Chapter Seven
"Lady Joselyn?"
I remained motionless, listening to people bustle about the room and the murmurs of who I assumed to be physicians.
"Are you awake?" his hot breath blew in my ear as he whispered close to my head.
I remained motionless.
"Everyone leave," Cassius ordered.
"Majesty?" an older voice questioned from near the left of me.
"I said everyone leave. I believe the lady was simply overcome with exhaustion. I will tend to her."
"Oh, um, of course," the stammering voice said, unsure if he should really leave or not.
The doors shut a few seconds later and everything grew silent.
"King Cassius, I do not appreciate being summoned from the French court six months ago only to receive a letter demanding my services before even being introduced at your court." I sat up on the ornate bed and smoothed my hair. "Not to mention I have not heard a word from you since we saw one another before our return. Not even a letter."
"Forgive me, lady." The king bowed low and a sly smile played at his lips.
"Now, your majesty, what is the meaning of this?" I pulled the letter from my bosom and tossed it toward him.
"As it says I have a bit of a problem that needs tending."
"My lord, I am well aware of your problem. But I am not a hired killer that you can call on to do your bidding at any time you want. I am a trained assassin placed in your midst to protect you."
"Yes, yes I understand and can only beg your forgiveness. Can you forgive a foolish king for doing things ill properly?"
I pursed my lips trying with all my might to hide a smile. "I suppose I can forgive you this time, Cassius."
"I did not send for you just because, Joselyn. There is someone threatening to overthrow me."
"Has there been further attempts on your life?"
"He has already made three attempts on my life since our return," the king replied. "Plus, if I am not king you will be out of an assignment, is that not correct?"
"Why did it take you so long to call for me?"
"Protocol and procedure, I suppose."
"I would think something like that could warrant a break in royal protocol." I stopped pacing and took a few deep breaths. "What sort of attempts?"
"The first occurred right after I returned. That night actually. He had a servant pour poison in my soup. I lost one of my favorite boys because of that incident. The second happened last month. They poisoned food once again and a great number of my grooms died. The third attempt, a crossbow arrow narrowly missed my heart last week."
"I suppose that changes things a bit." I sat back down and chewed my lips.
My first mission.
"Yes. It does."
"Obviously I cannot leave you alone."
"How do we manage that?" he asked.
I shook my head. "I'm not sure. I will figure something out."
"I am due to go on progress soon."
"I could easily assimilate into your court."
"It would make sense with you being the Duke of Suffolk's daughter. Especially if I insist he goes with me."
I nodded. Cassius had a wonderful idea.
His nostrils flared a bit, and he broke into a smile. "You're the only woman who would conspire with her king to find time to be with him."
I smiled up at him. "I am your assassin. I'm supposed to be with you at all times. It would be so much easier if you were married. I could be your queen's lady-in-waiting."
Cassius groaned and fell backward onto his bed. "Don't mention marriage."
"Why not?"
He sighed heavily and closed his eyes. "Every duke, earl, and lord in my council are trying to push their own agendas into my life. Miniatures of women from every kingdom imaginable. Everyone with a different motive."
"What an awful problem to have," I muttered.
"It's not something I enjoy. I don't want to pick a woman based on what some lord thinks I should have because it will line his pocket."
"What do you want?" I questioned.
"Want to hear something hilarious? Something that nobody ever thinks about for a king?"
"What?"
He rolled onto his side and stared into my eyes. A serious, almost poutful look on his face. "I want to marry for love."
He rolled back onto his back and closed his eyes.
"That's not crazy. If I could marry, I would marry for love."
He reached out and caressed my hand. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"Listening. Do you know how few people actually listen to me? I'm alone here."
"You're not alone, Cassius."
"Yes, I am, Joselyn. I'm surrounded by people but I'm alone. I guess you wouldn't understand."
"I do. I know what it's like to be surrounded by people but be so alone."
I leaned over and kissed Cassius' cheek.
"Will you take care of this problem for me?"
"Of course, your majesty." I lay next to Cassius.
"Are you doing it right now? Like, this very moment?"
"I'm getting there."
I reached over and grabbed his hand. "I don't think we're doing this assassin and king thing right."
"Do you care?"
"No." I stood and straightened my skirts. "Time to work."
I made my way for the door before Cassius cleared his throat.
"What?"
"May I suggest using the bookshelf? You would be able to slip out and back in without anyone knowing."
"Excellent plan, your majesty."
The bookcase took up the entire back of his wall. I watched as he pulled a leather-bound book off the shelf and reached his arm back. A pop and blast of dust revealed a narrow entryway.
"Follow the tunnel until the end. It will take you out to the courtyard. Wait there. I will ensure that I am alone, giving the wretched beast an opportunity to kill me. You can do it at that time. Just be sure to kill him before he kills me."
"Of course." The small path had not been used in quite some time. It was dusty and there were cobwebs in all the corners. For a typical lady, the space would have been rather insulting. For an assassin though, it was just another way to get the job done. Still, it was my first solo mission. I wanted nothing more than my guide, Jonathan, to be with me.
I stood in the shadows waiting for Cassius. Hopefully, he was right and whoever was trying to kill him would follow into the throne room. I closed my eyes briefly and took a few deep breaths. My heart sped up and my breathing became ragged. I pressed my back against the cold, stone wall. The chill that ran through my body felt refreshing. The door to the throne room opened and I saw Cassius. His floor-length, fur-lined, black robe fluttered behind him as he strode to the far window. Using one hand, I picked up the mound of skirts and gripped a dagger with the other. I did not have to wait for long. I took a step and the sound of the heel echoed up the passage. My breathing stopped as I waited for any indication I was given away. Quickly, I kicked off the shoes and moved along in my stockinged feet.
"King Cassius," a voice called from the doorway.
"Sir Reginald." Cassius's voice was steady. He leaned against the windowsill staring out at the darkness of night. His stone-faced expression illuminated by the moonlight.
"You know why I'm here."
"I do."
Sir Reginald slowly approached the king. I watched, as Cassius stood straight and stared down the man who was supposed to be his friend.
"I want to know one thing, Reginald."
"What, your majesty?"
"Who sent you? Why are you doing this?"
"Does it matter if you know?" he questioned.
"Grant a dying man his last wish."
"You will have to forgive me; sire, but I will not divulge the name."
"Very well." He glanced in my direction and I nodded.
I emerged from the shadows and as silently as my gown would allow, I sneaked up on him. "You will have to forgive the king for not wanting to die tonight."
He spun on his heels and stared at him in shocked horror. My heart leaped to my throat as I looked deep into the eyes of a man I had known my entire life.
"Lady Joselyn?"
"I'm sorry, Sir Reginald. This is nothing against you. It is my duty to protect his majesty."
"I don't understand." He furrowed his brows and searched my face for some sort of answer.
"There are a lot of things you do not know about this world, Sir Reginald. There are many things whoever hired you does not know. I am not a simple lady of the court, and I can't allow you to murder the king."
"You plan on stopping me? How? When?"
"As you said, none of that matters. What does is the fact you will die for something you shouldn't have to." I pursed my lips and squeezed my eyes shut. I never killed anyone I knew before. They had always been foreign dignitaries and other threats. This felt different. A twinge of attachment and emotion took over as I prepared for my first kill as a full-fledged, on-my-own assassin.
"You do not have to kill me, Joselyn," Reginald pleaded with me.
"I do. You are trying to kill King Cassius. I have to kill you."
He pulled a blade from his waistband and held it out in front of him. It was obvious he wasn't trained and did not know what he was doing. He swung the blade wildly at me and lunged at times. I ducked to the left as he swung with his other hand. Blocking his hand, I spun and punched him in the center of his back knocking the wind out of him. He dropped to his knees and gasped for breath. I furrowed my brow and watched him. He seemed so weak. Much weaker than someone attempting to overthrow a king ought to be.
Reginald staggered to his feet and continued with his pathetic assault.
He's not the true usurper!
Before he had a chance to respond I rammed the dagger into his heart. Tears sprang to my eyes as I watched the pain cross his face. He blinked a few times before looking down at the steel blade that was sticking out of him.
"Wh-why?" He dropped to his knees holding the hilt of the blade.
"I told you. I must protect the king and you are not the one who organized this." I shook my head and knelt beside him. "You can redeem yourself. Confess."
"Never. My loyalty remains with..." Reginald slumped to his side and let out a final breath. Dead.
I sighed heavily and stooped down over his body. I yanked the dagger from his belly and looked up at Cassius.
"It's done." I wiped at the tears that disgraced my cheeks.
"You're crying?" he asked.
"I've never killed anyone I knew before," I said quietly looking down at Reginald's body. "It's not the same as a stranger. He spent many days at my family's house with his sister."
Nobody ever said it would be this hard.
I took a deep breath trying not to throw up all over the throne room.
"Return to my chamber before the guards come in. If they find you here over a dead nobleman's body I will have no choice but to have you arrested."
I nodded and backed away slowly bumping into a stone pillar. You cannot let the king see you fall apart, Joselyn. You are a trained killer. I turned and ran across the room to the secret staircase. I shut the small door just as the main door opened.
"Your majesty!" a deep voice shouted.
The sound of boots on stone and fabric rustling reminded me how close I was to certain death. I pressed my ear to the crack in order to listen better.
"Sir Reginald tried to murder me."
"Tried?" someone asked.
"I am alive. He is dead. Obviously, he failed."
"Are you alright, sir?"
"I'm fine. Remove the body and return it to his widow."
"Yes, sir."
Stooping down, I grabbed my shoes and abandoned my spot at the false wall, running up the stairs as fast as my gown would allow me, my soft feet pattering up the cold stone. Slowly, I pushed open the bookcase and made my way to the over-sized bed. I poured water from his basin and washed the blood from my hands. The door creaked open and a small sliver of torchlight shone into the room. Cassius slipped in and ordered his guards to remain outside. Even his houseboy remained outside.
"You did well."
"It is my job."
"Is that all I am to you? A job?"
"Of course not, Cassius. You're my friend. My king. You're very important to me. But that's what an assassin does is her job."
"They did well choosing my assassin then."
"Cassius, I never thought this is where we would be when we were children." I dried my hands, staring out the window at the courtyard below.
"I never even knew you were being sent away to train with the Assassins Guild," he said, sliding his hands around my waist.
"Stop."
"Why?" he asked, nuzzling my neck.
"This is forbidden" I shook my head and stepped away. "Anything that may have been between us, it can't. You know the consequences."
"Why not?"
"It's not done, Cassius. I'm your assassin. Nothing more. It is against Guild law for an assassin to marry her king."
"But aren't I your king first?" he questioned.
"For the sake of appearances yes. But I will not disobey Guild law."
"It's a stupid law."
"It is. I agree, but I don't make the rules. I follow them."
He pulled me in close. My heart skipped a beat, I didn't even this strongly when I was so near Jonathan.
"Don't make me break the oath I took to my Guild." I brushed the hair out his eyes. My heart leaped to my throat and my stomach fluttered.
Why did they send me back? Why Cassius? Why couldn't they find me a new king?
He placed his hand on the small of my back and just held me. I smelled the ale that lingered on his breath and the musk that he put on hours ago.
"You're drunk."
"No more than usual."
"You are being absolutely ridiculous."
"What do you want me to do, Joselyn? Everyone expects us to marry. We're a perfect match."
"Perhaps, if I was any other lady at court, Cassius. But I'm not."
His hands moved up my stomach between my breasts, but someone knocked at the door, interrupting him.
Oh, thank God!
"What!" the king bellowed angrily.
"Sir. The lady's mother is here."
Cassius sighed heavily and released me from his grip. "You better go play the role of the faint lady."
"Of course." My heart thudded in my chest as I sat on the bed and lay against the over-sized pillows. My body shook and trembled even though we no longer touched.
My mother burst through the doors in a flurry of panic.