Prince of Hearts

Chapter 6: The Silver Knife

"She doesn't stand a chance", the man said, his eyes briefly skimming over you and then returning to the Queen. "I'm sorry, Your Majesty, but you can't make an assassin out of a princess in two weeks."

Mother picked up an apple from the basket in front of her and leaned back in her chair. She pared the peel away with a silver knife, the curling ribbons of red falling to the table.

"Then tell me, Min Yoongi, who has a better chance than her?" She cut out a wedge and brought it to her mouth with the tip of the blade. "You? One of your men?"

Yoongi--the Master of the Assassins--stared back at his queen. "No one stands a chance. This is a fool's errand."

"So all this time, the Kingdom of Aldreth has been paying you for nothing?" Your mother laughed delicately, covering her mouth with a hand. "Or do you mean to tell me that this Prince Jimin is invincible?"

"In his own castle, surrounded by his own men", Yoongi hissed. "He might as well be."

Mother placed the knife on the table, her face passive as always.

"Your daughter has never held a weapon, Your Majesty", he said as he stood. "Forgive me if I'm not confident in her abilities."

"You have some nerve, Min Yoongi", Mother said, her eyes narrowing. "You're defying your queen."

"I don't mean to offend you, Your Majesty." His lips curved as if he was trying to hide a smirk. "Have you heard of the baepsae?"

"The baepsae bird?" Mother leaned forward in her seat. "What about it?"

"There's a saying. If the baepsae tries to walk like the stork", he said, his eyes meeting yours. "It will tear its legs."

The insult stung. You felt blood rush to your cheeks.

The man bowed and took an apple from the basket.

"For my trouble, Your Majesty", he said, tilting his head. "Hope you don't mind."

He bit into the fruit as he sauntered away.

The knife was a delicate thing, with its steel blade and silver handle. Shorter than the span of your hand.

It'll do the job, you thought as your fingers wrapped around it.

It only took a flick of your wrist. 

Mother stood, knocking the basket over. The apples tumbled to the floor, each one landing with a soft thud.

Yoongi turned the apple in his hand. A silver handle protruded from it, the blade completely buried inside the flesh.

"Do I still not stand a chance?" You said, an eyebrow raised in silent challenge.

He grinned, drawing the blade out of the apple and setting it down on the table.

"I hope you are ready for training, Princess."

↫↫↫↫↫ ~ ↬↬↬↬↬

Two weeks passed by in a delirious blur. Halfway through, you began to doubt if Yoongi was trying to take his revenge for the stunt you had pulled.

He had taken over the abandoned north tower of the castle.

At the top of the tower was the sky room. Slivers of blue sky were visible through the cracks in its crumbling walls, and the wind howled there day and night.

Below ground level was the old dungeon. Damp and dark and musty, narrow cells lining both sides of its long, winding corridors.

He deemed it the perfect place for your training.