39. Queen's assassins

Shirleen withdrew her swords from the queen's shoulders. The crowd was going wild, chanting her name. Her bodyguards joined her in the arena followed closely by Eva and Stacey. Stacey was carrying her overcoat which she quickly placed on her shoulders. Shirleen turned to look at her guards, "Take her to the palace's infirmary," she said referring to the now dethroned queen. Shirleen was led to the dais by two older men she did not know. She didn't hear a word that was said still in shock over her very surprising win. As she stood on that dais still bleeding from her wounds, she remembered Angela advising her to take off her mask in case she won. She reached for the silver mask and slowly took it off and immediately she did the crowd went wild again. You could feel the ground shaking from the stomping and the screams within that arena. "Angela informed me to remind you if you won that you need to immediately take control of the Assassins," Stacey said softly for her ears alone.

"Where are they?" Shirleen asked walking down the dais towards the arena's entrance.

"The barracks situated close to the palace. I have prepared a jeep waiting outside the arena to take you there," Stacey replied looking down at the tablet that she never leaves behind apparently.

"What of the rest of the guards within the capital?" Shirleen asked hoping onto the jeep followed closely by Eva and Stacey. "No their loyalty is absolute to the capital betrayal means death. They are around to keep the peace within the capital. The capital maybe the belly of the underworld but civility is a requirement. Honour among thieves so to speak," Stacey explained and Shirleen snorted. They arrived at the barracks and she was shown to the training grounds where atleast two hundred assassins stood still and ready. She could already figure out the ones who were going to be a problem they stood at the fore front arrogance and defiance on their faces. They were atleast fifteen in total she knew she was going to have to deal with. She took off her leather overcoat which slid to the ground with a soft thud. She was aware that all she had to do was school the arrogant ones and the others will fall in line. "I am informed for the next five years of my reign you will be my private army. You will do all I request you to do without question. Is this true?" she asked pleasantly. One of the fifteen spat in her direction. Shirleen looked at him and just as softly said, "Now that wasn't very nice."

With those words she moved as fast as her injured body could allow letting her serrated blade sink into his chest and looking into his eyes, she twisted it. She released the blade and snapped his neck. The other fourteen moved away spanning reaching for their blades. She unsheathed her swords, "I am your new queen," she said loudly watching them. "Yield or die, choose." Two attacked her at once and she quickly killed them. This was not like the tournament she was not going to spare their lives. She needed to finish this quickly before her body succumbed to the pain she was already starting to feel. Five down ten to go, she told herself watching them circling her. She stood straight and proud knowing the fight was also being broadcasted. The criminal world would never accept a queen who was weak and she needed to show them she was strong and not to be trifled with. Three attacked at once and she quickly dispatched them. Their blood was slowly coating her face, clothes and hands. Another two attacked her and they quickly met the same fate at her sword. Five to go, she told herself as she tightened the white cloth around her hand which was stained with blood, watching them waiting to see who would be next. Two more came at her and they died at her hand with a third who had begun to hesitate joined them. She did not give the remaining two the choice instead she simply attacked them. She looked at the others who had not tried to attack her but had held defiance in their eyes. In those same eyes she saw respect instead of defiance and that was good enough for her. "Yield or die, choose?" she told them. They all fell on one knee placing their blades on the ground as a show of submission. Shirleen turned away trying not to look at the fifteen bodies lying dead on the ground. Just like Angela had once told her killing was never easy. She sheathed her swords and walked back to Stacey. Immediately they were out of sight Shirleen stumbled in exhaustion slipping to the floor. Stacey was the first to reach her before she hit the ground. "Don't let them see me like this," she whispered to Stacey before she became unconscious and she heard Stacey reply, "Go to sleep I will take care of you."