He groaned, slowly opening his eyes. He was tightly wrapped with a thick rope on a hard and wooden chair, unable to move freely. He widened his eyes as he tried to speak but the cloth around his mouth prevented him from doing so.
He was still in his black suit but the left side of his pants were cut up until his knees. A bandage was tightly wrapped around his left leg and the tiny reddish spot indicated that he really had some kind of wound.
Wait, what happened?!
Flashback...
After Julien's encounter with an irritated Damian, Finneas saved him by introducing him to King Augustus. The king immediately liked Julien and he could tell by the way King Augustus patted his shoulder that he was now on level two of his mission.
"Let's not keep the citizens waiting! Come on! "
As the carriages pulled at the carts, King Augustus walked on the right side while Damian stood on the left. Julien was walking behind the prince as Finneas suggested Julien to help until they reached District Five. Julien, despite their strange encounter, observed the prince from behind. He was as tall as North and his unique features could never be mistaken.
"Thank you so much your highness! You don't know how grateful we are for having you as our future king."
A lady said as she received the bag with her small daughter behind her. Damian smiled so brightly at her which made Julien knit his eyebrows. Indeed, that was a different Damian from what he saw earlier when he accidentally bumped into him.
Ah, what a fake...
The issue wasn't anything foreign to Julien, especially to noble people. Infront of the crowd, they always seemed so flawless in every way but once they're inside the comfort of their huge quarters, their true image will be revealed. As they walked, Julien widened his eyes upon seeing Reena infront of her door, smiling innocently as if the man behind Damian wasn't planning on killing him. When they made eye contact, Reena was startled for a while before composing herself, setting a reminder that she would have to ask Julien why he was so close to the royal family to the point that he is even helping them.
None of the past assassins ever tried to get close to any of the members of the royal family. They just observed from afar and proceeded to their plan which always failed for different reasons. She smirked, crossing her arms against her chest as she laughed to herself.
Maybe Julien is special after all...
"Hi Julien!"
Reena waved, knowing well enough that both of them should act comfortable to each other as to not raise any suspicions. Julien rose uo his hand and waved back, feeling proud of his special skill in acting. Once they stopped just infront of Reena, she smiled and happily took the bag of goods along with the basket of vegetables that Julien was carrying.
"Good day, your highness. I hope Julien isn't giving you a hard time."
"Don't worry, he's fine. Although, we haven't properly introduced ourselves yet, he seems nice enough to help us."
Reena bowed happily as the group moved forward. Julien looked back, giving Reena a signal that he will be investigating further. Julien unconsciously snorted at the thought of the prince's fake
persona that he just witnessed. Uppon hearing the annoying sound, Damian looked behind him and saw Julien covering his mouth with his hands as if it was the only thing that could keep him from bursting into a fit of laughs. Damian cleared his throat as he handed another bag to a civilian.
"So tell me, dwarf, what is it with you that made my brother fetch you to help along with us? I am aware of his friendly soul but you should know that I'm nowhere near his level of kindness."
"My stepsister clearly said that my name is Julien, your higness, or are you deaf?"
Damian stopped walking and gritted his teeth, turning around to face Julien with an icy glare. How dare he to speak like such to the crown prince? The Chromanthesian assassin innocently smiled at him as Damian secretly wished there weren't any people around so he could strangle the shorter lad to death. Julien found it amusing and guessed that the prince may or may not have experienced such disrespect yet in his life. If you can't even handle the smallest pinches of life, how do you expect yourself to even face an enemy you have yet to know the existence of? As Julien thought of this, the long line of houses came to an end.
"Why don't you ride with us on the way, Julien? I would like to get to know about my new citizen who my son suddenly became friends with."
Julien displayed a smile and nodded at the king. Damian rolled his eyes and chuckled mockingly as he took long strides and went inside the carriage. He removed his suit that was over his shirt and breathed heavily at the sudden wave of hotness from the sun. The door opened and walked in his father and Julien who both laughed as they talked. Julien purposely sat beside Damian as he looked over at the prince who fanned himself with his hand.
"My king, I presume his royal highness isn't used to the heat. His white skin seems to prove my point. "
"You are correct. You see, my youngest son here usually stays in his room. He never even goes out on the garden. I'm lucky enough to convince him to come with me today. Isn't it ridiculous? "
Julien chuckled, knowing Damian would be even more pissed. What would Julien gain by acting like such? To answer, he wanted to know the crown prince's personality and what he is capable of. He wanted to know what makes Prince Damian worth the kill and so far, Julien has observed a couple flaws. One, he displays a fake persona infront of others. Two, he has quite a temper that immediately matches his cold glare. Third,
he rarely goes out to explore his own kingdom and observe his own people. Fourth, he gave Julien the worst nickname and refused to call him by his own name.
The assassin wouldn't even be surprised if he discovers that the curly haired prince is also a spoiled brat.
What a prince. But will he be worth the kill? Or will Julien take away a potential hope for Vanthomhyr's people?
As the day went on, one could only imagine the trouble inside Julien's mind.
Two nights later...
"When you told me it was all going well, I didn't think they would actually get to the point where you're suddenly invited to a dinner at the palace. You really are something else, Julien."
Reena bumped her hip with Julien's with a knowing smile on her face, making Julien stumble to the side. He shook his head at her as he buckled his thick brown belt on his waist over his green, long-sleeved shirt. He ran his hand through his hair before turning around as he looked at Reena who gave a thumbs up.
"If you weren't an assassin who's about to go in your prey's territory, I feel like I'm your loving mother who's about to let you go on your first date. I just want to cry right now."
"Cut it out, Reena. To correct you, he was never actually my prey to begin with. "
"Fine, whatever. Just go, the carriage is waiting outside."
Julien chuckled and waved goodbye as he got out of the small house and hopped inside the vehicle. The horses neighed as soon as the coachman whipped their behinds and proceeded to run forward. Julien breathed deeply, closing his eyes as he adjusted the tie on his boots.
In the distance, Reena crossed her arms against her chest and chuckled to herself.
Something tells me Julien is going to be the last of these assassins and I bet every single strand of my red hair on that. I just hope I wasn't wrong in not telling him to kill himself if he got caught.
When the carriage reached the huge double doors that led to the inside of the castle, the door was opened and Julien stepped out, looking as harmless as possible as two soldiers walked infront of the closed doors, looking at Julien with a threatening gaze. They looked different from Finneas' army and their uniform was an armor made of leather. A circular shield, with the head of an eagle engraved on the center, rested on their left arm as a long spear was gripped by their right hand.
"State your business, young man."
"I am Julien Reeds and King Augustus invited me over for a dinner with the royal family."
The men looked at each other as the coachman went away, leaving only Julien who stood alone, getting himself ready just incase something goes out of hand. One of the soldiers walked towards Julien, dropping his spear and shield on the floor before patting his hands starting from Julien's shoulder and down to his pants. It was fine but when the soldier got down to Julien's lower leg, he frowned.
"To ensure the safety of the royal family, we would appreciate if you would remove your boots so we could inspect if there are any potential weapons that can cause them harm."
"Is that really necessary?"
"Are you going to resist?"
Julien wanted to curse so much yet he remained calm as he crossed his fingers behind him. He slowly bent down and started to remove the lace on his right boot. Removing it, he threw the boot to the soldier who was caught off guard. The man scanned both the inside and outside of the boot, sticking his hand in and feeling up the sole. He nodded, throwing it back to Julien and motioned for him to remove the left boot next. As Julien bent down, he started to remove the lace on his other boot, thinking his next move. He was moving too slow that the soldier grew impatient.
"Hey, we don't have all the time in the world boy."
"I'm sorry, I-"
"Julien! What are you doing?"
The three were startled as the sound of Finneas' voice was heard. The commander widened his eyes in disbelief as he saw Julien kneeling on the ground with his hands on his laces and his other foot bare on the cold ground as a boot was beside him. He picked up the shoe and handed it to Julien before helping him stand up.
"No need for these inspections, officers. This is my friend Julien so you don't have to worry. Still, thank you for your effort. We'll be going inside now!"
Julien almost hugged Finneas as if he wanted to thank him for not getting caught with a dagger in his shoe. Julien smiled up at Finneas as the other lad grinned, his pearly white teeth on display. He was in a different clothing and somehow, it suited him well. He had a navy blue, long-sleeved shirt under a cape of the same color made with cotton and littered with golden details. As Finneas ranted, Julien made sure to observe the surrounding.
"I apologize for earlier, Julien. It was really an order by my father to inspect everyone who wishes to enter the palace, noble or not. My brother has been a magnet of assassins ever since he was born so we had to double our defences."
"That's just awful. Do you have an idea as to why that happens to the prince?"
"I'm afraid nobody knows a thing. Even if we wanted to investigate, we don't know where to start. It's as if we're missing something big."
They both soon realised that their conversation was put to an end as they entered the large dining room. The room was so bright and the glass windows on either sides of the roof showed the beautiful glow of the large moon. There was a long wooden table filled with candles and designed with a mixture of maroon and white cloth. There was a variety of dishes on the table and for a moment, Julien wished his family was with him so they could experience such luxury. If only things were a little different.
"Julien, my boy! It's nice to see you again! Come and sit down beside Damian."
It was only then that Julien noticed Damian looking at him with such an irritated gaze that he wanted to laugh so badly. The crown prince looks like he hasn't gotten over their encounter two days ago. The King sat at the head of the table, the queen on his left and Damian on his right side. Finneas sat beside his mother as Julien cautiously sat beside the youngest prince.
"My, what a fine young man you are. I am Merniah Vielltronzo and it is nice to meet you."
"It is an honor to meet you and dine with you, your majesty. I hope we have a great time tonight."
"Ofcourse, we will! I am so curious about this young man who my second eldest son befriended."
Julien smiled. Damian remained in his seat with his head low as he gazed upon the food on his plate. As the others continued to exchange words with each other, Julien played with his own words and successfully passed the hour without rising any suspicion. Ofcourse, he didn't learn how to act just for nothing.
"Why don't you spend the night here, Julien? It is really late."
"There is no need for that, your majesty. I have troubled you enough as it is."
"Ah, I insist then. With all the stories you have told us, I bet you and my son will get along. You are only a year older than Damian so I think you'll be fine with him."
Julien did a small victory dance in his mind before sighing, agreeing to King Augustus' request for him to sleep inside the palace. Damian left as soon as he finished eating. The king and queen soon rose to their feet and bid their goodbyes, telling Julien that they would now rest, leaving only the assassin and the person who claimed him as a friend so carelessly.
"Our rooms are on this hallway except for Damian who is on the opposite side. Your room is next to mine so if you need anything, a few knocks will wake me up instantly. I'm not much of a heavy sleeper."
Opposite side, eh? Thank you for that tiny information, Finneas...
"Thank you, Finneas. I am grateful to have you as my friend."
The commander yawned, removing the tie on his hair to let it loose. The brown wavy locks that lasted until Finneas' shoulders looked so soft that a woman's hair couldn't compare. Julien unconsciously raised his hand and carressed a few strands of the soft and silky hair, catching Finneas off guard. He cleared his throat, making Julien come back to his senses and look at his friend with an apologetic look.
"Pardon me your highness, its just that I've never seen such pleasant hair before."
"Is that so? Why, thank you! North tells me that a lot. And I told you to call me Finneas, or Fin for short. You are my friend Julien, don't forget that. "
Friend, huh?
Finneas patted Julien's back before opening the door that led to Julien's room. As soon as the door opened, Julien was once again in awe. It was just a guest room and yet, as expected from Vanthomhyr, the room was almost as wide as Julien's whole house back in Chromanthes. The walls were painted with a maroon color. There was a window with white curtains and the bed was big enough for three people. Everything in the room screamed 'royalty' and for a moment, Julien, again, imagined what it would be like if his family had all these riches. He bet he wouldn't need to be an assassin and he could easily send his younger brother to the best school there is. His parents wouldn't have to work under the heat of the sun all the time and they wouldn't have the problem of thinking where their next meal would come from.
"Alright, I'm heading to my quarters now. Have a good sleep, my friend."
After the door closes, Finneas smiled. People had always admired his cheerful attitude, his friendly nature and how he would've become a good king. Shaking the thoughts aside, he walked away and headed to his own room, unable to remove the itchy feeling that there was something he forgot he was supposed to tell to Julien.
As the time slowly passed by inside the Vanthomhyr Palace, nobody was expecting the fate that awaits as soon as the moon sets and the sun greets the ground in the hands of the person they have so carelessly trusted.
Midnight...
Taking out his favorite dagger from his right boot, he quietly opened the door and stepped outside the comfort of the room. Strangely, the hallways were dark and there was no sign of light anywhere. All windows and doors were closed, blocking the moonlight from outside. Darkness didn't bother Julien and in fact, he preferred it, but the fact that they had to guard the crown prince all the time makes it strange that they didn't light up the whole castle. Unless, everyone was like Julien who could see clearly in the dark but ofcourse, he doubted that was the reason.
Could they have set up a trap while expecting another assassin? That could actually be possible so I have to be careful.
Julien stopped in his tracks once he turned to the corner. It was where each of the family members slept. Julien looked behind him before crouching down and observing. He could see figures, shiny metal armors, two on each door, that stood in the dark. Julien waited for any movement but once he saw none, he stood up and faced thw hallway. Lifting up his left foot, he walked over a string that he had seen even without the presence of light. There were lots of strings on the hallway, probably designed to trap a careless assassin.
Julien bent his back, jumped, walked over and tumbled effortlessly through the strings. It was a good decision to wear his tight, black suit under the long sleeved shirt earlier or else he would have to use that shirt and get the fabric caught up on the strings. He breathed deeply as soon as he finished the course and now, he stood infront of the last door. Julien ever so lightly walked to the door, taking out two shiny pins and in one swift move, the two guards who stood on by the prince's door almost fell to the ground as they fell asleep. Julien grabbed a cloth and tied each of their foreheads up the lamps attached to the wall to keep them from falling.
What a clever strategy. No light, strings for a trap, empty armors to stand by the first few doors that looked like actual soldiers and finally, two alive soldiers who guards the prince's door. They want the killer to think all of the armors are empty so once they reach the final door, they would be less guarded. Once they open the door, their heads will meet these two soldier's swords.
Julien was somehow satisfied with his skills as he isn't just 'another assassin'. He wasted no time and slowly opened the previously locked door. Walking inside, he closed it with a small 'click' sound. The room was three times wider than where Julien stayed and all glass windows didn't have any way to open them. The moonlight shined throughout the large room and turning his head to the side, there he was, the target who seemed to be sleeping so peacefully. Julien glanced around, making sure nothing was out of place before walking to Damian's bed.
The prince's eyelids were closed as he snored softly. He looked rather peaceful to Julien and for a moment, he seemed different than the hot-tempered prince that the Chromanthesian assassin dined with. His eyebrows weren't meeting against each other and his lips were slightly parted. His curly brown hair looked soft and lively.
I didn't really want to do this, your highness. It's just that my family is more important to me than you are and so I have no choice. Or do I? Still, I hope Finneas could forgive me for being such a horrible friend.
Shaking the doubts and hesitations away, Julien raised the dagger on his hand. Breathing deeply, he wasted no time and brought down the dagger but a scorching pain shot through him from his leg. Refraining himself from screaming, he lost grip of his dagger. Stumbling back he felt his whole world spinning and in a matter of a few seconds, everything went black.
In those few seconds of consciousness, Julien swore he saw a familiar pair of green eyes glaring over him and another pair of small yellow eyes that Julien knew all too well.
Stupid snake...
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Hey everyoneI would like to apologise for not updating last Sunday. I've had a hard time but luckily, I was able to make this chapter! I hope you all understand!
Did you enjoy this chapter? Feel free to vote and comment your thoughts!
Sorry for any typos✌️