Guild of Thieves (Book 1) ✓

𝓒𝓱.29 ~ 𝓐 𝓣𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓮𝓼𝓽

Two months later, Caine decided to test his daughter to see if she really was the best of the best. If she passed the test, Caine would then know if Jezamine was ready or not for the task he had planned for her after her birthday. The girl was now seventeen, almost eighteen, looking more and more like her mother which irritated Caine to the bones. The healer woman never ceased to haunt him no matter where he went. Arianna's face was always around and it both angered him and comforted him.

Finn avoided the Leader of Thieves, still angry with him for still wanting the jewels after all these years. Finn didn't understand that the jewels were more than just some gemstones, they were valuable and were the rarest in all the lands. That being the reason why no one has ever seen the Royal Jewels or heard of them before.

With that amount of gold and wealth, Caine could start his own empire and expand his Guild beyond the kingdom of Arondale. The jewels were the key to his future and to being King of all thieves. He would make the dream he could see so vividly in his mind into a reality. He has gotten this far on his own, creating a Guild from nothing but an old, abandoned mill factory. His own father would be proud of him for how far he had come from being just a street rat stealing to survive.

Jezamine entered the room, closing the door behind her and said. "You summoned me?"

"I did! Sit down!" Caine gestured to the seat opposite him. "I have a final test for you daughter. A test to see if you are the best thief in the entire Guild."

Caine knew she wouldn't decline the test, knowing the girl wanted to prove herself to him as well as the rest of the Guild.

"I accept your test. Just tell me what I have to do so it can be over and done with." Jezamine smirked, confident in herself as she always was.

"Good. Your objective is to break into the Portland Manor and steal a chest of rubies from Old Lord Darius." Caine said and added. "But don't be fooled by his appearance, although he is old he is a smart man and he will have his rubies well guarded."

Lord Darius was Caine's target because he was the richest man with his collection of rubies. Caine wanted that power, and more so a small taste of what it would be like when he obtained the Jewels of Arondale. If Jezamine succeeded and completed her final test, she would be ready to take on the castle. Caine believed she would be the one who would steal the jewels and be worthy as his heir. First she needed to prove herself to him.

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Lord Darius was a wealthy upper class man with a reputation being the former King's Knight and a great swordsman. Although he was old, Darius still knew how to kill a man with a sword and his manor was indeed well guarded. At least a few dozen men. A gift from the King for Lord Darius's long service to the Royals. The man would still be serving the crown if he hadn't been crippled in battle, losing his leg at the hands of the wildmen who tried to take over Arondale many decades ago.

Jezamine knew it wasn't going to be an easy task, but she wouldn't disappoint her father. This was her final test and if she succeeded, Jezamine would be tattooed with the Guild's symbol that she created - a skull wearing a crown. The bones tattooed underneath the skull represented a thief's rank within the Guild.