Hey there lovelies I am here to give you the answer to my question. My favorite color is purple! I know so original, but it is what it is. Happy reading!
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Chapter Six
The maids didn't stick around after I told them they did an amazing job dressing me up. They didn't tell me where to go before they left either, they just left me in my room all alone. I'm not afraid of being alone, I've been alone most of my life. However, I am a curious person so it's no surprise I find myself sneaking around in the hall. The walls in the hall, are similar to the ones in my dream. The paintings are more scattered, and don't tell a story- but the similarity is uncanny.
It wasn't long until I heard the thud of arrows hitting a target, the sound draws me closer and closer to the room. The heavy wooden double doors are open allowing everyone a view of the person standing in the middle of the room. The room itself was dark, but the lights eliminated any darkness. Wooden pillars line the walls and a small walkway sit on top of them, allowing guards to watch the inhabitants of the room. Where the pillars aren't weapons of all shapes and sizes hang on the wall, and if that wasn't enough tables sit in front of those walls offering more choices.
The targets where towards the back of the room, close to the narrow strip of a window that goes from the floor to ceiling. One the wall opposite of the targets there are three tables set up that are completely empty, as if the weapons that normally occupy them have gone missing. I take one small silent step closer to the doors, keeping my eye on the stranger and the guards walking around above him. They haven't noticed me yet.
The stranger standing in the middle of the room is tall, I can tell that from my position at the door. He has dark brown, black hair, and the standard archery outfit on. Each time he lets, and arrow fly I can feel the power of hit when it hits the target in the air. His presence alone screams power, and an attitude of having everything he wants whenever he wants it. I know right away who this is. The unofficial prince Henry.
"Are you going to introduce yourself? Or are you going to keep lurking in the doorway?" he turns towards me, and for one split second I am afraid he will recognize me, but he doesn't. He doesn't order the guards to take me to the dungeon, and more importantly he doesn't shoot an arrow at me. Not that it would have been a smart move, I would have been able to reach a weapon of my own in seconds.
His chocolate brown eyes search my face for a moment, trying to figure out if I am a friend or a foe. Now if he could figure that one out while I am dressed like one of the people he loves to associate with, then that would be a miracle. And a testament to how well he can truly read people.
"I didn't want to disturb you." I finally answer, I mean it's not like he ever talked to me when we meet before. He was too busy trying to kill me to talk, and I was too busy trying to kill him to do the same.
"Well, you didn't." he walks to the empty tables and lays down his bow and takes off the arrows strapped to his back. "I'm Henry." He comes closer to me and offers his outstretched hand. I stare at it for a moment unsure if I should risk taking it, but I shove down the fear I have and take it.
"Valarie." I was waiting for the surprise to appear on his face, but he is better at hiding it than most people. It was a nice change than when people ask me if I am serious or not, but then yet again it is part of his job to find her. The princess, just like it's a part of his job to find the midnight assassin. Who would have thought he was searching for the same person?
"You have nice aim, but you could use some work. You keep over shooting to your left." I nod towards the target and the arrows that are on the floor, and the ones that barely hit the target. "You should aim towards the right more to balance it out."
"Since when were you an archery expert? Last time I checked you lived your whole life in a tower." You have a point their pretty boy, but so do I. If you keep shooting like that, I don't think you will ever be able to hunt me down and keep the promise you made to the King.
"Maybe instead of insulting me, you should thank me for trying to help you out." Seriously my mouth is going to get me into trouble, I really shouldn't be picking a fight with him while I am like this. When I am in this situation. I should wait until the darkness of the night can hide me and wrap me in its arms of safety.
Instead of being angry, he has a smirk playing on his lips. "I'm sorry I have been extremely rude. Could you forgive me?"
"I don't think I have much of a choice to forgive you." My answer is honest, I've watched him kill someone for less. I wouldn't want to be killed because I couldn't keep my mouth shut or forgive him when he demanded it.
His eyes narrow and look over me more critically, searching for the information I am keeping from him. Too bad I am the perfect opponent for him, everything he knows about me is because I want him to know it. I move my eyes to the floor, the perfect form of sincerity, and that's what he wants. He wants to know where I stand, and what I really think.
"I would never demand someone to forgive me. And I most certainly will never force you to do something you don't want to." He lifts my chin with a finger, he tilts his head to the side, his smirk growing. "Can I escort you to dinner?"
"No. I can find it myself." I say taking a step away from his touch. His brows scrunch together, confused how I had the strength to walk away, to refuse his generous offer. "As for forgiving you goes, I don't see why I shouldn't. You did apologize after all." I give him a small smirk of my own, as I turn around and keep my head up tall.
I feel his stare on my back as I walk away, luckily for me my room is a way away from where he is, and he won't know that I know where the dining room is. I find Jeremy leaning against the wall next to my room, with his hand in his hair. When he sees me his face fills with relief?
"Valarie. There you are." He looks younger now that he isn't in the uniform, more of his age. He has a blue green shirt and black pants on, and perfectly shined black dress shoes. Paired with what once was slicked back hair. He looks like the royalty is.
"Sorry."
"It's okay, mother asked me to get you for dinner. Just out of curiosity where you just now?"
"I was down the hall, trying to find my way. I am really sorry; the maids didn't tell me where to go- or that anyone was coming to get me." What I really want to say is off exploring, meeting someone would love to kill me if he knew who I really was. You know a normal day's work. "The artwork made me wonder farther down the hall than I was going to."
"Well, I can show you more artwork when I get back tomorrow if you would like."
"Back from where?"
"I'm going horseback riding in the morning, I don't suppose you would like to come along?" he raises an eyebrow at me. I give him the nicest smile I can.
"I would love to go horseback riding with you tomorrow." I would love to explore the palace grounds and learn every secret that you and your family has been trying to hide from me- and everyone else for that matter.
"It's settled then. You're coming with me, I'll be leaving around six o' clock. I'll pick you up, alright?"
"Sounds perfect."
****
When Jeremy and I arrived at the dining hall the rest of the room was empty, almost as if we were early. Jeremy and I took seats in the middle of the table, while we waited for the rest of them. The silence was a bit awkward but what was there to talk about? There was only so much I was going to tell them, and there was only so much they were going to tell me.
Thankfully, I didn't have to bear the silence for too long, like clockwork they strolled into the dining hall. The king took the seat at the head of the table, the Queen the seat to the right of him so Jeremy and I were sitting across the table and had to look at both of them. Two beautiful blonde blue-eyed twin girls followed them in. They not only looked like each other, but their parents as well. They took the empty seats next to their mother.
Once everyone was seated the queen waved to a waiting servant and turned her attention to me. "I'm sorry dinner isn't ran like normal tonight. I hope you feel welcomed though to say the least." She says taking a sip of her water, watching waiting for me to say something.
"Please mother, I'm sure she is hungry just like the rest of us." One of the twins interject, saving me from having to answer the queen, or sit in more awkward silence.
"I'm Gina, by the way, and that's my sister Georgia. Jeremy told me you wouldn't know who we..." a pointed look from her mother gets her to stop talking. Apparently, it's only okay for the Queen to make me feel uncomfortable.
"It's okay. I'm Val." I give her one of my warmest smiles I have ever given. She smiles back, and the doors open up again and another royal child strolls into the room. I guess he didn't get the memo like the rest of them.
"Looks like we have a guest." He slouches into the chair next to Jeremy, and I can tell he has been drinking.
"John, please..."
"What? You don't want her to see what this family looks like behind closed doors?" he waves a servant over and waits for them to pour him another drink. "I'm John." He lets out a loud blech as he says it.
The queen's face goes red at her stepson's behavior. Fortunately, I knew his story, I was paid to know all of their stories. His behavior isn't a shock, but I think it would come as a shock if she knew how many people knew this little dirty secret.
"It's nice to meet you all." While the servants bring out the meal and serve us, I pay closer attention to what they are wearing. Everyone is wearing the same blue green color, and the King is wearing the same button up shirt as both his sons. While the queen is wearing a more regal dress than her twelve-year-old daughters.
After the servants were out of the way I realized the Queen was waiting for me to take the first bite, and so was everyone else, just less obvious. I pick up my fork and dig into the chicken covered in lemon sauce, and the rice with the same sauce covering it.
"I don't want to sound rude or anything, but why am I here?" I ask like the polite little girl I am supposed to be- after I finished a few bites of food that is. Like I have been living the life they assume I have. Hopefully, Jeremy doesn't bring up my actions from earlier and get me into trouble.
"Isn't obvious? They want to know if you were a spy for the others, or if you are their precious long-lost daughter. But we all know you can't be, you aren't pretty enough. Inst that right?" John says, asking the last question to his parents. He takes another drink of whatever he is working on.
"We thought you would be safer here." The Queen says ignoring the statement her stepson just made, the authority dripping from her voice allowed no other explanation- drunk or otherwise. What they don't know outside these walls, and those walls that caged me in I am known as a cold-blooded killer. They should've been more concerned with their own safety than mine.
"I'm grateful that you brought me here, but why the concern now? I've been living in that tower my whole life. I am used to dealing with storms worse than this one."
"No one knew you were there. If someone did, they would have taken you from there before now. I have personally flown over that area and can tell you that it was hidden, very well." Jeremy apologizes for everyone's mistakes and saves me from his mother's wrath.
"Did you hear that? Apparently golden child here, missed something." John reiterates what Jeremy just said, and personally I am surprised that he found me.
"We wanted to make sure you were safe. The celebration that was held last night normally brings spies to our land, and it isn't safe for someone to be alone out there."
Right, the celebration. The one that the Queen insisted on holding even though her daughters disappearance made her go mad. Too bad I missed the opportunity to work, I should have called Sebastian. I could have crashed it, and that would have been more fun than being at home.
"Hey, everyone. Sorry I'm late, but I was dealing with a guest that needs to talk to you." Henry announces getting the King and Queen's attention. They get up immediately and head out the door he just walked through.
His eyes flit over everyone else until they meet mine, once they do, he smirks at me. I raise an eyebrow, and while he rakes his eyes over me, I quickly glance at what he is wearing and see he changed into the same exact outfit as the others, except he is wearing the same forest green as me. And he added his signature black leather jacket. His was nicer than mine, where mine has been worn down from years of wear and tear, his looks brand new. He gelled his hair so not a hair was out of place, and I know he did this just for me.
"Look the other golden child walks in and they listen." John says, while everyone else turns to look at him, Henry slowly brings his eyes up to meet mine once again. I raise one of the perfect eyebrows and smirk. He answers with another smirk of his own. "Looks like..."
"Enough John, I think you have had enough to drink." Jeremy cuts off his brother and takes his drink from him. John tries to take his drink back. It ends up spilling all over me, and his eyes widen.
"I'm sorry... I don't." he can't get a complete sentence out because he finally recognizes me. Jeremy yanks John out of his seat, which isn't awfully hard considering how drunk he is, and escorts him out of the room. The twins follow after them, and I try to clean the mess off of the dress.
"I would ask if you are enjoying your first meal at the palace, but I think I know the answer to that." Henry whispers in my ear as he takes the seat next to me. He smiles at suggestively; I roll my eyes at his cockiness. Other girls would be besides themselves to be in the same room as him, let alone talk to him. Me? I would rather be killing him then trying to play nice.
Henry took a plate allowing me to finish my half-eaten food, and in silence. It gave me a chance to review the situation and think of everything I could use to my advantage. It saved me from keeping a conversation going that I had no interest in having. Henry paid more attention to the food he was eating than me, and it only made me wish the Jeremy or one of his sisters stayed with us.
"You don't talk much do you?" Oh, here we go. The endless list of questions the guys always ask.
"I guess not."
"Why not? I mean you have to be used to talking to someone."
"Not when I have nothing to say."
"I'm sure you have plenty to say." He pushes his plate away making room for him to rest his elbow on the table so he can face me. He doesn't try to hide the fact that he is looking me over again.
"How about this? If you are going to check someone out, try to be less obvious." I push back from the table, ready to leave.
"Maybe you should learn some manners. No one likes someone who corrects everyone all the time." I laugh a humorless laugh. The audacity of him.
"I'm the one who needs manners? No one likes a know it all, and someone that thinks they are better than everyone." I bite back, not caring about the attitude I am throwing his way, or that I am showing him a part of my soul.
"It seems you have caught me again being rude." He apologizes, but I can see the smile in his eyes, he found out something I would have rather kept to myself. "I must once again ask you to forgive me." I take my seat once more, calming myself down. I have kept my cool every time I have had to deal with him before, I can sure as hell keep it now.
"No. I am the one who should ne apologizing. Not you. I lost my temper."
"Well, apology accepted." I didn't know what to say after that. Luckily, Henry seemed to know exactly what to say. "You can leave if you want. They won't be back for a while." He looks down at the table, not proud to be the reason they are preoccupied. Me? I was I glad to know someone else held their attention- even if it is for a little while.
"Good night then." This time I get out of my seat a bit more calmly, and slower.
He doesn't say anything though, I guess knowing your father is in the palace can be a bit distracting. Once the doors have closed behind me, I am tempted to do some more exploring. To figure out what secrets I missed last time I was here. The sight of guards patrolling the hallway stops me, there was no way I was sneaking around when I looked like this. I was too noticeable, too exposed- not to mention I reek of alcohol.
When I walk into the room assigned to me the maids are waiting for me. They look like they're in desperate need of a good night's sleep. It's a wonder I ignored that fact earlier. Maybe I was too concerned about reading them and figuring out what I was going to do earlier to notice. I let them help me out of the jewelry and clothes without a fight, and when the push me into the bathroom I don't fight them when they start washing my face.
Samantha drew me a bath, and I was about to fight them, but they left me to bathe myself. Once the door is shut behind them, and I am alone I step into the bath. I sit in the hot water and let all the stress of the past few days disappear. My stress-free time is cut short however, when Shannon's sharp tongue cuts through the silence.
"Are you sure that's what was said?" Shannon hissed.
"The Queen said we were the only ones to take care of her. The peculiar thing is that girl is a nobody. I did some digging while you guys were at dinner- trying to find something anything out about her. All everyone had to say was Prince Jeremy brought her in from the forest." Samantha's voice barely above a whisper.
"Well, she is strange, and if what you heard is true- there has to be more to the story. I don't think the Queen wants us to just take care of her." Shannon doesn't bother to keep her voice down, but even if she did, I would probably still be able to hear her.
"What was she thinking introducing herself to us by the name of... you know. I hope she doesn't end up getting the queen's hopes up, and then turn out to be an assassin." Samantha interjected with a small quiet sad voice. The last bit got me to crack a smile.
"Enough about her, she might hear us in there. We'll discuss this at a later time." Shannon says, ending the conversation.
"Nonsense, she is fast asleep in there." Samantha's soft voice says.
"How would you know?" Suzanne asks.
"I put a sleeping mix into the water when she wasn't watching. So, we can rule out her being an assassin for the other side, she's definitely Fae." Samantha whispers, and I can hear the shame in her voice. It's one thing to do something like that, it is a whole other to admit it out loud.
"Or a..." Suzanne tries, but is cut off.
"I still don't like her, even if she is Fae. She is far too quiet for my taste, and what if she is Fae gone rouge? You know there are a lot of those right now." Shannon says overpowering everything else her sisters might try to say.
"I don't like her either. She acts like she has only lived in the tower. She must be trying to trick the Queen and King, and then one day they will wonder how they lost their kingdom." Suzanne says, agreeing with Shannon.
It looks like I have three maids to win over, before I can do anything without raising suspicion. I mean they aren't wrong about the assassin part, but taking over the kingdom? I personally have no desire to sit on top of a throne.
"Did you hear about Henry's father barging into the palace? Henry tried to deal with him, but he eventually had to get the King and Queen." Samantha says before another thing about me can be said.
"No, we didn't hear about that." Suzanne whines, disappointed that she missed some of the action of today.
"Can't that man leave well enough alone? He has done enough damage already, there is no need to damage Henry into it over and over." I can feel the pity coming out of Samantha's voice.
"We should wake Valarie up now, shouldn't we?" Suzanne asked.
"Unfortunately." Came Shannon's disappointed answer.
I quickly shut my eyes and slow my breathing. It isn't too long after that I hear the clipped sound of shoes on tile. It seems they think all three of them will be needed to wake me up, because all three of them came.
"Wake up miss, wake up." Samantha says shaking my shoulder. "Wake up please."
"How much of that stuff did you put in?" Shannon asks frustrated.
"Not that much I swear, she must be a heavy sleeper."
"Let's hope for your sake that she is and is awake in the next couple of minutes. I don't feel like explaining to the Queen that you stole the sleeping potion." Shannon reprimands.
They leave the bathroom, and I open my eyes once the door clicks shut. I try to shake off the feeling of being out of place, it shouldn't be a new feeling. I have always been out of place everywhere I go. The whispering Faerie maids may be right, I may not be Fae. I may be one of the others. I may be on the other side and never knew it. I feel like I am drowning in uncertainties. Am I light, or am I a shadow? Am I criminal or a hero? Am I life or death? What side should I be on? What side am I on? The answers should be easy to find, but they aren't. I have been fighting against the throne for years because that was the only option I had. But now? Now I might really be one of the... one of the others. One thing I do know, is sitting here won't get me the answers I need. Being out there, being out there will get me the answers I need.
I grab the towel handing on the rack next to the tub and dry off. I wrap the towel around myself, and head over to the mirror. The girl I see now isn't the one I saw earlier. This time I see the scared confused girl I once was. The one that couldn't stop the horrible men from doing unspeakable things to her. A shiver makes it way across my body, the things I once went through will never happen to me again. Nor will it happen to anyone else if I can stop it. Maybe that's why I do what I do. To stop the nightmare of men that made me into who I am today.
When the maids see me standing there in the doorway, they put down the things they were working on, and rush to hand me the softest robe I have ever touched in my life. They shove me into the silkiest night clothes one could imagine, it almost doesn't seem real. Shannon keeps shooting warning glares and glances at Samantha for the stunt she supposedly pulled earlier.
"If you have anything you need don't hesitate to give us a call." She says pulling on a rope hanging next to the bed. "We will come right away." Suzanne says giving me a small polite smile.
"Don't tell her that, she will keep us up all night because she thinks she is important." Shannon harshly whispers to her sister.
"Nonsense, I'll be perfectly fine." They didn't give me a second thought after the words left my mouth, they rushed out of the room before I could say anything else. As if they were afraid, I would change my mind.
I sit on the edge of the bed and take a look around the room. The wardrobe across the room was made of the finest wood and crafted by the best no doubt. The painting sitting above the desk next to the bed was surely painted by a master of the art. Everything from the rugs on the floor, to the clothes in the wardrobe, to the soap I used tonight were made by the best- and certainly without a second thought about the cost. Hopefully, the weapons they use were spared no cost.
What would happen if I went down to the town, or village not even two miles from here with the night clothes I have on in my hands? How many children could I feed off of the money I would make? How many children could I save from suffering the same fate I did? If only I could get out of this blasted palace, and into town without raising suspicion.
I am an assassin damnit, I have been in the palace and out without anyone ever noticing. This time I was invited in, so why does this seem like such a difficult task? First thing's first, if I really am serious about leaving this place, I can't leave it looking like this. But I can't leave it looking the way I normally do either. I peel out of the silky night clothes, and slip into black form fitting pants, navy blue crop top with small pink and purple flowers on it and with a black undershirt underneath. I pull on black socks, and the boots I was wearing when I arrived. Luckily, the bag I was holding onto when Jeremy was carrying me stayed with us. Otherwise, I would have had to settle for something inside the wardrobe and I wasn't about to open it and find out what it had inside.
The door opens without a sound, and I peek out of the room looking for any guards. When I don't see any I close the door behind me, heading to anywhere. As long as Henry or Jeremy were around, I was fine, they just got in the way. The guilt I would have had about the maids possibly getting in trouble if I were found outside my room disappears when I think about how they are most likely still talking about me. There gossiping ways were going to get them in trouble one day, and for their sakes I hope it isn't trouble with me.
The questions running through my mind demand answers, answers I am going to get one way or another. Without realizing it my feet took me to the one place that could calm the anger inside me- without leaving the palace walls. The training room, without the guards and Henry in it the room seems larger. Like Henry was occupying most of the room earlier. This time I pay attention to the dark grey walls that appear to be black to the untrained eye. To the one table that doesn't seem to belong. The table sits next to the doorway, and unlike the others is uncovered. It has paint all over it, and names carved into it.
Now that's something that I didn't know existed, the names were all tiny and arranged in rows except for four names. Alex, Matthew, Gabby, and Jeremy. Surprisingly, Henry's name didn't make the list. I search the rest of the names, but none of them seem too familiar. If I had a last name, I would be able to verify if I knew them or not- but I don't. I can't even verify if I know the other three names along with Jeremy's, although I am pretty certain I know who those names belong to.
For now, I was going to have to settle for shooting, that answer can come in the morning when I go horseback riding. I walk over to the wall holding all different types of bows, I settle for the good old fashioned on. I run my hand along the spine of the metallic bow, pulling at the string testing how tightly wound it is. I pulled a few arrows from the table and made my way across from a target.
I lined up my shot, and pulled back, and released. In one solid motion my arrow hit the target dead center. Still as good as I once was and will forever be. I let four more arrows fly before pulling them out of the targets. I place the items back where they belong, and head over to the wall with the knives. The smaller ones where calling my name. I don't know why, but they were. One in particular caught my eye. It was no bigger than the palm of my hand, with a purple handle and a razor-sharp edge. This one. This one for some reason has my name written all over it. Figuratively of course.
The footsteps sounding in the hall snaps me out of the trance I am. I sheath the knife and shove it in my boot. I take one second and realize the only place to hide is under one of the tables. I bite my lip and quickly figure out which one would be the most ideal to hide under.
I still the tablecloth that is moving from my movement and press myself against the wall as best as I can. Whoever it was out in the hall steps into the room once I am situated. I hope and pray that they didn't hear me in here, and that they leave soon, because I really don't feel like spending all night underneath this table.