Aurelia is a Courtesan, not an Assassin. Her world is turned upside down, however, when she kills a high-ranking Senator in self defense. Given his status, and the political power his family wields, Aurelia knows she will be executed without a trial...
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The room is dappled with beams of crimson, scarlet, maroon, and wine- the shades of blood in all its forms speckled across the white marble floor. The color-drenched light splashes its way across the flesh of the seven men who sit at a carved, half-moon table.
Colin reaches down, offers his arm.
Aurelia grits her teeth as she pushes herself out of her wheelchair, allowing Colin to help her stand. She cannot meet the board as a cripple.
"Aurelia Cornel," Jaren Burtanis- Marcus' widow, Ileina's, second brother- intones from his seat behind the table, dressed in the traditional assassin's robes of red, black, and gold. "You are here today to be inducted into the Assassin's Guild," he begins.
Beside him, Lucanus Maevrion's cousin, Julian Maevrion, looks like he swallowed a lemon. His gaze scorches her as much as the fires that continue to burn in Glascoast.
"Are there any objections to this woman's induction?" Jaren asks. Three of the men at the table- Lucanus' cousin, a second son of the Urbanis family, and another Senatorial by birth- wear mutinous expressions, but they hold their peace.
"Does anyone claim this initiate?" Jaren asks, traditional words, and empty ones. Apprentice assassins are assigned a master long before their induction ceremony, and Aurelia will enter as a fully-fledged member, but a tradition is a tradition.
"I do," Colin says at her elbow, his tone uncharacteristically serious. And sober.
Aurelia glances at him out of the corner of her eye, and one of the board members- Salus Payne- nods.
"This board recognizes Colin Durante as the Master of Record," he acknowledges.
Aurelia remains silent, knowing that she has no right to speak in these hallowed halls until the initiation is complete.
Another board member, Ludo Pratis, steps down from the dais the table is raised on, and brings Colin a gilded ceremonial dagger, inlaid with onyx, mother of pearl, and rubies. Colin bows his head in acknowledgement, and slices his palm without hesitation.
Aurelia swallows hard as Colin takes her unbroken hand in his, and slices her palm as well. They join their hands, mingling their blood, in symbol of a bond more binding than marriage, as sacred as parenthood.
"Approach," Jaren Burtanis says, extending his hand in invitation.
Aurelia leans most of her weight on Colin and grits her teeth as she takes step after painful step to approach the board.
On the table before her, there is a long roll of paper- yellowed and cracked and aged- the Guild Charter. Name after name is written upon it- most scrawled in a childish hand- thousands of tiny, cramped words, representing thousands of lives. Her predecessors, her contemporaries.
"Sign," Jaren instructs her.
Beside her, Colin leans closer, whispers into her ear. "You can choose a new name, if you would like. One that isn't attached to... everything," he says. After a beat, he adds, "You probably should."
