"Yonder scribes take down every word that be spoken in this room, so I know of what passed between yerself and Valyrae."

Theobold spared a quick glance to the silent scribes as they sat with heads bent, busily scratching away with their quills. They were such nonentities to the priest that he had completely forgotten about their presence in the chamber. He turned back to face Kroydon. "Mayhap, sire, in the heat of words, some of what was spoken has slipped me mind," Theobold stated, spreading his arms wide as a token of apology for his forgetfulness. "Even so, I but took this as an attempt by the young prince to test me own strength in the One Faith, not as a serious statement of fact on his part."

Kroydon slammed his huge, scarred fist down on the arm of the throne. "The young prince had reached majority and was therefore full regent with powers to make decisions for the kingdom, as well as for himself, and as a loyal subject of this kingdom ye should have taken him seriously, even if ye did not agree with his decisions!"

"Of course, sire," Theobold said, bowing his head slightly before the king's rage. "I offer most sincere apologies for forgetting me place," he lied through clenched teeth.

The king leaned back and slowly got control of his anger. "All things being taken into consideration, priest, there be rumors about that ye may have had a hand in me son's death. Be there any truth to these rumors?" Kroydon asked, quietly, his steely gaze nailing the priest to his spot on the floor.

Completely taken aback by this turn of events, Theobold voiced his innocence. "Me lord, how can ye give any credence to an idea so blatantly false," he protested, spreading his arms wide in supplication. "Yer majesty knows that I have always been a loyal, faithful subject to both ye and yer house. I can not believe that---"

"Silence!" Kroydon cut him off with a shout. "Ye and yer order have attempted to control this kingdom for years. Ye already have a stranglehold on grain production, as well as milling, and I suspect that ye make more profit from these enterprises than I myself do." He saw the surprised look on Theobold's face and smiled. It was not a pleasant smile to behold. "Aye, ye thought I was not kept abreast of things while away at war, eh? Well, for all his faults, Valyrae kept his eyes and ears open and sent weekly couriers to keep me informed as to what was about, here at the castle.

"Be that as it may, Valyrae saw what was happening around him and made an attempt to stem the tide." Kroydon leaned forward in his throne and glared at the priest. "If ever I find a grain of truth to these rumors that ye had a hand in the death of me son, priest, yer head will mount a pole outside the gates of this castle until the birds have picked yer skull clean. Do ye take me full meaning?"

Theobold had taken a step backwards in the face of the king's verbal onslaught, but recovered his poise, quickly. "Of course, me lord. I would expect naught less," he admitted, "but I assure yer majesty that I had naught whatsoever to do with the unfortunate death of Prince Valyrae. Why, I have watched that boy grow from a---"