He knew his luck wouldn't have lasted forever.
The young woman stood casually leaning against the door frame, her fingers lingered by her lips as she studied every inch of Dagger, taking in his potential threat. His lips trembled as he attempted to cough up an excuse. All logic and precision had leaked out of his brain as he stammered at the woman.
"I was—"
"I know who you are," said the woman gently, cutting him off. Her accent rolled off of her tongue like sweet candy as it filled Dagger's ears. She was dressed in similar attire to his own. A silver chest piece that fit snug on her body, and an undershirt of deep Kintuin red. Bare knees and exposed legs. The clothes were made to maneuver in, to fight in. The clothes weren't made to impress the eyes of gaping men. Dagger wouldn't make the mistake of underestimating the warrior that stood before him.
The hardest part of his plan began now. He spent one night studying the patterns of the guard shifts and regaining his strength. He was able to examine the Kintuin guards from afar, he noted their characteristics and engraved them into his brain. In order for this to work, Dagger would need to fool every Kintuin in his path so they'd mistake him for a Guntheran refugee. Dagger had concocted a story for himself; a background for those who dared question him. He would pose as a refugee, who escaped the Guntheran borders, whose family hadn't been fortunate enough to join him. Zedo had assured him through extensive research that Kintuins accepted refugees with open arms and offered them sanctuary in the castle. Fools.
Dagger believed the assassins sent before him attempted to break and enter the castle, recklessly. When assigned a deadly mission from the Emperor, a seemingly impossible mission, they threw all sense of logic away and gave it their best effort. It left them dead.
Dagger had been close to making that same mistake.
But there was a difference between Dagger and the assassins sent before him, Zedo was well aware of this fact.
Those other assassins hadn't met the Commander. They hadn't survived the War. He had.
The Commander and Dagger have unfinished business to see to. It took all of his might to swallow his craving for justice and play along with the young woman standing before him in the armory.
Dagger had spent so long forcing himself to become this facade, he hadn't fully processed what she had spoken.
I know who you are.
"You do?"
The young woman straightened her stance into a professional attitude.
"Of course," she said, flashing him a smile. "You must be the refugee from Gunther we've been expecting."
Dagger eased up the tension built in his posture and attempted to regain control of his breathing. This was surely something he could take advantage of if he played it off properly.
"I apologize for arriving so abruptly, I collected my uniform and was left with little direction," Dagger replied. There was no need for impersonating somebody he wasn't. He didn't have to pretend. A refugee he was, who had escaped the horrors of the Empire of Gunther to the safety of the kingdom of Kintu's Court. Dagger adjusted to the circumstances rapidly and with ease. Though he was positive that the calming nature of the woman standing before him facilitated his nerves and jittery movements.
She explained how she'd be happy to give him a proper tour of the castle grounds, and Dagger gave her a simple nod in return as he was eager to direct her away from the armory in case the person she was actually expecting showed up.
It worked. His plan had worked at last. He was inside of the castle and had easily fooled one of their own. He began to wonder if his good fortune would see through to the inevitable moment when he'd confront the Commander. Dagger fastened his grip on his brother's necklace around his neck, checking that it was tucked inside of his chest piece for no one else to see or recognize.
____________________________
The young woman guided Dagger through Court and he tried his absolute best to look interested. Truthfully, he was focusing on mapping the interior of the castle. He noted areas where she avoided and areas she took time to showcase and explain. The areas she spent time in had hundreds of soldiers, men, and women, stalking about.
Hundreds.
They all looked to be around the same age, occasionally some older in the midst of the cluster. Some stopped to stare, and Dagger limited eye contact as minimally as he could. The castle had seemed unnervingly loud compared to the armory he had snuck into, with no one around to notice his presence, with the exception of the young woman he now walked alongside. He expected the activity within the most isolated nation in the world to be the same throughout.
As he was led through Kintu's castle, he soon realized it was nothing short of extravagant. While the kingdom of Kintu may be quiet and sequestered off from that of Gunther, the Court was anything but.
The ceilings stood tall. The light of day seeped in through its glass roofs. The courtyard was wide and open. Warm breezes and drafts filtered throughout each area of the castle. There were white marble floors that were so bright they reflected those walking on it like a lake. The castle was accented with minimal decorations, mostly of red, white, and black. Their crescent moon symbol spaced about in various locations. The interior design of the castle was filled with culture; their culture. It was filled with life.
Dagger tried his hardest not to gawk and admire Kintu's Royal Court. He even found himself comparing it to Gunther's, from the little portion of it he's seen. The contrasts between the two courts were polar opposites of each other.
Light and darkness. Good versus bad, from Kintu's perspective at least.
He had to repeat to himself multiple times that Kintu's exterior was a facade, and he was getting sucked up into the illusion. This is exactly the type of front they wanted him to see. He wouldn't allow himself to fall into another one of their twisted traps. The decorations, the craftsmanship of their swords, it all reflected nothing of the Commander's true character. A vicious murderer.
Dagger directed his attention to the court-goers who roamed throughout various parts of the castle. So animated and full of life. Nobles and commoners interacted with one another in harmony. There were men, women, and everything in between of all ages.
He took note of the women dressed as soldiers. The women who were soldiers in their own right. Their toned muscular builds and the weapons they bore at their sides were identical to their male counterparts.
The societal norms in the kingdom of Kintu were something Dagger had anticipated, but couldn't predict. A kingdom hidden from outsiders was bound to have secrets. Dagger thought of the refugees who had escaped Gunther looking for work in Kintu. Whatever happened to them? What did they think of the kingdom?
Dagger began to wonder if the isolated frontage that the kingdom of Kintu exhibited only applied against those in Gunther, their greatest enemy. He smiled as the thoughts raced through his mind.
He had to give it to them. For a split second, they almost had him fooled. It took effort on Dagger's end to remember the weapon they bore; the supernatural creature they had in their possession.
The Commander. Zedo's brother. His own brother's killer. A being with no remorse who will suffer for his crimes. That was what the kingdom failed to put on display.
The castle had many twists, turns, and forbidden passages. It was impossible to mentally map every exit of every room. The court seemed to stretch on for what seemed like infinity. Dagger would have to find nearby window panes to detect his geographical location, North, South, East, or West in relation to Gunther. Whenever he thought he had a basic idea of where he was, the nearest window would show him otherwise.
The ceilings were high and art portraits filled the walls. A common theme amongst most pieces was the night sky. The paintings were littered with clusters of stars Dagger knew little to nothing about. The moon at its crescent peak and mesmerizing landscapes were exhibited in almost every hall he turned. He saw a few realistic portraits of people he couldn't name, monarchs he assumed.
Everywhere he turned it seemed more and more soldiers appeared. It appeared that the kingdom was at its fullest height of activity of the day.
Dagger could only imagine what the poorest village in Kintu could look like if this is what their court could afford. Dagger only knew what was considered impoverished, collateral, and not essential. Him. His village. The Emperor could scan his finger over a map, see Dagger's village, and not think twice about them.
Dagger crammed as much visual information as he could into his memory. He noted that the rooms where a vast majority of soldiers lurked contained doors of a cool dark oak. The halls that the young woman avoided showing Dagger in great detail were coated in marble and pale gold. He sorted the pieces together and overanalyzed every last detail until his head gradually began pounding. He figured there was a sense of class separation in Kintu, but the gap wasn't as wide as it was in Gunther.
The young woman directed Dagger to a familiar location, it reminded him of the layout of the armory. The doors were the same dark oak he had seen before, with intricate silver patterns embroidered on the wood. There were many doors in the hallway where he had been led to, all evenly spaced out and stretched for what seemed like miles. The young woman stopped in front of one set of doors.
The only Kintuins Dagger had ever had the displeasure of knowing were the ones he faced on the field. There had been no women in their army at the time of the war. And if there were, Dagger hadn't noticed any, and something as noteworthy as women fighting would've been worth remembering. It must have been newly implemented, newly as in the past six years.
Seeing women of all sorts congregate through the halls of the Kintuin Court didn't bother Dagger. Rather, it intrigued him. It had been hard enough not to focus his attention on the court-goers, let alone the young women guiding him through the castle. In the armory, he'd nearly let out a gasp upon seeing her, and only part of it was because he hadn't expected anybody to creep up on him as she had.
Compared to the other soldiers lurking about, the young woman's beauty was difficult to brush off. A part of him felt slightly ashamed, disgusted really, for the way that he found her appealing to the eye. He dismissed his belief as pure curiosity to the unfamiliar social normalities he was experiencing.
But when there was anything nonsignificant to memorize during the tour, he found his eyes trailing.
The woman's smokey blonde hair was tied in a braided updo, exposing her neck and the soft features of her facial structure. Her skin was unlike any color Dagger had seen before. It was smooth and pale, yet sunkissed with certain undertones he was unable to makeout. She had soft curves, and her armored pieces accentuated them generously. Her eyes were a striking shade of deep blue, big and bold. There were swirls of green mixed in when the light hit her at certain angles.
Her lips were full and bright, a natural hint of rose. She was hydrated and nourished. Healthy and glowing. Something he hadn't seen before back in his homelands.
And the more he realized how fascinated he was with her, the more guilty he became, resentful even. It took conscious effort for him to forcefully scowl in her direction. He scavenged her for flaws and faults. And once he was convinced he found a reason to loathe her, he found himself admiring her once again. His perception of the woman flipped between captivation, then guilt, and repeat.
Reality hit him like a smooth stone smashing into his face, like the ones he had thrown at those two guards.
"This is where we keep new recruits for their initial arrival. Three days, give or take, in these lavish, complimentary chambers. Private of course, Commander's treat, if you will. Enjoy it while you can, because soon enough you'll be slumming it in the soldiers' quarters with the rest of us and you'll be begging for privacy," the woman chattered on as she directed Dagger to the set of double doors.
From afar the double doors that led into the chambers seemed ostensibly simple. But up close, the delicate framework and artistry of the entryway caught Dagger's eye. He wondered if every nook of the court had such attention for elegance and detail. The hallway was sophisticated and simplistic all in one. The true nature of the kingdom of Kintu hardly reflected that of their interior design.
The woman pushed on the door handles, only slightly revealing the room. She turned to face him at last, her eyes level with his collarbones.
"Thank you," Dagger nodded to her. The woman curved her lips into a playful smirk and her eyes of deep blue danced with delight. The windows from across the hallway allowed rays of sunlight to pour on her face.
"I'm really not supposed to tell you this, considering you're new and are probably not up for such a celebration after . . ." her eyes trailed down to the center of his chest piece, and then shot back up to his own. "Escaping such atrocities," she finished carefully. Dagger answered her with pleading eyes, wanting her to babble on about. A part of him wanted her to reveal knowledge of any kind about the Commander, but he saw it as unlikely.
"Every month, around the time of the crescent moon rising, there is a celebration in the southern gardens. It's called the Commander's Circle. It's tomorrow night, and you're free to join us if you're up for it. Everyone at Court is invited."
A celebration hosted in the name of the Commander was something Dagger simply couldn't refuse. If the Commander were to be in attendance, that would be the opportunity to strike.
Dagger replied in a blank tone, "I'll have to see how I feel tomorrow evening."
The young woman nodded and began shifting her weight to leave.
Dagger's heart began thundering again. He bit his tongue so hard the scent of copper started to fill his nose. It took everything inside of him to keep his mouth shut.
"Wait," he said not expecting to see his hand reached toward her, and definitely not expecting it to meet head-on with the young woman's hand. He thought he'd only spoken the words in his mind. But as the woman stopped in her tracks waiting for his response, Dagger's throat went dry.
He'd only come in contact with a few pair of hands in his lifetime. One being his brother's as he comforted him to his death, and the other being Zedo's when he agreed to their bargain, possibly Viola's too when he was a young boy.
Dagger repulsively jerked his hand away from hers, ending the moment before it started. The woman didn't seem startled, although her eyes glanced in the direction she had been trying to move in, and then back to Dagger's.
"I never got your name. It'd . . ." he stopped himself for a moment. "It'd be nice to have an ally around here."
The young woman flashed an uneven smirk, it was gentle and inviting. Dagger knew he had her fooled.
"Alessia," she replied, at last, then swiftly left in the direction she came.
Alessia.
As Alessia turned the corner of the hall, she gave Dagger one last look before departing. He could've sworn her eyes glowed brighter.
____________________________
The room was shaped circular, and Dagger realized he must be residing in one of the cylinder towers he examined while plotting his entry. The walls were made of ivory and gold, the floors coated in white marble. Every piece of furniture made of shades of white and grey marble, accented with the same wood as the double doors. Even a balcony, with a view of the glorious castle grounds. A soft red rug covered the floor of the bed—
The bed . . .
It was larger than any bed he'd ever seen before. Decorated with silky pillows and furs, red and white of course. If this room was considered the guest chambers for a common soldier like himself, he couldn't imagine what the royal family's chambers looked like.
Dagger wondered if it was worth searching for the royal family at all. Were they innocent in the Commander's plans, or were they too pulling the strings behind the scenes?
Dagger would take this next day to remain hidden and blend in throughout the crowd. He'd aimlessly wander about Court, scouting for anything that would assist him in finding the Commander. He took hold of the double door handles and closed them shut.
To the right of the chamber was a bathing room larger than his cabin back in Gunther. He let out a deep sigh, feeling overwhelmed at the amount of space he had to himself.
Dagger sank down the door and tucked his knees to his chest. He felt like he could finally breathe. It had been hours since he'd let himself gulp down a hefty amount of air. His eyes trailed around the room waiting for something to go wrong. At least for now, he was safe. The only one who knew his whereabouts at this time was Alessia, and she hadn't expected anything suspicious of him, at least he thought. He'd stay contained within these walls for as long as he possibly could. He'd devise a plan and gather as much information as he could. He'd attend the Commander's Circle the following evening.
This entire ordeal was risky, but the Emperor was refusing to play dirty. The last time he did, it cost him his empire. Dagger had already received all of the help he could get from the Emperor and Zedo, now it was all up to him.
____________________________
Dagger debated for a long while to climb into the bathing room, the open doors tempted him.
A real bath. Something he'd never had before.
He was due for one, he felt disgusting, even in his new Kintuin armor.
He unfastened the silver chest plate around his torso and let it crash onto the marble floor, the large room echoed in response. Dagger thought about the guards he struck down this morning. He begged that his aim targeted the areas of their head that would cause them temporary confusion. It was all he had left to count on. If the two guards were awoken by the next shift guards, they would see the metal flask sitting in between the two. Hopefully, he hadn't made it too obvious.
Dagger himself was playing dirty with this unpromising scheme. However, it was the best and only plan he could come up with. Even Zedo had approved of the basics of it.
Dagger kicked off his boots and ripped off his undershirt, feeling unsure if he should climb into the silk sheets or not. Did he really deserve such a luxury?
He began rummaging through a pale gold armoire to the left of the room, consisting of clothes in Kintuin fashion for both men and women. The shirts were stained crimson reds, ivory whites, and inky blacks. He selected all-black attire, the only color resemblance between his birthplace and here. Wearing the silver armor with Kintu's symbols plastered on various locations made him uneasy; it just felt wrong.
Before Dagger had the chance to creep over to the bed, there was a pounding knock on the doors. His attention immediately snapped behind him. With the swift bend of his knees, he scooped up a small blade from his chest piece on the ground.
He cleared his throat before he began, "Who is it?"
"Dropping off a meal for the new recruit," a male's voice sounded from beyond the doors.
Dagger's tension only worsened. He attempted to remain optimistic. Patting his back pocket, he remembered the small knife he had stored.
He cracked the door open slightly with his other hand, only leaving enough space for his eye to survey who stood outside of the chambers.
The door whirred open with force, staggering Dagger back a few steps. A pair of sturdy knuckles gripped his shirt before he stumbled backward. There was no time for Dagger to release the small blade he had a flick it open.
The brute strength of the hands picked Dagger up and slammed him hard onto the wall inside of the chambers.
Caught.
Dagger's head buzzed with confusion and pain after the impact. The chamber doors slowly closed shut on their own, locking him in with the attacker.
A pair of bright honey stained eyes stared into his own with strands of tousled, misplaced curls resting on their forehead. A male's forehead wrinkled into a frown.
It was the guard from this morning. The guard he stole his uniform from and knocked unconscious with a stone.