~Headfirst~

Oris was startled awake by the sound of shouts and banging. Immediately, she sat up on the bed and pulled her hand away from the strip of cloth tied over the wound on her neck. She hadn't actually been sleeping but thinking about what was to come—and even then she was worrying more than she was thinking.

On hearing the commotion, the first place her eyes went to was Aella's corner. The woman was as silent and undisturbed as always. Sometimes it was as though she wasn't there at all.

"It's finally happening," Oris got to her feet and made her way to the bars keeping her locked in the cell. Despite the pain and heat coursing through her body, she still managed to catch glimpses of guards hitting cell doors with their sheathed swords. The flickering torchlight reflected pleasantly off their red chainmail, making them look more ethereal than human as they shouted out intelligible orders to shackled prisoners.

Oris blinked back the hazy image and focused her gaze on what was happening in the barely lit passages. The moment she heard the sound of cell doors squeaking open, she knew that something wasn't right.

She pulled away from the scene and turned to face where she knew Aella was patiently waiting. "They are getting criminals out of their cells. Why?"

"If this is all to get to you and not just a coincidence, then it only means one thing," the queen said after a moment.

"The Empress Dowager can no longer kill me quietly," Oris said, feeling relief flood her limbs and renew them with strength. "That means that the Emperor knows. My plan worked."

"It has also become more dangerous," Aella said as a reminder. "You are not going to be quietly executed under the cover of night. Everything has to play out as chaotically as possible if Wei Wei wants to wash her hands clean of your death. From this point on, anything can happen."

"Catch the assassin!" the voices grew closer and clearer. "Search the prisoners' cells!"

"Assassin?" Oris repeated, now able to hear the orders the men were shouting. Someone had tried to kill in Hermes' palace? "Which assassin tries to escape by entering the dungeons?"

"One with a death wish," Aella muttered darkly. "You have to be careful, child. Do not give anyone the chance to kill you or put the charge of assassinating a member of the royal family on your head."

"You are in more danger than I am!" Oris took a step towards the corner in panic. "That assassin might be here to kill you. You cannot go out there."

"We can't worry about that now. Your life is more important than mine."

"You are the Emperor's mother, how can you—"

A loud bang on the cell door made Oris jump and turn in that direction. She saw a guard with a torch standing in front of it.

"Stay away from the door," he ordered gruffly then started fiddling with the door's lock.

Oris glanced anxiously at the corner, hoping that Aella continued hiding herself. From what she heard, all cells were being searched. How would she stop the guard from searching this one?

"Milord, what is happening?" she asked the moment he stepped into the room. Maybe if she distracted him, he would forget to look around the seemingly empty cell.

"None of your concern," he said as his gaze scanned Oris from her head to her toes.

It was only now that she was conscious of how little she had on. Her dress had been reduced to immodest bits and pieces to accommodate the movements in her dances. It was certainly not what a proper lady would be caught wearing.

Knowing now what to do, she moved directly into his line of sight and raised both her hands.

"You won't shackle me, Sir?" She walked forward until her fingers were pressed against his armor. "I was shackled when I was brought here," she whispered as coquettishly as she could. She hoped the fever helped inject some color into her cheeks. "I'm dangerous."

"I'm sure you are," he said after a pause then grabbed Oris' arm. "Get out of there."

"You don't want me to show you round my cell?" she batted her lashes at him like her aunts did when they looked at her adopted father. "We could get to know each other better."

"Next time," the guard shut the door of the cell then began walking away with her in tow.

Oris could only look at the room one more time before she was shoved into a line of convicts shuffling out of the dungeons.

She couldn't wrap her head around the sudden evacuation and assassination, and she didn't have the time to.

She had to find a way to keep herself alive until someone could rescue her. If she had enough luck to evade Death the first time, maybe she could do it a second time.

I can do this, she told herself, her eyes scanning the sea of prisoners up ahead for anything that could help her. Think, Oris.

And that was when she caught sight of Lyle. He stood a head taller than most of his 'colleagues' but she still matched him in height despite being half his width.

If I can see him, he can probably see me. A deadly smile spread across her lips, unseen by the rest of the criminals in the dungeon because of the veil that hid everything but the happiness shining eyes.

Maybe if they had seen it, they would have been able to prevent what was about to happen.

Filled with unparalleled determination, Oris shoved through the slow-moving line, taking advantage of the guards' inattentiveness to push her way into the depths of the crowd.

Aella had said that Lyle had killed a man who had made fun of his name. Oris wondered if the smelly brute still remembered her after their little encounter on her first day of imprisonment. If he didn't, she'd remind him.

The passages in the dungeon were far from small but with hundreds of prisoners milling about, the space became a tight squeeze. The guards hadn't yet managed to get everyone in a straight line and more than one person was thinking of how to use this situation to escape their sentences.

Oris was one of them.

For now, Aella was still safe in a locked cell but she was out here in the open. If the assassin was truly sent to kill her, there was little Oris could do to protect herself.

Right now, anyone could be her future killer. With the dungeons being so crowded, anyone could stick a knife into her side then sneak off without getting caught.

Since everyone was her enemy now, it was only fair that she got to pick her poison.

Oris pretended to lose her footing and crashing into the line forming beside her as the guards tried to keep things organized.

She managed to knock her body into Lyle's.

He shoved her away immediately. "Get off."

Oris hit the person behind her and was shoved again but she steadied herself soon enough and turned to Lyle, who hadn't even bothered looking at her. "Oh, look who it is. Delicate Lyle."

"You." It took some seconds for recognition to flit through his eyes.

"Yes. Me." Oris put a hand on her hip and accepted his glare. "Do you have something to say, Lyle? An apology, maybe? Thankful that I shined light on your personal hygiene issues?"

By now, no one was trying to form lines anymore. In fact, the evacuation had halted. Guards had begun to make their way towards Oris and Lyle in hopes of getting everybody moving again.

"Don't ya call me name again. Or yer goin' regret it."

"You can't really stop me, Lyle," Oris replied with an air of nonchalance then turned around to face the rest of the crowd.

"Don't ya dare turn yer back o' me."

She ignored him and started to count the passing seconds in her mind. She saw the eyes of the man in front of her widen and figured that Lyle was getting angry.

On three, she stook a small step to the side and narrowly missed his fist. Of course, with them being in such a tightly packed space, it landed on someone else instead.

It a few moments, rage was done brewing in that prisoner's eyes and before Lyle could regain his bearings and find Oris again, a punch had landed on his face. Revenge.

Oris backed away into the spectators behind her and watched the two men go at it. It wasn't long before they had managed to hit other prisoners during their scuffle and soon everyone who had a fist was throwing it around.

Everyone but Oris. She dodged when she could and screamed when it was necessary. She yelled expletives and encouragements until the situation boiled down to absolute madness and the guards began to shout for order.

It was exactly then that she gathered all the air in her lungs and screamed one word as loud as she could. Her life depended on it after all. "Assassin!"

The world around her paused for an entire breath. . .then chaos erupted. An new energy was injected into the convicts. They charged at the guards and at each other. They punched and kicked anyone around them and occasionally there was a shout reporting the location of an assassin who was most likely fleeing for his life.

Amidst it all, there was a group of prisoners that were stealthily making their way towards the exit. Oris followed that group, an excited grin stretching her lips till her cheeks twinged with pain.

How she wished her brothers could see her now.

Starting a barfight in a dungeon.

They would be so proud.

~

"How is my mother?" Hermes only stopped pacing in front of his mother's bedchamber when the Head of the Royal Physicians stepped out of it.

"Your Majesty," the man clasped his hands together and bowed so low that his grey beard brushed his knees.

"Forgo the formalities, Physician Li," Hermes hurried to help the old man stand. "You have worked hard."

"It is my job," the physician dismissed the complement like he always did. "The Empress Dowager passed out from blood loss and shock. She just needs rest to get better. I have prescribed medicine to strengthen her heart and channels, once she takes it, she will be alright."

"Blood loss?" Hermes' attention was drawn to those particular word. He hadn't expected his mother to get hurt physically.

"Yes. The assassin almost took the Empress Dowager's life but the guards made it in time to stop him. The Empress Dowager is truly blessed by the gods." the old man bowed again. "I beg your leave, Your Majesty."

Hermes turned his gaze to the servants guarding the door. "Escort Physician Li out, I will attend to my mother."

Without waiting for anyone to react to his orders, he pushed apart the doors to his mother's room and stepped in.

"You are dismissed," he said the moment his gaze landed on the maids walking about in front of him.

"Yes, Your Majesty," they curtsied and scurried around him to get to the doors.

When it was only him and his mother alone in the room, Hermes let his worried expression fade away.

He walked to his mother's bed and sat on the edge of it.

"Son, you are finally here," she croaked and reached for him.

"Your son was unfilial," Hermes took her hand but didn't look at her. "I came late."

"There was nothing you could do," Wei Wei whispered and squeezed his fingers. "Mother feels better just seeing you."

Now, Hermes turned his waist so that he could see his mother's face. Her skin was pale and clammy; the silky hair she was so proud of had lost its shine and her cheeks and lips were bare of the rouge she favoured. A linen bandage stained with a spot of blood was wrapped around her head, solidifying the image of a sickly woman.

Hermes felt a pinch in his chest when he saw how weak and spent his usually vibrant mother looked. Was it worth it, Mother? he wanted to ask her, but knew he never would.

"I am ugly now, aren't I?" Wei Wei laughed bitterly. "You shouldn't have to see me like this. Maybe you shouldn't have come. Go back, son. You just recovered from an illness, you shouldn't—"

Hermes placed his other hand over his mother's. "You always look beautiful to me, Mother."

Tears welled in Wei Wei's eyes. "You are no longer angry with me then?"

Hermes shook his head. His calloused fingers tightened around his mother's more delicate ones. "Let us not talk about this now."

"Hermes," Wei Wei suddenly grabbed him by the arm. "Everything I do is for you. Everything. You know this, don't you?"

A conflicted expression crossed Hermes' features the moment he heard the question but before he could answer the doors to the room slid open.

He got to his feet immediately.

Only one person had the clearance to barge in like that.

Magnus strolled into the bedchamber elegantly and bowed twice to Hermes and his mother.

"Your Majesty. Queen Mother," he greeted after straightening up.

"Magnus, what is it?" Hermes narrowed his eyes at his advisor. "My mother needs rest."

"Yes. Sorry to disturb you both but there is news."

"Whatever news it is can wait," Hermes said, feigning annoyance.

"No, Son." Wei Wei shook her head and let go of his hand. "Don't let me keep you from your work. Go."

"Actually," Magnus interjected as Hermes was about to refuse. "It might be best if both of you heard this."

He cleared his throat then smoothed his hand over his shirt. "There are assassins in the palace."

"Of course there are," Hermes snapped. "He just attacked my mother."

"Your Majesty, I used the word 'assassins' to imply that there was more than one."

"What?" Wei Wei asked, her eyes growing wide. "There is more than one assassin?"

Hermes turned to his mother, surprised to see the shock on her face. "Mother, did only one assassin attack you?"

Did you hire more than one killer tonight, Mother?

"Only one," she confirmed with a quick nod.

"The palace has been infiltrated," Hermes turned back to Magnus. "Protect my mother."

"And where will you be going?"

"To push back the intruders," Hermes answered as he stepped out of the room.

Magnus turned to Wei Wei helplessly. He couldn't defy the Emperor's order unless he he was commanded by someone equally as powerful.

"Go after him," she said quietly. "Don't let him get hurt."

Once he observed etiquette and bowed again to signal his departure, Magnus wasted no time in chasing after Hermes.

"Protect the Empress Dowager," he ordered the servants and maids he passed and they bowed in return.

It was just his luck that Hermes was in the mood to fight today. Instead of hiding from danger like a normal ruler, the emperor he served jumped headfirst into it.

Magnus knew that one day Hermes would end up being the death of him but today wasn't that day.

~

2550 words. I am beyond tired guys. I've had headaches today but I made it. This is the last chapter until Monday. It's not perfect but right now, my bed is calling me.

This is just showcasing our usual Oris, as cunning and clever as always. And Hermes and just how weirdly loving he and his mother are?

Who do you think the extra assassins are?

Goodnight!