“Kill prince Tooru. I don’t care how. Slit his throat, poison him. But don’t leave traces. You get the other half after you succeed.”
A pouch was slid over the table, the hand pushing it scarred and fat. A few gold coins spilled out of it, pouring over the tabletop. The assassin gently pushed all of the money back inside and stood. “He will be dead by morning.”
The hours until night went by swiftly. The assassin had been watching the palace closely, and as the last night inside the prince’s chambers died down, they moved to action. There had been rumours about guards patrolling around the castle – strangely, the assassin couldn’t find any, no matter how hard their eyes searched. Their senses were alert, burning, red with fire to kill. The trees before the prince’s chambers made it easy to swing over to the windowsill, and a sharp knife helped to open the lock. It was a wonder the prince was still alive.
They slipped inside, feet soundless on the soft carpet. The prince was sleeping unguarded, curled underneath soft blankets, his face innocent. He could barely be a man yet. The assassin didn’t hesitate. Their dagger glinted, and –
“You wouldn’t be the first to try that. Good evening, murderer.”
The pain came after the blood. A man had appeared besides the assassin, clothed in black and smiling softly. But his eyes gleamed raw and wild as the night’s sky, and his sword was quick. The dagger fell, and so did the young assassin’s hand. A horrifying scream rose in their throat, eyes widening, because what monster would be able to approach them unnoticed, who could be so powerful –
“Do you know why there are no guards, hm? There’s no need for them. If someone sends you here, they want you dead. It always works.”
A hand clasped over their mouth and made them choke on their own scream. The blood drowned in the carpet, droplets glistening red and soft in the moonlight. “Be quiet, you will wake him,” the gentle voice told them. The terrifying man had a hand over their jaw, crushing, and oh he’d kill them now –
“Mhm… Hajime?” A sleepy voice came from the bed, and the monster holding the assassin stilled. “Yes, my prince?”
“Another one?” – “I’m afraid so. I will take them out of the way.”
The assassin could see the prince blink drowsily, warm brown eyes blinking before something hard and cold flashed through them. “Go ahead. I don’t want to disturbed any further.”
And the monster, the man who had risen like a shadow besides the young assassin, smiled. “Of course, Tooru. I will get rid of any dirt that bothers you.”