Assassin

After the festival, time flew by fast as the wedding day approached. Everyone in the palace was abuzz and busy preparing for the big day. Soon, guests from other kingdoms and parts of the empire arrived at the palace, causing more chaos.

Raquel found herself swamped with work, thankfully that she now had lady-in-waitings and Ryker to help her.

The investigation into Lady Diana’s embezzlement was moving quite quickly despite everyone focusing on the wedding. Raquel figured Lady Diana was trying to move it along so she could get the palace budget back.

A few minor nobles had been arrested so far but Raquel knew they were there to appease her. The real culprits had not been caught.

Yet.

Still, Raquel decided it was better than nothing. She could use those caught to try and get the bigger fish caught. She knew they'd probably never get Lady Diana but that wasn’t their aim.

Instead, it was the ministers in her father’s council.

While most were divided between the imperial faction and noble faction, she was starting to notice that another faction was forming. One supporting Lady Diana and her children.

It wouldn’t seem so dangerous if not for the fact she was noticing them trying to get more power into Prince Anthony’s hands. He already had a lot of the trade in his hands and it seemed he was trying to get the remaining out of House Raymill’s hands.

If he got control of the western ports Raymill ran to trade with the Eastern Continent, things would get bad quickly. Most of the Western Territory’s income came from those ports along with most of the empire’s export income.

And should that fall, he would gain the influence of House Raymill, the head of the neutral faction. It was clear where they would go from there.

Overthrowing her.

Fortunately for them, Duke Raymill seemed to be stuck in tradition so would never outright support an illegitimate heir. It’s why he sent his granddaughter, Lady Liana, to be Raquel’s lady-in-waiting.

He would still stay neutral of course, never directly helping, but Raquel knew that if needed, she would get his support.

For now, there wasn’t going to be a fight for the throne but plans were being made slowly to have that fight. Thus they needed to get rid of Lady Diana’s influence in the council. It was better to prevent than stop them.

As Raquel made her way down to the dungeons, the smell of filth and blood filled her nose. The place was cold and dark, the only source of light being the magic stone lamp in her hands.

She heard cries of pain and gulped. The palace’s prison was the only place she dreaded going to the most. Not only did it make her curse spiral out of control as she looked upon traitors but it remained her of a time she wanted to forget more than anything.

If only memories could be erased…

Still, she needed to get that information from the minor nobles so she could take out the ministers supporting Lady Diana.

Shaking her head, Raquel made it down the last stone step to find herself looking at a guard sleeping on the dirty floor. She immediately tensed up as she hurried over to him.

He was sleeping heavily and the sense of Hale’s Flowers was heavy. Raquel placed the lamp down next to the drugged guard and pulled out her sword.

It seemed someone was a step ahead, wanting to take care of the minor nobles before they spilled the beans about who else was involved.

She quietly stepped over the guard, raising her sword up slighting as she quickly walked over to the end of the prison. She looked into prison cells, stepping over more sleeping guards, as she searched for the assassin.

Hopefully he would still be here.

Suddenly she heard a scream of terror and knew instantly someone was being killed, the torture rooms being further away. She rushed over to the direction of the screams, finding a man cloaked in black, stabbing some middle aged man.

The cries had come from a middle aged woman and young girl, maybe twelve, sitting in a corner. Raquel assumed them to be the man’s wife and daughter.

The man coughed, blood spilling from his chest as the assassin pulled his dagger out. Raquel noticed poison on it. She was too late to save the man but she could still get the assassin who was unaware of her presence.

Grabbing the assassin by the shoulder, he gave her a look of surprise as she hit him over the head with the hilt of her sword. He dropped to the floor, his dagger falling out of his hand.

“Please…. Please don’t-” The middle aged woman started crying.

“Shut it!” Raquel growled as she looked around the prison cells.

It seemed the assassin had gotten to all of the nobles and their families. Only the mother and daughter were left. Raquel huffed in annoyance. If only she hadn’t stopped earlier to calm herself.

She could’ve stopped the assassin before he murdered more. Still, she could get evidence from the assassin. Maybe even the mother and daughter.

Raquel pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket, opening the assassin’s mouth. She checked for poison before tying his mouth. She didn’t need him biting his tongue before she got her answers. She then grabbed the keys the assassin had used and unlocked the chains on the dead man.

She dragged the assassin over to the chains, tying him up. Once she was done, she turned to the fearful duo.

“I’m going to ask you questions and you’re going to answer them.” Raquel exclaimed in a hard tone. “Nod if you understand.”

The older woman nodded. “I understand… But please spare my daughter.”

“That depends on your answers.” Raquel stated as she looked down at them. “First question. Do you know who was involved with your husband’s corruption.”

The woman seemed to understand where Raquel was going with this. “I can give you names and a ledger with proof. I just ask that you spare my daughter…. She’s innocent.”

“Mother…” The girl looked over at her mother.

“Fine.” Raquel nodded, ignoring the young girl. “You have my word, your daughter will be spared. Your noble title will be lost but I’ll help her live a decent life. Just make sure you hand over everything.”

“I understand your highness.” The woman bowed her head, tears coming down her face. “Thank you for sparing her.”

“No! Mother you can’t!” The girl began screaming.

Raquel sighed, stepping out the cell as the girl and mother argued. It was time to clean up the chaos the assassin had caused.