The Assassin Princess

Enter the Assassin

The king's throne room was a massive open-air and circular room with large columns to hold up the stain glass roof. In the middle of the day, the light danced across the granite floor, casting the room in hues of pink, blue, and green. As beautiful as the image was, Calira hated it. After having spent the night hunting her target, she had planned to spend the daylight hours sleeping, regaining her energy. But upon her arrival home at dawn, the king had summoned her here.

"Assassin Sarana, you're majesty." A page introduced her as the king leaned forward.

"I apologize for this inconvenience, Sarana." His voice was rough with age. Calira shook her head.

"Convenience is a luxury I gave up when I swore my allegiance to you, my king."  Calira responded dully. King Triscan chuckled before bursting into a fit of coughing. Calira winced at the sound. The king was very old and while many denied the inevitable, she knew he was dying. She had been trained to be able to tell from the littlest hints. Before any of the guards could stop her, she appeared in front of the king, punching his chest and stabbing a thin needle into his arm. She pulled away just as quickly as his coughing eased. Everyone stared. Triscan's wise, tired grey eyes looked up at Calira with a kind smile.

"Thank you, Calira." Calira nodded. The guards that had moved forward now moved back before the king dismissed them and his advisors. Calira watched as the massive room emptied, leaving only the king and her alone. Triscan unsteadily climbed to his feet and approached Calira slowly, not out of fear, but out of pain. She frowned beneath her hood. He pushed himself.

"You're majesty, please sit." She requested but the old king shook his head.

"No, Calira." He replied as he stopped in front of her. Calira tensed as he pulled her black hood away from her head and slid her mask down till it hung around her neck. Full volumes of golden curls fell around her slender shoulders as her ice blue eyes averted their gaze. She had never understood the king's fascination with looking at her as they spoke. He had been doing it since she was a small child, hidden in a cloak much too big for her. Her high cheekbones and soft, supple pink lips accentuated her almond-shaped eyes and pale skin.

"Your beauty is one of the kingdom's treasures. " The king remarked as Calira shook her head, disagreeing with him. Triscan smiled mysteriously.

"You and I both know I am dying." Calira nodded.

"And you will either have to face my son or commit treason." Triscan continued as Calira frowned, her eyebrows drawing together in thought.

"He is not you, my king."

"This I know. He has never understood why I keep you around." Triscan chuckled softly. Calira still frowned. The prince, Alaric, did not like that his father kept a trained assassin so close to him at all times. Especially a secretive female assassin who did not let anyone, man nor woman, see her face. He believed Calira was in the best position to betray the king and the kingdom. And while he hated her, Calira hated him thrice-fold. He was a pompous, arrogant, spoiled brat who was not prepared for the responsibility of ruling a kingdom. He believed he deserved everything, but he didn't earn anything.  He was cruel and insensitive. He was everything a King shouldn't be. It ceased to amaze her that he was even remotely related to Triscan.

"And I will never understand why you have not hired me to kill him." Calira growled. Triscan frowned.

"He is still my son and heir to the throne." Triscan answered. Calira's frown deepened.

"The kingdom will fall with him as king. You know this, my lord." Calira remarked as the elder king sighed.

"I pray it won't." Triscan replied solemnly. He suddenly pulled the dagger from Calira's hip. He eyed the weapon before handing it back to the stunned assassin.

"When I become bed-ridden, I have a favor to ask of you." Triscan began with a melancholic tone. Calira knew what he would ask.

"Yes?" She asked anyways.

"I ask that you make my death quick. I don't want my subjects or you to watch me wither away in a bed." He finished in a soft tone. Calira shook her head.

"No, I cannot do that. I refuse to take your life."

"It's an order. I command you to kill me once my disease takes its full course through my body." Triscan's tone hardened and Calira frowned.

"I...can't..." Her voice faltered as Triscan smiled softly at her.

"I believe in you. It's the right thing, you know it is." Triscan explained as Calira bent her head, finally giving in.

"I will not enjoy the task, but I will give you an honorable death, my king." Calira conceded. Triscan nodded as he patted her curled head softly.

"I'm sorry for putting this burden on your shoulders, my dear." He apologized softly. Calira didn't say anything as she replaced her disguise. Triscan returned to his throne as their allotted time together ended and the guards filed back into the room.

"You're released, Sarana." An advisor announced as Calira frowned at him and narrowed her eyes.

"I only follow the orders of the king. Only he can release me." She replied. The advisor sputtered at her response. The entire throne room was thrown into an awkward silence. Triscan frowned before nodding his head at Calira, who bowed before disappearing into the shadows. At her disappearance the room burst into an uproar and the King rubbed his temple in annoyance.

"Silence!" His voice echoed hollowly. The room quieted instantly as its occupants awaited the rest of the King's speech.

"My trusted advisors, you are treading a thin line. While Sarana's appointment is a lower station than your own, she is still in a class by herself. She was right, though her approach may have been wrong. She only answers to the King, which for now is me." He chastised as his advisors looked at their feet like small punished children.

"Now how are our defenses?"