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“What?” I questioned.
His eyes softened. “You’re just so much like her.”
Pater was referring to his wife, the queen, who passed away when I was twelve. She was just as much a mother to me as Pater was a father. She was brave, and compassionate, and everything I strived to be. Her son Miles was the spitting image of her, as he had her golden-blonde hair and baby blue eyes. Pater often mentioned that I reminded him of Gianna, not in a way of appearance, but in spirit. I often would catch his somber glances here and there, as though certain things I said took him back to a memory he had with his wife. Servants and other members of the court would agree with the similarities in character between us, and I genuinely found that to be of the highest compliment.
I gave him a soft smile. “Goodbye, Pater.”
I exited the office and started for my chambers, looking forward to enjoying my favorite treat and the bath I was sure I desperately needed.
???
Everything hurt, and the lingering smell of blood and cigarettes followed me back to my room. I silently thanked Pater as I saw the bathtub already full of steaming water. I stripped out of my now soiled dress and hissed as I stepped into the scorching water.
I always loved to take a hot bath after my assignments, as if I could somehow scrub away the events of the night to try to erase them from my memory. There were many rumors of the King’s Favorite being a ruthless killer, one who “bathes in the blood of her victims” or “finds joy in the killings.” Or my personal least favorite: “keeps the heads as trophies.”
There was no contentment in the killing once the mask was off. In all honesty, I hated it. Was I good at it? Yes, but that didn’t make it any easier to take someone’s life. However, if it wasn't me, then who else would it be? I would hate to see this burden fall onto someone else’s shoulders.
I knew I stood behind a good cause, and being the assassin protected the people that I loved so dearly from those who wished to bring them harm. Because of that, I never complained when the king sent me on a new assignment. I just slipped on the mask and did what needed to be done.
I sat in the bath until the water turned cold and I was sure I had scrubbed off every drop of blood on my body.
When I came out of the bathing chamber, a towel wrapped around my body, I wasn’t surprised to see Amica already laying in my bed waiting for me, her dark curly hair sprawled across the pillows and her honey skin glowing against the contrast of the white sheets.
Pater had few rules when it came to being the assassin. One, always go straight to him after an assignment so he could make sure I was okay. Two, no romantic relationships so I wouldn’t be distracted or have someone that could potentially be used against me. And three, never reveal my identity to anyone.
“You know the drill, tell me everything,” Amica said, propping her elbows up on the bed and resting her head in her hands.
Clearly I already broke one of the rules, but I trusted Amica with my life. She was my best friend, and if I didn’t have her to help share even a bit of this burden by listening to me, I didn’t know if I would still be Rhia, or if I would have turned into something else—a monster.
When I first came to the castle I was only nine, and Amica and I connected instantly. We had been best friends since the first time we met. The king and queen saw our mutual bond and made arrangements so our rooms would be right next to each other. Growing up, we had sleepovers practically every night alternating from her room to mine, and even ten years later, there were nights where one of us would crawl into the other’s bed in the middle of the night. Amica and I both struggled with nightmares, and it was a comfort to have each other to get through the hard nights.
The other healers in the castle said it was extremely rare for two people with Artis blood to be around the same age. Amica was only a year younger than me, and the same age as Miles. The three of us were inseparable and did practically everything together. I loved our little group so much it made my heart squeeze. However, Miles didn’t know of my position as the assassin, and I had to keep it that way. I already risked telling Amica, and that was technically one too many people who were supposed to know.
I told her everything about last night, from the parlor, to the gambling, to the creepy man, to the Red Bones members I slaughtered. She sat on the edge of the bed like she always did, like she was listening to a bedtime story and this was at the best part.
I slipped on a simple night gown as Amica fell back onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. She seemed lost in thought, as though imagining the events of last night in her head. “Wow,” she sighed. “The Ossium!” She tucked her arms under her head and crossed her legs. “I’ve always wanted to go to a gambling den, just for the fun of it. I want to people watch and win lots of money playing blackjack.” She smiled, surely picturing herself winning yet another hand.
She sat up on her elbows and said, “As much as I loved hearing about your adventure, I have an even juicier story.”
Now I was the giddy one as I jumped on my bed to lay next to her, resting my head in my hands. Amica was one who loved to gossip and, lucky for me, I loved to hear it.
“What is it?”
“Guess!” she squealed.
“More drama with the High Healer and the priest?”
The high healer position was appointed to the eldest Golden blooded Life Crafter, who then trained the younger generations. She was the oldest and most skilled healer and practically worshiped like one of the stars by the kingdom. Amica and I didn’t like High Healer Sana. She was rude, annoying, and not even that good of a teacher. She was also very strict and quick to point out everything Amica and I did “wrong.” Whether that be the clothes we wore, how we talked, or even our friendship with Prince Miles.
So, one night, when Amica was roaming the castle, she overheard the clatter of crashing pots and pans in the kitchen. When she opened the door, she found the priest and Sana naked and, “making a mess in the kitchen,” as Amica once stated. Since Amica walked in on them, Sana had become a lot friendlier towards us. Probably because she was afraid of us sharing what we saw after she had claimed herself, celibate to the kingdom.
“Nope! Try again.”
“Is there a new royal guard?” Amica was such a hopeless romantic, it wouldn’t surprise me if this was her big news.
“Well yes, but that isn’t what I was gonna tell you. I have heard the new guard is rather cute though. We’ll have to go and find out later today. At dinner?”
I nodded and agreed to guard hunting after dinner but wondered how Amica always found information about everything.
