The Scarlet Assassin

Chapter Forty-Three

"Oh!" The first maid exclaimed. Sophie stilled, mouth falling open. The second, who had fallen in the snow, picked herself up and looked the pair of us over with cold eyes.

"What are you two doing in such a rush?" She demanded in Norhib. "You better be lucky you knocked me over and not some royal. They'd have you shot!"

"Oh, lay off them, Angie," the first said. "They're just excited." But the maid named Angie just narrowed her eyes as if trying to figure out who we were. She opened her mouth, probably to ask us that very question, yet before she got a word out, a loud bell rang out and a silence fell over the bailey. For the moment that I thought an alarm had gone off, my hand went down to my side where my only blade laid strapped to my thigh, but then the first maid exclaimed,

"They're starting already?! Oh, we better hurry." She began to hurry away, but when she noticed we hadn't moved, she shouted over her shoulder, "Well, come on you two!" Sophie and I glanced at each other, both of us confused, and fell into step behind Angie and the other maid.

"Keep your head down. Just act natural and do what they do," I mumbled as we followed the crowd across the length of the bailey, down some corridors, and eventually, to the chapel.

A man was standing at the large oak doors, ushering people in. "The annual royal Wintertide procession is about to start!" He shouted. "Please, find your seats. Ask a maid if you're unsure where to go—careful now, your lordship; there's a step." We followed Angie and the blonde-hair maid up the few stairs into the magnificently large chapel.

"Anything else about today you failed to mention?" I asked angrily.

Sophie grumbled, "I was young. I slept through this part."

Two statues, of what I thought were Gods, stood on either side of the entryway, carved from gold. As everyone filed in, they touched the feet out of respect; some even said a prayer. Sophie and I followed what the two maids in front of us did which included bowing our heads and muttering a prayer. We eventually took our seats in the four rows designated for the staff, near the back (which happened to be right next to Angie and the blonde-haired maid).

Both of us were severely on edge. We took the end of the pew just in case we needed to exit quickly, but I still felt completely exposed. In my chest, my heart refused to slow. This mission would be fun if I wasn't sitting in a room full of people that probably wanted me dead. I've never had a mission go so wrong so quickly.

Quietly, to Sophie, I whispered, "Do you remember how long this takes?"

"Close to two hours I think," she said. Oh, fantastic. I blew out an irritated breath.

"What happens after?"

Before Sophie got to respond, Angie snapped, "Be quiet before you get us all in trouble."

"Calm down, dear," the blonde mumbled. "They want to be here just as much as we do."

"Oh, shut up, Nova," she snapped. A maid sitting in front of us turned around and shushed us. "Bite me." The maid frowned and reluctantly turned around. Nova smiled but had her attention toward the front where a man in elegant forest green robes had begun to talk.

But my eyes wandered around the room. If I had to sit here, I might as well scope out the prince.

I found him in the front row with a silver crown on his head. He had honey-blonde hair and wore his formal suit made from material that was dyed Targaryen colors. I couldn't make out his eye color, but I saw as he helped the queen to her seat, a birthmark on his hand.

For the entire procession, I watched the prince and royal family, and an impossibly long time later, we were finally dismissed. Sophie and I had no idea where we were going, and Angie kept us in her view at all times. Now I knew she thought we were suspicious.