Lovely Dark Things

NINE (ISELEN POV)

"Beautiful..." I whisper looking around discreetly, following Ruby down the avenue that leads to the palace. I remain one step right behind her, quietly, never interrupting her conversation when the assassin greets other elves and talks to the market vendors where she buys something to eat. No one pays attention to me, I'm only a human, someone useful because of her knowledge or her skill to do whatever they need from me, but I'll never be a friend or a full citizen. This city is supposed to be the most cosmopolitan and multicultural in the kingdom and its inhabitants are more tolerant and open-mined. I cannot imagine how many bigots live in other remote areas.

The city stretches from the port, protected by tall towers and hundreds of soldiers, up along the hillside gracefully. Houses and palaces made of white stone contrast with green parks and cobbled streets that shine like silver under the sunlight, there're stairs leading to lookouts, fountains with crystalline water, lampposts and lanterns every few metres, pots with flowers embellishing every window... All kinds of recreational boats rock gently in the inner sea protected by several canals, they're smaller and more manoeuvrable than the commercial ships that are waiting for their cargo in the big port. They've even created some artificial islands where the wealthy elves have built stunning palaces. A dream come true, an ideal city where everything is clean, tidy, well-maintained and perfect.

"Overwhelming," I think taking a deep breath. Blond elves greet each other cheerfully, they smile kindly, birds sing and the sun shines... And everything is fake and unnatural. Not even all the white marble available in this world can hide the tense undercurrents beneath the surface: jealousy, ambition, envy, machinations and rivalry. My girl is right: they aren't different from dark elves, only more hypocrite. They've created an image of "almost perfect knights" that they sold to the rest of the world and now are stuck in their role, they pretend to be perfect despite they only want to kill each other and prevail, like any other rational living being. And in addition to this, there's the tension the proximity of the chaos is causing. "I don't think I would've been happy here with Kevan... at least, things are clear in Baalberith and I know where I sand."

"Let's go, this way," Ruby tilts her head covered with a blue hood that hides her short hair and protects her from the sun. "There're three golden gates: the one in the port, the one that leads to the commercial area of the city and this is the third one; the leaders of Lothern live on the other side, in wonderful palaces overlooking the smaller port of the inner sea. We cannot cross that door, supposedly, because you're human and I'm a visitor from the north of the island. The guards only grant access to residents." Ruby bows her head smiling kindly to greet a pretty elven lady who nods in response and I can't help snorting in my mind.

"I never thought you'd be so good at looking..."

"Like a stupid cream puff?" she cuts me off smirking.

"At looking harmless, I mean."

"It's hard for me to keep this ridiculous grin on my face all day long, I won't deny that, and my fingertips itch because there's nothing I want more than to take my knives and spill blood of hypocrites." The assassin shakes her head while guiding me to a small park that's almost hidden behind a tall building, we both sit down on a bench and start eating the bread, cheese and fruit she's bought, trying to look like two average tourists even if the area is deserted and no one is paying attention to us. "I think my eyes are helping..." I look at her puzzled while chewing. "They don't trust me because of my dark hair but they like my eyes."

"Well, I can't blame them for that, I love them too." Ruby smiles and winks at me, my heart races suddenly in response.

"These idiots believe all dark elves have black eyes, as black as our hearts or something like that, this is why they'd never suspect I'm one of those. It's funny because I got them from my grandmother, my father's mom..."