The silence that descended upon the grand banquet hall was absolute, a heavy, suffocating blanket smothering every gasp, every whispered word. The air, moments before filled with music and laughter, now reeked of freshly spilled blood that caught in the back of Viviana's throat. The vibrant colors of the feast seemed too dull, overshadowed by the dark crimson staining the pristine marble floor where the assassin's headless body lay in a grating heap.
"So," Viviana thought, her gaze fixed on Prince Dominic, who stood, sword still in hand, a figure of deadly calm amidst the carnage, he is not just a prince playing at soldiering. " He knows the way of the sword. Swift, brutal, terrifyingly efficient. That was no panicked defense; that was a perfect execution. How does Talon expect me to finish someone like this off discreetly, to make it look like an accident or illness? This will be more challenging than anticipated. Far more." Her face, however, remained a carefully constructed mask of shocked dismay, mirroring the horror reflected on the faces of the less seasoned courtiers.
Prince Dominic, seemingly unfazed by the slaughter he had just committed, casually wiped the blade of his sword on the blood-soaked tunic of the dead assassin on the ground. He then turned to the two guards who had first thrown the young man into the hall, their faces now pale and grim.
"Take this carrion out of my sight," Dominic commanded, his voice lacking of any emotion, flat and cold as chipped ice. "Put his head on a spike in the main city square. Let it serve as a clear message to the Veil Guild and any other worthless curs who believe they can threaten the crown of Eldoria. I want every citizen, every merchant, every visitor, to see what becomes of those who plot against me."
"Yes, Your Highness!" the guards stammered, bowing hastily. One of them, visibly trembling, picked up the severed head by its matted hair, his gorge rising. The other guard grabbed the assassin's ankles and began to drag the headless body towards the exit. The gruesome sound of fabric and flesh scraping against the polished marble, accompanied by the smearing of a wide, glistening trail of blood, was stomach-churning. One of the younger serving girls let out a choked sob before clapping a hand over her mouth to stop herself from vomiting.
Dominic watched them for a moment, his expression unyielding, then went back to his seat beside his mother. He sheathed his sword with a decisive, metallic click that echoed in the stunned silence. He then calmly picked up his wine goblet and took a slow, deliberate sip, as if he had merely disciplined an unruly hound.
Viviana's eyes swept the room, observing the reactions of the Eldorian nobles. While many looked pale and shaken, particularly the younger ones and those visiting from other, less… robust kingdoms, she noticed a distinct lack of fear among the more seasoned Eldorian courtiers. Some even wore expressions of grim satisfaction. " This isn't the first time they've witnessed such public brutality," she deduced, a cold certainty settling in her. Perhaps such violent displays are not an anomaly here, but a regular tool of striking fear. A way to maintain order through fear. This kingdom runs on a different kind of power than Tobit.
It was then that she became acutely aware of Lilliana beside her. The Princess was a statue of pure, unadulterated terror. Her face was ashen, completely drained of color, her wide, horrified eyes fixed on the bloody smear on the floor and the spot where the assassin's head had rested for that horrifying moment. Her breathing was shallow, rapid, and becoming increasingly erratic.
"Blood…" Lilliana gasped, her voice a thin, reedy whisper. She clutched Viviana's arm, her fingers like ice. "Vi… there's… there's so much blood… everywhere… on the floor… That person's head… Oh, God… I think I'm going to be…"
Her eyes rolled back into her head, and her body went limp. With a soft sigh, she crumpled, Viviana catching her just an instant before she would have hit the hard marble floor.
" Your Highness!" Viviana cried out, her voice sharp with alarm, easily cutting through the lingering shock in the hall. "She's fainted! Please, someone help!"
"Matron Helga! Guards!" Queen Diana commanded, her voice ringing with authority. "Attend to the Princess Lilliana immediately! Fetch Doctor Rye from his chambers. Now!"
Prince Dominic cast a brief, utterly indifferent glance towards the commotion surrounding his fainted betrothed. His expression didn't change. He then turned away, murmuring something to a grim-faced military commander who stood near his chair, evidently more concerned with the security implications of the assassination attempt than the well-being of his future bride. The display of cold detachment was not lost on Viviana.
Strong arms of the palace guards gently lifted Lilliana. Viviana, looking suitably distressed and concerned, followed closely as they carried the unconscious Princess out of the nightmarish banquet hall, leaving behind the scent of blood, the shocked whispers, and the chilling presence of their future king.
Later, in Lilliana's bedchamber, the Eldorian court physician, Doctor Rye had just finished his examination. Lilliana lay pale and still against the dark velvet pillows, her breathing now even, her face relaxed in sleep.
"Her Highness has suffered a profound shock, my lady," the doctor explained to Viviana, his voice low and gravelly. "Quite understandable, given the… ah… unfortunate and rather vivid events of the evening. She requires absolute rest and quiet. I have administered a calming draught; it should ensure she sleeps soundly through the night and well into the morning. When she awakes, keep her environment as peaceful as possible. No talk of… unsettling matters. Encourage light sustenance. She is young and healthy; she will recover."
"Thank you, Doctor Rye," Viviana said, her voice conveying the appropriate gratitude. "Your diligence is appreciated."
He gave a stiff nod and departed, leaving Viviana alone with the sleeping princess.
Viviana sat by Lilliana's bedside for a long moment, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest. She reached out and smoothed a stray strand of golden hair from Lilliana's forehead, then carefully tucked the heavy velvet coverlet more snugly around her shoulders.
"Oh, Lily," she thought, a rare wave of genuine tenderness washing over her. "My poor, sweet, sheltered Lily. I had almost forgotten how truly fragile you are, how protected your life has been within the gentle, sunlit courts of Tobit. You haven't seen the true brutality of men, the casual, chilling cruelty of this world. What you witnessed tonight… this is but a horrifying glimpse. And the world I truly inhabit, the shadows I walk… it is far darker, far more steeped in blood than even this grim display. I hope you don't have to see something like that again."
After ensuring Lilliana was deeply asleep and that the assigned maids were quietly occupied in the antechamber, Viviana slipped out of Lilliana's room and into her own adjoining chamber. The heavy door clicked softly shut behind her.
Instantly, the facade of the concerned, slightly overwhelmed lady-in-waiting dissolved. Her movements became serious. She moved to her large, locked travel trunk, knelt before it, and from a cleverly concealed compartment hidden beneath a false bottom, she retrieved a small, oilskin-wrapped packet.
Untying the leather thong, she carefully unrolled the contents on her small writing desk. There were no jewels or sentimental keepsakes within. Instead, the dim candlelight glinted off a set of small, specialized tools: slender lockpicks, a handful of pins to go with the miniature vial of colorless liquid for poisoning, a thin garrote wire, and a slim, razor-sharp twin daggers. Beside them lay a thin, rolled parchment.
She unrolled it. At the top, written in the elegant script of Talon, was the primary objective: Crown Prince Dominic of Eldoria. Below it, a list of other names – key Eldorian military commanders, influential council members known for their loyalty to Dominic. These were secondary targets, obstacles to be removed if they proved troublesome, or individuals whose deaths might further destabilize the kingdom after the prince's demise and must be removed with the same instruction: Make it discreet. An accident or illness.
Viviana's dark eyes scanned the list, her expression unreadable, her mind already calculating, planning, adapting to the brutal reality of her target's nature.
Dominic is the primary, she affirmed silently. But Talon's instructions were clear: destabilize, remove key supports if necessary to ensure the contract is fulfilled and the resulting chaos benefits our… patrons. This kingdom, it seems, runs on fear and absolute brutality. Perhaps it needs to bleed from more than just its head to truly understand the message the Abyss Guild delivers. The weight of her true mission, grim and bloody, settled back onto her shoulders. The night was still young, and she had work to do.