A Little Too Much Adventure (M-R) (Greed)

[ℓonesomє]

Charlotte pulled the covers back over her head, willing sleep to return to her and give her a few more precious minutes of  rest. Sun shone in through the window, heating the both her and the bed uncomfortably, making sleep nearly impossible. Sitting up right with a huffy sigh of frustration, Charlotte brushed her tangled hair from her face, glaring at the sun for a moment. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed and stood, the satin negligee swishing against her legs softly as she made her way to the bathroom chamber. Charlotte nearly gasped at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a complete wreck! Snatching her brush from the sink counter, she drug it through her hair, but to no avail. It only made it more frizzy. Biting her lip, the girl snuck out to the hallway, grabbing of the many maids that made their ways around and asked her to draw a bath. Nodding curtly, the maid hurried off, to prepare what first Charlotte couldn't be sure. Several maids returned about five minutes later, warm basins of water in their arms. Smiling in approval, Charlotte followed them to the intricately carved bathing tub. The women poured in the steaming water and quickly left Charlotte's room. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte closed the door. 

Feeling much more clean than when she did when she awoke, Charlotte strode over to her closet with a towel wrapped around her body and  opened the doors to reveal the many dresses she owned, all separated by color. Choosing a less frilly, rosy colored gown, the girl laid it on her freshly made bed, looking it over carefully. She had nothing planned today, and this was as casual as it got. Charlotte dressed quickly, this time admiring her reflection. This had to be one of her favorites, from the one strap over the shoulder to the silky band around her slim waist to the way it hung around her feet.Her hair fell down her back, one braid tucked behind her ear to keep her bangs away from her face.  Smiling confidently, she left her room, passing her guards without a glance at either of them. They fell into line behind her, giving her the space she always demanded. Their breathing was too heavy, the sounds of their sword sheaths swishing against their legs became too irritating, and at the entrance to the back garden, Charlotte spun around, glaring daggers. "Leave me here. I do not want you disturbing my peace. I will be safe. No one would dare try to hurt me here." She smiled sweetly at the two, not noticing how they exchanged 'I doubt that' glances, but obeyed her orders anyway.The sweet scent of roses drifted towards her, so much different from the imitation scent she wore. Stepping out of sight of her guards, Charlotte moved to the end of the garden, where the biggest flowers bloomed. A bench lay parallel to the wall, vines growing up the legs and threatening to grow onto the seat. She had forbidden to the garden to clear it off, liking the look of it. 

Carefully, Charlotte seated herself on the bench, loving the shade the wall provided. For spring time, the temperature had been much too hot for her tastes, and this shady corner was exactly what she needed. Closing her light brown eyes, the girl leaned her head back on the wall, a small smile on her lips. There were perks to being the princess, one of them being that she could have whatever grown in this garden that she wanted too. It wasn't trimmed or groomed, giving it a natural look. Muttering softly to herself, Charlotte felt the needed waves of sleep washing over her, letting her drift into a light doze.

[Greed]

[ I’m just putting this here to see if the fonts from Microsoft word will actually upload on the site now Sorry for the randomness xD … ]

It was days like today that Errol regretted having such dark attire. It wasn’t usually this hot in spring, so usually he got reprieve before the hot months of summer that dwindled into the welcomingly cool months of fall and frigid darkness of winter. He preferred winter over any of the other seasons. It was dark and cold. He was dark and cold. Winter and Errol went hand in hand…like the king and the queen. Ah, the lovely couple. He never liked them. But then again, he’d been paid numerous times not to like them. So he had little choice. He’d never accepted jobs that directly meant killing them, but he’d killed many of their right-hand men as clear warnings that there were people in this bloody kingdom that didn’t like them. To be honest, Errol didn’t really like anyone. The king and queen were no exception. Sure, a plethora of times he’d dressed himself as a humble servant man and put a hand over his hear, bowing lowly in ‘respect’ to them, but with his face hidden by a bow he’d always sneered. He’d been caught once and nearly been flogged, but, needless to say, the one who had been tasked with flogging him had not lived to see the next dawn. That little incident had made it a rush job to kill the secretary of sorts, but…he’d gotten the job done, and gotten his pay without a penny missing. Just the way he liked it.

 

But now…now it was neither dark, nor cool. He wasn’t surrounded by people easily duped. But that was fine – he wasn’t surrounded by anyone at the moment, which is what he liked the moment. But the heat was quickly cancelling out whatever happiness he got from being in grim solitude. His boots crunched softly against the ground beneath him, the trees around him looming over him and providing at least a little bit more cool to the heat. However, it didn’t offer much. Constant movement, even in shade, made for a very heated journey. He wasn’t one to voice complaints, though. Especially not when he was on a mission like this one. He was being paid a handsome amount to actually dispose of a member of the royal family. He supposed he’d never received such a hefty amount of money before, which is what made him agree eventually, after about a week of thinking, but…it should be easy enough. He was to kill a woman. How hard could that be? He usually strayed from killing women, just because he – sexist as it was – believed they posed very little threat. What could a woman do? Nothing, for the most part. Especially in these days. They were not very useful besides being mothers and maids. And then there were the ones who worked in the brothels. Needless to say, he’d never really derived pleasure from any woman.

 

Now, Errol found himself at the side of the castle, just where the trees came to an end. It was a rather pleasant time in the morning for nobles and royalties. He nearly snorted. Foolish, petty royalty. They always seemed to think that their guards could protect them from every threat presentable to them. Human threat, that is. Disease and hunger took no sides when it struck. However, neither did he. Not really. He’d seen more heartache and pain in his younger years (the stressful, excruciating aftermath of which had turned his hair white; a small price to pay) than the fat-arse members of the royal family would ever see…or even hear of. Did they turn a blind eye to the people who suffered on a daily basis? He didn’t any longer…he had enough money stored in various places he could live like the kings and queens. Only, he chose not to. He didn’t want a life of luxury. He’d rather be reminded that there were people in the world less fortunate than he, and even though he had money, he chose to live like those. He lived a humble life that saw much bloodshed and heartache and pain. Errol’s footsteps stopped and he reverted into his more assassin-like ‘mode,’ hugging his back close to the wall and quietly unsheathing his sword. It was a fairly large sword (and very expensive, at that) and most of his employers often questioned if it could get the job done…but it was surprisingly light despite its size. It was the perfect weapon. Errol glanced around the side of the building and shook his head when he saw the backs of two guards following a young woman somewhere. Just as quietly as he’d unsheathed it, he placed it in the ground. He removed his cloak and tied it tightly around the sword. He heard the woman say something about being left alone and acted quickly, moving forward and pulling the sword out of the ground, placing it in the ground a ways away from the guards so they could see it. His face remained taut and emotionless as he slunk into the shadows of some bushes, quietly making his way to where the young woman had made her way towards. He felt somewhat like a snake, with his stomach pressed to the ground and moving like a lizard of sorts, silent as possible, until he was sure he was out of sight of the guards and got to his feet slowly. He looked around. What was this? A garden of sorts? It looked much more natural than most gardens, untrimmed, almost uncared for, but pristine enough to make him think that it being a garden was a possibility. It smelled strongly of roses and he wrinkled his nose. He wasn’t used to many other scents than blood, and even then, blood in the quantities he usually smelled it in wasn’t necessarily something with an incredibly powerful odor. This odor was strong, and he couldn’t say he liked it too much. His dark eyes glanced over the garden, looking behind him to make sure no one was following, then headed forwards, nimbly hopping over a small row of rosebushes. A thorn pulled on the bottom of his pants a bit, but he paid it no mind and continued on his walk to find who he was looking for. He wasn’t concerned about being spotted by her…by the time she could get a scream out he’d have killed her and been on his way to retrieve his cloak and sword.

 

Errol stopped in midstride and looked over when he saw a small figure resting on a bench looking like it was about to be eaten by ivy, her eyes closed. A beautiful woman indeed, much like his employer had said (“She’s a beauty; it’s sad to see such a young rose go to waste.”). Errol supposed he understood why his employer had called her a rose, now, too. He reached down into his boot and pulled out a small dagger, flipping it in his hands and moving closer quietly, not completely sure as to whether she was sleeping or just had her eyes closed. Either way, at the end of the day, it he’d just be a couple times richer.

 

[ This wasn’t too good…I know…and sorry, messing with fonts again xDD I'm a hugeeee fan of cool fonts like this one. I'm crazy, I know. ]

[ℓonesomє]

Ha ha. It's fine.

Charlotte got everything she expected from the garden: Quiet, peace, and shade. A nagging thought entered her mind, making her sigh. Guilt started to weigh on her shoulders, but she wasn't willing to give up the peace the garden offered. It had been nearly a week since she had last spoken with her parents, the king and queen. Whose fault it was, she wasn't sure. They were unrealistically busy, and she had stopped trying to make attempts to spend time with them  quite a while ago. When they noticed that their daughter hadn't been around as much, they took several minutes out of their schedule to see her, but it was only to make sure she was still there. And as of late, they had stopped, leaving Charlotte confused and slightly saddened that her parents no longer made an effort to see their one and only daughter. The maids had become her only friends, and even they didn't speak to her very often. She wasn't allowed to leave the grounds, and Charlotte found herself curious about what was out there. Her half conscious thoughts drifted to her more distant memories, back when she was only twelve, her curiosity bursting. The king had promised nothing beyond the gates was worth her time. Being an obedient daughter, she didn't pursue the subject any further. It had always made her wonder, though, if she was to rule it, wasn't it worth her time? Her mother explained it as a place where people would look at her with hate, because they knew she was better than them. That slightly confused her as well, but she didn't question it. Eventually, she went to her maids, asking them and getting every single detail of what it was like out there, and finally had part of her thirst for knowledge quenched. They told her everything she wanted to know, and finally came to start to  understand what her parents had hid from her. It made her resent them for several years, wondering why and the world a king and queen would lie, especially to their own daughter. 

New maids came in when the old ones were either relieved from duty or quit, fed up with her father, no doubt. Charlotte had thoroughly pumped them for information of what was going on out in the real world, and they were more than happy to deliver. Sadly, it was the only time they really said more than two words to her. New maids had stopped coming in when she was around eighteen, and Charlotte guessed that her parents had caught wind of what she had been doing. Now twenty years old, the girl had no idea what was going on out in the kingdom she was meant to rule one day. Why were her parents so determined to hide the real world from her? Was she not meant to rule? Would the man she married do everything, leaving her to be a housewife, as the maids called it? So many questions whirled through her mind, night and day, every day of every week. The library had been her second greatest help, but only in the history of the kingdom. The many private tutors she had had throughout her life didn't help, except for the basics that kept her up to shape in the smarts department. Charlotte was knowledge deprived, and it bothered her. Some of the gardeners had taught her about the plants, and one of the stable hands had given her a basic lesson on horses and what to do an what not to do around them. Charlotte was greedy for new information, and she knew it.

The sound of her guards tromping off somewhere snapped her eyes open, and what stood before her made her freeze. Was this a visitor? She got some of those now and then. Her eyes slowly drifted downwards. No, not a visitor. Visitors didn't carry daggers, and they certainly dress like that. Charlotte's mouth opened slightly, blinking in shock. What was she supposed to do in situations like this? She had never been fortunate enough to run into a teacher of hand to hand combat. It wouldn't of been useful now, anyway. The man had a dagger, and even if he was disarmed, he was probably many times stronger than her. Charlotte scooted away from him, feet brought up on the bench as she moved backwards, hitting the hard arm that forced her to stop. Where were her guards? She thought about screaming, but if this man had intent to hurt her, that would only bring him, and his dagger, closer faster. Swallowing uneasily, Charlotte tried to meet his eyes, to stay strong and show her she wasn't afraid of him. But her courage failed her, and she directed her eyes to the ground. "Are you going to hurt me?" Charlotte asked softly, not expecting him to answer, but it was worth a shot. She tried to stop her trembling, succeeding only a little. Glancing quickly back up at him, Charlotte blinked back the tears that had yet to come, waiting for the answer she dreaded.

[Greed]

Errol could remember the first person he’d ever killed. At first, it’d been difficult. The look on the face of the person as they realized they weren’t going to live to see the sunrise… live to have a family, like in the case of the first young man he’d had to kill. He’d been young, no older than twenty, a man full of promise. He’d been born into a family of nobles. That’s why he’d needed to be disposed of. It seemed that Errol’s “relationship” with the king and queen went back a long time. Ever since he’d been a teenager. Errol smiled a little at the thought. He’d never really cared much for everyone…royalty especially. He’d learned not to since he was a teenager. Years had gone by since then, nigh on seven; twelve since he’d come an assassin. Errol shook the thoughts out of his head. He had to focus on what he was doing right now, not what had happened in the past. He didn’t usually allow himself to get so distracted, but with the guards a comfortable distance away from him and the woman he felt a bit more at ease than he usually did. And, like previously stated, he didn’t think a woman could do any damage. One scream was all she’d be able to get out, at the least. If she woke up from her slumber, though (yes, he’d decided she was asleep, but he couldn’t tell how deeply). Errol would have a relatively difficult time getting his sword and cloak back, though. He probably should’ve left them in a slightly different location, but if he’d placed them any closer it would be more than obvious where he was headed. To be honest, he was surprised the guards hadn’t come rushing to the princess first and foremost. It was rather ridiculous. Shouldn’t she be their first priority? Errol didn’t hear any footsteps signifying that the guards were coming to check up on the young maiden. Idiots… How unsafely unprofessional.

 

Errol turned his attention back to the young woman, his ears following the sound of the guards as best as he could as he heard them moving off. They weren’t coming closer, it seemed, so he was fine for now. However…their unnecessarily loud stomping had managed to wake up the woman. Good for nothing guards. With that much noise they’d give their intended target way too much time to get away. I’m sure you can hear them all the way in the slums. Errol cursed angrily under his breath, his wrist stopping halfway to where the woman’s throat was, his covered fist clenching the dagger tightly. Errol rolled his eyes and slackened his position a bit, watching as the woman desperately moved away until she stopped at the edge of the bench. Did she really think that was going to help her much? She’d backed herself up into a corner even more than she had already been in. Without changing the expression on his face, he watched her. When she looked like she was considering doing something noisy, his eyes flashed dangerously, “Don’t even think about it,” he hissed between clenched teeth, unusually white for a man that lived in his lifestyle. When she decided against it, he couldn’t help but chuckle and smirk. Maybe she wasn’t completely daft, like most women were. That was unfortunate, then, that he had to kill her. It was the loss of one vaguely intelligent woman. He shook his head slightly when she asked if he was going to hurt her. He decided he was going to be his usual sarcastic and highly unhelpful self and replied, “It would’ve been painless. They say it hurts more when you’re awake…but then again, most people who it has happened to are no longer around to verify.”

 

Errol raised his dagger again and took a step closer to the princess when he heard footsteps. “Damn it,” he growled, looking over his shoulder. It was highly unintelligent to let her go knowing she’d seen his face, knowing she could probably tell the guards who to watch out for (not that he worried much about them; they were usually easily disposable). But he didn’t want to get into a fight with the guards when all he had was a toothpick of a dagger compared to the swords the guards would be carrying. He clenched his fist that was free, “Remember. It hurts less when you’re asleep,” he hissed through his teeth before fleeing in the other direction, heading to make his way back through the bushes and retrieve his sword and hightail it out of there. He’d return that night… An assassin was the prince of darkness, wasn’t he? It would be much easier to slink around in the dark, especially considering he wore black anyways. With the stealth and lightness-of-step acquired when one had been working as an assassin for over ten years, he headed at a fast pace until he reached his sword that had been pulled out of the ground and was lying against the castle wall. How foolish of them. Honestly. He grabbed the sword and the cloak that was still tied around it, not bothering to sheath it or remove his cloak, hearing the boots of guards coming. His sign of leaving his cloak on his sword when he went for a daytime assassination wasn’t unknown, so he supposed there would be even stricter guards that night… Not much of a problem for him, however.

 

I’ll be back, princess, he snarled in his mind, I really can’t afford to have you live another day now that you’ve seen my face.

 

[ I know this was really bad, but…like I said on my most recent topic that I’m going on a little mind vacation because I really need it. I tried my best, but it’s difficult when you’re all but braindead xD Forgive me. ]

[ℓonesomє]

[Sorry for not replying all weekend. I've been volunteering and it didn't give me time to reply. I'm not very happy this post. I feel it's a bit fluffy and pieced together but I wanted to reply a bit sooner than Wednesday.]

She should of known better. Charlotte knew it was her own foolishness, her own naivety, that had gotten her into the situation. Guards dismissed, easily reachable in a location that was just as easy to access, she had placed herself here and it would've been easy to prevent it, had she not been so stupid. Charlotte bit her tongue as he chuckled, resisting the urge to ask what was so funny. Does it mean I made the right choice by staying silent? Besides, she shouldn't have to alert her guards to have them be by her side in an instant when the first sign of danger appears. She'd have to choose another two. Yeah, if you live. When the man spoke once more, she jerked her eyes to his face, horrified at his words. She fumbled for words, wanting to say something that made her sound less afraid than she really was. Fear over rode any hope of replying to him. The girl flinched when he moved closer, and started to raise one hand in defense. But he stopped, and Charlotte nearly bolted when he looked over his shoulder. My idiot guards just saved my life. She sighed in relief, falling back onto the bench in a more relaxed state. Taking his reminder into consideration, Charlotte bit her bottom lip, feeling needles of anger starting to thread their way through her body. Never had she felt so helpless. "I'll keep that mind." She stood, sighing softly as she waited for her guards. 


The two oafs ignored her bitter cursing and looked down occasionally at the delicate girl who constantly  glared back up at them. They were escorting her to her room, trying to ignore the insult she threw at them.  She wasn't happy with what they were telling hert "You'll be under heavy guard until we find whoever entered the grounds without permission. It could of been someone out to harm you." How much more stupid could her guards get? Charlotte swore she would speak to her father about these guards. And she would include every single bad detail. The two deposited Charlotte in her room, locking the door and rushing off to do whatever job they were needed for. Huffing indignantly, Charlotte strode over to her one window, over looking the garden she had just been in. Had that really happened? Perhaps she was still dreaming! She slapped the back of her hand. The sting assured her it had all been very real. Groaning in disappointment, Charlotte crossed over to her closet, searching for one of her nightgowns. She wished to sleep, and if this assassin returned, she was going to take his word on what he said about it hurting less while asleep. Pulling a nightgown from its hook, Charlotte quickly changed, leaving her slightly dirty dress pooled on the floor at the foot of her bed. Placing a hand on her stomach, she slipped down beneath the covers, welcoming the darkness they brought. The sun had shifted its position in the sky, leaving her room in cool shadow. 


The creak of her heavy wooden door awoke her. She sat upright with a jolt, looking around quickly before her eyes rested on the second person she didn't want to see. Her father. "Why are you here?" Charlotte demanded, sliding her legs over the side of the bed. "I heard about the man in the garden today. You are lucky your guards were there." He closed the door behind him, looking at his ruffled daughter. "Those guards didn't do anything. It was there tromping around that scare the man off. They didn't even come to me first. They decide to investigate something much more important than me ." She snapped in return, clenching her fists by her side. "They said they were just checking around the perimeter." The king said gently, trying not to anger Charlotte. "So now the perimeter is a bigger priority than the princess?" His attempts were in vain. She was going to be angry at him no matter what. Her attitude irritated him. "No matter what your mother may tell you, you are not the most important thing in the world. You are unharmed because of those men, and you better get your head out of the clouds, because tomorrow you are going to thank them." He told her calmly, trying not to let his annoyance show through. Charlotte slammed her hands down on the bed, forcing herself up. "You have no right to come in here after years of ignoring me, try to be a father again and then insult me. You are not the great and mighty king you think you are. Your daughter could of been killed today, and the only thing you can think about is how the guards prevented it. A normal father, a good father would think of his daughter's well being first." The king flinched. He opened his mouth to retort, and was forced to stumble out of the way as a glass figurine shattered right where his head had been. Charlotte stood by a shelf , a ceramic cherub clutched in her hand above her head, ready to throw. Shaking his head in disapproval, he turned, opening the door and slipping out. The cherub hit seconds latter, scattering sharp pieces everywhere. 


Charlotte spun around, teeth clenched together as she looked for something to express her anger on now that her main target had left. She snatched one of her fluffy down pillows from the bed, and began beating the bed post with it. When the seams burst and white feathers exploded into the air, Charlotte ceased her abuse of the bed post, slightly sated. Feathers and shards of figurines lay scattered around her room. Silently promising to help the maids clean it up in the morning, Charlotte stepped around the debris, moving to her window and shoving it open. The heated air escaped, replaced with the cool evening breeze. Another tantrum. Like a three year old. Every time it happened Charlotte was ashamed, and she didn't always have a pillow and bed post, and resorted to throwing whatever she could get her hands on. Twenty years old and she acted like a child still. Closing her eyes, shaking her head, Charlotte returned to her bed, brushing some of the feathers off before hiding underneath the covers and pulling them over her head. Had she accomplished anything by doing that? Probably not. Now as the night set in, Charlotte knew she would regret it in the morning. 

[Greed]

[ It’s fine. Fluff is my middle name xD Sorry if you don’t like fluff… Sorry that this one isn’t as good, I’m a bit sluggish. I’ve been roleplaying ever since I woke up, with two consecutive hours off all day. My brain is a bit fried. xD ]
 
Errol continually cursed himself for losing her… Well, his opportunity. He’d not lost her, not yet. He still had time to kill her. He wished it hadn’t gone so splendidly sour, though. That would’ve made his job much easier, and he would’ve gathered up his pay faster, so he could’ve hightailed it out of the kingdom. It wasn’t good for him, with the palace guards and officials knowing that there was someone out there that was planning to slit the throat of their dearest princess. Errol pulled his black hood further over his face, hiding his stress-created white hair and the scar that ran down his left eye. He swore…he was going to kill the princess that night if it killed him. That wouldn’t do him much good, though, considering his employer would get what they wanted and get to keep their money. That just wasn’t fair, now was it? Definitely not fair for someone to win-win, when the person doing their dirty work lost their most valuable weapon – their life. Errol loved his money, even if he didn’t spend it. One day when the king and queen and their nobles suddenly lost everything…he could step forward and fratch (get on their case) them about everything they’d done wrong. He was calculating every move the rich took…waiting, just waiting, for the day his patience would pay off completely. Who gave a damn about money in the very end, seeing as you couldn’t take it with you? Errol wasn’t a religious man, but he sure didn’t believe your money – or any material possessions, for that matter – followed you into the afterlife, no matter what religion you believed in, if any at all.
Errol let out a quiet sigh. He was going to have to wait until later to get into the palace, and more than one person was going to die that night. Undoubtedly, the king and his queen had put up more security to keep their precious daughter safer. He sometimes wondered if they even cared about their daughter. She was rarely at special events. The only time he’d seen her out in public was announcing her coming-of-age-day, and even then he’d managed to turn that into a fiasco by setting fire to a banner. He’d done it for no particular reason other than to stir up some trouble, even if he wasn’t paid for it. Seeing the horrified look on the queen’s face had been enough pay for him. Perhaps…even though assassins were not supposed to allow their personal feelings to get mixed in with their work (in all reality assassins weren’t supposed to have feelings at all), he allowed himself to grow a deeply-seeded hatred for royalty. After all, it’d gone way back that he’d been fighting, rebelling bloodily, against supreme commanders like over-all rulers. Errol let out a quiet sigh and made his way through the shadowed alleyways to wait until night fell.

~*&*~

Errol stepped quietly onto the palace grounds as soon as the sun had set completely, the blanket of stars covering the sky with the moon the only illuminator of his path. He had to admit the way the night reflected upon the stone walls of the castle made it look very elegant and perhaps even welcoming, yet at the same time cold and foreboding. It was an interesting look for a castle…but he didn’t dislike it. Not completely, anyways. If only a more respectable peoples lived in it. Perhaps then he wouldn’t have a speck of dislike for it. With a quiet sigh, his sword jingling ever so slightly in its sheath, he headed forward. Peeking around the side of the building, he saw four or so guards standing there, pikes in their dominant hands (all right-handed save one) and backs stiffened. By the moonlight, he could see that they all also held long-swords that were sheathed on the opposite side of their dominant hands. Four of them is bound to make a lot of noise… There’s got to be a window or something I can sneak into. Errol quietly turned and snaked along the wall, looking up every now and again to see if there was an open window, or one low enough that he could break into in relative silence. Eventually he circled around the entire castle, which had taken much longer than he would’ve liked, until he found a window that was low enough he could slide his dagger underneath and unlatch. After doing so, he unsheathed his sword and slipped it inside before following it, closing the window and disregarding the destroyed latch. He closed the window behind him and slipped silently into what seemed to be a kitchen. I wish I had been given a map of this damn hellhole. I’m sure it won’t take too long before I find the princess’s room. There’s got to be guards outside of it.

~*&*~

Just like trying to get into the castle had taken longer than he’d expected, finding the princess’s room had also taken longer than expected. He was right when he’d thought there were going to be guards outside of it. It was probably a good thing he’d thought ahead when he’d first come. Hiding behind one wall, he cupped his hand to his mouth and made a calling noise that most guards knew. He heard ruffling armor.

“Yeh hear that?” One asked, closer to Errol.

“Yeh, I did. Wan’ go check it out, or wan’ me to?”

“Yeh go and do it. Some’n’s gotta stay here and guard the princess.”

“Got it. Be back shortly.”

Errol hurriedly left his spot, going down the winding corridors, down some stairs, and back up until he found himself on the opposite side of the door than he’d just been a few minutes ago. He cleared his throat ever so quietly and repeated the noise.

“Boris?” the remaining guard called. “Boris, that you?”

Errol smirked and shook his head as he heard tentative footsteps. He held his swordi n his hands and readied himself to strike. The moment the guard’s footsteps betrayed his position most accurately, Errol stepped out from behind the corner. The guard let out a startled yelp, making Errol curse under his breath. “Thanks for being my welcome signal,” Errol said before swinging his sword, the sickening sound of bones being cut before a head rolled and a body fell with a dull thud. Errol nodded, pleased with his work, before heading into the princess’s room. He opened the door just a crack and slipped inside, closing the door behind him and moving forward, only to hear something crunch under his foot. What the hell is this!? He thought with anger, looking up to where he saw the sleeping form of the princess. He froze. I hope she’s a deep sleeper… he thought as he paused for a second to see if she would awake. He didn’t have much time. Not before the guard’s body was found, seeing as his cry had probably alerted someone.

[ℓonesomє]

Even the nagging sensation of sleep couldn't chase the anger at her father away. In the back of her mind she felt terrible for using his head as target practice, but the ever present annoyance she felt towards the man covered those feelings well. Both of her parents had abandoned her, in a matter of speaking. And in a way, she was glad it had happened. Up until her 17th birthday, her life had been cushy, nearly perfect. Exposure to what the kingdom was really like scraped her raw at first, leaving her shocked to what commoners and people with no real rank had to do everyday. But like a drug, she wanted more, and luckily for her, the maids gave her enough to keep her content for short periods of time. And when the information supply was cut, Charlotte could do nothing but blame her father. Her mother had almost always been there, and she wondered how the normally gentle woman could keep the terrible temper under control around the king. If there was one thing Charlotte could guarantee, it was that her mother would have more control than she ever would. It was harder to dislike her mother, seeing as they were so much alike and the woman had hardly ever wronged her. But she did it anyway. 

With sleep setting in, Charlotte's sub conscious thoughts drifted to the assassin. With the recent events, it would have been a real piece of luck had he decided to go after her father instead. Don't think that, Charlotte! She scolded herself, shifting position in the bed at the rather gruesome thought. The thought of being killed in such a way terrified her. At the moment, with her temper barely leashed, Charlotte wondered if it be fear she would feel upon encountering the man again, or anger. Part of her prayed for anger, not wanting to be taken from the world cowering like mouse cornered by a cat. More like a hunting dog fighting for it's life against a bear, destined to lose but still harming the bear in the process. Hmm, yeah, that'll happen. Never hurts to humor yourself, Char. She thought coldly, the fact that she would hardly be able to defend herself not helping her mood any. Sleep could not come fast enough. Would that assassin return? How easily did they give up? Charlotte desperately wished to know how their business worked. Asking her would-be murderer wouldn't work very well, now would it?

Charlotte hadn't even been aware that she was asleep until a muffled yelp made her eyes snap open. She had been dreaming. No one would be screaming in the hallways at this time at night. Something crunched; either part of the ceramic cherub or the glass figurine. Did her father really have the nerve to return? Or the courage? Just the thought stoked the fire inside, and with a hiss of irritation, Charlotte was out of the bed, hair mussed with a feather tangled in the braid, and an angry gleam in her amber eyes. Glass dug into the sole of her foot, causing her to jump away before she had registered just who stood before her. Knocking her head on the tall bed post, she made a small noise of pain. Cradling the back of her head, Charlotte turned her attention back to the intruder. Could her day get any worse? Refusing to let her eyes widen, Charlotte kept her glare trained on the man, slowly lowered her hand and worked on pushing the fear down. Her pent up frustration and anger made it easier than it should of been. 

Once again, her guards had put her in danger with their stupidity. Perhaps something different had happened to them, but she didn't want to believe that. Just thinking about it nearly made her sick. "So," Surprised at her own courage to speak, the girl continued, fists clenched by her sides, "What now?" 

[So sorry about the shortness. And I don't mind fluff, since I stuff my posts full of it all the time.]

[Greed]

[ This is a bit short. It’s 1:31 AM where I am right now… I had 6 roleplays to respond to – only one more after this! So I know this is short and a bit crappy xD Sorry ]

 

What a ruckus. Can the men of the king be any less…’smart?’ I could’ve hired a child to take them out. Then again…what fool, aside from myself, would attack a child that was seemingly helpless? In all reality…my dearest king…are you daft? These men of yours could no more protect you than a herd of swine could. You were better off allowing your daughter to be killed by me without having been woken. Your men cry like women birthing, too. I hope you’re aware of that. Errol nearly let out a groan when the woman go up. It seemed she had no idea who he was at first, which he wouldn’t necessarily be surprised if he found was indeed the case. After all, it was the early hours of morning and she’d just been woken unpleasantly by the sound of a man being beheaded. What a lovely way to be awoken. He’d woken up to that sound once or twice in his lifetime…the first time he’d been rather disoriented, but the second time he’d already heard the sound so many times it didn’t faze him at all. “I thought I told you, young mistress,” he said in a cool tone, his face emotionless behind the shadows his hood cast upon his rough features, “It hurts less when you’re asleep.” He couldn’t help but grin at that, thought the grin had no meaning behind it. He found his words humorous in no way, and he did not grin to intimidate the young woman, either. Perhaps it was a habit he’d picked up long ago, but he no longer remembered why he did it. Assassins were weird creatures. He rarely would group them with humans, but he wouldn’t group them with animals either. They were like divinity. Deities of death. Paid deities of death. But…yes. He quite liked the. ‘Deities of death.’ Next time someone asked who they were hiring, that’s how he’d refer to himself. “I am the Deity of Death,” he’d tell them. With a slight shake of his head, he looked over at the woman again.

He was rather surprised she could find her voice. “I suppose meeting me the second time, knowing there is no escaping from me, or death, gives you more courage to speak, does it not?” he asked, his voice vaguely resembling nails on a chalkboard. “If you are foolish enough to think that ‘what now’ presents options, you’re quite wrong, young mistress,” Errol said with a hiss. “You’ll die here tonight no matter what. Even if your precious father or mother come in here…” Errol paused, “I suppose you wouldn’t mind if I disposed of them first if they dare interrupt me, would you now, young mistress?” Errol shook his head and kicked some of the glass away from his feet. “You made quite the mess. Throwing temper-tantrums?” Errol shook some of the blood from the guard off of his blade and onto the floor, the crimson drops falling upon the glass and reflecting in the vague moonlight. “Now. I’ll make this quick, seeing as your helpful guards made such a wonderfully apparent noise as to give away my position.” Errol stepped closer and raised his blade, “Goodbye, young mistress.”

 

[ I didn’t wanna kill her…wasn’t planning on killing her…so I didn’t know where to stop. This is so short. I’m so sorry XD ]

[ℓonesomє]

[It's perfectly fine! Length isn't everything, and I haven't found a bad post from you yet! And yes, what are we going to do, since killing Charlotte off will bring this thread to an abrupt end. Any ideas?]

Charlotte couldn't help but tip her chin up slightly, fighting to keep her courage. The tone in which he spoke didn't help. How could he have done such a deed and then be so calm about it? She swallowed hard, gathering her wits as quickly as they fled. "How was I supposed to sleep with all the noise?" Her eyes flitted down to the sword, widened with horror for a moment before hardening and returning to his hooded face. Charlotte silently thanked her father for building up the awful anger inside her that gave her the courage to face the assassin, much less speak to him. The one good thing her father had done for her in the past years. Pulling the feather from her hair and flicking it off her hand, the girl did a quick survey of her room, searching for something that could be used against him.

Her head tilted as he spoke once more, and she chuckled, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. She couldn't believe the calm she was putting off, while on the inside she was screaming and running into the walls like a bug trapped in a jar. "Please, do not flatter yourself. You have my father to thank for my courage. It is him, after all, that caused this." Charlotte nodded her head at the glass and ceramic shards on the floor. Holding back a snort, she replied to him once more. "And if you think calling me 'Young Mistress' means anything at the moment, you are quite wrong." Blinking once, twice, three times, Charlotte held back a tide of curses and insults she had picked up from the guards as he spoke about her parents, but the rage flashed in her eyes. "Then go ahead. It isn't like they would come check up on me anyway. Yesterday was an extremely rare exception." [

Clicking her teeth together in thought, she looked down, watching the blood land on the glass and placed a hand on her stomach as she felt a rush of nausea hit. She had seen blood few times, and it had usually been her own when she injured herself as a child. Even that had been enough to make her sick. The man advanced, his weapon raised and Charlotte acted without thinking. She stumbled back, hitting the bed and quickly crossing it, nearly getting tangled in the covers. "What will my death do? I'm honestly curious." She asked, her nervousness starting to become obvious. "If I disappear, never to be seen again as the princess, does it have the same effectas my death?"  Charlotte watched him now from the opposite side of the bed, shifting her weight as she waited for him to act,

[Gah, mine isn't much better. She's bargaining, my slight idea to get her out of the castle and keep this going.]

[Greed]

“Me? Flatter myself? What does an assassin have to flatter himself with? I kill people to put dinner in front of me and a bed underneath me every night. Why the hell would I flatter myself – or even try?” Errol glanced at her curiously for a second, “You know very little about the real world for being a princess.” He snarled the next part, “Even the most daft princesses know a little bit about the going-ons of the world outside their own perfect little globe. I hate people like you. You are the kind of person that makes me do what I do and not regret it. The world would be better off with one less person like you.” He clenched his fist around his sword, his knuckles whitening almost unbelievably. “I don’t understand how one woman can be so damn ignorant.” Errol took another step closer and smirked at her next comment, “No, I don’t care for giving people meaningful names, especially considering I kill them afterwards. Or did you forget that small little detail?” He saw the anger in her eyes and he had to suppress a chuckle. Although he’d semi-broken this rule just a few minutes ago, he had to laugh that she was so easily annoyed or angered. An assassin was to never be quick to anger. In all reality, an assassin was supposed to have no anger at all, but… he couldn’t help it. The ignorant and completely daft people in the world was enough to make Satan himself ready to slit the throats of mortals – and even he couldn’t do that. I must be nothing more than the devil’s wingman. I slit the throats of the ignorant for him…he must love me.
He rose an eyebrow, “Your guards really need proper training. I’m surprised they don’t take care of you like they should. Ah well, it isn’t my problem,” he said gruffly, “I’m just here to kill you and get paid. I can kill any other man that comes at me if need be.” Errol sighed and watched as she looked as if she were about to throw up, then hurriedly clambered over the bed, somewhat ungracefully. How unladylike. Nightclothes and everything, climbing over her bed like she was naught but a monkey – speaking of which he’d never actually seen the creatures with his own two eyes before. Something certainly of interest to him. Maybe…
…Okay, not really.
He was easily sidetracked today for some reason…or perhaps it was just the girl? He wasn’t quite sure, but he didn’t like it. If he killed her he’d be able to see if it was her that caused it or not, correct? Correct. Best get to it.
Errol sighed, “The point is to send a message. Your father is more heavily guarded than you, and admittedly his death would create a ruckus that this kingdom does not yet have the people or finances to recover from. If you are killed, what difference does it make? Either your mother will have another child, another heir, or your father will appoint a male of noble birth to be trained in the ways of a king and to succeed him when his days are over. But, your death would be a symbol to show him and your mother that there are still people out there that hate him enough to kill for his demise. Maybe, if you’re killed, he’ll step down. That’s unlikely, but it’s a possibility and a risk I’m willing to take – considering my employer would pay me a large sum of cash for your head on a silver platter. He doesn’t like you very much. He’s…how do you say…and ex-courter of yours. But he wants you dead for numerous reasons,” Errol cleared his throat, “I digress. If you just disappeared your father wouldn’t know if you were dead, and it always helps to leave a little display case when I leave. That’s what I’m being paid to do. I do not trust you to keep that pretty little mouth of yours shut if I simply make you ‘disappear,’ as you suggest, and I have nowhere to take you. So I’ll just silence you forever, and it’ll make everyone’s lives easier. But I applaud you on your valiant attempt at saving your own hide. Now, please, don’t make this any harder than it needs to be. Die quietly.”

[ℓonesomє]

"Your ability to scare people. That can be considered something, no?" She questioned, "And you don't have to try. You don't even have to be aware that you're doing it. My father does it all the time." Charlotte rolled her eyes when she spoke the last bit. As he continued to speak, the girl found herself disliking him more and more. "How very prejudicial of you." She muttered, distaste obvious in her words. There wasn't any way her lack of knowledge about the world was her fault. "Oh, like me? What kind of person am I? If I can recall correctly, I have not been allowed to influence this kingdom in any way. Do you really think it is my choice for being so ignorant about the outside world? I've never been beyond the garden walls. Besides, I could say the same about you." Charlotte dared to step closer, knees touching the edge of the bed. "And I don't understand how one man can be so judgmental. It baffles me, to say the least." She snapped sarcastically, glaring hard at the man. It was a good thing he was so infuriating. How she managed to stand up to the assassin was beyond her. "Congratulations!" Charlotte mimicked a happy tone as he criticized her guards. "You can point out the obvious." 

She averted her glare to the wall behind him. "Since when do you care about the people? I thought assassins were just in it for themselves." Her words were softer this time, less harsh. "It makes no difference to him whether I am dead or not. This male of noble birth you speak of... it's going to happen and I will just trot along his side like a house pet." Charlotte wasn't certain what she said was true, but it must have been, or she would have been better educated. "But telling you this helps be as much as begging for my life does. But since your employer is either too cowardly or lazy to do the job himself, I'm stuck with the consequences." Charlotte closed her eyes for a long moment, considering her options. There weren't any. "My father may not be the most intelligent man, but he sees logic, if only a little. What else would a person do with a princess? Why would someone sneak in and kill a guard just to take her out for a leisurely stroll in the park? If a ransom was wanted, then one would be left." She paused. There was a flaw in this. "But why would they need the body? Would her death be kept secret? That would be easy. The body would be proof, maybe?" Charlotte looked back up at him, realizing that she had been speaking to herself  as she patched up the flaw. "You wouldn't have to take me anywhere! I'd be perfectly fine on my own once I got out of here. And  tell me, why in the world would I want to come back here? Answer that question for me."  Where were her guards? Shouldn't they be here by now? As much as she hated to admit to herself, she agreed with the man about her guards. It was a miracle she had survived to be even twenty years old with those goons running around and "protecting" her. 

As if on a very late queue, the heavy, clumsy sound of the guards' boots hitting the floor become audible. "Oh for the love of God, now you cretins arrive?" Charlotte groaned in exasperation, distracted from the threat in front of her. The idiots were even shouting a bit now and then. "I guess this means I die now?" Once more, the girl's voice was shaky. Now that the looming reality that death was hanging over her head, it was much more real. Would he get a third chance? Charlotte guessed he didn't want to find out. "I will die as loudly as I please, thank you very much." She told him, waiting for the guards to burst in the door to discover their 'beloved' princess, laying on the floor with her throat slit and an assassin hiding, waiting to slaughter them as well. 

(Sorry this is so short.)

[Greed]

[ I apologize in advanced for the shortness of this. I’m trying to get back into the swing of things and at the moment I’m in a very bad mood considering a friend ditched me completely for Tumblr. :) And that really pissed me off. A lot. ]

Errol shook his head. He didn’t consider that something to boast or be proud about. That happened naturally, as well. It wasn’t like he went around trying to scare people. What good would he get out of it by scaring them? He was going to kill them afterwards, anyways, and it was just part of the job description, so to say, that he’d be scary. Walking around in black, carrying a gigantic sword…it was just part of standard procedures. At least, that’s what he thought. After all, he hadn’t been doing much other than killing people, so whether or not other assassins ran on the same rules he did he really wouldn’t have any idea. He didn’t have any idea for any standard procedures, really, but…then again, it didn’t matter to him. “Does it really matter what kind of person you are? Because you are the daughter of the king and queen, and you’re ignorant. If you truly wanted knowledge you’d go out there and get it.” Errol shook his head, “I’m not judgmental. I believe and say whatever my employer wants me to. I’m killing you because that’s what my employer wants. A good assassin should never have their own opinions on matters.” You’re a hypocrite, Errol, a hypocrite. You hate the royal family and no one told you to do that but yourself. Errol gritted his teeth at her sarcastic comment, “I’d tell you to watch your tone, but it isn’t going to matter much where you’re going.”

Errol shook his head, “I care about the people from the place I came from,” he hissed. “Not all assassins are completely heartless you know.” Errol rolled his eyes a little bit. He could care less about what she did or did not think, even if he himself had started the conversation, or at least set the direction of it. Errol smirked, “It’s neither. My employer is a well-up man who believes you are of no use to the kingdom, as are the rest of the royal family. It’s much easier to hire a paid assassin who will do the job without leaving a trace of who did it rather than an unprofessional try and do it and leave evidence all over the place. This way, my employer keeps his status as well as gets what he wants. It’s a dog eat dog world out there, princess, and you should be thankful I’m ending your life soon enough that you won’t have to deal with it.” Errol listened to her some more before shrugging. He didn’t care. He noticed she seemed to be thinking out loud to herself but he really didn’t care whether or not she thought she was going to get out of here. But her thoughts were right – the body was going to be proof that there were people unsatisfied with the king’s unacceptable “efforts” at making the kingdom a better place. “You wouldn’t,” Errol said matter-of-fact-ly. “The moment you step outside these walls, you’d either get raped or mugged or killed. No matter what, once you step outside of your little fairytale castle, in your wonderfully opaque bubble, you’d die. You don’t stand a chance out there, princess, because everyone knows who you are and wants a piece of you for themselves, and not a single one wishes you well. I believe I’m very much proof of that.” No sooner had the words left Errol’s lips as the sound of loud footsteps could be heard. “Too late,” he murmured between gritted teeth. He grimaced at her comment. Well, this was going to be interesting. Either he had to kill her quickly and deal with slaughtering an oncoming mini-army, or…

Quickly, Errol decided on his second plan. In a single bound he made his way over to the princess and grabbed her by the waist, “Well, it looks like you’re getting out of here after all, princess,” he said between gritted teeth, hoisting her over his shoulder and dashing to the window. With a quick maneuver he found himself falling from the building’s window to the ground. He paused for a second as his entire body shook with the force of his landing, but in no time his agile body was up and running, and despite the princess’s obvious distaste in his actions, he began to run. Where? He had no idea, but he’d get there by morning.

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