Chosen : Assassin Book 1

Chosen - Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

While my mother stood slack-jawed I took the opportunity to escape. I backed away slowly before turning and running into the castle. My many skirts tangled in my legs as I chased after Cassius. I stumbled and reached out for the nearest statue to steady myself.

Drat, these gowns!

I watched as he hurried down the hallway with his entourage. I wanted to do another very unladylike thing. I wanted to remove my skirts and shout after the king. I refrained, however. Grabbing the damask in my hands, I pulled it up to my knees and hurried behind them as they turned a corner. The hallway was empty though. Nothing but doors. I put my ear to each listening for anything. Finally, at the last one a soft mumbling from the other side. I grasped the knob and turned slowly, chewing my lip, hoping it wouldn't creak. I saw Cassius near a window waving his arms wildly yelling at someone. I furrowed my brow wondering if he needed my expert skills or not. I reached under my skirts to the leather strap around my thigh, running my fingers up and down the knife strapped there. As I watched, a woman in a flowing black gown came into view. Her curly brown hair hung down her back and the silver tiara shone in the candlelight.

Mary. Why is she fighting with Cassius?

I had to come up with a plan to get into the room and make it look like an accident. Searching my mind, I did the only thing I could think of that would possibly work. I fell into the door and let it slam into the wall.

"Oh, excuse me. I tripped over my skirts and fell into the door here. Do beg your pardon, majesties." I dipped into a curtsey.

Mary turned and spat out at me. "Joselyn? What are you doing here?"

"I was walking down the hall and tripped into the door. I am so terribly sorry." I smiled at the woman who glared at me with hatred in her eyes I never noticed before.

"It's quite alright, Joselyn. Would you come over here?" Cassius motioned for me to be at his side. "Mary, we're finished. My word is final on the subject."

"We are not finished. I will speak to you more about it later. When we can actually have some privacy."

"I said we are finished. I am the king."

She opened her mouth to speak but quickly shut her mouth. She pursed her lips into a thin line and turned on her heels, leaving the room quickly, bumping into me roughly, as she went. The door slammed behind her and two of the guards as they went.

"Cassius," I said, staring across the room at him.

He waved his hand at the four guards standing around us. They bowed to him and vacated, leaving us alone.

"Joselyn. This is rather, well, I suppose it's not unexpected."

"What is going on? Why is Mary in such a tizzy?"

"She's not pleased with the way I'm running the kingdom."

"She's rather brash, isn't she?" I asked.

"That's Mary. She has always been outspoken. I need to get her married and out of my hair." He shook his head and took two glasses of a nearby cart. He held up a decanter of red wine and poured one for himself and one for me.

I accepted the crystal glass from Cassius and sat across from him in front of a roaring fireplace.

"That was rather bold what you did with my mother."

"What?" He asked sitting back in his chair. "Have you thought much about how you will go about getting information on where Belle is?"

"A bit. I'll get it while the Duke and the rest of the household are in bed. I'll disguise myself as a servant."