Assassin Queen

That evening after sparing, Will, Elizabeth, and Princes Melody sat in the ladies drawing room for evening tea and sweets.

"Lady Elizabeth your house has such exclusive tea and sweets, that even the imperial palace cannot afford.

"Thank you but this is all due to my husband's business," Elizabeth said humbly.

"I must say, I was surprised you invited me to tea. I am in any kind of trouble, or is this a surprise attack?" Princess Melody said jokingly.

Yet, Will could tell there was seriousness, behind her joking behavior. Will saw her defenses were up, and she activated a small protection array.

"You are not in trouble nor are in any danger. You are welcome to keep your protection array active," Will explained.

"Oh, you noticed it?" Princess Melody said surprised.

"As well as your wards, talismans, and emergency teleportation," Will said listing the others.

"Aren't you perceptive," Melody said disdainfully.

"I asked you here for a candid conversation. I hope that we can form an honest partnership. As a spymaster, you are used to holding all the cards and looking down on others. But we hope for a partnership of equality," Will described.

"It seems you've found me out yet again. You've investigated me quite thoroughly. How can we be equals when you know so much about me and I know so little about you?" Princess Melody asked meekly.

"Cut the act!" Will said forcefully releasing his aura.

"Well now that you've exposed me, I feel naked. Do you want to sleep with me?" Princess Melody asked seductively.

"This is your last warning," Will said releasing his massive aura, not holding back.

Melody's protection array burst and her wards and talismans disintegrated. She began to choke, she could feel her windpipe being crushed.

"That's enough Will!" Elizabeth warned.

"You bastard! I'll kill you for that! Guards!" she yelled.

Yet, no one came. Her retinue of camouflaged knights and assassins didn't rush in.

"Where are my guards," she cried out.

"They're in my city jail," Will shrugged.

"I'm alone?" Princess Melody's façade finally broke.

"You finally understand," Will sighed.

"Ha-ha, congratulations you've done what no one else could do, I'll give you a good surprise," the princess said, trying to take out her weapons from her ring.

"It won't work. Each room is warded, and my manor's array is the strongest. Only approved guests can remove items from their spatial rings. And you are no longer an approved guest, at least until after this meeting," explained Will.

Princess Melody's face finally warped into a face of disgust and malice, and she leaned back all her refinement, grace, and etiquette gone.

"Is this what you want to see, my true self?" Melody cackled, her voice filled with hatred.

"Hello imperial spymaster and the queen's assassin,'" Will bowed.

"Oh, so you already knew I killed my mother," Princess Melody applauded.

"Yes, and that you also good by the moniker 'Assassin Queen,'" Will replied.

"You've managed to do your homework exceptionally well," she lauded.

"As a businessman, I take great pride in my work," said Will accepting the praise.

"When we first met, did you already know?" the Assassin Queen asked.

"No, I could only detect your bloodlust," Will explained.

"Oh, you can subtlety feel someone's bloodlust? How strong your senses must be," she said impressed.

"Now, I would like to understand your reason for coming to this kingdom. Please know lies, shall result in torture," Will said nonchalantly.

"Are you trying to turn me on? I'm already wet from the last time," she said vulgarly.

Elizabeth recoiled but said nothing.

But Melody picked up on her disgust.

"You think me disgusting? Unladylike? So did my mother. She kept complaining and beating me for not being demure enough, not following etiquette enough, and not being pretty enough. I killed her because I got tired of her incessant complaints," Melody explained.

Elizabeth said nothing, just stared understandably at the princess.

"Are you not going to say anything," Melody said annoyed for not getting a rise out of her.

"Ahem, we're getting off course. My wife and I do not care about your past, only the present. Why are you in Fermion!" Will said forcefully.

"You certainly did your homework to not care about the past—," the Assassin Queen lost her voice as Will released his aura again.

But this time she started to laugh manically until she orgasmed.

Elizabeth turned her head away in revulsion, unable to stand something so unsightly.

Will strengthened his aura around her next until it was about to break before the Assassin Queen waved her hands in submission.

"I came here to investigate you and create another spy web in the kingdom. My goal was to have this type of meeting with you, except I'd be the one pressuring you!" she said honestly.

"Why?" Will asked.

"I wanted you to join my spy web. I thought you make a great addition to my information guild," said the Assassin Queen said truthfully.

"You mean the Annapolis' assassin's guild, right guild leader?" Will elaborated.

"Oh, so your puppy, Samuel, learned the truth. I bet he made a lot of enemies finding that information. You know the assassins guild, we don't like traitors!" the princesses hissed like a viper.

Samuel revealed himself from the shadows, "I didn't make any enemies. It was quite easy actually. It only cost me 10,000 gold to learn the truth. People were very willing to tell me everything, it seems you're the one with a lot of enemies."

Then he dropped a 200-page dossier of the Assassin Queen onto the table.

"Feel free to look it over. I'm sure you know that's not the only copy. In the spirit of honesty, that's exactly copy number 27," said Will earnestly.

"How? How did you find all of this? Even my murder record with names, dates, addresses?" the Assassin Queen said in shock.

"It seems you upset someone really powerful, and they've kept a record of all your accounts. The person let me have a copy and I added the information he did not," Samuel explained.

"You—, what do you plan to do with all this?" the nervous princes asked.

"First, I don't plan to expose you. As I said in the beginning, I want to work together," Will explained candidly.

"You want me as your slave!" the exposed Assassin Queen complained.

"Was that not your plan for me?" Will responded.

"Fine, I'll be you be slave," the princess said grumpily.

Hearing this remark, Elizabeth laughed.

"Why are you laughing, what's funny about my comment," the Assassin Queen asked annoyed.

"You think my husband, would stoop this low for a mere sex slave? Women throw themselves at my husband daily. Sometimes, I wonder why he doesn't have 15 wives and 40 concubines by now?" Elizabeth replied.

"You think, I'm a 'mere' woman? I'm a beautiful, imperial princess!" said offended the princess.

"Can we wrap this up?" Will said to Elizabeth and Princess Melody. "This brings me to my end goal. I want you to marry Jacques and serve as his bodyguard. As long as you don't harm or manipulate him, I'll turn a blind eye to your dealings."

"You mean to tell me, you went through all this trouble for me to marry that man? I was planning to do it anyway!" she laughed hysterically.

"No, I went through all this trouble for you to marry him under my terms, and as I said in the beginning, form an honest partnership. What do you say?" Will asked stretching out his hands.

"No, there's another reason. What so important that you're willing to go through all this trouble," Melody wondered.

"I have a lot of money invested in the emperor and I want to protect my investment," Will answered. "Samuel bring her stationery and pen. Now Princess Melody write your father you've decided to marry the emperor," Will said removing all kinds of gifts from his storage ring.

"What's this?" Prince Melody asked.

"Our engagement gifts, of course," Elizabeth said obviously.

"I'll think you'll find them a slight upgrade to your previous wards and talismans. There's also a dragon bone dagger. Don't worry, I'm sure the engagement presents you'll receive shall be substantial," Will promised.

"Fine, you win!" Princess Melody said penning the letter.