Nobles favored anyone willing to get their hands dirty. This was one of the first lessons ingrained in Felix's mind by his master.
As long as greed exists in this world, you will never run out of work, the old man used to reason. Despite that twinge of humor in his voice, the light never quite reached his eyes. Even as a child, this never came as a surprise to Felix. His hands were steeped in blood, stained until his pale skin might as well have turned crimson permanently.
Like him, Felix found that nothing filled his pockets the way that feuds between kingdoms, nobles, wealthy subjects, and desperate schemers did. Anyone could turn to spilling blood if pushed too far into a corner.
His boots clicked against the cobblestone as he came to a stop. A set of heavy double doors loomed over him, sandwiched between two guards who each spared him a nervous glance. On the outward side of each guard, the wall that guarded the castle of Furvus from intruders such as Felix himself stretched on for miles. From experience, he knew there would be similar outposts along the way; on the north, south, east, and west sides. Tilting his head back, he followed the length of the wall upwards.
If he came on different terms, he would have scaled that wall. It was one thing his master had always been much better at than him. Felix cringed at the memory of his palms scraping against rope and stone as he practiced, and of the hard ground that met his back when he ultimately failed. In order to avoid such a fate, he learned to take a different approach—one that involved the fascinating species that was people.
Pushing that thought aside, he faced the guards again. As he reached into his pocket, they both grabbed the hilts of their swords.
"A letter," he said before either one could stop him. The paper slid easily from his pocket, crinkling beneath his fingers as he held it up for the two to inspect. The midnight blue seal stamped firmly onto the thick parchment bore the symbol of the raven in flight—Furvus's royal seal. "I was summoned by the queen and her court."
The guard on the left side faltered, the sword's base slamming against the sheath. He exchanged a puzzled look with his companion.
Felix sighed and returned the paper to his pocket. "Well, you can ask her yourself if you don't believe me. She can't blame you. After all, what kind of guard lets a known assassin wander into the castle freely?"
The "known" part was an accident—the result of Felix's own arrogance during his first several missions. Even now, it left a bitter taste on his tongue to admit that his face was recognizable. The only reason he could run free in Furvus was because the nobles coveted his talents too much to cut them off. Now, even the queen had reached out to him with a job. He couldn't imagine why. He was the one who slit the throat of her husband, a tragedy that forced her to take the throne.
Or perhaps she wanted the throne, and it all worked out in her favor. That was the only thread of logic that could tie the pieces together in his mind.
Fitting for someone who was commissioning another to commit a murder.
Despite Felix's words, neither of the guards replied. Instead, they turned in haste to open the gates. A mechanism began to whirr from the inside, followed shortly by the slow, creaking opening of the massive double doors. The cobblestone road continued into the outer wall, leading the way through the courtyard toward the castle far in the distance. An inner wall wrapped the castle in a second layer of protection. A sigh built up behind Felix's clenched teeth.
If it weren't for his summons, he could arrive at the castle much quicker. He had done it once before, all that stopped him from doing it again was human decency–if it could even be called that.
Once the doors were fully open, the guard on the left side turned to address him. "Proceed to the inner gate. Someone there will escort you to the selected meeting room."
"What, you're not going to escort me yourself?" Felix slid his hands into his pockets.
The guard narrowed his dark eyes, glaring at Felix from beneath the rim of his helmet. "I will ask you to leave your weapons here."
Felix sighed, lifting his hands innocently. "You'll be surprised to know that I came with nothing but the letter I was sent." He held the guard's stare, hoping the lie would guide him through the doors. Not that he had any intentions of killing the queen or any member of her court. Without a job, he had no intention of taking a life. It wasn't like he enjoyed it.
Caution overpowered his silver tongue. The guard from the right side advanced this time. Rather than fight it, Felix complied with the search protocol. It didn't take long for the guard to discover the knife stuffed into Felix's boot. The guard–a younger man, now that Felix was looking at him up close–shot him a disapproving scowl. In return, Felix could only offer a helpless shrug.
It wasn't like the boot was a super secret place for a knife.
The older guard examined the knife, purposefully avoiding Felix's eye. After a moment, he waved his hand. "You may go."
Felix didn't wait to be told twice. He dipped his head to the two guards out of respect, though inwardly, he cringed at the action. His gaze lingered on his knife in the guard's hands as he passed. It wasn't one he was particularly fond of, which worked out fine. He had learned in the past that no one ever returned his weapons once they were taken from him.
Distrust lingered in the face of everyone around him. Once a person could get their hands on his tools, it would be foolish to hand them back to him. Sometimes, it was more about attempting to hurt him emotionally than protecting themselves or turning the blade on him. Some fools found themselves quite attached to their weapons.
No need to get attached to a weapon, his master used to say. A weapon is a tool, and a tool is made to be used, not loved.
At the inner gate, he showed off his letter once again. This time, one of the guards escorted him in like the ones at the outer gate had said. The inner gate guard was not talkative. She barely even looked at him as she led the way into the castle–down long hallways where their footsteps echoed back to them, through empty stairwells that spiraled upwards, and past rows upon rows of expertly woven tapestries. The symbol of the raven appeared in almost every painting hung on the wall, and the midnight blue carpets and drapes served as a break from the gray stone.
Finally, the guard stopped in front of a wooden door that seemed particularly plain. She turned, putting one hand against the sword hilt at her waist. Blue eyes stared back at him, clear without the helmet to obscure them. With a sweeping gesture, she reached for the knob and opened the door to him.
"Her Majesty awaits," she said as the door swung open.
Felix glanced into the room. It was a simple study, with a row of books and scrolls packed tightly into shelves across the opposite wall. He stepped cautiously inside, his gaze landing on the desk set out on the right side of the room. Behind it, a woman sat perfectly straight in a high-backed chair. Warm light spilled across the room from the lantern at the edge of her desk, casting dancing shadows across her face. The woman lifted her eyes from the papers strewn across the desk in front of her. At the sight of him, her lips curved upwards in a smile.
"I was wondering if my letter would make it to you." She gathered up her documents into a neat stack and laid them aside. "I had some difficulty finding out where to send it to. You certainly seem to like to roam from guild to guild since the parting of your master."
"It would be unwise of me to remain in one place." Master made that perfectly clear. In this way, he wasn't truly free. He was bound by fear and greed, chained to the world by the trade the old man had left with him.
If it hadn't been for the many portraits he had passed on his way to the study, Felix might not have recognized the woman in front of him as Queen Dinah. Her pale blonde hair was tied back in a tight bun at the base of neck, completely freeing her face of loose, annoying strands. She wore simple robes, a stark contrast to the expensive gown and jewelry he had last seen her in. Age had worn wrinkles into her fair skin, yet she still carried her head high. Her piercing green eyes latched onto him, steady and calculating.
Dinah rose from her seat, smoothing down her long skirt. "I won't take up too much of your time then," she said. Trailing her hand across the smooth wooden surface of the desk, she crossed toward the rows of books shelved against the wall. "How much do you know about our neighboring kingdom, Niveus?"
Felix hesitated for a moment, masking his thoughtful frown with a look of indifference. "If you're asking if I've been there, I have not."
She hummed to herself as she scanned the shelves, her back partially turned to him. "That works in my favor then. Have you heard news from Niveus?"
"Just rumors. I hear the King and Queen both died several years ago. The kingdom fell into the hands of their advisors until their daughter came of age." He paused as the pieces came together. "Isn't her coronation coming up?"
From what little time Felix had spent gathering information within his guild, he had heard much about the princess of Niveus. Some spoke of her in awe, dazzled by her supposed beauty–though no one among the mercenary guilds had ever seen her face, and neither had their informants. It was a word that circulated among the kingdom of Niveus, and Felix couldn't help but question it. What citizen would despise a beautiful young woman if she took their throne?
It almost sounded false to him. A purposefully planted rumor, spun together to control the confused masses. Or perhaps it was created by the princess herself, which would coincide with the other rumor that circulated from Niveus.
"So you do know some things then." Dinah chuckled to herself. Her finger finally landed on what she was searching for, pulling a thin book from the shelf. "Her coronation will take place in three months. That should be more than enough time for you, don't you think?"
Felix slid his hands into his pockets. "For me?"
She gave another hum as she cracked the book open and flipped through its pages. Seemingly satisfied, she set it aside on the edge of the desk. This time, when she faced him, her smile was gone and the gleam in her eyes had turned sorrowful.
"The princess of Niveus is cursed," she whispered, leaning in as if she was speaking of something forbidden. "The cause of the death of the King and Queen has never been publicly disclosed, but I have my suspicions."
Felix studied her expression. Her words didn't seem particularly fearful, and there was something in her eyes that she was attempting to hide beneath the sturdy, regal look she always wore. He had heard the rumor of the princess's curse before; it circulated just as quickly as word of her beauty did. He liked to think the two things went hand in hand and were thus lies woven by the princess.
Inwardly, an impatient sigh built up behind Felix's clenched teeth. This was what his master lived for: the drama between nobles and kingdoms. The look on the queen's face was one Felix had seen before, over and over again, on the faces of those who came to him with a task.
Jealousy. Greed. Power. Envy.
There was something the princess had that the queen wanted, and Felix was pinned in the middle of it. But this was his life. This was what he knew. It was what he thrived on.
As long as greed exists in this world, you will never run out of work.
"As fun as this is, Your Majesty, I didn't come here to gossip with you." Felix shifted his weight on his feet and folded his arms over his chest. He narrowed his eyes at the queen, who still seemed more interested in her gossip than in him. "You did say you wouldn't keep me long."
Her lips drew back in a frown. With a drawn-out sigh, she stood upright and smoothed back a strand of hair that had fallen loose from her bun. "Yes, yes, of course. I suppose I got a little carried away."
Felix couldn't imagine that she had actually lost sense of the flow of conversation. Queen Dinah was a woman of scheming. She was trying to thread something into his mind before sending him off with a task. Even now, he already knew what she was going to ask.
As if to waste more of his time purposefully, Dinah kept silent as she slowly returned to her seat behind the desk and sank into it. She folded her hands in front of her and crossed one leg over the other. When she met his eye, she held her silence for a moment longer. All to spite him for cutting away her fun, it seemed.
"I want you to kill Princess Aiko before she is crowned Queen of Niveus." She leaned against one arm of the chair, resting her chin in the palm of her hand. "I'm willing to pay you a hefty sum. I will also officially pardon all of your previous crimes committed within the borders of Furvus."
Felix clenched his jaw, nearly biting down on his tongue as he sealed his mouth shut. He had no reason to refuse; a direct request from a royal would certainly pay well, and having his previous deeds pardoned would mean true freedom in Furvus. Though he was never hunted because he was of use to everyone with authority, there wasn't a day that went by where he truly counted himself free. He was simply lucky. Or, more accurately, he was a tool. A weapon, and weapons were made to be used.
Yet despite all that, a sickening tug of wrongness pulled at his gut. It was irritating, lighting a fire in his chest that burned throughout his body. It wasn't his place to care or to question. All he had to do was follow through. That was all he was raised to do.
Impatiently, the queen tipped her head to the side and let out another hum. "Well?"
Felix straightened his back, pushing his shoulders back and lifting his head. The irritated warmth fizzled out, taking with it the sense of wrongness. It wasn't his place to care, it was simply his job to act.
"I accept your terms," he said, "But I do have one question if that's alright with you."
She sighed and waved her hand. "Yes, that's fine. Ask away."
"What is this curse of hers exactly? And does it have anything to do with your... decision to meddle with the affairs of another kingdom?" Felix had no knowledge of Niveus and Princess Aiko–aside from what little he could glean, which he had no faith in. All the same, it left a bitter taste on his tongue. All of his past work had been within Furvus, handling matters that concerned only Furvus and its petty nobles.
Yet some part of him–the voice in his head that desperately clung to the teachings of his late master–found it intriguing. He would be earning his freedom; that was worth more than the blood of one girl.
His resolve solidified, hardening around his heart.
Dinah laughed under her breath as she lifted her head upright. Her piercing green gaze landed on his again, and her lips curled upwards in a smile once more. "She is cursed to tear her kingdom apart with her own hands. The fire of her soul burns brighter, and it craves to turn all life to nothing but ash." She laced her fingers together, leaning forward to plant her elbows against the desk. "I seek to protect both our kingdoms from this threat, you are simply the means of doing so. Earn your freedom by becoming a savior. Simple, yes?"
"I accept." Felix dipped his head in a bow, locking his gaze on the midnight blue carpet beneath his feet. "I will kill Princess Aiko."
And so it begins! I'll be honest, getting into Felix's head for the first time was quite exciting. He's... very fascinating to me. I hope I can showcase that more as we dive deeper into the story.
Thanks for reading! See you in the next update :D