I slipped into my room and changed into a beautiful navy blue dress that one of the servants—Lorelle—said brought out my eyes. I slid on the toe-pinching heels I had taken so many lessons to be able to run in, and then worked on putting my hair up into an elegant bun.

I walked out, taking a deep breath to calm myself. I had to find the king. He needed me by his side.

Automatically, I reached down to feel if my spare knives were strapped to my thighs.

I hurried across the polished floors towards the doors to where the kings would be. I stood outside, inhaling, exhaling. As I opened the doors to walk in, I crashed into Xavier's hard chest.

"Where have you been?" he hissed.

I strode past him and into the grand ballroom to find groups of ladies and lords drinking and chatting away.

Xavier yanked my arm back in a steely grip. I tried to pull it away, but he wouldn't let me go.

"Adalia, who did you kill?"

I ripped my arm out of his grasp. "Duke Charleston," I whispered, confused as to why he was asking me that. I walked past him and took the empty seat beside the king of Astodia. I glanced at his face for a sign, and I immediately knew something was wrong. He looked tense—more than usual.

"What's wrong?" I muttered under my breath, taking in everything around me. The princess sat at the long, polished table, blond curls falling perfectly below her shoulders. Her blue eyes looked bright and bubbly like the sky, and she was wearing a white and soft blue dress made of the most exquisite silk.

The queen of Dystalphi wore a deep crimson dress. It matched her lips and the cruel glint in her dark eyes, her brown hair twirled above her head. A glittering gold crown rested atop her head.

I made a quick note to self: stay away from her.

The king of Dystalphi, on the other hand, was a blond like his daughter. His hair was cropped short, and he had a small beard. His face was hard, but he had a soft side—I could immediately tell by his shining blue eyes that were so similar, yet so different from his daughter's.

"Who did you kill?"

I heard it again. That question.

His lips barely parted as he murmured the words.

"Duke Charleston," I replied for what felt like the hundredth time that night, but even I heard the hesitation in my voice.

It was too obvious.

Was it happening again? Had I made another mistake?

I scanned the room again, racking my brain. Why was it so full? I thought it had been only the royal family that was invited. 

Or at least that's what Xavier had said.

I gently rubbed my throat as if it was parched, and one of the servants immediately appeared at my side. Once he'd come, I tapped his shoulder and motioned for him to bring his ear close.

"Bring me the invitation that was sent out to King Adrean," I whispered as he pretended to refill my already full glass. He nodded and hurried away, reappearing moments later with the spare invitation in a goblet. I pretended to take a sip, sliding the page out and into my lap. As I read it, the truth dawned on me. It was addressed wrong.

The duke was here, laughing in front of me, with his place beside the king of Dystalphi. I'd killed a decoy.

I was out, faster than anyone could see me. My throat was closing up, lungs tight. I had killed the wrong person. I pushed past the massive doors, my heart thudding in my chest. I escaped outside and inhaled deeply, kicking off the damn heels, and resumed running. I needed to get away and think.

I slumped onto the grass in the courtyard, taking deep breaths to relax.

I had killed the wrong person. There was a difference between killing someone on order, someone who deserved it, and murdering someone innocent.

He'd followed me again. I knew he would.

"Your dress is getting dirty."

"Does it look like I care?" I snapped.

Xavier didn't say anything else, but he took the spot next to me. He smelled like cinnamon and roses. What a peculiar combination.

"It's not your fault," he said quietly.

"I killed the wrong person."

"You kill everyone. What does it matter?" He realized what he said as soon as the words left his lips. I got to my feet, infuriated.

"What does it matter? How could you ask me something like that?" He ran a hand through his hair, clearly confused at what to do. "I killed someone who wasn't supposed to be killed, and the real man is staring at my face mocking me." I started pacing. "He knows about me. I know it. People are finding out. The man I killed a few days ago—he knew I was coming too." I looked up at Xavier.

"How can you be sure—"

I slammed a dagger into the tree. Feelings or not, the tree was probably already numb from the cold to cry over a stab wound. Did trees bruise? Sticky sap gathered around the blade of the knife.

"I failed my mission." Maybe the sap was its tears and blood.

"My father gave you wrong information."

"I can't keep making these mistakes."

"The last time this happened, you nearly exposed yourself. This time, it was my father's fault." He sighed. "You're still disturbed by the failure, but you have to let it go," Xavier continued. "You're older now. More professional. You've done this countless times. You can even get him on his way out."

"But why does the king want the duke anyway?" I asked, rubbing my temples.

"I wish I had the answer."

He wanted this man dead a lot more than I'd realized. The look on his face was one of horror when he'd seen the duke alive and breathing next to King Adrean.

Damn it. He'd given his necklace to someone else as a de33 coy. He knew about me.

But how?

"Did he change the invitation?" I said, gritting my teeth. "He knew. He has someone inside the castle, working for him."

"He's important," Xavier nodded. "He's definitely important."

"We have to get inside. We have to do something."

"How? The ballroom is full. The king will be blamed if the

duke dies. It's going to raise many eyebrows."

Suddenly, I had an idea.

-

I sat at the table next to the king as everyone had their meals.

King Sadim was smiling, but you could see the frustration in his eyes. Xavier was sitting next to the princess who was giggling and laughing, twirling her springy blond hair around her finger. Xavier was grinning and looked as if he was telling her a joke. His golden eyes found mine and he winked.

I swallowed, turning my attention to the kings. They were talking. The queen of Dystalphi, on the other hand, sat alone. She kept everyone under her steely gaze, as if she was looking for something. Her crimson fingernails tapped on the polished wooden armrests.

My eyes fell on the duke.

I stood up, making my way over to him.

"You must be the king's personal adviser," he bowed. He looked very much like the man I'd killed. "A pleasure to meet you," he said, taking a sip from the goblet in his hand. Politely, I motioned for one of the servants to come by and refill it.

"And you," I nodded, and he offered his arm.

"Let's talk, shall we?"

"Of course," I smiled, taking it.

We talked about the drinks and the food for a long time, and then he asked about the king's plans, taking a sip from his gold goblet. The red rubies that decorated it flashed warning signs. I took a deep breath.

"The king's plans for what?" I asked playing dumb. I batted my eyelashes innocently.

"The rebels," he said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "They're causing quite an uproar, I've heard. They set fire to one of the shops down Westwick Lane, protesting. The guards came to collect the taxes and ended up killing three commoners. I don't even know how many were injured. What will he do about that?"

"I apologize, but that's confidential," I said, looking straight into his eyes. Fight me.

He leaned in close, his eyes dark with malice. "Nothing is very confidential when I know about his . . . assassin." A cold smirk formed on his thin lips. I nodded, giving him a small smile, my eyes flicking to his drink.

"Too bad that information isn't going anywhere." The corners of my lips turned up into a sly smirk.

Suddenly, the duke's face turned bright red. His mouth began to foam, and he started to choke. The goblet clanged as it hit the floor, the duke following. He grabbed at his throat and retched.

The entire room quieted down. A few women shrieked, screams ringing out. Suddenly, someone shouted, "I saw him poison the cup!"

The accused servant was running towards the doors, and in those few seconds, I locked eyes with King Sadim. He understood.

I leaned over the dying man as he grabbed at my dress, trying to breathe. There was blood on his mouth, ears, and nose.

Sadim abruptly stood up and roared, "Get him!" and all hell broke loose. The servant escaped through the doors as Xavier jumped over the table and ran towards him, pulling out his sword, the guards following. The doors shut behind them and the whole room quieted down once more, all except for the gagging sounds of the duke.

Feigned panic shook my voice. "Someone help him! Please!" I was holding his hand. The whole room erupted in chaos again, people grabbing at their throats and gagging to get rid of their drinks in case any of theirs were poisoned. I took my chance and leaned over him, whispering in his ear, "You can never escape from me. Ever, understand?" The duke's eyes widened, and then his hand went slack. "He's dead," I muttered, a mock expression of horror plastered on my face.

Everyone was dismissed.

The kings were talking as I left the room, my job done. "I don't know what happened," King Sadim asked, glancing at me. "I'm very sorry for your loss." No, he wasn't.

"Where is the boy who did this?" King Adrean asked furiously. "He must be punished."

"And he will be," King Sadim nodded agreeably. "He'll be executed as soon as he is found. Did you . . . see his face?"

I knew what he was thinking.

"No, he got away before I could." King Adrean stroked his blond beard. Sadim was satisfied. Then I left, closing the doors behind me.

Xavier was waiting patiently outside. He motioned for me to follow him, which I did without a word. He led me to the stairs of the dungeon where all the people I'd captured were kept. He pulled a torch off the wall and checked behind him to make sure I was there, and then he continued down the steps where the criminals were.

As soon as they heard us, they started screaming, crying, wailing, and jeering. It was a madhouse down here, but I ignored them. I was used to it. Rats scurried along the cold stone floor, and a disgusting smell of waste and vomit hit us hard. I focused my gaze on Xavier's back, who took me to a cell. He unlocked it with a key from his belt and swung it open.

The boy inside stood up and bowed to the prince.

"I did as I was told, Your Highness," the servant boy who'd poisoned the goblet said.

"You did wonderfully." Xavier tossed a bag of coins in his hand. "Lay low. Make sure no one sees you until all the commotion dies down. Then, you must leave. Go far, far away. Do not return."

"Anything you say, Your Highness. I will always be loyal to you. And you," he said to me, looking at his shoes.

"I won't stab you," I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. I didn't care, but sometimes their unnecessary fear got to me. I hurt people when I had a reason to, not just for the fun of it.

"You sound like you will," Xavier looked at me through the corner of his eyes, and I glanced at him coldly. "Come on," he said, motioning for me to follow him.

"I—"

He grabbed my arm. "You need to clear your head. Do you like tarts? Pies? Pastries?"

"I have more important things to do than to eat sweets."

"And that's where you're wrong," he winked. "Nothing is better than sweet things."

I rolled my eyes, but that didn't stop him from whisking me out of the dungeons and outside the castle gates.

Xavier squinted his eyes, observing me, as if he wanted to say

something.

"What?" I asked, my mouth full.

"You like blackberries?"

"Yes. What's the problem?"

He shrugged. "They're not very tasty."

"Blackberries are delicious. I named my cat after them."

"You could've gotten strawberry," he said, waving his pastry in my face.

"Stop it." I swatted at his hand. The wind blew in our faces as we strolled through the cobblestone streets.

"Loosen up," he nudged me with his elbow. After walking around for an hour, he asked, "Feeling better?" Xavier brushed his dark hair out of his eyes.

A breeze rustled through our clothes. A redhead walked past us with her friends. She noticed Xavier and clapped her hands over her mouth. Xavier, being the charming prince he was, waved at her. Her face turned bright red and she waved back with such excitement, I was taken aback. Xavier wasn't all that.

Was he?

I took a look at the dark-haired prince next to me. Xavier was not too bad. He was taller than me by a few inches, his frame broad . . . Not too lean or muscular. If I had to name a favorite thing about him, though, it would be his unique eyes.

They were the most unique shade of light brown, almost a . . . gold color.

Suddenly, he leaned towards me. I almost choked on a berry, feeling my face heat up.

"Do you think she might stay quiet if I give her my pie?"

"I think she'll faint if you do," I managed to say.

"We wouldn't want that, would we?" Xavier nudged me again. He laughed.

I smiled.

King Sadim called me to the throne room the next day.

"Good morning, Your Majesty."

"I have something to discuss with you." He stroked his beard, the crown slightly tilted on his head.

"Anything."

He got to his feet, slowly stepping off the dais. He began to pace. "Do you know why I needed the duke dead?"

I shook my head. "You decided I didn't need to know such things and my job was only to carry out your orders."

"Yes, but this you need to know," he said, stroking his beard again. "Duke Charleston of Dystalphi was a part of a secret organization; the rebel army. They've been growing secretly in select locations all around the kingdom. But, I have spies set in their lairs. They bring me information. For the past three years, I've sent you to assassinate their leaders. My spies give me information about where they're staying, who they are, what they do, and where they're from. And then, I send you to end them before they can bring harm to this kingdom."

"I see."

"They're very good at staying hidden. They know things about me and would love to remove me from my throne, and if they become strong enough, they can take over this kingdom. Without a leader that is impossible, which is why I have them eliminated."

Why hadn't he told me this before? Why now, of all times?

"My spies are dying," he explained as if he had read my mind. "They're not as trained as you, not as subtle. They're getting found and killed on the spot, and I have but a few left. I want you to get in there."

Of course. That made so much more sense.

"You want me to eliminate someone?" I asked, shifting my weight on my right leg.

He paused. "No, I just want you to watch them. I need you to stay in there for a few days and learn more about what they want and why they exist. Have them trust you, and when you get close enough, I want you to bring me the leader's daughter."

"There's a new leader?" I asked, masking my surprise. That was fast. They knew what they were doing, but the real reason behind the formation of the rebel army was still unclear to me.

"There's always a backup," he explained, stroking his beard. "There are three main leaders. They are the ones that control everything—from the new arrivals to the routes that take you from base to base without being noticed. They never allow any information to leak, and they also never leave their headquarters which is why it's hard to catch them.

"One of the leaders has a child. Bring it to me as a hostage. Only then can I rid of the rebel army entirely." I was about to tell him that he would never get rid of rebels and that there would always be people that didn't agree with something, but I decided to keep my mouth shut for the best.

"I understand, Your Majesty," I bowed, my dark hair rolling off my shoulders.

He nodded, worry lines creased all over his face.

"Dismissed."

I left him alone to pace.

-----

King Sadim would notify me when it was the right time for me to set off. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone because servants gossiped a lot and if word got to anyone from the rebel army, they'd hide the child.

I wondered if it was a baby.

I wondered if it would die—if I'd be the one who had to kill it. I went straight to my chambers to spend the rest of my day there. As I entered the room, I paused in the doorway for a brief moment.

No wonder no one came up here.

Along the walls were dartboards that I stole from a tavern and used for knife-throwing practice. There were shelves where various weapons were laid out. This room was so dangerous that only me, the king, and Xavier owned the keys to it. Xavier had stolen the spare ones from me and refused to return it, claiming that, as the prince, he had full authority over what I owned.

There were daggers, knives, swords, bows and arrows, and clubs with spikes that I never used—they were too heavy duty. On one of the boot racks were shoes with blades hidden in the front so that when you clicked the toes together a certain way, they'd pop out. I didn't reach for them much—sometimes they revealed themselves at the wrong times, and sometimes they

decided not to show when you were in dire need of them. There were hammers, axes, and hundreds of concoctions of poisons and antidotes.

I shut the door and locked it, proceeding to lie on my bed when I suddenly realized someone was already in the room. With one quick movement, I ripped out my dagger and pressed it to Xavier's neck. He leaned against the wall.

"Give me that key," I hissed.

"Get a hold of yourself," he pushed me away roughly.

"What are you going to do, look through my pockets?"

I narrowed my eyes at him coldly. "You're not allowed in my room without my permission."

"But you're not allowed in my castle without my permission."

"It's not your castle."

"It is if I'm of royal blood." He smirked, sitting on a nearby chair and resting his elbows on the armrests, his legs crossed. His watchful eyes held me under their knowing stare.

"What do you want?" I said, crossing my arms over my chest.

"I know you so well, yet I still feel like a barely know you at all," he said, leaving my question hanging.

"What do you mean?"

"You're so calm and collected when you're talking to others. You never betray your emotions. You never let anyone read you. But when I'm with you, it's different. Don't make that face." He smiled, shaking his head. "You know it's true."

I wrinkled my nose, walking towards the door.

"It's time for you to leave."

"It's true, isn't it?"

"Leave," I commanded. My voice was hard.

"I'll leave if you admit the truth."

"What are you talking about?" I scowled.

I turned to see him staring at my face, trying to find an answer as if what he was looking for would magically appear on my forehead. "Stop it," I growled.

"See? There you go," he waved his hand towards me to prove his point.

There were two glowing red spots on my cheeks.

An assassin doesn't betray herself.

"You're still doing it," he sighed, resting his chin on his fist.

I grabbed a pillow, hurling it at his face which he dodged easily. I threw another one at him. "I have nothing to hide, understand? I told you things I shouldn't have. And you know what?" I asked, leaning into his face for effect, "I do regret it. So don't feel too special."

He stood up, and a smile spread across his face.

"Do you want a hug?" He spread his arms, stepping towards me.

"Get away from me!" I pushed him. "Get off me before I punch your teeth down your throat."

"You wouldn't. You love me."

"Xavier, get out!" I exploded, pushing him out the door. He just doubled over as I used all my strength against him. "Get. Out."

"Not until you say it," he sang.

"Idiot," I smacked his face with a nearby pillow. He blinked his golden eyes a few times.

"I know it, you know it, everyone knows it," he suddenly said, his voice low. He straightened himself, looking down at me. Xavier's golden eyes focused on me, giving me all their attention.

"You love me."

I stared at him, feeling my breath hitch.

"I—" My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.

He smirked, which knocked me back to my senses. I grabbed his arms, spinning him around, and pushed him out the door.

"Keep saying that to yourself!" I yelled as loud as I could, kicking the door so angrily I heard the wood crack. "I never want to see your face again!"

"Love!" he yelled from outside. His voice came muffled.

Everyone could probably hear him.

I pressed my back against the door, sliding down. I rubbed my burning face and inhaled deeply. I was going to get him back. There was no way he could humiliate me like that and get away with it.