The Prodigy's Legacy

by LetoSai

Sequel. Tesla was not a normal woman. From illegitimate child of the Emperor, to slave, to warrior, to assassin, she was never normal. Try as she might to leave that life behind, it will never be erased. Fearing weakness, she trains her son for both wars and life, but it's her old life that crashes back into them when old friends beg her to take her birthright.

SEQUEL-ONE SHOT
Sequel to The Fighter's Child Prodigy (also a one-shot)

It can be read as a stand alone story.
Like the first part it was just something I was kicking around.
So no, have I have no idea what country or time period it takes place in. It's for fun.

Use your imagination. ^_^

---

It's a strange wonder; the life one person can lead. I, for example, have seen more than my fair share. I was born the bastard daughter of the emperor and his floozy. One of them anyway. She might have had a pretty name and a pretty title—concubine—but it was all always the same to me. Being a daughter, and an illegitimate one at that, I was of no use. I was a slave and that was that. No special treatment. I was given to his niece as a handmaiden but she too, had little use for me. For ten years, I just stayed out of the way.

Ten years and a new purpose found me. My wrist bands that I'd worn all my life that labeled me a slave, we replaced with those of a warrior. The General took me under his wing, and trained me with his men. I learned fast and worked hard, but I never really made it in the army before my occupation changed yet again.

New rules applied and I became an assassin. By the age of twenty I was a legend. The reaper who was undefeated. I had the inbred grace of a princess and the killing instinct of a monster. I was a monster. Killing was never what I had really wanted when General Dason handed me my first weapon. Killing for my foolish, hated father was never what I wanted either. In fact, I wanted him gone forever too. But from slave, to soldier, to assassin, I assumed one more role. Mother.

In a town that was destroyed in war, I found my son, only twenty years younger than myself. Four years old, he took my hand and I never let go, but I dropped the masks and decided then and there that I would be a reaper no more.

xxx

"I got it mama." Ellis huffed, taking the pail of water from me and carrying it with all of his strength. My boy was eight years of age and growing stronger every day. It was what he wanted. To grow strong enough he could protect me, he was awfully put out with the idea of someone else attempting to protect me even with the knowledge of knowing I didn't need it.

He remembered all too clearly the devastation of his childhood.

"Take it." I surrendered, smiling wide. The sun was setting and he was anxious for dinner. Lucky for me, cooking was something I could manage. I needed to quickly find the means to support my boy and working hard was no stranger to me, but a fancy lady, I was not. I was no seamstress or maid either, and lord knows I was never washing laundry for a living ever again.

I acquired my home, only a ten minutes' walk from a moderately decent sized town and I farmed what I needed for the two of us to both live on and trade for other goods. It was oddly thrilling, for even with my former profession, I dared anyone to mock a farmer's skill. It took hard work to get through a season and not just anyone could pick up on it so well, but then I'd always been a fast learner.

We got inside and I made dinner while Ellis busied himself. I thought him quiet and crept up on him, catching him with one of my many blades I had hidden in the house.

"Ellis."

He jumped about a foot in the air, blushing scarlet. "Can you show me more, mama? After dinner maybe? I'll be careful." he pleaded.

There was an immeasurable lump in my throat at the request, but I nodded. If he wanted to learn, I would teach him. It was better than him getting any ignorant ideas like trying to learn on his own. That could easily have fueled him stabbing himself in some horrible fashion. If Dason could train me, I could train my son.

"After dinner." I nodded. He beamed up at me and gentle put my blade back where it belonged. He was the only one in town who knew who I used to be, but Ellis decided to be proud of me instead of fearful.

"You were ten when ya started, right?"

"That's right. Dason looked me square in the eye." I mocked the look as I stared down at my son. "Do you want to learn? He asked me. Yes or no, he said. I nodded and that was that."

Ellis laughed softly at my antics and nodded, "I want to learn defense mama. I can be strong too."

"You will be when you're grown." I said, patting his head and ignoring his somewhat annoyed look. It looked so much like me he could have been my biological child. "But we can help it along."

That night after dinner and nearly every night thereafter, I trained him. It was harder for him then it was for me, but I had my regiment brothers and he only had me. The children in the town didn't know what to make of him, or me. The adults didn't either for that matter. I still wore the wrist bands that Dason presented me, and those bands being the bands of a warrior, confused people. I'd heard women chatting about me once, thinking that they were my husbands who had died. Poor Telsa, raising our son alone and unable to let go of him.

I snorted, and Ellis followed suit. He didn't need a father when he had a grandfather figure like Dason. I couldn't agree more,

Still, like any doting mother, I wished he could make friends. It was hard for him to relate to other children.

"Hey there, Telsa. You got a'thing good on ya?" Dorien called, walking towards me with a basket under his arm as I worked in my front garden. He was a few years younger than myself and was one of few who came to trade with me rather than waiting for me to come into town. "I got some po'tatoes you might be interested in." he smiled kindly.

I couldn't help a short laugh. Innocent people had that effect on me. "Yes please. I got quite a bit this week, take your pick."

"You gonna go and spoil me." he chuckled, crouching down next to me and exchanging the goods in our baskets. "Someone should be spoilin' you."

"I've not time for that." I disagreed.

His lips turned into a slimmer line and he nodded. "I know Tesla that your content and still makin' your own way here but there are a couple people worried about ya. Bein' a widow up here all 'lone with your boy. 'Snot safe. But it's up to you, and I wanted to warn you that my brother and a couple boys he knows have been thinking about trying to court you proper like."

I stared wide eyed and burst into laughter. I'd never heard anything so ridiculous. "What?" I asked through my laughter. "What did you say?"

"S'not funny. You're right pretty Telsa, and still young enough to go for a second child. They can't stand the thought of you over here takin' care of things on your own.

The preposterous idea nearly had me in tears. Not only did I have no need for a man trying to control me, but the thought of any man going through Dason to get to me was laughable. "Thank you kindly for the concern, but you can tell them I am in no pressing need."

Dorien smiled faintly and sighed. "Well, I warned ya, keep safe. Been a number of thievin's a town or two over. You all alone over here's got us worryin' sometimes."

"Thank you." I repeated, tilting my head to the side as I heard Ellis approaching. He'd been chopping wood in preparation for fall on the other side of the house and held a beautiful axe in his hand that was a part of my collection.

"Good Lord boy, you shouldn't be holdin' that thing." Dorien said quickly but Ellis lifted it up and rested in on his shoulder

"You wanna do it?" Ellis said with cold eyes. "You wanna be my new father?" Dorien flushed at that.

"I don't need your help and neither does my mama. You leave now." he continued.

Dorien gave a short sigh and nodded, picking his basket up. "I'll be seeing ya Tesla."

"Thanks for the spuds." I said, trying to look like laughter wasn't trying to rip its way out of my chest. I watched him walk away before turning to look at Ellis. He didn't like men talking to me, polite or not. He slid the axe of his shoulder and rubbed it warily. "Hurt didn't it. It might look tough but tough is no good when it hinders you."

"Yes mama." he muttered, leaning it up against the side of the house and moving towards me to help me. He wanted to talk, I could tell just by the way he held his mouth. "They all think you're a widow."

"I don't mind." I said honestly. "Do you?"

"They think your heart sick and weak. I don't like that."

I wiped my hand on my skirts and pat his head. "Being underestimated has always been a strength of mine. I don't mine it. It's how I've survived, my dearest. The best way to remain unfound is to be unnoticed. I don't mind them so long as they don't go poking around."

He didn't like that, but I couldn't blame him for it. With him, trust as well as respect had to be earned. It was a strange quality for a little boy, but I was fine with it. He might have experienced poverty but he didn't know what it was like to be a slave. That defiance would keep him alive if he used it wisely.

More or less, he and I were left to our solitude. Children came around every so often to ask him to play and he went reluctantly as if he thought I needed him to be my body guard. I shooed him off every time. Just because I loved him didn't mean in needed a lost duckling trailing after me. Days when he would go play, I would get other work done. Tending to our gardens or taking things into town to trade.

I liked the walk. It gave me all the time in the world to clear my head and find that inner serenity I'd been trained to. I'd have been slaughtered without that place. It allowed me to hone my senses into what they were, a guide to danger. I took a slightly different route into town, walking first between the homes before hitting the market place, it's where I heard a whimper of fear that sent adrenaline up my spine and down again. I hadn't heard that in so long.

My steps were quiet as I came upon the door. A man had a woman by the folds of her robes, wide eyed in terror as he spoke softly to her. The woman I recognized, Sharisa, the schooling teacher. She was a young woman who just had a soft spot for the children in the town and spent all her time teaching them things here and there. It was the man I didn't know, but his clothes were a dead giveaway. Dirty, tattered, unmatching as if he put together pieces that weren't all his. The leather in his shoes had seen better days and he was staring down at Sharisa like prey.

"Go on. Get out of here." I said startling the two of them as he whirled around on to me. Sometimes I wondered why I ever hid my gender when fighting. It was nothing but an advantage and as he took in my figure with an unbecoming leer, I helped Sharisa up. "Get out of here." I repeated.

"But..." she protested, as I pushed her aside.

"Well, you're a treat, aye." he leered at me; I was almost surprised I didn't smell alcohol on him. He trailed a finger down my chest and his smirk widened when he felt something that didn't belong there.

"Jewels?" he guessed blindly. "I guess one would want ter keep their money close."

"Go now Sharisa." I demanded and she took off to town, no doubt for help. I never did like witnesses.

The man didn't care much with his new prize within arm's reach. "Take it out." He crooned,

I felt myself smirk widely at the invitation and sooner than he could blink, had the dagger kept between my breasts pulled out and pressed to his throat. It was a far cry from my first battle. I grabbed his jaw with the strength unheard off for a woman to have and forced him to stare at me. His eyes opened a fraction in terror as he couldn't speak and could only breathe because I allowed it.

"I've been hearing about thieves." I whispered. "I suppose you're the bottom of that particular barrel. Listen to me, I will only explain once. This town and its surroundings will not become a target for you. If you think otherwise, I will kill ever one of you that steps foot into our territories." I pressed the dagger harder into his throat to make my point. "Got me?"

He nodded weakly, gasping for air and trying to prevent himself from blubbering.

"But I understand you're not high up on the food chain." I said softly. "If you're employer has any issues, he can see me at the cottage just west of town. I'll be happy to give him the same message."

I pulled away, watching him scrambling away from me, oblivious to the bead of blood trailing down his neck. He gave me an uneasy glance but when I was still staring, he took off. I barely had the time to clean my dagger and put it back where it belonged when three men came rushing towards me.

Dorien, his brother Shasha and their friend Mata. All looking equally worried and puzzled

"Tesla, ya alright, girl?" Dorien asked, taking my hand and looking over me. I sighed heavily, not from fear or pain but from the adrenaline leaving me. The panic was over.

"Yes. I am." I smiled a little.

Shasha looked disbelieving "Sharisa said..."

"He ran away." I interrupted. "He heard you coming."

"I ain't never heard of such a thing," Mata mused. "Sharisa said he was trying to take liber'ies with her. He would have thrown you over his shoulder and taken you off to get some, pardon the truth Tesly."

I bit my lip to keep from laughing and nodded. "Perhaps he thought there were more of you."

"Yeah, glad you're safe though." Shasha sighed, patting my shoulder a little longer then I liked before picking up my basket. "We'll take you into town."

"Thank you." I said, not shying away from the offer. If my veggies were traded for something else then nothing else mattered much, but I noticed that Shasha and Mata both a little put out that it was Dorien on my arm. Poor sods didn't know he was just doing it to get under their skin.

xxx

Two days had passed before anything changed. The whole town heard what had happened and I was told over and over again how lucky I was. Sharisa herself threw her arms around me and thanked me dozens of times. The best part was that I was showered with free goods long after my share had been taken. I was the 'widow with a son' after all.

The only one unhappy was Ellis. He rolled his eyes at everyone fussing over me when I was clearly not upset but he was frustrated for having not been with me. He wanted to increase his training hours and I was close to cracking.

It was in the middle of the night when I bolted up. I'd barely had time to kick my bedding to the side of the room and tighten the belt on my night robes before Ellis did the same, looking from the door, to me, and back to the door again. He was up and moving around as silently as I was in no time and without any direction from me.

When I saw a strange light from outside, I grabbed his arm and pulled him out the back door with me, a long sword already in my hand. I nudged him towards the trees and he scowled at me. When I glared back he did a he was told. He wouldn't be involved in this, especially when I was the one who stupidly invited danger to our door. I crept around the house in time to see the touch fall and fire quickly ran up the wall, no doubt from something that they put on my home.

There were two men. One from before and one new, neither knew how to keep quiet

"I warned you," I said quietly, scaring them both as they looked at me in terror at the firelight. It was over quickly, both of them dead and bleeding. I'd told myself no more fighting. Fresh start and clean living, but I swallowed down the strength that had been worked into by body and felt pride I hadn't lost my touch.

I tried to explain it away. They came to my home. Where my son was. They were a threat and had to go. It sounded simply like that, but I'd told them to come. If they would be stupid enough to still target my little town, then I welcomed them to try and get passed me. My frown deepened. Maybe I missed it.

The splash brought me from my thoughts as Ellis had two buckets of water with him, attempting to put out the burning flames. It took an hour, a lot of water and a lot of dirt thrown up against the side of the house to put it out completely. Our house smelled of coal.

"Perhaps we'll sleep outside tonight." I mumbled, wanting to air out home out before going back in. I went to the first of the two bodied and stared at the inconvenience. I needed to get rid of them. When was the last time I'd needed to do that?

"Stop." I said when Ellis came up next to them and moved to grab one.

"They gotta go right? Gotta do that while it's dark still." he looked at me and I hated to hear those words come from him. Those words weren't right. "Mama." he continued quietly. "You're protecting everyone. You're not bad."

I could have fallen over from the words but I felt his arms around my torso and his head on my chest. "I would rather you fight and stay alive then die like everyone else."

"You shouldn't have to see this." I squeezed him tighter. He'd seen enough dead bodies for one life time.

"As long as it's not you." he whispered, looking up at me and pulling away, it took a moment but he smiled warmly at me and it broken down the resistance I was feeling.

I was a child who knew too much about life. Things I shouldn't have known but it prepared me for life. It would be okay for Ellis to know, more to the point, he already knew, I didn't have to try to shield him from everything,

"Let's move them," I said finally.

xxx

It took the rest of the night but we had them fully disposed of. It was a survival lesson I'd learned the hard way and one I never wanted Ellis to know, but that's life. As we walked back to our home, him leaning against my side ready to fall asleep, I was preparing. The thieves were moving in and I'd seen things professional thieves were capable of. Thefts, rapes, cons, making lives miserable, introducing drugs and scams. No, I wouldn't let them get so close.

"I'm tired mama." Ellis muttered as we came upon the house. I could already see the black walls that had burned, Parts of the roof would need to be replaced too.

"Pull the bedding outside and sleep for a little while." I said, watching him nod and yawn, I knew he was exhausted when my banging on the house didn't wake him. He slept soundly till lunch and was eager to help me mend the house; he was the one I sent into town for more lumber.

An architect, I was not but I knew how to use tools to some extent a winging it wasn't so hard; As long as the roof didn't leak I would call it a success. I'd gone through the house, arming myself for the worst case scenarios.

xxx

Ellis wasn't the least bit happy when he returned. A cart of lumber followed him, as did five others who looked moderately concerned. "I had to tell them about the fire." Ellis grumbled as he moved passed me.

"Tesly." Mata said, coming towards me and hugging me. I stiffened under the touch and Ellis glared openly. "You al'ight? Them thieves coming after ya'll had to have been something scary."

"She don't need ya hanging on her," Dorien commented, but he still looked openly concerned. Shasha, and two others were surveying the damage done to the house as if they had the authority to do so.

"Everything is alright." I smiled faintly. "Thank you for helping Ellis bring the wood. We can handle it from here."

Dorien shook his head. "It's a mess now Tesla. We can help you out just so. You must have had a good scare. Sure is a good thing you two got out the house in time."

"We're fine." I sighed. "Really."

"And if they come back, mm?" Mata raised an eye.

"They'll be more corpses then just two." I said simply. I'd meant the ones I'd already gotten rid of but they seemed to think I was talking about Ellis and myself.

The men didn't seem to like that thought. They shifted uncomfortably but still wanted to argue. They were all simple farmers and laborers, but they were chivalrous. More so than even some nobles who felt they were entitled to live more than a poor man.

"You're gonna be needing the help Tesly." Mata said in a way that wouldn't be argued with. I could have. He didn't have the look of a man about to attempt to kill me, but it was a kind look that I didn't want to refuse. Those kinds of looks didn't come as often as one might think. "Shasha and I will work on your home."

"We'll get a couple of the little ones to help you and Ellis with your gardens too." Shasha muttered.

Dorien smiled sweetly at me. "Sharisa and a few others want to make a couple meals for you too. They're all worried about you."

Before I could sigh and try to refuse Ellis did it for me. He looked up at me with a bemused expression. "They finally found an excuse to coddle us mama. I don't like it."

I stroked his hair and nodded slowly. "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. It's not forever." I bent down to speak softly to him. "There may be no getting out of this, love. The sooner we agree the sooner we can convince them we're fine and they can get out of here."

"Yes mama." He said loudly for the others to hear him before he wandered away. Dason called him proud, I called him stubborn. It must have been a male thing.

xxx

I couldn't get rid of them. It had been over a week and my little home was as good as new. Once they had dismantled the side wall and chunks of the roof, they replaced it all. Apparently two of Shasha's friends were a carpenter and a blacksmith. Joy...

When they had finished with the outside, they went inside, replacing floorboards and cabinets and shelves. The women that wandered out to see for themselves were just as bad. I hadn't had to cook in days since each of them would bring meals for Ellis and me. They brought their children to play with Ellis and he went through the motions when he wasn't trying to convince them he needed to help me.

I sat in the garden while Dorien and three others were taking a lunch break. Nala, a cook by profession came to feed us today. It was the routine we'd fallen into the last few days but the familiar feeling in my gut had me on my feet and looking for Ellis. I'd grabbed Nala and two of the kids and shoved them towards the door of the house as I peered around.

"What in the hells is the matter?" Dorien asked, everyone's attention drawn.

"Ellis, be a love, would you?" I asked and he was moving, heading inside without another word. "Come out." I said firmly.

"Tesly?" Mata asked, sounding nervous. "What's happenin', girl?"

Seven men approached slowly, and their walk told me all I needed to know. It was a very distinctive walk. Thieves.

"Get inside." I said calmly.

"No, you get inside." Shasha came up behind me, grabbing my arm. "If they don't burn it down again. We got to get out of here."

I looked up at him with a small frown. "Get inside." He flinched. I hadn't made anyone flinch in a long time.

Ellis reappeared, one of my swords in hand that he passed along to me.

"Why this one?" I asked out of habit.

"It's a long blade. Better reach. Not necessarily better for multiple opponents but…" he paused looking at the quickly approaching men. "The fear factor alone will make them sloppy. Was I right, mama?"

I reached out to touch his hair again. "Yes. This will do nicely."

Shasha and the others stood wide eyed but I only gave them half of my attention. I barely noticed
Ellis ushering them closer to my home.

"Where are they?" one of them asked, he was taking up the rear and the men around him parted for him to come up the middle and face me. "This little house yours? Are you the one causing all this trouble."

The first thing I noticed were his hands. Calloused. The second thing that I picked up was his speech. It was very nice and he didn't have the draw many of the smaller towns acquired. I doubted very much he was just a common thief. He carried himself too highly and not just because of pride in his survival. The third thing was that he had letters branded down his neck. Vernew 8X41. He'd been imprisoned before.

"I am. They're dead."

The stillness around me almost made me nauseous. The thieves were appraising me with disbelief and my friends behind me, all of them muttering quietly. Only Ellis stood silently.

"They were trying to burn my home down with me in it." I continued. "I did give them the proper warning. You come, you end up dead. It's not that hard of a concept."

Vernew watched me for a moment and chuckled softly. "You expect me to believe that?"

"I'd show you the bodies but I've gotten rid of them already." I shrugged. "Now you've possible reached the end of whatever luck you've been having. You can leave, and by leave I mean this entire territory, or you can hang around and find yourself dead in the next several minutes. Up to you."

"Tesla…" Shasha muttered.

Vernew tilted his head towards one of his men, one that didn't look anywhere near as fetched up. "You think this girl can kill you? Or perhaps you'll do her in first."

"Would be a waste but I'm thinking I can handle it." He grinned, pulling out a crude sort of blade and rushing towards me, no manner of skill whatsoever.

I didn't even have to move my feet to lodge my own sword into his stomach. Oh, the familiar silence that grew.

"I'm not in the habit of giving second chances." I said softly, staring at the leader directly. "Leave, or I will kill you."

"Now if we kill you first." Vernew growled, and once more I found that five men were coming at me. I took four of them out swiftly and made sure to end their lives quickly, but one had bypassed me all together and instead ran towards the house, towards my friends, towards Ellis. But he really was more like me then I had ever admitted. My son had brought out his own blade and held it up. It wasn't a fighting stance, but it was unexpected.

The thief hesitated, almost sliding to a stop and it was all the time I needed to get there first. Hiking my skirts up to my hips I'd jumped on onto his back and snapped his neck. The bastard went after my son, he didn't deserve a death by my sword.

"Thanks mama." Ellis said, looking at me instead of the body.

I swallowed and bent down so he could kiss my cheek. What blood was on me, I didn't want to get on him and he seemed to know that. My heart was pounding in my chest in a way I'd never experienced before. It was honest fear I hadn't felt since I was still a child. My son in harm's way had me trembling. I needed to execute all threats.

Turning to Vernew, he glared. It was all I needed to do to have him backing up and still holding his weapon in quivering hands.

"I see you've been branded by the Emperors army." I commented. "Guess that means you've got a pretty price on your head. I should be obligated to take it just for you being stupid enough to flaunt that mark around so boldly."

He inhaled and looked as if he were about to say something several times before he finally got the words out. "Those wrist bands." He observed. "How did you get them?"

"I earned them."

He screamed as he died but I had long ago become deaf to such sounds. If you focused too much on them then you would feel pity for you mark. You would forget that the person you were killing was a despicable, heartless person who deserved what they got.

I stood there looking down at him for a few seconds before I let out the breath I'd been holding. I felt nothing for this loss of life. He chose what he was as I did. We were different from innocent people.

"Mama?" Ellis stood next to me with a rag to wipe my sword clean.

"Thank you." I said quietly, taking it from him to care for the blade.

He watched me for a moment more before wrapping his arms around my waist. "I'm glad you're okay, mama. Are we getting rid of them the same way?"

"No. If we turn in the corpses to the army we'll get compensated for them. The town lives but I wouldn't say it's exactly thriving. The extra income would be nice." I explained, resting my arms on his shoulders. "We'll dress them and send for someone to come get them."

He and I headed inside where Nala was shakily waiting with the other children but it seemed that the men had never quite made it inside. Thus, they saw everything. Each of them was pale and ill looking.

"Would you mind?" Quan asked, pointing to my wrist. Shasha's blacksmith friend that never really spoken in my presence. He almost seemed afraid to reach out and grab my arm the way he probably wanted too. I held up my arm and he examined my bands carefully before taking a step away and nodding.

"What?" Dorien asked him, breaking the silence that had erupted while he was examining them.

He didn't look like he really wanted to answer and he looked at the ground as he spoke. "I guess I was always assumin' she wore them bands for a senta'menal reason. From a husband or brother, but those things are fragile. Not so heavy and made for a woman. You don't got a husband or a brother, do ya?"

I smiled faintly, probably something I shouldn't have done after killing seven men, but I couldn't help it. "A husband, no. Though I could very well have dozens of brothers by blood. I do have many that aren't blood but it's been well over eight years since I've seen any of them."

"You jus' killed them. Jus' like that." Shasha muttered.

"I did say that it wasn't protection that we needed." I sighed quietly, sliding the sword into the belt of my robes and taking the one Ellis had from him and doing the same with it.

Ellis moved passed them to get inside and he only laughed softly when Mata accused him of keeping secrets. I'd never quite felt the way I did now before. I felt judged, and this time it wasn't someone judging the mask of an assassin. It was someone judging my face.

"You just killed in front of your son." Shasha stared at me disapprovingly.

My eyes cut into a glare. "He's seen far worse. Don't think you know."

"He's just an eejit, mam." Ellis said, sounding smug as he came out of the house with dressings for the bodies. Scrapes of fabric and more bedding that would need to be replaced. "These people haven't seen what wars can do. Dead bodies are a lot easier to look at when you don't know them."

It was the strangest thing to hear come out of an eight year olds mouth, but it was true. Many of the wars and clashes between kingdoms didn't bother tiny places like this. His town on the other hand, had been destroyed with him being the lone survivor.

"Keep the kids inside until we're done." I said instead as he and I went to work wrapping up each body from head to toe. It might have been more then they deserved but I wasn't going to leave them like that in front of the house.

It took about twenty minutes per body and after the first one, Dorien knelt to help and by the fourth one all the men that had been loitering around my home all day had started to help. We loaded them on the cart they had brought wood on and left them there.

"There's an army base about 4 hours from here by horse." I commented. I hated to know that everyone was hanging on my every word. "Send someone with a message that you caught and killed the thieves. Do not, give them the name or a description of the thieves so they don't try to bullshit you into saying there was no money in on it. They'll come pick up the bodies."

Shasha just nodded. "What do you want with the money?"

"You keep it." I shrugged. "Spread it around town. I don't care. I don't need it." I had more than enough money that Dason kept for me.

"You don't want it?" Dorien blinked.

I shook my head and stretched slowly. No matter how much I wanted it to be over, I didn't foresee it happening that way. Nothing in my life ever came easily. It wasn't just one more win for me. It was one more death that came with witnesses.

I hated witnesses.

xxx

It took three days for the soldiers to come. They were surprised to see so many dead bodies and were even more so when they were informed that two others had already been disposed of. All the soldiers were told was that the thieves came across the wrong woman and that was enough for them to not want to know more. It was an unbelievable reason that left them skeptical at best but the town was paid the reward and the bodies were hauled off.

My being a 'murderer' couldn't have been kept a secret either. The whole town knew and all it really meant was that I got fewer visitors again. They still traded with me, but they were likely just afraid not to. The woman were terrified, the men confused, and the children didn't know anything more than Ellis' mom could be scary.

He didn't seem broken up over it.

Things slowly slid back into its place. The only difference was that I was back to being a murderer rather than a widow.

"Do you want to move, mama?" Ellis asked me once, reaching out to pull my curls away from my face so he could see me. "You're not happy here anymore."

I smiled faintly. "We can't move every time one of us isn't happy."

He nodded slowly, sitting beside me. "You're sad that they saw you kill those men, but you had to. If you had done nothing they would have robbed and killed us, and moved onto the town to do the same there. These are nice people. They don't know how to fight. They don't know about bad people because there hasn't been a bad person here in a long time."

That was true. There was nothing here to take that couldn't be found in a larger, more luxurious town. One better suited to be robbed.

"It's a blessing to be ignorant of horrible things." I said quietly, wrapping an arm around him to pull him against me. "You and I will have to find another way to be blessed since that way was taken."

Ellis laughed and nodded. "Okay mama."

We sat in the garden all morning, weeding it and tending to the growing crops. It was calming, but that was quickly ruined.

"Tesla! Tesla!" A small girl around eleven named Worai called as she ran towards us. She was one of a few children that wasn't afraid to come play with Ellis on occasion. She didn't fear much of anything but she also didn't know any better.

"What's wrong?" I asked, and she skidded to a stop, turning to the gardens rather than the house.

"There are people in town." She said quickly. "Soldiers. They got on uniforms an' everything but real fancy ones. Not like the ones that came yesta'day, and it's a lot of them Tesla. They wanna know who…who killed those bad men."

Ellis frowned and looked up at me. "Weapons mom?"

"Go get my katanas please." I said, attention still on Worai. "Did you count the men?"

She nodded quickly. "Twenty-one of 'em, but one of them is dressed different. He's the one in charge I think. He's got patches with writing on them on his sleeves and a small silver circlet around his neck."

"A General." I frowned. I'd never heard who had replaced Dason. I never asked. "News travels fast."

"They wanna talk to ya." Worai muttered. "But no one will tell them where to find ya."

I was being protected? Confusion wrapped around me for a long minute before I brushed it off. I couldn't figure out why these people were hiding me. They were afraid of me now.

Ellis came running out and handed me my two katanas. He looked fairly more concerned about the thought of soldiers then he did over the thought of thieves. I had to admit, I was feeling a little apprehensive myself.

We took off into a jog to cut the walk to town in half. When we arrived everyone was outside but it was a fair few men that were in the front, blocking the soldiers path. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. It had been so long since I was protected.

When one of the soldiers grabbed Mata by his arm in intervened.

"Back up." I demanded, katanas in plain view where I wore them. The crowd parted for me and everyone I knew looked concerned that was walking the road to a hanging. The soldiers didn't look at impressed.

"Are you Tesla. This woman we've been hearing about? You were the one to kill Vernew?" the soldier looked me over and frowned. He stepped closer into what I considered my personal space. "Was it you?"

"Yes. It was. You'll join him if you don't get out of my face." I said, hearing an accumulative gasp behind me. I wasn't afraid of this boy who hadn't even seen battle yet.

The soldiers either snorted or chuckled at the audacity I seemed to have, and I didn't care. I liked to be underestimated.

"You best shut up, boy. This girl can, and probably will kick your ass."

The soldiers parted for the general and his captain—as they should have but as the General came into view, I felt my heart lodge in my throat and a smile break out across my lips.

"Malo?"

My regiment brother grinned, shaking his head at the knowledge that I would never acknowledge his rank. "Little girl, you've had us worried something fierce." He stepped away from his men and wrapped his arms tight around me. He was larger than when I'd seen him last. Filled out in the shoulders and at least a head taller than I was.

My arms tightened around his neck and it was hard to say who watching was more stunned. My town, or his men.

"You replaced Dason? That damn old man didn't tell me that." I laughed openly.

"You think you have room to complain? He wouldn't even tell us if you were still alive let alone where you were hiding. We followed your reputation closely and one day the legend of the Reaper just disappeared."

Another gasp.

The same soldier that had been too close to me paled and shrank back somewhere. "The Reaper, sir? The assassin that was undefeated throughout the war?"

"Told you she could kick your ass." Malo said. "She's a lady who is more than worthy of your respect. If she sees fit to kill one of you then I would trust that judgment and think nothing of it so I suggest you make with a friendly atmosphere."

"Does that include you, General?" The sarcasm was unmistakable. The Captain came towards us and promptly shoved Malo out of the way. "My turn."

I was swept up in a second pair of arms. "Kail!"

He kissed my cheek and scowled at me. "Now I'm not gonna be as nice as Malo. How could you just leave us out like that. You could have thrown a letter our way."

"I'm sorry." I muttered, biting my lip to keep from smiling. "How did you know it was me."

"All we had to do was glance at the wounds on those vagrants to know that it was done by one of Dason's trainees. Thing is, we know where all of them are. The ones still alive anyway. Almost all of them are still active and none so close to us. With a little arm twisting we find out that it was a woman who had taken out all seven men." Malo said, looking pleased with himself.

Kail nodded, rolling his eyes a little. "We couldn't pass up and opportunity to see our little sister in arms. Quite a tight lipped town you live in though."

"I appreciate that about them." I said, loud enough to be heard.

"Mama. You know them?" Ellis asked, coming up on my left.

"Yes." I smiled at him. "These two were in my regiment when I was small. My brothers in training and battle."

"Mama?" Kail and Malo both looked like their jaws could have hit the ground at the looked at my son. "You have a son?"

"Dason didn't tell you that either, mm?" I raised a taunting brow. "This is my son, Ellis." Both of my regiment brothers were still stuck in their stunned silence while Ellis inspected them. "And I'd say we've stood in the middle of town for long enough. You both best apologize before you leave. You've stirred up enough trouble."

"Mama." Malo stared at me, still a conversation behind

"That's a hard one to figure out." Kail muttered, though both of them straightened up when I glared. "And an apology."

"Thank you." I muttered. "Now I suspect you didn't come armed with several men just to chat. I love seeing the two of you, but I've always been suspicious."

Malo nodded. "Rightfully so. I want to talk to you about something you're not gonna like."

"Tesla? Everything's alright, yeah?" Dorien said, standing right where he'd been the whole time. I could see a few others trying to get the crowd to disperse a little.

"I'm about to find out." I said, a frown tugging at my lips. "What am I not going to like."

Malo shifted, taking off pieces of his uniform, armor included. He was trying to appeal to me by looking harmless? Not good. Kail wasn't making eye contact. Not good.

"The Emperor." Malo started and I glared instantly, the dark look forcing every soldier that could see me to take several steps back.

"Is he dying?" I couldn't keep the hope out of my voice that startled many. "Wait, you said it was something I wouldn't like. Can't be that."

Kail sniffled a laugh and shook his head. "That old man made the biggest mistake of his life by making an enemy out of you."

"He's not well but it's nothing to do with his health." Malo said firmly, waving a hand to silence his men who were whispering. "His orders are becoming more outrageous and he's becoming increasingly more paranoid. He's diplomatic etiquette has altered and his personality has become worse in ways I didn't think possible. He's losing his mind along with his prime."

I shrugged. "So he's old and crazy, we all saw thing coming." The conversation wasn't quiet, and I supposed everyone in town thought we must have been treasonous to speak of the Emperor in such a way. But they didn't know him the way we did.

"More than that." Malo frowned. "The executions are increasing. He's looking for a new Reaper to replace you and can't find anyone adequate enough. When they disappoint him he has them put to death. His attendants, slaves, soldiers, whores. Everyone. I'm worrying over foreign dignitaries that come onto our lands. He will send us right back into war."

"Death has always been a part of the way he's ruled. Don't sound surprised." I scoffed. It wasn't anything new.

Malo moved towards me, shaking his head. "It's not just that, Tesla. He will drag us down with him. All of us."

"So kill him." I said loudly. "Kill him, get rid of him. Your duty is to him and the country and if he can't do his job then do your job to the country and get rid of him. Let one of is bastards take the throne."

There was a paused that wasn't just from Malo and Kail, but from every soldier. None of which wanted to look at me.

"There are none." Kail finally said.

"What?"

"He killed them all." Malo said, turning his gaze back on me. It was intense and meaningful and had me taking a step away.

"Mom?" Ellis muttered in surprise.

"No." I pointed at Malo. "No. I washed my hands of him. I'm done and I am not going back to that place ever again. You can't convince me or otherwise. Not to kill him and not to do that your thinking of asking me. Don't ask, Malo."

Kail moved towards me. "You wanted to kill him once upon a time."

"I washed my hands of him! I don't need that in my life anymore. That empty hell hole he threw me into was replaced. I don't need my revenge on him to fuel me into living anymore." I snapped, only vaguely aware that I was making my life very public. "Give that glorious job to someone else."

"You're the only one left." Malo said, voice near a growl. One I didn't know he was capable of. It might have had me intimidated had I not been so angry. "You are the only one left Tesla. You're the only one that could kill him and not start and uproar. You are the only one who can rightfully take the throne in his place! You are the only child of the Emperor left!"

Kail gave me a sympathetic look and everyone else seemed to turn to stunned horror, not knowing how to react to the information. I rounded quickly on Dorien and a few others from the town who started to crouch.

"You do not know what I will do to you if you bow." I hissed, getting the results I wanted of all of them straightening.

"It's not their fault. Listen to me Tesla." Malo sighed. "He couldn't beat you as a child he won't beat you now, but if he finds out where you are, and finds out you have a son he'll want both of your heads. If you need something to be in your best interest to do this then let that be the reason."

"He doesn't care about me. He never has, and I like it that way. The only way he'll find out I'm here, is if you or one of your men squeals." I glowered at them all. "And I will find you if you do."

"Okay." Kail sighed, and pulled me away from Malo and the others, only Ellis followed without fear of me lashing out. "Don't take it so hard." He whispered. "He's honestly just worried that the old bastard will come after you and I don't doubt your skill but your son complicates thing. Please don't kill our soldiers, we need them."

"Kail." I warned, allowing him to guide me through town away from everyone.

"Little sister, I understand. He and I have been so worried about you. I don't want to ask you to do this anymore then you want to do it, but he is doing horrible things inside those walls." Kail continued softly.

I frowned harder. "He has been for over thirty years."

"Trust me, Tes. It's worse. You think about it. A couple more days really won't make any bit of a difference." Kail said, pressing a kiss to my head and pulling away. "I'll give you a week. Send word to us of your decision."

"I'll think about it." I muttered, taking Ellis' hand and walking home. The day might have been less traumatic for me if I'd gotten to kill someone.

xxx

"You look sick, mom." Ellis muttered, pulling his bedding up to mine to lay beside me. He curled up under my covers and laid his head on my chest. "You okay?"

"Yes."

"Are you lying?"

"Yes."

Ellis laughed softly, smiling wide. "I love you, mama. I don't really know what those men wanted from you and I don't really know what's going on but it'll be okay. We're always okay."

"Life wants to be a little more complicated right now." I said softly, stroking his hair,

"The Emperor is the man who made you do things." Ellis said in a gaging tone, helping himself to understand. "The one you hated, but he's your father too?"

Father, that was laughable. "He fathered me but he was never my father. Fathers don't turn their children into slaves and force them into spars with multiple men twice their weight and age. Dason was my father."

"But by blood." Ellis continued, refusing to be deterred. "So that means you have special blood too. They want you to be an Emperor. Is that right mom?"

I closed my eyes, squeezing him tightly to my side. "That's right."

xxx

Everyone was trying hard not to treat me differently, but knowing you had the daughter of the Emperor who also happened to be an assassin living in your town was a lot to take in. Credit where it's due, Lord knows they were trying. My week to think was almost up and soon I would need to contact Malo and Kail, and tell them to find someone else. I couldn't be the one to rule. People didn't want a killer on the throne.

With only two days left before I needed to send my message I was feeling stress like I hadn't since my mid-teens. At least those results were easy to calculate. In, death, out. This was a harder job to consider.

"How you holdin' up, child?" Kanena asked, smiling softly at me. She was an older woman herself who I traded with on a fairly frequent bases. She was wrinkled and her hair was grey but she was also fully content with her life. "Been looking a little green."

"I feel a little green." I admitted, setting my basket down in front of me as I looked through her fabrics. "Which do you like Ellis?"

"Pick which ever, mom." He answered easily, only a few feet away searching through the herbs that Mata's sister Oleen grew.

Kanena chortled and reached out to pat my hand. "You'll be alright. Those boys don't seem like the type to be making you do somethin' you don't wanna. They know you'ra good girl."

I raised an eye and stared at her. "What?"

The old woman laughed and me and my startled expression. "You are. You'ra good girl. You take care of those around you good."

"I haven't been called that in many years." I smiled faintly, ignoring that chattering around the market area that grew. "Not since I was little."

"Well they don't know you all that well then." Kanena waved off my pessimism.

Before I could respond Ellis shoved his basket into mine and took off. "Grandda!"

I tensed, whirling around. Once more the crowded market place was parting, but this time, it was only for one man. "Dason."

My former General leaned down and scooped Ellis up into his arms and held him tightly. Their grins were so similar, they could have been blood. The affection didn't go unnoticed either.

"Would ya look at that." Kanena mused. "Who's that?"

I almost felt near tears. Forgetting my basket I followed Ellis' path at a much slower pace, finally coming up on them as Dason set my son back on his feet. "You were sent here, huh?"

"No one sends me anywhere anymore." Dason said, smiling at me fondly. A look just for me. He wrapped and arm around my neck and pulled me closer to lean against him. "How you doing, little girl?"

"Good until a couple weeks ago." I muttered into his shoulder. Dason might have been older and greyer but you'd have never guessed by his appearance. He still looked ready for battle even if he disagreed. He looked of experience. "I should never have drawn attentions to myself."

His chest rumbled from faintly laughter. "Old habits die hard, child. You know that as well as any of us. We can't change what we are. Perhaps especially us." Dason said softly, squeezing me slightly closer to him. "I've heard all about what's happened. You acted smartly, as you were trained to do. Don't be ashamed of that."

"I'm not ashamed." I muttered, "I'm being dragged into a corner."

"So make an opening in that corner." He said softly. "There's always more than one way."

Since the first time I'd ever met him until now, Dason had the ability to always say what I needed to hear. I felt tears spill down my face and I hid them from the on lookers but leaning against Dason. He of course, noticed right away.

"The stress is getting to you."

"Odd. I'm not used to fear." I said and I could feel his surprise. I wasn't used to his surprise either.

Dason ran a hand up and down my back and pressed a light kiss to my head, "Let's go little one. Time to talk." He grabbed the back of my head, pressing my face into his tunic for a moment and effectively drying my tears before taking my hand in his. "Let's go, boy."

Ellis beamed, running back to Kanena and grabbing our baskets as Dason and I started off home.

"The boys hands are worn." he commented after walking for a few minutes.

I nodded slowly. "He's like one if us, I'm just hoping it's you."

"Mama..." Ellis laughed quietly when I flicked the side of his head.

The Ex-General chuckled. "He's a good kid, like you were. Though he's a little more mouthy then you."

Ellis grinned.

That thought thrilled me as much as it terrified me. My boy had never been beaten into unconsciousness. Never had to put up with his superiors. Was never told they were nothing while having to do every little chore for a lazy master. He was free and learning to be opinionated.

"You listen to your mother, boy. She'll steer you right." he continued.

I snorted, unable to believe those misdirected words came out of his mouth. Dason often tried to 'steer me' in the right direction but some things needed to be discovered on one's own. I was dreading the years I would have to bite my tongue and let Ellis do as he thought best.

"I will." Ellis promised, not knowing there was more to it than that, but he still had time to be a child. He ran ahead towards the house, pulling Dason along with him to show him the recent repairs. It was his chance to actually tell someone the real accounts of what happened. His ability to retain detail was amazing, but like any child he exaggerated a little bit.

Dason carefully listened though. Eyes meeting mine whenever he questioned what Ellis was telling him. Unfortunately, much of it was true, or mostly true,

"Adequate work was done on your home." he commented.

Ellis made a reluctant agreeing sound in this throat. "Shasha has to be good for something."

"Why don't you like this man?" Dason asked, looking amused.

"He is too headstrong towards mom. Too forward. Too assuming she needs him." Ellis frowned, looking up at Dason. "We don't need him or any of them,"

Dason rubbed Ellis' head and looked back at me. I just shrugged.

"Get water, Ellis." I said, and he tore off, grabbing the pails and sprinting off. He was eager to show Dason that he was reliable and strong.

I sat on the ground with my adopted father and we watched Ellis go before speaking again.

"He's a good kid." Dason said slowly. "Turning into your little protector too. He doesn't like men calling on you I see."

I shrugged. "You don't either."

He nodded and shrugged slightly. "That is true, but I understand companionship. Ellis hasn't yet hit that age."

Thank goodness.

"Are you a virgin, Tesla?"

I raised an eye at him, "Father." I said purposely. "I'm not comfortable answering that."

He rolled his eyes at me and didn't seem to care how inappropriate it was. We were military. I myself was an assassin. We didn't hold stuffy noble customs to heart. I'd grown up listening to my regiment brothers telling tales of their women, and I was thought by them not to believe in just any male. I was taught that anyone could say pretty words, but actions were needed.

"I hate to think you were raised to be as cold and unfeeling as the Emperor wanted you to be. You removed that mask."

I frowned at him and sighed. He always had to pull some guilt card that he wasn't able to raise me properly. "I haven't been a virgin since I was nineteen. Is that what you want to hear?"

"Yes, and I would also like a name and place of residence so I know who it is that I am castrating for-"

"If you say dishonoring me I will be incredible angry with you." in interrupted, "I was not raised by hypocrites. Just because I am a woman does not mean I have to be held by their standards. I was raised to be a soldier and as such, I was introduced to casual relationships."

Dason looked put out. It was acceptable for men to be casual with woman, but if the woman was found out having a relationship with a man she wasn't married or betrothed to; a sexual relationship, they were ostracized. The military men that traveled could easily hide such activities.

"So you will tell me nothing?"

"You do not need my added shame." My smile grew. "Is this why you choose to come see me? Here I thought Malo sent you."

"I was asked, yes." Dason sighed, "He mentioned a few things, but I know how you react to things. Me telling you that I think you coming back to the capitol is a good idea would not go over well."

I frowned. "No."

"The Emperor isn't the same man. He's worse." Dason mused easily. "I'd kill him myself if I had any standing to do so. For me, who has no ties to the throne, it would be treason. For a blood relative of the Emperor, it's a little different. You could replace him. He could have an accident. He could get sick."

"You are speaking treason right now. Do you realize that?" I glared.

"I realize you dreamed for many years about killing him in his sleep. It's you're time, Tesla. It's your time."

"I don't want it. I don't want it! I washed my hands of him. I did Dason. I don't want that anymore. He can die and I will be thrilled but I don't have to be the one to do it. I don't need him. Not his approval or his hatred. I don't care if I'm the only one left. I don't want it."

Dason grabbed my shoulder and pulled me closer to him to wrap and arm around my shoulder. "Breathe. Don't you see you are the perfect person for this? You have been in the lowest rankings of society. You know what they need. You know what can be done for them. You are not afraid of work. You've been in the army. You know how we work. You can strategize and not just do what people tell you is best. Listen to me, my daughter. You've been inland and on the coast. You've traveled to other countries and other kingdoms. You've seen death and through it you find a new life. This is your time."

"I'm a slave." I snapped.

"You are a solider." He snapped back, lifting my arm to grab at my wrist bands, "And you could be the Empress. The Emperor had dozens of children. No one will ask questions they will merely do as they are told. If the military backs you and I can assure you, they will, no one will question your rule."

I shook my head, letting my hand fall back into my lap. "Why do you want this for me?"

"Why should I not? You have deserved this since you were fourteen and proved yourself in front of the entire courts. More to gain peace was done from your own hands than anyone else. You deserve this."

"I won't be the one to kill him." I said stubbornly. "I swore I did not need to fulfill that wish to live. I will not break that vow. I cannot allow Ellis to see that behavior."

"Regardless. It is time you take you're crown." Dason continued as Ellis reappeared. My Ex-General got up to help Ellis and the two of them carried on again, Ellis enjoyed having him around, his role model on his sights allowed him to show off a little.

xxx

Dason stayed the remaining two days of my week to think over Malo's proposal, and wrote to them himself before I had the chance. He packed up my things to travel and the following morning had a second horse along with his for me and Ellis. I was beginning to feel like spoiled child.

"Wasn't this supposed to be my choice? My choice was no. No I am not going to be the Empress." I stared but was cut off when I felt a blade tip pressed into my chest.

"Are you getting rusty?" Dason stared at me, eyes sparkling as he had a sword in hand. I hadn't noticed him drawing a weapon, but I wasn't watching him the way I watched others. Ellis stared, worried for me was clear but the adoration for his grandfather only grew. "Come, I know all your tricks. I taught them to you after all."

With a scowl I pulled out a set of two long daggers from around my hips and shoved his blade away from my chest. "Not all my tricks." I lunged at him and he managed to side step the attack easily. It was almost harder to fight with Dason then anyone else because he and I both had the trained skills to kill, but we weren't trying to kill each other. Not killing could sometimes be more troublesome.

"Move you've feet little girl." he taunted and my training came back in a rush. Being a ten year old little girl and sparing against boys five year my senior and my teacher.

He slid back and we spared outside. We were matched easily and both avoiding the vital areas.

"Oh I'll move my feet all right." I growled. Two blades weren't necessarily better than one. It all depended on who was the one wielding them, and I hated to admit that he might have the advantage on me. Dason may have been retired but he was still a man who knew how to live only one way. He would train even out of his position. I might not have lost my instincts but my muscles were starting to scream at me from the sudden use they hadn't felt in a number of years.

"Come girl. Why are you on the defensive! You can't take out one old man? Don't you dare disappoint me!" He smirked at me, leading me in the dance of out fight. It was a battle. We fought for well over an hour and it was the first time in ages I'd found myself out of breath and tired.

"Endurance." I muttered, "I'm not about to lose to you."

"Set the proper example." he chuckled, wincing as I caught my blade against his arm. He shook it off and we began again. He led me through the path, away from my small house and towards town. It almost didn't register until I heard the startled screams of the villagers. All of whom were backing out of our way.

"Still a soldier!" He chuckled, he could have caught me across the cheek with the tip of his sword but didn't. I may have been his solider but I was still a woman even in his skewed view and he wouldn't scar my face.

"You're talking too much!" I hissed.

"Distracting you?" He mocked, leading me still. "Can't focus on more than one area at a time? You can do better."

I listened to the metal of our blades clanking together. It was like being a child again with him spouting orders and demands and my jumping to them. He would put me through obstacles and I would jump through each one eagerly and willingly. I couldn't be something I wasn't. I was a soldier.

"Nothing distracts me." I answered coldly, smirking at him.

"If I question your honor?" He was speaking loudly. Everyone who cowered away from our fighting could hear him and they were all watching with a mild fascination.

"What do you know of my honor!"

Dason grinned. "If you are in danger?"

"Then I'm doing my job!" I nearly got him across the belly but he moved in time. I almost forgot I wasn't supposed to be killing him.

"Why were you chosen?" he demanded.

"I had the potential!" I was used to speaking up to his every question. Not answering wasn't an option. It was disrespectful and he wouldn't have it when I was a child and he certainly wouldn't have it now.

"By whom!" He slammed me into the ground but I was quick enough to roll back to my feet. "Who chose you?"

I had always considered myself a lap dog of the Emperor. He had me fight for him and wars were started, fought and completed by actions I did on his behalf. I was the bloody Reaper. Death that hid in the dark and struck silently. He used me as his puppet and I let him. I had all the power to kill him and never the opportunity. He made sure I never had the opportunity. But that wasn't why I began to train. It wasn't why I began to fight. I had a reputation to up hold, one I had been ignoring as of late. My reputation was only a branch of the one I admired. I fought because Dason trained me. Because he believed I was more than just a worthless slave. I owed him. Somewhere along the lines, that got lost.

"By you!" I dropped the sword and danced forward to aim a punch towards his face, but was blocked when he caught my wrist. He was one of two who was able to do that since I turned twenty.

"And what do you plan on doing now?" He asked, standing still now, the fighting has stopped since took hold of my wrists. He wasn't bothered by the stunned expressions on the villager's faces. They had never seen a fight before but it was routine to us. "What are you going to do? We are at peace now because of the horrible things you had to do. Are you going to let that be for nothing?"

"No." I frowned. "I will kill him and not get a weak stomach over it, but I don't want to be Empress."

Dason released me and smiled faintly, "You will not know until you try. It's time we go. "

"You'll force this upon me." It wasn't a question.

"For your own good. Yes." He answered, tilting his head down to look at me. "There is time to decide what will and won't be done but nothing can be decided here. We must go back to the capitol. Go before that fool orders his army to do something that can't be undone."

I frowned, staring up at him. "That why you retired?"

Dason only smiled, glancing up at Ellis who stood in the middle of the road, the reigns of the horses in his hand. The bags of their belongings were strapped to their saddles and she was drawn back into a corner.

"You leaving, Tesla?" Dorien asked, standing nearby. Most of the town was lingering close. The fight had frighten them as much as it interested them and once they caught on that it was not a to the death deal, they came to watch. The silence as everyone waited for her answer was starting to get to her.

"I guess I am," Tesla sighed quietly. "Somewhat against my will but I have to cope with that. Dason is seldom—if ever—wrong."

"You could stay." he attempted to argue. It was a weak argument but he wasn't a strong man. "This is your home too."

I smiled faintly and sighed. "It's a pretty thought. Pretty but unrealistic for me. If I stay it will only be for a short time. The fool who fathered me will start a new war and I'll get dragged back into it. This town is small and out of the way but not so out of the way that it is safe from all forms of attack. It's better to go now and prevent that."

"You're really gonna kill the Emperor?" Mata asked.

"We'll see if he needs killing." I said instead. "He's a horrible man. I can't imagine he'll go quietly."

"If we're lucky." Dason commented, mounting his own horse and pulling Ellis up with him. "The fool's time is running out."

I sighed, pulling a leather cord off my wrist and using it to pull my hair back. "I'll be back for a visit as soon as I can escape the army protecting me."

"Not likely." Dason chuckled.

"Very likely." I snorted, pulling myself up onto my horse. "They couldn't catch me if they tried."

Xxx

We arrived at Dason's estate three day later. It was full staffed and held many members of the Emperor's military. It had become a safe house to those deemed worthy of death. I hadn't realized Dason was so deep in trouble. Had he said that from the start I would have come without argument. Had Dason been caught, he would have been sentenced to death himself, stripped of his honor.

Malo was there with his troops and no less than ten of my regiment brothers were present, all grinning when they saw me. Grins that quickly dropped and turned to stunned silence when Dason introduced Ellis as my son and his grandson.

It was home for me. The estate was the place I had come on many occasions when I found the time between wars.

"He's hired himself a new Reaper." Malo said grimly. "This one is good too. He believes he's finally found your replacement."

I frowned, considering those particular possibilities. "Weapons?"

"He carries a sword but I've never seen a kill from him with it. What we're seen so far are broken necks and snapped spines. Minimal bruising and no reaction time. He's quick." Kail said, arms crossed in front of him.

I inhaled slowly, smiling wide at the description. "This one is good then."

"Should we be walking about this in front of the boy?" One of the other captains asked. He was one I didn't know and was working under Malo.

"He's fine," I said.

"I'm fine," Ellis confirmed from his seat next to me.

Dason chuckled, staring outside. It was a good three hours to get to the palace Three hours separated us from the Emperor and suddenly I had an army at my back ready to face charges of treason to back me. I wasn't sure if I could handle that. These men trusted Dason and Malo so loyally that they didn't give a damn who I was. I was now their chance to avoid a war. How they thought I was any less crass was beyond me.

"So how are we going to kill him? Like an accident?"

The troops looked to Malo for answers and he looked to me. That put a frown on their faces. It wasn't hard to figure out why. Listening to a woman wasn't in their job description but now they were being told to.

They didn't believe I could do it.

Leaning down, a grabbed the back off Ellis' neck to make him lean towards me. "You stay with Dason." I said quietly.

"Yes mama." he answered loudly. I took out a small dagger I had hidden and handed it to him. He took it without question and put it away on himself. All eyes were on us and the strange exchange. It wasn't uncommon for a boy to receive his first weapon at the age of ten, but Ellis was still a bit younger than that. Maybe they thought I was an unfit mother. The thought made me smile.

"What did you have in mind?" Dason asked, watching me. He had even taken a few steps closer to me but I only shrugged.

"Sleeping." I said, getting up and walking out with Ellis trailing behind me. "It's been a long time since I've been here and I'm not gonna race off to kill the man when I could be dreaming."

"Good night." Ellis smiled smugly, following me out and to the room he and I would share. The soldiers gapped at the fact that I could walk out on two Generals, the former and the current. I guess Ellis found it as funny as I did.

I slid the door to our room shut behind us and let out a sigh.

"Do I need to keep this with me, mama?" he asked, taking the dagger out and showing it to me. It was familiar to him of course, but it rarely left my person. "Why?"

"Precaution." I answered simply, slumping back onto the bedding that had been laid out for us already. "I'd like you to have something on you and that dagger any decent assassin would recognize. It's a last resort, Ellis."

He nodded, putting it away again and coming to lay beside me. "You don't want the attention."

I shifted my gaze to him and waited for him to continue.

"If you're gonna kill the man you just wanna do it. You don't want grandda and everyone else there too." He said quietly, laying his head on my shoulder. "I guess they're good soldiers but they're bad assassins."

I couldn't help the laugh that past my lips. It was ironic for me that a child could see what they could not. Even if my child was an exception. He was right, and that was why and plans I had wouldn't be shared.

"You're going by yourself?"

"Yes." I confirmed his worries. "I'll sleep and leave before dawn. I'll get there in the morning light and have him see me one last time." I paused. "Everything is going to be different for you and me after this. It won't be avoided."

Ellis nodded, eyes closing. He hugged my arm to his chest and did his best to banish his fears from my view but I saw how pale he'd become over the course of the day as it sunk in that I would be leaving him behind for a while. "I love you mama." He muttered. "Be careful."

I felt the sting of tears in my eyes and blinked them away as I rolled over enough to kiss his head. "I love you too. Don't fret."

Afraid I would leave a moment before I had to, his arms tightened and he leaned against me. He was the most important thing in my life. That's what I had to remember when I faced the Emperor. I stroked my fingers through his hair until he was asleep, and allowed myself the same luxury. The sleep was so good I barely flinched when Dason peeked in on us, more than likely only looking to see if I was still there…

xxx

It was still dark when I got up, pulling the blankets up around Ellis and moving silently throughout the room as I readied myself to leave. I made no noise and I got outside easy enough. Some things never really left you and it seemed so far, that my blood called for being the warrior I was. It was sad to me that that kind of thing was only pretty in stories.

I'd saddled my horse and was out of the estate before the first peeks of sunlight threatened to rise over the horizon, but I was never afraid of the dark. A three hour ride might have felt like a tedious journey to most but I was so nauseous with the knowledge of what I was doing that it went by in a blur.

The palace was just as I remembered it, wary and bleak. Worse, if that was possible. I toyed with the idea that the palace was under some curse, and smiled weakly at how ridiculous it was. The only curse the palace was under was the man that had been allowed to rule it for so long. It seemed that madness had taken him finally and looking at the results, I couldn't deny what needed to be done.

The halls were the same. Every turn and corned I'd had memorized as a child and it all came back to me. I slipped past the guards and priests but I was almost sure none of them would have said a thing if they saw me. It was sickening. At least when I was a child they were blindly loyal to the fool. For them to be so outwardly concerned was a testament to his rule coming to a close.

I was in my late teens before I had ever been allowed into the royal wings in the palace. It wasn't as if I were one of his pampered brats that he claimed. I may have been born a slave but I was the only one left now and even these halls were burned into my memory. Once they had all been in my plan of killing him. Plans I thought I had dismissed.

He was alone. Aged and tired he moved around his chambers, mumbling to himself. His hair was grey and he was long past his prime. Putting him down was almost a waste.

"Hey old man." I said, my voice was soft, or I thought it was. He jumped out of his skin and rounded on me faster than I would have given him credit for seconds before. His eyes widened and I thought by luck he would have a heart attack but he reached out a shaky hand towards me.

"Karli…" he muttered, voice cracking under the weight of them.

I could have growled. He would think I was my mother. Even I couldn't deny that I grew up in her image. My curls were wild and something about my cheekbones. She was a vague memory but it was clearest when I looked in the mirror.

"Guess again."

He paled, hand dropping. "Tesla." He swallowed, picking up a sword from the chest at the end of his bed that I would have thought was too heavy for him. "You can't be here. You disappeared. You would have died just to spite me. Should have! You damned girl." His voice grew rough, angry.

I shielded my look of surprise that he even remembered my name but I didn't come to have a chat with him about old times that didn't exist. "It would solve a lot of my problems if you just took your own life." I gestured to his sword.

He narrowed his eyes at me and I didn't feel the intimidation I would have as a child. I didn't feel that need to stare at the floor as if that would help me.

"Bitch,"

My eyes raised and I actually hesitated, forcing away the sudden need to laugh. I pulled free the katana that sat on my hip and offered him a smile. "I was trained to be. Yes."

The sword in his hands wavered and he took a step back. "Help! Dashiel! Dashiel!" he yelled, and it took everything in me to keep my face straight. I waited.

"Dashiel!"

"Over here." The man stood against the second doorway across the room. His face was properly covered as all assassins were and the sword was strapped to his back just the way I'd been informed. I could tell just by looking at him that he was a professional.

The Emperor turned to him and made a mad dash towards him, pointing at me all the while. "Kill her! She has come to assassinate me! Protect me!"

Dashiel's eyes met mine and I could almost see a smile behind that mask. "You fear a woman? Surely not."

"She's not just a woman!" The Emperor snapped. "She's the reaper! Kill her!"

I stood calmly. "Does it scare you old man? I heard you killed off all of my brothers and sisters." I gave him a nasty look. "Really must bother you that your slave daughter is now the only one who can steal our throne."

He paled, shaking worse. The sword in his hands clattered to the floor as he turned back to his hired hand. "I will triple your pay to kill her."

That seemed to get his attention and he moved a step away from the door way to face me. "Triple. My, my, my. That's almost as impressive as the information you just let slip. The daughter of the Emperor is in fact that very famed Reaper. How…delightful. I guess I'll have to give it my all." He said, pulling his sword free from its sheath as he stared at me.

I raised my katana slightly and returned his gaze. It wasn't the first time I would fight someone of my own profession.

"Kill her. Kill her." He chanted, sounding out of his mind with pleasure. The thought of my death bringing him a great deal of happiness.

"Kill indeed." Dashiel said, peering at me. "Did I hear you imply you've come to kill the old man? I thought you were retired."

"I am." I confirmed. "I'm not letting him pull me back into a war." Or kill hundreds with his stupidity…

"Would you mind?" he asked.

The Emperor grew impatient. "Kill her!"

"Not at all." I said, taking a step back in time to watch the assassin whip around beautifully, sword decapitating the Emperor with his swing.

The silence was overwhelming, and the room still until Dashiel moved to clean his blade and replace it before pulling his mask off over his head.

"Hello Dashiel." I said finally. "I hope you and I don't have to fight now."

He chuckled, hair falling free as he turned towards me, dropping his sword on the ground behind him and I followed suit with my own weapons.

"Tesla. Has it been six years? Might I say, time has only done you justice." Dashiel moved forward, bolding reaching out to tug on one of my curls as he leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"Six feels too long but it must be." I said, smiling faintly. "What are you doing here? You don't play body guard well." I gestured to the body of the Emperor as if proving my point.

He gave a shrug that could have meant anything. "Something to do to pass the time I guess. I can't believe you were a product of that fool."

"You and me both." I rubbed my eyes. "Now I have to be Empress."

Dashiel smirked and bowed to me childishly. "Tis an honor to be in your presence My Lady."

"I'll gut you." I frowned, finding myself pulled into his arms.

"That's the Tesla I know." He grinned. "May I assume you will pay me from my time spent here?"

I nodded.

"Perhaps I'll even linger…"

"Perhaps you should."

He smiled brightly, the man that must have been at least five or six years my senior had always confused me. Maybe that was why I liked him.

"C'mon." I said, turning on my heels before he got any ideas and walked out towards the throne room. "I'll give it an hour or two before the military pokes its head in my business. I'll be announced successor then."

Dashiel followed. "Doesn't that give us an hour or two?" he sounded innocent, something he was very much, not.

I smirked and said nothing.

xxx

I was right of course. The sun had been up for two hours and Dashiel and I sat, lounging in the throne room when we were informed by a very timid priest that Dason and the rest of the Military arrived. We'd long since redressed and Dashiel sat at my side, lazily combing his fingers through my hair to fix it.

We had already wrapped the body and his head—separately—and had since been talking about what we had missed from the last six years. The guards and servants had stayed out of our way and that suited me fine. I was only stunned when my old slave friend Mei appeared with breakfast for the two of us. She smiled sweetly at me before bowing silently and leaving just as quickly. I wasn't sure what I thought of that.

"Tesla!" Dason barged in, Malo on his heels with a handful of others.

"Hello." I answered, sitting on the floor.

"You were right. Almost down to the second. I would expect no less from you." Dashiel mused. He hadn't put his mask back on and neither of us had returned out weapons to our person. Still, it was clear who he was.

"What's going on?" Malo blinked, staring down at the Emperor's obvious form. "He's dead?"

They were stunned? I wasn't sure why. They wanted me to come kill the Emperor and were surprised to find him dead? Some people were too confusing for me.

Ellis shoved his way into the room, bypassing the stunned men into the room without fear. No fear of the assassin by my side or the dead body in the room. "Are you okay?"

"Yes." I sighed softly, tension leaving me at having him back in my sights. Something that didn't go unnoticed.

Dashiel watched us carefully, eyes on the dagger my son wore on his hip. "So this is your son, I see."

Ellis eyed him with just as much arrogance. "And you are?"

"A friend." Dashiel answered, regarding my son with the same respect he gave me. He then saluted the soldiers with a smirk.
I nodded. "A friend. One who isn't stupid enough to step on the Reapers reputation. It's not how we operate."

Malo raised an eye and crossed his arms over his broad chest. "Which is?"

"The Reaper is a respected figure on this continent." Dashiel answered. "Especially among we assassins. It's not a something one can just replace. A large number of us heard your former Emperor was trampling on her legend. We couldn't allow that. I, in particular. I have known Tesla for something like a decade. Disrespecting her was unacceptable."

"You've crossed paths before." Dason stated bluntly.

I kicked Dashiel's thigh from where I sat with my heel to keep him from saying something regrettable in front of my foster father. "We've tried to kill each other many times."

"In many different ways." He added.

"We decided it was easier to be friends." I frowned at him. "Either way, I didn't expect him to feel obligated enough to travel here to defend his misconception of my honor."

Dashiel gave me an oddly serious look. "You're lucky it was just me. I can think of at least three others who were ready to travel and meet me here. Had I known beforehand that bastard was a relation of yours I would have severed his head much quicker."

"It's a good thing you didn't." Dason said, regarding Dashiel suspiciously. I couldn't very well blame him for that. Too many alpha male personalities in one room. "Tesla needs to be here to assume the throne before anyone else can try to take it."

"Yes. How incredibly delightful." Dashiel purred. "With her on the throne, every assassin we knew will flock to you for a congratulatory drink."

"Is that what you'd call it?" Malo asked, by no means thrilled to have this man on our continent let alone in my presence.

Dashiel looked overly pleased. "Only another assassin of the same skill level can understand how we work. One of us in charge of a nation means a few decades of not needed to put up with any amount of ridiculous shit from a mindless ruler. It's perfection."

"Never agreed to this." I sighed, rubbing my eyes.

"We're gonna live here now?" Ellis asked, panting my arm sympathetically and promptly ignoring both the military he'd arrived with and the assassin

"Maybe for a little while. Until I can find a way out of this." I chuckled. It wasn't until I heard Dashiel's amused hummed that I looked up to see the throne room slowly filling.

Military, Priests, servants and guards piled in, all of them bowing down to their knees. All of them ready to accept me. Secrets were never easily kept in this place. One servant could spread gossip in a matter of minutes.

"Long live the Empress." Dashiel taunted.

Xxx

Two months had passed and it was nothing like what I expected. News of my reign caused celebrations across the nation and I couldn't for the life of me understand why. They didn't know who I was. Only that I was apparently a promising new leader that persuaded my predecessor to step down. His death was completely written off.

It was a bittersweet series of events. I missed my little town and the people I knew there. I missed my little home and my garden. A palace was a far cry from the humble village I had called my home for four years.

No one knew I was the former Reaper other than the Military and the occupants of the palace. Especially the ones that had been there when I was a child. And of course, Dashiel had been right. For the first month I dealt with assassins I had once known and worked with came to make fun of me and with my well. Many of them offering their services if I were to ever need it.

I doubt I ever would, but it was a nice thought. I could understand them in a way other Royalties in other places could not.

I was a slave, a soldier, an assassin, a laborer, and a mother. Now I was an Empress with an entire bloody continent rooting for me. How my mother would have begged for my affections now. The thought made me ill.

I went out on my balcony, looking over the court yards. I wore the bare minimum of robes and skirts that had my maids cringing. I wore no gems or gold other than a necklace Dason had helped Ellis get me as a coronation gift. I was simple as always. I needed room for the weapons I would always have concealed on my person and the ability to fight or work if the occasion called for it. It was not becoming of an Empress, and I didn't particularly care.

It might have made my servants fidgety, but they smiled at my unorthodox behavior. I was nothing like my predecessor, and because of them, the wary curse seemed to seep out of the palace walls and floated away.

I looked down into the court yard and watched Ellis practice hand to hand combat. He enjoyed it immensely, but that might have had something to do with his current teacher who seemed to weasel his way into my son's affections.

Dashiel had stayed, and would a while longer. He told me time and time again that seeing me in such a position was too amusing to pass up.

Ellis watched the two of us spar and arguing and bicker like children. When he saw that our fights, both verbal and physical, ended in obnoxious laughter, he learned to relax.

I didn't need to be taken care of, and Dashiel knew that better than anyone. Leaving me be seemed to earn respect out of my stubborn son.

Dashiel seemed to have a fantastic time trained Ellis and as his mother I only feared that he was being taught things I didn't want him to know. All the same, I was a woman and as such there were a few things he was better off learning from a man.

The thought of Dashiel acting as any child's older brother of father was laughable, but then so was my being a mother of an adopted child from a town I had failed. Fate's sense of humor was irksome at times.

Dason appeared at my side. He had been visiting on and off every few days and was so proud I thought he would burst. He was my teacher, General, and foster father. I supposed he deserved to feel pride me in.

He followed my gaze and watched as Dashiel positioned Ellis' arms, making his hands curl instead of being clenched into fists.

"I think if you told me that Ellis was truly your blood, I would believe it." He commented finally. "He is a quick study, just as you are. He'll grow up strong."

"Yeah." I agreed. "I don't want him in the Military. I don't want him to be an assassin. But he'll grow up and pick his own path and I'll be forced to accept it."

"Hush." Dason mused, placing a hand on my shoulder. "He'll make you proud and you'll know how I feel."

I felt a smile twitch at my lips as I glanced up at him. "Thank you."

"He's your legacy." Dason continued. He leaned over and kissed my head. "Now, if only we could get rid of your assassin friend."

Laughing outright, I couldn't keep my tongue in check. "You leave him be. The last thing I need is the two of you fighting. I am moderately fond of you both."

Dason raised an eye. "Moderately fond? You jest. You cannot appreciate that man more than myself."

"You are my father." I grinned at him. "Dashiel has always been something more of a wild card." I turned to head back inside. I would change and head outside, interrupting their training and seeing if I could sneak up Dashiel.

"It was him…" Dason followed behind me. Sounding overly irritated. "When you were nineteen…"

He didn't need to elaborate for either of us to know what he was talking about. I laughed again, unable to help myself.

"Tesla…"

"No fighting." I smirked, shutting the door to my private room on him so I could change.

I still didn't want to be Empress, but I was nothing if not adaptable. Ellis was growing and learning. I was once again closer to Dason and with me on the throne; there were no threats of war in sight. All in all, things weren't so bad.

End.

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Thanks for reading.