The Beauty In Love And Murder

Chapter Twenty Four - Theodore

I burst back into my chambers, the doors swinging on their hinges as I enter. I pour myself a drink and pace back and forth, the carpet muffling my tread as I walk. I pull out the contract from my jacket, unfurling the page to look at the curling, swooping letters of Adrienne's signature on the bottom of the page. I picture her hand as she held the pen, her slender fingers holding the paper as she signed.

I hate to admit it to myself, but I've never been attracted to someone like this before. She's beautiful, in a lethal kind of way, and last night when I went to bed I found myself wondering whether her hair is as silky as it looks.

I've never met anyone like her before— all the women I grew up around were courtiers, deferring to their husbands and existing to be ornaments to society. They shop and gossip and devote much of their time to their petty arguments with one another. Adrienne on the other hand seems different; she's sarcastic and independent and used to getting what she wants by whatever means necessary. She was mocking and indifferent last night when she went to bed, but this morning when she met her ladies-in-waiting she seemed shy. It makes me wonder how many sides to her there really are.

I sigh and ruffle my hair up absently. It's been less than a day and I'm already thinking of her in my free time.

I close my eyes for a moment, standing still in the middle of the room. I run through the day's plan in my head: Introduce Zephyr to Adrienne over lunch, and prepare ourselves for the court dinner and ball tonight with Princess Zena. I have to keep Adrienne away from my mother until tonight, because if she discovers her before our grand entrance, she could pose a sizeable threat to the plan.

I'm properly dressed for lunch already, so I head down from my quarters to see Zephyr at the training complex. I have to fill him in on what's happening with Adrienne before we go to eat.

It doesn't take me very long to reach the large room where Zephyr is instructing some men in the swordsmanship. His blade is flashing as he stands in front of them, showing them how to disarm properly. I walk up to him around the edge of the room, nodding to the guards as they snap to attention when they see me. "Take a breather!" Zephyr calls to the men, crossing the room in quick strides to meet me.

"Good morning, Your Majesty." He grins at me and I slap his back, gesturing for him to walk with me. We step out into the hallway and the door shuts behind us.

"Alright. Zeph, I need you to keep your mouth shut," I say emphatically, "About what I'm going to tell you." He nods seriously, and leans in a little. "Last night someone attempted to assassinate me." I announce bluntly. Zephyr's jaw drops and he opens his mouth to speak, but I talk over him. "The assassin was a nineteen year old girl named Adrienne Winger. I had her to sign a contract stating that she'll pose as my fiancee for the next couple months in exchange for her life.

I need her help to convince my mother that I don't need her to find me a wife, and that I can do it perfectly well on my own. Once the whole situation with Zena dies down, I'll quietly announce that we broke off the engagement over an argument, and our lives will go back to normal— I'll be left alone to marry at my own pace, and she'll go back to murdering people for a living." Zephyr's expression is thoughtful as I stop speaking. He nods slowly, digesting the information, and I give him a while to think over what I've said.

After a long moment, Zephyr speaks. "I think it's an incredibly risky but also genius idea." He says solemnly. I laugh and agree with him. "I want you to meet her for lunch right now, actually. We may need you to help us pull it off." Zephyr straightens and bows formally. "Of course, Your Highness. I'd be honoured." I punch his shoulder, hard. "Call me by a title again and I'll personally have you executed." Zephyr laughs loudly and I join in, the sound echoing down the marble hallway as we walk towards the palace.