Hello, I am Lauren O'Neill, and my favorite thing to write is books and short stories. So far, I have written 8 books, and am working on more. I occasionally share excerpts from my books in lit club. I also share short stories I have created.
A note...
Description: Book one of The Assassin and the King series.
Laurel Renier is ready to prove herself as the greatest assassin in Erilan. To do so, she must kill the villainous king that rules over her land - And it won't be easy.
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Chapter 1
Laurel Renier smirked to herself as she strode silently through the woods, her long, dark cloak billowing behind her. That was the third corrupt Lord she had assassinated this week, and she was happily anticipating the next morning when his servants found his headless body still laying in the sheets.
Although that sounds grim, Laurel never minded bringing tokens back to her employers. The blood was never a problem for her, of course, although summers were rough if she had to travel a long way, since the heat increased the potent stench of decay.
What she did mind was assassinating the innocent. She never took jobs that involved the assassination of children, and always pushed for a solid reason as to why the victim was soiling this land. Lords were high on her list, given the fact that they were all no good Bardolphus-lovers. Anyone with any sanity knew that the king was a villainous tyrant, ruling over people who were lucky if they had a good meal once a week. Like the king would care. All he ever did was collect more slaves, buy more land and send for innocent lives to be taken.
And that was exactly why he was Laurel's main target. Yes, it would take work, and maybe a few years, but she wasn't known as the most notorious assassin in all of Erilan for no reason. What amused her most was that most people didn't realize that she was only eighteen, but was still the best of the best. Oh, wouldn't it be great to get her hands on the king, and show him who she really was. But that would have to wait.
Laurel's keen ears picked up on a snap of a twig, and she silently stepped into the shadows, her hand resting on one of the hidden blades.
She could tell that the twig wasn't snapped by a deer or small animal. It was definitely a human. Likely female, but she wasn't ruling out a small male.
And that's when she found herself face to face with an arrow.
"Oh, sorry. I thought you were large game. I didn't know anyone else went this deep into the woods this early."
The girl in front of Laurel lowered her bow, and Laurel loosened her stance, but didn't take her hand off of the concealed blade.
"That makes two of us." Laurel said casually, slipping by the girl to slip away before she noticed any of the weapons she carried. If only she had been more discreet about it! But no, she just had to go for the gold encrusted knives this time.
"I'm Oletha, by the way. Oletha Linnet. Do you want to hunt with me? I don't usually take a partner, but game seems scarce today, and if we work together we can find food more easily. I know you might not want to share the rations, but I won't bother you. I just have to get something home to my mother and sister. I have to do all the hunting now, since my father died, and my sister is too young. She's fourteen. But she can learn soon. I'll teach her. She might not be too good, though. She prefers working with herbs and things. I think she'll be a healer when she's older."
