A Dark King's Daughter II: The Assassin's Daughter

chapter 6

She eyed them with her normal, worried protectiveness. When she noticed Esmé’s bandaged hands, she stood abruptly, causing a slight disturbance in the meeting.

She ignored them as she followed Lia and Tiko out into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind her.

She leaned down immediately, gently taking Esmé’s hands and looking them over. A dark stain was starting to come up to the surface of the bandage.

“What happened?” she demanded.

“I hate to tell you this,” Tiko started. “But Sain’s been disobeying rules again.”

“What now?” Nino narrowed her eyes, patting Esmé’s hair and kissing her forehead.

“Jaffar’s killing edges.” Lia crossed her arms. “She says he threw one at her.”

Nino gasped. “He did what?!”

“If you needed a babysitter, you could’ve just told me.” Tiko said.

“I was only going to be gone for . . . ten more minutes!” Nino looked at the clock hanging from the ceiling down the hall. She sighed. “I swear, I can’t leave him alone at all.”

“I hope Jaffar doesn’t find out.”

“I don’t know if we should tell him.” She shook her head. “He’ll tear Sain’s ass up over it. Besides, I don’t want to lie about it. He’s going to notice her hands.”

“What’re you going to do?” Tiko asked.

Nino grimaced, hesitating in her answer. “Honestly, I don’t know. Sain doesn’t listen to me. I have no clue when Jaffar is getting back, either.”

“You’re going to have to punish him, you know.” Lia stated.

Nino sighed again. “Esmé, why don’t you go play outside with your friends? Be careful, alright?”

Esmé smiled and turned to run down the hall. Nino stood back up.

“Everything alright?” Geitz’s voice greeted them. The meeting was apparently over.

Nino shook her head. “Sain’s throwing knives at Esmé now.”

His eyes only slightly widened. “Punish him.”

Nino sighed in defeat. “So everyone keeps telling me.”

“You know, I’m thinking about dragging him home myself.” Lia said, glaring at nothing in particular. “He’s a damn fool for leaving for so long.”

Geitz laughed.

“There’s no keeping him anywhere he doesn’t want to be.” Nino replied. “And he follows his own rules, not anyone else’s.”

“Nino, you’re his wife.” Tiko pointed out. “He will listen to you if times call for it.”

“And yet he still thinks that teaching Sain killing skills are a good idea!” Nino tightened her fists. “Now look where it’s taken him! He knew perfectly well that those damn things would hurt her!”

She took off down the hallway towards her room, hoping to find Sain where she had left him. But no, he wasn’t in the room.

She went over and picked up the fallen blade, rubbing her finger over the bloodstain. She sighed and thought of the shard she wore around her neck. She pulled it out, and pieced it into the part that was missing from the blade.

It fit perfectly. Memories instantly flooded her mind in a raging flash. The day Amelia cut and dyed Nino’s hair that bright green. Their visit to King Gammond. The night on the rooftop after Nino and Jaffar’s fight. Marian’s death. Jaffar killing her father. Gypsy. Their fake wedding. Their real wedding. Helene’s sacrifice. Lord Lundrgen. Meeting Amelia. That day Jaffar professed his love for her.