Shin
I died.
I should probably start from the start. I danced with a beautiful girl, she smelled good had a good figure that perfectly fitted onto me and didn't bother fluttering me. I gave the princess a gift I didn't even know I was to give until I got to her party, luckily Adriel was there to save my skin. She pouted angrily at me but one of the benefits of being blind is I get to pretend I haven't the slightest clue. Either way her party was boring after I had my dance and I was staying just to save the old man some face. The other two princes found me and didn't hesitate to strike a conversation with me, but I had my cousin Adriel ready to answer for me. We were among the first to leave using tiredness and long journey as an excuse.
'So how was it?' Adriel had a smile on her face I knew what she was asking but I had a dignity to maintain so I acted indifferent and the smile on her face started to fade. 'You dint like her?' She sounded confused. 'I saw both of you act intimately, I could have sworn you've been together for countless years'
'She was fine cousin' I stopped her rant before it developed. 'Grandmother ask you to do this?' She smiled sheepishly.
'No it was purely my idea' I raised my brow waiting for an explanation. 'Linda asked for a favour, one that I owed her for a some time, so I thought, hey my cousin is king and kings need queens, one thing led to another, got grandmothers approval, got Linda to dress her little sister in red and adorn her with expensive jewels, and got you two to dance first together.' I got the gist of what she was saying but I need an explanation I could understand from her.
'You just got engaged cousin' She told me after I stared at her for a while. Uncle burst out into laughter.
'Its always the same trick.' He laughed loudly. 'I thought you'd break our curse seems your destined to fall. I threw him a dirty look.
'what if I didn't like her?' I asked Adriel.
'I'd have found somebody else' She answered indifferently.
'What off the princess?' I asked not like a question but more like what do you think of her.
'I've never thought of trying to match make you with that wench. She's too naïve, stupid, greedy, needy, childish and daydreams about you so much I have to resist turning up in her room with a dagger' If there was anyone who knew things about people it was definitely Adriel first chosen of Emma. Leader of those who walk on dreams.
'I knew our cute Hellan was a perfect match and take it from me, perfect doesn't come around to often.' She almost sounded wise. 'I invited them for dinner tomorrow, right after that prince leaves our compound' She muttered the last part. 'You know grandmother didn't send you here for the games. She sent a letter way before you got here. You are to return home with a queen, this are her ladies orders.' After she said this the whole carriage became quiet. This had just become a hundred more times serious with the mention of our Lady.
'And since I help a lot, you should name your second daughter after me' She appeared smug and the tense atmosphere just disappeared as we continued arguing like children.
The following morning was like other mornings long and boring especially when I had to host a prince. For my support he offered a lot. More than he can give even if he was to get the throne. Lucky for him it was Adriel who did most of the talking I just sat there looking mysterious and occasionally nodding my head. The sun was quickly getting unbearable that combined with this pointless conversation made my head throb and ache uncontrollably. The prince, I dint quite catch his name, finally shut his mouth and walked out of my compound as the sun set. He'd just wasted my entire afternoon.
the sun set and the cresworth sisters walked in. Their heels could be heard from a distance and the jingles of their jewellery sung with the evening wind. Their family trade was precious stones and jewels, wealth they couldn't help but show around with or without trying to. The three of them walked in and bowed in respect at the door. Adriel welcomed them warmly, better than she'd ever welcomed me, ushering them next to the warm fireplace. A couple of drinks and jokes and Hellan and I were sent to "bond" so here we were in the keel garden walking around in silence.
'So Hel...' I started but she cut me off.
'Don't call me that' She didn't sound angry or anything so I tried again.
'Lan, then' I smiled I kind off wanted this to work. 'Lanny then' I mused.
'Just call me whatever your majesty' I couldn't tell her mood.
'So … How was dinner?'I asked awkwardly. we had gone quite the distance from the palace. My family owned a good portion of the roan hills and our extravagant garden stretched all the way past the innermost city wall.
'Huh, it was fine I guess. Can I ask something?'
'Sure'
'How does your kind see so well when your all blind?' Her eyes started lighting up.
'That's the only thing you want to know? I was prepared to answer anything and that's all you asked' it was quite amusing watching her nod eagerly ready to learn. 'One doesn't need eyes to see. My other senses cover up for whatever I am lacking. For example you have a certain way you walk, sound and a pleasing scent.' I turned to her while saying the last part. I could feel her neck and cheeks heat up.
'And now I can tell your heating up I wonder why' I smirked as I teased the girl.
'What about what am wearing today, can you tell?' She asked in her low alto trying to cool her blush.
'Its not as frilly or eye catching as yesterdays but still seductive enough.' I slowly started to approach her and she started to step back. 'You wanted me to notice you in... this dress, to bad I cant see colour but I can see this perfectly well' I said as I held her waist and walked closer to her. Her breathing was becoming slower and her heartbeat fierce.
'Its b...black' she whispered inaudibly. Her body was getting warmer and I couldn't help but get closer to her. I put my lips to her ear and whispered.
'What was that Lanny' I teased and she stepped back to the wall. She was getting tensed having no place to hide.
'The dress is colour black' She answered after swallowing a couple of times.
'Interesting' I mused. 'First you wore red and now black just for me. Your making me blush wifey' I smiled. She looked up into my eyes and pouted.
'Were not allowed to do that yet, your majesty' She looked away from me. I laughed wildly.
'Do what wifey?' I held her waist more firmly. her eyes momentarily looked at me then looked down. 'Oh that?' I laughed and brought my face closer to hers. 'That can be arranged' her mouth went agape in shock. 'I just need a piece of your dress for a make shift bind, then we can have fu...'' We were deep into the palace garden, located in the innermost part of the city, yet I felt the same way I felt when I was in the frontlines right before an attack. I let go of her waist and started looking around trying to pinpoint where the feeling was coming from.
'Shin?' She was also started looking around very alert. I reached for the dagger I had hidden in my coat. A keel never walks without a dagger first rule I was taught before I even started crawling. The sun had already fallen into the horizon. I took a step forward then I had Hellan scream. I turned back to see someone bite into her neck. A breath later her skin was covered in thorns and the man jump back only to meet head on with my dagger. He fell to the ground dead. I checked Hellan's wound, it wasn't something serious but it still infuriated me. I had only noticed she was trying to cover herself up after the thorns tore through her dress. I took of my coat and covered her, then held her waist and yanked her to the side just in time to avoid a thrown dagger.
We were surrounded with so many people I gave up counting the before I even attempted to begin. Now with my coat gone, one could see the daggers I had strapped onto my sides and back. I looked at Hellan, I knew better than to underestimate her so I tossed her a dagger. The Cresworth family, also known as the daughters of Rose, were a unique bunch. Depending on the colour of their bloomed rose, they were know for possessing a number of abilities. we stood back to back and without any warning the swarm closed in. A few clashes in, I knew they were only after me so I started to led them on slowly going round so that Hellan was on the side facing the palace.
'Hey Lanny' I started my voice showing none of the anxiety I was feeling something I've picked up while leading men to war. 'I need you to run' Honestly it was noteworthy how well she fought with heels on.
'They are after you' Hellan answered still watching my back. Her intuition spot on. I could tell she was now covered in blood. 'I can't just leave you alone' I could laugh if we weren't a mistake away from death. 'Besides I just got engaged, I don't want to be widowed' now I laughed. we were fending for our lives yet she still joked. I put on my leader voice.
'I'll open a path take the chance' I spoke with a tone of finality. I knew she didn't really like it so I added. 'For some reason the others haven't yet known there are intruders' Now I was not only getting her away from danger but sending her for help.
'Fine. but cant we leave together' I didn't reply instead I stepped into the shadows and reappeared just outside the ring Infront of Hellan and made short work of the people there opening a way for her. She didn't hesitate. I reappeared on the opposite side and they followed me as I lead them a bit further from the palace. Now that I was alone, I turned into the hunter quickly jumping in and out of the shadows, or so I thought, these men also disappeared but instead of jumping from shadow to shadow, they merged in the dark. they were one with the dark such that I couldn't tell where they were. As a result I started accumulating wounds. I took down hundreds or them but they were still overwhelming me. It was then I felt danger screaming, I stepped into the shadow narrowly missing a sword strike from a red haired lady.
Immediately she landed she stepped into the dark completely becoming untraceable. I couldn't linger on her for to long as I still had to dodge and counterattack the thousand of attacks coming my way. I finally saw a window and took it quickly jumping from shadow to shadow. The sense of danger overwhelmed me and the lady reappeared again. I dodged her slash and then dodged another hidden sword attack all the while still dodging the countless mob attacks. And as I was dodging the third, I was unable to react to another sense of danger and he landed a hit on cleanly severing my head.
Instead of falling down dead, I stood there watching my head roll and my body fall. It was a clean hit from my blind spot, the pain was very real I wanted to scream and claw my neck off. The attackers all stepped back gripping their weapons in fear. Disbelief was written all over their faces as we all stopped fighting none of us understanding what happened. The guy who'd killed me took my head and vanished into the dark followed by his men. I was left alone bleeding from the cuts I'd received all over my body holding my neck still feeling the blood gush out.
'Shin!' my uncle was the first to arrive stepping out of the shadows his sword ready. He looked around and soon after our guards appeared and spread out. I tried to speak but my throat was burning. Sweat had started to flow into my wounds burning them. Adriel stepped out of the shadow and screamed. The Cresworth sisters were the last people I saw as I blanked out holding my neck to the point of almost strangling myself.