Riverbend Penitentiary

Four Years Ago

I ran through the castle, the royal guards close on my tail. Their pounding footsteps getting louder and louder behind me as I ran down the obnoxiously long hall. My breaths were getting faster as it was getting harder to breathe, my chest aching. If I could just find a window, maybe there would be a lattice to climb down. The high heels and fancy dress I was wearing weren't helping either and there wasn't a second to spare to even bother trying to take the stupid heels off. Why did I have to take a mission at a ball? Oh, that's right- my master had told me to. No other would have been able to take on this job. But now it was strongly looking like I would not be able to either.

To say I had been surprised when my master told me who my mark was would be an understatement. The Prince of Winter. I had laughed my ass off thinking it was some kind of joke. After all, who would dare to even think of ordering a hit against the most feared prince of all the fae nations? But when my laughter had stopped, I realized he was serious. There was indeed some ballsy motherfucker out there who ordered a hit on the Prince. I was tasked because I was the best.

Months I had worked on this job. Ten times the amount of time I've ever spent on one job. But it took months to weasel my way into the heart of a minor Lord and gain his trust enough to take me as his plus one to the Prince's birthday ball. Lord Lionel hadn't even entertained the idea that I wasn't a Lady like I was pretending to be. What a dumbass and a typical man being sucked by a pretty face. He was probably wandering around the ballroom wondering why his date was taking so long to find a restroom.

All my months of planning were now for waste and I cursed every foul word I knew as I continued running down the hall. I had been so close to killing my mark. Like blood was flowing from a wound close. When he left the party, I thought I got lucky and followed him into what looked like a servants hallway. He paused at an alcove when I decided to make a move to stab him through his cold heart. But it went wrong. I had hesitated. Had fucking hesitated and it was enough time for him to shift so my knife missed his heart. Then his friend came out of nowhere and started screaming for the guards. Hence why I was now running for my life down this godforsaken hallway. Freezing the floor and creating walls with my ice magic behind me was slowing the guards some, but not nearly enough. They were just unfreezing it as they went. It seemed they had a summer fae a well to burn through with their fire magic.

Finally, a window about twenty paces away. Picking up my pace even more, I bolted towards it, praying it wouldn't be to high of a fall. I reached the window and gripped the bottom to swing it open. It was even on the first floor and overlooked a garden. Yes! Finally some luck! Before I could thank whatever goddess was listening, more footsteps joined the ones that were closing in on me from behind. Cursing, I started to shimmy out the window.

Too late. A hand gripped each of my ankles and yanked me back into the hall. There had to be twenty guards now surrounding me and they weren't looking so friendly either.

"Well fuck," I breathed as I was contained and handcuffed by guards. Kicking and screaming didn't even phase the little shits. I had never failed any of her assignments before and this seemed like a really shitty time to start.