by Lisa Rusczyk
“Of course, oh, yes, of course!” She continued to weep gently.
“The man? The one who just did this? The one they are all cheering now?”
“Yes? Is he the one who you were sold to as concubine?
“Well, yes, but…It’s a long story.”
Jass joined them, and wrapped Mandia in a colorful blanket. He bowed low to Mandia’s mother. “Your Majesty,” he said.
She looked at him curiously. “I know you. I do. I know that face, but younger.”
He smiled at her.
“You’re Jasper, my husband’s protégé! Of course, I remember you! You…” She looked at Mandia. “And you? Are you?”
They grinned at each other and Jass’s bloody hand clasped Mandia’s.
“Oh,” she cried, “My husband knew about you two, said his high goddess Kila who spoke to him told him…” She laughed one short laugh, then passed out in shock and joy.
~~~
Three weeks later, Jass and Mandia were helping clean up the city. The rampage hadn’t been as bad as it had at first seemed. Jass’s killing of King Herean did have the desired effect, but there were a few true followers who didn’t give up, thus what damage had been done to the city and the trap at the haven.
Jass bought her mother and set her free, inviting her to live with them. Her mother was quite pleased with her private room overlooking the city. And Mandia was glad it was on the other side of the house at night when she and Jass lost themselves in pleasure.
Each time she bathed, she carefully re-braided the red ribbon into a thread of her blonde hair. People didn’t marry in Farna as they did in Crona, but rather wore different colors of ribbons in their hair. The one signifying long-lasting dedication such as Crona’s marriages was white, and concubines had different colors, but only the assassins’ concubines wore the red ribbons.
Jass asked her to change hers to white, but she refused. This ribbon was as much a part of her wardrobe as the ruby ring he bought her.
And one day he surprised her by asking her to braid a red ribbon into his own hair. He said she was an assassin, too, that she has slayed his heart.