Chosen : Assassin Book 1

Chosen - Chapter forty

Chapter Forty

The morning light poured into my room with a dull grey sadness. The soft sound of rain hitting the windows made me wish we were back at Hampton Court and didn't have to leave bed.

"Are you ready?" Angeline called from the doorway.

"No," I mumbled, pulling the blankets over my head.

"The king wants to leave within the hour."

"Of course, he does." I threw the blankets off my body, exposing myself to the cold air, and crawled out of the warm bed. "I found something last night."

"Hungry?" she asked, placing a tray with an egg, bread, and cheese on the table next to me. "What did you find?"

"Not really, but I suppose I should eat since we will be traveling for some time."

Picking up the teaspoon, I cracked the top of the egg and slowly began to eat. Angeline poured a steaming cup of tea. I spooned sugar in and sipped at the warm concoction.

"I'm not sure what I found," I said between sips. A room behind the training area and portraits. I'm assuming they were the Elders."

"You don't know who they are?" Angeline asked while hurrying around the room picking out a dress for me to wear in the carriage and packing away the rest of my things.

"I know who they are, I don't know what they look like."

I picked at the egg, leaning back on my elbows, and watched the rain fall gently outside. The whiny of horses below my window drew me to my feet. I stood in the stark cold room and watched as the groomsmen hitched the horses to the carriage. They did not seem to be happy working in the rain. Neither did the groomsmen.

"Poor horses," I mumbled to myself.

"Why did you go snooping?"

"I had to," I said. "I don't like how Jonathan is here."

"That is rather suspicious."

"I heard him and Claude talking last night."

"What did they say?"

"He's going to kill me, Angeline."

"What? Are you sure?"

I nodded. I nibbled at a piece of cheese before slipping into the black satin day dress lying on the bed. The crimson red sleeves, collar, and underlay made it an exquisite piece. A matching hat lay beside it.

"A hat?" I asked.

"It's raining. Your hair will be ruined," Angeline said, arching her brows at me.

"If I'm dead my hair won't matter."

Angeline sat on the bed and furrowed her brow. "Now I'm torn."

"You?"

"I'm to do the Guilds bidding. Including aiding in the termination of assassins if need be."

"You? You're going to kill me?"

"I said I'm torn, Joselyn. I'm not even torn. I can't."

"What?"

"I'm not gong to terminate you. I like you."

"What do we do?"

"Well, we continue as we normally would with more precaution. You were supposed to be an easy temporary assignment. It has been anything but easy and now you're turning me into an enemy of the Guild."

"I'm sorry," I said stepping into the soft fabric of the gown.

I pulled the skirt up to my waist, allowing Angeline to tighten it behind me. She grabbed hold of the ribbons of the bodice and yanked hard.