《Tainted Lily》


 Chapter 1

    Lilly entered the bar and made her way to the corner where she had agreed to meet her client. Thanks to the numerous spells she had engraved in her black leather outfit no one even spared her a glance. Since she had arrived early out of precaution, she had to wait for almost an hour, but she didn¡¯t order anything. Unlike her rowdy, and often short lived colleagues, she took her job seriously. After a long and boring wait, made only slightly bearable by it¡¯s necessity, a dark clad figure entered the bar. The figure made it¡¯s way over to Lilly¡¯s corner and sat down.


    ¡°Coin.¡± Lilly said, magically altering her voice to that of a man.


    The stranger didn¡¯t answer and just produced a leather pouch from within their coat and showed it¡¯s contents to her.


    ¡°Target.¡± Lilly more demanded than asked.


    ¡°The royal family.¡± Came the answer in a feminine voice. ¡°And make it quick, preferably during their travel to Anmarak¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll need some extra for the inconvenience¡± She didn¡¯t like traveling.


    The stranger hesitated a little but pulled out a second, smaller pouch and handed both to Lilly.


    ¡°I expect results¡±


    ¡°I always deliver¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the sad part.¡± The stranger muttered before she stood up and left the bar.


    ???


    Lilly was crouching behind a bush, observing her targets and waiting for them to go to bed. As expected, the royal family traveled in a grandiose manner and had numerous guards. But what did guards matter to Lilly when she could practically turn invisible. A skilled warrior, or even just a good tracker, could sniff out her movements from the sounds or disturbances in the environment. But the royal family was stupid, they cared more for appearances than for their own safety as evidenced by their often untimely demise.


    One such case was about to happen. The family of three; the king, queen and their daughter, had just entered a large carriage intended for sleeping. Lilly had been observing them for several days and knew that once they entered, they didn¡¯t leave until the following morning. This was the perfect time to strike, she wove a complicated spell that made people dismiss her presence. Her armor had the same effect but the leather simply couldn¡¯t hold enough mana to make it strong enough. People would still notice her if they tried, like a guard, but most would not remember her if asked.


    The spell took effect and she started creeping her way towards the carriage. Halfway there a guard looked in her direction and she froze. The royal family may be stupid, but the people guarding them weren¡¯t. The royal guard had people on constant standby with horses in case they needed to send for reinforcements. Lilly wouldn¡¯t get away with her life if she was discovered, she knew that. But that¡¯s why she was good at this job, she was never noticed.


    The guard looked away, dismissing his hunch as fatigue. Lilly started moving towards her target again and soon reached the carriage. She cast a convenient little spell on the door to stop it form making any noise and readied a different, more complex spell, for when she entered. She opened the door and snuck inside quickly. The guards, focusing outwards for threats, didn¡¯t notice the door behind them seemingly open and close on its own.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    Once Lilly had closed the door behind her she released her readied spell, isolating the carriage from the outside world. The spell would stop any noise, light or even heat from exiting the room it was cast in. She made her way to the double bed where the king and queen slept soundly. Deciding to kill the king first as he might offer resistance if he were to wake up, Lilly quietly walked over and unsheathed a small curved knife from under her bracer. She didn¡¯t hesitate as she sliced open the kings throat and quickly followed with the queens. After wiping her blade on the sheets she put it away, intending to give the young and innocent princess a decent death. Her face didn¡¯t divulge any emotion as she made her way over to the young girl, but as she looked down on her sleeping face she couldn¡¯t help but think; why should this young girl suffer for her parents mistakes?


    Lilly just stood there for several minutes. Despite her reputation as a ruthless Assassin who never let a target survive, she had never killed a child. It simply hadn¡¯t been requested of her. Most in her line of work, or even just some thug on the street, wouldn¡¯t think twice about murdering an entire orphanage for the right coin. But Lilly wasn¡¯t a monster, and she didn¡¯t want to be, so she had set rules for herself from the very start. The question of whether to kill a child was one she hadn¡¯t asked herself, it just seemed so unreasonable.


    Eventually she decided that that killing kids was a line she wouldn¡¯t cross. However, she had already accepted the request to kill the royal family, so was she going to kill the princess and say; no more? She couldn¡¯t, instead she decided to fake failure. It was risky and could likely get her killed. She would have to alert the guards to her presence and then make a run for it through the woods.


    She dispelled [Isolate], the spell keeping all sounds inside the room and looked around for something to break. She had to make it look like an accident or she would loose her reputation for purposely butchering a job. She found a tea set made of porcelain on a cupboard besides the princess bed, perfect for making a racket. She knocked it over and it shattered on the floor. Almost immediately a guard came rushing through the door.


    Lilly pounced on him and slit his throat with a dagger she drew from her back. She continued onward, dashing past several guards and running into the forest.


    ¡°Assassin!¡± The guards were yelling and waking up their resting comrades. ¡°Ready the horses!¡±


    ¡°Fuck, the horses, I need to hide.¡± Lilly muttered as she sprinted through the forest trying to put some distance between her and the guards before they got the horses ready. She couldn¡¯t outrun them, even in the forest, so she started weaving [Overlook] and found a tree to hide in. Only a few moments after she hid herself in the tree did the guards catch up to her but they simply kept riding. Now she only had to wait out the imminent search, hopefully [Overlook] would hide her presence well enough.

 Chapter 2

    ¡°I thought you hired the best! Because of his failure the entire thing blew up in our faces!¡± The man, sitting in a luxurious chair, almost yelled.


    ¡°I did, he¡¯s the best assassin in the kingdom, I¡¯ve never heard of him failing a job before.¡± The woman sitting opposite the man said.


    ¡°And the price! He charged you extra just because he had to leave the city for a few days. He¡¯s an Assassin not a noble!¡± The man was apparently a money grubber.


    ¡°Hah, money is the last of our concerns after you¡¯ve become king. You know this was the right thing to do, your brother would have run the country into the ditch.¡± The woman clearly had a better handle on things.


    ¡°Well, at least one good thing came of this mess. Since Evelyn survived the Assassination attempt we now have a kid!¡± The king said with glee.


    ¡°Yes yes dear, I know you always wanted a kid, and I do too, but was traumatizing her and murdering her parents a good way to go about it?¡± The woman, apparently the queen, said.


    ¡°Oh come on, you know she wasn¡¯t supposed to survive, so the least we can do after ruining her life is to take care of her.¡±


    ¡°Yes I know, I just hope she recovers soon. I hate seeing her like that, she¡¯s a kid, she¡¯s supposed to be running around and playing happily, not sulking in her room.¡± The queen said with sadness in her voice.


    ???


    Lilly was sitting in a bar, the same one in which she received the job of killing the royal family. She was drinking and chatting with the other patrons about all the rumors around the recent Assassination. She had gotten off work a few hours ago, deciding to take a few days break with the money she had earned the previous day. After hiding in a tree with [Overlook] she had waited for several hours until the search was called off. Then she had snuck back to the city and entered through the sewers. Once home she collapsed on her bed and drifted off to sleep.


    When she woke up the next day it was already noon. Deciding to keep up her fa?ade as a perfectly normal member of society, she grabbed a few bags of potions and herbs and headed off to her day job. On her way there she overheard people talking about how the royal family was assassinated, who did it, and what would happen to the kingdom now. That would give her the perfect cover story for why she was late. Eventually she arrived at a small potion and healing shop in the commercial district. There was a little sign over the door reading; Four Leaf Potions.


    ¡°Yer late Lilly, again.¡± The shopkeep grumbled.


    ¡°Sorry Bart, I got caught up in some gossip with a friend.¡± Lilly excused herself.


    ¡°Yeah fine, shits crazy, if even the royal family isn¡¯t safe, who is?¡± The shopkeep named Bart said.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s scary to think how those Assassins can make their way in anywhere, without being seen.¡± Lilly feigned some fear.


    ¡°Cept this time it didn¡¯t go so well, heard the Assassin was supposed to kill the princess as well, but she survived.¡± Bart said.


    ¡°Oh, and who do you think did it, Ghost, The Reaper? Lilly asked, purposely not including herself.


    ¡°Seems the general opinion is Ghost, Fucker likes tormenting his victims. Probably got caught up in his fantasies and knocked something over.¡±


    (At least people aren¡¯t suspecting me yet.) Lilly thought. Incidentally, her ¡°work name¡± was Shadow, since she silently entered and exited her victims homes without being seen.


    ¡°Anyway, I doubt we have anything to worry about, unless you went and groped a noblewoman again that is.¡± Lilly said in a mocking tone.


    ¡°Yeah yeah, yer never letting that one go are you?¡± It seemed Bart had resigned himself to being mocked for his drunken blunder.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.¡°Nope, I brought some potions by the way, the usual price?¡±


    ¡°Off course Lilly, yer potions are top notch, this shop wouldn¡¯t be here anymore if not for you.¡±


    Lilly grabbed her pouch and started filling it with gold coins. Usually employees wouldn¡¯t sell the products to their employer, but since Lilly provided her own herbs, the production didn¡¯t actually cost Bart anything. Finished counting her coins, Lilly went about sorting and putting her potions in the display cases. Afterwards she headed to the back to make some potions. She was going to make some Mana Potions and Mana Regen(eration) Potions, since she had used up quite a few during her escape.


    Mana Potions were fairly self explanatory, they simply gave you an immediate amount of mana based on quality. Mana Regen Potions however, increased the consumers regeneration of mana also based on quality, but they also had varied effect on different people. Lilly received average effect from Regen Potions so she tended to use a lot of them.


    After a day of potion making she said her goodbyes to bart and told him she¡¯d take a few days off. Heading out into the bustling street she walked towards the inn district. Wanting a good ale she entered the first bar she found and sat down at the counter.


    ¡°Barkeep, an ale!¡± Lilly hollered.


    ¡°Aye, here ya go.¡± The barkeep filled a mug and handed it to her.


    Lilly chugged it in one go and slid the mug to the Barkeep asking for a refill. She decided to get absolutely wasted and have some fun. Her idea of drunk fun being bar fights, she didn¡¯t have to wait long before fun found her.


    ¡°What¡¯s a pretty girl like you doing in a run down place like this?¡± Fun 1 asked.


    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s only men here, perhaps we could protect you?¡± Fun 2 chimed in.


    ¡°Drinking away my holiday, and thank you but it¡¯s not necessary, I can take care of myself.¡± Lilly said, dismissing them.


    ¡°Aww don¡¯t be like that, I¡¯m sure we could make your stay a lot more interesting.¡± Fun 2 persisted.


    ¡°Interesting how? I don¡¯t think two drunkards make for good company.¡± She continued egging them on.


    ¡°Interesting in how yer gonna follow us out back and have sone fun.¡± Fun 1 had lost his patience.


    ¡°No thanks, I prefer my ale.¡±


    ¡°Sorry but you aint sayin no to this, now come on!¡± Fun 1 hissed and tried to grab Lilly but promptly had his hand showed away.


    ¡°I said leave me alone!¡± Lilly yelled in mock panic, she obviously wanted to escalate it into a fight.


    ¡°Bitch yer commin with us and we¡¯ll gladly drag ya!¡± Fun 2 said as he grabbed ahold of Lillys arm.


    Deciding the fun was riled up enough Lilly spun around on her stool and punched fun 2 in the stomach. Groaning, he let go of her arm and stepped back. Seeing his mate beaten, fun 1 threw a punch at the back of Lillys head. Bending slightly to the side she grabbed his arm and yanked, throwing fun 1 over her shoulder and onto fun 2, felling both.


    Untangling themselves they eventually stood back up and immediately charged at her. Fun 1 threw a punch at her face while fun 2 tried to tackle her. She kneed fun 2 in the face and tried to catch fun 1¡¯s fist in her own. Being fairly drunk however, she missed, but fun 1 did as well. The punch carrying his weight, fun 1 stumbled forward into Lilly, knocking her over and landing on top of her.


    Fun 1 one had a moment of glory thinking he had won until he took a knee to the crotch. Yelling out in pain he rolled off her and clutched his balls. Fun 2, having recovered and seeing his mate writhing in pain on the floor, charged Lilly and kicked her in the chest. Having the air knocked out of her, she rolled to the side and stood up shakily. Heaving for air Lilly charged at fun 2 feinting to the right. Instead dropping low on his left, she grabbed his leg and pulled it out from under him causing him to faceplant with a loud crunch.


    Having incapacitated both sources of fun, Lilly grabbed a random mug of some beverage and chugged it in one go. Discovering it was cheap beer she threw it at the wall and stumbled over to the counter where she finished the rest of her ale. Fishing up a few coins from her pouch she tossed them at the barkeep and stumbled out the door. She headed off in a random direction wanting to find a new bar and maybe some more fun.

 Chapter 3

    ¡°Ugh¡­ what, where?¡± Lilly groaned as she looked around trying to get her bearings. It seemed she had fallen asleep on the counter after a night of heavy drinking. She reached out for her mug to take a sip but it was snatched away from her.


    ¡°No more for you young lady.¡± The barkeep said holding her mug.


    ¡°Wha, why?!¡± Lilly asked confused, why couldn¡¯t she drink her ale?


    ¡°Pay your tab first.¡± The barkeep said matter of fact-ly.


    ¡°My tab? I don¡¯t have a tab, it¡¯s my first time drinking here!¡± Lilly wasn¡¯t even sure where here was.


    ¡°You don¡¯t remember, do you? Last night you came in here and started chatting up anyone willing to listen. Eventually everyone was laughing, chatting and drinking together, which is great, means more money for me. But then you had to go and get all high and mighty promising to pay for everyones drinks.¡± The barkeep sighed finishing the story.


    ¡°Fuck¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah, now pay up, it¡¯ll be 6 gold, 7 silvers and 4 coppers.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s like an entire vacation day! Why am I so stupid?¡± Lilly lamented as she reluctantly handed over the money.


    She stood up stumbling and nearly fell over, but managed to catch herself. Clearly she wasn¡¯t completely sober yet, and she had a headache, a bad one. She gingerly walked to the door and headed out, the sun blinding her as her eyes adjusted to the outside.


    ¡°What a beautiful day to be hungover.¡± Lilly muttered to herself and started walking to the inner part of the residential district.


    The city, being the capital of the kingdom, was planned and regulated more than others. Thus having more distinct borders between districts and much better roads, it didn¡¯t take more than 15 minutes for Lilly to arrive in front of a well kept two story house. It was the official home of Lilly Rivera, the somewhat well known chemist working in Four Leaf Potions. Of course, Lilly didn¡¯t really care for the public opinion. She just needed somewhere safe to stash her gear while she was off not murdering people in their sleep.


    Entering her home Lilly headed to the laboratory to find a hangover remedy. Her headache cured she undressed and went to the bath, wanting to rid herself of the alcoholic stink. Assassins had to be particular about everything since even just a squeaky boot could tip of a guard. Dogs especially were a pain with their good ears and noses.


    After almost an hour relaxing in the bath she got out and dried herself. She may be an assassin and a thief but she liked her luxury. Dressing herself she grabbed her herb bag and headed out to eat. Going to the same restaurant as always, a cozy little place with a nice waitress only a few minutes walk from her home. She enjoyed her meal in peace and even got a dessert, she was on vacation after all.


    After eating Lilly had decided to take a stroll in the forest. To do that however she had to leave the city, which meant passing one of the city gates. And with the assassin still on the loose, everyone was checked and registered. The gates faced huge amounts of traffic each day, but with the soldiers having to write everything down it took Lilly more than half an hour to exit the city. And she didn¡¯t even have any goods to be inspected. She could only pity the merchants standing in line for hours on end.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    Finally arriving in the forest, Lilly immediately felt reinvigorated breathing the cool, fresh air of nature. The forest surrounded the capital on all sides and there were only three roads through it. It was a dense forest with a lot of wildlife and easy to get lost in if you went too far. She strolled about randomly picking up herbs here and there, confident she wouldn¡¯t get lost. She loved just mindlessly walking around the forest forgetting all about murder, work, money and any other worries she had.


    It would seem the forest didn¡¯t though. Not paying attention she had let a lone wolf sneak up on her. Without warning the wolf pounced, confident it would be an easy kill. To its surprise however, Lilly reacted on instinct the moment she sensed something was off. Spinning around she launched a dark mass from her hand hitting it square on the snout. The spell, [Darkbolt], was essentially a solidified curse that ate away at the targets mind, stunning and disorienting. The wolf, incapacitated, faceplanted into the dirt and rolled over with a squeal of pain. Lilly didn¡¯t give it time to recover and pulled a dagger out of her bag. Crouching down she stabbed it in the chest and punctured the heart.


    ¡°Are you alright? The wolf didn¡¯t hurt you did it?¡± A noble looking man came into the little clearing flanked by several hunters moments later.


    ¡°I¡¯m quite alright, were you hunting this wolf?¡± Lilly asked, paying no mind to the mans clearly noble status.


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s a mountain wolf, they¡¯re not supposed to be in the forest. But they make a nice trophy.¡± The noble declared proudly. What he had to be proud of, Lilly wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Oh, Well you can have it then.¡± She dismissed the corpse instantly.


    ¡°No no, I couldn¡¯t, you are the one who killed it.¡± The noble insisted.


    ¡°Well I have no use for it, trophy or not.¡±


    ¡°Then how about I take you out for dinner, as payment for the wolf. My name is Hendrix Cobb¡± Hendrix said quite sure the woman in front of him couldn¡¯t possibly refuse.


    ¡°I must refuse, I have no time for such things. And please take the wolf, I would leave it to rot anyway.¡± Lilly shot him down immediately, not even thinking twice about it.


    (Much like I left your brother to rot in the sewers after he raped that blacksmiths daughter.) She thought. (You and your family are sick to the core.)


    ¡°Well I must be going, I have things to do.¡± She said preparing to leave.


    ¡°In that case, perhaps we could escort you back to the city.¡± Hendrix persisted, infatuated with the dangerous woman.


    ¡°I¡¯m gathering herbs so I won¡¯t be going back for a while.¡± She quipped, about to lose her patience.


    ¡°Well the forest is teeming with predators and bandits, we can stick around to protect you.¡± Hendrix seemed almost desperate, he knew attacking her was a bad idea so he could only resort to coercion.


    ¡°Anyone, beast or man, who pisses me off will end up like the wolf.¡± Lilly said as she walked off, not giving him the chance to speak.


    Can I not catch a break? This is supposed to be my vacation! Lilly thought as she grumpily walked back to the city, her good mood ruined.

 Chapter 4

    Lilly cast [Overlook] and vaulted over the fence surrounding her home. Walking through the the empty streets of the capital she felt right at home, this was her domain. She was headed towards what people commonly called the den of criminals, located in the outer industrial district. It was where, as implied by its name, all the shady characters of the city gathered. Whether they were there for work or to hire specific unsavory talents, they all had something to gain from breaking the law.


    Walking around to the backside of an abandoned warehouse, Lilly approached a green door. Knocking twice, a hushed voice was heard;


    ¡°Password.¡±


    Lilly being her professional self answered in her magically altered voice;


    ¡°Fuck off and let me in.¡±


    The door opened and Lilly went inside. This wasn¡¯t Lilly or the guard being unprofessional, fuck off and let me in was the unofficial password. There wasn¡¯t an official password, the unofficial one was something the guards came up with to weed out outsiders. If someone tried spouting some bullshit nonsense hoping to get the password right, they were an outsider and shouldn¡¯t be there. If you simply demanded to be let in, you¡¯d be let in.


    As Lilly made her way to the makeshift counter she received numerous glares and whispers. In the past year she had made quite the name for herself. After botching the royal assassination her reputation had taken a serious hit. The country had calmed down eventually, or at least the commoners had. The nobles were currently engaged in a war for dominance in pretty much everything. Most likely to gain the recognition of the new king or even the princess, as she was nearing marriageable age.


    While this war was fought with money, achievements, social status and much else bullshittery Lilly couldn¡¯t care less about. It was also fought with illegal means like theft, sabotage, espionage and of course assassination. And it was during this war she had regained her fame. In fact, she had surpassed her previous fame and was now feared as the devil incarnate. The amount of lives she had reaped was easily just as many as her entire career prior the war.


    The receptionist merely glanced at Lilly before continuing to sort his papers, all kinds of requests and jobs.


    ¡°Here for another assassination, Shadow?¡± The receptionist asked in a raspy voice.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Came Lillys curt reply.


    ¡° Well, we¡¯re out, the nobles can¡¯t continue killing each other for ever.¡± The receptionist sounded almost sad at the thought of the nobles not just eradicating themselves.


    ¡°Surely there¡¯s something that pays well?¡± Lilly asked, not that she really needed the money, but her attempts at vacations were wholly unsuccessful. She was an active woman, no point denying it.


    ¡°Well there is one job¡­ But the guy specifically requested anyone but you.¡±


    She was a bit confused by this but quickly caught on.


    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.¡°Assassinating the royal family? Again?¡±


    ¡°Not entirely, it¡¯s only the princess this time. Probably some noble who doesn¡¯t have a son and is too old to marry a 14 year old girl.¡± The receptionist said this with some mirth in his voice, clearly enjoying the stupid power play of the nobles.


    ¡°Well if there¡¯s really no work I might as well get some sleep for once.¡±


    Having finished her business in the den she walked out into the streets again. On her way home she had a sudden stupid idea. (Why don¡¯t I pay the princess a visit before she¡¯s killed.) With that decision made Lilly headed towards the castle.


    She had never been inside the castle walls before so locating the princess would actually be the hardest part. Arriving outside the castle walls she looked up at them. They were tall and thick, made to withstand weeks of siege and war. On top several guards were stationed while others patrolled. It was the dead of night and with her spells and armor the guards wouldn¡¯t notice her. She cast the spell [Spiders Thread] shooting a small web like rope up the wall. It stuck to the stones at the top and Lilly started hauling herself up the wall.


    Once up she looked around and spotted only a few guards some distance away. One was walking towards her however, so she quickly made her way across the wall and dropped down the other side. Landing in a roll flowing into a crouching sprint, she made her way to the cover of some trees. Taking in her surroundings she noticed the castle grounds were almost devoid of life. Apparently the guards didn¡¯t think anyone could cross the wall without being discovered.


    Deciding to trust her spells she stood up and walked towards the castle. It was huge, and most likely luxurious beyond belief. But the only thing Lilly cared for was the windows. She had to locate the princess¡¯s bedroom and by the sheer amount of rooms, it was going to take a while. She walked to the back of the castle where she suspected the bedroom was.


    Rounding a corner she saw a shadow streak across the park surrounding the castle. She recognized it having seen it, or rather the person, before. It was the assassin Ghost. Everyone has their own styles, even assassins. Ghost got his name because he not only looked like one, but he also liked tormenting his victims. The Reaper simply murdered anyone blocking his path.


    She watched as he arrived at the castle and started climbing. Clearly Ghost had somehow figured out where the princess¡¯s room was, probably bribed a guard. Ghost reached a window and wove a spell, cutting his way through the window. A few minutes later he came back out an dashed away, disappearing in the park. (Huh, wasn¡¯t that a bit quick? I thought he was supposed to savor every kill.) Lilly thought.


    Suddenly she heard running steps behind her, and they were closing in quick. (Shit! He really managed to alert the guards that quick!) A moment later a small running figure clad in black clothing rounded the corner. The figure nearly crashed into Lilly but she sidestepped, grabbed it and slammed it into the ground. It only managed to give a surprised yelp before Lilly had a dagger to its throat.


    (Another assassin? What the fuck is going on?) Lilly couldn¡¯t help but wonder as she reached out to pull up the persons hood and look at their face.

 Chapter 5

    Pulling off the hood she saw two strikingly green eyes staring at her in fright. Lilly instantly realized that this wasn¡¯t an assassin or a guard. It wasn¡¯t even a warrior or someone brave. The person she had pinned to the ground was a scared young girl.


    Retracting her dagger and dispelling [Overlook] Lilly got off the girl and sat down on the grass. She knew this girl, or rather, she¡¯d almost killed her a year ago. It was the princess.


    ¡°If I may ask, what is a princess doing out at this hour?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Sneaking out.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Not running away?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Why would I run away?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°You are seriously lucky aren¡¯t you?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°The assassin Ghost snuck into your room to kill you only a few minutes ago.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°What, no, that can¡¯t be, my room is protected by spells and there are guards all over the place!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Saw it with my own eyes.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°And who are you anyway!?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I¡¯m Shadow.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Like, the assassin?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Yes, why?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°You don¡¯t look like one.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°What? But I¡¯m wearing black clothing, covering my face and I have a knife.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that what any criminal would wear?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°And why aren¡¯t you scared!?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I think it¡¯s got something to do with how you¡¯re thin, sit like a fine woman, and have this dark manly voice.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°What?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Damnit!¡± (Lilly)


    Lilly stood up and started walking away. She wasn¡¯t getting paid to play with the princess so she might as well go home and sleep.


    ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you going to kill me?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not being paid to.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Not that, aren¡¯t you going to finish what you couldn¡¯t do a year ago?¡± (Evelyn)


    Evelyn got up and followed Lilly.


    ¡°That fuck up was on purpose.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible assassin.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°No, I¡¯m the best, I said I spared your life.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re bad at it.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I chose not to kill you, get it through your head.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°You¡¯re just a sad excuse of an assassin. I bet even if I held your hand to my throat, you couldn¡¯t squeeze.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I chose not to kill kids, I chose not to torture people or kill innocents, and I chose not to be a cruel piece of shit!!!¡± (Lilly)


    Lilly had gotten angry and yelled, the girl really knew what buttons to push. They just stood there in silence for several minutes before Evelyn spoke.


    ¡°Why are you an assassin?¡±


    ¡°Reasons.¡± (Lilly)


    Reasons she didn¡¯t want to talk about. And the girl had a point, she didn¡¯t need to be an assassin. She had accomplished her goals, had more than enough money and a normal job that paid well. But she kept killing people. It was what she¡¯d always done. What she¡¯d been trained to do.


    Lilly continued walking, she¡¯d had enough off this little princess prying into her personal matters. Evelyn kept following her in silence.


    When they got to the wall Lilly cast [Spiders Thread] again, waiting for the guard to walk by.


    ¡°Wait!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°What?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Can you help me over the wall?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Why would I do that?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Please, I¡¯m trying to sneak out but I didn¡¯t really plan it that well.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Why are you even trying to sneak out in the first place?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later if you help me!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Fine¡­ but I¡¯ll have to cast a spell on you.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Ok, sure.¡± (Evelyn)


    She quickly cast [Overlook] on Evelyn and herself and told her to climb up the wall. Once she was up, Lilly followed and dragged the rope up and over the other side. Evelyn climbed down while Lilly simply jumped.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°How do you not hurt yourself jumping like that?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Training, a lot of it. And enchanted boots.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Can you teach me?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°No.¡± (Lilly)


    Lilly undid [Overlook] on both of them and started walking home. After a few minutes she turned around and glared at Evelyn.


    ¡°Why are you following me?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Cause you¡¯re interesting¡­¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I¡¯m not interesting, I¡¯m an assassin. Stop following me.¡± (Lilly)


    She turned around and continued walking. Evelyn still following.


    ¡°Stop following me.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I¡¯m not following you, we¡¯re simply going the same way.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°And where are you going?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Wherever you¡¯re going!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what following someone is!¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°No no no, I¡¯m just going to the same place as you.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°Fine, continue on your way then, I¡¯ll go somewhere else.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Ok ok, I¡¯m following you, but please, can¡¯t I hang out with you for a bit?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Why, why would you want to hang out with an assassin? And don¡¯t give me some crap about me being interesting. Answer me honestly.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Ok¡­ it¡¯s because I don¡¯t have any friends. I¡¯m not allowed outside the castle and there¡¯s nothing fun to do or anyone to talk to. My parents are overprotective as fuck and I just wanna have fun! I thought trying to sneak out would at least be interesting even if I failed. And maybe my parents would take a hint and let me outside. I just want someone to talk to! That¡¯s why! So please, can I?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡±Alright fine, but I¡¯m going to a bar so keep the hood on.¡±


    Evelyn took off the hood and her cloak and threw them away. Completely disregarding the assassins order. The girl stood a little bit shorter than Lilly and had long flowing dark hair.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°The commoners don¡¯t know my face anyway, they won¡¯t recognize me.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I know! It¡¯s drunkards harassing you I¡¯m afraid off!¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can handle a few drunkards!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°That¡¯s not the point damnit!¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Sure it is!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Oh my god, you are impossible!¡± (Lilly)


    Lilly had had enough and stormed of to the bar. Evelyn skipped along behind her, happy that she found a friend. Even if the friend wouldn¡¯t admit it.


    When they entered the bar they got a lot of strange looks with one of them clad in black hiding their face and the other a kid. Lilly sat down at the counter and ordered a mug of ale. Evelyn mimicked her and asked for her own mug.


    ¡°Miss, aren¡¯t you a little young to be drinking?¡± (Barkeep)


    ¡°I¡¯m older than I look.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°And how old are you?¡± (Barkeep)


    ¡°Fourteen.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°In that case you¡¯re younger than you look!¡± (Barkeep)


    ¡°Oh come on, just give me a mug!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Give it up, we¡¯re leaving.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°What, why, Aren¡¯t you going to drink?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I can¡¯t drink with my face covered.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Then why did we come here in the first place?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡±¡­¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± (Lilly)


    Lilly had been so flustered by Evelyns antics that she¡¯d forgotten she was hiding her identity. Deciding she needed some actual sleep for once, noticing she was quite tired, she figured she should bring Evelyn back to the castle. On the way however Evelyn noticed where they were going and stopped.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going back!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°What, of course you need to go back.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°No, not until you promise to come visit me!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Why not? You were strolling about in the park without anyone noticing, and you easily climbed the wall!¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean I have time, or even want to.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Then just make some time! Or are you too busy killing of the nobles? Just because I¡¯m sheltered doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t pay attention. Are there even any nobles left for you to kill!?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I¡¯m not nocturnal, I do shit during the day as well so I need the sleep, and I¡¯m not only an assassin I do other jobs as well. I simply don¡¯t have time!¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­please.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I¡­¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I need someone to talk to. You don¡¯t have to come every night, just now and then.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Alright¡­ I¡¯ll visit you.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Thank you!¡± (Evelyn)


    Evelyn quickly ran forward and hugged Lilly, almost knocking her over. After several seconds of tightly holding on to the assassin she let go. Thanking her again Evelyn ran off towards the castle.


    ¡°I¡¯ll head back then, don¡¯t forget to visit me!¡± (Evelyn)


    (Is she really six years younger than me? I feel like she¡¯s manipulating me¡­) Lilly couldn¡¯t help but feel oddly anxious about visiting the charismatic girl.

 Chapter 6

    Lilly yawned as she sat up in her bed. It had been three days since the night she met the princess. The following day it had felt almost like a dream, as if it hadn¡¯t happened. She¡¯d had to convince herself into believing it. Somehow she had managed to befriend the princess, the girl whose parents she had murdered in cold blood.


    Putting on a simple tunic she went downstairs to her laboratory. She hadn¡¯t taken any more assassination requests, so instead she focused on her day job making potions. She gathered the required herbs for a simple Healing Potion. Grinding some into paste or powder and boiling others she prepared enough for roughly a hundred potions. Putting all the ingredients in the various beakers to heat or boil before mixing.


    Chemistry, or potion making, was a precision craft and any mistake could have horrible results. One drop too much of a certain ingredient and it could cause all kinds of effects. Simply turning the concoction into waste was actually uncommon. Making it poisonous was more common but having it blow up was the most common. And the explosions, despite it being called chemistry, were usually not chemical. They were magical. They could range from puffs of acidic smoke to lightning storms or, most commonly, explosions of any and all colors and temperatures.


    People who actually studied these unintentional results had noted that, more often than not, the warmer the color of the explosion, the colder and more freezing it was. And vice versa. Most had simply accepted that uncontrolled magic was weird, and stayed far far away from it.


    Lilly wasn¡¯t researching or making some incomparably complex potion. She was making Healing Potion, so she left the chemistry station to its thing and went to the kitchen. Knowing exactly how much time she had, she leisurely made breakfast and ate it before returning to her task. Pouring the finished ingredients into a big container and stirring a little she was finally done. She filled the liquid into smaller bottles and put corks in them.


    Her work finished Lilly went upstairs to her bedroom and put on a more practical and decent outfit. That done she she put the potions in a bag, locked the door behind her and headed off to the commercial district. As usual the streets were bustling with life and various merchants lined the roads. Not everyone could afford a permanent shop in the capital after all.


    Some streets later she arrived at Barts shop, Four Leaf Potions and entered.


    ¡°Nice of ya to actually show up.¡± (Bart)


    ¡°I still deliver my potions though.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Yeah but without you here to please the customers eyes, sales have dropped. (Bart)


    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just hire some other girl?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I have a reputation yaknow!¡± (Bart)


    ¡°Ah, yes, nobody wants to work for you because you can¡¯t keep your fingers to yourself.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°It aint my fault I was raised in a fuckin church. The fuckers wouldn¡¯t even let me look!¡± (Bart)


    ¡°How does that matter?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Distance makes the heart grow fonder, right?¡± (Bart)


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.¡°¡­Well you could try to change. One day some angry husband¡¯s gonna kill you.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Well at least I¡¯ll die happily!¡± (Bart)


    ¡±I could always sell to some other shop I suppose.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Come now Lilly, I¡¯ve never done anything to you. If I do end up dying an honorable death you¡¯ve gotta take over my shop. You¡¯d probably be better at it than me anyway.¡± (Bart)


    ¡°You¡¯ve never done anything because the first time you tried, I broke your nose.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I recall no¡­¡±


    Bart was cut off by the door being slammed open by some burly man in armor.


    ¡°Ah heard this place sold good potions!¡± (Customer)


    ¡°Why yes it does, what are you looking for good sir?¡± (Bart)


    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave then.¡± (Lilly)


    Having already unpacked her potions and received payment, Lilly didn¡¯t stick around to hear Barts butter sweet ¡°customer voice¡±. Since there was still a few hours to kill before dusk, she went to the bar.


    ???


    Those few hours later, Lilly was drunk even though she tried to limit the alcohol. Wobbling her way through the now empty streets she arrived home to put on her armor and gear. She wasn¡¯t so drunk she¡¯d randomly faceplant or forget to use her spells to stay hidden, so she figured she¡¯d be fine.


    Once done, she wobbled her way out again and headed to the castle. On the way she cast [Overlook) and tested her agility just to be sure. Staring up at the walls, she waited for the guards to pass before casting [Spiders Thread] towards the top. Climbing up and over the walls, she didn¡¯t feel like jumping, she realized Evelyn hadn¡¯t told her where her room was.


    Sticking with her previous logic she walked to the back of the castle and started searching the windows. She looked through the bottom row first, unsuccessfully. To search the next row however she had to climb. Making liberal use of [Spiders Thread) she concluded that the princess either wasn¡¯t in the back of the castle or on the third floor.


    To reach the third floor she had to first climb to the second and then use [Spiders Thread] again to continue climbing. Looking into two windows she finally found something. A huge, lavishly decorated bedroom inhabited by two people sleeping on a bed so big it looked impractical. The king and queen.


    Feeling rather optimistic and slightly nervous Lilly clambered over to the next window and peered in. It was a similar bedroom and in a chair in the corner sat Evelyn.


    Deciding to get some petty revenge, she located the darkest corner of the window. She cast [Spiders Thread] on the glass. Weaving another spell [cut] she traced a circle on the glass around [Spiders Thread] and released the spell. Without a sound the glass was cut and she pulled it outward. Casting [Mute] on the glass disk she threw it away behind her. It shattered on the ground without a sound.


    Squeezing through the hole she had made. She lowered herself to the floor, not knowing if it was old and creaky. Finally on the ground again she snuck over to the big cozy chair and stood behind it.


    Lilly unsheathed her dagger and brought it in front of Evelyns throat. She really wanted revenge for how annoying the princess had been. But then her slightly drunk mind remembered that it would probably be a good idea to soundproof the room first. Retracting her dagger she did just that and cast [Isolate].


    Done, she put her dagger back to Evelyns throat and this time applied pressure.


    ¡°Do you have any idea how fucking annoying looking for your room was?¡± (Lilly)


    Evelyn jerked, screamed in fear and surprise and somehow managed to throw the book she was reading right in Lillys face.


    Not expecting something like that, Lilly jerked her head backwards in surprise and her dagger left Evelyns throat. The girl took the only chance she got and dashed towards the door.

 Chapter 7

    Evelyn jerked, screamed in fear and surprise and somehow managed to throw the book she was reading right in Lillys face.


    Not expecting something like that, Lilly jerked her head backwards in surprise and her dagger left Evelyns throat. The girl took the only chance she got and dashed towards the door.


    Lilly wasn¡¯t stunned for long however and quickly realized that she couldn¡¯t let Evelyn open the door, or the guards would be alerted. Thinking fast, she remembered a spell she didn¡¯t use very often, [Bind].


    Since she was a bit out of practice with the spell it took her half a second longer than usual to weave it, but she managed to cast it just in time. Evelyn was barely half a meter from the door when the shadowy ropes from [Bind] caught her feet.


    She almost faceplanted but Lilly manipulated [bind] to catch her in the fall. Turning her around with the ropes Lilly walked over to face Evelyn who was flailing and tearing at the ropes.


    ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s me, Shadow.¡± (Lilly)


    It took a few seconds for it to register with Evelyn and she calmed down a little. But instead of making some retort and brushing it off like Lilly expected her to, she started crying and sobbing uncontrollably. Lilly was stunned but realized she had gone to far with her joke.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have scared you like that, I¡¯m sorry so please stop crying.¡± (Lilly)


    When Evelyn didn¡¯t answer, Lilly released her from [Bind] into her arms and hugged her. She didn¡¯t say anything else and just sat, holding the quivering girl.


    When Evelyn had calmed down and stopped crying a few minutes later Lilly apologized again.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have done that.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I thought you were going to kill me, to fix your reputation, like I said last time¡­¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°No! I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯d never kill you.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Why?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I thought I¡¯d get some petty revenge at you for being annoying and n..¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Not that. Why won¡¯t you kill me?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I just decided I wouldn¡¯t¡­ ok.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°No, give me an answer.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Just like last time, you¡¯re still a kid.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°So you¡¯ll just kill me when I turn sixteen then?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°No, I won¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m not being paid to!¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°So you¡¯ll kill me if someone pays you? As long as I¡¯m old enough.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°No¡­¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Why?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I won¡¯t¡­ I won¡¯t kill you because you¡¯re my friend!¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I¡¯m your friend? Really?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I¡­ Yes, you¡¯re my friend. As annoying as you are, and even if we barely know each other, you¡¯re still my friend. It¡¯s just nice talking to someone about the assassin stuff of my life. Even if it¡¯s weird.¡± (Lilly)


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.¡°Thank you! But, why is it weird?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re the princess, and I¡¯m the assassin who killed your parents.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Right, well I¡¯m over it, my real parents are the current king and queen. They treat me like a daughter even if they¡¯re kind of overprotective¡­¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Did your parents not treat you well?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°It¡¯s not that they treated me badly, but I think they saw me more as a tool than a daughter. I was raised by the maids so I have more connections to them than my parents. Zoey and Xander are nice though, they treat me like their own daughter even though I¡¯m adopted.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Must be nice¡­¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Hmm?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Nothing, anyway, the floor isn¡¯t very comfortable.¡± (Lilly)


    Throughout the conversation Evelyn had been sitting on Lillys lap and her legs were starting to fall asleep. As she lifted Evelyn off her and stood up. She went over to the bed and sat down. Evelyn followed and sat next to her.


    ¡°You know, even though you¡¯re this infamous assassin, you still act like a proper young lady. How has nobody figured out you¡¯re a woman.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Probably because you¡¯re the only person I¡¯ve had long conversations with except for the receptionist at the den¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Really, you have no friends?¡±


    ¡°Of course I have friends, you for one, but my friends don¡¯t know I¡¯m an assassin.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°But let¡¯s not talk about gloomy stuff like this, any interesting gossip in the noble circles?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Why yes there is, about you actually.¡± (Evelyn)


    They continued talking for a few hours about gossip and spells and other interesting topics. But eventually Evelyn got too tired and had to get some sleep, being a princess is hard work after all.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be off then, figure out how to explain the hole in your window yourself.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°There¡¯s a hole in the window?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Yeah, how else would I get in?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°The door maybe?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°And am I correct in assuming there¡¯s a guard right outside that door?¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Yes.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Well just like I can definitively walk through walls, a door opening on it¡¯s own is the least suspicious thing in the world.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°Fine, but you can¡¯t keep breaking the window.¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Might I suggest installing shutters.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°I guess that works but how will I explain it to my parents?¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°You figure it out.¡± (Lilly)


    ¡°But¡­¡± (Evelyn)


    ¡°Bye!¡± (Lilly)


    Lilly was already halfway through the hole she had made and grabbed the [Spiders Thread] rope from earlier. As she slipped out into the night she heard Evelyn say goodbye and yell after her to come back soon.


    Rappelling down the castle wall she stepped down on the broken pane of glass. Having experienced how easy it was to sneak in and out of the castle before, Lilly didn¡¯t bother hiding, trusting [Overlook] to do the job. When she reached the wall the guards were in the middle of their rotation, so she had to wait a bit before she could cross it.


    Back on the streets she was soon home. Unlocking the front door she realized she was extremely hungry. She hadn¡¯t eaten anything since noon the previous day. In the kitchen preparing to make a tasty late night snack, she discovered she had forgotten to buy food. (Food or sleep, that is the question¡­) Lilly eventually settled on sleep deciding she could just eat a big breakfast at some restaurant. Pulling off her gear and stuffing it down the hidden hatch to the basement, she then went upstairs and collapsed on her bed.

 In which Evelyn is probably really annoyed at Lilly (Interlude)

    ¡°Evelyn, do you know why we¡¯re having this conversation?¡± Her father asked as she settled into the chair across from her father.


    ¡°No¡± She knew exactly why she had been called to her dad¡¯s office.


    ¡°So, you know nothing at all about the hole in your window?¡±


    ¡°I was rather cold when I woke up, but I didn¡¯t notice the hole until Tyrene saw it and freaked out.¡± She had been cold, but she had also been actively ignoring the hole due to the conversation she was now having with her dad.


    ¡°Evelyn, you do remember being told not to lie to your parents, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Her dad seemed a bit angry, but mostly worried, she wasn¡¯t really sure what to say though.


    ¡°And the various times you¡¯ve tried, where we caught you?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­¡± She did, but she also really didn¡¯t want to. Her failed attempts at lying were constant reminders that she had no way of accomplishing anything fun without Tyrene¡¯s help. And the maid was a bit more concerned with her safety than her enjoyment of life, having been the one to comfort her in the days after her parents¡¯ assassination.


    ¡°You know something about the hole, and I want you to tell me. If you were practicing magic and made a mistake, that¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll increase your tutoring, just don¡¯t do it again.¡±


    Oh, well that was completely wrong, but he was probably right that the hole was made with magic. Lilly didn¡¯t seem like she could hide any big tools in her mostly skintight clothes. But giving her a great excuse was nice of him.


    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t do it again.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right, you won¡¯t continue lying to me. Tell me why there¡¯s a hole in your window or I¡¯m moving your bedroom to the dungeons.¡±


    ¡°The dungeons? But they¡¯re almost freezing!¡± They really would not be comfortable no matter how many rugs and quilts she brought.


    ¡°Then maybe you should start talking.¡±


    Her dad was really pushing it, but it didn¡¯t seem like she could get out of telling him. She could always get a little petty revenge though.


    ¡°Fine¡­ there was an assassin in my room.¡±


    ¡°WHAT!!! Are you hurt? Why didn¡¯t you call for help? I¡¯m going to have those guards strangled!¡± Her dad continued to yell all sort of things, and quite a few she¡¯d be punished for repeating, but mostly nothing of importance. Not to her anyway. She was content to just ignore her dad until he started making a bit more sense, and stopped shouting, but he was interrupted by the door opening.


    Her mother entered and Evelyn could see some concern on her face, she had probably heard about the mysterious hole from one of the maids.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°Xander, darling, what¡¯s all this ruckus about?¡±


    ¡°Huh, oh, Zoey, weren¡¯t you supposed to be on your way to some dinner or whatnot?¡±


    Her dad being shocked out of his rant managed to display one of the reasons her mother handled the politics of ruling the kingdom, He simply loathed the constant socializing and word games. Her mother really wasn¡¯t the best at it either but at least she tried.


    ¡°When I heard there was a hole in our daughter¡¯s window, I decided there were more important things to attend to than some day long dinner. Like repeating, once again, that you can¡¯t practice magic unsupervised, Evelyn.¡±


    Ouch, why did everyone think she messed up her magic again, she¡¯d only done so once or twice. And It¡¯s not like she knew any advanced, dangerous spells anyway. She had tried to find instructions for [Spiders Thread], but either Lilly had invented it herself or it was somehow obscure enough that even the royal library didn¡¯t have even a mention of it, at least not in the sections she had access to. But really, how dangerous could a spell for making rope be? Aaaand her mother was in her face fussing over her and asking if she was hurt.


    She must have distracted herself and missed her dad telling her mom about the assassin. ¡°I¡¯m fine mom, really I¡¯m not hurt.¡±


    ¡°Ahem, our daughter is fine Zoey, but perhaps she could explain why? After all, if she knows there was an assassin in her room then she must have seen him, and I can¡¯t imagine any reason why an assassin was here. Other than to kill someone.¡±


    Well, she¡¯d tried lying, so she should probably just tell the truth. Her parents were going to be pissed though.


    ¡°I asked her to come visit me.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± Huh, she¡¯d never seen such a weird mix of horror and disappointment on her mother¡¯s face before.


    ¡°I asked her to come visit me.¡±


    ¡°Who is she, and how did she get into your room without the guards noticing?¡± Well, her dad seemed rational enough, maybe his explosive rant earlier had calmed him down more than she thought. She¡¯d remember it for another fuckup.


    ¡°Shadow, and she used a spell to climb the walls¡± Hopefully namedropping Shadow and mentioning the walls would distract her parents from the spell, she really didn¡¯t want to stop Lilly from visiting her again.


    ¡°Shadow!¡± ¡°Shadow is a man.¡± Leave it to her dad to get hung up on the details. And damn, she probably wasn¡¯t supposed to reveal Lilly¡¯s gender.


    ¡°Oh, I must have been mistaken¡± Please, please, please just let it slide.


    ¡°Evelyn, stop lying. And how do you know Shadow is a woman, our army has been investigating him, or her, and the other assassins for years and thought Shadow was male.¡±


    Damn, her dad wasn¡¯t going to let her get out of this easily.


    ¡°I know she¡¯s a woman because she carries herself like one. Her voice might be a man¡¯s but the way she walks and sits is that of a woman.¡±


    ¡°Alright, enough the both of you! Stop playing games Evelyn, and just tell us everything from the start.¡±


    ¡°Do I have to? Shadow isn¡¯t going to hurt me.¡± Probably. And damn her mother for being smart.


    ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Well, if they were going to gang up on her like that, she didn¡¯t really have a choice, did she.


    ¡°Alright, fine. I¡¯ve been cooped up here in the castle for years, never being allowed out to play or even just meet other kids. So, four days ago I decided to sneak out and have fun on my own¡­¡±


    <hr>


    After telling her parents everything about her two encounters with Lilly, she hadn¡¯t told them her name, no matter how much they pressed, they had broken for dinner.


    But now it was back into the office to decide what to do about the whole situation. So far however, she had mostly just sat in her chair and listened to her parents argue. They had started the argument on opposite sides, then started to agree on a third side, before har father had decide he liked the fourth side better.


    Evelyn herself was on the fifth side, which was to invite Lilly to dinner and talk about it. She realized that was never going to happen however, as Shadow had a huge bounty on her head and was wanted. Dead, preferably.


    ¡°How about we hire Shadow to guard Evelyn instead?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± This time Evelyn was one of the people being shocked, because somehow her mother had decided to pitch a sixth side to the hole argument, that somehow managed to be even more outlandish than her own.