Oerthe's Crown

The Thief

A simple lie in the greater scheme of deception. 

-Azrael's Alliance

***

Seren scanned the crowd from her vantage point on the railing of an inn. She had picked the lock of the room she had chosen, taking the time to be careful. After all, seven years of thievery had taught her that, at least. The room belonged to a young woman and her husband, who had left not long ago. They wouldn't return for a while; they had left with purses filled with silver, and planned to spend them, no doubt. It was rather a shame they had taken all the coins with them. It would've made her job much easier. Seren was only there to scan for her next target, taking the larceny as seriously as any profession. At the best, a rich old man who wouldn't notice a couple of quick hands. Thievery wasn't the most honorable path, but it was needed to survive.       

The bright sun was not quite at its peak, shining down on the small marketplace. It was during this time of the day that she chose to pilfer; it was always the busiest. Vendors haggled with the customers, bargaining to tip the odds in their favour. Stray animals walked around hoping for morsels near the inns along with the lesser class of humans.

"What a welcome way to attract attention." A voice commented from behind her. She knew who it was immediately. No one else would talk to her with such decency.

Without turning, she responded. "Varys?"

"Yes."

"Shouldn't you be off pick pocketing royalty or something?" she asked, swinging her feet off the railing and turning to face him. He'd told her to meet him at noon. The sun wasn't yet in place.

Varys shook his head, a slightly tormented look lingering on his face. He winced, as if ready for something. "I've got to report to the citadel by tomorrow."

Instantly, the girl's joking demeanor dropped. Her heart dropped past her body, driving itself as deeper than her boots. "I thought you had a month left."

He brushed his blonde hair away from his eyes, a habit he had when he was nervous. "They want to test new recruits."

"If you don't make it?" Seren asked, knowing full well the outcome.

"Then I don't make it."

'Then I die' were the unspoken words he told her with his sad smile.

"You could run. We could both run," she said, trying to grasp what small hope there was left. There was no wind to sting her eyes, so why were they watery? She took a deep breath, trying hard not to let the tears stream down her face.

The look in his eyes was answer enough for her. "You still have a year. Maybe someone will apprentice you."

"No one will apprentice a thief." She could feel him trying to change the topic, but she was far from letting it go. "If you join the army, you'll die."

He shrugged. "There's peace right now."

"It won't stay for long."

They both knew it. The emperor was far too greedy and far too rich to sit content with the empire he had. Emperor Kaedrith was constantly at war with its neighboors, defeating kingdom after kingdom. When his reign began, he issued a law. When a person reached eighteen years, they had two choices. Become an apprentice, or join the army. Or, the third choice no one dared to speak of, become sentenced to death. The empire couldn't afford stragglers. Most beggars and thieves were under the age of eighteen. The only way they didn't join the army was to become a slave, and she'd rather die than do so.  

"I'm dead anyways," Varys said, smiling down at her. He'd told her once, that he would die fighting. The irony wasn't lost, but neither was it appreciated.