The self proclaimed "Queen" lounged on her ill-gotten throne. Her bodyguard came to kneel before her.

"Anything?" She asked pompously, eyes glittering maliciously in the light of her many candles. If he wasn't better trained, he would have swallowed nervously, but as it is, the the only sign he showed of inner conflict came from the subtle tensing along the lines of his well built form.

"The associate has yet to give up the assasin's location, my lady," he answered dutifully. She arched an eyebrow. Flustered, he hurried on "we've tried everything, threats, whipping, beating, starvation, dehydration, bribery, even minor poisoning and stabbing."

She tsked, "darling, you know how much this means to me?" He did. "The love of my life is missing, possibly dead, and you would have me wait because of what?"

He opened his mouth to reply,

"For petty little morals," she stood, patting his shoulder. "Did the assassin have morals? No. So neither shall we, not with so much at stake. Do you have any idea what it feels like to not be able to reach the one you can't live life without?" She asked him, sauntering over to a table laden with food, and gestured disgustedly at the mounds of expensive delicacies. He knew, as he watched her. The way the light illuminated her gaudy gown just right. Her perfect, fair skin. The tinkling laugh he hadn't heard in so long. He knew.

"No!" She yelled suddenly, throwing the intricate wine glass she'd been nursing just moments before, to the lushly carpeted floor where it smashed into countless, twinkling pieces. Then, softly, she trailed off with a heavy sob, "of course you don't..."

He reached out as if in invitation, for what, he didn't know.

"Find him!" She screeched, tears trailing down her face, makeup smudging in their wake. Even then, she was beautiful, it seemed to him. "By any means necessary!" The final push was, quite literally, a push.

"Yes my lady, as you wish" he said, stumbling in surprise. The faithful bodyguard would do anything for his queen, regardless of whether she loved him back.

That night, screams echoed throughout their home.

It would be the first murder in a series of many, by the man without dignity.