The Broken Crown

~3~ Asyn

Asyn stood at the edge of Firgrove Forest like somebody forgot about her. She sat on the grass eventually, twirling her midnight hair with her fingers. It would be daylight soon, and Mila was nowhere to be found.

Did Mila abandon her? Did Mila leave her because she thought Asyn was talking crap and wasn't going to fall for it? Asyn scolded herself for trusting someone she just met. But it didn't seem right. Mila was many things. An assassin, a killer, a smartmouth, a narcissist, but she had morals. And she definitely wasn't a liar.

Asyn grew bored of waiting and walked around the Firgrove walls to the gate. The two guards were unconscious- the beautiful work of Mila Halvorsen- and she walked right in.

The town of Firgrove was a disaster. Most houses were falling apart, and it was deserted other than stumbling giants and dwarves making their way to their houses where they would be hungover for days. Asyn chuckled. She knew better than to get drunk, although her healing touch could easily cure a hangover.

After making a mental note to donate coins to the Firgrove mayor when she took the throne, the lone princess walked down a street with one-story cottages made out of mostly white wood, but the paint was long cracked and peeling off in most places. Each cottage had a straw roof that provided little shelter to the wind and storms of Jorvik.

Suddenly, one of the doors opened and two people walked out, so Asyn quickly hid behind the wall of another cottage. She reached with her power and read one as Mila, the other as a boy with some feelings for Mila.

"You left her in the forest all night?" The boy demanded.

"I forgot! I was going to remind you, but I was losing consciousness." Mila groaned. "This hangover hurts like hell."

"If your princess friend is who you say she is, shouldn't be a problem by the time we leave this dump." The boy, who Asyn found from Mila's thoughts as Malakai Anker. Asyn jumped in surprise. She knew Mila was good, but having connections with the best assassin in all of Jorvik? Damn good, Mila.

Asyn revealed herself and marched over to Mila, who was now wearing a black undershirt with a dark blue cloak that brought out her ice blue eyes. "Where have you been?" Asyn demanded.

Mila looked like she was still asleep. "Can't do anything 'till you cure me, Your Majesty", she grumbled. Malakai stifled a smile. He was even more attractive in person than he was on the wanted posters, with dark hair and dark eyes that gave him a mysterious charm.

Asyn didn't want to heal her until they were somewhere safe, because even the empty dirt paths of Firgrove threatened to reveal the fact that she was a noida. But Malakai stared at her with daggers in his eyes, and Asyn placed a hand on Mila's blonde head. She couldn't get in the way of true love, after all.

Mila sighed with relief and took a black bag from Malakai. "Asyn, this is Kai. Kai, Asyn. But you can call her Your Highness", she swung the bag over her shoulder and perked up. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Pleasure to meet you, princess." Kai said it with sarcasm, not with a bow, which Asyn was displeased by.

"You know," Asyn started, "it would be a lot easier for me to leave you guys and have Regina continue her horrible rule."

Kai laughed. "Sorry, Asyn, but Mila kept me up all night with her whining. I'm not exactly in the mood to trek across Jorvik." Asyn softened. Befriending the two most intimidating people in Jorvik wasn't exactly a bad thing. But of course, Asyn could handle herself.

"I'm sorry that defeating an evil queen wasn't on your schedule Kai, but we have to hurry." Mila joked.

"Hurry? Why?" Kai looked confused. Maybe he didn't know about the queen's favorite holiday.