The early morning breeze had filled the grand hall. The long curtains were flying as if being audience to the unpredictable meet of the Royal, dressed up in nightgowns with the panting soldiers, one of them was being drenched in oil.

The Prince stood at the end of the stage with his head held high in deep thoughts. Behind him, his father was sitting on the throne, staring at the two soldiers with disbelief in his eyes.

"You said that this Davis had backed out from Lord Commandant's plan?" The Prince asked while looking at Logan.

Rodwin took along breathe to calm down his anger.

Logan nodded with a sigh. "Earl told me that he turned nervous when Preston and Lori mentioned about their plan to do more than just kidnapping her. Davis backed out. Earl himself tried to convince the boys to not do such things. But Preston and Lori were adamant. Earl backed out too and went to Nathaniel's home to inform him everything."

The Prince narrowed his eyes. "Davis backed out. So, he was alone in the forest. Then, Earl ran away to Nathaniel's home. He too was alone. Now, Nathaniel was alone at his home too."

Rodwin flared his nostrils.

"Samuel was with Lord Swanson's daughter. Jeffery was with Erasmus' team," said the King. "Preston and Lori were killed. Earl found Nathaniel and then, you." He told Logan. "Rodwin, you found Davis and then, met Ida. Finally, the whole team came."

"Where were you after meeting Earl?" The Prince asked Logan inmediately.

Rodwin looked at his friend merrily while shaking his head.

"I ran to look for Jennifer," said Logan as if it was the most obvious thing. "I was expecting to bump into Erasmus any soon as I am in his team. We have patrolled together. Later, I found Violet and Jennifer on the main road that goes to our village. She was on a horse. I let her go to the village and went back to the forest to meet Erasmus. I was worried if Jeffery or Samuel will be blamed forcefully. I also had to inform about what Earl had confessed to me."

Rodwin kept quiet in extreme anger.

The Prince nodded while glancing at him. The King sighed and said, "We are extremely apologetic towards everything that happened to you wrongfully, dear Rodwin. I give you my word that justice will happen. Lord Commandant will be punished for how he ordered the death sentence by just believing in the sole witness of the scene who happens to be his only son too."

Rodwin clenched his jaws and nodded in helplessness. His face said it all that he didn't want their empathy. He wanted the fairness and accountability.

Logan gulped as the King further said, "But now, saving your lives, you came here. Despite knowing that you have been claimed as the beast while you, Logan. . . you could be punished for helping in escaping the beast. You both came here to demand justice. We will provide you the justice. But if only you both honestly explain of all the odd chances of one of the soldiers being a beast."

The Prince nodded in agreement while Rodwin and Logan exchanged a disturbed glance.

Logan looked back at the father and son. He blinked calmly and explained, "Your highness, the question arises here is that why was Nathaniel at home? Even Ida was out in the forest. Then, why he stayed at home. It is suspicious."

Rodwin gritted his teeth while saying, "Ida had told me that she had spiked the Werewolf on the shoulder. Before meeting her, I had met Davis all injured in the forest in Lady Maria's property. He was stabbed by an arrow in the shoulder. He said that it was Erasmus who hit him. As the beast was around them. They couldn't see each other. Erasmus wanted to hurt the beast and instead it hit Davis. In the shoulder."

The Prince nodded while reading Rodwin's eyes. "I understand. It could be facade. The arrow. Maybe, he was attacked by a spike only. But then, he removed it and instead stabbed himself with the arrow?"

Rodwin blinked in frustration. "But this cannot be possible. I myself removed the arrow. The injury was a gash. Not a hole," he confessed truthfully.

The King nodded. "What about the other soldiers?"

"Earl was all clean throughout the night," said Logan while looking at the Royals. "It could be possible that injuries of the beast have had healed already."

"Davis is still in the seer's house," said Rodwin. "He is injured. He didn't heal. He was with me when Ida was freshly stabbed. He is not the beast."

The Prince took a heavy breathe while saying, "So, if Earl is the beast. But then, you both yourself explained how he was with Erasmus. He cannot be at two places at the same time."

Logan bit his lip while saying, "Samuel had been with Erasmus and Jeffery too if not with Violet. He too is not the beast. If there was someone alone that night until Ida was found, it was Nathaniel."

Chill ran down Rodwin's spine. He gulped hard.

The Prince didn't move as he exchanged another glance with his father. "He was all clean when you saw him?"

Logan looked at Rodwin who nodded slightly.

"Why would his father help him by keeping all other boys busy? Why would he trap Samuel or Jeffery wrongfully? Why would he be fastly done with burning Rodwin if he had been caught as the beast wrongfully?" Logan said firmly. "Because he knows that his son is the beast."

"There is something else," said Rodwin all of a sudden.

The King narrowed his eyes. "What is it, Lester?" He nearly scolded.

Rodwin breathed heavily while looking up at the father and son. "As the supervisor, I have the right to go through the records of all the documents, related to our army. I always had this little doubt on Lord Commandant because the fact that he had not gotten angry on the soldiers being at the forest that thirteenth night of the war, was irking me. He has always punished us soldiers for breaking rules. He maintained discipline as much as he could. Later, I thought that maybe, he was saving his son since he was the first one to enter the forest and go near the pond."

Logan released a heavy breathe while the Prince was filled with suspense and curiosity.

Rodwin gulped while keeping his eyes narrowed. "But then, the other event happened. On the night of full moon, Nathaniel hit Samuel, fought with Samara and then, was fainted after the beast's noises were gone. Later, I had seen Nathaniel taking lambs to the forest at night. I just knew, something was wrong."

Logan observed his serious face and looked back at the King who was very much interested in the conversation.

Rodwin blinked. "So, I checked the records of the war. From the accounts of the previous supervisor, Lord Myers, I found out that the Burnsley Kingdom had proposed a deal."

"We are very well aware of that," the King said inmediately. "Lord Commandant had informed us in the very detailed meet. We had deliberations. The Burnsley Kingdom was asking for the possession of two villages on the border in return for no War."

Rodwin's eyebrows raised as he gave them a humorless smirk. "Would it be way too much for me if I ask you, your highness? Did Lord Commandant go to the Sherfield before the War to talk to the minister of Burnsley Kingdom?"

The King and The Prince exchanged a confused glance.

"Yes," said the King, feeling infuriated at being asked questions. "I had personally sent him. He had proposed to go. Five knights were sent along with him. Nothing related to the wolves had happened that time. Then, why during the war? Because no immature soldiers were sent to the war, playing dirty politics inside the army!"

Rodwin breathed confidently. "Then, I must apologise, my King. Because I have read Lord Myers' account before him leaving the castle and shifting to the New Town. He has written about his relations with Lord Commandant. Lord Myers wanted to accompany him during the visit to the Sherfield and talk with Burnsley's ministers. But Lord Commandant made sure, he won't go by manipulating you all into thinking that he wasn't required."

"He also didn't believe the proposal Lord Commandant had brought as Burnslenian have always been a tribe. They are possessive of their own territories and appreciates privacy. Demanding two villages near the borders, couldn't be their demand for no reasons."

The Prince nodded with a grimace while looking at his father. "We have had little arguments over the subject. But more than that, we trusted Lord Commandant for his seniority of thirty years in the army."

The King lowered his eyes angrily.

Rodwin flared his nostrils and continued, "Sherfield is the only space between the kingdoms that is not divided by the wall like the other territories. We couldn't create a border because the town itself had been a border. Neither they can enter the town easily, nor can we. The War happened because that is the kind of environment the town supports. Not some lovely farming scenes."

The King rubbed his reddish beard while looking at the floor in thought.

"What do you want to say?" The Prince asked calmly. "Say the words, Rodwin."

Rodwin glanced at Logan and looked back at the Prince. He took a long breathe before explaining, "Lord Commandant wanted this War to happen. Throughout the little attacks or allegations that happened between that Kingdom and yours, your highness, he riled up the situations so the War could happen. He is an official in eyes. He cannot visit a town without being noticed."

Logan nodded in agreement. "He had asked me to place back the books in the big library that he had been reading before the War happened. One of them was about Sherfield and its mysteries."

The Prince's eyebrows raised while the King was all blank.

"There is this one story of how Sherfield has a big—"

The King cut off Logan's words. "Underground temple is hidden. The wolves worship the temple and protects the treasure hidden there."

Logan opened his mouth in shock while Rodwin was equally surprised.

The Prince smiled apologetically. "A very basic tale I had heard as a lullaby in my childhood. I am aware of the stories in the book, Logan."

"So have I, Rodwin." The King said calmly with a firm expression on his face. "But the treasure was taken. There is nothing else there. Only the wolves. The bite is nothing but a disease. One can get an odd disease by being bitten by any animal."

"But the rumours about the treasure. . ." Logan turned quiet when the Prince smiled while shaking his head.

"Lord Commandant is aware of all these facts. So is Nathaniel. He has studied here at the castle. Those stories are records. But are they real? People practised dark magic and believed in witches. Believed in ghosts and demons. Not anymore. Those are old words. Nothing new."

"But what if Lord Commandant created Ear only so, Nathaniel could take advantage of being there in Sherfield," said Logan, enthusiastically. "He went to the forest alone. Didn't he? What if all those times he was looking for the temple or something?"

"There is no such temple," said the King scoldingly. "No treasure. But if you think Lord Commandant is capable of creating War between two Kingdoms so his son can become a Werewolf, then boy, you are being a fool!"

"You have seen it all," said Rodwin while looking at the Prince, angrily. "You know that Nathaniel could the beast. If he hadn't gone to the pond, there would have been no wolves and no beast!"

The Prince blinked in thought while sighing heavily. "If the records are making you doubt Lord Commandant, then we will set up an investigation trial by our council. Nathaniel is the one in doubt. But what about you two? You both were alone too for the most of time, last night."

Rodwin breathed angrily while Logan was flaring his nostrils in nervousness.

"Prove it to us how none of you can not the beast!" The King said in frustration.

Both the soldiers exchanged a glance before removing their clothes. Rodwin removed the cloak while Logan discarded his shirt.

"Scars from my War injuries," said Logan while turning around slowly to give them the whole view. "No sign of any stabbing or spiking from last night."

The King and the Prince furrowed their eyebrows in extreme dilemma because Rodwin was equally clean.

"Here, it is the blood of Davis. When I had lifted him from the ground to hang him on my horse," said Rodwin while scratching the dried blood from over his torso to show them the truth.

The Prince's lips parted while he nodded slowly.

"Moreover, I ran with you and Jeffery that night. We were chased down by wolves but none of them touched us. I came back all fine through the War with minor injuries," said Logan firmly. "Last night, I was the one who met Earl all fine, then, Violet and finally, the whole team that was blaming Rodwin for Ida's murder."

The King looked at Rodwin who had clenched his jaws while replying, "I was with Davis very soon after I entered Aunt Maria's land. If my father had not informed me about the events, I wouldn't even have left my home. Poor my father. I do not even know if he is alive anymore after seeing me almost getting burned in false blame."

The Prince scratched the tip of his nose briefly. He smiled curiously at Rodwin and asked, "Jennifer had left for the milk. But why would Ida be in the middle of the forest? She must have said something precious before dying."

Rodwin gulped before replying, "Will you believe me if I tell you, your highness?"

The Prince raised his eyebrows while the King nodded grumpily.

"Lord Commandant was mentioned. She had confessed how he had been planning to create a trap for Samuel. It is already known how Ida and Samuel have courted each other until Ida's father betrothed her to Nathaniel," said Rodwin with wide angry eyes. "She really confessed it to me. She was sorry for what was about to happen to Jennifer. To curb that, she had ran away from her home and helped around in the jungle. The lady had been so brave. She told me that she had spiked the beast in the shoulder."

Logan kept quiet while the Prince nodded calmly. The King looked away with a shrug of shoulders as he was fed up of all the confusions.

"Very well, then. We will have talk with our council. Investigation will happen. The Royal Knights are already placed at the village. You two will be escorted too with protection. But. . ." The Prince blinked while looking at both of them. ". . . Both of you won't attend the trainings for now. I will have the talk with Lord Commandant and then, a decision will be taken."

Rodwin nodded while the King interrupted, "If there is any kind of threat you feel from anyone, you can always ask for protection. You are the supervisor. We value you."

Logan smiled tightly when Rodwin shook his head. "Thank you, my King. But yours words are enough for me. No one can be a threat to me. The value of your orders should be valued in the village and no one will touch me."

The Prince clenched his jaws and nodded. He smiled tightly. "Of course. Those who doesn't value our orders are punished. Do not worry, Lord Commandant is going to face scenarios for what he did. But none of you will go into any kind of trouble. Especially the forest or Aunt Maria's land."

Rodwin and Logan nodded.

"You both are dismissed," announced the King while relaxing back on his throne.

The Prince watched as both of them picked up their shirts and walked out of the hall quietly.

"I thought that the beast would be caught after last night. Instead, it turned more messy," said the King while grimacing hard. "How can all of the soldiers still be there in the forest along with that beast at the same time? I must order the Knights to look for any hidden clothes which the beast could wear after transforming."

The Prince nodded slowly with his eyes still focused on the gate on the right side from which the soldiers had left.

"It is messy, father. But not as much as you think it is," said the Prince while taking a long breathe and releasing it slowly. "It is not necessary that on the thirteenth night, the wolves were able to bite only one soldier. If they wanted, they could bite all of them."

"But the scholars said that the bite is not the only way to become a Werewolf," said the King absentmindedly.

"Of course, it could be a curse. A deep gash. Or any other way. I tried to kill two of the wolves, then why not I am the beast." The Prince said while chuckling humorlessly. "Maybe, Rodwin's doubts on Lord Commandant are true."

"Not just Rodwin's doubts," said the King grimly. "The other boy was equally enthusiastic over talking about the temple. How does he know what's written on those books? He is the messenger. When did he take all the time to read?"

The Prince's eyes narrowed and he smiled in agreement. "Curiosity is one of the steps to achievements, father."

_____

The hallways were silent and only selected Knights were at the duty to guard them.

Logan didn't say anything as Rodwin was equally silent while walking out towards the main entrance of the castle.

They arrived at a right turn and entered a secluded corridor. Logan observed how there were no guards standing and he could finally say something.

"Did you see how they didn't believe the temple—"

Before he could even complete, Rodwin clutched the collars of his best mate and pushed him against the wall, glaring at him hard.

"Rodwin! What in the hell!" Logan shrieked in a whisper.

Fury increased in Rodwin's eyes as he shook his head and gritted his teeth.

"You were the one who had been alone the most of the time, last night," he said, sending chills to Logan's spine whose eyes had widened. "Nathaniel blamed me for Ida's death. They handcuffed me, hit me, beaten me. The dawn happened and then, you came to see us."

Logan gulped hard while narrowing his eyes back. "Because I had met Violet on the way. Like she had told, I went to the forest near the canal to look for the beast."

"Lies!" Rodwin grunted angrily. "Samuel! Jeffery! Nathaniel! Earl! Davis! Everyone was there except for you!"

"That doesn't mean, I am the beast!" Logan said desperately. "Believe in me, Rodwin. We are best mates. Why would I lie to you! Whoever was the beast transformed back into the human and joined the team that caught you!"

"Samuel and Jeffery were together with Erasmus! Earl was with them too! Only Nathaniel came late!" Rodwin said angrily. "And he was well dressed in his civil clothes!"

Logan flared his nostrils. "Still that doesn't prove that he can't be the beast and I am one!"

Rodwin clenched his jaws and moved his face closer in warning. "This temple, this treasure was what you were looking for that night! Wasn't it?" He asked angrily in a whisper.

Chills ran down his spine, Logan blinked calmly.

"Yes."

_____

"What do you think?"

Please vote and comment.

___

Okay. So, it took a lot of time for me to get back into this world here. I read the whole book again, my theories and outlines again, listened to songs and finally I found myself dying to write Rodwin, Logan. *Sighs*

I just needed a Kickstart. But that doesn't this chapter is some filler. It matters. The upcoming chapters are going to be full of thrill. Keep supporting. Can't wait for what coming ahead in the story. Will update soon.

And thank you for being so patient ❤️