Hollin and Castol watched in disgust as the young female assassin devoured her lunch, without a care in the world. Castol wondered how starved she must have been to ear in such an unmannerly way.
"Didn't I tell you not to eat that way?" Hollin enquired, "You'd think that a girl of your age would've been taught some table manners from her parents?"
Elentiya stopped guzzling anymore food and gulped; swallowing the remaining parcel of food she had in her mouth, "Forgive me Your Highness, I shall be sure to scold my parents of their terrible parenting skills the next time I visit their graves."
The two men were left stunned once again by the young female. How could one be so blunt and disrespectful, even if she was an assassin?
Elentiya had always produced such perfect poker faces for all types of situations. The men only saw an nonchalant charade, but deep down Elentiya regretted every word.
"W-what happened?" The prince just managed to project in shock. He clearly was not accustomed with death. Great, she sighed mentally, another sheltered ignorant boy.
"When I was three, they were murdered... anymore prying questions?" She asked, her tone laced with sarcasm.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're personality matches a silver tongued devil?" Castol responded, with obvious sarcasm.
"Oh plenty of times. They say it matches my hair too!" She said with fake enthusiasm, matching that of a regal airhead. She gave him a cheeky grin; savouring the rage she saw fill in his eyes. Finally she had a new mind to mess with.
***
Hollin was not one to feel like a third wheel in conversations. Courtesy to the fact he was the only Prince of Terran and all eligible ladies usually flocked over him. Everyone longed to be involved with the royal family, but not Elentiya. The assassin seemed to be immune to his charms - she was... interesting.
Watching the assassin and his friend interact was humorous, but also left the prince feeling unimportant. Almost invisible. He interrupted their silent stare-off with words that could gain the interest of almost any woman. "As you're almost done eating, how would you like to try on some new dresses? We have plenty left over since my--" The prince flushed as he realised the words he was about to utter. "Um, you can't stay in those rags forever, right"
Almost immediately after, the assassin pushed away her plate smiling, "I'm done, let's go!"
It was the first genuine emotion that had graced her face in the prince's presence and he hated to admit it but he thought it made her look quite beautiful. "Good!" He smiled back, "I can show you to your quarters now."
The walk was a long way from the dining hall and main building. He wasn't foolish enough to let her stay near the other inhabitants of the palace. He had heard countless stories about 'The Crimson Assassin'.
One in particular of how she fought and successfully beat twenty-five soldiers on her own, but back then he still thought she was a man. Thinking about it he thought it was all a bit ludicrous. It made no sense, probably rumours. Even so, he had to ask, "is it true that you killed twenty-five soldiers?"
Suddenly she stopped her gleeful skipping and turned to him with a frown etched on her face. "Where did you hear that from?"
"You know the killings in Filmi?"
"Oh that old story, no that's not true." She laughed.
He sighed with relief. It was stupid to even think that she could've possibly done what the greatest fighters of Terran could not.
"I didn't kill twenty-five. I killed thirty. They're always getting that wrong," Elentiya scowled, thinking of how she was still underestimated. "Now where are these dresses?" She buzzed, as they had reached a door.
If those rumours were true what else could be? The prince worried. He surely did not what to find out. She seemed like a normal girl doing girly things like wanting to try on new dresses. He found it so strange; could new dresses be that amazing? He only thought of trying on new clothes as an unnecessary custom.
As he thought, his attention slowly shifted to Elentiya alone. Her naturally milky toned porcelain skin was a rarity in a tropical country like Terran. Many aristocratic females would attempt to have skin like the assassin's, using white lead paint. A deadly concoction to achieve beauty. Elentiya clearly didn't need any sort of invention to improve her beauty and Hollin couldn't help but roam his eyes over her slim frame and when his eyes reached hers, he felt stuck. Her eyes were a hauntingly intense steel blue colour that seemed to pass right through him.
"Well, are you just going to stand there and watch me change? How very un-prince-like," Elentiya smirked as she watched a blush creep up the prince's neck.
He was completely oblivious to where they were standing. Only just realising that he had followed her into her bedroom. "I thought you might need some help." He smirked, leaning against the bedroom door. Recovering from his earlier embarrassment.
"Yes, but that is what the maids are here for. Now off you go," she said as she shoved him out the door, "and don't you worry. I'll be sure to call if I need your assistance."
Once again she had evaded his charms, leaving him flabbergasted. Most of the women he had courted would've melted at that line, but not Elentiya Savie.
On the other side of the door Castol was waiting for him. Lately he always walked around with a scowl on his face. Mostly when Elentiya was around. Hollin had never seen this side of his childhood friend, which was all the more reason to keep Elentiya in the palace. It nice to see a different or more real emotion on Castol's face instead boredom.
"What do you think you're playing at Hollin?" Castol glared, gripping the prince's shoulder tightly.
"What?" He replied.
"She is a very dangerous assassin from the 'Assassins Order'"
"So you keep saying."
"Listen; just make sure you keep your distance from her. I can't always be there to get you out of trouble."
"I know you're older than me Cas and definitely stronger, but I am not a little boy anymore," he said, "Now if you'll excuse me I have to attend to my stallions."
***
The maids left the room in a hurry, with sweat on their brows. It made sense that they would be scared of Elentiya, when they knew who and what she really was. Despite her being nice, she still managed to frighten them. Which was the main reason she never really bothered making "girl friends". Girls were just so hard to talk to.
Elentiya still managed to beam in the mirror as she looked at her beautiful new dress, that she had been longing for the first week outside the Order. It was a sleeveless gown in a deep indigo colour - her favourite, with little gems across the bodice. All the previous dresses were either too big, too puffy, involved a corset or were just plain ugly.
"How about this one?" she asked Castol.
"It's nice." He answered with indifference.
"That's what you said about the last one and the one before that, and the one before and the one before that too, need I continue?"
"No, you don't." He said and dragged her from the mirror and into her bedroom, "Now get changed into these."
"So you do have a preference." She smirked, "Well are you going to watch me change... into these rags?"
"Yes." He replied too quickly. His face was straight and completely serious. That was the wrong answer, and it was so unexpected it threw Elentiya off guard.
She may have acted tough on the exterior, but she was still just a girl. Anyone woman would feel conscious under such scrutinizing glares. Elentiya could feel her face starting to heat up.
"So you do have a girlish side." He said sounding genuinely intrigued. "Don't worry, I'll leave. Just make sure to change quickly, we have to re-train you."
"Training?" She sighed under her breath. She hated it and especially slacked off since she had been suspended from The Order. Although she didn't really care about training, as long as Castol didn't return. To her, no form of training could be any worse than her master's strict training regimen.