The bookshelf swings open as Floryana returns to the library and sits back down in her seat. “A Brief Study of Sudden Suffocation Regarding Tree Nuts, by Myldhon Thouwan,” She taps the front cover of the thin book, “Myldhon Thouwan is allegedly the pseudonym of one of the bastard children of W?rner Koeh-Styer.”

  "Oh, yes, yes," Kolaus begins, “I’ve heard of this, a child he had with a noble from the Kingdom of Brachb?sc [1], the city of Nyrh?lt [2]—I believe it was the sister of Molw Wisenw?rd, Hette Gewonpars. If I recall correctly, Kurth Gewonpars had her hung without trial for adultery after the kid looked nothing like him. Fighting between Kurth and Molw eventually led to the whole Wisenw?rd family being immolated in their mansion; rumor has it the youngest daughter, Sahnge, and her older brother, Lunen, made it out. The real name of this Myldhon Thouwan escapes me, but he was quickly sent away to the Grand Northern Forest as a child.”

  Floryana stares blankly at Kolaus, annoyed with not being able to finish her whole idea. She continues, her tone short at first but quickly evening out. “There is a section where the author talks about having an adverse reaction to almond—specifically trouble breathing shortly after ingesting small controlled amounts. I propose that we request the chef to prepare some sort of festive dessert using honeyed almond paste. Assuming Drewer is like most eight-year-old boys, he will devour the dessert. If he is like his half-brother, he will have a similar adverse reaction, causing his throat to swell shut, suffocating him.”

  ?nnywella turns around from the mantel, lighting another cigarette, and sits down. She leans forward. “I hate to say this regarding the murder of a child, but that is simply brilliant. Since this is a reaction specific to Drewer, will this get past poison testers?”

  “Yes, of course. It’s not even a poison.” Floryana nods.

  “How long will it take to cause him to suffocate?”

  “Half an hour.”

  “If someone notices the symptoms, can they prevent his death?”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “No, assuming he has an amount typically found in winter desserts, no amount of emetics can save him.”

  “Now, before we figure out how to get these desserts on the menu, how likely is this to work?”

  “Maybe one percent, if not less—quite slim.”

  ?nnywella takes a puff on her cigarette and blows the smoke out of the corners of her mouth. A perfect plan hinges on a single element, though, she finds solace in the slim chance of this working.

  “I think this is worth capitalizing on; there is no risk if it fails.” Kolaus adds, sitting up in his chair.

  ?nnywella scrunches her face. “Yes, but we still need a secondary plan. I’m not willing to put my faith in a fraction of a percent—I am not a betting woman.”

  “I think we should request a meeting with Drewer and his advisors and have a dinner with them. Use this opportunity to take a chance on Franheska’s idea. If it doesn’t work, we get to know the advisors and figure out who we can pull and prod. We figure out what to do—if her plan fails—after. If we bring military presence to Wernfod with us, they will be less likely to try something after.”

  “Verily, let us try this then. The military presence will let them know that we have a sense of their plan, possibly sowing distrust among the advisors.” ?nnywella takes a drag. “We need to make it so there is no evidence we requested _anything_ at the dinner, in case Drewer dies. I say we send K?spar to Styd?n and have him speak with the chef, somehow getting the dessert we want on the menu.”

  “I concur. Shall we start on the letter?”

  “Verily. Thank you, Fran. You are dismissed.”

  Floryana heads for the door, pausing before leaving. “I request to attend this dinner; I wish to see what happens when someone succumbs to sudden suffocation with my own eyes.”

  ?nnywella takes a deep breath, her eyes go wide, and, pursing her lips, she blinks a few times. Shocked by the bluntness of Frans’s request, but not exactly surprised by it. “Granted. I will update you on dates when we get our reply.”

  With that, the three leave the Library Closet. The creaking of the hinged bookshelf breaks the awkward silence between Dyder and Eue-Lysae.

  Footnotes

  [1] The governing force of the southeastern region of Ianya. Most known for its farmland to the north and dense forests to the south. The current overlord as of 1063 EotG is Ludof B?rth. The Kingdom of Brachb?sc has ~60,000 km of land spread out among the six major fiefs.

  [2] Located in the northernmost area of the Kingdom of Brachb?sc, Nyrh?lt is the fourth largest city in the Kingdom. Originally founded in 4353 EotTS the city grew around a large farm owned by the M?y family. Its primary export is livestock (sheep and goats). As of 1063 EotG Nyrh?lt is home to ~150,000 people. The name means "north" or "northern" (Nyr) "grove" (h?lt).