Lies Dressed In Lace

Untitled Part 25

Valtok meets me for dinner at the inn and hands me a rolled up parchment. "What is this?" I ask around a mouthful of chicken and pick it up unrolling it.

    "it's the letter you sent home about some vaccine? We're here to kill someone not give out medicine." The bar maid brings out his dinner. I take a sip of my ale.

    "Why can't we save a few people while we kill another? Balance out the bad."

    "It doesn't work like that, we do our job and we leave, period." I sigh.

    "It's just a letter asking father to send the medicine we will most likely be gone before it even gets here so what's the harm? I will just send it out when we get home, this way it gets here faster." I shrug it off and continue eating.

    "How do you even know they need the medicine?"

    "I saw their sick homes, it was terrible they have already lost so many people in this town. If I bring this to fathers attention he will do something, I know he will." Valtok shakes his head.

    "Well it's been sent either way that's just a copy because you told the knight you were the assassin princess."

    "Well he wouldn't take it otherwise and I couldn't threaten the messenger before he delivered the message." He starts eating.

    "At least you're learning." We spend the rest of the meal in comfortable silence listening to the people around us.

    As I help Valtok up to his room I notice I'm using my 'broken' arm too heavily and switch arms slowly. "You know I always knew you were a fast healer but I didn't think you'd heal that fast from a broken bone." He slurs drunkenly.

    "What are you talking about?" I ask playing dumb.

    "You've been using your arm more and more lately, since you came back from the healer."

    "The healer did a great job I don't feel pain in my arm anymore, I suspect its still broken but whatever she did its made a world of difference." I continue with my dumb act.

    "'What ever she did.'" He mocks me. "I know you too well to take that as fact, you would have been asking her what she was doing the whole time, especially if it helped this much." I shrug heaving him onto his bed.

    "I passed out from the pain of her resetting it and touching it to see what was going on with it, I asked her afterwards when I woke up but she refused to tell me." I make a what could I do gesture and pull the blankets over him.

    "Aren't I supposed to be teaching you to be an assassin? You could make her tell you." He says as if he doesn't mean torturing her.

    "I could have but what kind of reward would that be for helping me." He huffs.

    "You're too kind." He rolls over and begins to snore softly. I turn to go but remember the book I stole and grab it quickly from my room to put it back in his bag. I don't need to be caught with that.

    In the morning Valtok wakes me up by jumping into bed with me. "Good morning, Princess."

    "Good morning, assassin. I see you've recovered from last night rather quickly." I rub my eyes with my right hand taking more caution with my left.

    "Hm I thought your arm felt better?" He ask calmly but I can see his calculating gaze fixed on me.

    "It's still stiff in the mornings." I push the blankets off and stand up looking for a tunic to wear today.    

    "It is feeling better though?" He asks looking away finally.

    "Much better, I'm surprised as you are, this healer is amazing." He stands.

    "Perhaps I should go find her and offer her a position at the castle?" He tugs invisible lines from his shirt.

    "No, Lynn has been with us for so long and she does such an amazing job as well. Plus I don't think this small town healer would handle well with the major injuries of the castle knights." I try to dismiss him casually.

    "You're right I suppose." He sits back down. "You obviously thought this through." I pull on my pants and shrug.

    "Of course, I wanted to offer her the same position. But then, like I said, I would loose Lynn and she more than likely wont be able to handle the stresses of castle life like Lynn has mastered. Plus forcing an apprentice on her wouldn't go over well, you know how she is." He nods still eyeing me suspiciously. It seems my master doesn't trust me anymore.

    "Yes, so you've said."

    "So what are we learning today, master." I say sarcastically trying to stoke his ego. He perks up and stands.

    "Well I was thinking we could kill the rebellious teen and start heading home, I'm quite tired of this little town and your father is unsafe with both of his assassins out on duty, especially for this long. You've had your fun, princess, its time to return home."

    "But I have one more day!" He shakes his head.

    "I thought you would have given this up by now but it seems you are too stubborn. Pack your things you should be seen leaving seeing as you've been seen by everyone including the knights." He says aggressively.

    "You promised me 3 days, I want to learn the truth. I want to know why father wants him dead and neither of you will tell me, obviously he's a treat but why? he's organizing farmers on the edge of our land, what could he possibly do to the castle?"

    "He could call our enemies attention to himself by talking to farmers and storytellers and midwives, he could spread his lies to even Rigvorakia. We've let this go on long enough. I'm ending your childish pursuit of the truth tonight, you were not ready for this mission and I see that now."

    "No. I will not let you kill this innocent boy because you follow my father so blindly." He stands to his full height seeming to gain a few inches more and towering over me from across the room.

    "I wont be killing him, you will." He leaves me there in my room. I grab my bag and wolfie follows me down the stairs. I go straight to the inn Ak'balla and her brother are staying at and go up to their room. Ak'balla answers and I push past her into their rooms.

    "Its always good to see you Syl, whats going on?"

    "I'm not alone here, I came with another assassin and he his bent on Ixirs death tonight, you both need to leave if you want him to live." I tell them hoping they understand my urgency and my panic.

    "We'll be fine, theres no need to worry for our safety."

    "Yes there is, he wants me to kill you and if you are still here when he decides its time I will have to go through with it." I walk back to the door, "Leave now, quietly, please just don't be here when I come back." I leave them and go back to my rooms to wait for Valtok to make me kill my friends.