a mood and we almost went far but he stopped. He had kissed me and while I was enjoying myself, something strange happened."
Diana chuckled sadly. While she was thinking about Calhoun, he was getting some action. Maybe coming back was a bad idea too.
Regardless, she had to know what had happened.
"What happened?"