The Guardian

Chapter Three

I awoke the next morning and soon found myself being assisted into a pair of fitted white pants and a detailed sky blue and silver tunic, then a pair of soft leather boots, lacing up at the back, by an older woman named Phillipa. She then sits me down and braids my hair over my shoulders, the long curls reaching almost to my waist, before dusting some make-up across my skin and putting some pink tint on my lips. She smiles at me before guiding me down to breakfast. With daggers hidden in my sleeves and boots, as well as the inside of my tunic and a thin rapier slung across my hips. But she doesn't know about the daggers.

She leaves me at the door and I walk in, finding only Isodore inside. I supress my eye roll and sit at the opposite end of the long table and start eating an omelette off my plate, keeping my head down. He disgusted me a little to be honest, but two can play the seductive and dangerous game.

"How did you sleep, my dear?" His voice is like a cat, purring through the quiet, high-roofed room. I look up slowly, lowering my cutlery as my braids frame my face.

"Lovely," I keep my gaze blank, but my voice imitates his purr and a smirk plays across my face.

"Wonderful," he grins, running a hand through his hair. "I suppose Phillipa mentioned that you would be spending the day on a tour of the city with leading guard?"

I raise an eyebrow and give a small shrug. "It might have been mentioned."

"I see," he raises an eyebrow a little, leaning on his hand and looking at me. I mimic his position, smirking all the while. "His name is Damian Longhall."

"Good to know," I give a small, sarcastic thanks. At that moment, a tall, broad-shouldered man walks through the door.

His face is friendly and he wear black pants with a dark green tunic and black boots. A large, gold-hilted sword is tied across his hips. His face is friendly, bright green eyes looking between Isodore and I. His head is covered in warm brown curls and stubble across his strong jaw. His face settles in a mixture of shock and confusion when he realises I'm mimicking Isodore's posture. I smile widely, still dangerous, as I sit back in my chair, claiming my victory.

"Damian, nice of you to join us," Isodore takes a moment to long to peel his eyes away from me to look at the newcomer.

"Of course, you requested I take our newest guest on a tour," he gives me a small smile and returns his focus to Damian.

I stand a tie my rapier around my waist, walking towards the men, both of whom tower over me. But Damian more so than Isodore. "Well, I'm ready to go."

"But you hardly ate anything," Isodore looks at my half-eaten omelette and puts a hand on my elbow, and I suppress my shudder.

"I'm not hungry," I give a small shrug, his touch still on my elbow, I can feel it through my tunic. "I want to go."

"Alright, I'll see you this afternoon, my Lord," Damian seems to sense my unease and quickly walks to the door, holding it open for me. I turn to go, but a hand grips my elbow and I turn to meet his eyes.

"I'll see you later on, Violette," his voice is a venomous purr and I quickly rip my arm from his grip, marching out the door past Damian.

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I don't let my breathe go until I'm a few streets away from the house, with Damian falling into step beside me.

"I've never seen anyone give Isodore that kind of attitude before," Damian's kind voice breaks into my thoughts and I look up at him.

"Well, I'm not anyone," my voice comes out harsher than I intended and I turn to face the ground.

"I noticed, Lady Livingstone," I freeze when he says my real name and look at him, an eyebrow raised.

"My name is Violette Hamlin," my gaze is probably resembling a time-bomb as I stare him down.

"I know it isn't, Adelaide," he keeps his voice down, even though there is no one around to hear us. "When we have an incredibly dangerous woman coming to live with us, I make sure I know exactly which family she serves. I've heard of the assassin twins, you and your brother Aedrioch. You're slightly infamous to some people. Of course, I didn't realise it was the Livingstone twins until the Queen told Isodore and Isodore told me."

I give a small smile. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised. He seems like the kind of man who would tell you everything. And one part of all that you said is ever truer than the rest."

"And what would that be?" He raises an eyebrow as we walk.

"I'm incredibly dangerous," I give a small smirk and he opens his mouth to speak, a dagger comes out of each sleeve as I slide them into my hands and pin him against the wall, one across his throat and the other point angled into his side. He can't move without me impaling him.

"Well, apparently you are," he gives me a friendly smirk, still looking down at me, even leaning against the wall.

"I know," I give a victorious grin and take a step back, sliding my daggers away and turning away.

I sense his arm swinging at me before I see it and I put up an arm to quickly block it, and I do, but instead he grabs me around the waist and hold me against him, my arms pinned by my sides.

"But you should never turn a back on your enemy," his breathe is hot against my ear as he whispers to me. I can feel a little heat rising in my cheeks and I turn my face away from his.

"And probably shouldn't hold one so close to your body, either, just saying," I give a small laugh and a smirk as he lets go, spinning me around to meet my gaze.

"Well, maybe you should know that I know plenty about how to win a fight. And how to contain an assassin," he raises an eyebrow, strength replacing the kindness from just before.

"Good luck with that," I give a tiny smile, my smirk gone. I don't realise I'm holding my breathe until I finally let it go, frozen in his gaze. "Well, we should, um, keep going."

"Uh, yes, probably," he snaps out of my gaze and runs a hand through his hair and then starts to head towards the louder parts of the city.

We spend the rest of the day walking around the city and Damian shows me where all the prominent crime lords live, the drug dens and black markets, as well as the estate of each court family. My own family has a house, but we never really use it and it's all closed up as we walk past. We arrive back at the Hamlin estate and I stop at the gate.

"What's wrong?" Damian stops and turns to me, raising an eyebrow, holding the gate half open.

"Nothing," I shake my head a little, my expression blank. I know he sees right through it. "Thank you for today, I actually had a really nice time. More than I think I've had in a while, and more than I think I'll have for a long time."

He smiles widely, looking down at me. "Anytime."

We both smile at each other before he holds the gate for me and we walk into the house. He doesn't notice the squirm that runs through me as we walk into the house. He also didn't notice the slightly open curtain on the second floor, and the bright eye peeking through.