Gods of Blood and Fire - A. J. Strickler Page 0,145

ever deal with these people? The Bishop was a man of the Church, for heaven’s sake. He could not be treated like a common criminal.

The Bishop nodded to the huge man. He knew the Princess’s new supporters wouldn’t hesitate to kill him, they were savages and most likely pagans, but the Princess was aware of the law. Only the Church could condemn him, if he was killed, she would have to answer to the Holy Father in Tyro.

He had to tell his story just right, if he did he might have a chance to walk away from all this. It was a stroke of luck that Blackthorn had disappeared. Now he could lay all of his sins at the duke’s feet.

“Bishop Lyfair, I was told you have information for me?” Raygan was doing her best to try and sound regal and hide how anxious she was to hear what the holy man had to say.

The Bishop gave a slight bow. “I do, Highness. I wish I had been able to give it to you before, but I didn’t really find out until recently that my suspensions were true. As you know, things here in the palace were dire for all of us. Duke Blackthorn was mad with power and I was being threatened just as I know you were. There was just no way I could have gotten to you earlier. Now I see my mistrust of the duke was warranted.”

Raygan remembered how frightened she had been after her father’s death and the threats Duke Blackthorn had made. Could he have been threating the Bishop too? “Yes, Your Eminence, I’m well aware of how things were. You are safe now and have my undivided attention. So, I just want you to tell me what you know about my father’s death.”

The Bishop lowered his voice. “Are you sure you want everyone to hear this, Highness?”

A flash of anger crossed the Princess’s face. “Just tell me, there should be no secrets about how a King dies.”

“As you wish, Highness, I have found out there was a conspiracy against the King. Several members of his council were involved; of course, all the information I have gathered was obtained after the vile deed was done, Highness. If I would have only known before, I could have stopped it. It is a guilt that weighs heavy on my soul.”

“Please just get on with it, Your Eminence. I’m sure my father’s death upset you greatly. I want you to tell me how he died, just get to that part.”

The Bishop gave her a sad smile. “Of course, Your Highness, they used the healer Finn Selmac first. When your father grew ill, Selmac did everything in his power to keep him sick, and I understand that they hoped nature would take its course and your father would just simply die.”

The color drained from Raygan’s face, she thought back on her father’s illness and how he would get better only to relapse again. She began to believe what Lyfair was telling her, it made sense.

“Of course, Highness, your father was too strong and too close to God for the healer’s treachery to succeed. He would not succumb to the illness that plagued him or the men who tried to worsen his condition.”

Raygan’s eyes began to fill with tears, she held them back as best she could she had to hear it all, no matter how painful it might be. “So, when my father would not die for them what happened?”

Lyfair cleared his throat. “Well, Highness, I don’t know what their plans were exactly, but I assume they planned to murder him when they realized he was not going to die from the illness. It was then your father made his decree that you should be his heir instead of your brother. I believe he discovered their treachery somehow and that’s why he decided that you should have the throne instead of Prince Cain. You father was a very trusting man, he had a great deal of faith in his friends, I believe it was his undoing. He did however manage to thwart their plans before he was killed by taking Cain out of the succession. We can take some comfort in that small mercy.”

She could not hold back her tears, they began to roll down her flawless cheeks. Her father’s gentle face flashed into her mind, he was so very trusting and caring, he seldom had an unkind word for anyone. How these evil men had taken advantage

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