The Prince's Assassin

Chapter Six

My cover is officially blown.

Running straight into the prince while trying to follow him unnoticed is probably the stupidest thing I have ever done. Other than the time I tried to eat 28 hotdogs in one sitting, but that's another story.

"I'm so sorry," the prince looks down at me worriedly, his emerald green eyes shining into my sapphire blue ones.

I refuse his outstretched hand and stand up on my own, brushing myself off.

"Are you ok, madam?"

"I'm fine. I might have a bruised ass tomorrow, but nothing I can't deal with." I reply without thinking about who I'm talking to.

He is royalty, Raven! Use your manners!

.....Ah, screw it, he'll be dead soon anyway.

He chuckles and watches me carefully, probably wondering who in their right mind would speak to a prince like that.

Although, if you didn't know any better, you wouldn't know he was a prince. He is dressed in more casual attire than usual, a button up shirt and tidy jeans with black canvas shoes.

He was walking around the park alone, his guards at every entrance for protective measures, when I ran into him head on.

"Would you like to accompany me on my walk? I could use someone to talk to."

"Won't you get in trouble with your personal entourage?" I raise my eyebrows.

He laughs again as he shakes his head. "I wouldn't mind even if I did. You seem worth it."

I look back at him unaffected before breathing out heavily. "Sure, I guess I'll walk with you."

We begin to follow the path, walking slowly in time with each other.

"You know who I am, don't you?"

"Yeah of course. You're the Pope." I smile.

He bellows with laughter and looks at me with amusement. "I've never met someone so......"

"Funny?" I fill in his pause.

"Well yes, that." he chuckles, "But I was thinking more like, blunt."

"Like, boring?" I frown.

"No. Like sarcastic. You are talking to royalty, yet you sound like you are talking to your 'brother from another mother'."

"Who even says that?" I laugh once.

He laughs with me. "See, there! You are doing it again!"

"Sorry, do you want me to stop?" I straighten my face.

"No, this is the most I have laughed in a long time." He grins.

"Good, 'cause I wasn't going to stop anyway." I shrug casually as he tries to stop from laughing again.

"I have to know your name so I can hire you to be my personal comedian."

"My name is Raven, and I'm kinda busy finishing the job i have right now."

I immediately regret giving my real name.

"Well just in case you weren't kidding about the pope thing, my name is Prince Flynnigan Alexander George the third."

"People have to call you that every time they want your attention?"

"Well, no. It's usually shortened to just Prince Flynnigan the third."

"Well, I'm just gonna call you Flynn, saves us both a lot of time."

"Not even 'prince' at the start?"

"If I added that, it would make you seem more important than me."

"Aren't I?"

"No."

"Hmm. And here I was thinking that being part of the royal family meant something." he smirks and puts his hands in his pockets as we stroll through the park. It's awkwardly silent for a while.

"Do you live around here?" He asks me.

"Yes," I lie. "I have an apartment."

"What's it like?"

"You want me to describe my apartment to you?" I try to hide my panic.

"No. I mean, what is living by yourself like? I'm never ever alone other than when I'm asleep in my bedroom."

"Well, I do have roommates," I twist the reality of my living conditions.

"I'm roommates with the palace guards." he chuckles before adding, "How old are you?"

"Eighteen." I decide to give at least some true information.

"Well I'm 20, and engaged." Flynn sighs.

"I'm sensing," I put my fingers to my temples, "I'm sensing that you don't want to get married." I lower my hands and look up at him, his eyes focusing on the ground in front of us.

"This is kept between me and you, ok?" He frowns.

"Can't say no to the Pope." I smile slightly.

"I never wanted to get married, it was arranged as are most royal weddings. Duchess Diane is nice and everything, but I don't love her."

I think for a moment.

"You realize you just spilled out the biggest royal scandal ever to a complete stranger." I say with a smirk.

"We aren't strangers, I know your name. And I don't think you can really be strangers with royalty."

"I suppose not."

We reach the other side of the park where a guard is waiting by the entrance.

"I guess this is where we part ways." the prince says turning to me.

"It was nice meeting you, Flynn."

"Still not adding the 'prince' part?"

"Nope." I smile widely.

He reaches for my hand and brings it to his mouth, kissing the top of it softly. I could have had him in a death grip right there and then, but my body refused the urge to fight against him.

He lowers my hand gently, smiling with charm.

"It was really nice meeting you, Raven."

And with that, he is ushered into a black car by guards and is gone in a blink.

I stand alone at the entrance to the park, trying to shake this warm feeling that has filled my frozen insides.

"Snap out of it, Raven!" My inner voice shouts and I shake my head.

I still have the mission to complete, weather the prince kissed my hand or not.

I have to admit though, I'm going to miss him when he's dead.

*~*~*~*

Music thunders from the living room, audible even before I walked in the front door. I poke my head around the corner and see a large group of men throwing back shot glasses and bottles of beer. Strippers dance between them, touching them sexily and batting their eyelashes.

"Raven!" Snake calls when he spots me across the room. He whispers something to the blonde bimbo who is on his lap before she stands and Snake comes over to me alone.

"I suppose you are here to tell me that your mission is complete?" He says after taking a swig of his beer.

"Um. No, actually." I try not to show that I'm afraid. But knowing what he is capable of definitely makes it hard.

"Raven." his voice lowers from party to business. "You have from now until tomorrow night to kill that fucking prince. So if you don't want to suffer the consequences, I suggest you hobble back out that door and go fucking kill him. Got it?"

I keep the blank expression on my face, before nodding and running upstairs to change into my assassin clothes.

Looks like it is going to be now or never.

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