*Part 1* Mystery Story by Tan Rhe-Anne

Dear all,


This is the final part of Rhe-Anne's mystery story. Please enjoy it!

And on the request of Rhe-Anne, if you are Glen, please stop bothering her about the Tale.

~Part 1~


Chapter 1

It was nearly midnight, and everyone in the castle was asleep. All except Prince Toledo. He was sneaking out of the castle to meet Sarah, the love of his life. Sarah was a servant girl at the palace, and if Toledo’s mother the queen ever found out, she would have her killed.

The Prince settled down to wait at their usual meeting place, beside a tall oak tree. It was hardly safe for him to go to Sarah’s house. He knew too well what sort of welcome awaited him, for the villagers resented the royal family. Who could blame them? The royalty had introduced taxes, made the villagers give more than half of their meagre crop and even enslaved some to work for them in the castle.

Out of the stillness of the night, he heard the clippety- clop of horses. He looked; it was the kingdom’s dreaded secret police, easily identified by their long, scarlet capes. Ducking behind some bushes, he watched as an agent heaved a dead body onto a horse drawn cart. Toledo glanced at the corpse and his heart broke. The wavy, golden locks and beautiful face was Sarah’s. He could not understand what could have caused this to happen.

The thought of losing Sarah had never occurred to him and now she was gone. A fiery rage began to build inside of him. There and then, the prince promised himself that he would avenge her death.

Chapter 2

The following day was the King’s birthday banquet, a lavish affair. Harried servants scurried about the castle decorating, making arrangements and generally ensuring that the banquet would run smoothly. Ignoring the hustle and bustle, the prince headed for the royal chemist and his private tutor Thaddeus. Ascending the staircase leading to his lab, he pondered how to seek Thaddeus’ help in finding Sarah’s murderer. There was hardly a need for him to meet Thaddeus secretly, as nobody went into his laboratory if they could help it. Rumour had it that Thaddeus even kept a dragon in there, although Toledo knew that was not true.

His thoughts were interrupted by his father’s booming voice. “Toledo, why aren’t you in your finery, my lad! Change and and greet my guests in the great hall!”

Toledo would have to speak to Thaddeus later. Heading for his room, he opened his closet and and put on the prince’s royal garments of state, taking extra time to make sure he did all the clasps properly, unlike previously, when the cloak had dropped off in the middle of a banquet. He remembered Sarah laughing at how silly they looked, when she had seen him in them at a ceremony. I will never hear her lilting voice again, he anguished.

Later in the great hall, he saw Queen Rosetta chatting with the Duke of Aquitaine. Prince Toledo never liked his stepmother. She was involved in all manner of court politicking. The secret police answered to her and her alone. That was because she rewarded them handsomely if they carried out her orders well, and beheaded them if they dared disobey. She was also reputed to have ordered the deaths of those she considered a threat to the royal line. Her latest intrigue was for Toledo to marry the daughter of the duke of Aquitaine’s daughter in order to cement the duke’s loyalty to the throne. This would also give the kingdom access to the gold mines of the Sky Mountains.

Toledo greeted the guests and dismissed them from his presence with a curt nod. His mind seethed with thoughts of revenge. The queen must have ordered Sarah’s death. There was no other reason for her murder. He felt a hand grip his arm. Looking up he saw Thaddeus Levittown, the royal chemist staring at him. “I understand you were seeking me, my Prince?”

Toledo blinked in surprise. How had Thaddeus known? He nodded and motioned to a quiet area of the hall, away from the stream of aristocrats waltzing in. He explained his suspicions then came to the crux of the matter. “You have been my tutor since I was a baby and I have trusted you in all things. Sarah is dead and I know the Queen had a hand in the matter. I seek to avenge Sarah. It has not escaped me that you too have an axe to grind against the Queen. Something to do with your fall from grace three harvests ago and the appointment of your rival to the post of Royal Advisor. I also happen to know that you have been working on some, ah, concoctions.”

A trouble look crossed Thaddeus face. “Vengeance never solved anything my lord, but I will not deny you in this”. Reaching into the folds of his robe, he pulled out a small vial. “Be careful not to touch it, only a few drops will do the deed.”

Feigning illness, Toledo excused himself from the banquet and returned to his quarters. He began planning how he could obtain his revenge. Taking the vial out of his pocket, Toledo studied it. It contained a pale, purplish liquid that bubbled when you shook it. The vial itself was special, the kind Thaddeus used for his most dangerous potions that he made for the secret police. It was made of sapphire and the stopper of ruby.

Chapter 3

Toledo wanted to avenge Sarah, but there was also another reason. The queen had been very unpopular with the peasants. Prince Toledo knew that if she was eliminated, perhaps he could win back their favour and support for the throne. Unfortunately, the queen’s chambers were like an impregnable fortress, as she was incredibly paranoid about people sneaking into her rooms at night. He would have to wait patiently for an opportune time. He also knew that he would need help. Toledo decided to visit with his tutor Thaddeus again.

“I need to get into the queen’s private chambers. At a time when I can be certain her ladies in waiting are not attending to her”. Thaddeus nodded sagely. “When I first came to the palace as an apprentice, I was called on to help with a dreadful odour. I eventually learnt that the palace was riddled with secret passages, many forgotten. These had in time deteriorated and allowed fungi to grow causing the smell. The royal architect and I travelled all through the palace to kill the fungi. I secretly kept a copy of the blueprints that maps all the passages, just in case I should ever need them again.”

Taking the blueprints from their hiding place behind a portrait in his room, Thaddeus showed the prince how he could gain access to the queen’s chambers without being detected. “Mind the royal study. The walls are thin there and you could be heard from within the room when using the passageway.” Thaddeus then went to his drawer and placed a quill in the prince’s hand. “Apply the poison to the quill. Replace the one the queen uses with this. She will touch it and die in seconds.”

Prince Toledo was very pleased with the outcome of his visit to Thaddeus. “I shall do the deed myself this very night!”

Toledo blinked in surprise. How had Thaddeus known? He nodded and motioned to a quiet area of the hall, away from the stream of aristocrats waltzing in. He explained his suspicions then came to the crux of the matter. “You have been my tutor since I was a baby and I have trusted you in all things. Sarah is dead and I know the Queen had a hand in the matter. I seek to avenge Sarah. It has not escaped me that you too have an axe to grind against the Queen. Something to do with your fall from grace three harvests ago and the appointment of your rival to the post of Royal Advisor. I also happen to know that you have been working on some, ah, concoctions.”

A trouble look crossed Thaddeus face. “Vengeance never solved anything my lord, but I will not deny you in this”. Reaching into the folds of his robe, he pulled out a small vial. “Be careful not to touch it, only a few drops will do the deed.”

Feigning illness, Toledo excused himself from the banquet and returned to his quarters. He began planning how he could obtain his revenge. Taking the vial out of his pocket, Toledo studied it. It contained a pale, purplish liquid that bubbled when you shook it. The vial itself was special, the kind Thaddeus used for his most dangerous potions that he made for the secret police. It was made of sapphire and the stopper of ruby.

Chapter 3

Toledo wanted to avenge Sarah, but there was also another reason. The queen had been very unpopular with the peasants. Prince Toledo knew that if she was eliminated, perhaps he could win back their favour and support for the throne. Unfortunately, the queen’s chambers were like an impregnable fortress, as she was incredibly paranoid about people sneaking into her rooms at night. He would have to wait patiently for an opportune time. He also knew that he would need help. Toledo decided to visit with his tutor Thaddeus again.

“I need to get into the queen’s private chambers. At a time when I can be certain her ladies in waiting are not attending to her”. Thaddeus nodded sagely. “When I first came to the palace as an apprentice, I was called on to help with a dreadful odour. I eventually learnt that the palace was riddled with secret passages, many forgotten. These had in time deteriorated and allowed fungi to grow causing the smell. The royal architect and I travelled all through the palace to kill the fungi. I secretly kept a copy of the blueprints that maps all the passages, just in case I should ever need them again.”

Taking the blueprints from their hiding place behind a portrait in his room, Thaddeus showed the prince how he could gain access to the queen’s chambers without being detected. “Mind the royal study. The walls are thin there and you could be heard from within the room when using the passageway.” Thaddeus then went to his drawer and placed a quill in the prince’s hand. “Apply the poison to the quill. Replace the one the queen uses with this. She will touch it and die in seconds.”

Prince Toledo was very pleased with the outcome of his visit to Thaddeus. “I shall do the deed myself this very night!”

~End of Part 1~