The dungeons located in tunnels beneath the palace were well lit with torches along the walls. The echo of footsteps could be heard as Lady Miranda descended down the flight of stairs with a group of guards and Chancellor Vance.
Lady Daphne sat at a table her hands in iron handcuffs chained to the wall. She arose as the Chancellor and Lady Miranda entered her cell.
"You know why we're here," Lady Miranda accused, not wanting to waste time.
"Yes, I do." She replied calmly.
"Who aided you in orchestrating such a disaster?" Lady Miranda asked banging her fist on the table.
"It was only I and the fire mages, really I didn't need much help at all." Lady Daphne replied smiling smugly.
"The whirlwind was created with Autumn magic. Who was your accomplice?" Lady Miranda asked.
"Why should I tell you?" Lady Daphne countered.
"If you don't, I will torture it out of you," Lady Miranda answered harshly, satisfied that her threat provoked a glimmer of fear in Lady Daphne's eyes.
"Lady Violet, who else would Casimir have wronged?" Lady Daphne admitted finally.
"That's King Casimir to you," Lady Miranda countered.
"My Lady perhaps I can take over the questioning now." Chancellor Vance suggested gently, which was a contrast considering they were in an interrogation.
"Very well Chancellor," Lady Miranda conceded, she left the cell but wove her way behind the staircase and hid behind the wall of Lady Daphne's cell to listen to the conversation that would take place.
"My lady, I would like to know why you planned it?" Chancellor Vance asked gently, looking at Lady Daphne with empathy in his eyes.
"Why do you care, Chancellor?" She replied bitterly.
"To understand better," Chancellor replied simply.
"Understand? Hahaha, what can there be to understand? He just played us all along and did not care. He cast me aside and made that Winter girl his queen."
"I have no prospects, Chancellor understand that no one wants a King's lover as wife!" Lady Daphne was now screaming at him as tears cascaded down her cheeks.
"I see," was all the Chancellor replied.
"You are already well taken care of Lady Daphne, you have a mansion in your name, servants at your disposal. It's not as though the King left you on the streets to fend for yourself. This scheme of yours was nothing but petty jealousy." The Chancellor concluded.
"Petty jealousy!" Lady Daphne now screamed outraged.
"How would you feel if you were showered with so much love only to have it ripped away from you and worst still replaced!"
"Then again, I don't expect you to understand anything Chancellor after all you are a man not a woman and most definitely not a pawn!" Lady Daphne replied bitterly.
"I think our goal in being here has concluded, you will undergo a trail before the king, however the final sentence will be determined." Lord Vance spoke calmly before leaving her cell.
The sentence would be death, thought Lady Miranda from her hiding place behind the wall. She would see to it that this woman would never again be a threat to the King.
As she took the stairs hurriedly up avoiding Lord Vance entirely, she would have to either swing the final vote in favor of an execution or obtain the king's signet ring to rule in his stead and execute her after he had departed for the Winterlands.
With all these plans churning within her, she quickly went in the direction of her chambers to plan further.
The next suspect she would have to interrogate would be Lady Violet.