By the time the man's convulsions had ceased beneath him, Ozragad's head had began to clear once more. The red mist lifted from his eyes and he saw the scene before him. A dead man on the floor, the Princess and Manawyndan standing shocked above him, a cluster of guards and courtiers nervously peering through the open doors. There was blood on his hand and cuff from when the servant had begun to wretch and splutter. He stared at it for a moment before he wiped it on the front of the dead man's tunic and rising to his feet. 

[b][color=f7941d]"Get this out of my sight."[/color][/b] He wearily commanded the two guards who had brought the servant in moments before. [b][color=f7941d]"And then shut that door."[/color][/b] They readily complied, dragging the dead man from the chamber, and then sealing them off once more from the curious and worried gaze of the court. 

Treachery and treason, in his own palace, he could scarcely believe it. He had thought he had put and end all of that after the regency of his youth, and he had marched against those who had conspired against his mother. Poison. It was the weapon of a coward. He despised that more than anything else. [color=f7941d][i]It shall not happen to me, I will not let it happen. They fear to face me, I shall hunt them down.[/i][/color]

The thought of what he would do when he found whoever was behind this reassured him for a moment, until his councillor spoke once more. 

[b]"That was ill done."[/b]

[b][color=f7941d]"Really? How?"[/color][/b] The King shot Manawyndan a poisonous glance, but the Lord Steward did not back down.

[b]"That did not help us find who was responsible for this, he should have been taken and questioned. By the Gods, he might not have even known that he served you poison. But we can't find that out now, because you killed him."[/b] His tone was disobedient, bordering on insolence. But Ozragad could not find the rage in him again. He just felt tired.

[b][color=f7941d]"Oh, just get out of here. Go do your job and find out who did this."[/color][/b] Manawyndan stared back at him, and with a snort of derision marched out of the council chamber without a second look. Now he was alone with the Princess.

The King went to say something but the words caught in this throat and withered there. What was he to say? Should he thank her? Should he apologise again? Should he beg for her forgiveness. Or should he ask her what his councillor advised him - is this your doing? He did not know. 

He didn't meet her gaze as he wearily walked back to his seat at the table, and slumped into it. Somewhere in all the action his grey streaked dark mane had come loose from the knot that had held it behind his head. Strands of hair hung down around Ozragad's face. Unselfconsciously, he reached up and removed the plain circle that rested on his head and set it on the table before him. He shook his hair loose, let it fall free.

[b][color=f7941d]"I am sorry for my councillor. It is his job to be suspicious."[/color][/b] He closed his eyes and rubbed his temples, as if he was in pain. [b][color=f7941d]"It seems... I may owe you a great deal. There is one question I have though... why? Why did you choose to save me? If I had died you might have been free of me, and this place, which you clearly both despise. So why did you save my life?"[/color][/b]