HUNTED ━━ obi x oc

the other assassin | 0.04

"Meet Vela!" Zen yelled. "Aide and royal guard to the second prince of Clarines!"

I sighed. And so it begins.

~~~

Almost a weeks time has passed since I was officially announced as one of Zen's aides. I had been adjusting somewhat nicely to the palace, although the mere number of people was somewhat unsettling. Luckily, I hadn't been forced into a uniform or anything absurd like that. My face felt bare as I kept my veil tucked away in my pocket per Zen's request. Both he and Kiki advised against covering my face on castle grounds for the fear of being perceived as a threat. I had rolled my eyes at that but complied nonetheless.

Kiki and Mitsuhide were warming up to me nicely. Kiki had slowly grown less distant, somewhat beginning to trust Zen's judgment and perception of me. Between watching Zen do paperwork and entertaining Shirayuki on her daily visits, my job remained fairly simple. There was little work to be done and I usually spent most of my time up in the trees, enjoying clean, crisp air of Clarines's castle.

Today, I had been tasked with delivering a letter to the guards at the castle gate. Zen had claimed I was the one who could get there the fastest but truth be told, I think he was too lazy to do it himself. After performing my task I had simply perched myself on the castle wall, enjoying the breeze and the view when I heard my name.

I looked down to see Shirayuki waving up at me. "What are you doing up there?" She asked with a hand over her eyes, blocking the sun. I hopped down next to her and smiled.

"Hey, Red. Just carrying out my royal duties as an aide to the prince." I said, playful sarcasm in my words. Royal. A five letter word that felt foreign in my mouth.

"That's great!" she said with a blinding smile. "Mitsuhide had sent for me to come here. Do you have any idea why?"

I had to bite back a smile. I almost forgot.

Yesterday, Zen left the castle walls to go exploring as he usually does, but this time he was gone too long. After getting chewed out, he locked himself in his office to sulk. I laughed to myself, shaking my head.

"Come on, Red. I'm sure Mitsuhide would explain the situation better."

I began walking and motioned for her to follow and after she finished greeting the guards, we started towards Zen's office.

"Shirayuki! Vela!" I heard the calls and heavy footfalls of Mitsuhide as he ran over to us, his sword swinging at his hip. He came to a halt in front of us, pausing momentarily to catch his breath.

A smile came to my lips as I watched his hunched over form. "No wonder I beat you," I wondered aloud. "You're all out of shape."

"Very funny, Vela," he responded. Sarcasm weighed heavy in his voice. Mitsuhide and I had settled into an easy banter over the past few days. It was refreshing to be around someone of his character.

"Good Morning, Mitsuhide," Shirayuki said, chuckling lightly. "Why have you sent for me?"

He explained the situation quickly as I added subtle jabs here and there. Zen's antics amused me but he could be childish at times. After only six days I was beginning to wonder whether I was an aide or a criminally underpaid babysitter.

When we arrived at Zen's office, Mitsuhide was first to knock on the door. When no one had answered I turned the knob, revealing Zen sitting at his desk with a rather dark aura. Oh my. I frowned at the sight.

"You have a visitor. Don't look so depressed, Prince," I said, wandering into the room. Kiki had cracked a smile from her spot near his desk. I could tell she was beginning to find me amusing.