Hello, lovely people! This story has been in the back of my mind for a while and I finally let it out. It is another short, period piece full of action and romance. The character development is done mostly through dialogue and by reading in-between the lines. Still, I hope you all enjoy it!
XOXO SkylerLuv
******
"I have to go." It is a statement I usually do not offer a whore.
In the past I would leave without a word, after paying, and never look back. This time I say it because I feel a tiny urge to root myself. To have someone know something, no matter how minuscule, about me. That sentence alone does not say anything about me, the saying it out loud is far more telling. But she doesn't know that.
She moves near the edge of her bed and comes to lay her head against my shoulder. "Stay." She murmurs.
Her dark curls rest against my back from the movement.
I know she does not mean it. And if she does, it is only for the money. The tiny urge vanishes. I revert back to what I am familiar with.
I turn to look into her dark eyes. She sits up and stares at me without blinking. Her eyes search for something. Anything. Something that many have done. I wonder what they see.
"There is nothing." She simply states.
Not so dumb for a whore.
"Hmm." I don't bother responding in words.
******
Sitting on the ledge of the window gives me a full view of the town.
It is high enough to see even the furthest house. The moon is nowhere to be found tonight, hiding behind thick dark clouds. The homes in the distance are either completely dark or have a low fire burning, indicating someone is unable to sleep. They are just shadows of the real town during the day. Where in the day the streets are flooded with bodies and chatter, there is now only outlines and silence. There are not many people out at this time. Anyone who is, must surely be up to no good.
There are frogs croaking by the pond below and crickets fighting to be heard over the rustling grass. This is a nice little town, nothing like the cities I'm used to working in. The air is less polluted, everyone knows everyone, there is only a small community to worry about. The challenge of being caught is less threatening here. Less prying eyes, less untrusting individuals. They smile at strangers and offer them something to drink. Almost unheard of in this day and age.
I look down at Royal from the ledge I'm sitting on. He's eating grass, enjoying the wide-open space as well. He dislikes the cities as much as I do. His black coat does not shine without the moon.
My ears perk up at the sound of a housemaid leaving the Princess' room. It's about time. My butt is starting to go numb from sitting on these bricks. Out of all of the nights that I have watched her light go out at night, this has been the latest by far. She must have had a long day. Too bad it was nowhere near ending. I wait a while longer, letting her get comfortable and ready for bed.
With stealth that I have acquired over the years, I get up from my sitting position and walk alongside the walls of the castle to the window next door. I slowly push the window open and lift myself into the maid's quarters. They make it a good habit of locking the Princess' windows and balcony doors at night but they don't think about themselves. They probably don't consider their lives at risk since they are only servants and to an extent, they are correct. But now, because of her negligence I have full access to the Princess' room straight through the connecting door. I know the maid is downstairs with the stable boy and she won't be back until sunrise. Just like she has been each and every night.
I turn the nob and silently make my way into the quiet room next door.
It is carpeted, full of colorful drawers, wardrobes, tables and other excessive things fit for a future queen. Not so bad for a tiny town. Even if this small part of the region doesn't make up a quarter of the neighboring country's population, they were granted their right to be independent and have their own leadership. This small little town fought for their right to break away and have played nice with their previous captors since. They don't bother anyone and keep to themselves. That is probably why they were really given their freedom. They were nothing to worry about. Their previous King and Queen led a peaceful term before they died and now it is time for the next heir to the throne to continue the peaceful treaty. Of course, I am going to interrupt that line of succession, but that is beside the point. This little town gained their freedom. That is definitely something to be proud of.
I turn to the lying figure. Her bed has four posts covered in layers of expensive silk. Along with the wallpaper, I am sure this room is full of life during the day. Right now, everything is gray and black, almost lackluster. Like this sleeping Princess before me. I take my knife out of its secure spot in my pantaloons. The carpet makes it easier to walk straight to her bed, undetected.
She's laying splayed out in the center of her bed. This is the first time I have seen her up close. Her porcelain skin glows against the dark sheets around her. Her gold hair is spread out around her head. Though her high cheekbones and long lashes are enough to consider her pretty, it is her lips that draw the eye. They're both full, with the upper lip being slightly bigger than the lower one.
One of her hands is splayed out next near the edge, palm up. Her legs are spread out. Either she is a crazy sleeper or she had trouble finding a comfortable position to sleep in tonight.
I move onto the bed, making it shift as little as possible. I move my hat back to get a better look at her. I bring the knife up to her neck and dig it just enough to wake her.
Her eyes flutter open. A moment later she is staring at me with fear. I place a finger against my lips when she opens her mouth. I dig the knife in just a bit more to get my point across. It doesn't cut through the skin, yet. If I so much as hear a squeak out of her I will be forced to go with plan B, something that I have to try to avoid in this mission.
"I need you to get up and follow me." I whisper.
It is hard to see what color her eyes are. They're not dark, light blue maybe?
She nods, her hands shaking as she removes the blanket and follows me off the bed.
"You have five minutes to put on a dress and shoes of your choosing. We will leave in five minutes whether you have anything on or not." I push her towards her wardrobe.
Although I can see the fear in her eyes and the way that her body quivers, she is proving a lot smarter than I anticipated. Usually, the upper class and noblemen try to bribe me out of doing my job or think they can call their guards to save them. It turns into a bloodbath by the time I finish with everyone and then I am forced to finish my job quicker than anticipated. This trusty knife has never let me down. I keep pointing it at her as she removes layers of white, shapeless night dresses. Once she gets down to her a simple nightgown that presses against her modest breasts and rounded hips, she looks back at me.
"Nothing that I haven't seen, sweetheart. You have three minutes left." My knife doesn't waver.
She doesn't remove the thin cloth. Instead, she puts on a bodice, that she ties from the front, a petticoat, and what looks like a riding dress. This is the part I don't understand. Maybe I don't make myself clear enough, when I tell them they only have five minutes to get ready and then we are leaving. If I was getting kidnapped and had a knife against my throat, I would throw on the most comfortable clothing I could find. Anything that gave my full range of motion. Running away in a heavy dress proves impossible every time I've seen it done. Where does she think she is going? On an outing?
She is trying to put her hair up by clips when her time runs out. I grab her wrist and pull her towards her window.
