"These sources, what do you know of them at the moment?" Penelope asked.

Adonis looked at her and folded his arms. "The first was a servant by the name Arkadis."

"What?!"

"Let me finish." He said with an air of impatience. "He found a few letters which had been thrown away, and those were compared to the handwriting of the criminals."

Penelope glared at him.

"I meant suspects," he said and cleared his throat. "Then, they found a trail of correspondence back at a few other kingdoms. And this was only possible because she had the help of her most trusted follower, General Glovus."

Penelope stood up from her seat and walked to where he sat. "That’s one air-tight plan," Penelope said and nodded. "We both know we’re not going to find any servant by the name Arkadis, the ’correspondence’ she found would take months or weeks at best to confirm, and Glovus isn’t going to betray her."

Adonis leaned forward and covered his face with his hands. "I know," he said and groaned.

"Then what do we do?"

"We investigate, nonetheless. But I think you’re also right that I should talk to father."

Penelope flicked her eye thoughtfully. "Recruit someone else to do the investigating; she’ll be having us watched."

"I know the perfect person," Adonis said with a grin and stood up.

"Where are you off to?" Penelope narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on both hips.

"To get things in motion, Pen. Less words, more action, remember?"

Penelope dropped her hands to her sides. "I hope we win this time, Adonis. I’m tired of the games."

"I wish for that as well."

Adonis walked out of the room and went to look for Astrid.

"She’s gone out," Hera informed him. "She won’t be back until later."

"Thank you," Adonis said with a tight smile. They had better not be together, he thought. Then he went to meet his father in his study.

"Adonis," his father said, "there you are. I need your help. Sort those documents for me."

"Of course," he said, sat down, and took some of the documents. "These are inventories... And trade agreements."

"Yes, they are," his father replied.

"Why are you sorting all of these out yourself?"

"A lot of things do not sit right with me, Adonis. A lot of these kingdoms are demanding too much in return for their ’loyalty’. I could just send soldiers out and destroy them, but for how long? We’ve already stretched ourselves thin with this latest conquest and now..."

Adonis took a look at the papers. Aekje, a kingdom to the south, which possesses a lot of advantages, geographically demands more grain and gold.

"But we’ve already sent so much within the past six months."

"True. Which is why the letter they had sent along with their demands is even more baffling. They think we see them as a joke, and we aren’t honoring the terms of our agreement."

Adonis looked back at the paper in his hands. Etril, renowned for its spice, is also threatening to cut off all exports if we do not increase our supply of grain and timber.

"There seems to be a problem somewhere," Adonis said thoughtfully. "We’re barely holding up because for the past year, their demand has kept increasing. And now this?"

His father shook his head and sighed.

"Also, why aren’t your aides and the members of the council helping you solve this?"

"They were, which was why it got this bad, and I had to become involved."

There was a knock on the door. "Your majesty, the drink you requested."

"Come in," he said impatiently.

The servant came in, and he placed the drink on the table and stood.

"What’s the matter?" Adonis asked, "Why are you still here?"

The servant smiled awkwardly, "I just wanted to take the cup after he finished, your majesty."

"You don’t need to stand over us like a log of wood. We’ll send for you when he’s done."

The servant glanced from Adonis to the cup that Adonis almost missed it.

"Leave, now."

He bowed and immediately left.

"You can have it," his father said. "I hardly have an appetite."

Adonis stared at the cup and lifted it hesitantly, then looked inside to stir its contents.

He furrowed his brow and squeezed his lips as he brought it to his lips. "Father, you’re too old for sweets," Adonis said, a little surprised.

"An old man such as myself can indulge from time to time."

Adonis laughed, then stared at his father for a while as he worked.

"Your eyes are unpleasant, son. Tell me what it is."

Adonis shifted in his seat and crossed his arms on the table. "It’s about this morning."

"You weren’t happy with your sister, were you? I saw it written all over your face," he chuckled.

"No, father, I think she’s serving the empire well. I’ll need all the assistance I can get when I finally take the throne," he said. "But I do think that this matter is a little..."

"Complicated," his father finished.

"Exactly," Adonis said, and hit his hand lightly on the table. "We’ve arrested three women on charges of treason, Father, without any solid proof. This had never been our way."

"It does make me slightly uncomfortable."

"And I as well. Why don’t we place them under some sort of house arrest? Keep them in their rooms. We don’t know when and how long Octavia’s investigations are going to go on for, so why don’t we become a little merciful? Remember, these girls are still unaware we have destroyed their homes, this is the least we could do."

His father looked up at him and sighed. "I think you’re right," he said. "However, I do not want to keep harbouring the idea of a traitor in my household. Assist your sister in the investigations and end this as quickly as possible."

A corner of Adonis’s lips tilted up in a smile. "Excellent idea, father," Adonis said. "Why don’t you leave you for a while. I’ll be back soon."

"Alright," his father replied warily.

Adonis stood up, and his feet wobbled. He breathed in deeply and walked out of the study. As soon as he had closed the door behind him, a bit of blood spluttered out of his mouth.