All three of them flinched at that news, not realizing until now how this all could play out. Vance hit my leg, telling me he would never ask me to do that, but I was not about to tell these men that. These men are the dangerous ones and need to be put in their place. They need to understand from the beginning how this will go. They can’t trick, slip, or kill their way out of it.
“So, you’re just going to be the new king’s hound? That’s what the great assassin is going to be? Someone else’s bitch?” Ajax spewed his venom at me, his eyes alive with a different kind of anger, one that says he hated that thought more than me killing him. Even though my heart hurt, I reminded myself that his words were meaningless. I forced my body to calm down, going into killer mode as my muscles relaxed, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. My face was deceptively relaxed, showing him that his words didn’t affect me in the slightest. I looked up at him with dead eyes and a cruel smirk on my lips as an ugly laugh cut from my mouth.
“Like you’re not your father’sbitch?” His eyes shuttered as his body went rigid and he took a step back like I hit him. It was then that his eyes flashed with regret, realizing what he just said to me, but I didn’t care. He can take his stupid sad eyes and shove them down his throat. He was the one that opened this can of worms.
I continued like I was talking to a child, “We are assassins, Ajax, that’s what we do. We have always and will always be someone else’s tool. We are here to get a job done.Grow up.” He flinched at that last part, his eyes letting a spot of hurt enter them, especially by me bringing his father into this. Again, I couldn’t seem to care at that moment. I was dealing with my own hurt and pain.
My eyes scanned the three of them as I pointed to my chest. My voice rumbling out, “At least I get to pick who I want to follow. I’m not doing it because of my family, or for coin, or because it’s always what was done. I’ve watched Vance, talked to him, and saw with my own eyes what kind of ruler he would be. I did research on the policies he supports. Made sure the direction he wants to take the kingdom was for the betterment of the people inside of it. When we worked together, it was always a discussion and he leans on my expertise, even when he doesn’t always agree.” I turned towards my best friend, the man who I’ve been lucky enough to watch grow from a scrawny scared boy into a man who wants better for the people he cared for. “I trust him and he trusts me, and for right now, that’s enough.” Circling back to all of them, I straightened in my chair with superiority and finality, “and for now, that’s enough for all of you. I have you at my beck and call for one year, no matter what I ask. Don’t you forget it.” The end sounded more like a threat than facts as I got up out of my chair, needing to calm myself down as I went into my room, clicking the door closed before I did something stupid out of anger.
I could hear Zayden’s accusing whisper to Vance. “So, you’re going to have us killed after all of this?”
Vance scoffed as he paused and whispered back, “Of course not. I wouldn’t have agreed to have you help us if we were just going to kill you in the end.”
“Why not?” Ajax asked, his acid laced tone suggesting exactly what he thought of Vance in that moment, “It would ensure that no one knew about how you took over the throne. She’s right, we are a liability, a potential problem in the plan to the Kingship.”
I paused by the door, ear up against the wood to hear how Vance was going to handle Ajax’s obstinance, “Because that’s not who I am.” His voice rang with the finality you would expect from a King, and I smiled.
“You might look at me as weak, you might look at my methods as naïve, but I want better for Onisea, which means I need to be better. I hate what my father has done, the selfishness, greed and prejudice he has created in this Kingdom. It’s not right. And if change is what we are seeking, shouldn’t it start with leadership? If it starts at the top, then over the years it will trickle down into the slums.” He sighs and I heard him drum his fingers onto the table, a nervous tick of his from when we were kids. “I know change doesn’t happen overnight, but I’m in it for the long haul. I want to see universities and schools built. I want to invite fae back into our kingdom and reunite families that haven’t seen each other in a long time, but it has to start somewhere.”
“Those are some lofty goals, prince.” Rykon said, not with malice or like he was a joke, but more like he understood what it would take to accomplish them and it was a daunting task. So much work that might be too hard to achieve.
“I know, but I can’t just stay up in my room anymore, wishing the world would be better. I need to do better, start the change. Or at least try to.” Pride filled my soul as I heard Vance stand up to these rough men and defend himself. Proving to them that his heart and mind were in the right place. He just needed people like us to carry out the dirty work, keeping his hands clean, so that he can be the light that our people needed. I think Ajax, Zayden, Rykon and I could handle all the dark parts of this world. We were crafted -the four of us- from pain, darkness, and justice. We can handle evil and all it has to throw at us.
“Also, can you guys lay off…” Vance paused like he didn't know the right word. “Emerald?” I guess this fake name was really hard for him to remember. “She can come off cold and callus, even a little heartless, but she has been my best friend since we were young kids and what she’s doing is best for all of us.”
Ruby spoke up unexpectedly. “I agree.” She also paused, forgetting to call me Emerald in front of the others. “I’ve known her for almost all of my life and despite what you may or may not know of her, Onisea is her home. She cares about what happens here. If I catch you guys being dicks to her again, I’m going to do something very, very naughty with the treats I bring.” I could envision her lips pinched and her eyes putting out a warning to each of them. A warmth I only knew when she was around filled me as she issued her adorable warning. I know for a fact shewouldput something in their tea or the pastries that would make them sick for a day. She’s spiteful like that. It’s one of my favorite things about her.
“Wait, wait, wait, wait,” Zayden piped up as he raised his hand. “you’re saying that she’s lived here all her life? Wouldn’t we have met her before if that was true? Wouldn’t we have seen a dark green-haired girl sometime in our childhood?” His accusing tone made my heart race. They shouldn't have said that last part, these guys are too smart for that. “I know I would’ve remembered a girl like her.”
I could envision Ruby and Vance looking at each other, not knowing what to say, and I knew it was a lot to ask them to lie about me, so I decided my cooling time was over. As soon as my hand went to the doorknob, I heard Ruby whisper, “It’s not our story to tell. If you want to know more about her, then I suggest you ask her. Just so you know, she doesn’t like when people talk behind her back.” Then I heard the clanking of cups and her shuffled steps in retreat. My lips turned upward as I looked at the groves in the wood in front of me. I only have two friends in this whole damn world, but they get me to my deepest core and I couldn’t have asked for better friends than these two right here. I thank the gods for them every day.
Stepping forward as I pushed the door open, I looked around the room at everyone. Three sets of eyes looking at me like I was a mystery to them, something to figure out, something to dig into. It was annoying. But when my gaze met Ruby and Vance’s, I saw pride and love shining through. It made my insides feel all gooey, but I also was very uncomfortable with that, so I reminded myself to be professional.
I cleared my throat. “So, Vance, besides killing the king, how else can we get him off the throne?”
He looked down at his hands, contemplating his next words, “Well, there’s only two ways I can think of to do this,” he held up each finger as he talked, “One, we could get the council of nobles to band together to kick him out or two, we can start a war.” He gulped at that last part, but I already knew that was our best bet. That’s why I wanted the guild heirs. They could rally the people.
“So how likely is the council going to want to go against the king?” Rykon asked. I’ve noticed that he was the one to complain the least, but he also asked the most questions. I was glad one of them was serious about this.
Vance grimaced. “I’ve done some soft inquiries, and it doesn’t look good, but that doesn’t mean that it’s impossible. We just need to sway a few over to our side, and we might have a chance.”
“So, we are counting on war, which means you will need our guilds and the people of the city.” Ajax said, arms still crossed, but at least he was fucking listening to him instead of just arguing with me.
“War is the last resort. I’m going to the royal library tomorrow to do some deep research into the laws and logistics around kingship. I heard some underground rumors that my father was a usurper and I want to see if that has any validity to it,” conviction that he didn’t want a war rang true.
“Those rumors are true.” Zayden laughed out like he was in on the joke. When no one else laughed he looked at Rykon and Ajax, who looked at him with confused faces. “You guys don’t remember when our parents were friends back in the day? They used to talk about the days when Manis, the leader of the rebellion, was alive and how they were all part of his guard?” When they still looked at him in confusion, his eyes looked at the ceiling as he mumbled under his breath, “Why gods, why am I cursed to share a childhood with these idiots?”
He shook his head and looked back down, glaring at Ajax and Rykon before he continued, Vance hanging on his every word. “We would sneak around as kids when our parents used to be friends and they would have a drink every once in a while. They would talk in hushed tones about the previous king and how good those times were. How the nobility was jealous of the common people that were marrying some of the fae, having kids with magical powers and stunning hair,” he touched his in emphasis but his eyes were drawn to mine, his hands twitching as he looked at my green tresses. “They said that Manis was the leader of the rebellion against the nobility and their prejudiced ways. It sounded like Manis went to meet with the King and never came back. That night, the King and Manis were killed and your father took over, claiming divine intervention, and made the priests of light the only religion available. He tried to get rid of all the people and literature that knew about the previous king right after he took the throne. Or so they said while they were drinking.” Zayden shrugged like it could be just drunk people talking.
Vance’s wide eyes flicked from side to side as he thought about the information Zayden just gave him. He suddenly scrambled out of his seat and went for the door. “I need to research this. M-” he shook his head, looked at me apologetically before he continued. “Emerald, I will let you know as soon as I have something to talk about and we can set up another meeting. I’m going to exhaust every option possible before it comes to war.”
He turned to the others. “Zayden, thank you for this information. It has helped me a lot.” He nodded to Ajax and Rykon before he turned to Ruby. “Thank you for the tea and sweets. They remind me of the deliciousness that I’ve only had from our cook at the castle. She is world class in the culinary arts.”
She smiled and blushed, “Well, I would hope so… It’s my mom’s recipe. Her name is Katrina and works at the castle as the head chef.” His eyes widened at that, but he quickly recovered as he looked at her with fondness, now knowing who her mom was.
“Then you make her proud. Thank you.” He bowed and went to the door, he paused, looking back at me. “Emerald, a word?”
I nodded, got up from my chair and walked to him. I could feel the guy’s eyes on me, tracking every move and I felt it to be both suffocating and intoxicating. Everything about my feelings for these three was confusing.
