The Assassin and the King

Chapter 3

"What?" Laurel asked. "What do you mean you have a way into the castle?"

"There's a... Competition. Of sorts..." Oletha said slowly.

"Competition? What kind of competition?" Laurel asked suspiciously.

"Well,... It's a competition to, um, well, meet the prince... And, uh... You know, you have to be part of a royal court and stuff."

"Okay, that sounds like an idiotic competition. What do you have to do to meet the prince anyway? I mean, the prize is quite ridiculous. Who cares about pretty-boy Prince Gavin anyway?" Laurel rolled her eyes. "Besides, we're not part of that silly court, so we can't participate in whatever stupid competition this is."

"No, no. The competition is the prince. Well, winning his heart is. I guess in that way, he is the prize, but not in the way you thought. Word is that Queen Isabelle wants grandchildren, and since the prince is turning nineteen, she wants him married off. But the noble blood thing doesn't matter. There's so many women from so many lands coming, and they can't possibly recognize them all by name, Corliss." Oletha explained. "You could ask your generous gift giver to have gowns made for us. No one would be the wiser."

Laurel snorted at the phrase 'generous gift giver.'

"Right. You go home, and I'll go to the Assassin's Keep. You will not follow me this time, and I will talk to the King of Assassins to see if I have permission to go through with this." She said, but she didn't seem entirely convinced.

"And if he approves?" Oletha asked.

Laurel was surprised that Oletha didn't react surprised at the mention of the King of Assassins, but answered anyway. "Then I will be seeing you again."

~

The Assassin's Keep was disguised to appear to be merely a Lord's mansion, but inside, it was filled with assassins of all ages, and many courtesans, too.

Laurel strode down the hallways, and many people turned to look at her. Here, everyone knew who she was. She wasn't just a name to be feared. She was a person, too. Not a single one of these people were foolish enough to sell her out, because they knew what she was capable of.

Reaching the end of the hallway, Laurel made to go up some stairs to get to Althalos' quarters, but she was stopped by a shrill voice.

"Laurie!" The voice was dripping with false enthusiasm, and Laurel turned to face the one who uttered that dreadful nickname.

"Linden, hello!" Laurel said sweetly. She looked at the girl, with her black hair draping over her shoulders and her pale skin shimmering in the light. Her cream colored dress was so low cut at the bosom that Laurel wondered how she kept anything in.

Then Laurel noticed who was standing next to Linden. Spencer. Who's arm was being clung to by that wicked courtesan.

"Laurel! You're back!" He said, freeing himself from Linden's grip to greet her.

He stepped forward, as if to embrace her, but then thought better of it, and simply held out his hand.

Laurel shook it, wishing she hadn't treated him so poorly when she first discovered what she felt for him. It wasn't his fault she fell for him, but she took it out on him. Ever since she started acting that way, even though they grew up together under Althalos' care, he tended to give her more space than she would have liked.

Linden watched their body language carefully, and when Spencer stepped back, she linked her arm around his again.

This subtle gesture made Laurel sick. She hated to imagine what it could possibly mean. She tried to believe that there was absolutely no way Spencer would ever do something like that, but she had pushed him away so much that she wasn't quite sure if she knew who he was anymore.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to talk to Althalos. I hope to see you both soon." Laurel said, breathing the last part out.

"That's alright. Spence and I can find something else to do." Linden said. She stressed the 'something else' part, and used the name that Laurel used to use for Spencer, both of which made her blood boil. "We'll have to have tea soon, Laurie!"

"Right. Sounds lovely." Laurel said, turning on her heel and striding off towards Althalos' office, in a bit of a worse mood than before.

~

"So a peasant girl has confided in you that she wishes to aid you in killing the king by going to court the prince?" Althalos asked.

"That is correct." Laurel nodded.

"Now, how exactly did she find out that you had a plan to assassinate the king?" Althalos asked.

Laurel knew this was coming, and hated the sound of it, because it meant she had failed.

"My identity is a secret, but she assumed I was an assassin due to my clothing, and she explained her plan to me. It is up to you if you want to go through with this." Laurel said.

"I'm sending Spencer with you." Althalos said.

"You can't punish me in some other way for my failure?" Laurel asked. It was punishment that he had chosen Spencer to join her on this mission. He knew her feelings for Spencer, and he wouldn't care if Spencer got killed, as long as it meant she was adequately punished for her failure.

"This isn't punishment, Laurel. This will be the most difficult assassination you will possibly ever go on, and the two of you are my best assassins." Althalos corrected.

Laurel narrowed her eyes, waiting for more.

"I will decide your true punishment based on how you complete this mission."


She knew it.