Emery, then, turned on her heels and started to away. Taking only a few steps, the king finally spoke. “Your accusations against them will be considered treason. To add up to that, you are still the prime suspect in killing the royal concubine. If you turn your back now without proving your innocence, you won’t be able to leave this place alive.” The assassin did not bother listening to whatever he had to say and still continued to leave. With her position as queen taken away from her, she had to pretend to leave the kingdom. She also needed to speak with the Arcana Heads to ask what shall be her next move with all the situations going beyond her control. “Your stubbornness annoys the hell out of me.” King Lawson, whose patience just snapped a few moments ago, grabbed Emery by the arm and dragged her into the tent. He strictly instructed the royal soldiers to make sure that no one would ever dare step inside the tent until he says so. Upon entering, Emery was a bit taken aback when
It was already night time but the grandest brothel house here in the Realgar Kingdom was very much alive like it was the peak of the day. Noblemen continued to enter with much anticipation but I cannot truly tell if it was because they were planning to rise against the king or if it was for the women who will soon serve them or probably both. It was a huge party to cover up the noblemen’s real purpose of gathering here in this pleasure house. Thus, it was also a chance for me to test my girls’ ability to gather intelligence without getting caught. Beneath the main brothel, I gathered the 10 ladies I had been training for four years now for their briefing before they would go out there and do their very first mission. “I am reminding you again that all you have to accomplish this night is to gather information regarding the supposed rebellion. Serve the guests with food, wine, sweet talks, lip service, and whatnot but never engage in sexual activities. I forbid you to be in that kind
"Listen, Emery." I could still remember how soft my mother's voice was as she spoke to me that one late afternoon when the fiery red and orange colors painted the sky while the sun was setting. The warmth of her hand that caressed my cheek still lingered as she looked at the distant horizon with a small smile. "It may be hard starting today but someday, you'll find joy in this mission of a lifetime," she said. I was not yet aware of how bad her condition was at that time because I was too young to understand things on my own. All I knew was her complexion grew paler as the days went by and I would always find her lying down on that bed in the lonely and almost empty room of our small house. On the day when the rain was pouring, I was holding hands with my mother as I sat on the edge of her already small bed. Her eyes were still looking outside the window as if she was waiting for something or
The people of Silex Kingdom had been worried for quite some time when they had heard of the rumor that their king was not welcoming a queen in his palace. Now that the war had ended and they experienced peace for almost two years when their new king was seated on the throne, they believed that the next heir would become just like the ruler who brought peace and security. Thus, receiving news about the king leaving the seat of the queen empty was rather bad news. However, on a day when the sun hid behind the cottony clouds, the kingdom of Silex rejoiced for their king had finally found a wife. At the gates of the royal palace, Emery Trigon was waiting for the cue of her entrance. As the daughter of the kingdom's prime minister, she was the perfect candidate to take the role of the queen, which she didn't like at all. Before stepping to the capital city, she believed that she will enter the palace as a maidservant because that was the perfect cover-up for her mission.
The next morning, Emery decided to tour the royal palace to familiarize herself with the place. Her maidservants gladly accompanied her even though she insisted to be alone. Wearing her white royal robes trimmed with gold that dropped down to her ankles and traced the slender shape of her hips, she secured her dagger on her thigh before leaving her chambers. It already became a habit for her to keep at least one dagger anywhere she went. "I've heard that the royal garden looks like a paradise. I want to see it in person," she demanded. The head of her maidservants, Lila, took the lead and guided her. Walking past a few halls, they reached the path adorned with flowers. Though they were not yet in full bloom, butterflies flew above them as if they were the prettiest of all. Just when the garden was finally in sight, Lila stopped in her tracks and started to get cold sweat. "Y-Your Highness, I... I think
Emery treaded with as much caution as she could as she hurried to the West Palace. It did not take her much effort to conceal her presence from the eyes of the palace guards which made her think twice about the security of the place. However, that was not her concern at the moment since she had to finish her mission as soon as possible.Meanwhile, the king was on his way to visit the queen at the Inner Palace upon hearing the news that she was locking herself up. He did not want to be involved with her as much as possible but if the ministers would hear about this news, they would start bickering at him for the nth time and it would be annoying. Thus, he was given no choice but to go and see the queen know the reason for her unreasonable tantrums.Lila, who heard that the king was on his way, told the other maidservants to never let the king inside the queen's chambers as per the wish of the queen herself. Upon leaving a stern instruction, s
When Emery and Lila arrived at the Inner Palace and were alone inside the queen's room, Lila knelt on the ground. "Thank you for saving my life," she cried. She thought that she wouldn't be able to see the next sunrise because the king seemed to have seen through her despite her cries. Her hands were still trembling with the shock of her near-death just a few minutes ago. Emery held both of her shoulders and helped her stand on both feet. She wiped off the tears from her cheeks and hugged her in return, a hug that told her she would never perish as long as she was with her. "I'm sorry you have to go through that," she apologized. Lila shook her head and told her that it was her responsibility to help her in her missions. And she knew that being discovered was something she must prepare herself for because it was a situation that she was not fully sure she could avoid for the rest of her life. "We only have each other inside the walls of this palace. We'll guard each other's backs,"
Before dawn, Lila was able to return without catching anyone's attention. She served breakfast to the queen just like she had always been doing and reported that the Arcana would not be able to adhere to Emery’s request because the other members were sent on individual missions. Thus, it was up to her to plan on what to do. Just when Emery thought that she'd be having only one headache to worry about that morning, Prime Minister Korun came to her doorstep and demanded to see her immediately. When he entered the chambers of the queen, he sat across her and looked at her with eyes filled with disappointment. "I know you have heard of the king and his concubine's trip tomorrow," he stated, shaking his head. Anger was very much obvious in his tone despite his voice being calm. And Emery immediately knew what he came for. "Up until now, you are wearing that veil and failed to seduce the king. And now, you still have the luxury to eat when tomorrow, he will be leaving the palace with his