On The Edge of a Blade

Chapter 12.2

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After their meeting in the hallway, it seemed as though Rose had lost her only opportunity. Days went by in anxious monotony, days which morphed into an uneventful week. The entire time, she was unable to get close to the royal family; she didn't so much as see James, let alone the king. The chance to serve in the dining hall didn't present itself again, and nor did anything else unexpected and fortunate occur. She started to feel like a real servant, causing her frustration to grow.

With a lack of progress came a soreness of her ego. Something had to happen soon, preferably before someone became dissatisfied with her performance. The rest of the assassins within the company wouldn't wait forever. Not only that, but she wouldn't be able to keep her sanity while posing as a servant for so long.

Time wasn't necessarily running out, but Rose's patience was most certainly wearing thin. She could only wonder how much more impatient Shilah was becoming as she waited on the edge of her seat for the curtain to rise on anarchy.

Fortunately, the blessed day of action came. It came, but it caught Rose off guard.

"So? Are you excited?" Bridgett gently nudged Rose with her elbow as they walked down one of the servant hallways together. Unlike the rest of the castle, these halls were drab and unappealing. The difference between grandeur and servitude within the royal was rather shocking, not to mention reminiscent of how starkly the wealthy parts of the kingdom as a whole contrasted with the slums. It was unfortunate, but class differences were something Rose was well acquainted with. "I know I am. The castle only gets thoroughly cleaned when something big's about to happen!"

"Hmm? Well, I guess I am," Rose said noncommittally, "we're just going from one menial task to another. No big deal." Even as she played it off as just another day, deep down she could feel exhilaration coursing through her. This was a promised change of pace in more ways than just one.

Her acting proved itself to be good. "Really? No big deal?" Bridgett raised an eyebrow. "I think it's wonderfully exciting, personally! It's an opportunity to do something different. After being trapped in the same cycle day after day, a person just has to take action, you know? Plus, a person can temporarily get lost in all of the commotion." Her voice had an odd resonance to it, as though she meant more than what she said.

Rose caught this abnormality, and she glanced up suspiciously. She studied Bridgett's face, searching for something that may or mayn't be there. Sure enough, though her tone was light, the other girl's eyes were uncharacteristically hard. They matched perfectly with her oddly foreboding choice of words. "Are you feeling alright?" she asked.

"Yeah. No better or worse than usual." Bridgett's eyes became bright again. "Why do you ask?"

A frown appeared on Rose's face, and she dropped her gaze. "No reason."

The topic was discarded immediately and exchanged for something more light-hearted. "Say, did you hear what happened to the head cook?"

"You mean Austin? Was he fired?"

With a sly grin, Bridgett tapped the side of her nose. "Yes, though it depends on who you ask. He'll maintain that he quit until the day the vultures feed on his body, but everyone knows that he was living on borrowed time as it was. He hasn't cooked anything since he started heading the kitchen fifteen years ago! Dumb as he is, he thought that he'd get away clean for thirty more years to come."

"He's as self-righteous as an overfed feline, all right." Rose made a face.

To that, Bridgett laughed. "He was bound to be kicked to the streets eventually. Never thought I'd be here to witness it, though."

"Pretty crazy."

"I think he truly reached the final strike with the chicken," Bridgett determined. "Do you remember that? You were there when they served it undercooked, right?"

"Yeah. Hawke had a fit." Rose let a small smile rise to her face at the memory. Of all the things that she had experienced here, that had to be one of the most memorable.

"Man, I wish I had been there! What a great day to be pulled into serving." Bridgett shook her head, a note of awe in her voice. "Listen to this, though. That's a great story, but this is even better! One time--"

Though Bridgett talked too much and asked too many questions, Rose could never bring herself to be short with her. There was something endearing about her coy gossip and unwavering disregard for what anyone thought. Though Rose hardly ever participated in the rambling, she'd absentmindedly listen and watch. She saw something in Bridgett which was reflected in herself. Regardless of what was on the surface, they were unusually similar at the core.

Of course, that didn't mean that Rose would necessarily care about everything that came out of her mouth. Bridgett was off to the races, but the short assassin failed to keep pace. They continued walking side by side, yes, but Rose was miles away.

Try though she might to relax, there was something extremely peculiar about how Bridgett. Normally, the girl was endlessly energetic and disgustingly optimistic. By this point, Rose had spent nearly three weeks with her, and never before had she made even the smallest comment which might be perceived as mysterious and cryptic. At least, she never had until today. Rose couldn't quite put her finger on what was going on, and it bothered her.

What opportunity, exactly, was Bridgett referring to? And was Rose supposed to be actively trying to get lost in any inevitable tumult? As she Rose tossed the words about in her mind, she realized that they felt very much like an invitation, but, at the same time, also a dire warning. If only she could fathom why . . . .

Rose looked back up at Bridgett, her visage somewhat stern as she lost herself to thought. Wordlessly, she sought out even the smallest of explanations. In response to the blatant scrutiny, she received a bright smile. Instead of reciprocating the expression, she turned away, her mood thoroughly chilled by the glimpses of truth she had seen.

Behind her cheer and exuberance, Bridgett's eyes were still shadowed. 

QOTC: What's your favorite character from a Disney movie? Just throw out a list if you can't decide!

AOTC: I've always loved Stitch. He's so freaking cute.