Chapter 76
Iris
'Dalian is dead'
I had to repeat the word audibly to be sure that my mind wasn't playing games with me. I'd have silenced the man and told him to stop cracking such an expensive joke if he wasn't crying so hard over the loss of his son.
How could this happen?
I asked myself that question all the way to the house over and over again, oblivious to Gradel's presence beside me. Just this afternoon, I had the best time of my life, letting out some steam and playing recklessly with him and now I was to face a heart-wrenching reality that he'd never smile brightly at me again.
Or he wouldn't be playing with his friends in the street and looking out for them?
How could life be so fickle?
I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I overlooked a huge stone in front of me and struck my toe against it. I should have landed on the floor but for Gradel's swift interception, I was bawling in his arms.
He ran his fingers through my hair tenderly, and I wished he could do the same to my heart. Dalian wasn't even my son, but it felt like a part of me had been ripped out of my body.
If I were like this, what would be the fate of his mother who was overjoyed to have me in her stall earlier that afternoon?
"Please stop crying, Princess, you're breaking my heart..." His words sounded forced as if he was struggling to speak and then I realized that he was also trying to be strong for me.
The both of us couldn't cry at the same time.
"I... I can't help it," I swallowed, trying to suppress the emotions that rose in my throat.
"Don't worry, we'll get to the bottom of this," He assured me.
Finally, we had gotten to the Hanlows' house and memories from the first time we visited rushed into my head like a flood. It was in this house that my relationship with Gradel solidified.
It was here he learned how to loosen up and be around people again.
I was quite reluctant to enter because I lacked words of consolation to tell the woman, but when I saw others standing by her door with Gradel behind me, I summoned courage and headed in.
Gradel patted my arm, silently asking me to wait. I watched Mahol try to soothe his mate, whose eyes had turned into a bloodiest shade of red, her hair disheveled.
She didn't care about her nudity as her blouse was thrown aside with a dead Dalian, lying cold on her thighs.
My eyes watered afresh and a blub tore out of my lips. The women gathered around her, some of them attempted to cover her with a plain cloth but she flung it away, crying with so much anguish.
Since Mahol was the only one who had put a lid on his emotions, Gradel went to him but not after asking everyone to stay in the facade.
They bowed and went out with murmurs, but I was glad that the numbers had reduced and I could have some alone time with her.
"What led to his death?" He asked, quietly.
I watched him carefully; how he clenched his fists so tightly until his knuckles became white and the way he dug into his lower lip till he drew out blood.
"He was poisoned,"
My ears had to be playing some sick joke on me. "What?" I blurted.
He passed me a wary look that I didn't understand then continued his story. "I was greeted by the news of his death when I returned from work and according to my wife, he had been bubbly and excited all day, especially after My Lady played with him. When they returned home, he opened the sweets she gave to him and licked them. A few seconds later, he had collapsed on the floor, clutching onto his stomach in pain and throwing up."
No! No! This wasn't true.
"His situation became worse and a reddish substance came out of his lips and then my wife realized it was blood and continued calling for help. It wasn't long before he stopped breathing and gave up the ghost." He finished bitterly.
I was completely at a loss for how to react to his explanation. How could the sweets that I'd given to him out of my love for him be poisonous?
Something had gone terribly wrong somewhere and with the way the events played out, I realized that I'd been set up.
"Mrs Mahol," I called her name with uncertainty, "Are you sure that he didn't eat something else without your knowledge and react to it? There's possibly no way I'd have given your son a poisoned sweet. I couldn't have done that-"
"But you did!" She yelled at the top of her voice, "Dalian didn't eat anything else apart from the food I prepared with my hands. It wasn't until he returned home and licked the sweets that he died so don't try to defend yourself."
Gradel cleared his throat, stepping between us. "You have to lower your voice, ma'am. I understand your grief but I won't have you speak to your future Luna like this," He defended me.
I appreciated what he did, but it wasn't enough. My name had to be cleared because she was already seeing me as a murderer.
"I'm sorry your Grace for your impulsive response, but I can't be in the same room with the woman who murdered my son," She spat and my heart sank. "Until her innocence is established, I don't want to see her in my house again."
My knees became weak and I nearly fell if not for Gradel's swiftness in steadying me.
"But I didn't poison him. There has to be a mistake somewhere," I argued but no one paid heed to me.
Gradel grabbed my hand and led me out of the house with a deep frown etched on his face.
"Why did you do it?" He snarled and I snatched my hand from his grip.
My lips parted as I stared at him, gobsmacked at his question. "I didn't do anything. Wait, you think I poisoned him too?" My heart was shattered.
I couldn't believe my eyes. My mate didn't trust me as well?
"Well, I don't know what to think. Just the other day, a guard affirmed that he saw you entering my father's room before he died and you're the only one with him on the day of his death. Silas confirmed that he died of a strange poison which its leaves can't be found in this pack, and now the same thing has happened to Dalian. So tell me, Iris, if you didn't do it, who did?"