#sir guard

[amethystpath-writes]

A Gentle Blade Part 24

Part 23 here

3,190 words on this one. I think the last update explains why this one is as long as it is. Up for the reveal? *wiggles eyebrows*

@tears-and-lilies

******

Leera woke on her own, presumably at night, though she couldn't tell. She felt as though she'd barely slept. Her head had still been on Kastion's shoulder and she smiled slightly before realizing the corners of her mouth were wet. She lifted her head in a hurry, looking to the shoulder she had previously been laying on. There was a dark circle on the prince's shirt.

She considered waking him up now, but decided embarrassingly that she should wait until her drool spot was dried up. How humiliating would that be? Extremely.

But why? Surely a prince drooled, too. Leera was almost sure if the roles had been reversed then it would be she who had a wet spot on her shoulder. But he was a prince, and this was the problem. She was lost in the idea of him being a prince, of him being the stuckup, rich king at dinner. Poised and insulting. Make no mistake. Be inhuman. Kastion wasn't that kind of prince. Kastion was Kastion.

Sure, drool was still disgusting, whether it came from a prince's mouth or an assassin's. But it wasn't so humiliating to Leera now that she acknowledged whose shoulder she drooled on. Not a prince's, but Kastion's.

Would Leera ever feel fully comfortable with him being a prince? Enough to hear the title and not fall into a pit of previous trauma? It will take some time, she thought, but it's achievable. After their conversation last night, she felt better about it- whatever it was.

Were they in a relationship now? If they were, what did that mean? Leera supposed it meant nothing more than it already did. They enjoyed one another's company, but what would happen once they escaped? Kastion had responsibilities. He would have to return home and tend to his father while also helping his mother make decisions for their kingdom. Where would that leave Leera? She would live as she did before, hopping between inns and barns, finding a new warm place to sleep every night. She would scrounge up papers and ink to post notices on town boards so that someone would hopefully hire her.

That brought up an entirely new question. If she didn't- the thought was difficult. If she didn't become a queen, would she return to being an assassin? Leera figured she would try to. After all, she still wished to rid the world of evil men and women. She would just have to be sure to not get caught. Leera could have completed at least two contracts by now if she hadn't been caught. Then again, would anyone ever hire her now that she already had been captured?

Too many conflicts were arising in the assassin's mind. Soon they would make her go mad, as if she hadn't been already. With a laugh, Leera tried to imagine this was all a dream. At what moment would she have fallen asleep if it was a dream? Before the capture, surely. Or maybe not. Maybe she really was captured and it was Kastion which was the dream. A hallucination.

It was now that the prince stirred. Leera watched as his eyes became open and he blinked away his sleepiness. "You're already awake," he said gruffly. He yawned, covering his long mouth with a hand. Leera only acknowledged the action because she always did the same thing when she yawned, even if no one was around. It was something she picked up from her uncle.

"I am," She peered at his shoulder. The drool was nearly gone, thankfully, and he didn't seem to notice it. "Haven't been for awfully long, but long enough to notice your snores."

His eyes widened. "I snore?" He asked it as if he were horrified. It made Leera laugh.

"It was a joke, but it was entertaining to see your reaction."

Kastion lightly threw his shoulder into hers with a smile. "Suppose I'll have to find something else to jest you about."

She smiled back, but otherwise stayed silent. Now that Kastion was awake, all of the questions Leera thought up before were returning.

Today, Kastion would reveal himself to the queen. He would ask for her presence and ears and then he would put the ring on, telling her who he really was. And hopefully Rennera would remember that holding a prince prisoner was a likely cause for a war. But then-

"Kastion, you can't demand my release," Leera said.

"Why can't- oh."

Neither one of them thought of it before, but Leera truly was the queen's property. Seeing as she killed the king, she was a criminal of the lands. Rennera owned the assassin just as she owned everyone else here except for the prince.

"The only way for me to be released is by escaping or by you stealing me from her. The latter will cause a war." Before he could respond, Leera continued, "And I will not allow you to start a war over me. Get out of here yourself, and I'll find my own way out."

"Leera-"

She interrupted, already knowing he would say something stupid, something sweet. "No. You'll leave me. Do what is best for your kingdom, not me."

The two of them remained silent for some more time. Kastion, flipping through idea after idea, only discovering that most of them would not work. Leera, wondering how she would escape someday on her own. Maybe she wouldn't escape, but she could live with that if Kastion was safe in his own lands.

"Be my queen," Kastion said suddenly, the idea just dawning on him. He pulled Dogars' ring out of his pocket, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. "Take this and hide it somewhere on your person."

Leera shook her head. "Then you won't have proof of your status."

"I do. In my trousers that they stole away."

"And if they burnt your trousers?"

Kastion laughed full-heartily. "Well it's not made of wood. They'd have a rough time accidentally burning it in a fire."

***

Crooked shoved Kastion's shoulder towards the queen's door. He nodded at the bounty hunter to knock, and Kastion did.

Upon hearing Rennera's voice, Crooked called out, "It's the fish breeder. He wishes to have your private audience. Do you accept?"

The queen did accept, and so Crooked pushed the door open then pushed the prisoner in as well. Kastion noticed the guard taking in his noble- rather, royal- clothing, and thought that soon enough Crooked might be wearing them himself. Just another thing to deal with when he returned to Thharewood. It seemed war was bound to happen no matter what he and Leera did to avoid it. So why not go ahead and 'steal' the assassin?

"Close the door, my future king."

Kastion obeyed, even latching the door shut to satisfy his own worry that Crooked might bash in when he revealed himself as the Prince of Thharewood, if he even did it here.

"Now, what is it you wished to talk to me about? I don't suppose the assassin revealed herself as my spy, did she? The emissary did a better job at it than her."

He ignored her casual taunts. Rennera didn't know nearly as much as he did, and she would realize that soon. "I need my clothes back." Kastion's voice was a bit harsher than he intended, but it was mostly because the moment scared him. As often as he thought about it, he never considered what words he would use, what he would say in order to not offend Rennera.

"Those dirty rags you wore for- who knows how long? Why should you need those back?" The queen sat on her bed, her legs undoubtedly tucked beneath her dress as it was billowed out.

"To support the truth I know you will not believe."

Rennera smiled something wicked. She had darker lipstick on today than usual. The usual ruby red was now almost black and her teeth contrasted greatly next to them. "And what's that?"

"I think it will be better that you see it rather than hear it."

"My future king, I am intrigued. You should tell me before I lose patience and decide to do something more fun than wait for a truth you already think faulty."

"I'll tell you something more believable now, then," Kastion said and strode towards the bed. He sat on the very edge, not even enough that his whole bottom was rested. He whispered, "Every man and woman that works in this palace served happily for your last husband, didn't they?"

The queen felt the shift in his tone. Even as he was serious before, he was more so now. She nodded at him.

Kastion pointed to the door. "The man standing outside that door has an agenda of his own. I know why you want to marry me. I have proven to be a greater weakness than yourself and you value that image because of the former king. You want to appear stronger than who you marry."

He continued to explain what Crooked told him not so many days ago when Kastion had poisoned himself. About how the guard thought the queen fancied Leera, and how it even made sense because of the past king's abuse. Rennera loved Leera for killing the queen's abuser. He further explained how Crooked wished to be the next king and tried convincing Kastion to hand over the title when he received it.

At the end of Kastion's report, the queen said, referring to herself loving the assassin, "That is ridiculous!" The bounty hunter urged her to quiet down as Crooked was still on the other side of the door. It's why Kastion came to sit beside Rennera and began to whisper before, so that no one outside of this room could hear.

"I can help you," Kastion told her. "But I need you, or someone, to take me to my trousers. Unless you trust my every word, I need this. It's for both of our goods."

"You suppose you could stop a greedy man in a high position?" The queen tutted, shifting beneath her dress. "You might be my future king, but you were a bounty hunter, and a fisherman before that, my dear. You are not capable of destroying a throne and crown."

Fine. "I guarantee you that as a prince of a nation in these lands, I am perfectly capable of assisting in a political matter."

Truth be told, Kastion didn't intend on assisting Queen Rennera, but if it helped him and Leera escape unscathed, he would mutter any lie necessary.

Of course, Rennera did not believe the man in front of her was a prince. How could he be? He wore rags and came as a bounty hunter. What royalty would ever pretend to be anything other than royalty? Nevertheless, the queen escorted Kastion out of her room and to Servant's Circle, where servants of the palace completed many duties, one duty included cleaning very worn clothes, such as the bounty hunter's before he was changed into a king's clothing for dinner.

Kastion had to scavenge through various piles of stinky clothing like a cat trying to find a mouse in a thick stack of garbage. After many wasted minutes, he found his trousers in the last mass of cloth. They were more rank now than they were as he wore them, which was surprising given how he'd worn them for several weeks. It didn't matter how they smelled, it was the golden circle he fiddled with in the pocket of the pants he held now that mattered. He pulled the ring out, held it in front of his and Rennera's eyes.

"Thharewood," he said. "That is my home. That is my kingdom. It was to be Leera's as well before you kidnapped her. She has a ring just as well as I, if you need further proof."

Rennera didn't dare deny her eyes. The ring in front of her was true; gold with the royal seal of Thharewood on top like a stamp. It didn't necessarily mean Sir Guard was a prince, but perhaps he was a knight of a higher authoritative lord. It was in the nickname after all. Sir Guard. 'Sir' as in knight.

"You sought to marry an assassin?"

"I didn't know she was one," he lied. "It is the reason why I took up a false identity, why I brought her back when I found her in the woods. Anger," Kastion explained. "Anger like nothing else. But I can stop her from pursuing that flimsy occupation of hers if you only return her to me." This was the quickest lie the prince ever came up with, and he was afraid Rennera would sense it. So, he spit out a truth. "I am Kastion of Thharewood, the only male heir to King Gulldis and Queen Mofrin."

The queen squinted at him. "And your sisters names? Harvin mentioned the prince having sisters."

Harvin. Kastion guessed this was the guard he called 'Crooked'. It made sense. Crooked did mention Thharewood before the other nobles showed up to the first dinner.

Before he thought this, though, he immediately answered with his sisters' names. Rennera was obviously testing his truth telling. If he'd hesitated before answering, had to think about it first, she would have thought him a liar despite having the royal seal.

"I cannot just..." Rennera trailed off. She couldn't let Sir Gu- Prince Kastion- go. She'd already announced to every important figure in the lands that he was to be her next husband. Allowing him to leave would destroy every bit of the image she made. Not to mention it might make her a target. Rennera imprisoned a prince and his supposed fiancé. That wasn't something to be looked over, whether she was aware of it or not. And Leera killed the queen's husband. If she let the assassin out of the palace, it would appear that Rennera had gone soft. No, no it wasn't possible. But then if she refused to let Kastion out, a war would begin. The emissary from dinner was from Thharewood and he would have recognized his own prince. And if she did allow Kastion to leave, and not Leera, he would start a war on his own.

Surprisingly, she admitted the lot of these thoughts to Kastion once they returned to her bedroom. It was too late to prevent the servants from uttering what they saw and heard, about the reveal, in the Circle. But, the two royals could discuss pressing conflicts elsewhere, in a place where there were no prying ears besides Harvin's, and he couldn't hear whispers through a wooden door.

"You shouldn't worry about weakness if you take solace in my kingdom." Kastion then promised he would aid Rennera should she need it, and she would.

Rennera shook her head, feeling a bout of stressed tears in her eyes. "I can't. I don't- I don't know what to do. If what you said about the guard is true...what if he is just as bad as Loel?" In this moment, Rennera realized that she didn't trust Kastion to be any less abusive. Who would turn their loved one in to a queen- a queen that clearly tortured her subjects- just because of anger? Then again, Rennera wasn't exactly mad that Leera killed her king. Maybe Rennera was just as bad as everyone surrounding her.

"Follow behind me and Leera when we leave," Kastion said. The further this conversation went, the more willing he was to actually fulfill his promises. Perhaps taking the queen in wouldn't be so bad. Perhaps if she did come with then he could teach her how to listen to her people, since it's what Rennera truly aspired to do. But how could he possibly teach her such a concept when it was he who was a coward within his own rule? Kastion's people wanted violence and he didn't deliver. He hired an assassin, which was more than violent enough in his mind, but likely wouldn't be for them.

But it was okay. They could all take this one step at a time. The most important thing right now was that Kastion return home and that Leera be safe. They could figure out the rest later.

The queen proved her aspirations when she said, "The two of you are free to leave. I will occupy the guards so that they do not guard your cell as I take you back." She breathed. "But I must stay. I can't- It's not right for me to leave when I..." Rennera wasn't sure what to say. Really, she didn't even know how she felt. Nonetheless she settled for saying, "I am the queen of Misenian, and I should be here for my people. Even if I can't help them, I should at least be a leader enough that I suffer with them."

***

Rennera led Kastion to the cell after giving a short word to Crooked, urging him to gather all of the Guard in the Servant's Circle. It wasn't a suitable place for guards and they would undoubtedly question her notions, but she needed to do this. Rennera needed to redeem her actions. She was cruel because she was scared, and it wasn't fair. And she didn't think this because Kastion was a prince, but she could admit that it aided in her decision. How much further could this all go?

"Leera," Kastion said as soon as he reached the cell door. "We're leaving. Come on."

The assassin looked up bewildered, and her eyes widened as she noticed the queen standing behind Kastion. "Wha- You're serious?" She wasn't sure who the question was directed at. Either one, she supposed.

It was unbelievable- that Rennera would let them go. There were so many ways for this plan to go wrong, more so than there were for them to go right.

Leera looked up and to her left where chains dangled. I am dreaming. I have to be. She was still drooling on Kastion's shoulder unknowingly, wasn't she?

"My guards have been gathered in an unproblematic area," Rennera began, watching Leera's confusion morph into an odd, possible joy. "I will take you two to the stables and from there you are on your own. I wish there is more I could do for you, especially given how terrible I have been. The words will mean nothing, but I have never felt more remorse in my life. I pray the gods will not be so merciful as we usually pray they will be. I do not deserve it."

Kastion hardly listened. His only goal was to pull Leera from the floor onto her feet. He did this, and when she stood, he paused.

Certainly he wasn't about to cry, he thought to himself, but he was. His eyes stung, along with his nose. How he'd ever come to love an assassin in the dungeons...he did know. Most wouldn't. It would have been so unbelievable that most would have denied it, but Kastion couldn't. Leera was worth loving. There was no questioning that concept.

"We're free, Leera."

******

Part 25 here

[amethystpath-writes]

A Gentle Blade Part 12

Part 11 here

The queen is back, folks!

Tag list (if anyone wants added lmk!):

@tears-and-lilies

Tw: character getting slapped, threats of torture,

******

Leera woke up screaming. She wished it were the queen's fault that her throat was sore as her eyes opened and she jumped into consciousness. It wasn't.

The assassin's breathing was quick and shallow and she broke into sobs that felt like they could gorge holes into her body worse than the heretic's fork collar.

She didn't bother looking for Sir Guard to see his reaction, or even to make sure the queen wasn't soaking up her despair. Leera only let the tears fall, soaking into her raggy clothing, let them clean away any dry blood they came into contact with.

Eventually Sir Guard did come over to the sobbing assassin on the cell floor. He said nothing, only put a hand beneath her back and urged her to sit up. There was no way she could breathe the way she was sniffling and Sir Guard figured that laying down couldn't possibly help that problem.

Her body had been limp, heavy, but she didn't resist as her guard guided her into a seated position. She did, however, continue to cry. At one point she squeezed her eyes shut, trying her best to rid the image in her head.

It wasn't often that Leera dreamt of her father's death. It wasn't often that her brain conjured a random man's voice to make up for her father's, whose voice she'd forgotten. When it did happen, it was always miserable and he was always dying. He was being hurt and tortured until death, just how it was said he'd been in real life, only Leera's brain liked to venture into forms of torture she never knew existed.

"I never want children," the assassin muttered with a sniffle following.

Sir Guard hummed. "Why's that?"

"Because I'm afraid she would be a third generation of Unfortunates."

He didn't respond to the part Leera imagined he would. "So you would like to have a girl if you had a kid at all." It wasn't a question.

"I guess I would."

"You said you would."

"Not directly."

He shrugged. "Didn't have to. Some people don't care to read into words and wordings. I do, and you told me you don't want a daughter to suffer the life you and a parent of yours has."

Leera sniffled again. A sting returned in her eye, letting her know she needed a second round of sobs. She didn't want to cry again. She didn't want to the first time.

Sir Guard regarded her carefully, taking several steps towards her after having retreated when sitting the assassin up earlier. He knelt in front of Leera, touched her cheek and barely pushed on it, a signal for her to tilt her chin back. She complied. "Do they still hurt? The puncture marks?"

"They've healed by now," she explained, "Only scabs. If I scratched and reopened them it'd hurt, but otherwise I hardly notice them anymore."

"Good," Sir Guard said. The next thing he spoke as he let go of her cheek baffled the assassin. "You always ask who I am. I want to know who you are."

"It's no fair you get to ask and expect an answer if I can never get one from you."

"I'm a prince," he replied easily.

Leera laughed. She laughed and laughed, and by the end of her laughter, she felt an ache in her chest. This time she was thankful it wasn't the pain from the forked collar. "Fine, don't tell me then."

He smiled. Leera lost what little breath she had left. Teeth, she thought. They're how I imagined. "You asked who I am. I just told you."

Gathering herself back together, she scoffed, "You're not a prince."

"Why can't I be? I'm Rennera's future king, aren't I?"

"Well- well yeah. But-" The assassin shook her head. "But I would know if it were- if a prince had-had been guarding me this whole time, who-who had captured me in-in the woods." Leera paused. "I would know," she declared, but it was far from confident. "You're joking with me and it's cruel. Stop it."

"So you won't tell me who you are."

"I'm an assassin. That's all."

"An assassin who does, but doesn't want a daughter because she believes she's cursed."

"I never said I thought I was cursed."

He reminded her, "Didn't need to. It's in the wording."

Leera was slightly annoyed. What was Sir Guard playing at? First he conversed Leera's having a child, a daughter. Then, he asked who she was as if he didn't already know. She was an assassin, and well- it seemed like he'd already figured out her past. And not only this, but he was calling himself a prince. How dare he kid Leera like that?

"I take it you were dreaming of whichever parent went through your same situation now?"

"Wording?" Leera asked.

Sir Guard nodded. "I guess I just like using context clues. You woke up screaming and sweating, and the first thing you said was that you didn't want children. Basic deduction."

The assassin squinted. "Are you a general, a commander?"

"In some way, yeah. I told you what I am."

"You lied."

"I didn't." He looked her straight in the eye. Without wavering, he said, "I wasn't lying."

Leera huffed. "You can't be. You can't be a damned prince."

"Why not?"

She shook her head. She would get a cramp in her neck if she kept doing that. "Because," she said like it was obvious, though she realized she had little to no reasoning. Fine. It's fine. I'll just wing it. "Because you- Because! You refuse to be the queen's husband. Why would a prince be here if they weren't marrying? Why would they capture runaway assassin prisoners and return them to queens they hated?" Finally with full confidence, Leera stated, "You're not a prince. How's that for your deductive reasoning?"

Sir Guard shrugged. "I would be impressed-" There was a sound of footsteps, a clack clack clack. It was the queen. "I'm sorry," Sir Guard said, "If I weren't so close to you I'd have time to get back to my spot."

"What do you-" He slapped her. Hard and right across the cheek he had tenderly touched earlier. Leera gasped and put a hand over her cheek. It stung badly enough that her eyes teared up.

The cell door creaked open and sure enough Queen Rennera stepped through. She clapped as she always did when she saw her greatest prisoner. But a look of confusion crossed her face. "What are you doing so close to her, my future king?" She didn't seem angry, just utterly baffled.

Sir Guard stood up from his kneel and threw a hand in Leera's direction. She flinched away instinctively. "The assassin wouldn't shut her trap so I took action."

"Strange," the queen said. "She usually only ever speaks when I'm doing something to her. What was she going on about, I wonder?"

"Complaining. Her chest and chin still hurt."

"Oh, how unfortunate for her that I am bored today."

Leera remained still on the floor as to not provoke the queen. She was grateful for her guard's lie. Leera hadn't complained about her marks at all, she only ever groaned when they hurt, but they didn't hurt anymore. He'd even asked if she was still in pain. She wasn't, but he said she was to the queen to save them both some misery.

"Your Majesty, forgive me if I am speaking out of place, but I would be appreciative if you gave her at least another day." He casted a glance at Leera. "She has been terribly annoying. If you put her through any more then I know she will never shut up."

"I could cut out her tongue?"

The assassin couldn't help the whimper that rose in her throat. The thought of- of what the queen suggested was too horrific to fathom.

"And prevent her from ever begging?" Sir Guard shook his head. "I don't mind her voice. It's the complaining I cannot stand." He added, "And anyways, wouldn't you think it is more fun to break her down after being fully restored? What's a better sense of false hope than that?"

Rennera hummed highly. "I suppose that's a good point. If she hurts enough that she's complaining though...that means several days longer of wasting away untouched. Ah!" Her hand came up suddenly, a finger pointed at the ceiling. "You hit her, yes? That is why her face is flowery?"

Flowery, Leera wanted to scoff. What a polite way of saying my cheek is bruising.

Sir Guard nodded.

The queen clapped excitedly. "Good, good. You shall do it again. When she complains that it hurts, you will strike her until she stops. Eventually she'll deal with the pain silently and when she does, we'll know that pain isn't so unbearable that we can't put her through something else." Rennera looked to her prisoner on the floor. "Do you have any objection, my dearest assassin?"

Leera swallowed, said nothing.

Rennera repeated herself and Leera looked at Sir Guard, weighing her options.

If she accepted, her guard would be forced to strike her more often and she knew he wouldn't want that. He would do it to protect her- for whatever reason she still didn't know- from the queen's personal torments.

If she refused the idea, she would be maimed and broken now rather than later, but Sir Guard wouldn't be forced to do something he didn't want to do. He felt badly enough about Leera's position. She had no doubt he would apologize again for slapping her when the queen left.

"What will you do to me if- if you take me today?" she asked Rennera.

The queen smiled, "Telling you would defeat the purpose of our goal, wouldn't it?"

Apologize to the king. Leera could apologize easily, but it was the truthfulness the queen wanted that she couldn't give. The torture was pointless. It only made Leera apologize to the queen instead of the dead king. So agreeing to be hurt by Rennera was pointless for Leera when she could opt out of it, but...it wasn't pointless to Sir Guard who would otherwise be forced to harm her.

"I'll take it. Whatever it is, I'll take it."

Sir Guard's face dropped into despair. Why? it asked. Why would you commit yourself to this when you had a choice not to?

Leera wanted to say back, You've done enough for me. Now I'm doing something for you.

"Good," the queen purred. "Good. But before then, I would like to reward my future king for his duties."

Now it was Sir Guard who swallowed nervously.

******

Part 13 here

[amethystpath-writes]

A Gentle Blade Part 20

Part 19 here

Can't believe there are 20 parts/chapters to this series. So insane.

Quick history fact before we get started. The word 'vile' was used to refer to commoners or those of a very low rank, hence why the word morphed into a definition that more closely means 'disgusting' or 'wretched'.

Okay, onto the story!

@tears-and-lilies

******

The guests walked in in no particular order. The two generals mixed with the kings and Dogars was actually the first to walk in. There was no battle of priority until they all noticed the different seats. Some were wood, others were throne-like. It was obvious that their host, the queen was implying a difference in stature.

"Royals will sit in the coloured seats. Non-royals will sit in the other seats provided." Rennera smiled, welcoming the company as well as she knew how to. "I am thrilled to see you all arrived safely."

Should have started with that, Sir Guard thought. He would have whispered as such to her if he were allowed. Unfortunate- for her- that her rules limited what help he was willing to offer.

It wasn't much longer that the prince averted his gaze from the crowd. They were all situating themselves, deciding which seats to take, and across whom. Before he looked away, Sir Guard watched his friend sit in the wooden chair at the foot-end of the table.

Gods, how would Dogars react when he saw it was his prince tied up against a fancy seat?

Leera Psst'd at Sir Guard while he faced the other way.

He shook his head, holding his index finger out though he realized the assassin wouldn't be able to see it as his hands were out of eyeshot.

Psst!

Sir Guard shook his head again.

"Is there a problem over here?" His head lifted, finding the queen's eyes staring into his own. They flicked over to Leera. "You two are making it difficult to speak. I believe she is trying to get your attention, my future king."

A muscle in his leg twitched. He swallowed with a quick nod. Taking a deep breath, he turned to Leera, but not before he snagged a glance at Dogars, whose eyes became squinted. He doesn't recognize me yet. Sir Guard praised the gods for giving his friend a short sight of vision. It was for that reason Dogars never picked up a bow by choice.

"What?" the prince spit out quickly to Leera. He whispered it, of course, as to not interrupt the queen as she continued speaking.

"Rennera-" She glanced up at the queen, then looked at the floor. The side of her mouth quirked up as her eyes narrowed. The assassin looked at Rennera again, then shrugged before grabbing either edge of her chair and throwing it to the left, getting closer to Sir Guard.

His eyes went wide with caution, though no one seemed to pay mind. She kept coming closer until their chairs almost touched.

"Her Majesty-" Leera rolled her eyes. "-wants me to find out where you come from." She continued their whispering feud, one that would probably last the rest of the night. "Where you, the bounty hunter, comes from," she specified. "I haven't told her anything."

Well at least that much was going nicely. "That's a difficult answer to come up with."

"How?" Her nose scrunched with her confusion. "You came from somewhere. Just tell me what kingdom you...rule? Or I guess you don't rule if you're only a-"

"I am not giving her any shred of truth," the prince said. He went silent, thinking. He needed a back story for his bounty hunter persona. The only development that man had was that he hated torture and was supposedly poor enough that he couldn't afford the streets.

"Then throw out a random city name. It's not like she'll know the difference."

"Maybe not, but when she tries to confirm it on a map and finds the name exists nowhere on it, she'll take it out on you."

"His Future Majesty," someone said across the table.

Sir Guard's attention found one of the generals staring at him. His eyes darted towards Dogars again. At the same time he wished his friend not to recognize him, it was also all he wanted.

The general wasn't continuing, and the prince wasn't allowed to speak, so he nodded, urging the man to continue. He did. "The queen says you are a bounty hunter," The prince nodded in confirmation. "She also says you were the one that brought the former king's assassin back when she ran away. Where did you find her?"

Was this an interrogation?

He looked to Rennera who closed her eyes and gave a slight nod, giving him permission to speak. Now that he was allowed to speak, he had little time to decide on a lie. The prince would have to give the truth or else his thinking too long would look suspicious. "A few miles into the woods from this palace." His eyes fell onto Dogars for the millionth time. He swallowed as the emissary's own throat bobbed and his mouth fell slightly open. Sir Guard just barely shook his head, hoping Dogars would get the message.

If he did get the message, he was deliberately deciding to be stupid when he piped in and asked, "What were you doing-"

"I wasn't done yet," the general who spoke before tried to interrupt. It didn't work.

"-so close to the palace?" It was a personal question, one that Sir Guard should have expected coming from his friend. He was making this situation more difficult by asking such a thing.

After just a short moment of gaining yet another permitted nod from Rennera, the prince answered, "I'm a bounty hunter. I was hunting the face on the bounty posters."

"Hunting bounties is a dangerous job, as I see you've found out, as you should have already known, as I'm sure someone told you," Dogars returned. He was speaking too quickly, Sir Guard noted. His friend was going to lead the others to believe they knew each other if he didn't calm his tone and speak slower.

Maybe the prince was over-analyzing. The others probably weren't noticing what he was, but he couldn't help it. If the queen learned Sir Guard was the prince of Thharewood...he didn't want to think about what might happen. Rennera said she would punish Leera for his mistakes. Perhaps rather hopefully that would change. Otherwise she might hurt Leera more than usual.

"I'm curious, Your Majesty," Dogars continued, "why you've made a bounty hunter, who you've clearly had problems with, your betrothed."

Rennera hummed, picking up a glass which contained red wine. She swirled the liquid before explaining, "He brought my husband's killer back. I took a liking to him for that reason, but it was all a rash decision and apparently he thought so, too. He tried to sneak the assassin back out in the woods."

Sir Guard felt the urge to defend himself, to say it was a lie, but what would it matter? He was only the queen's captive at this point. The others wouldn't care whether or not the claim was true. Dogars might. Might call him foolish later when he returned home, if he ever did. The thought he might never return to Thharewood never crossed Sir Guard's mind until now. It made him feel sick.

"Would anyone else like to contribute?" the queen asked, taking a sip of her wine.

No one said anything for moments. There was only the sound of heavy breathing and chewing. One king commented on how lovely the feast itself was. He'd been a quiet and old man, one who was timid, and was only present because he feared the consequences of not showing up. Sir Guard read this all in one easy comment.

The rest hadn't spoken yet, but the general, presumably from Harcose based off of the fish shape on his leather vest.

And, of course, Dogars had spoken plenty. Sir Guard could tell he was pissed by how quickly he shoved food in his mouth. If the prince were free to speak and was sat beside his friend, he would have quietly joked that he should watch his weight. It was something Dogars scorned himself for often, overeating anytime something relatively stressful happened. It was a habit he admitted trying to quit which was the only reason Sir Guard felt okay teasing about it.

Leera leaned over for a second time this night, whispering, "Have you thought of anything yet?"

"Honestly, Leera," he said, "I can't think about anything beyond my nerves." The prince shook his head. "I've never been this frightened before." He hated to admit it. His trainers always told him as a boy that fear was a ridiculous thing to let control you. They said you should only shake from overexerting yourself. Fear was, to say it most simply, stupid.

The assassin sighed, thinking to herself now. Sir Guard knew the consequence if she didn't get her answers for the queen; he would be hurt, maybe tortured. He would be okay with it, but he knew there was no way Leera could handle watching him in pain. He swore he would come up with a story by the end of the night, but for now...it was just too difficult.

"Is it something you can talk yourself out of? My uncle always said I was a good listener."

"Your uncle?" Her eyes saddened as she nodded. "Was that who took care of you after..." he trailed off.

"After my parents both died, yes." She nodded then took a deep breath. "I miss them," she said. "All of them."

Sir Guard's brows knitted. "Did your uncle pass, too, then?"

"No. No, he didn't, but I- uh- haven't seen him in years, much less spoken to him." Leera reached for the tankard in front of her. Her hand paused mid-reach and the prince watched her gaze turn towards the queen. After a short minute, her hand continued to reach out, grabbing the cup and bringing it to her lips. She asked, "Are you thirsty?" He shook his head, but because he licked his lips, the assassin moved forward, rear-end on the edge of her seat. She didn't have to reach very far for the cold edge to meet her prince's lips.

He turned his head. "Leera, the queen didn't say I could eat or drink."

"She didn't say you couldn't either, and that's what you asked her earlier, isn't it?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"If she has a problem with it, I'll tell her you forced me to give you a drink, that you...I don't know," She shrugged. "Threatened me or something."

Sir Guard gave a look that said, Right. She would believe I threatened you.

The assassin shrugged again. "You haven't seen a man starving or dehydrated, then."

In the blink of an eye, the prince saw chapped lips barely visible passed blond hair and sand. Sir Guard had been around...8 years old, he guessed. He didn't miss having blond hair, and was quite pleased that it'd darkened. It was at least one less reminder of the days he had trainers. None of them were kind and they put the prince through the worst of situations, saying it was only to 'toughen him up'. It was cruel was all, but 'tough' was what Thharewood needed since the current king and queen didn't 'have the guts' to stand up to opposers.

"Sir Guard?"

The fog in the prince's brain cleared away at hearing Leera's voice.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm alright." He eyed the tankard in front of him. "I think I'll have a drink of that now."

Leera proceeded to tilt the cup until she could see the water pouring out slowly in a jerky stream. She didn't want to pour too much, so she was careful.

The prince grunted and she pulled the tankard away, setting it down on the table. As she did so, she found the queen's head directed at her.

"Thirsty?" Rennera asked. Her gaze moved from Leera to Sir Guard. A single drip of water ran to his chin from his lip.

He nodded.

"Yes, it has been a while since you had anything to eat or drink." The queen took a sip of her wine. "Guards, one of you untie him. And take the rope to my chambers. You may toss it on the bed."

Sir Guard's mind went to the worst place possible. He hoped her bed was only the place she kept the gilded rope stored, and that she wasn't implying anything else. The most she'd done was kiss him. Rennera wouldn't do more than that, would she? She hated torture, she admitted that. Would she consider...that...as torture? The prince certainly did.

Before Sir Guard could suck himself into a further pit of dread, he felt relief. The final coil of rope fell away from his wrists. He sighed and brought his arms around front before raising them up, allowing the two guards to unwrap what rope had also been around his chest. Sir Guard took a deep breath. It was the first one he took that he actually felt reach his lungs.

On the other end of the table, Dogars watched, releasing a small and pitiful growl. Never would he have imagined seeing his best friend like this. And never would he have imagined he couldn't help. The emissary wondered how long Kastion had been tied up like that. He looked sore, but fine otherwise- or at least as far as Dogars could tell. The prince was mostly blurbs of colour. He only truly knew it was Kastion by his voice when the general asked him a question.

A bounty hunter, the emissary thought and shook his head. He didn't doubt Kastion fulfilled his role after seeing the poster. His real question was what was the prince thinking going to Ecksthnie? What was his plan before he found the bounty posters? Just go in and demand they release the assassin? That would have worked great, Dogars scoffed mentally. Kastion was lucky he found a bounty poster.

Gods damn him. I told him that assassin wasn't his responsibility. Of course telling Kastion that didn't mean anything. If he felt responsible then nothing- no words or actions- would ever succeed in changing his mind. The prince was stubborn when it came to faults. Dogars supposed it had to do with his training. They blamed him for every mistake when truly it was them not teaching him how to do anything. They'd throw him in a- a gladiator pit with an adult man without any previous lessons then expect him to know what he was doing, and when he failed, they'd tell him he was too absent, made mistakes too easily. You are a humiliation to this kingdom and you will continue to be unless you can fix all of your mistakes, they would say, and they would never say what his mistakes were. Dogars watched it all unfold firsthand, everyday.

So, the emissary understood perfectly why his prince ran off. He blamed himself now, for not knowing where Kastion went off to. As often as he spoke of Leera and how 'It's my fault she was captured. I was the one who asked for her name, begged her for it. And for what? She's in Ecksthnie because I thought praising a name would keep her from harm.' Kastion talked about the rumours as well, about a destroyed throne room and coffins. About nail streaks down a cheek. All about the assassin, of course. He spoke so often of his fault. Dogars should have known when the prince went missing that it was to save the assassin- or do whatever it was that he wanted. He clearly wasn't saving her right now.

"I think the emissary has gone deaf. Someone splash their water on him, will you?"

"No need," Dogars blurted. He was surprised to see as he looked around that no one was jumping to fulfill the order. Though maybe he shouldn't have been. The emissary could tell the generals were ticked off about the queen's unsaid statement; royalty was above all else. Generals were vile. Anyone who wasn't a king, queen, prince, or princess was of low and poor blood. Dogars didn't mind the status he received. He liked when people underestimated him, particularly queens who held his best friend captive. "I have a question for the assassin," he said.

The queen bade him permission to ask.

"You are unbound, have been since the beginning, unlike the...soon to be royal. Why's that?"

She, the assassin, thought for a moment. "Her Majesty...treats me better than I deserve," she said, and that was all.

Dogars nodded, running his tongue along his top teeth. His mouth remained closed, though, until he spoke to Rennera. "So you treat her well despite it being her who killed your husband? Yet, this random bounty hunter is being tied to a chair despite being your supposed betrothed?"

"I broke the assassin in," the queen replied. "She behaves the way I ask her to. My future king deceived me. I believed he was incredible for bringing back the girl who killed my husband. He was a fairytale character. He proved the other day that he is not what I thought. He is a great actor-" Better than you think. "-but I will break that trait down soon enough. In less than a week, all he will want to do is marry me."

Now it was the other present general, one from Eliaph, that spoke up. "Sounds risky, Your Majesty. A bounty hunter who managed to bring in an assassin? If I were you, I wouldn't have unbound him."

"You live by fear?"

At this, Sir Guard could have laughed. Only the food occupying his mouth stopped him.

A hypocrite, he thought. The queen was mocking a general for being scared when it was her who was terrified. She wouldn't be having this dinner to prove herself if she weren't nerved by the rulers of the lands.

"I live cautiously," the Eliaph said. "Intelligently. You would be wise to do the same."

"In Harcose," the prince whispered to Leera. When she gave him her full attention, he continued. "I came from Harcose. My family was granted a lake by the lord of our region, but because we weren't allowed to plant more trees, hawks and eagles were stealing the fish we bred and sold. I became a bounty hunter as a last resort as we couldn't afford the lord's rent prices."

Leera's eyes had grown wide halfway through the made up back story. "I guess you only needed time, huh? To come up with a story?"

"Food, actually." He smiled. "I only came up with it just now. The general- not the one who just spoke, but the other one- comes from Harcose. I could tell by the patch on his clothing. Anyway, that's what you can tell the queen. Is that all she asked for?" Leera nodded. "Good. Good, that's settled. Now I only have one other thing to worry about during this dinner."

"What's that?"

"See that man on the opposite end of the table?" Sir Guard nodded his head down the long dinner table Very end, not on the sides."

"Yes."

"That is my best friend, practically my brother. That is Dogars."

The assassin gave a small, delighted gasp. "The name you used in the story."

"Yes." The prince took another drink of water then leaned back in his 'throne'. "I'm surprised he hasn't launched a knife at me yet."

Leera blew a puff of air from her nose. "Sounds like a great friend." It was sarcastic. At first she'd been excited to meet Sir Guard's friend. Now he didn't sound so pleasant.

"He is. Dogars only worries for me. I have...large tendencies to throw myself in harm's way. This was the biggest toss." The prince looked the assassin in the eyes. "It's been a fine fall, one I would take all over again if needed."

She said, "You don't have to fall for me." Leera paused, thinking, Did he just confess he had feelings for me? "In fact, I encourage you not to. I'm more danger than I'm worth."

"You're right," Sir Guard said. "You are not worth a thing. That's why I poisoned myself to prove I was on your side, that I would never hurt you."

"I hate you for that," Her voice was soft, didn't hold any wrath behind it at all. Either way, the prince's point was across. She was worth everything, he was telling Leera. She still couldn't bring herself to believe he might have liked her romantically, though. It just seemed so impossible.

"I'm alive," Sir Guard returned. "Didn't know it would almost kill me." Then he admitted, "Even if I'd known, I wouldn't have done any differently. I deserved an almost death."

With a sigh, the assassin shook her head. "You'll never stop blaming yourself for what happened to me, will you? I shouldn't be a prince's concern, you know?"

"Why shouldn't you be when it was my fault?" He dragged a hand down his face. "Leera, I told everyone your name. You wouldn't be here if it weren't for that."

"I. Was the one. That gave you my name. That was my fault, not yours."

"You wouldn't have given it if I didn't-"

"Stop!"

The room went silent. All eyes were on the assassin, who was now standing at her seat, fingers flayed on the table. Her breathing picked up when she realized she'd drawn everyone's attention. Leera didn't mean to have an outburst. She just...she hated how much Sir Guard hated himself, how he blamed himself no matter what evidence there was against it. She wasn't mad at him for it. She was mad at whoever made him like that. Who blamed him in his life? For what? Why?

Leera swallowed. "Sorry. I'm so sorry, Your Majesties and- and generals." She sat without another word, stared at her lap with her chin tucked to her chest.

Sir Guard didn't say another word, afraid he might upset her again. He wasn't entirely sure what set her off. The prince still felt correct. He was to blame for Leera being here. He asked her for her name, and instead of moving on when she said she didn't give her name to people, he'd asked another time. Again and again, he'd asked, telling her he wanted to know the name of his hero. And when she finally gave, he spread it around like wildfire.

Of course, it was never Sir Guard's intention for it to harm Leera. He thought it would offer protection. She killed the King of Ecksthnie, and she escaped. Anyone would be right to be fearful of the assassin. But this wasn't what happened and it was his fault. He should have known what would happen, should have thought of every possibility. This was his fault. Nothing would change the prince's mind.

Rennera stood quite suddenly, announcing that dinner was over and everyone should return to their rooms. If anyone wished to know more, they could consult the guard standing in the throne room. If it required the queen's direct answer, they would be escorted to the queen's room, where they could consult with her at ease.

Dogars wouldn't go to the queen, but he would talk to Kastion. He needed to know what the hell had gotten into him, and what needed to be done. He'd go to his prince's cell tonight, even if it meant sneaking passed enemy guards without a weapon. He would get there. There was no choice.

******

Part 21 here

[amethystpath-writes]

A Gentle Blade Part 16

Part 15 here

You know, I was going to write more, but I'm pretty content with how this ended :)

TWs: drugged whumpee, manipulation

@tears-and-lilies

******

There was no doubt in Leera's mind that she was in a prince's company. Sir Guard had been so true, so sincere, so genuine. He even cried, and in the end, so did the assassin. She believed him full-hearted. And she wasn't upset, didn't hate him like he always thought she would. In fact, it made her admire him more.

There was perhaps a little pity in the mix. After realizing Sir Guard's story had been about himself, she felt terrible for him, felt terrible that he felt so badly about himself. He hired her because he couldn't kill a man. This wasn't why Leera felt pity towards him. It was the fact that he couldn't do what she knew everyone expected of him. He was a prince, raised to be cruel, raised to be vicious and willing to take out the enemy.

Leera didn't blame him for not being able to do it. Gods, even she hated to kill, even when it was sometimes entirely deserved. But the assassin wondered what the prince's people would take of him if he ever returned home- if it was ever revealed that he hired an assassin, then fled his own kingdom to help her because he simply felt sorry. How would they react? They certainly wouldn't trust him. This was why she felt pity. Because no matter what he did now...he was weak, weak in the eyes of those he was supposed to take care of.

He wasn't weak to her, of course. Leera found him to be very brave, very valiant. Perhaps if he weren't so empathetic then he wouldn't be in this situation, but not every prince was willing to take responsibility like he was. Then again, there was no responsibility to take on. Being an assassin was Leera's job. She was meant to be there for him in some sense. The assassin killed for those not willing to kill, and she did it within reason. Leera once told Sir Guard she only killed for the men and women wearing rags, or whose ribs she could see. Which, maybe he was a prince, and maybe she would have turned him down before he said a word if she'd known, but that was her lesson to learn now. It wasn't just the poor who needed a voice, but the generally suppressed as well. Not every prince was pampered.

Either way, Sir Guard wasn't to blame for anything. If she didn't think the king had any reason to pass, she wouldn't have taken the job. Of course, who was to say the real villagers of this kingdom were actually suffering? The prince spoke for his own kingdom when he claimed to be a villager of this one. But hey, Leera supposed it didn't matter how the king treated this country if he treated others poorly. In the end, he was still an awful man, one that no one but the queen missed.

***

"I'm not sure when dinner is, but the queen came down here shortly after you went to sleep," Sir Guard suddenly began to explain. He sat on the floor, no less a prisoner than she now. Leera still didn't quite understand what 'test' he'd mentioned the queen presented to him. "She gave me this," Sir Guard held up a small tin can. Its lid was still closed. "It's- uh- well I haven't opened it yet, but she said it would stop your lips from becoming infected." Leera could tell there was more to say by the way Sir Guard glanced up and down, at the wall and floor. His eyes would meet her face for the slightest of seconds before bouncing around again.

Leera only nodded, eyeballing the tin can. If her lips became infected, worse things could happen. She would trust that what Rennera gave would truly be to help her. After all, she needed to be presentable to whatever other courts would be attending dinner tomorrow.

Sir Guard scooted, with his bottom dragging on the ground, closer to the assassin, whose lips were always parted a little bit and swollen. He opened the tin can. The substance inside was...curious. He supposed it used to mostly be a cream, but now it was an amber liquid with just a few clumps of thickness. He and Leera both looked at it with caution, but as he looked up at her she nodded again.

He sighed and dipped a finger in before setting the tin down. It nearly ran down his arm so he asked, "Is it okay if I tilt your chin up a bit?" She nodded, and he put his free hand beneath her chin, just barely pushing up so that he could let the liquid from his other finger drip down onto her bloody lips.

Immediately, Leera released an agonizing scream, slamming her head into the wall behind her to get away from Sir Guard's hand.

"God, god, god. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Leera had tears running down her face, impossible to stop. Her nose stung, and her lips...she could never describe it, even if not for the pain in them. She cried, and she couldn't stop for as long as that Liquid Hell settled into her body. She swore her body was going numb, but maybe it was only because the pain was so immense that it was beginning to feel that way.

"I didn't know. Gods, I didn't know." Sir Guard felt something sick crawling from his stomach into his throat. It wasn't poison, the liquid, was it? He knew how to help even less if it was poison.

He left the assassin. He couldn't help her by just sitting there anyways. He took the metal tin closer to the torch in the room, observing it from the can and on his one finger. Sir Guard tried taking whiffs of it, but nothing. He thought to put what little bit was on his finger on his tongue, but decided that was a terrible idea.

There was a voice; the queen. "I thought I heard screams." The door to the large cell squeaked open as Rennera stepped in. "It took you long enough, my future king." She tutted, then continued, "I suppose it doesn't matter when the plan is first in play, as long as it is before our dinner, which it is."

You little conniving- There was still a dagger on his hip, the one the queen allowed him to have again when he brought Leera back that first day as a bounty. He could chuck it at Rennera, throw it harshly enough that it surely harmed her in some way. But what then? Sir Guard was sure there was a guard behind her somewhere. And if not it still made no difference. He couldn't pick Leera up easily enough then proceed to run up stairs with her.

Sir Guard weighed his other options.

It was only last night that he'd fully told Leera who he was, what he did. She seemed to believe him, but it was hard to tell seeing as she didn't- couldn't- speak. What if Leera didn't believe him and here the queen was saying he was part of Rennera's plan to hurt her?

But then if he blatantly sided with Leera, what would the queen do then? Sir Guard already figured out the queen's trick. Giving him a room presented a choice. Either he could abandon Leera and willingly become the next king, or he could reject the room and be imprisoned with Leera instead. He was foolish in taking the cell. Not because it meant being a prisoner, but because it meant he was no longer in any authority to help the assassin. In any case, Sir Guard was here now, as another dungeoned guest with no key. What would Rennera do if he rejected her for a second time?

He looked to the assassin, grounded on the floor, head still pushed against the wall. She looked more relaxed now, but her eyes were locked with his own.

"Leera," Sir Guard's voice was shaking. He willed it to stop so that he sounded more believable. He wasn't a part of the queen's plan. He wasn't. "I promise I had nothing to do with this. I didn't even know what this was." Was it a mistake to use the assassin's name? Would it have made any bigger of a difference considering he deliberately sided with her already?

The queen laughed. "Didn't know what it was and yet he still thought to smear it across your slaughtered skin? You lie for what, my dear?"

"Listen to me, please. I was skeptical of it, too, but she said it would help. I wouldn't have used it at all, despite my hopeful judgement of it, if you hadn't nodded. I wouldn't hurt you, Leera." But he had. He'd hurt the assassin dozens of times. If not by being the reason she was even here, then he harmed her when he bound her wrists, gagged her with rope, collared her. He hurt her when he pushed her to the ground and dragged her, when he knocked her down and collared her again before a hanged and long-dead king.

Without realizing it, Sir Guard placed the liquid-tipped finger against his tongue. His mouth watered and he swallowed before he collapsed, grasping his throat. Somewhere, at the same time he swallowed- or maybe it was when he fell- he heard the metal tin can hit the floor. Some of the liquid speckled his arms, but he barely felt it passed the immense burning in his throat and through his chest. Whatever the substance was, it traveled through him, clinging to every surface until he could barely breathe.

Even more barely than his breathing, Sir Guard heard Rennera call out to someone, somewhere, "Damn this fool. Get him some water!"

She yelled something else, but he couldn't tell what. He was in a bubble, a stinging, and somewhat numbingly tingly bubble of space. It wasn't colourful like the soap bubbles he liked to make so often as a little kid though. It was dark and it was closing in on him.

******

Part 17 here

[amethystpath-writes]

A Gentle Blade Part 15

Part 14 here

Oh ho ho. I've been waiting for this moment in this story for a looong time.

TWs: mentions of torture, self blame (if I miss any plz let me know!)

Tag List: @tears-and-lilies

******

Leera was made to walk back to her cell, still escorted, of course. Her lips had been cut, not her legs, so there was no reason she couldn't walk except for the fact she had been lying down for quite some time. Her legs were filled with lead, and they cramped, but if she was being forced to walk- like she was- she would manage.

The stairs were the most difficult thing. It was hard for Leera to know if she lifted her foot enough until she was catching herself on unsteady arms several steps above her.

Rennera paid no mind to her. That was typical of the queen. If she wasn't torturing Leera, she wanted nothing to do with her. At least she didn't ask Leera to apologize to the dead king again. The assassin tried not to think what would have happened if she'd been forced to apologize again. Her lips hurt enough that she'd hardly have been able to speak, but if they hadn't been, what would have happened when she apologized incorrectly?

It doesn't matter, Leera thought, because it didn't happen. She was happy to still have a voice in her mind. That was one thing the queen couldn't take. Leera couldn't talk to Sir Guard, but she could talk to herself. It was entertainment enough, right? Sir Guard only ever confused her anyways.

Yes, yes this was a good topic to think about. Sir Guard and the mystery he shrouded himself in. He was a specimen of curiosity to Leera. Most people she figured out easily; Sir Guard was not one of them. Although maybe she did know him. He admitted he was a prince. Leera just wouldn't accept that. It simply didn't make much sense. She thought about him, all of him that she knew.

First, Leera started, then was interrupted as she tripped on the last stair leading to the door at the top. Leera nearly fell into the queen, but Sir Guard thankfully jerked her back before it could happen. He wouldn't have done so with the extra guard behind him, but thankfully that guard remained downstairs to clean up. Leera tried to think he meant he was cleaning the dagger he used to split her lips dozens of times.

Leera continued walking, as well as thinking. First, he found me in the woods. She recalled that day too vaguely; it made her upset that she could remember it so barely. Either way, what she did remember was what he had said to her after he captured her. 'You may scream when I take you back to Her Majesty'. It was such a horrible thing to say, and Leera wondered how she ever came to enjoy his presence, to feel safe in it. That was one thing she couldn't deny now at least. The assassin felt warmer when he was near.

She thought harder. He'd collared her, walked her like a rabid mutt. Leera had asked him if he realized who he was working for. She remembered him calling her scum, but she also remembered how difficult of a time he had saying it. But then moments later-

Leera's body quaked as her foot fell down onto a step. She shook her head. How had they already passed the throne room without her realizing? It didn't matter. Nothing mattered when she was the queen's prisoner. What significance was there walking in a throne room when it only meant she was walking from her cell to a torture chamber or vice versa? It didn't.

But, the assassin soon realized, it does matter when the queen no longer walks in front of me. Leera walked herself now. She was alone, besides Sir Guard behind her, but he was invisible behind her back. To walk again, with no one in front of her, it was nice. It was freeing, even if it wasn't total freedom.

"Are you opening the door on your own or will you allow me to be a gentleman?"

Leera almost laughed. She wasn't sure how allowing a man to open a cell door was considered being a gentleman, but still she stepped aside and allowed Sir Guard to open the door.

He seemed to know what she was thinking, for he commented, "If it makes you feel better, I'm stuck in here with you. No key. We both leave at the queen's demand." Something seemed to strike him for a moment. He didn't move, but Leera could just barely spot his features tightening into what she only imagined was confusion. Moments later, Sir Guard shook his head and stepped aside with a soft apology.

The assassin stepped in, automatically walking to her typical spot of rest, the center of the right wall. She sat beside her various unused restraints, ranging from ropes and chains to collars and metal prongs stained with blood. Leera knew she could sit anywhere, or even move the items of restriction, but they reminded her of her strength. At one point, she cried at each of those things being used. She didn't now. Some might have considered her broken, and the assassin would have agreed, but broken didn't mean weak. So, she sat by her restraints.

It was difficult to pick her thoughts up where they left off before she came into the second staircase. She had been thinking of Sir Guard, but what about him at what point in time? Where had she left off in her memories? Leera closed her eyes until she could recall the last moment of her investigation.

Scream for the queen.

Collar.

Scum.

And then he admitted he hated the queen. That's where she stopped thinking.

Leera picked the thoughts back up and continued. She wanted nothing more than to figure out who Sir Guard was.

Why did he return Leera to the queen if he hated her?

Because he wanted to live, he'd told her. But what did that mean? How did returning the assassin mean life? Sir Guard was stuck here, with only the name 'Sir Guard' and 'my future king' used to identify him. He wasn't a guard, Leera knew that much. He seemed to have no interest in the job when he took it, and even now...

How did he ever come to care for Leera? Why had he gone from growling voice and shoving her to the ground to catching her before she fell? He was acting. He was pretending to be someone in order to ensure both of their safeties, but...Leera shook her head.

"You're thinking," Sir Guard said.

The assassin shook her head for a second time and rolled her eyes as if to say 'No kidding'. Then she held a finger up, a motion telling him to give her a few more moments for herself.

Who was Sir Guard? Why was he hiding his identity?

One small piece of her screamed, He's a prince! You already know it! But what was his business being here? He certainly wasn't the prince of this land, if he was one at all.

So the question was, assuming he told the truth, why was the prince of another land here after the death of the king? Was he hoping the queen would be poorer off and he could just swoop in and take control? Didn't he have a throne and crown at home to claim? And if he were a prince, why had he taken Leera into the queen? He hated Rennera; that much was obvious, but that just made it more confusing as to why he would have claimed to be a bounty hunter for Her Majesty. Why claim to do favours for someone you hated?

To gain entry, Leera concluded. Maybe he's not a prince, but a spy instead. A spy for a prince. Sir Guard's prince must want to take over the queen's kingdom. After the king was assassinated and word spread, the next obstacle became how to rid the queen. With the assassin caught, the prince couldn't find someone to hire to kill.

Now again more questions rose. Now that Sir Guard found Leera, what was the next step in his plan? He brought Leera back to gain entry, but how did that help anything? Unless Leera was in good condition, she couldn't do anything, couldn't help.

Maybe the spy's goal was to grow closer to the queen. He could learn her weaknesses and then it wouldn't matter whether Leera was okay or not. His kingdom could strike without an assassin.

What would his plan have been if he hadn't stumbled upon Leera in the woods?

There were too many gaps in the assassin's theory, but it was the most solid one she'd come up with so far. Sir Guard wasn't a bounty hunter, a guard, or a prince like he claimed; he was a spy.

Leera slapped the stone floor once, then twice to get Sir Guard's attention. He looked to her without pause. The assassin supposed he did have good posture, looked like he could be a guard, a general, even a king. But that was part of being a spy, wasn't it? Being able to impersonate anyone in order to gain information?

She pointed at him, them pointed at her own eye. Are you a spy? she was asking, but he didn't understand. She repeated the action. He still didn't comprehend.

The assassin sighed. If the floor were dirt, she could draw the question out with a finger. Instead, she opened her mouth despite having swollen lips. "Arr- oo-"

Sir Guard held up a hand. "Don't hurt yourself."

I wouldn't have to if you understood simple hand signs.

Leera moved on. She shrugged, then acted as if she were putting a crown on. After that, she took two fingers and walked them across the floor. Her eyes met Sir Guard's.

His face went nearly blank. He blinked and gave a small, frustrated laugh. "This would be so much easier if you could...well, talk." Leera hummed before he continued. "I'm just going to take a wild guess and answer with," he paused, trying to formulate a response. "The queen is preparing for her meeting. She said they will be here within two days. The majority of those involved began the trek here after the queen left. They probably want this to be over as quickly as possible."

The assassin gave a quizzical look. Pinched brows, squinted eyes, would-have-been pursed lips.

He elaborated. "The queen didn't put up a great show at her last meeting. She requested an audience here so she could show them the assassin who killed her husband."

You're telling me she called for a meeting in an enemy kingdom to tell them she would be taking over. Then she got flustered and told them that she had something to show them. And they agreed?

"It's best not to question a scary rumour," Sir Guard remarked, though he obviously didn't hear the assassin's question. He read her, as he always did. That's what spies do. "If someone told the kings and generals she liked to sprinkle sugar on her steak, they might call it odd and move on. But if someone tells them a woman hanged her already dead husband, they remain weary, and rightfully so."

But if she acted poorly in front of them, doesn't that discredit the rumours enough?

"She stumbled over her words, but she didn't fret in throwing a knife at an eastern general who spoke over her. Dinner ended shortly after and she left with no words but when she expected to see them again."

So she redeemed herself and now intends to over-redeem herself. She's trying to create a security blanket.

Sir Guard slid down the wall until he sat. He took a deep breath before saying, "I made mistake. Several. But I really messed up this time."

Again, Leera could only look confusedly at him. She hoped he was deciding to be less secretive.

He laughed again. He did that when he was aggravated. "She gave me a room earlier, before she...with you..."

Leera's eyes widened.

"No. No, nothing happened. Didn't even try to kiss me. Thankfully." The last word was gruff. "It wasn't a reward like she said it would be. I'm realizing this now." He sighed, put his head in his hands. "It was a test."

"Wha-mm." She groaned in anger. As much as her lips hurt, Leera still managed to forget it hurt badly enough that she couldn't talk. She hated it. Speaking to herself wasn't enough when Sir Guard was in the room.

"We're both prisoners now," he explained. "I never thought about the door," Sir Guard threw his head in the direction of the metal bars. "being locked while I was in it until I told you I had no key. Not that I ever had one before, but-" He shook his head and gave a big exhale. "I never had a choice before. My one and only job was to guard you. Now, though, now she's given me the option to be her king. I was supposed to take that opportunity. I have no choice now." His attention snapped to the assassin. "Not that I would ever marry her, but if I would have at least pretended that was my intention. Gods, I screwed everything up. And I'd tell Dogars, but he didn't even know-"

"Uh- ince?" The prince? Leera recognized the name as the the prince from Sir Guard's story. The prince, Dogars, was the one who hired a- wait. Dogars hired an assassin to kill an enemy king. Had Leera met with a prince? If she did, she didn't know they were a prince. Or maybe she did. The assassin made it a point to forget everyone she did business with, whether that meant the person who hired her or the person she was hired to kill.

Sir Guard's head dropped. "Still haven't accepted the fact yet, have you?"

The assassin shook her head.

"I hired you, Leera. I'm the prince in the story who hired a killer."

She swallowed. Breaths rushed in and out of from between her cracked lips as her head shook back and forth. It was the first time he ever used her name.

"You've recognized my guilt and I know you've wondered at why I feel guilty. It's you," he said.

It was becoming harder and harder to deny him. He was staring right at her, eyes unwaivering. She held a hand out, gesturing for him to come closer.

He obeyed, scooting so close that their knees almost touched. Now his gaze bounced. Sir Guard looked at the assassin's hands, which hovered in the air, waiting to be held, and then he looked to her eyes. When she nodded at her hands, he reached out as well and grabbed them lightly. Her hands were cold, but not freezing. They both felt hot, then.

Leera watched his eyes. Tell me again. Tell me everything.

"I-" Sir Guard didn't even know what to say. He tried to tell her he was a prince before. Not when she first guessed it because it was too soon, but when he felt comfortable enough he told her very blatantly what and who he was. She didn't believe it. Why would that change now? He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I'm here now, as I am, to make up for what I did. I- was foolish and I didn't think ahead. I know what living as a royal is like. I should have known how the queen would respond, how she would have to, but I didn't foresee it. I was so anxious to do what my people thought I should do that I simply didn't think. I-"

His head snapped in the direction of the door. He thought he heard something, like a door opening, or even boots on a set of steps. It must have been his nerves.

He continued. "I hired you to kill the king because I was afraid to do it myself. The thought of killing a man- good or bad- terrified me. So, when I heard there was an assassin roaming the lands, I had my best friend- emissary- track your movements. Furthermore, when I heard you would be stopping in the very kingdom I was in charge of taking down, I went there myself. I only knew you by your hood. You only knew me by the rags I wore. The people with me were trusted friends, disguised all the same to be villagers as I was."

Leera's hands were progressively heating, palms sweating, fingers feeling as swollen as her lips. Sir Guard's hands felt cooler now. The assassin couldn't tell if it was she who grew hotter, or he who grew colder. Perhaps it was both. Perhaps as she was genuinely listening, he was finally unloading all that he held back.

Both were experiencing something they needed since they had been imprisoned. Sir Guard was feeling relief; he was finally releasing all that he held in. Leera was feeling certainty; she was finally believing her guard, and he wasn't what she thought. He was no spy. He was the Prince himself.

"I'm sorry," he said after a long silence. "You being here is my fault. I should have been stronger than I am. I should have been able to do it myself. I should have been the one to have a scar on my face from a nail. Should have been the one collared and chained and humiliated. Should have been the one strapped down on a table and had my lips carved to say the queen's name. I'm the one who should have been her property-"

The assassin didn't know it was Rennera's name which was carved. The queen must have changed her mind mid torture session.

"-That's why I'm here. I deserve to be here. And you know what?" His hands were heating up again and there was a sniffle in his voice. Leera didn't dare look in his eyes. She wouldn't be able to stand the tears there. "I'm glad I screwed up this last time. Maybe staying down here with you will mean she'll turn her attention on me. She'll hurt me instead of you. It's what I deserve."

Leera felt her nose and eyes stinging. If her lips weren't so pained, she'd have sucked them into her mouth to prevent the spillage coming from the upper half of her face. A part of her always knew he was a prince, from the moment he told the story she asked for.

'Are you the prince from that story you told?' she'd asked him one day.

And he had replied 'Of course not. My name isn't Dogars.'

Dogars was his friend. He only used the name to cover up his own. It was there all along, even before he straight out admitted he was the prince. And she knew it. She just refused to accept it. Gods, Leera couldn't believe it. Hired by a prince to kill a king, now being praised by one as well.

She wanted so desperately to tell him, "This isn't your fault. This is my job. Please, please don't blame yourself for my life choice." She squeezed his hands, waited for him to look at her so they could take in one another's tears. He didn't deserve this. The fact that he said he did was what made him so innocent. Thank goodness she couldn't speak because for the first time, she thought, "I love you, Sir Guard. I've never been so glad to be in this cell because it means I have was given the opportunity to love you."

******

Part 16 here

[amethystpath-writes]

A Gentle Blade Part 14

Part 13 here

It's been a long while since I had a whump scene with Leera, but here we are.

TWs: Torture, mentions of death (of briefly mentioned character), mention of past abuse, nonconsensual touching towards end (brief mention), <-straddling ...(If I miss any lmk!)

Tag list: @tears-and-lilies

******

If wouldn't have mattered how long Sir Guard spoke; the queen wouldn't sleep until she hurt Leera. Rennera wouldn't say what she would do to her prisoner, but she did say Sir Guard wouldn't want to be there if he didn't torture. He would be there, whether he liked it or not; Leera wouldn't want to be alone. Or would she? Maybe she would be embarrassed if he were there.

It was too late to turn back now. Sir Guard was behind Rennera on the stairs to Leera's cell. If he turned back now... It would be cowardice to sleep in another room, away from the assassin who he was responsible for. He was the reason she was there. Sir Guard felt he needed to see Leera's torture, if not to make her feel better, then to punish himself.

"Knock, knock, my dearest assassin," the queen chuckled with high pitched hums. Sir Guard couldn't wrap his mind around the change in demeanor. Just earlier she had been talking about how she hated to hurt Leera, and any prisoner. She had just been talking about the abuse she went through, but now she was back to a sadistic torturer. How quickly she changed...then again, she had been silent the entire way from Sir Guard's room to the dungeons. She must have been preparing.

Leera whined like a dog preparing to be kicked by an abusive owner. Sir Guard had to look away from her before he did something he might have regretted more than what he'd already done. He turned his attention to the door, which he shut before taking up his usual space next to it. Sir Guard stared at the wall across from him. He hated that he couldn't plug his ears in order to stop hearing the assassin's harsh breathing.

"I have company in a few days," Rennera began to explain. "My conferences didn't go as expected so they will be visiting our great home. I'd like for you to be by my side." She spun on a heel to face Sir Guard. "You, too, my future king." He raised his brows. His lips parted, as well. Before he could say anything, the queen continued. "My assassin needs prepped in a particular way. I'm afraid you might coax my visitor's minds into helping you escape and I can't have that."

The assassin shook her head wildly. Sir Guard couldn't help but watch the panic on her face, the panic he ultimately caused. "I wouldn't. I won't. I promise I won't."

"Now, now." Rennera took lingering steps toward her captive. She bent at the waist, raising a sharpened nail to Leera's face. The assassin's eyes squeezed shut as she turned her head away in a series of small, nervous jerks. "You already agreed for our little session today. Best not to make it worse for yourself by begging, no?"

She nodded against the nail which barely touched her, but was still frightening nevertheless. Leera muttered a tiny, almost unheard, "Okay."

Sir Guard believed what all the queen had told him now. Even after the character change he witnessed, he believed her. She sounded evil, the way she suggested the assassin not beg, but it was that that Sir Guard caught onto, the piece that let him know Rennera really hated to hurt the assassin. She didn't want Leera to beg because that made it harder for her to pull through.

"Guard-" Sir Guard's attention snapped up if only because he was used to the assassin's nickname. He was fond of the name 'Sir Guard' now, though he felt bad that he never told Leera his real name. He almost did once before he came up with his best friend's name. "I need you to follow me. Bring the assassin. If she doesn't walk on her own, you drag her."

You're only saying that to prove your worthiness to your guard. But Rennera was a queen. Most people would have thought just owning the title would be enough. Sir Guard knew better. In some aspect he knew Rennera was doing the right thing, just as he had in some way; it didn't mean he liked her any more. He despised her as much as himself.

"Come, darling." The queen's black dress tailed her, dragging across the stone floor.

The other guard waited on Sir Guard with a bored expression. He quickly realized the queen was calling him darling. He shook his head, blinked a few times, and followed. It was difficult not to turn his head back to look at Leera who walked behind him.

"I can walk her," Sir Guard said, speaking to the man even further behind him than Leera. He turned his head just barely enough that he could see a little bit of the wall in his peripherals. It was safer Leera walk with him than the other guard. He seemed much more callous- certainly willing to drag her if she walked too slow like she nearly was.

"Her Majesty ordered me to walk her."

"She'll walk faster with me, and the queen hates waiting. I can hear her opening the door on the top step already. We're behind." He added. "And if you have not noticed, I am having to speak louder than I'd like because you and the prize are so behind."

To his surprise, it was Leera who responded. She gasped and the sound of footsteps ceased. "Please don't," she blurted and the guard behind her hummed in confusion.

"Keep walking."

"No, no, no. Please, you can't let him walk me. I'm going." But she wasn't moving.

"Walk. Now."

Leera continued to cry, unmoving on the stairs. What was she doing? Was she really afraid that Sir Guard would take over and hurt her? Was she scared of him now because he slapped her? She must not have trusted him anymore. Sir Guard reckoned he deserved it.

"Please," Her voice raised to a wail. Her body hit the hard stairs as the guard pushed her down.

"If that's not what you want, it's what you'll get," the guard said.

Then it struck Sir Guard. She was acting out because she wanted to be lead by him. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. It was that she did. Leera felt safe with him. Before he could smile, he gruffly demanded her, "Up, now. Let's go."

She scrambled passed him on all fours before standing and beginning to walk. She gave him no trouble, acted as if she were afraid stepping wrong would upset him. Her acting skills were coming along well.

The assassin turned her head once- before they could approach the queen- and mouthed a thank you, to which Sir Guard gave a long blink. He couldn't nod or else the man behind him would know something was going on.

Even if the queen didn't like hurting Leera, Sir Guard couldn't let her know that he cared for the assassin at all. If he showed that, Rennera would be forced to take action, and then neither he, nor Leera, would ever have a chance at leaving the palace.

Rennera tutted as she spotted Leera, then Sir Guard, and finally the other. "I don't suppose there were problems, my dearest assassin? It took you quite a while." She looked at her own dress, suggesting she should have been the slow one.

Sir Guard actually heard the assassin swallow. He said, "She only needed a little coaxing, Your Majesty. I think her fear in my presence merits enough as any amount of added punishment."

"Of course," was all the queen said in return.

The door was already open. Rennera stepped passed the threshold and the others followed her. Leera's harsh breathing was getting worse with every step. Sir Guard was afraid- but also hopeful- she would pass out before the queen could torment her.

He wondered what would happen if Leera did pass out first. Would the treatment be worse or better? It was hard to tell. On one hand- if she passed out- she wouldn't feel anything and it might be harder to tell when the queen should stop, so she might stop early. But this could also be the same reason that she hurt Leera more. Without the cries, Rennera might accidentally overdo it. The latter would be great for the queen, terrible for the assassin.

As the four of them walked across the royal rug of the throne room to another door and staircase, Sir Guard pondered further. This time, he thought about something the queen had mentioned earlier.

A hiccup in her meeting amongst the kings and generals of other kingdoms. They must not have believed she was worth her word and that was why she was so persistent now in fixing Leera up. It was an extra measure to assure others viewed her like her husband.

What did this all mean to him? Well, Rennera only ever referred to him as her 'future king'. He never had the confidence or preparation to tell her he didn't want to marry her. He would marry her if it kept Leera safe, or as safe as she could be. Sir Guard couldn't stop her from hurting, but he could at least be there to comfort her afterwards. If he refused Rennera when the time came, he couldn't be there. Maybe he could, but not in the way he needed to be. He would be no help to Leera if he was whipped until he was motionless and unconscious.

Sir Guard wondered what this next meeting would look like. The queen clearly had the intention of broadcasting Leera. How would he be shown though? Would Rennera demand he stay silent, be a puppy dog at her side to make her seem like a master of authority? Or would she expect him to be as evil as she was to Leera?

A door opened. The queen and crew flooded in. Two torches alongside the same wall as the door lit the room with flickering light. Various wooden tables scattered the open room, each with different...supplies on them. Most of which were metal. Most of which were stained various shades of red. Sir Guard felt as if one of those tools were pinching his lungs. He swallowed.

It felt selfish to think that he couldn't stay and watch. That feeling of selfishness was what made Sir Guard stay though. He needed to be here, in this...this Torture Room for Leera. And anyways, what kind of future king would he be if he couldn't stand to see prisoners like this?

I'm not this kingdom's future king. That's what he wanted to think, what he'd even say to Leera when she mentioned it at one point in time.

In all reality, or as reality spun on, the thought more or like became, I am the future king. I have to fill the old king's place. Not fully, of course. He could do as Rennera did; make the orders for guards to hurt the prisoners. But what if all of the prisoners are innocent, or they were forced into doing something?

Now again he thought of Leera. The assassin wasn't forced to be an assassin. From what he gathered from her poorly secreted self was that her father was taken prisoner and- as opposed to only being tortured- was killed while in captivity. Sir Guard assumed Leera became an assassin out of her own good will. She admitted she didn't kill for just anyone. 'I don't kill for people with overloaded bellies. I kill for the people whose ribs I can see, or can't see due to the loose fabric in place of skin' the assassin had said days ago. All in all, Leera wasn't forced to be an assassin, but even then she did the job only when it was fitting for the rest of society. Sometimes it backfired, like now as she was being wrestled onto a stone table. Sir Guard hated himself more than ever.

"I'll keep this simple," the queen practically announced.

Sir Guard couldn't tear his eyes away from Leera. She wasn't looking at him. He wondered if she hated him as much as he did himself. The assassin said before that she didn't hate him, but it was hard to believe, harder to believe than the queen actually being a semi-decent person.

"My future king has had many issues with you before, with your complaining and whimpers. So," She said the last word sharply, suddenly. "I have come up with an idea. I will use- hmm..."

Rennera moved on from the stone table to the nearest wooden one. Sir Guard still watched Leera all the while.

The assassin was held still by thick leather restraints bolted and strapped around the table. There was a seemingly new addition to the table. Sir Guard could tell it was new only by the fact it had no dirt or grime adorning it. It was a...a metal bracket, Sir Guard thought, and it was movable. By the looks of it, it was split in the center and pushed aside when not in use. However when someone lay down on the table, both sides were pushed together and locked in place on either side of the person's head. But why restrict the head?

As if on cue, the queen inhaled and released the breath with a sharp squeal as a shing- as well as some loud clunks- sounded throughout the room. Sir Guard's eyes finally left Leera to see a sharp short dagger glinting in the torchlight. The queen handed it off to the second guard in the room, the non-future king.

Rennera said to the guard now, "You'll cut lines in her lips- vertically. She won't give you trouble. Thank Bliss for new inventions."

That's why, Sir Guard thought mournfully. The torture would be done to Leera's mouth, and therefore her head needed to be as still as the rest of her body. It made him feel sick.

The other guard didn't waste a moment, already trying to figure out the easiest way to complete the task, which he didn't seem to mind doing at all. Sir Guard hoped he was only as great of an actor as everyone else in the room. He doubted it.

"Can I-" The guard gestured to the table, or Leera.

"Whatever will make this a speedy process," the queen answered, and the guard nodded, climbing on top of the table and straddling the assassin, looming over her with dagger in hand.

Leera tried to look away, but cried out as the metal brackets must have dug into her scalp. Sir Guard imagined there were spikes being driven into her head. He swallowed, watching, not saying a word- though he had many he wanted to say. The table was small enough that climbing on top was entirely unnecessary. The queen must have known this. Why did she agree? Sir Guard tried to think hopefully. Perhaps she is only trying to please her guard. Word will spread of cruel treatment of prisoners, but great treatment of the Guard.

"Get off of me!" Leera screeched at the man. "Get off!" She tried bucking her hips if only to knock him off balance, but his knees were well planted on either side of her and he only chuckled at the motion.

Pig, Sir Guard thought disgustedly.

Rennera said as Leera continued to protest, "Grab her mouth at the joints of her jaws."

The man followed instruction and Sir Guard quietly cursed himself. It was he who had done that and the queen caught onto it, using it to her advantage.

Every moment grew worse. Leera screamed and cried, begged between individual slices of skin made by the blade. Sir Guard wanted nothing more than to scoop her off of that stone table and carry into the very woods he found her in.

He considered what would have happened if he hadn't brought Leera back to the queen at all. Could they both have been free? No, of course not. The reason he brought the assassin to Rennera, he knew all along, was because there was no chance of freedom as long as Rennera wanted the assassin. The whole reason he brought her back was so that he had enough time to learn how to reason with the queen and convince her to release Leera. Nothing had changed. This was still the goal. It was just becoming slightly difficult now with the meeting of kings and generals coming up so soon-

No.

A thought struck Sir Guard. Rennera already stated he was to be at the meeting- most likely it would be a conversational dinner. What would happen if he was recognized by the others? The queen thought Sir Guard as only being a bounty hunter. She had no idea it was an act, one used to fool her into keeping him around. He refused to be Leera's guard at first only as a 'playing hard to get', though he didn't expect it would make him worthy of being her next king. Either way, to Rennera, Sir Guard being her king would be the first time he had experience with royalty. It wasn't, and that's why this next 'conference' as she called it would be so dangerous.

******

Part 15 here

[amethystpath-writes]

A Gentle Blade Part 19

Part 18 here

I lied. The dinner will be next chapter. In the meantime, enjoy the tension pre-dinner.

@tears-and-lilies

******

"Have you thought up a new plan, Your Majesty?" Sir Guard only said it to prevent himself from acting gleefully when he saw Leera behind the queen. She was okay. She wasn't limping, wasn't groaning or moaning in pain. The assassin was okay.

Rennera ignored him, telling her walking captive, "You will walk over there, take the seat beside my future king and you will not utter a word until our feast has begun." Sir Guard watched the assassin make a confused look. He wondered what it meant, what the two discussed when the queen left him here.

As she spoke, the queen scanned the table. She bit her lip then said further to Leera, "If there should arise a time that my company speaks to you directly, you are to only say things that will be in my favour. If-"

Leera paid no attention, Sir Guard could tell. She met his eyes and they remained locked there.

Both parties of the stare felt relief. Both were a little more at ease seeing the other unharmed, or at least for the most part. The prince's hair was still wet from when Rennera dumped a tankard of water on his head. He was still adorned with the gilded rope, still uncomfortably tied to the chair he sat on.

On this note, Sir Guard broke the two's eye contact, looking at the assassin's free wrists, ankles, throat, any and everything that could be decorated with chains, rope, leather, or shackles. Leera was entirely free, so why wasn't she attacking? Only her lips had to be sore right now. Sir Guard figured maybe they tortured her while he was unconscious from the poison, but...Well, the assassin walked fine. There were no winces, no gentle touches to sensitive spotted bruises, no signs of complaint. Leera was perfectly fine, except maybe her lips. She hadn't spoken yet, and she was still at the other end of the table so Sir Guard couldn't tell if her mouth was still pained.

He glanced at her eyes again only to see hers had never left his own. It suddenly became very clear why she hadn't tried to leave already. A part of Sir Guard naturally assumed it might have been because she was out of practice, unsure if she could successfully take anyone down. This wasn't it, though, and he knew that now in her gaze. Leera wasn't going to leave him. The prince didn't deserve her- in whatever way he had her. The two weren't an item. He didn't think so anyways. Either way, Sir Guard didn't feel worthy of her friendship- or whatever it was they shared.

"Go. I told you to sit." Leera nodded at the queen before walking around the other end of the table, coming to Sir Guard's side where she eventually sat. They didn't look at each other now, and they wouldn't dare do as such until there was a distraction.

The queen tutted. "That won't do. Guard," The prince's attention snapped up to her and he shook his head.

He wasn't a guard, not anymore. He had no need to respond to that word except by Leera's mouth. Sir Guard, he thought to himself and almost laughed aloud.

"How many generals will there be?"

"Only two, Your Majesty. Then two kings and a..." The crooked guard who straddled Leera and taunted Sir Guard searched for the correct word. "An emissary, of sorts, I suppose."

"An emissary? What king is so cowardice that they'd send an emissary my way?" Rennera dug her nails into one of the decorative chairs around the table. She was still at the other end, but she was making her way to the head seat of the table now. All of the chairs were noble looking, with their brightly coloured fabricated cushions. They could almost be considered thrones. The queen's guests will sure feel welcomed, the prince thought.

"Thharewood, my queen." Crooked answered. "Their king is sick, has been for weeks now. The journey would surely kill him."

It took all of Sir Guard's might not to react. Thharewood. That was his home, his kingdom. He swallowed, listening.

Rennera took her seat with a hum. "Has he no heir to send away instead of an emissary? I feel offended."

Sir Guard swore he could feel his heart beating out of his chest. His hands were becoming moist with sweat. Despite his efforts not to, his eyes darted around the room. He looked between the empty tankard on the table in front of him, to the table itself, to the queen, and to his lap. The prince shifted in his seat, readjusting his shoulders against the chair and beneath the rope.

"The only heirs are a missing prince and two young princesses, Your Majesty."

"Missing prince, you say?" The queen admired her nails. Leera looked to Sir Guard; he felt her gaze like a soft whisper on the back of his neck. He never told her he had siblings. "I wonder what happened." Rennera hummed, letting Sir Guard know she didn't truly care. He felt relieved.

"Some think he drowned in the floods in the western valleys," Crooked explained. "Others think he killed himself after finding the lover he was meant to run away with dead in the woods."  After a long awkward pause, he finished, "That is all I know of the matter, Your Majesty "

The prince scowled for two reasons. The first was this; he didn't know there'd been floods in the valleys. The seasons must have been changing again. It seemed like a quick change, and if people believed he died in those supposed floods, that means surely enough people suffered that the rumour was believable. Sir Guard wished he could have been there to help. Was it better to help one person through misery you caused or help many through a natural disaster? The prince felt more guilty than he already did for suggesting the former. He moved on from that, giving another reason to his scowl. This was that people believed he had a lover, even more so that he would kill himself for said lover. Sir Guard never took up lovers. It was too dangerous. Loving anyone meant putting them at risk. The world was filthy and enemy kingdoms liked to hold ransoms. No, he didn't have a lover.

Who would have guessed the prince went missing to punish himself for a silly mistake he should have known not to make?

"Two generals and an emissary," the queen said. She laid her head in her hands, elbows on the table. Rennera was thinking.

Does she not have a plan? Sir Guard wondered. The queen sure as hell couldn't tell everyone they were lovers, not if she intended on keeping him tied up like this. And he knew Rennera wouldn't release him. She didn't trust her future king not to do something, anything. Maybe the queen feared he would try to kill himself again.

The prince shook his head. He hadn't meant to almost die. His liquid tipped finger had so little on it that he thought it would only hurt, and he deserved to hurt for everything he put Leera through. Of course, putting the poison on his tongue was also proof of allegiance. He was so afraid Leera would think he sided with the queen that poisoning himself was the only way he could think to show he only wanted to protect the assassin. But, he knew if Leera had been able to say she believed him, he still would have consumed the poison. Again, he deserved it.

"-should stay in that seat. He is the future king, Your Majesty."

"Hm, I suppose you are right."

Sir Guard was thinking long enough to himself that he missed what the queen had been saying.

"Bring four wooden chairs then, instead of five. Two for the generals, one for the emissary, and one for my dearest assassin."

"Yes, my queen."

Wooden chairs? Two other guards in the room were collecting the throne-like chairs and dragging them away, while Crooked left to fulfill the queen's demand.

Two for the generals and emissary. Sir Guard had been so impressed that Rennera would be treating her guests nicely, all like equal royalty. Now, though...There was no way she had a plan, unless it was to piss off the generals and non-royals. Well, Dogars won't care. The prince's friend would expect it from this kingdom. The generals, though, would be quite offended at seeing how they were thought of as servants, rather than political icons.

His mind whirled back to Dogars. He never thought about his father assigning his best friend to do political business in his absence. If he'd have thought about it, Sir Guard would have actively hoped the king of Thharewood wouldn't do that. It wasn't that Dogars couldn't handle himself; it was that politics were terrible. No matter what you did or said, you were always doing the wrong thing. And to be in a meeting with so many other kings and generals, there were bound to be more mistakes than there were against just one person.

And what would Dogars do when he saw his very own prince tied up in golden rope, in their largest enemy's palace? What would he do when the queen said they were betrothed? How would Sir Guard respond?

Double-edged blade, my ass. This was an infinitely-edged blade. It was a sphere made of needles and everyone would be tossing it to one another tonight.

Crooked returned with the wooden chairs. Leera stood completely on her own, without the queen or the guard's instructions. Crooked had smiled at her, one side of his mouth lifting while his nostril flared. He set the chair down and the assassin took her seat as soon as possible.

Rennera commented, "Look how great my dearest assassin is behaving." She sighed. "I might actually let you eat a full meal today." Leera said nothing.

Soon after, a guard opened the dining hall doors, telling the queen that representatives from Eliaph, Harcose, and Termine had arrived and were directed to guest rooms before the dinner.

No Dogars yet.

Just as he thought it, the message delivering guard said, "The emissary from Thharewood was spotted a village away and should be here soon. Would you like for the others to be escorted to this room now, Your Majesty?"

"Not yet, but I do need you to take my assassin and have her bathed. She may choose whether she bathes herself or has a female servant do it for her." Rennera looked over to her two captives, "And Leera, dear, make it quick. We have little time, but I will not allow you to insult our guests with your stench."

"Might as well have our cell cleaned, as well. You are lucky neither she or I have become sick from the close living proximity of our own bodily waste." If he weren't restrained, Sir Guard would have taken a fake sip out of the tankard in front of him. "Not to mention I need a bath as well. You do a poor job taking care of other humans. I hope you don't intend on having any children." He heard Crooked take a step in his direction. The prince smiled as Rennera motioned for him to stand down.

"Very well. Send a servant to the assassin's cell and have it cleaned." Then, "Be sure my betrothed receives warm bathing water."

The guard who came in about the representatives began walking over to Leera, who stood as he approached.

Sir Guard didn't stand, not only because he was still tied down, but because he wouldn't have stood yet to begin with. "And for Leera?"

Laughing, the queen said, "She will get what is most easily accessible."

"I want her to have the warm water. Give her mine." He said this to the guard standing behind Leera.

"Excuse me, you are in no position to make demands," Rennera said, and her voice edged on anger.

He turned his gaze to her. "Well I know my arms and legs aren't heavily available," He wriggled beneath the rope for effect. "But my mouth still works. I think that's position enough."

It was fascinating to watch the queen's face twist in aggravation. He couldn't tell if she was acting or if she was really becoming irritated. Perhaps both.

"If you continue to be smart, I'll have you gagged again."

"Gagged?" It was the first time Leera had spoken since she came into the room. All attention went to her. Her eyes were wide, as if she were shocked and scared of her own action. Nevertheless, she continued, "You never said you gagged him, or that you would do it again." The assassin spoke slowly, and Sir Guard finally took the time to notice that her lips were still swollen, but much less than they were before. They looked more healed, but by Leera's slow speech, he could tell they were still sore.

Crooked stepped forward and this time the queen didn't stop him. His hand fell on Leera's shoulder and she stiffened.

"There's no harm in what she just said. Leave her alone." Tensions were becoming too high if Leera was getting thrown into the mix. Sir Guard decided he needed to mellow out, stop antagonizing if only for the assassin's sake. "I'll keep my mouth shut. Just don't...don't do anything to her. Please." He'd been trying to make the queen angry with him, not her.

The guard didn't release Leera until the queen nodded. "If either of you act out again, I promise that you will regret it." She hummed. "And if that isn't enough to convince you, think about each other." Rennera smiled, and Sir Guard could imagine venom dripping from her teeth.

Sir Guard opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again. It was a simple question, a confirmation, but would she hurt Leera for it if he asked? Now that he thought about it, he had two questions, not one.

"Go ahead. Speak, my future king." He hated that endearment.

"You'll give her clean water?"

"Of course. It'd be exhausting if she got an infection somewhere or became sick."

He nodded, waiting for further permission to speak, so as to not harm Leera. Rennera urged him to go on. "I want to know what is allowed versus what is not ahead of time. You got upset with me for being 'smart' though you never explicitly said I couldn't. What are our limitations?"

This made Rennera think. "My dearest assassin knows her limitations already, I trust?" Sir Guard turned to see Leera nod. She took a deep breath as she did so. "So it is only you who is unsure."

The queen went on to explain that Sir Guard was only allowed to speak to 'my dearest assassin', unless Rennera specifically addressed him to speak. That meant if a guest asked him a question, he was to remain silent until prompted by the queen. He wasn't to complain about anything, even if someone asked what he disliked about his stay. Sir Guard doubted he would receive this question once they saw him wrapped in rope. They would know his stay was involuntary.

***

The assassin finished bathing and dressing quicker than the prince. This fact was mostly due to the fact that she had old and cold water. She believed it was regular temperature for some time, but they'd made her wait to get in until they found her change of clothes. The water was freezing by the time she slid in. Having said that, she slid out just as quickly. She wanted to wait, just stand in the sunset-lit room, but guards and servants ushered her out as soon as she dressed. Leera sat at the dinner table for nearly fifteen minutes alone with the queen and her new personal guard, alone, before Sir Guard finally arrived.

During her wait, Sir Guard had a very pleasant experience- physically. Otherwise he felt miserable knowing some rough handed servant was probably shoving Leera's head beneath the water to rinse it through. They were probably half-waterboarding her. All the while he got to lay in a tub, in a room, all alone. His guards waited outside...He had to shake himself of the terrible thoughts of Leera's treatment. Rennera had told the two that unless one misbehaved, the other was safe, and Sir Guard had been civil while he was escorted to his bathing room. There was no reason Leera would be in pain, only possibly cold from unwarmed water.

When Sir Guard walked into the dining room, he noticed Leera already sat in her seat. She looked at him, looked down, up, down. Was she apprehensive of him? Why? Nothing was different about him except that his brown hair- which likely looked black before- was perhaps a bit fluffy. He wore royal clothing instead of rags. Other than those two things, there was nothing even relatively shocking.

The prince peered behind himself, thinking maybe- just maybe- Leera had been nervous about something else. Maybe a guard was about to knock him on the head so that they could secure him to the chair again without fear of struggle. But there was no threat behind Sir Guard. Another guard, sure, but she was no danger right now. Her face was stern, but it didn't scream 'I'm going to club you in the head with the butt of my sword'. What was the assassin anxious about?

Sir Guard sat semi-cautiously, expecting every one of the queen's Guard to launch at him with shackles and chains, gilded ropes and dirty rag gags.

They didn't jump at him per say, but with the queen said simply, "Restrain him," they wasted no time in grabbing either wrist and forcing them behind the throne dining chair he sat in. He winced as the bruises from before made contact with the edges of his seat once again. Sir Guard was thankful, at least, that they didn't gag him.

Soon after, the queen called for a guard to bring in the guests. Sir Guard never found himself praying before, but he did now.

******

Part 20 here

[amethystpath-writes]

A Gentle Blade Part 18

Part 17 here

In case anyone was curious what the queen went to do when she left Sir Guard, here you are.

@tears-and-lilies

******

Leera stopped her fighting with her chains very seldomly after Sir Guard was taken. That idiot! she screamed mentally as she jerked a shoulder in frustration. Why, in anyone's name, would he stick his bloody finger in his mouth?

The assassin had nearly tackled Rennera for bringing the metal tin of liquid death to her cell. It was the reason she was chained to a wall now. Leera never even noticed the metal ring in the concrete before. The one on the floor, she'd quietly observed, but not the one on the wall. She stood now, wrists shackled behind her, and a length of clangy metal levitating as she strained it as far out as it could go. Her eyes were focused on the door in front of her.

Sir Guard was somewhere beyond that door. Leera didn't know where, but he was somewhere in the palace. That's what the queen said at least. The assassin didn't know where. Was there a hospital wing? And if there was, was Sir Guard allowed in it? Sure, he was the future king, but if what he said earlier was true then he was more prisoner than fiance. He would receive the barest care, only enough to keep him alive. Wherever he was, Leera needed to help him. He was living, but was he capable of doing anything on his own? The poison acted quickly. What if they didn't stop its spread? He could be paralyzed.

On another note, Leera thought of her lips. They still hurt, but not nearly as much as before. It was true that the liquid was brought to stop infection. It burned like hell, but that was the point, to kill off any infection in the cuts. That wasn't to say it was meant to be consumed. That's when it became deadly, and that's why Leera felt so, so ruffled when Sir Guard decided to place it on his tongue after seeing what happened with her lips.

Thinking of her lips still, she thought, I wonder if her name really was carved. Even if it was, it wouldn't show. If they'd carved a word or name into, say, Leera's arm, the scars would heal up nicely, would say exactly what was originally carved. Lips were different, though the assassin didn't think it was Rennera's intention to have her name well known on her lips anyways. The queen said what the purpose was. She didn't want Leera speaking during the dinner.

Dinner is today. Another rare occasion arose where Leera stopped her struggles against the chains. Maybe that's where he is. Sir Guard must have been forced to prepare something for the dinner. Perhaps the queen was having him dressed. He was the future king. He needed to look like it.

Leera almost laughed, thinking of how un-kingly Sir Guard was. He was a prisoner, wasn't he? He'd been wearing the same old clothes since the assassin came to meet him in the woods. They weren't poor clothes, but they certainly didn't belong to a nobleman, or a prince.

Sir Guard probably hadn't bathed at all either. He never mentioned being able to when the queen took him out or anything. Maybe Leera should have known if he bathed. Surely the assassin could have smelled it, but she couldn't. After the queen forced her into a coffin with a dead man...well, she supposed that sense made itself forgotten.

The swing of a door sounded. Leera's attention snapped up and she snarled as the queen stepped in. She was thankful her lips were feeling better. They were far from healed, but they were better.

"My dearest assassin-"

"-ere is he!" Leera yanked on her chains, causing herself to jerk as she was at her end. She would throw her shoulders out of place if she continued, but she didn't care.

Before the assassin had time to take in the movement, the guard in her cell launched at her, squeezing her cheeks together and causing a new pain to rise in her lips. Almost immediately, she melted at his silent command, letting her chain slacken to the floor. The guard followed her back until she met the wall.

He smiled. "You'll treat Her Majesty with respect. If you are to speak at all, you will address her, not talk to her like she's some commoner on the streets." The guard squeezed her face in one quick motion, then threw her head to the side.

"I don't need your interference," the queen said. "Get out."

"My queen? She's an-"

"I know what she is. I captured her, didn't I? My dinner is tonight, and I want her to be ready. You won't be by her side while we eat, so why should you be here now? Go watch my future king. Out."

The guard nodded once, darting passed the queen without another word. Leera felt relieved of any fear, but she still felt an anger rising in her. Now that the guard was gone, she didn't feel like holding back anymore. Yelling was the least she could do. If Rennera came closer, Leera would...what could she do?

Chains would be helpful if they were in front of the assassin, but they were behind her, unfortunately. There were the ones on her legs. If Leera managed to knock the queen down, maybe she could throw her legs on either side of the queen's neck. The chain would nearly strangle her. Leera could demand her answers.

"Leera!" The shout was gentle, more of a panicked whisper. Rennera was a head away from the assassin.

She looked at the queen's feet, not so far away from her own at all. Leera took in the short chain between her ankles. It would do the trick. Falling was quick, so if she knocked Rennera down then she would have to act fast. There was no way to knock her down with her head facing Leera though, not with as short of a chain as she had, and not without her hands. It was a faulty plan.

"I need you to listen to me, Leera." It was now that the assassin realized the queen called her by her name. That never happened. Leera was always 'my dearest assassin'.

Leera waited. What was she supposed to say to the newest change? It was larger than abnormal. Sometimes the assassin forgot she even had a name. It wasn't until Sir Guard used it last night and the night before that she remembered. It was bittersweet. In some aspect, it was nice to be reminded that she was human, that she was something other than a doll to scratch up and throw around. On another, it reminded Leera of her one and only mistake; sharing her name. She was an assassin. Names were supposed to be hidden. Being nameless was the greatest security you could have as a well trained assassin. She gave that up to Sir Guard and when he shared it, it put her in utmost danger

"Tonight, I need you-"

Leera's calm and cool fell away from her like a light cloak. "I -on't oo anything until yoo-" She took a deep breath. Her mouth stretched too much with some of the letters. For the most part, Leera could avoid moving her lips. Thankfully, the queen decided not to cut out her tongue all those days ago. "-ere. Iss. He."

"I am trying to help you. If you would just let me spe-"

"Helpuh?" Leera shook her head. Then, without thinking, she threw her shoulder into the queen's, knocking her back.

Rennera's jaw fell as she regarded the assassin. She took several cautious steps back. "Walk towards me," she demanded.

"Scared?" One side of Leera's mouth quirked up, and she didn't care that it hurt. Maybe if it began to bleed then the queen would bring more of the poisoned liquid. If the assassin was calculated enough, she could kick the tin, splashing some of it onto Rennera's tongue.

"Not scared," the queen said coolly.

Leera didn't believe that. Rennera wanted her to step forward to lengthen the chain as far as possible so she knew she couldn't be hurt.

"Intelligently cautious. You are an assassin. I was stupid to think I could come so close to you without you acting out."

"Assassins aren't an-ani-muh-mals." She hated not being able to say the most common of words. She worked them out through gasps and pain. "Though -efore I nuh-aim was released, they called ee Cat." It was impossible to sound intimidating with all of the half words and quick breaths between struggled speech. "Kiet, kick, and deadly. Ne'er saw ee, only the oudies I le-lefft."

The queen ignored the assassin's broken speech. She'd only understood bits and pieces anyways. Something about a cat. Quiet, quick, and deadly. Bodies. It was sad how little Leera could say without effort.

Rennera asked, "Will you let me help you?"

"Oar reh-diculous."

"Ridiculous? That's what you call kindness? Leera-"

"Duh-on't use m-aye namme."

The queen bit her lip. She threw a hand towards the cell door, which was left open. Rennera didn't have the key on her. "I am not sure what connection you and my future king made down here, but it needs to end. For both of your sakes." Her hand fell to her side again.

"You d-don't care," Leera took a ragged breath. "You don't care ab-bout him. Or me."

If Leera's lips weren't so obviously maimed, people would have thought she was crying. It's what it sounded like by the way she was talking. The assassin would never speak like this in front of anyone, but Rennera...Leera needed to find out from the royal woman where Sir Guard was, if he was- or would be- okay.

"Maybe I don't care personally, but I do..." Rennera's lips disappeared between her teeth. She released them with a breath. "I don't know you or my future king. I have no idea about your past stories, and I do not care to know them. But," She said this with certainty, "I care that you are taken care of. I- I shouldn't be telling you this. Why am I doing this?" The queen began to pace. Then, "One moment!" She lifted her dress and took off out of the cell.

Leera could hear her running up the stairs, but before she had any time to think, the queen was coming down again.

"If you mutter a single word of what I say now at dinner in a little bit, I will have to take action in front of anyone. As great as it would be for my image, I don't want to do that."

The assassin squinted at her, but she continued. "I don't like to hurt you and I don't- no, I do want that." Rennera shook her head. "I'm selfish," she said.

A mellowness settled into Leera's bones. She listened. Of course, this was all so much and she was confused, but she listened without anger.

"I torment you because I'm afraid if I don't then someone will hurt me." Her hands turned inward on herself. "Leera, you killed my husband and I don't mind that you did. A part of me is saddened because I hoped he would change so that didn't happen, but he...he wasn't capable of that change." The queen swallowed, taking the time to think of what to say next. Leera believed she was also trying to hold back her emotions. "I wanted to apologize to you for- for everything that I have done or have had done to you. You did what the people asked of you, and even if I don't agree with killing, I also don't agree with what I've put you through."

Not knowing what to think, Leera silently nodded. She wasn't quite sure she believed the queen. Everything she said was so...contradictory of everything else. Rennera said she didn't mind that Leera killed her husband, but then she had put the assassin in a dungeon and tortured her until she gave a 'real apology' to that very king. Then she said she didn't like torture, but Leera couldn't get a full sentence out because of the pain in her lips. Leera was lost.

"I know it sounds like...I might be releasing you. I'm not, and I am sorry for that, too."

"Wuh-aye are you saying this?"

"Because I feel badly that there's no other way. I have to hurt you, Leera, and I wanted you to know why."

"You'd get," The assassin very lightly licked her lips. They were chapping, and for some reason she didn't want them to bleed anymore, didn't want to carry out her plan from earlier. Her tongue dragged across slowly, sometimes sticking to spots. When Leera was done, she continued. "You'd get muh-ore support iff you let Suh-er Guard and I go. The people-"

"It is not the people that matter. Or maybe they do. I don't know. Loel always- nevermind. It means nothing."

Leera squinted. "Loel? Was that the king's name?" The question was slow, not because it was a question meriting caution, but because the assassin was still trying to ease herself into normal speech. She only wanted it so she could talk to Sir Guard.

"Yes."

The assassin nodded. "So the king is the reason you do what you do?"

"He was cruel and so I have to be."

Sliding down the wall to sit, Leera began to tell the queen that she didn't have to be her late husband, didn't have to fill those shoes, but Rennera was already stopping her from sitting. The assassin figured they'd be leaving soon.

"I'm going to give you the same choices that I gave my future king," the queen said. Her voice was cold again, no longer any inch of caring. "You can come peacefully to the dinner table, just you and I, or I can be a little more forceful. I can leave you down here until I retrieve my other guard."

Leera took a deep breath, considering her options. "Do I get to negotiate?"

"What are you thinking?"

"I want to sit next to Sir Guard."

Rennera burst out in cheerful laughter. The assassin had referred to her future king as that before, but she didn't quite process that was who she was talking about. She supposed her two prisoners did grow at least somewhat fond of one another if Leera had a pet name for him.

Out of morbid curiosity, and because she truly didn't know, Rennera asked, "Do you know his name? The bounty hunter's?"

Bounty hunter. Leera forgot that's what Sir Guard claimed to be to the queen. How long ago was it that he'd found the assassin in the woods and brought her back? She remembered it all in mental images shot from a play. The assassin thought of these moments often, the journey she had with Sir Guard. It seemed so far away that he took the job of guarding Leera. Somehow it seemed even longer ago that he told her he was actually a prince.

It was easier to forget he was ever a bounty hunter than it was that he was a prince. Leera knew it made sense. Being a prince was huge under an enemy queen's roof. It was a dangerous secret to have, and that's why she wished she could forget.

"You're not answering. It makes me think you do know."

Leera shook her head. "I don't."

The queen hummed, and Leera swore it echoed. "You don't." It wasn't a question. It wasn't a statement. What it was was a prompt.

"Are we negotiating or not?"

Rennera's brows rose. "You tell me his name and I'll let you sit next to him at this dinner."

"I. Don't. Know." As many times as Leera asked Sir Guard, he would never give a name. She didn't blame him. It was scary enough to know he was a prince and not slip up. If she knew his name as well...it would be so much easier to fess up. It was safer that Leera only knew him as Sir Guard.

As the queen was closing in, stalking towards Leera like she was prey, she squeaked, "Wait!" It didn't occur to the assassin that she launched at Rennera earlier without fear. The change in demeanor threw off everything. "You don't know your own future king's name."

The advancement stopped. "No," the queen admitted. "I never thought to ask until today. It never mattered until now."

Leera opened her mouth to speak, but was stopped as the queen had a realization, one that made the assassin loose a breath.

"He is not a prince! What should it matter if I have his name or not? Your 'Sir Guard' is a bounty hunter who couldn't even afford to live on the streets. He doesn't need a name. Gods, maybe he was never given one!"

Good. Good, good, good. It was the only word floating in Leera's mind. Not only did the queen not know what Sir Guard was, but she even eliminated it. For now, he was safe, but she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if the queen realized that Sir Guard was royalty. Would it change anything?

Yes, of course. Because if Rennera knew he was royalty, she could demand ransom.  A prince was worth more than a few coins. A prince was worth a crown.

"Okay, here's the deal," the queen began. "I will allow you to sit next to my future king if you agree to find something out about him. I expect you to have at least one detail at the end of the night. If you don't...well, that is something I will think about."

"You are asking an assassin to spy on your next husband?"

Rennera nodded once. "You will do it."

"You said I have a choi-"

"Not anymore."

Leera's face dropped. What was there to find out? "Can't you ask him yourself?"

"Of course I can. But it would be at your expense." The assassin gave a quizzical look so she continued, "I ordered my guard away. You are walking out of here unscathed. If I don't do something, or get something out of this, he'll suspect I'm softening. I cannot afford that."

"What information do you want?" Leera added, "If you think he doesn't have a name."

"Where he comes from. Tell me that and I'll spare you from any misery for a week. You will get a full meal and wine or whatever you would like to drink during that time."

"That's a large reward."

"I am in a lot of debt."

The assassin began nodding, and despite knowing she had no choice, she mumbled a small, "Okay."

******

Part 19 here