It was a loud piercing scream that woke everyone in the camp that morning.

The scream of a female.

Regalis and I jumped from our bed. Hurriedly put on our clothes and marched outside together.

"What could have happened?" I asked, lacing my hand with Regalis's.

"We'll find out soon" he said.

We sped along with some other soldiers who were also headed in the direction the scream had come from.

We stopped in front of a tent. Several soldiers, were already in front of it too, but they parted, making way for Regalis and I.

Brayton and Nadia were already there too.

"You heard the scream too?" Brayton said.

Regalis nodded.

"It was Wallace's wife" Brayton said.
Wallace. The soldier I treated of mage bane?

"What happened?" I asked.

"His wife came to his tent this morning to surprise him. And instead, found him convulsing" Nadia explained.

"Ashton had to take her away from here to console her, while the unGifted physician examined him" Nadia said.

Since Wallace had not been with his family for over a year, Regalis granted his loved ones permission to visit him here for the next few months (since Wallace refused to take a few months' leave, from serving in the military).

"Someone should have called me" I said.

"The physician was already here. We couldn't send him away" Brayton said.

I itched to enter into the tent and find out what was happening, but chose to respect the physician in there. Not all physicians appreciated another healer coming to save their patient, especially if, they could already aid in the patient's recovery.

Regalis's older Generals arrived.

"Your Highness" they greeted him in unison.

As if on cue, that the highest ranking soldiers were now there, the flap of Wallace's tent lifted and the unGifted physician came outside, one of his hands was folded.

"Wallace. How is he?" Regalis asked.

The tall bearded physician waited for some seconds and sighed, "he's dead".

What? I cringed in shock. The mage bane? Was Wallace not fully cured of it?

"Poison" the unGifted physician announced.

Poison?

And his eyes turned to me, as he spoke to the crowd full of Wallace's fellow platoon soldiers "she killed him".

Loud gasps came from the crowd. As some of them started moving towards me.

"I didn't poison..."

"Then, why is this scarf of yours in his tent?" The physician said, opening his once folded hand to reveal one of my scarfs that has been missing "or perhaps, you both were having an affair" the unGifted physician completed.

"How do you know that it was Lady Xemein who gave Wallace poison?" Regalis said, through his clenched teeth. I could feel the anger he was trying not to show.

"Your Highness. Wallace admitted it to me before he died. He confirmed that the last thing he ate was from her".

"That doesn't mean she gave him poison" Griffin muttered.

"Shut up! You Imperial servant!" One of the Generals, General Irving, Duncan's father, fired. An unGifted but very strong man in his fifties, with a face that always made him seem angry. Very angry.

Like his son, he always found problems with everything I did, and never has he subtlety hid the fact that he hated the way I was in the camp with them.

General Irving faced Regalis "Your Highness, this case must not be handled lightly. 'Cause we have to answer to Wallace's widow. For months, she couldn't be with him, and now, she could, someone -" he glared at me "has taken him away from her and her..."

"I didn't do it!" I moved forward as though to step in the General's face. Regalis pulled me back gently "I didn't do it".

"So you say" General Irving said.

"General Aldrada" Regalis said, referring to Nadia. In public, to hide her gender, he referred to her by her family name. He waited to hear her opinion. In the camp, she was greatly respected, more so, as she was the 'son' of the previous Commander in-Chief, a man that was well liked.

Nadia started, "I don't believe Lady Xemein is capable of hurting..."

"So, you consider Physician Bernwald to be more of a liar than this woman?" General Irving fired.

"That's not..."

"Your father would be very ashamed of you, son" General Irving said to Nadia.

"I also don't believe she did it" Brayton said "I'm a General too, so my word counts".

"I too" Cederic added in his usual low tone, supporting me.

How they completely believed and trusted in my innocence, without even asking me whether or not I was guilty, broke my heart. For I could see, that the loyalty they showed Regalis, has now extended to me. I, who must choose my people over their best friend. I, who must still try again to murder someone they cared deeply for. Never, have I felt so wicked.

General Irving glowered at them - Cederic, Brayton and Nadia - with disgust.

To save my life and not be punished, according to the military laws, I would need at least four Generals to believe or support my claim of innocence. Nadia has. Cederic and Brayton also have. Regalis couldn't vote, since his word would be considered as bias.

The other two unGifted Generals, though I've treated their nephews in the past, I knew their loyalty lay with General Irving. And so, the only one left to save me, was Gifted General Ashton Holmbjorn.

Ashton who had seen me raise a knife against a sleeping unarmed man. Who had seen me about to slay not just my husband but also, the man who gave him life, when he was at his weakest.

And so, General Irving spoke up, to Ashton who had returned after escorting Wallace's widow out of the camp, "General Ashton", General Irving's voice boomed.

"On your honour, do you consider Lady Xemein completely and totally incapable of murder?"