by Billy Wong
"Father, how did your time with Lady Tilson go?" she asked softly.
The king's voice came out sounding old and frail, with none of the restored vigor she had wishfully imagined. "It was not unpleasant, but dull. As time marches on, much of one's interests naturally shift or fade."
"But you and Lady Tilson once made such fine friends. I'd hoped you would be happier with her visit."
His words took on a harsh edge, which while painful gave her a measure of relief there was still some spirit left in him yet. "You outrageous child, do you want for me to betray your poor mother? Unbelievable of you to invite her with such a transparent excuse as to see the renovations to the towers. Though I was tempted once by the lady's wiles, I yet did not give in even in the folly of relative youth. What made you think I might do so now?"
It impressed her how easily he saw through her. Even now he was so insightful, always a step ahead, but that wisdom which came with being a true ruler might soon be lost. She wasn't ready for that. "You know I love Mother, and would never want her to be hurt. But I'm sure being the great, selfless woman she is, she would understand in her heart. She is getting older, and you as a man..."
"As I said, a person's desires change with the passage of years. What seemed important to me in the past or seems important to you, may no longer do so. I would rather forgo some pleasures than risk hurting the woman I love."
She blinked, tears slipping from her eyes. "Father, you're such a good man and king. But..."
He patted her head. "Eleanor, I know you have long wanted a younger brother or sister. Yet not everyone, not even royals, can have the family they desire. I know how you love me and your mother, and you have a dear friend as close as a sister in Lynn. Is that not enough? Even if a younger child were to somehow be born now, you are already twenty-one. You are too old to have the typical sibling relationship you imagine with them, you would be more like an aunt or even mother figure should your mother pass. This is a dream you should learn to let go, for clinging to it will only lead to continued disappointment."
Elly swallowed. "But what if I should die before I can birth a child? Then our kingdom would have no heir."
"You will not die young. You are invincible, do you forget?" It took her a moment to realize it was a joke, and she laughed weakly. "Even if you are not completely invincible, I trust that fate and God will not be so cruel as to end our line with you. You are so strong, courageous, and smart. Provided you would stop pretending not to be, as I am sure you will in time of need, you are the only heir I require."
"But..." But the role of heir does not suit me, she didn't say. "You shouldn't overestimate the providence of fate or God, nor put blind faith in me being anything other than what you see. I would still easily give my life in defense of you or this nation, that is true. But even so, you don't understand what I've been through. I may be young in years, but I'm broken down and tired inside. You shouldn't stake everything on one me, when my shoulders which have borne so much might snap under any burden."
He raised an eyebrow. "You speak with such seriousness and candor, like you never have for years. Yet, I do not believe you. You would break? Your strength overflows from you, like an ocean crashing over sea walls in a storm. Even if you have suffered wounds that would kill others many times over and accomplished deeds to be envied by demigods of old lore, you are not spent and weary. Neither have you truly lost yourself as much as you portray. You are, and I say this with the utmost love for you, simply being lazy and seeking to escape your duties as heir. What is your end goal, for a younger heir to be born so you can relinquish your throne to them the moment I die, and probably allow a regent to rule in their place given their age? No, that is not acceptable. You will stop this nonsensical act of yours and again become the princess your mother and I can be proud of. I know you can."
Grr... but if only you knew what I know. She put back on the sweet, sugary voice that had become the norm. "Of course Father, I will definitely make you proud. But since the jewelry shop I sponsor requires attention, I'll have to deal with that and try out all the combinations I can make with my new clothes before getting back to my studies. Have a nice rest of the day!" She turned and skipped out of the throne room.
Chapter 5
After weeks of hiking, Celia and Edge neared the last village between them and her hometown. "Despite how hot you keep complaining it is," Edge said while they trudged up a narrow forest road, "it seems like that cloak makes for a solid disguise when you consider we haven't seen any more assassins."
Just the mention of them made her glance around nervously. "Luck has appeared to be on our side for a bit, but I wouldn't let my guard down just yet. That golem was able to locate us without even having seen us before, if the sorcerer who created it is looking for us it would be strange if he hasn't been able to find us again."
"That's true, I would've expected to see him by now. It was just a theory of mine that the Necromancer sent it after us. Maybe someone else made it and it wasn't looking for us at all, but we just happened to cross paths."
"And if that's so, will you think this was a waste of time?"
He shook his head. "Nah, it's been interesting traveling with a merchant girl for a while instead of the usual killing and training to kill in between. Besides, after helping you I'm a little hesitant about going back to my teacher."
"Will he be mad with you?"
"What do you think?" He laughed. "He's forgiven me before, eventually. Still, I don't fancy facing him right now."
"Maybe you should go back if you're close. I've found that trying to evade my father's wrath only makes things worse in the long run, and learned to own up to my mistakes."
"Are you saying it was a mistake for me not to kill you?" Edge asked.
"Well, no! It just meant if it's something he'll be angry over, it might be better for you to try and smooth things over instead of letting resentment build."
"But if I left now, who would bodyguard you and see you back to your home?"
Celia wondered if he liked her that much, or did it out of amusement. If the former, was it as a friend, or truly because of her "pretty looks?" No way could he be such a lust-driven person, she thought. He hadn't tried to assault or even actively attempted to seduce her. But were they really close friends, just by virtue of traveling together for scant weeks? She doubted his endgame was simply to kill her now, when he'd already had plenty of chances to do so. The possibility of him intending to worm his way into her family's graces and then supply information to their enemies remained, though. She still mustn't trust him completely.
"We're almost there," she said, "and there haven't been any attacks for a while. I can probably make it alone."
"Maybe so, but then how would I ask your father for a reward for keeping his precious daughter safe?"
She gaped. Was that his motivation all along? It seemed so simplistic, she'd dismissed it quickly when it came into her mind before. But he might have spared her initially on a whim, and somewhere along the line decided he didn't want to settle for not getting anything out of it. When they finished selling the plague medicine perhaps, or even sometime before that. "I don't know if it would be wise to expose yourself to my father. He might not take the most kindly to your story."
"That would be ungrateful of him. I think we can see eye to eye, though. From what you've told me he sounds like an honorable man, and men respect men. Heck, he raised you and we get along well enough despite you not being a man. You could have slaughtered me dozens of times while I was sleeping and didn't."
So he'd thought about that too. "It wouldn't be right. Though I'd think in some assassins' view, I would be soft for not doing so. Maybe my father isn't as soft as me."
"I'll take my chances. If I don't get paid somehow, I won't have a buffer in case my teacher doesn't forgive me this time."
She felt sympathy towards him for potentially getting himself in a bind, if he didn't have darker motives. "What if I paid you the money from
selling the medicine? That way you wouldn't have to risk my father's ire."
"But then you would get in trouble for losing your profit. I'll trust in my charm to make him see me for the gentleman I am."
"Might be your funeral." Celia shrugged. "But fair enough."
"If it is, you can put on my gravestone, 'Murdered unjustly by the father of the girl he saved.'"
"I'll do my best to keep you alive, if only to avoid having to do that."
They continued on, resting another night in the wilderness. As they topped a slope the next morning, they spotted through a light drizzle the outline of houses ahead. "Finally," Edge said, "we should reach town before noon. One more restocking trip and we should be set. Think we could stop for a moment in the inn until the rain stops? I'd like a chance to savor some strong drink and warm up."
Even in her burdensome cloak, she admitted she was getting cold and would appreciate being able to dry up. "I'm not opposed."
"You'll never get a chance," a voice said from behind her. Eyes widening, she spun drawing her sword just in time to deflect a heavy blow. Nonetheless she was caught off balance and sent flying from her feet, splashed down in mud. A hooded figure towered over her, large poleaxe in hand. "Fairly impressive of you to ward my strike, even if I did warn you. But your womanly allure will distort men's minds no more." He chopped down. She barely blocked, the impact still pushing the top edge of his blade down into her chest enough that she felt warm blood flow. "You are strong, and fight valiantly for your life." As he pulled the weapon back and she attempted to sit up, his boot slammed into her mouth. Her lips tore, and a hot, salty taste covered her tongue.
"W-who are you, and what the hell?" she asked, vision wavering. Strong kick. "Did you wait until we were just outside town before attacking?" And why wasn't Edge helping?
"Yes, I waited because I like to give my victims a moment of hope before their inevitable end. As for who I am, the boy could tell you if he wasn't all frozen like a little kid. I am Dino Edgemaster." His poleaxe swept down.
She raised her sword to defend, only to realize she no longer had it. Shit! She just managed to dodge the descending blade by moving her head, gave him a weak kick which nonetheless pushed him back a step. "Edgemaster? So this is your teacher, whose nickname you ripped off?"
Edge finally found it in him to speak. "My name is Edward Gene, so I thought it fit me even bet-"
"Shut up boy, and watch me kill your girlfriend. I'll deal with you later."
Celia scrambled up and swung, but found it easily repelled. His riposte was so quick, she stumbled back in her haste to avoid it. Both standing as they traded more blows, she realized he only had a few inches on her, and his strength advantage didn't feel too overwhelming. But his attacks came with incredible frequency for a big polearm. That style certainly reminded her of Edge, minus wielding two weapons. He mixed in punches and kicks, a hook pounding her the inside of her cheek against her teeth and a thick heel painfully grazing her knee. "Edge, do something! What the hell, not taking sides in the hope of not angering whoever wins?"
He didn't respond, and she knew her odds of winning grew slimmer the longer she let Dino Edgemaster lead their dance. While she might often favor fighting conservatively in search of a counter opportunity, the relentlessness of his assault gave her little room for even that. She jumped back drawing a dagger and tried to throw it into his face. The small blade disappeared inside his hood, and her heart leapt with hope. But then the hood fell behind him to reveal his lean scarred visage, and she realized she had barely cut his cheek in lieu of the deathblow she dared to envision.
The wolfish assassin in his late thirties sneered. "Sneaky trying to catch me like that! It won't work. Though you have skill to last this long against me."
"I'll do more than last." She lunged in with a thrust, but missed as he sidestepped and ate an elbow straight to the nose. Reeling away as her eyes watered clouding her vision, she deflected more strokes, her words seemingly empty for she couldn't muster much offense. Her plan failed, she put together a new one. He had caught her a few times already with unarmed strikes, so it shouldn't be too surprising to him to hit her again. If she could manage to take one without major harm, she could pretend the damage to be worse than it was and perhaps catch him off guard. Maybe a face punch, from which she'd feign being knocked out—risky, but she had a decent chin. She wasn't sure how well this would work against a savvy veteran, yet at least trying it had to be a better option than attempting to beat him skill for skill.
She watched his hands more carefully, took a slice to her arm that made her wince before his fist flew upward again. Damn, she wouldn't even need to "let" him land—his punch crashed into her jaw, lifting her off her feet. The sky above blurred into a blue haze as she fell. Though she was awake when she hit the ground, it wasn't much of a stretch for her to go limp, and relax her grip so her hilt rested in an open hand. Her eyes mostly closed except for a tiny crack to see through, she prayed her head would be clear enough to counter effectively when he followed up. Otherwise, it'd be a bit laughable to be slain while attempting to play possum. Her foe advanced to finish her.
Celia prepared to defend and retaliate, only to be shocked when Edge stepped between her and Dino, axes raised. "Stop it, let her be."
"You take her side over mine? Do the weeks with her outweigh all the years I've looked after you, does your snake do that much of your thinking for you?"
"It's not that! I mean, yes it's mostly girls who draw out my soft side. But I just... I don't want to see her die."
His teacher glowered. "Why? Besides her nice face, what makes her so special compared to all the others you've killed?"
"Um, well, she works really hard and doesn't let any obstacles discourage her. She kept right on going after learning assassins were hunting her, that's impressive for a merchant. She cares about helping people, she sacrificed some profit to get medicine to the sick. And while she might not be as good as us, she's pretty damn good at fighting for a woman." Though she'd told him not to think of her as a mere merchant or woman more than once, she decided she shouldn't mind too much if it elevated her image in his eyes. "Besides, I don't know if I want to be an assassin anymore. We never know if the people we kill deserve to die, and just murder blindly. To be frank, I tire of it."
Dino smiled sadly. "I'd thought I might have a worthwhile pupil in you. I suppose the path of a master assassin is a lonely one. Time to end my long experiment."
"It won't end on your terms. I've surpassed you by now." The two men closed and met in a whirlwind of blows, grunting and snarling while poleaxe and twin axes flashed in the bright sun. So fast... it seemed even more noticeable how frantic their offense was watching them fight, than when she fought them herself. Seeing how much more evenly Edge held his ground against Dino, Celia thought again that he might really be superior to her. She decided to take some extra time to recover, and wait for an opportune moment to lend her aid. But then, something happened. After leaping over a low swipe from Dino, he started to counter only to freeze in mid swing. Inexplicably, Dino stopped too. Then she saw the patch of crimson spreading over Edge's side, where the poleaxe's head pressed against his body. She stifled a gasp. Dino had buried the point atop his weapon into his flank. He staggered back off it and collapsed to his back, blood spreading out under him.
"Surpass me?" Dino asked. "Not nearly yet boy, even if I've slowed a hair with age." Celia had lasted longer, but it was also a failing of hers to not realize a duel between two such aggressive fighters might end very quickly. Now as Edge lay writhing in agony while his teacher approached her, they wouldn't be able to take advantage of outnumbering him at all. "Time to end this squabble with petulant children, who never stood a chance."
He raised his poleaxe. As he chopped down, Celia closed her fingers around her hilt and rolled while slashing up. He yelled as the sword tore across his middle, opening a wide wound. "Don't underestimate me!" She surged up, stabbing at his solar plexus. He ba
ckpedaled with a grimace, eyes bulging as the tip came closer and closer. Suddenly he dropped out of the way, and she thought he'd intentionally dodged. But when she looked down, she saw he had tripped over Edge's prone form. No, she'd almost had him... He grabbed up a handful of dirt and threw it at her face. She turned away, but some of it got in her eyes anyway and she blinked frantically trying to restore her vision. She heard Dino rise behind her.
She sensed his blow coming and instinctively ducked, the poleaxe whooshing over her head. At the same time, she stabbed behind herself, felt the tip meet resistance before piercing deep. Finally enough of her sight returned for her to look. She had driven her blade into his stomach, and he coughed agonizingly over her shoulder. "Petulant children who don't stand a chance, huh?" she said.
"I'll come back for you later." Dino dragged himself off the sword and lurched away. Before he could make it more than a handful of steps, Celia walked after him and chopped into his neck. Blood sprayed and he flopped down among the weeds, twitching in his death throes.
Celia ran to Edge and knelt beside him. "Edge! Are you alright?"
He looked up at her dazedly, eyes unfocused. "Y-you, you killed..." His head drooped back, and he was silent.
She had to check his pulse to confirm he wasn't dead. "Yes, I killed him," she said to no one in particular. She bound his wound as best she could, but blood quickly soaked his bandages and she doubted her meager treatment would be enough. They needed to get help quickly from somebody with real healing skills. Good thing the town was already nearby. She tried to lift him in her arms in front of her, but being already fatigued found him awfully heavy and set him down after a few yards. She wiped sweat from her forehead. Let's try another way, then... propping him up behind her, she hooked her arms under his legs and hefted him into a piggyback-like position. That seemed a smidgen more bearable, though carrying his weight still made her muscles and injured arm burn with each passing second. Still, she couldn't leave him to die. He had not only spared her life, but risked his own multiple times now fighting on her behalf. She resumed the grueling journey towards town, hoping she would meet someone with a horse or hand-drawn vehicle who'd be willing to relieve her burden.