The Unwelcomed Guest

Zierra and I both stayed silent as my mind worked through what I was told. Sje's royalty, elven royalty! Godess I've been flirting with an elven princess this whole time. The panic I felt never made its way to my face as I finally took a calming breath and ran my hands down my face.

"So you are royalty?"

"Technically, at least to my people, yes," her voice was still quiet and she kept her eyes fixated on Shade who was resting his head in her lap. She was waiting for something, for me to explode with shock or anger or to start acting weird around her.

"But you never wanted to be did you?"

Her head snapped up. "No. I had plans, plans to step down and give the royal duties to my brother, he was always better with politics anyway. And my mom knew that, she understood that, but then something changed."

"Can I ask what?" She squirmed in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. "You don't have to Zierra," I assured her. "I am mearly curious."

"No I want to tell you, I want you to trust me. She planned an arranged marriage with a neighboring clan," her face fell sour. "I was very...vocal about my disagreement with it."

"Can't say I blame you," I huffed a laugh. "I'd be pretty pissed myself. But, I thought elves didn't believe in arranged marriage? Your kind lives so long and I always heard you believed in soul mates."

She nodded. "We do. I do! And my mother did. 'Times are changing and we must change with it,' she told me. Said she was doing it for the good of our people. We got into a fight about it, a very loud fight that ended when she smacked me in front of the clan and proclaimed me to be ungrateful and disrespectful. So I told her I was done, that if she wanted to force her children into an unhappy union then I didn't wish to be a part of her family. I left that night."

"And she hired Robert Hart to bring you back," I tapped my lips with my fingers as I pieced her story together. "How did you figure out she hired him."

She smirked. "My mother and I may not have always gotten along but I wasn't hated amongst my clan, quite the opposite actually. One of our scouts found me to warn me. I simply figured I would get to Hart first."

"But you can't do that if you don't know where he is. Which is why you came to me."

"I know it's a lot to ask of you considering you have already saved my life once but you also showed me kindness where others have barely spared me a glance."

"Don't take that to heart so much, the people in the Slums try to stick to their own business. It could mean death for them if they don't," I stretched my arms above and behind my head giving her a charming smile. "And here I was hoping you came back because you thought I was cute."

Her cheeks flushed briefly and she suddenly became very interested in petting Shade. "I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to see you again, though cute isn't quite the word I would use to describe you. It's close though."

My mind faltered. She actually wanted to see me again? My own cheeks grew hot. I flirted often with women, it was almost second nature and it helped in gathering information as a mercenary and assassin and it gained me better tips and more customers as a tavern owner, but none of them made me as nervous as Zierra did. My posture deflated in a sigh. "I wish I had better news for you then, but even I don't know where Robert Hart is and believe me I have been trying for years. He moves locations often, I don't even think he's actually in town more than twice a month."

"Would crowns reinvigorate your search for him?"

I perked up, confusion and interest intermingling. "You're hiring me to find Robert Hart?"

She shook her head. "I am putting a contract on Robert Hart's life and I hear you are the person to go."

"And who told you that?"

"Oh come on," she scoffed. "Your secret of being an assassin isn't exactly as big of a secret as you think it is."

I grumbled from chair and crossed my arms over my chest. As much as I didn't want to admit it she was right. "I still have plenty of people in this kingdom who don't know I moonlight as a hired killer and I would like to keep it that way. I have to maintain some aura of mystery."

"Just because I know what you do it doesn't make you any less of a mystery to me," she clapped her hands together. "Do we have a contract? Do we shake on it? Or do I sign something? I've never exactly marked anyone for death before."

I laughed. "Normally I would ask for a formal contract, something on paper that proves you wanted me to kill this man but, honestly, Robert Hart has been a thorn in my side long enough that I'm not really worried about the formalities for the contract on his life."

We stood up in sync and both nervously brushed off dirt from our pants that wasn't actually there. "You wanted the tale of how I befriended Shade didn't you? Why don't I tell you while I get your room ready. Assuming you still need a place to stay that is?"

"I would love that."

As we approached the door Shade made a low growl that caused my eyebrow to raise in confusion. "What's got you all riled up?"

My answer came as I opened my door and found myself staring into emotionless dark brown eyes. Ceil gave me a devilish grin, his hand still raised to knock on my door and his eyes darted from me, to Shade, and then to Zierra.

"It seems I must have come at a bad time Miss Rose."