Desires of the Crown

16 - The Innocence That Leaves Us

          Demetri

I turned the blade over in my hand and stared down at the imprint of the crown on the gold coin of the hilt.

This little blade was how it all started.

I wondered for a moment, what my life would have been like if I hadn't of taken this that day in the market. If I had of just left it, passed up the temptation of a gold hilted sword. I could have had a family, maybe even became a farmer? I think I would have enjoyed the simple life.

I took a deep breath and ran my thumb over the crown.

Or, most likely, I would have had my hands cut off for stealing and died of an infection by the age of fifteen.

I suppose, with that thought, it was good fortune that I couldn't help myself; that I couldn't pass up the chance to pickpocket a golden dagger from a small boy of ten. I wasn't that much older myself but he was no thief. I still remember his small face and that stare - it hasn't changed much, although, then it had an innocence to it.

It was easy pickings. I walked passed him and bumped him slightly, my hand reaching into his over sized belt that hung a little too loosely off his hips and out came the dagger and a few gold coins.

I smiled as I remember how proudly I showed off my triumphant to the other thieves and assassins I sort refuge with. A small, abandoned cabin out in the woods that still, to this day housed too many outlaws for any noble mans comfort.

I didn't know then that little boy would grow up to be a King. Or that he was a far better tracker than I ever gave him credit for, after all, he did track us all down and show up with an entire armoured garrison demanding his dagger back.

"Are you still looking at that thing?" My king asked as he approached me with a half eaten apple in his hand.

"Just reminiscing." I told him, hoping he wouldn't attempt to question me further on the matter.

"Well you can reminisce on the road. Get up." He threw a bag at me, full of supplies. "I need you to ride down to the tower on the edge of the River Rohan and make sure Gabriel has someone ready to receive us when we come."

I looked down and internally cursed. I hated that damn tower and all of its occupants including the infamous Gabriel Jefferson Lucama the Third - as he loved to say. I swear I have never met a man so vein or so full of himself, I often wondered how in hell Jonathan came to trust that man.

"Must I?" I muttered almost silently but that didn't stop Jonathan's impeccable hearing.

"It's an order Demetri." He spoke sternly. "Now stop whining and be on your way I have to get to the Convent by night fall."

My ears pricked up at the mention of the Convent. The un scheduled stop would ensure that everyone knew we were about and on the march making this so called stelf mission that much more risky and not too mention, it would had a days ride onto our schedule.

"Why are you stoping at the Convent?" I expressed my concerns.

"I need to drop off that," he gestured behind him where Little Miss sat attempting to pack up a sleeping bag.

"So you thought instead of killing her you would leave her at a Convent?" I tried to clarify. I highly doubted Little Miss was going to fit in at all there. She seemed to lack faith in the gods and seemed rather eager to abandon the laws of men - a code made up in ancient times by the priests, instructing the rules of living a 'Holly Life'.

"I'll let her chose, death, or Convent. It doesn't matter much to me." He shrugged without the least bit of worry to his expression.

I closed my eyes briefly as I sighed. I couldn't understand how he could still cast her aside and kill her now, especially after last night where her vigilance saved us from another slaughter - surely she deserved something more than to just be dumped or killed.