"Don’t be nervous, we just have a few questions we want answered, and we thought it would be more convenient for us to co to you instead," Daphne said, smiling in what she hoped was a reassuring manner.
"Rumors are flying everywhere in the capital now about Nikun’s arrest, and I hope that I can find so information to clear his na," she continued, and Phari’s eyes seed to lose the slightest bit of wariness at her words.
"... You don’t believe Prince Nikun did it then?" Phari asked.
"No, no, I do not," Daphne said, "But my words an nothing without proof, so here I am, hoping you can shed more light on Nikun and his family. Can you tell if any of his brothers might hate him enough to wish him dead, even oceans away?"
While Daphne distracted Phari with her questions, Atticus reached out a hand to grab a cup of tea, discreetly using his powers to scatter the kyanite powder into her cup. It wasn’t the most foolproof thod, but he could simply force Phari to down the tea with magic.
Then, he took the other unspiked cup of tea for Daphne as well, ensuring there was only the laced cup left for her.
Phari’s eyes darted quickly to Atticus’s hands, but to her credit, her facial expressions did not change.
Very pointedly, she didn’t reach out to take her tea either. But she began to reply to Daphne’s question.
"I would not be surprised. They were very vindictive when they were younger― he used to be beaten up by all three of them at once, and there was a ti when they left him in the dungeons after they forced an iron mask on his face. He was only let out days later when they realized he was missing."
"Oh dear..." Daphne’s mouth fell open at the brutal picture painted by Phari’s words, but who knew if she was speaking the truth. Her tea was still untouched. "I have a lot more questions, so you might want to take the tea. Your throat will be dry otherwise."
"No, thank you," Phari said politely. "I’ll drink it later."
Atticus narrowed his eyes. Ti was of the essence, and he wasn’t going to waste any of it cajoling this woman to drink. It was a pity she wasn’t as foolish as Francessa Seibert, but Atticus was nothing if not adaptive to the situation.
With a crook of his finger, he used magic to subdue her arms and legs, causing her to remain rooted to her seat.
"What is the aning of this?" Phari exclaid, beginning to panic.
Atticus tutted; if she scread, she was going to inform her neighbors. So he crooked his fingers again, and tilted her head up, prying her mouth open with magic. Phari’s eyes bulged out in shock.
"Very sorry about this, please bear with it for a mont," Daphne said apologetically, and she gently poured the cup of tea slowly down Phari’s throat, making sure not to choke her. She even cooled it down slightly with her powers, so that it would not burn her.
Soon, every last drop of laced tea ended down Phari’s throat, and Daphne watched as she swallowed it all. Atticus released the hold he had on her throat and mouth but kept her limbs frozen just in case she tried to escape.
"We’ve noticed a few discrepancies in your responses," Atticus said, crossing his arms. "For a start, let’s clarify your identity. Were you truly a humble washerwoman working in the palace?"
Phari’s face began to turn red, then pale. A pained groan escaped her lips.
"The more you resist telling the truth, the more it will hurt," Atticus said, in a tone that bordered on sympathetic boredom. "Save everyone the trouble and spill."
"I was not a humble washerwoman―" Phari’s lips clamped shut, and there was a hint of relief in her eyes as she thought she found a loophole to the questioning.
Unfortunately for her, Daphne and Atticus had too much experience using kyanite to question people.
"Tell us what your true role was when you were working in Santok’s palace. Who was your master?"
Phari wheezed, but in the end, she spoke.
"I used to be Princess Eiko’s personal maid. I answered only to Princess Eiko." Then, her whole body shuddered, and she was forced to speak again. "I was also her guard."
Daphne and Atticus exchanged a look. This was new knowledge indeed.
"And Princess Eiko sent you here to keep an eye out on her brother?" Atticus raised an eyebrow. "Such comndable loyalty between siblings, especially when one takes into account that Nikun could have simply drowned en route to Nedour. Tell , why were you split up from your princess?"
"I was going to be executed. The princess sent away for my safety," Phari said, resignation entering her eyes. "Prince Sebin tried to take advantage of , and I retaliated. He did not take kindly to striking him, and soon ordered hung for my impertinence. Princess Eiko did not have enough power in court to oppose him, but she helped escape. She told to sail for Nedour."
Tears began to well up in Phari’s eyes. "I hope she’s safe. There’s no one by her side now."
Daphne felt her heart ache for Princess Eiko and Phari. Under the influence of the blue kyanite, there could be nothing but truth in her desires for Princess Eiko’s welfare.
Atticus was a lot less impressed with such a display of loyalty, and he continued his questioning. "Did the dagger we found belong to Princess Eiko?"
"Yes."
"How did it end up in your hands?"
"She gave it to ..."
"You don’t say." Atticus’s tone was heavily sarcastic. "Why did she give it to you then, pray tell? Surely it cannot be to slice the at your loving husband brings back from the market."
Daphne discreetly stepped on Atticus’s foot. There was no need to be impolite.
"She gave it to so that I could give it to Prince Nikun. He was also headed to Nedour, and Princess Eiko did not trust the n around him on the ship. I was supposed to sneak onto his ship, but then Prince Nikun had already set sail. So Princess Eiko had to arrange a private transport for to reach Nedour before he did."
"But the dagger never made it to him, because his ship sank," Daphne said. "You could not find a way to et him, not when he was stuck with us. Or have you t him already in Nedour?"
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