Reaching the central part of the village, Cain and I climbed off our horses. A young maid came forward immediately.
“Merry morning,” she greeted. “I will take away the horses for you.”
I nodded, letting go off the rein. The girl looked about fifteen years old and was dressed in simple cotton. She looked too soft and innocent to be an assassin.
“Has anyone announced our presence to Lady Elga?” asked Cain, looking towards the tallest cottage nearby.
“I am sure she’s known of our presence since the moment we stepped into the valley.”
“Very well, let’s go see her,” said Cain, walking towards the cottage where we’d met Lady Elga on our first visit.
The doorway to the cottage was wide open but as we entered, I felt a sudden change in the air. It felt somehow denser as I breathed. A cool chill ran down my spine. A similar shudder went through Cain. The fire in both our blood had been subdued.
“Isn’t it too early for a visit, princes?” asked Lady Elga. She sat near the furthest wall of the room. A low table was positioned before her. At a glance, I could see there were complicated astronomical charts covering its surface. It never failed to astonish me to see the elderly, graying woman having so much more knowledge than a scholar in the royal court of Baledonia.
“We didn’t want to be seen or followed,” said Cain.
Lady Elga gestured towards the cushioned seats near the table. Once we settled down, she watched us with her eerie gray eyes, like she was reading our thoughts. It was unnerving.
“The assassin I sent to do the job returned only minutes ago. I haven’t had the chance to get a report from her yet,” said Lady Elga. “I’m afraid you’d have to wait a little longer. Would you like some tea in the meantime?”
I was hungry but politely accepted the offer of tea. Lady Elga got to her feet and went to the corner where a low fire was burning in the hearth. She hung a copper kettle over it and began fussing about making tea, giving the impression of a regular old grandma.
She returned with a tray. The tea was fragrant and at once, I felt aware of my thirst. Lady Elga poured the brew in earthen cups and served it to us.
“Thank you,” I said gratefully, taking a sip of the tea. It was the most refreshing drink I’d ever had.
“While we wait,” began Cain. “We would like to discuss something else with you.”
“Tell me.” Lady Elga folded her hands on her lap and looked at us with the most utmost concentration.
Cain gestured for me to talk. Taking the lead, I began. “You know the recent history of the four kingdoms.”
Lady Elga nodded.
“The four kingdoms are in chaos. The royal families no longer have any power. Our every step is monitored and censured. Thugs and merchants are paying tithe to Emperor Ivan directly and he approves. It won’t be long before law and order disappears completely. The common folk are suffering in all four kingdoms.”
I paused to take a deep breath. “I believe the royal families would be wiped out too. Prince Norvin, the ruling prince of Redfall was wrongly accused and killed without a trial. If he’s not stopped, Emperor Ivan will rule over every soul in this realm with similar injustice.”
Lady Elga remained quiet but her attention was on me.
“We want one of your assassins to assist us in deposing Emperor Ivan.”
The air left my lungs just as I said those words.
I wanted to kill the man who’d murdered my father nineteen years ago but I had never said those words aloud. Not even in the privacy of my bedchambers in the palace. Even the barest of whispers heard by Emperor Ivan would bring death to me and my mother. While Cain, Norvin and I had the same goals, we’d never spoken it aloud. It felt oddly freeing to speak the thought that had haunted my mind all these years.
“That is very brave of you, Prince Adal,” said Lady Elga in her clear, quiet voice. “Emperor Ivan is the only true dragon left in the realm. Can you really go up against him?”
“No,” said Cain. “We can’t. No one in the four kingdoms has the power to go up against a true dragon, but an assassin can do the job. He can be killed in his human form. The stealth and strategy of an assassin can accomplish that. The assassins of your guild are legendary in that regard.”
“Is that what you propose now, princes? You want me to take up the assassination of Emperor Ivan?”
“Yes.” Both Cain and I said at once.
“It is the deadliest mission for any assassin,” said Lady Elga.
“We will offer whatever price you ask.”
“There is no price for a life.” A cold chuckle escaped Lady Elga. “You must think it odd for an assassin to say that, but I never take on missions until I know it’s an act of mercy to take a life.”
“How can it be mercy to take a life?” asked Cain.
“Say you saved a tiger that was caught in a trap. Is it mercy to save its life? The same tiger would go and kill many other creatures in the forest. That’s not true mercy. Mercy only happens when you are saving thousands of life by killing one.” Elga fixed her gray eyes on both of us. “Do you understand what I am saying?”
“I think so,” I said slowly, pondering the example she gave. “Is that why you readily agreed to assassinate the group involved in the virgin blood trade? Killing those few men can save hundreds of innocent lives.”
“Yes.” A soft smile lit up Lady Elga’s face. “You understand.”
“Killing Emperor Ivan would save many more lives, Lady Elga,” said Cain in a grim voice. “The four kingdoms won’t last long if his reign continues. The common folk are starving and the vultures are swooping in to take what they can. The virgin blood trade is just an example. Many more people will die if we don’t bring an end to him.”
“Will the common folk be better served by you?”
“Of course,” said Cain. “You have seen how our fathers ruled their kingdoms. There was peace among us all. No war. No famine. No plague. Adal and I…we are taking the risk for our people.”
Lady Elga remained quiet. Her expressions didn’t give any indication to her thoughts. I waited with bated breath to see if she would agree to take up Emperor Ivan’s assassination.
It was a long time before she spoke again. “See if anyone’s outside the cottage. Bring them inside.”
I got to my feet at once to obey her. Going outside the door, I found a middle-aged woman in a simple but elegant blue gown. “Pardon me, Miss. Could you please come inside for a moment?”
The fair-haired woman gave me a cold stare but she didn’t refuse. The women of Linmoor were unnerving. They were independent and fearless. My status as a prince counted for nothing in this tiny village of female assassins.
“Sanita,” said Lady Elga as soon as the two of us entered inside the cottage. “Would you please bring Daria to me?”
“Of course,” said the woman with a tilt of her head.
Lady Elga went back to being quiet while Cain and I waited. Was that the name of the assassin she would assign us? Would she be as domineering as Sanita? Questions swirled around in my mind until I heard the sounds of soft footsteps approaching us.
I turned around and instantly felt my eyes widening. Before me stood a beautiful young woman with long, flowing hair. The lavender gown she wore hugged her soft curves intimately, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop the pounding of my heart. My gaze rested on her plump, pink lips and the desire to taste them ignited within me.
The thought caught me unaware. I’d never been affected this way by a woman in my life. As a man, I valued intelligence over beauty in a lady. There were plenty of beautiful women in the palace of Baledonia but I was never attracted to them.
I didn’t even know the stranger before me, and yet I couldn’t dismiss the pull I felt toward Daria as her gaze met mine momentarily before flickering towards Cain. Recognition settled in her emerald green eyes the longer she gazed at him.
My hand almost went to my heart to soothe the sudden stab of jealousy it felt at that moment.
Comments (4)
See all