THE INTSANT BAVYL collapsed onto the ground, people began to panic. Some called for the guards, others screamed. Meanwhile, I watched the chaos unfold from behind a spire directly above the action on the city walls. The walls stood wide enough for people to walk on the top of it, which meant that some of the guards would be there soon to try to locate me.

I would be long gone by then.

I slung my bow across my back and remained crouched as I nimbly treaded across the wall. Behind a building inside an alleyway, I found a perfect place, jumped down, and landed just behind it. People still shouted, and guards' feet pounded on the stone streets. I zipped onto a side road, keeping off the main lane, and remained in the back streets, weaving in and out of alleyways. Once the volume of all the commotion dimmed, I slowed down considerably. When I reached a good distance away from the uproar, I slipped down a side road that led back to the main one.

No one gathered on the street here. I turned back to the front. Up ahead loomed an arching, silver gate reaching to the sky with two guards in front and two behind it.

"Welcome back, Aidan," the guard on the left said.

I slightly nodded in response. Despite the thin, black armor and black hood I wore, they knew me and who I worked for. I inclined my head as the guards on the inside unlocked the gates. I stepped through them onto the colossal courtyard. My eyes always jumped to the massive flower garden first before continuing to the several spurting fountains, the intricate maze carved out of thick, green bushes, the pavilion overlooking a small pond, and numerous fruit trees throughout. The cobblestones I stood on led to a hall bigger than four shops in the town combined. Pillars stood every five feet on the left and right sides of the hall, which enabled anyone to look out over the whole courtyard at any given interval. I strode down the hall, toward the doors up ahead, where two more guards kept watch.

As soon as they saw me, they opened the doors and let me inside. Once inside, I stood in a grand hall, mostly used for balls, gatherings, or large dinners. Multiple guards patrolled and servants mulled about, but I paid all of them no interest. I strolled into a hallway and hiked up an immense staircase made entirely of gold. Eventually, I reached the throne room.

The king sat on his throne, and despite what one would think, he wasn't lazy. He had a fit, tall frame with a thick beard and held malice in his eyes. A man knelt in front of him when I arrived. As I got closer, I noticed the man shook and that he wasn't really a man, but a boy, not too many years younger than I, one who had probably just reached manhood.

"What is your excuse, boy?" the king demanded.

He looked at the ground, still quivering.

I glanced at him, merely bored and amused at watching how pathetic he acted.

"I—my father was forced to serve... and he was killed in battle. I–I've been trying to provide for my mother and younger sisters. We had no money, and my mother is very ill. I–I only took one... and I was going to pay him back as—as soon as I got the money," the boy stuttered.

The king scoffed. "You—" The king stood up, walking toward the boy as he spoke, "only did—" He circled around the boy now, coming up behind him to finish his sentence, right in the boy's ear. "What you had to do, huh?"

The boy flinched and nodded. "Y–yes, my King," he managed to gasp out.

"Hmm. Well, you have caused me a grave loss, dear boy. And I will see due punishment for that loss." The king spat, nodding to a guard. I almost scoffed but decided against it. The boy had probably either stolen some herbs from a local herbalist or something of equal amount—which wasn't near enough for a grave loss as the king had said. But the king treated his people that way.

The guard held the boy, extending his arm out. He quaked in fear and begged, even after the king sat back on his throne and nodded toward the guard. Tears fell down the boy's dirty face as the guard took his sword out and put it against the boy's wrist.

"Now, boy. I want you to apologize for what you have done." The king narrowed his eyes on the boy.

"I–I'm s–sorry!" The boy's eyes widened.

"That's better." The king gave the guard the signal.

The guard brought his sword down to cut off the boy's hand. The boy screamed as blood poured from his wound and onto the marble floor. Another guard released him, and he fell to the ground, squealing in agony.

"Get him out of my sight. I'm sure he would love to return to his mother before her illness takes her," the king ordered.

The guards nodded and dragged the boy out of the room as blood trailed behind them.

"Clean this mess up! I don't want the blood staining," the king commanded. Two servant girls who stood nearby waiting for orders rushed out of the room to get rags to start washing up the boy's blood.

"Aidan! You've returned." The king suddenly noticed me, and he turned to meet my gaze.

I pushed myself off the pillar I had been leaning against and walked up to his throne. "Job's done."

"Yes, I've already heard the news. The guards in the city are already looking for the 'mysterious killer who got away.'" The king's lips slid into a devious grin.

I shrugged.

"You have done well, Aidan, once again," he said.

"My payment?" I lifted an eyebrow.

"Of course." The king motioned toward a man standing to the left and slightly behind the throne. "Get Aidan his payment, Iterious, would you?"

The man, Iterious, bowed. A spiteful grin crossed his face. "Certainly."

I followed him into a room, considerably smaller than the previous one, filled with desks and papers. Iterious handled all the taxes and payments that the king dealt with. He reached into a safe, pulled out a sack full of coins, and handed it to me. "I take it you are satisfied?" he asked me.

I nodded in response, walking back into the throne room. "Is there anything else you need of me, my king?"

"Not as of the moment. You may leave." The king waved me off in dismissal.

I nodded toward him and headed down another hallway, when I ran into a young woman, hiding behind a pillar: Sevylia, the king's daughter. She had become a woman only months ago, but she held herself as much older. Naturally, she looked beautiful and elegant, but I didn't bother to get to know her beyond that.

"You just let that happen?" she asked me.

"Princess." I inclined my head to her.

"I know who you are and what you do for my father. If you had spoken a word, that poor boy wouldn't have suffered as he did." Her eyes filled with tears as they narrowed on me.

"You don't know anything about me," I snapped.

"You don't even care, do you?"

I shrugged.

"How can you be so cruel?" Her face reddened.

"If you really do know what I do for your father, do you really have to ask that, Princess?" I crossed my arms.

She glanced down for a moment, seeming to think about her answer. "That doesn't mean anything. Your will is not your own."

"As I said, you don't know anything about me." I brushed passed her and walked on down the hall. As I left, I felt her eyes watching me, but I paid it no attention. I continued until I found another smaller set of stairs and took them to the ground floor. From there, I bypassed the grand hall and went through the kitchen.

"Back again, eh Aidan?"

I nodded and took an apple out of a bowl that rested on the counter.

She shot me a look but said nothing. At this point, she had gotten used to it. She returned to her work, chopping vegetables to prepare for the next meal.

"Good seeing you, Raliy," I called to her over my shoulder as I left through another door.

"You too, Aidan." Her reply sounded distant. The short trek down another staircase took me to the lower parts of the palace. Underneath the ground floor sat the servant's quarters, where I stayed, and below that was the dungeon.

Because of all I had done for the king, I could have had better quarters if I wanted, but I chose to stay down where the king forced the servants to sleep. After so many years of not having anything, I could not bring myself to stay in better quarters. I did not belong anywhere, or with anyone, but at least among the servants I felt in place. They kept to one end and I stayed on the opposite side where it was the most remote. I preferred the isolation.

I went inside the small room, slipped my bow and arrows off my back, and leaned them against the corner. After that, I put down my hood and slipped the vavyious off—a leather jacket that protected my chest, back, and arms—and threw it to the ground, which left me bare-chested. I pulled my leather gloves off and chucked them beside the rest. With a harsh sigh, I turned around to address the intruder in my room. A slave woman lay there with part of her dress down to show off her body shape.

She smiled, and her eyes hovered over me seductively.

"What are you doing here?" My voice echoed loudly off the stone walls. I was in no mood for any company, especially not the kind of company she offered.

"I've been sent to please you...for your hard work today," she purred.

I glared at her, leaning against the wall as I crossed my arms. "Get out," I growled.

Gradually, she stood up, sliding her hand along the wall as she went. She strutted toward me, getting as close as she dared. "Are you...sure you don't want my company?" she murmured against my ear.

I put my hands on her shoulders and shoved her away from me. "I said, 'get out.'"

Half her mouth curved up in a leer. "Your loss, assassin," she spat, leaving the room. The wooden door slammed shut behind her.

Now that she left, I finished removing the rest of my gear. I kicked off my boots, followed by my ruhious—grieves made from thin leather that protected my legs and waist. On the adjacent wall from where I stood, I opened my clothing chest, and slipped on some loose trousers. I glared at the door at the memory of the woman, but it would soon be forgotten.

Sleep was long overdue.

***

WHEN I AWOKE, of the nightmare from my mind. I was in no mood to go back to sleep, so I left and made my way to toward one of the wine-storage rooms. Quickly, I grabbed a bottle at random, not caring that I theoretically stole it, and headed for the outdoors. When the guards let me outside, I took in the night sky. The moon sat high and bright, nearly full, and the stars lit the world in a blanket of glowing specks.

At night, the courtyard had an entirely different feel to it. Rather than pleasurable, it looked eerie and dark. I meandered through the bushes and flowers and stopped to lean against one tree, casually crossing my arms.

The wine in the bottle rapidly vanished as the night droned on. As I looked out over the pond, several yards away from where I stood, I focused on the calm water and the way the moon reflected perfectly on the water's surface. Despite the numbing alcohol, the images of my past seeped back into my mind, and I tried to force them out, but the more I tried, the more they fought for control of my thoughts.

I did my job, and I held no regret about any acts I committed. Why did they haunt me?

I needed a better distraction. Part of me wished that the king had given me another task so that I didn't end up here, mulling over my past.

With a sudden idea, I dropped the wine bottle and jumped up, grabbing onto a branch directly above my head with both hands. I pulled my body up and twisted my legs around to get a solid grip. From there, I continued climbing until I reached high enough to forget the world below me. Both my legs dangled on either side of the branch, and I crossed my arms over my chest, closing my eyes, at peace once again.

A yelp echoed from nearby. My eyes flashed open, and I realized the branch I sat on extended directly across from a balcony.

"G–get away from here!" a frightened voice shouted.

I smirked when Idiscovered who had spoken: Sevylia.

The scene is a painted scene of Aidan and Sevylia on her balcony, painted by Lucas Santiago, who I hired.

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