His blade quickened, slicing again. The short blade of the dagger was no match to a long blade if she put too much distance between them. She needed to stay close. Sidestepping another thrust, she swiped her blade at his throat. He moved in time for the blade to miss and slice his collar bone instead. In retaliation, the hilt of his blade slammed into her jaw, jolting her back. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.
Without hesitation, she barreled into him, knocking them both to the ground. She snatched his wrist, yanking his sword from him. Tossing it aside, she moved her dagger for a killing blow, but he quickly pulled another blade from his side. He moved towards her side and she blocked it. However, the weight change allowed Gwayne to regain momentum and toss her off.
He got to his feet, staring at her and the look on her face. She stood crouched in a dress of black, her form lost to the shadows of silk. Yelling grew louder as more guards arrived and the pair took in the numbers.
With a scowl, Gwayne turned.
“From this day forth, there is no Assassin of Acreage. The Death Sparrow is a traitor to the creed. The guild will come for you.” He growled before motioning to the others. The shadow figures retreated as Serena stared after him.
Her hand shook. The assassins turned their back on her. They would hunt her, her friends, and Wesley.
“Serena!” Wesley breathed, rushing to her. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. For several moments, as the shock wore off, she allowed him to comfort her, but the bile from her stomach quickly threatened to expose her emotions.
She pulled away, and he looked her over.
“Are you alright?”
She ignored the question as Sam ran over. He looked at her and scowled.
“What happened?” he asked.
“What are you doing here?” Wesley growled.
“I got promoted since several members of the King’s guard are dead. The King wants a report.”
The two glared at one another before Serena spoke.
“Assassins,” Serena hissed, putting her blade back in its sheath.
“Gwayne.” He sighed before noticing her face. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes fell to the sword at his waist. She saw the tension in his next breath before he smoothed it over. “What-”
“Don’t play dumb. I know. You’ve known for how long and you didn’t think to tell me? That I might deserve to know?” she snapped. He opened his mouth to speak.
“I… you’ve been through enough. Especially recently. I didn’t want to torture you with that knowledge. To have it eat at you the same way it eats at me. I wanted to spare you. Wesley and I-”
“Of course, the two of you decided for me instead of asking me. Instead of letting me decide my fate.” She growled, looking between them. It was easy to be mad at both of them. Easier than facing being an outcast.
“This isn’t telling you the horrible deeds of some mark. This is the continued desecration of our people. This is our blood. It’s-”
“You weren’t there for my year in a prison camp. You weren’t there for what happened after. You have no right to tell me what I can handle. You and Wesley should remember exactly who I am and stop pretending I am going to fall apart at news like this. I will continue to survive. Even if the guild or the world turns against me the one thing, I know I am good at is surviving. I will see those who did this burn, but not until the King is dealt with. I can focus on the bigger picture.” She explained.
“Serena,” Wesley pleaded. His bruises and wounds worried her, but he was running around the castle. It wasn’t bother him too much. She already degraded herself and lost her guild to protect him. She could offer him no more.
Her heart hurt as her limbs felt heavy, as if weighed down by the pain. She turned, walking to Helen’s. She wanted out of this dress and the time to think. Her actions set something into motion. Praying it caused dissent was not guaranteed.
Helen stood outside looking over at the group. Sam and Wesley followed her.
“You okay, Serena?”
“Of course. They were just leaving.” Serena returned, heading for the door. Sam snatched her arm, stopping her.
“Don’t push us away. We’re trying to help.”
“Well, you’re not.” She snapped, pulling free and following Helen inside. Sam left while Wesley trailed inside. He said nothing, standing against the wall like a statue watching.
Helen poured Serena a cup of tea, but Serena spotted the bottle of bourbon. She grabbed the bottle and a glass pouring herself one. She took a long sip, trying to even her nerves. Bourbon slipped down the edges of her mouth and she wiped it away with the back of her hand as it burned her throat.
“What’s going on?” Helen looked at Wesley and scowled. “Sit. Let me clean you up.” She pulled Wesley to a seat and began cleaning the blood from him. Serena took another long sip.
“Are you able to get me proof?” Serena asked, looking down at the amber liquid.
“I’ll find you what you need.” Wesley returned his voice devoid of emotion. Serena drank more, hoping to feel it numb everything.
“Is that a promise or just another lie?” She swirled the liquid in her glass.
“I’ve been omitting things, not lying.”
“That is lying just by another name.” Serena snapped. Wesley let out a breath.
“What’s going on between you two?” Helen said, looking between the pair.
“A lover’s quarrel, right dear?” Serena sneered. Wesley rolled his eyes.
“I have to deal with this mess before my father gets involved. I’ll be back, Serena.”
“Take your time,” Serena waved him off before taking another sip.
Wesley left, leaving Helen confused looking at Serena. She looked back at the liquid in her glass, swirling it and watching the reflections of light. Her mind felt on the verge of collapse. So much swirled around her in this endless haze. The pillars of support she thought she had were gone. She was on her own.
Again.
The guild was against her. The General was playing games with her life to get to Wesley. Wesley and Sam both omitted crucial facts. How was she to gather intel, plan, and execute if she didn’t have all the information? It was a recipe for death.
“Serena?”
She looked up. “Yes?”
“Can I help?” Helen asked, holding up an empty glass. Serena smiled and poured her a drink. She sipped and waited.
“I suspect this will postpone the trial some more.”
“They’ll have to search the entire castle. From top to bottom. It’ll be a long night for Wesley and the other guards. They might not sleep until they can be certain the castle is safe.”
“They’ll have to figure out how they got in and plug that hole,” Serena added. Helen nodded.
There was a knock at the door and Helen opened it. James stood in the doorway.
“Wesley asked, I inspect the cottage for outsiders. We’re going door to door checking for any more intruders,” he explained.
“You won’t find any. They were assassins, and they left.”
“We still have to look. May I?” James asked. Helen let him in, and he walked into the cottage looking around. Serena watched his every move.
“It looks good,” he said finally before noticing the bottle of bourbon. “If the two of you finish that, you’ll regret it in the morning. The council already announced they won’t postpone. They intend to get this trial over with quickly so they can focus on more pressing threats.” James explained.
Serena released a breath.
“Make sure Wesley gets some sleep tonight,” Serena said.
“Of course,” James nodded before leaving.
Serena emptied her glass and filled it again.
“I remember my first ball like it was yesterday. My mother took me with her. I was fourteen and never been. My parents kept me away after the business with Wesley’s mother. I met Henry that night, except he was the most foolish man around. He drank too much, la
ughed too loudly. He was hardly the perfect Lord, but he was honest with me. Told me plenty of things I didn’t want to hear.”
“Like what?”
“Like when it was time to sit back and watch. Sometimes when you try to solve a problem, you can fixate on the small parts and miss the bigger picture.”
“But if they’re omitting things from me, that could be my death or theirs! Assassins act on intel. We gather it up and plan, but I can’t do that if they keep doing this. I have continued to put their interests above my own-”
“and your pride suffers. I can only imagine the pride being the Assassin of Acreage is. The things you did to get there to have it all wiped away and mean nothing in this castle. To not be able to force the General or the King to grovel on their knees. That’s life, sadly. Evil doesn’t grovel at the feet of the good-”
“I’m not good though. I’m tainted. I-”
“We all are.”
“You’re not.”
“I am too.” Helen took a sip of the bourbon, scowling at the burn before turning back to Serena. “I killed a man once. Some would call it self-defense, but I don’t think that matters to me.”
“What happened?”
“I walked the courtyard with a suitor once. He seemed kind, gentile, the proper Lord for any Lady to marry. My parents were against Henry, no matter how fond I was.” She took another sip. “I still remember his face when I rejected my parent’s suitor. I told him I loved Henry. He was so angry. Refused to let me leave. He pushed me into the bushes and pinned me beneath him. He said such terrible things to me.”
She closed her eyes and Serena grabbed her hand. Helen gave a weak smile. “I didn’t intend to kill him. I grabbed a thick branch and stabbed him with it. It was wild and uncalculated, but it still cut his neck. Wesley helped cover it up, but the scandal blacklisted me. I stopped getting invited to things by the other ladies.” Helen choked up, her voice breaking. “Henry still married me, even though my status at court was diminished. He loved me when even my parents disowned me.”
“I’m so sorry, Helen.” Serena squeezed her hand.
Helen nodded. “I started talking to the people in the castle afterwards and let go of any hopes or cares for the other nobility. I had Henry, and Wesley. Now I have Mary, and you.”
Serena felt warmth at the confession. “I am grateful to be your friend.”
Helen nodded as she sniffled before laughing.
“Pour me another.”
Serena chuckled, refilling their glasses. They sat drinking and lamenting their lives long into the night, before collapsing. The day ahead would be full of even more danger.
Chapter Fourteen
Wesley
Wesley stood in his office with a cup of coffee in his hand and a scowl planted on his face as he looked out his window. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but the sun rising meant it took all night and then some. Serena’s warning still felt to pierce his mind regardless of the fiasco he spent all night fixing. His body ached too. His injuries would take a few days heal. In the meantime they would be a constant reminder. If he thought too long about the horror of dinner, it threatened to cripple him. Serena was not his mother. His father would not kill her too, but the image was planted just like the General wanted.
His hands shook as he took another sip. He thought more about the cleanup. Luckily, the break-in to the King’s study was overshadowed by the attack. There was so much to do. Dead guards littered the entrance to the castle. The place was full of new young recruits not able to stand off against so many assassins. It felt like someone fed the assassins such intel.
It was not by chance that so many new guards were in one place, or was it? Serena’s cynicism rubbed off and warned him that the truth was likely his least favorite option. A traitor. Someone close to him.
He sipped the bitter coffee. Thinking back on the night.
The door slammed open, and he turned, not caring if it was his father. His weariness made him care less if his father punished him for yesterday at dinner. Instead of his father, it was James. The newest harbinger of disaster.
“There’s a new problem,” James said.
“When isn’t there?” Wesley sighed. He turned, taking another sip. “Alright. What is it?”
“It’s more of a, I need to show you thing,” James explained. Wesley downed the rest of his coffee, the warm liquid sliding down his throat. He followed James out of the hall and towards the cottages. His breath hitched with worry as they passed by Helen’s. They walked towards the center of the cottages and stopped at one with two guards stationed outside.
He recognized the house as Lord Niles, one of the Lords with an article of treason. His heart nearly stopped. The King made a move. This could be the beginning of the end.
He walked with heavy steps as the guards moved aside. The room was a disaster. Furniture turned upside down and broken into pieces. Everywhere he turned there was more evidence of a struggle. He noticed the pool of blood and walked closer. Behind the overturned couch was Lord Niles, dead. His face was frozen in a painful death as blood covered his abdomen. He was dressed comfortably for home, so the attacker caught him off guard.
“Where’s his wife?” Wesley said, dreading the answer.
“She was in the bedroom when it happened. The attacker locked her in during the fight. We found her this morning. The doctor saw her, and we brought her to Helen’s. Serena’s been helping.”
“You’ve handled this well,”
“There’s another one. Lord Opin is also dead. Same circumstances. His widow is also at Helen’s.”
“Ancestors give me strength,” Wesley sighed. “Have the other family members been informed?”
“They are in Templaria. They won’t be here in time for the funeral. I’ve started the process for the widows.”
“Thank you. The trial continues today-”
“I’ll stay and oversee. Go to the trial.” James offered. Wesley nodded and left his stomach in knots. The General’s mercenaries most likely made a move during the attack. It would overshadow the entire trial.
He arrived in the great hall as everyone began filtering in. He felt warmth and turned to see Serena. She looked at him, her eyes full of sadness. On her arm was the Lady Niles, dressed in black. She looked like a shade and not a human. Slowly Lady Niles looked up at the King, her body shifting. Wesley knew well the look rising in her eyes. Widows seemed to all share the same deadened stare that took the place of their shattered heart. Lady Niles pulled free from Serena and began charging towards the throne.
“You!” she yelled, pointing her finger at the King. The King cocked his head to the side, confusion on his face. “You killed my husband!”
Everyone turned as she struggled with the folds of silk reaching for her leg. Serena wrapped her in a hug, holding her arms still. Wesley’s heart raced, knowing well what was hidden under the skirt. If she dared pull a weapon against the King, there would be no saving her.
“Let go of me! You killed my husband!” she screamed.
“Wilma,” Serena breathed. “Please stop!”
“The intruders killed him because we are too busy with this unnecessary trial to protect anyone.” The King said calmly.
“Liar!” yelled another voice. Everyone turned to another woman in black. Lady Opin stood next to Helen. She walked away from Helen, a black veil over her face as she gracefully walked through the crowd. Helen shadowed her closely. “There were no intruders in the Noble Cottages.” She spat.
“Do you see what you’ve done, Henry?” the King asked, looking over at him. “You waste our time and look at the poor widows. Their husbands wouldn’t be dead if this spectacle wasn’t persisting.” He explained, his eyes narrowed on Henry. The threat hung in the air as Wilma struggled against Serena.
Serena whispered something Wesley couldn’t hear, but the King did. The King stood and walked down towards the pair.
“Why would I kill a widow?” he asked. “She’s just such a poor
unfortunate woman.” He paused, looking her over. “I could help her find a new husband in time, but alas, I cannot use my power to help anyone while this trial continues.” He continued.
He grabbed Wilma from Serena, trying to hold her, but Wilma thrashed like a wild animal. The King held her strongly and Wesley wondered if he would break her in his arms. A flurry of motion caught her attention as Lady Opin rushed forwards. The dagger she carried on her leg in hand. Before Wesley could react, Helen ran into her, knocking them to the ground. The blade slid away towards the other women. Lady Mer stood, her dress quickly covering the blade as Helen held onto Lady Opin.
Lady Opin struggled and yelled out gibberish. Henry rushed over and helped Lady Opin up. He held onto her arm tight as he offered his other hand to Helen. Helen smiled, taking it before forcing Lady Opin to the group of other women.
“Such distraught women,” the King commented. He grabbed Wilma’s chin, holding her still before kissing her cheek. “May the ancestors watch over you.”
He released her and Serena snatched her, pulling her over to the others. The women worked to calm the widowed pair as the King walked before his throne. He stood there looking out at the group.
“Do you not see what this trial is doing? Am I not the King who promised you prosperity for Templaria? Have I not succeeded? I am only one man. I’ve always done my best. I won you all Acreage. A jewel for a Templarian Empire.” He beseeched to the crowd.
Watching him, Wesley could see whispers of the young King he once was. Tales of his impeccable public speaking skills that no doubt carried him to the throne seemed more realistic watching him now. A long time ago his face was devoid of the hard lines of cruelty. He could’ve been a great King, but he was a tyrant with every decision he made after the passing of his own father. Wesley didn’t have sympathy for that. If his father was gone, he would do things differently.
“We can hardly call it a jewel when you broke it to gain it.” A voice rang out. A young noble stood strong amidst the crowd, staring down the King. His features were Templarian, but the young woman who held his hand was not. Her deep dark beautiful skin sparkled in the sunlight as he stood strong in front of her like a shield before a princess.
The Trial of a Tyrant: The Assassin of Acreage Book Two Page 14