They were not there to kill me, I quickly realized. As much as I did not like the king, he apparently was a man of his word. Instead, they were there to escort me to the ship that would inevitably take me to Caetania. At first, so many guards seemed excessive until the king assured me that so many guards would make my story more believable.

When I returned to the landing dock, I was somewhat saddened to see that Rynold’s ship was no longer there. Someone must have told him, then, that I would not be returning with him. I heaved a heavy sigh as my eyes flickered to the ship that I was being led towards, one of the standard Xaenovian patrol ships.

As soon as I entered the ship, the guards seated me in one of the compartments in the back. “A tailor will be with you shortly,” one of them said, and then they all left the room. A look of confusion swept across my features. A tailor?

The ship soon rumbled to life, and I could feel the vibrations through every crevice of my body. There were a couple of windows in the compartment that I was situated in, and I looked out one of them just in time to see the ship lurch off the ground and soar towards the atmosphere. Then, I returned my attention to the closed door in front of me, awaiting my time until the supposed tailor arrived.

The tailor soon made herself known through opening the door, stepping through, and then closing it behind her. I nearly let out a gasp at the sight of her but refrained, for the woman was most certainly not Xaenovian. Anger soon coursed through my veins, and I began to wonder what the king had to do to make her work for him. Perhaps she was like Lynda and never knew her home planet, but even then, it was rare to find someone who was not Xaenovian working for the king himself.

Beady, blue scales covered every inch of the woman’s exposed skin, and each hand yielded fingers that ended in a short, fragile fins. On her neck were the presence of gills, which the people from her planet used as much as they used their lungs. Eythea was probably the only planet I never actually visited, aside from Sietania, since the assassins rarely got any contracts that caused them to travel there. However, there was no mistaking where her ancestry hailed from. She was Eythean.

For a moment, I just stared at her, and she stared at me. Then, as if to break the silence, the woman said sarcastically, “I am sorry if the presence of me is not to your liking.”

A shameful blush soon crept across my cheeks. “It’s not that!” I blurted out. “It’s just…the king…”

“He may be a lot of things.” The woman sighed. “But he is not a monster.”

I didn’t know how much I agreed with that statement, but I said nothing more as the woman approached me.

“I was brought on this ship to make you look more like a royal ambassador and less like an assassin,” the woman continued. “My name is Sienna Cantas, and you will only address me as Sienna.”

I nodded. I didn’t know how else to respond.

Sienna approached me. “When King Gabrian assigned me this position, he was very specific as to how Katarina Ferring should come across. He made it very clear that she was not to look like a princess or a general but a cross between the two. She should be fearless and determined, yet also ladylike and professional,” she remarked as she finger-combed small strands of my hair.

“Are you insinuating that royal guards or even someone in my profession are not professional?” I remarked coldly, eyeing her with evident mistrust. For someone like her to defend the king so easily, someone who has always indirectly insinuated that no one was above the Xaenovians, she made me wonder what the king did to manipulate her so easily. I could not trust someone who was manipulated in such a fashion.

“Of course not! At least not the royal guards!” To her credit, Sienna looked genuinely appalled. “However, their essence of professionalism is different from how you need to come across. You cannot come across as a threat or else that will make your job that much more difficult. However, you also do not want to assume a completely subservient role or else that will also raise suspicions.”

I bit my lip to keep myself from scoffing. The Caetanians would be suspicious of me no matter what. It was no secret how much their king disliked our king, especially since our king for the longest of time tried to force his son upon Caetania’s princess.

Was the rejection the reason he wanted the entire family murdered? It was not my place to know why someone wanted someone else dead, only that they wanted it so much they were willing to strike an illegal bargain with an assassin in order to do it. However, no other reason for the King Gabrian’s motives presented itself to me except for that one, and I fought the urge to sink deeper into my chair. How petty that reason was.

“Your hair,” Sienna soon said, bringing myself back to the present. “You’re going to need to take better care of it. It just looks so…stringy.”

I scoffed at her. “I’m sorry I’m not hygienic enough for your standards,” I retorted. The assassin’s den, as I liked to call it, was not made to hold all of us in one sitting, and we were lucky enough to bathe once, sometimes twice, a week.

If Sienna was affected by my retort, she didn’t show it. “I hope you like baths. You need one before I even begin to tailor you a proper outfit.”

I was appalled by her words, and I shot her a glare. “I’m not letting you anywhere near my naked—”

Before she let me finish, Sienna held up a hand, and this time it was her turn to look appalled. “I am not a maid!” she spat, and the color instantly drained from my face. “You are more than capable of bathing yourself, and if you do not do so until you are absolutely spotless, then I will see to it that the king knows about your lack-of cooperation!”

“I—” I was at a loss for words. In no way did I mean to offend her, but apparently, I had done just that.

“There is a bathroom to the right after you exit this room,” Sienna continued, and it took me a moment to realize she was finished with me until I did as she asked. Begrudgingly, I left my seat and made my way to the bathroom, only stopping briefly to acknowledge how unnecessarily royal it looked. With golden walls and porcelain commodities, it felt as if I had temporarily stepped into the life of the king himself, about to step into a bath after a long day of governing.

Only, I had to prepare the bath myself, whereas I was sure the king did not.

I instantly peeled off my damp, dreary clothes and carelessly tossed them onto the seat of the toilet, which had been placed directly beside the sink to the right of where I entered. Directly in front of me and to the left was where the bathtub was, and I made my way over to it, only stopping briefly in front of the small mirror above the sink to admire my appearance. Perhaps I really was as hideous as Sienna hinted at.

I instantly shook the thought from my head as I turned on the bath water, cranking the knob as far left as I could stand. Then, I lowered myself into the tub, watching the hot water turn an instant shade of brown as clumps of dirt and blood freed themselves from my skin. For a moment, I contemplated lowering myself into the water until I was completely submerged, but instead, I grabbed the yellow soap bar that was sitting on the bathtub edge and proceeded to scrub myself raw.

Once I was sure my skin no longer held the weight of all that dirt and blood, I piled what water I could on top of my head and proceeded to soak my hair before applying shampoo. Like the soap, the bottle of shampoo was also sitting on the edge of the bathtub, and I applied a generous amount into my hair before thoroughly rinsing it out.

Satisfied, I drained the tub before stepping out as a sopping mess. A towel had been laid out for me that I did not remember seeing before, and I wrapped myself tightly inside it before grabbing my clothes and exiting the bathroom.

When I returned to Sienna, she looked unnervingly pleased. “Perhaps we will make a royal out of you yet.”

I glared at her. Foreign ambassadors were not a part of a royal family, were they? And even if they were, I doubt they would have the last name of Ferring. The name itself even elicited a bitter response from my brain.

Sienna seemed to notice my distress, and she laughed. She legitimately laughed at me! I bared my teeth in response.

“Of course, foreign ambassadors do not have a shed of royal blood within them despite looking the part,” she sneered, meeting my gaze in a challenging gesture. “Such a role should suit you just fine, I imagine. Pretending to be something you’re not.”

My fists clenched tightly until I felt the familiar feeling of nails digging into flesh. Sienna was definitely getting underneath my skin, and not only did she know it, but she relished in it. I found my eyes traveling to the veins on her neck, blue, unoxygenated blood pumping through them. If I had a knife on me, it would be so easy to sink one into her skin and slide the vein out until it was no longer encased in its fleshy protection. Perhaps I would see how far it would go until it finally burst.

Doesn’t she realize how dangerous it is to get under an assassin’s skin?

Sienna took in my look, the smile instantly vanishing from her lips. “You wouldn’t kill me, Astrid. Not while your life is under the king’s discretion.”

I kept her in my line of sight as I took a seat in the center of the room. She was right, even if I hated to admit it. Rynold especially would not approve of me slaying this woman, deeming that doing so would not be a smart maneuver.

Just then, Sienna chucked a bundle of clothes at me, and a pair of skinny, black slacks slapped me across the face. I emitted a low growl, but she pretended not to hear it. “Put those clothes on,” she commanded. “Afterwards, I can figure out what to do with the rest of you.”

Sienna made no move to exit the room, which unnerved me. However, instead of embarrassment, a malicious smile appeared on my lips as I suddenly dropped my towel in front of her. Sienna’s eyes widened in shock, and she turned away abruptly. “Gods, Astrid!”

Her distress only made me smile bigger as I pulled the pants over my waistline and then proceeded to pull the gold, sequined shirt over my head. “Didn’t like what you saw, huh?”

“You could have used the bathroom again!” Sienna sneered, and now it was my turn to relish in her discomfort.

“Should I have?” I feigned confusion as I pulled the shirt over my stomach. “Hm, perhaps you should be more specific.”

“Just…tell me when you’re done!” Sienna snapped, and I fought hard to stifle a laugh.

I reclaimed my seat before pulling a pair of short, black socks over my bare feet. “Or,” I began mischievously, “you can turn around now and take your chances.”

Sienna gave a frustrated sigh but reluctantly turned around, seeming relieved to find me now fully clothed. With a brush in her hand, she approached me silently and proceeded to brush through the tangles. Neither one of us spoke throughout the entire process, and in a sense, I preferred the silence. That way, neither one of us would get underneath each other’s skin.

After she was done, she proceeded to apply a thin layer of makeup to my face—mascara, blush, and clear lip gloss. I was never one for makeup, since my occupation rarely required it, and as such, I was not used to the feeling of the brushes on my skin. Sienna took a step back after she finished applying the lip gloss, and I swear her eyes became as big as saucers.

I shot her one last glare as I demanded, “What is it?”

“You look…so much better!” she gushed, and I fought the urge to throw up. “Perhaps after you gain your freedom, you could pick up a more respectable occupation, such as modeling!”

I didn’t dignify her with an answer as I slid out of my seat and moved past her. The last thing I wanted to become was a brain-dead model.

There was one more component to my appearance, which was brought to me later before we were about to land: a pair of shiny, black, leather boots. After putting them on, I gravitated towards the nearest bathroom and glanced in the mirror, shocked at what I saw. I did not look like myself one bit.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence as I came to the realization that this was going to be a long trip.

***

I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until the door to the ship opened, revealing the short, lush trees that marked the planet of Caetania. This definitely was not my first visit to Caetania, since I had many contracts that sent me here, but this was my first time alone with a contract that forced me to impersonate a royal ambassador. With each step, I tried to calm my nerves as I moved towards the exit. For the next few months, I would not be Astrid Bruckis, the most feared assassin throughout the Kentaurus galaxy. Instead, I would be Katarina Ferring, an esteemed royal ambassador from the planet of Xaenov.

As my boots met lush grass, I knew I was in way over my head. I knew virtually nothing about royal life, considering I have always been an outcast. But of course, royals didn’t live that much differently from other people, did they? A silent gulp slithered down my throat, and I prayed to the gods that was true.

“Halt!” a male voice screeched in my ear.

My heart instantly leaped into my throat; because I was lost in my own thoughts, I didn’t even realize there was someone standing a few inches away from me.

And I almost ran into him.

Good going, Astrid, I scolded myself.

Planting myself firmly on the ground, I gazed at the stranger, at first noticing his uniform. The colors of green and gold, the royal colors of Caetania, emblazoned his dress, and his brown hair was swept to the side. Another gulp slithered down my throat. He was obviously a member of the Caetanian royal guard.

And he did not look happy to see me.

“Are you Katarina Ferring?” the stranger asked, barely giving me a once-over.

“Y-yes,” I stammered before mentally slapping myself. There was no way anyone here would recognize me for who I truly was; only a few had been blessed enough to meet the Knife of Kentaurus face-to-face.

A sly smile spread across the stranger’s lips. “Tyberius Hemsworth,” he said, stretching out a hand so I could shake it. “Captain of the Caetanian royal guard.”

My body instantly tensed up, for not only was he a part of the Royal Guard, but he was its captain. I forced myself to shake his hand. “It’s a pleasure.”

“We’ll see,” Tyberius said smugly before pulling his lips into a thin line. “I was given direct orders from the king to shadow you while you are here. Not surprisingly, he does not have any trust for anyone from Xaenov, so hopefully you will be on your best behavior while you are here.”

I instantly bit my tongue. My own king mentioned nothing about me possibly being shadowed by somebody. “And what about you? What are your thoughts on Xaenov?”

Tyberius knitted his eyebrows together as he balled his hands into fists. “I think its king had a lot of nerve sending one of his ambassadors to spy on us for a couple of months.”

I flinched slightly at Tyberius’s words, even if I planned on doing a lot more than just spying on the royal family of Caetania. If Tyberius was already suspicious of my presence here, that meant I would have to be extra careful in how I decided to complete my contract.

Wordlessly, Tyberius beckoned me to follow him, and I did so without question. He would have to be someone I was cautious around, unlike Sienna, whom I doubted had a warrior bone in her body.

Not that I claimed to be a warrior, but I did know how to wield a blade and certain guns.

The Caetanian castle was nothing like anything I would have seen on Xaenov. For one thing, the entire building was built with red brick that resembled the dirt found underneath the grass. It also was not built like a castle but instead resembled a curious mound, and I found myself questioning how such a building didn’t collapse, especially after a rainfall.

But then again, I doubted I would understand Caetania at all.

Caetanians, much to my surprise, were similar in appearance to Xaenovians, albeit they were a little shorter than Xaenovians, though the frigid air dictated they needed to be. If they were any darker, I feared they would suffer immensely from vitamin D deficiency, since Caetania was a great distance away from their sun.

Caetania may have even been farther away from their sun than Xaenov was to theirs, if I remembered my astronomy lessons correctly.

The interior of the castle proved to be vastly different than the exterior. For instance, the walls were pitch-black with no windows in site, and huge, lit chandeliers hung from the ceiling, illuminating every inch of the place. The floor, much to my surprise, was a pure white tile, and warmth instantly enveloped me.

The heavy, oak doors soon closed behind us, and Tyberius turned towards me. “Before we progress, some rules need to be set forth.”

I let out the breath I didn’t realize I was holding. I should have expected this, but for some reason the declaration still hit me by surprise. “Such as?”

“As you may have realized, Caetania gets…pretty cold,” said Tyberius, staring at me as if I were an insect under inspection. “You will not open a door longer than it takes for you to step outside and inside. You are only permitted to roam about your chambers and the dining hall. Everywhere else, you must be invited in. Lastly,” he took a deep breath before continuing, “the lights remain on at all times except in the bedchambers in which you slumber. Those lights can be turned off during the hours you sleep.”

“And why,” I questioned, “are there no windows?”

“To keep things insulated and to keep out the cold,” Tyberius answered simply. “All buildings in Caetania are built in such a fashion.”

All my life, I thought my home planet was dreary, the place where my band of assassins resided. With very few windows, dirt-stained walls, and a wooden floor that creaked with age, home was the last place I wanted to be as a child. But here, in a place where no natural light could filter into the building, I wondered how the inhabitants could stand to spend endless moments cooped up inside.

Though I suppose if you grew up on a planet where these buildings were the norm, you’d get used to it.

“Your room will be in the west wing, on the third floor,” Tyberius continued as he stalked forward. “King Lucian was adamant that you have a couple maids to attend to you during your stay, a courtesy he extends to all of his guests.” He paused as he shot me a cold stare over his shoulder. “Even self-righteous Xaenovians.”

The last part sent a chill down my spine, and I had to fight hard to resist burying a knife into the muscles in his back. He wasn’t wrong. We were a bunch of self-righteous individuals, but that did not mean he had to state it so plainly.

“Of course!” I smiled falsely as I faked enthusiasm. I needed to remind myself that I was in enemy territory. One false move, and I could face imprisonment, or even worse, on a planet that was not my own. And that does not even begin to explain what my own king would do upon hearing about my failure. “Allow me to pass on my thanks to the king.”

“You can thank him yourself,” Tyberius said monotonously. “After all, you meet the royal family tomorrow.”

In that moment, I was glad Tyberius could not see the shock written across my features. I knew meeting with the royal family would be a part of this job, but meeting them so soon after my arrival was almost overwhelming. This was the first contract I had that actually needed me to interact with my targets during the duration of the contract, and I knew the dangers of growing emotionally attached to my targets as well as any of my peers. Another fake smile swept across my lips. “Excellent! I would love to get to work as soon as possible.”

“I’m sure you would.” I could not discern whether or not Tyberius was being serious or sarcastic.

Most of the walk through the dreary, Caetanian castle was spent in hostile silence. It was unnerving, being able to sense the tension radiating off Tyberius. He had no reason to trust me, and yet, a part of me wished that he would. It would make my job that much easier.

“And here we are,” Tyberius said after a while as he stopped in front of a smaller oak door. Much to my surprise, the door was the only one in a small, dimly-lit hallway.

I squinted at the door, confusion sweeping across my features. “This is it?”

A scowl etched itself onto Tyberius’s face. “I’m sorry the hallway isn’t to your Xaenovian standards, but if you actually pull open the door, perhaps the room itself will be much more to your liking.”

I shot Tyberius a glare but then covered it up with another phony smile. “Forgive me. It has been a long day.”

Tyberius said nothing, only stared at me with stone-cold silence. I turned away from him as I reached for the door and pried it open.

What I was hit with was a room that looked…almost romantic. A huge queen-sized bed was pushed to the left side, its headrest hanging below a small set of wall lamps. The bedding was a bright-red color, and the comforter was a darker set of red with intricate swirly patterns sewn into the fabric. Next to the bed was a small, wooden nightstand with a white table lamp placed delicately on top. Directly in front of me was a huge, wooden bureau that was pulled open, revealing a set of seven dresses of different colors that have been chosen for me, and on the floor were seven different pairs of matching shoes. In the middle of the room was a massive, square rug that matched the pattern and coloring of the comforter, and on the right side was a medium-sized, wooden, rectangular table with a remote resting comfortably on its surface. Glancing upwards, I saw the biggest flat-screen, wall TV I had ever seen, and the mere size of it was almost daunting. And of course, the walls were adorned with beautiful pictures of the Caetanian landscape, and more wall lamps lined the sides of the room. Another oak door rested just to the right of the bureau, which I presumed led to an equally luxurious bathroom.

I shot a look at Tyberius. This could not be real.

However, Tyberius’s patient expression confirmed that it was, and he simply stated, “The king provides only the best for his guests. Doesn’t your king do the same?”

I didn’t answer his question, for I had no idea. I highly doubted it, considering my king’s track record. However, I did not let that show on my face. “It’s…admittedly not what I expected.”

Tyberius remained silent only a beat longer before breaking it. “I will leave you to get settled in. Dinner will be sent to your room at approximately five this evening, and tomorrow, I will be here at eight in the morning to escort you to breakfast.” Then, without waiting for a goodbye, he turned away from me and began to stalk down the hallway in the direction we came from.

I huffed once before closing the door, enclosing myself into my new room for the duration of my mission. Tyberius’s cold demeanor, though unsettling, would not deter me from enjoying myself while I was here.

I plopped myself onto the bed and stared up at the ceiling. As much as I would love to treat this endeavor like a vacation, I knew I would have to get to work right away. The castle was massive, from what I could see, and it would take some time to learn how to navigate and find the quarters of the royal family. That doesn’t even begin to account for how I am to kill the royal family with the least amount of attention possible.

I sat up in my bed as I fumbled through my options. Of course, I could just default to my signature knife skills, but that could prove to be very messy and therefore very attention-drawing. Then, there was poison, the least messy of all the possible tools I could use, but I always viewed poison as a coward’s way out. That doesn’t even begin to account for the fact that I would have no idea how to even obtain poison in Caetania.

One thing was for sure though. I would need to start exploring the castle without Tyberius peering over my shoulder at every turn. Night was my best option for this, and therefore, I knew what I had to do.

Starting tonight, I would explore every nook and cranny of the castle. Starting tonight, I would start moving towards completing my contract.

Next Chapter: CHAPTER FOUR