"Heija berries?" The Prince Consort bent over a crate to let the red fruit slide between his fingers.

His eyes raised to head cook, straightening up and dusting his hands.

"Ah, yes, your highness, there is an abundance of Heija berries nearby and is in season, so..." the cook trailed off, noting the frown marring his highness' face.

"Are you aware that Heija berries can cause sleepiness? Which is something the troops at a border should be avoiding? Specially with the resent unrest?"

His highness asked slowly, as if speaking to a toddler.

Officer Ren frowned, sleepiness? He had been feeling unusually sleepy past few days, could that be...

"N..no your highness, I did not know, forgive me your highness, forgive me, this servant is incompetent," the cook immediately fell to his knees.

"Arrest him," 

"Your highness?" Officer Ren asked, confused, even when the order was absolute. His highness' voice hadn't changed, still the same calm cadence.

His highness did not deign him with a reply, instead gave him a glance.

"Yes your highness,"

"Your highness, no, your highness, Have mercy, I didn't know, I really didn't know," the cook kept begging as he was restrained.

"Who is second in charge," his highness turned back to the shocked workers of kitchen, standing stock still.

"Your highness," the second cook bowed meekly, taking a step forward.

"You are promoted," his highness swept a glance over the almost trembling cook.

"Throw out all the berries and bring me the catalogue of stocks that have been used and is in storage." he said, turning to follow after the soldiers who had no doubt by now dragged the former head cook to the cells.

¤¤

"The head cook?" General Ming Yan mused, head turned to the commotion.

"Hmm?" Yeran asked, just stepped out of the interrogation rooms.

"That is the head cook, your highness," the general was speaking of the restraint man dragged between two soldiers.

They came to a rest in front of them, the guards bowing.

"Your highness, your highness, please let me go, General please," The cooks begging begin anew at the sight of them.

"Who arrested him, who gave permission?" Ming Yan questioned the soldiers.

"I did," it was the Prince Consort's voice, no doubt.

And it was the Consort who arrived with 2nd Officer Ren in tow, Officer Ren looking slightly alarmed and a bit confused.

"Prince Aki?" His highness questioned, glancing at his husband.

"There is no use of protecting the gate when traitors are inside your walls General," Prince Consort shot a sharp glance at Ming Yan, after inclining his head in respect to Crown prince.

"Traitors? Your highness?" Ming Yan reflected the same confusion echoing on Officer Ren's face and shared a glance with him. Officer Ren shrugged, shaking his head.

"Bring him into the interrogation room. Prince Aki, please," The Crown prince ordered the soldiers and held out a hand towards the Prince Consort in invitation.

Yeran shared a glance with Ruth,

'What is your brother up to this time?'

Ruth shrugged, not having a clue.

"Prince Aki, please explain the reason for this spontaneous arrest." Yeran asked, again seated at the chair he had spent half the day on.

Aki stood to his right, his posture straight, one hand folded in front of him and the other resting by his side.

Aki glanced at him and leaned forward to drop some red berries onto the table infront of him.

Yeran raised a brow, silently inquiring.

"Heija berries, your highness, also called as 'happy berries', known to induce a sense of calm and wellbeing which could result in dulling of senses and cause sleepiness, as well as low blood sugar levels. It can also result in allergic reactions for many people and when consumed together with turmeric and ginger, which I also found in the recipe, will cause thinning of blood that can cause someone to bleed out in case of injury before receiving medication or even after."

Both officers' and Yeran's brows jumped up in surprise, Ruth twitched, not particularly surprised to hear him declare a complete lecture on a possible poison.

Yeran had already understood the point Aki was raising, they did indeed had berry soup for breakfast. He slowly turned to stare at the sniveling man kneeling on the floor, daring him to find an excuse.

The man cowered, folding tighter into himself, pathetically sobbing.

"Find who is behind him," Yeran ordered, rising to leave.

Aki kept pace with him and Ruth fell behind a few steps.

"How did you find out?" Yeran asked, out of earshot.

Aki swept a glance over him. Aloof, his head held high.

"If you had forgotten, your highness, I am an assassin, I know my poisons," he said.

"Specially how to make a death look... accidental," his smile was saccharine sweet.

"How did you know it was intentional," Yeran specified, repressing a shudder at the predatory look.

"You would have known too if you had looked closer your highness," Aki said, stalking off with a leisurely wave.

"Too many nicks on his fingers, he wasn't a cook," Yeran muttered, rolling his eyes.

'These brothers, I need a way to reign them in,' he thought, silently observing the retreating figure.

'Too clever, maybe it is a good thing I ordered him to look through management, even if all I needed was to make him too busy for any nefarious purposes,'

"Question him as well Ruth, I will observe, but I won't participate, you are much better at it than I, why do myself when you are a professional?"

"As your highness orders," Ruth bowed, still scowling at where his brother had disappeared.

"You should not let him be so disrespectful," he said, nodding toward that direction.

"Respectful or disrespectful, I have matters of greater concern to occupy my mind, let him run for all he want, it is after all, a wheel with no end, what difference can he make?" He dismissed his concern.

¤¤

"Your highness?" Officer Ren knocked on the door.

"Come in,"

The Prince Consort was seated at the table, several catalogs open across the table top.

"Stock catalogs of infirmary your highness," Ren said, bowing in respect.

"Thank you officer, keep them here." His highness made a vague gesture to the table bending back to the open book he had been writing on.

Ren searched for a free space and placed down the books and files on his hand, noting what was already there were the files retreated from kitchen.

"Officer Ren, who is in charge of budget reports and management?"

"That would be Officer Nanem, your highness,"

"Tell him that I requested his presence and to bring the budget reports of past two months,"

"Yes your highness," Officer Ren bowed, taking the order as the gesture of dismissal.

¤¤¤

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Aki

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Hey,

Been a while right? Don't worry, I didn't give up on the book, let's see how it goes, I'm motivated to write again.

Arkhane.