Naveen

Rina:

I was to the point of nearly pulling back when he caught me closer. With a soft moan of excitement I I returned the desire. As was usual when I was like this to him, my body felt hot and peppered with tingles.

With her moan my fingers began to explore and pick at her dress for a moment all before a frustrated little growl slipped from my throat. I pulled back slowly with a husky little huff. "Bed room?"

Rina:

I nodded eagerly undoing what I could of my dress along the way. It was a lovely distraction, being with him. I was able to forget about the troubles in my mind for a time, and afterward I was too tired to do anything but drift off to sleep curled next to him.

I didn't rest like her. I felt too pent up to do so adequately. In my home citadel the windows and buildings were angled so that no matter how far from a window you were you could still feel the moons presence. But in this castle I couldn't feel her touch. It sent a pang of longing through me and caused me to draw Rina close to me just to fill the void within.

Rina:

We were both uncomfortable in the castle. Even after a couple weeks of being there, when I should have warmed up in the environment, I still felt like an outsider. I could only imagine how Talon felt, he hid it well. The price only added to my unease. It was clear he hated me. He only barely concealed it around other people. On the few occasions when I had been alone with him, even for a moment, I had caught him glaring at me.

The pendent Talon wore worked well, but the longer he was around people, the less he remained completely unnoticed. It was clear to those in constant contact with me, that my guard was an elf. He was set up with separate rooms from mine, and now that people noticed him more easily, we had to be careful when he joined me in my room.

The night before the festival to show me off to the whole city there was a small party. They were fond of parties, this court. The prince seemed particularly hostile to me that night, but I assumed it was because I was receiving so much attention.

“Join me in my room in half an hour?” I whispered to Talon toward the end of the night. Now every night I had maids in my room to undress me and prepare my bed. It would take some time before I could send them away.

My patience was growing thinner and my worries only grew.  Each passing day more people began to take notice of me and after my identity of an elf got out I began to draw looks.  They ranged from disgust to pity.  The latter was the one that chafed the most.  They pittied me because I was an elf and not human.

"I'll be there." I murmured in return while keeping my back straight and my eyes moving over the crowd before us.

Rina:

My heart gave an odd flutter to his response that I ignored.  I made my rounds to bid people goodnight then retired.  I walked into my rooms and immediately something felt off.  The maids weren't waiting and they should have been.  I stood in the sitting room before moving slowly to my dressing room.  Had I not been on alert I wouldn't have reacted as quickly to being yanked backwards.  I didn't even scream.  Something stung the skin of my shoulder, but I was too busy grasping, and biting into the arm that had gone across my neck.  I didn't let go, even when I was pushed away, until I tasted blood in my mouth.

I couldn't even see my attacker, everything happened so quickly.  I grabbed the first thing I could to hurl at him, the glass bowl I used to wash my face.  It flew at him and shattered against a post. He grabbed at me, at my dress, I wasn't as swift with the voluminous skirts.  Fabric tore as I was yanked down.  Some nasty names were grunted in my ear, and he mumble something about me being the feistiest hit he had in a long time.   I bucked backwards as it was the only thing I could do, my legs were trapped in my skirt, my arms were held down by the man.  Miraculously his head came into contact with the metal of the bath and his limbs around me released.  

I scrambled away, over the shards of glass on the floor, but he didn't pursue me.  He was knocked out cold and bleeding from the bite on his arm.  I snatched up the knife while I tried to calm my panting and racing heart.

I lingered at the party.  I might not have wanted to be around people, or be ignored either.  But even this party had some semblance of energy to it.  An energy that I felt lacking of without the touch of the moon.  I missed it, and hoped that sometime soon I would find a way to wander the grounds late at night and just feel her touch once more.  But after a time I eventually wound my way around the outside of the room and into the hallway.  I kept my steps light and soon I was outside her rooms.  Giving a long glance down either side of the hallway I opened the door and slipped inside.  Blood was the first thing that assaulted my nose the second the door shut and locked itself.  Instantly I whirled around, tensed and ready to fight.  I had taken to only wearing one of my blades now, and it was in my hand with a faint hum a second later. "Rina?" I called after.

Rina:

“I'm in here.” I spoke calmly and carefully emotionless. My skirts had been torn away and folded up for me to sit on for my spot on the floor. I wore only the undergarments; loose linen pants, a corset, and an undershirt. At my knees there were a few cuts from the glass, and there was a slice across my shoulder from the knife that was meant for my throat. Before sitting down I had dipped a cloth in the bath water to wipe the blood away from my lips, though I could still taste it in my mouth. The attacker's knife was firmly grasped in my hand, ready for use if he stirred.

With quick steps I joined her in the room. I took in the sight of her, the body, and the knife in her hand. I didn't sheath my blade but as I crouched down beside her I laid it across the ground. "What happened?" I asked softly as I leaned close to inspect the wound on her shoulder.

Rina:

“He tried to assassinate me.” I said dully. There was no reason for surprise, I should have been more prepared for this. Going into this situation I had thought it was likely someone would try to get rid of me.

"Are you okay?" I asked while looking from the wound up to her face.

Rina:

I looked up to meet his gaze. “I'm not that easy to kill. Someone underestimated that.” Someone. I knew who it was without doubt. There was only one person here who would try to have me killed in such a sloppy manner.

I took her answer for what it was, though it wasn't a true answer to my question. With a nod I stood, taking my sword with me. "What is your plan of action then."

Rina:

“He isn't dead.” I said, looking at the man. We could wake him up and question him. There were a few things we could do, but then we would have to get rid of the body, and I already knew the information he would give, if any.

“I need your help...” I explained my idea to him. I wanted to take him to the prince's quarters and leave him there to be found as a message.

I frowned as I eyed the body. My grip tightened on my weapon and it shifted over slowly so that the tip rested against his throat. After listening to her plan I nodded slowly. "What are you hoping to accomplish with the message? I can deliver the body....but what are you hoping happens?"

Rina:

“That he'll know it didn't work. That he may understand that I could do the same thing to him. If we just got rid of the body, he might suspect that ran off with the money instead of coming here. I don't want there to be doubt, and I can't confront him.” I explained.

I pondered her words for a long time before nodding. "It is a sound plan. The only question remaining is; do I kill him?" I gestured with my weapon, still trained on the still form below.

Rina:

“No, I'm coming with you.” I stood up and pulled a simple black cloak from a trunk. It had been left by one of my maids, and they had yet to come looking for it. I wrapped it around myself and pulled the hood over my head.

I raised a brow but didn't make a move to stop her as she wrapped up in the cloak.

Rina:

After I had wrapped up, I went into bedroom to get a box out form under my bed. I opened it and my swallows flew out. I should have kept them out from the begin but I didn't want anybody to find out about them. Now it was necessary. “I'm ready.” I told Talon.

"You haven't answered two of my questions. Are you okay Rina. Do I kill him now." I didn't move from my spot as I slowly slid my eyes over to her.

Rina:

“I'm fine, barely grazed, you saw.” I answered with with a lift of my shoulders. “And no… I'll do it once were in the room, I don't want to leave a trail of blood...” My fist clenched and I found Aero already waiting there, but no, I couldn’t use my own blades.

"Then let's go." I knelt and slung the body over my shoulder with no more trouble than if the man had been a sack of grain.

Rina:

It was not too difficult getting into the prince's rooms. The halls were mostly empty, the only difficulty was getting through the lock, but after a few minutes I was able to pick it.

I had Talon lay the body on the bed once we were inside the chambers. I stood over him for a moment, holding the knife he had used to strike me. In a fluid move I sliced his throat. It was not pleasant. I had never enjoyed killing, and it always left me feeling not quite right afterward. But it was something that had to be done.

“Let's go.” I left the bloodied knife on the sheets and turned away to face Talon.