Legion20
Given that the murderer is a fake mage and also an archmage i have a feeling its Derious. Now normally he wouldnt be able to kill mirim but i think he teamed up with thrud and got boosted by arthans madness or something similar. Who better for thrud to recruit than an archmage that despises the country she does and lith as well. Plus the whole puppet theme of the murders makes me think back to how Quylla killed Derious’ son while under the slave spell.
Well played Legion. While this loss is sad it's an important step in Lith's character development that will push him out of the nest. With all the foreshadowing Legion has given Lith, he's clearly on a similar path to Valerion (from reclusive farm boy to reluctant ruler/power figure) however Lith has been sheltered this whole time and had the luxury to stay out of the game. This will be a part of the chain to push his personal growth, not just power.