The misty air of the early morning glided upon the city walls of Vharys, enveloping the city in an ethereal veil. The white bricks were shining under the light of the moon, their brightness defeating even the aery columns of fog raising from the ground.

I tightened the hold I had on the reins, pulling the strong strings of leather, and my stallion halted in his steps, the hooves sinking in the fresh mud on the ground.

The majestic gates of the city were still closed, too early in the morning for the trades to take place and for the streets to be crowded by inhabitants eager to spend their fortune. Guards were stationed outside the perimeter of the fence, but it was impossible to discern how many of them there were as their bodies were barely visible through the mist.

My shins gently squeezed the horse's ample ribcage, spurring him into a light trot. With us nearing the city walls, my eyes were finally able to catch the two silhouettes standing in front of the wooden gate.

"Halt!"

I halted, patting the strong neck of the beast beneath me. He huffed and shook his head, making his dark coat glint under the moonlight. He was known among the Guild's members for being a little difficult to tame, having unsaddled the few who tried to ride him; he was a very loyal beast, not liking to receive orders that were not directly coming from me. Dismounting, I affectionately caressed him on the nose and he calmed down, leaning his head into my touch.

A figure emerged from the aery mist, stopping a few feet away from me. He assessed my body sharply, covering with his eyes every inch of my cloaked frame.

"Who are ya'? What business do ya' have so early in the city?"

He was dressed in a light armor that left his arms and legs devoid of mail, only covered by the brown tunic he worn underneath. His cuirass displayed the crest of House Duval, the same image that was imprinted on the seal of the letter I had received few days prior.

I let the hood fall off my head and the dark fabric crumpled on my shoulders; I watched impassively as the guard took a sharp intake of breath at the sight of my face, my features visible under the pale rays of the night. As always, my eyes betrayed me, allowing the man to recognize who stood in front of him even without the need for me to verify my identity.

Seven summers had passed since the day I was presented to the world outside Skyon's walls, but even now, after all this time, it saddened me a little witnessing the reactions I invoked in the people I interacted with. During the years I learnt to accept that I would always be feared upon, but it was unsettling being known by what I represented and not by who I really was. Everywhere I went, every time I exposed my face, the response was always the same. Surprise, bewilderment and some excitement maybe, but in the end fear always won.

"I am a Member of the Guild, your King requested my presence in Vharys."

I placed the opened letter in the man's hands, the red wax of the Royal Seal clearly distinguishable from the pale paper.
He nodded, cautiously returning the missive to me, and turned in order to shout to his companions to open the gates. Repositioning the hood on my head, I mounted on the saddle and spurred my horse, finally entering within the premises of the capital of Kallera.

The sound of the hooves hitting the cobblestones on the ground was muffled by the loud noise coming from the taverns scattered along the streets, their patrons shouting and laughing vociferously, oblivious to the passing of time.
A young woman clad in red slowly approached my figure, her hips moving in a sultry way, confusing me for someone she could lure in her arms for the night. I paid no attention to her words, skillfully coated in a sweetness like honey, and proceeded towards the Palace, inciting my stallion to go faster.

By the time the gates of the Palace appeared in view the first rays of sunlight were peeking from behind the houses, spreading through the streets like vines of pale fire.
I commanded the horse to slow down and dismounted, deciding to approach the majestic building on foot. Reins in hand, I walked alongside the animal, stroking his sleek coat in order to comfort him.

The guards stationed at the Palace's gates were dressed as the ones outside the walls, the crest on their chest displaying to whom they were loyal to. Once they allowed me entrance, I was told to wait for the stable boy who would take care of my horse. I instructed him to be extremely careful and not to raise his voice when in proximity of the beast and Ben- that was the boy's name- assured me that he would be treated properly. With a final pat on the rear of my stallion, I watched as he begrudgingly walked away in Ben's hands.

A young maid timidly approached where I was standing, her head slightly bowed and her eyes avoiding to meet mine.

"My Lady, if you would follow me, I'll show you to your room."

The tone of her voice was sweet and amenable, but by the way her hands were slightly trembling and by her avoidance to look at me in the face, I knew she was nervous or scared. Probably both.

"I am no Lady, don't call me such."

She lifted her head in surprise, allowing me to study her appearance; she could not be much older than Sonja with her cheeks still sporting the plumpness of youth and her round and innocent eyes. Few freckles adorned the bridge of her nose and her mouth was small and thin, the color of her lips remanding me of Echinacea's petals. When the girl caught that I was studying her, she blushed profusely.

"Pardon my La...miss? Shall I call you miss?"

I smiled at her.

"Yes, you shall. That suits better."

I followed her through the hallways of the palace, but I was too tired to truly appreciate their inestimable beauty. The journey had been long and, albeit deprived of accidents, it had been exhausting nonetheless. We reached a door on the third floor and she stopped walking, pushing it open, and entered, me following close behind. The room was bigger than the one I owned at the Guild's headquarters; the marble walls were bare, but the floor was adorned with plush looking carpets and the bed was big enough to fit three people. My eyes got caught by a fuming basin placed in front of a burning fireplace, plumes of steam raising from it.

"Oh..uhm..while you were out with the stable boy I ordered for a bath to be prepared in your room, miss." She looked at me bashfully, her hazel eyes shifting repeatedly from my face to the basin "But if you prefer it can be arranged for tomorrow instead, miss."

"No that's fine, thank you. I need to bathe."

She nodded and proceeded in the direction of the door, but she stopped mere inches from it, turning to face me.

"I will come in the early afternoon to get you, miss. The King will be waiting for you."

***

I was already up and dressed by the time she came knocking on the door of my room. My black leather gear was polished, now clean from the grime and dirt collected during the journey. I tied the leather belt on my hips out of habit, its loops and knife-rests hanging emptily on my sides, having previously decided to leave my daggers behind.

I opened the door, revealing the same girl of this morning standing there, her arms crossed behind her back.

"Good afternoon, Miss. I hope you slept well."

"I did, thank you...." When she understood I was waiting for her to disclose her name, the girl blushed and bowed her head, not able to hold my gaze.

"It's Nyssa, miss."

"Well Nyssa, good afternoon to you too."

The Throne Room was situated in the east wing of the Palace, facing a luxurious garden filled with pomegranates. It was commonly known that the fruits were the Queen's guilty pleasure, a habit she carried since she had to leave her home on the Velvet Islands, where pomegranates grew sweet and luscious.

I followed Nyssa through the maze of hallways and stairs, until we came upon a magnificent wooden door, at least fifteen feet high and garnished with silver and golden carvings. The carvings held the history of Kallera, back to the days when it was said that the Gods roamed the streets among humans. It was not the first time I was facing this incredible piece of art, but every time it managed to take my breath away.

The men guarding the door, however, were out of place. They didn't bear the crest of House Duval, but, instead of an eagle with a snake within its beak, they were proudly wearing a crest illustrating a panther with emerald eyes. Their armor was different too, the brown tunic particular of House Duval replaced by a dark blue one refined with thin golden filaments.

House Lederos.

Interesting.

"This is where we part, miss."

"That's fine Nyssa, I'll see you."

I nodded in her direction and she departed, leaving me alone with the guards. They eyed me suspiciously, but then saw that I held no visible weapons and pushed the heavy shutters apart, the hinges complaining under the weight of the old wood.

The room slowly unveiled in front of my eyes and I strode in, my feet sinking in the plush velvet carpet on the ground. My gaze followed the line of burning braziers at the sides of the rug, taking in the magnificence of the place, until they settled on the platform at the end of the room, where the throne stood, majestic and intimidating.

The tales narrated that the throne and the door had been created by the same craftsman many many centuries ago, when House Lyter of Nightgate held the Crown. The king had ordered the craftsman to create two of the  finest pieces of art Kallera would ever witness and the man complied, giving the king two invaluable jewels.
But the throne had been his real masterpiece.
Carved from dragons' bones and Aleämara, a beautiful material now extremely rare and priceless, it portrayed the six Royal Beasts, one for each one of the Houses.

House Lyter, a black wolf.
House Talmys, a peacock.
House Elmera, a stag.
House Duval, an eagle.
House Lederos, a panther.
House Dracaine, a dragon.

But the craftsman had made a terrible mistake. Willing to thank the magnanimity of the Lord Dracaine of Goldscale of the time, who provided the two inestimable materials, he carved a dragon in the center of the seatback, a spot of great esteem. The king, outraged by the decision of the artisan, killed him, throwing the ancestry of his House in disgrace.

The throne was now occupied by King Bastian Duval, the current leader of the kingdom of Kallera, the incriminated dragon hidden behind his frame. The Queen was seated on his right, her crown sparkling under the light coming from the braziers. At the base of the platform stood a man, tall and broad, his back covered by a long dark blue cape rimmed in gold.

I advanced, my gaze now focused on the huge eagle resting on its perch behind the throne, its yellow eyes sharply following my every move. When I reached the beginning of the platform I stopped, bowing intensely at the presence of the Royal Family.

"My King, my Queen. It is an honor to have been summoned in your presence."

The king raised from the throne, his golden cloak swishing on the ground. He swiftly descended the few steps separating us and placed a hand on my shoulder, assessing me with his honey eyes that resembled so much the ones belonging to his beast.

"My dear girl, it is an honor for us having a legend like you among our walls again. The infamous Teleite."

I straightened up, my braid falling in the crook of my neck and resting in the concavity between my breasts.

"Your words flatter me, my King."

He laughed and patted my shoulder, before turning and moving towards the throne. His wife stood up, breathtakingly beautiful in an emerald green dress that complimented her eyes and the red curls of her mane. She advanced, standing where her husband had been only moments prior.

"Look at you, Helèna. Five summers have passed since the last time I saw you. Then, you were a beautiful young woman, but now you are a jewel. You blossomed into a sight to behold, my dear."

I wasn't used to people praising my beauty, especially because it didn't matter to me. I didn't know if I was to be considered beautiful or not, especially with the peculiarity of my eyes, but I didn't care; in the life I lived being pretty wasn't going to help me stay alive at the end of the day. Fighting, instead, was.

"Thank you, my Queen. Coming from a rare flower like you, your words should be heavy with truth."

She smiled at me, but before she could say anything else, her husband clapped his hands, bringing my attention back to him.

"Well, now that you are finally here I can explain the reasons behind your convocation, but first let me present you our other guest."
The King outstretched his left hand in the direction of the wall, pointing at the man who silently stood on my right. "Lord Xander Lederos, Lord of House Lederos of Goldmount and Lord Commander."

I turned to look in his direction, finally able to put a face on the mysterious man whom I never had the pleasure of meeting before, his name reaching my ears only through the voices of my fellow assassins.

I was greeted by the sight of a pair of dazzling green eyes, their shade identical to an emerald. His dark hair was curly and unruly, the strands nearly reaching his eyes, contrariwise to the stubble sitting on his angular jaw, that was well-finished and trimmed short. He could have been considered handsome if not for the neutral expression marring the sharp features of his face.

Movement from below caught my attention. It was then that I became aware of the  feline resting at his feet; it was magnificent, its powerful muscles bulging beneath the sleek black coat of its body. The panther embodied grace and raw power simultaneously. Its eyes were startlingly the same shade of his master's, eyeing me even with the same disinterested expression.

"My Lord."

I bowed my head in his direction, receiving the same gesture from him.

"Very well. Now that you are acquainted with each other, let's proceed."

The King outstretched his hand, placing it over his wife's. The man's eyes were focused on the Queen's delicate features, looking at her lovingly, like she was the last ray of light in an endless dark night.

"A missive came to inform us that my dear wife became an aunt for the second time. An healthy baby girl was born last week within the walls of House Talmys. My wife expressed her wish to take part in the celebrations," he said, caressing the feathers of his eagle with his other hand. The beast ruffled its plumage and spread out its wings, before flapping them a couple of times and screeching. The King smiled, but his attention then fell on me and the man on my right, eyeing us solemnly.
"And you will accompany her as her personal security."

Out of the many suppositions I made for my summoning, this was not among them. I expected to be sent in the East, where mysterious attackers were raiding towns and villages, to investigate, but instead I was being dispatched to the Velvet Islands in order to protect the Queen. But a king's order was my command, so I didn't hesitate in formally accepting my new duty.

"So be it, my King. I will protect her life with my own."

The Queen smiled gratefully at me and I bowed my head in her direction, the gesture to indicate my total devotion to her case.

"My King, with proper regard, wouldn't it be wiser for me to stay in Vharys with you? I am sure one member of the Guild will be enough to protect the Queen, especially a High Assassin. I could help you, my King, with the attacks happening in the East."

The voice that spoke was deep, its tone latched in authority. That was the voice of a man accustomed to giving orders, not used, instead, to be on the end of receiving them.

The King smiled knowingly, but by the way his eyes shone it was easy to see that he wouldn't change his orders. The reputation of House Duval's tenacity and patience stayed true to its words when the King refused to back down from his previous sentences.

"Dear Xander, you already did enough sending a lot of your men. And it's cause of those attacks that I decided to send both of you with my wife. My sleep will be more relaxed if I know that Seline is escorted by the most loyal and capable fighters of Kallera." The King looked at Lord Lederos expectantly; when the latter bowed his head in acceptance of his duty, the ruler ushered us away with a gesture of his hands.
"Now go rest and get ready for the feast tonight. Rest well and fill your bellies up, you will leave tomorrow at sunset."

With the proper greetings I marched away, well aware of the pair of eyes burning in my back.

Here it is the third chapter of the story.
What do you think about it?
What do you think about the Royals? And about Lord Lederos?
How do you think the mission will go?
Let me know!!☺️

As always, please vote, comment and share if you liked the chapter.

Kate.😘