Bound To Kill

XVII: Bound To Please

Evangeline

A year later...

With the help of the old carriage driver who was a former Assassin, I got inside the castle in a formal entrance this time. No lies were told, no killings were done. Perhaps it's the gown I'm wearing, it just screams the royalty in me although I've no royal blood.

"Your disguise seems to be handling all the work, my Queen." The carriage driver says jokingly.

"Especially with this helluva expensive mask." I say, fixing my masquerade mask as well.

The party is themed to be a masquerade ball. It's a celebration for the Plague has left finally. Some of France's royal allies showed up, including I, the Queen of Wales (although Wales doesn't really have a Queen, not yet I suppose).

"And of course, if it weren't for my lover..." I smirk at Lorenzo beside me. Lorenzo is an Assassin brother from Italy. He's also a friend of the Italian Assassin Order's Grandmaster Ezio Auditore.

Truthfully, Lorrenzo was the scapegoat as to why we've managed to enter without doing any efforts. He's a friend of someone from the Court, so he is invited and known fully by guards and servants.

Lorenzo grabs my hand and places a kiss. "It's always been a pleasure doing business with you, Bellissima." His voice is coated with Italian accent, so it wasn't easy to not like him.

I pretend to giggle, but it comes out real and amused. "You're such a romantic, Lorenzo. If only I was attracted to men like you."

The carriage stops after parking in front of the castle. My heart has never been excited, not since the day I graduated from my training.

Lorenzo is the first to come out of the carriage. He helps me climb out without ever joking about it.

"Your hand is shaking." He says in an undertone.

"Apologies. Anxiety tends to ruin me sometimes." I reply.

I expect him to avoid having small talk along the way after the guards checked our invitations and names on his scroll.

But Lorenzo, being his nosy romantic Italian self, doesn't. "Why?"

I almost could glare right after he chains his hand on mine again as we walk down the very same glorious halls but with different dark designs. "Answering that question will take a hundred years for me to build up a simple answer."

"I will wait for a hundred years then." He whispers after we have finished two hallways with the other group of guests.

I smirk, and after we have entered the throne room I set myself free from his hold. "Good luck with that." He stares at me in both disbelief and interest.

I begin to sway my hips seductively with the rhythm of the gleeful music.

Lorenzo follows me around the outskirts of the dance floor. "Don't play games with me, signora." He chuckles, finally catching me by the waist. "You're mine now..."

"Ah, if it isn't the muchacho from Italy." A Spanish-accented masked nobleman walks toward us from a crowd of conversating Ladies.

"Manuel!" Lorenzo lets go of me and greets the man with a hard hug, patting each other's back as though they were unbreakable rocks.

"How did you knew it was me?" Asks Manuel after Lorenzo returns to holding me by the waist.

"I'm not yours, you know." I whisper to Lorenzo harshly.

He chooses to ignore me and looks away to answer Manuel. I could see the sadness in his brown eyes, which made me regret reminding him. "Well, you seem to be the only pendejo here who calls friends muchachos."

"Ah," Manuel chuckles, taking a swig on his goblet of wine. "And who's this fair señora?"

"A friend, from the English Assassin Order." Lorenzo answers for me.

"You said I was your lover!" I try to sound hurt and shocked, like a pure Royal Lady full of life.

Lorenzo hesitates for a moment, clearly confused if it were an act or not. "I mean..."

Manuel roars of laughter, throwing his head aback as his wine spills to his blouse. "Oh, puta, what have I done to myself."

I cover my mouth, avoiding to laugh. Lorenzo's expression stays flat as a Poker player's face.

"Well, I must go change. Enjoy the party you two." He tips his goblet to the both of us before swimming through the group of ladies. Manuel disappears quickly to a corner.

"How do you even manage that pretty face of yours?" I snort and face Lorenzo once again with a silly grin.

"Yes. My Assassin outfit is getting every Templar around here's attention." Lorenzo sighs. "But don't worry. I'll be careful not to get killed by one of them."

"Good. Now go have fun. I'll handle the rest of this mission alone."

He places a sideway kiss on my cheek. "Good luck, Evangeline. I'll always love you no matter what, even if your heart already belongs to another man."

Lorenzo takes his leave, never turning around. I stare at the door he fled off to for a matter of five seconds before starting to trek around the room for Sebastian.

Then I see him, talking to one of Mary's handmaiden, Kenna. He's not wearing any mask, not even a hint that he is invited to this ball. In fact, he looks like he have just arrived from a trip down the woods.

Once he sees me, he places a kiss on her cheek. I look away as he begins to leave her, walking to the opposite direction.

I follow him discreetly, avoiding to catch Kenna's attention while she scans the room for another person to talk to.

I turn to a corner and walk down the ghost-quiet open hallway leading to a watchtower. I stop in my tracks and look around the hall. My gaze lands on nothing but the balcony columns and the great view of the castle, with the never ending woods just beyond the clearing.

I lean my head against the column, my hand on the other side of it. When I feel warmth brush up against my hand, I turn around to face the eyes I've been yearning to see again since the death of Alexander.

"I knew it was you." He cups my cheek, leaning me against a column as he drowns himself on my lips coated with strawberry syrup. My mask falls like a feather from my hand as it wraps themselves around his neck. He scoops me up from the ground, triggering memories occurring from the courtyard.

My red shoulder-length hair that is safely tucked in a waterfall braid bounces as he pulls me even closer to him.

Everything seemed to fade out. The purpose of coming here, the remainder that I have my hidden blade on my wrist right now, and the reason to kill him. It all disappears to the horizon in one swift kiss.

Finally I pull apart. Husky blue eyes stare back at me as though I was staring back at a werewolf. Moonlight highlights the sweat on his skin, including the blush on his face.

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