Lovely Dark Things

FIFTEEN (RUBY POV)

"Wait..." I whisper gesturing at the human to stop while I check quickly that everything's exactly as I left it except for our trunks and luggage in the middle of the living room. Some slaves have been here and witch fire burns brightly in the fireplace, there's a bottle of wine and some food on a table and everything is clean but no enemies hidden behind the curtains. I sigh relieved and point at one of the armchairs quietly before checking that the windows are well closed, Iselen flops down on the seat breathing heavily, her skin looks whiter than the snow and reflects the green shade of the fire making her look like a ghost coming from a nightmare. "Here, drink a sip of this... Slowly..."

"Fuck!" the advisor grumbles coughing.

"I've said slowly, that's strong liquor..." I roll my eyes while placing my weapons carefully on a side table, every knife and stiletto, every bottle of poison, have their specific drawer where I can always find them faster: assassins are trained to be tidy.

"It's a gorgeous room," the human whispers shyly behind me. I don't need to look back over my shoulder to know she feels awkward and remembers the reasons why I'm mad at her, obviously. If she thinks some minutes of small talk will manage to soften me, it means she's not as smart as I thought...

"My apartment is big and fancy because this is the area reserved for my father in this castle, the whole tower belongs to the Black Guard Captain and he can accommodate members of his family or trusted lieutenants here... Actually, I'm very lucky..." I whisper taking a knife from my belt and putting it on the table. "This fortress is massive but a lot of people want to live here, the closer to the King, the Queen and the official rooms, the better since it means your social status is high, but there's no room for everybody and there're always fights to get a better apartment in certain towers. Some elven lords feel offended when they room is too small of it doesn't have the amenities and equipment they think they deserve, sometimes mid-level lieutenants share an apartment and that leads to more fights... When I graduate from the Temple, my father offered me these rooms that were way better than the ones I deserved, actually."

"But you're his daughter..." This time I turn my head to look at her and snort.

"What difference does that make? I wasn't the best assassin trained at the temple in the last 400 years yet and therefore, I had no right to live like an elven princess in an apartment with a big living room, a bedroom with a massive bed and a bathroom with a marble bathtub that's actually a small pool, windows are wide but well-insulated and, what's even better, they face south and are protected from the cold winds in winter... When there's no fog, the harbour view is breathtaking." Iselen stretches her neck trying to take a look through the window but not moving her butt from the armchair even if it's getting dark outside and storm clouds swirl in the grey sky.

"And why did he do you such a favour?" I lean my hip on the table crossing my arms over my chest while staring at her with a critical eye, it's pretty clear that she's still tired but her cheeks show a healthy pink colour again thanks to the liquor.

"My father doesn't live here so there's plenty of room in this tower, of course he still keeps an empty apartment at the end of this corridor but his social status is crystal clear: he's the Captain of the Guard and both the King and the Queen trust him... It's not easy for our monarchs to agree on something, believe me, sometimes I wonder if they hate each other as much as they love each other... There're rumours, you know." Iselen stares at me puzzled. "It's said that the Queen feels an obsessive love for her son and he reciprocates, in addition to the fact that they're more powerful together and they ambitions are their main priority, but it's said that their love is kind of... carnal." The human looks at me with her mouth wide open and I wink at her, smirking mischievously. "Incest isn't uncommon for dark elves, I could show you a handful of high society ladies who sleep with their brothers frequently... Picking out a lover is a tricky business in Baalberith, it can excite jealousy and envy, it can also be interpreted as a political movement and you could be choosing a party in addition to a bed partner... On the contrary, brother and sister are equal, they share a status, ambitions and interests... usually... And there's less chance of them stabbing each other while having sex..."