Disclaimer: This is a work of pure fiction… Valdemar and everyone in it belongs to Mercedes Lackey, only those few you don't recognize would be the product of my imagination… therefore, nothing belongs to me…
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All it took was a single shot through the head, just between the eyes. The target never even knew what hit him. One moment, he was giving orders to one of his underlings, and the next…
The people around him panicked. The guards, well trained though they were, were momentarily stunned as their overlord toppled over with a dart through his head. Some rushed to help, but it was too late. Their lord was dead before he even hit the ground, and around him, total chaos ensued.
Satisfied with the outcome, a figure perched on one of the trees surrounding the compound watched the aftermath of the assassination, then slowly faded into the shadows. There was a report to be made, and another successful commission well earned.
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"Did you hear about the death of Lord Hastarllen? It was horrible, I tell you. Hundreds of arrows raining down on him, poor man. He never had a chance."
"Lord Hastarllen was not a likable man. His lordship may not have admitted it when he was alive, but I have it on good authority that he had many enemies."
"Did you hear? There's speculation that there are shady dealings involved. Drugs! Wouldn't be surprised to find out that Lord Hastarllen was embroiled in something illegal. Never did like the man, always had this sly look around him."
Slade tuned out the voices of court gossip and grinded his teeth in annoyance. :Damnit, Hastarllen was our best link!: he sent to his Companion in frustration, a sentiment which was echoed back with equal fervor.
Just as that lady dressed in an absurd color of pink and orange with a particularly shrill voice had announced, Lord Hastarllen was involved in drugs, among other items he was smuggling, but that was the least of crimes he was suspected for. For the past few months, Slade's sources indicated that the lord had been traveling to his country house very frequently, of late. That was no surprise, considering Slade knew that the lord was smuggling state secrets across the border into Karse, and his country house was conveniently near the border. Despite the alliance forged between the two countries, there were still some who resented the changes implemented by the new Son of the Sun, and craved for the glory of the times before. The fact that Hastarllen was leaking information on Valdemaran defenses was enough to try the lord for treason, and Slade had proof of his dealings with the rebels in Karse. But what worried Slade and his superiors was where Hastarllen had obtained those records in the first place. Hastarllen had to have had help. He couldn't have obtained them on his own, and that meant that there was a traitor in the palace, possibly even on the council feeding him the information. A traitor they didn't know of.
So now Slade was supposed to find out who that traitor was. That was the reason why he was attending court, as one of the courtiers and not as the Herald he was. In fact, other than the Queen, Queen's Own and Kerowyn, no one else knew he was a Herald. Not even his friends in the Circle could recognize him. Hastarllen often frequented these gatherings, and was the only link they had to the Traitor. Now he was dead. Weeks of investigation and planning gone with a simple throw of a dart. It was enough to make any man want to lash out in frustration, and it was all Slade could do to restrain himself from doing exactly that.
:Patience, Chosen. The Traitor must be feeling the pressure and ordered Lord Hastarllen's death. He is not thinking rationally now, and will make a mistake. We will catch him.:
:Weeks, Dartha. Weeks. Now we have lost the only connection to the Traitor and weeks of work wasted.:
:I wouldn't think so. We must have been getting close, close enough for him to panic. And now we must concentrate on finding the person hired to kill Lord Hastarllen.:
Dartha was right. His next logical step should be to look for the killer, slim though the chances might be. Court must be numbing his brain if wasn't thinking of the possibilities after this setback.
:Court has a tendency to do that to a person,: Dartha teased. :And to think that you still have a whole day to spend in there!:
Slade held back a grimace, and smiled courteously to one of the ladies. Damn and blast, he thought, wishing profusely that he could just get out of the itchy court garb and into his comfortable Whites.
"Slade! Just the man I wanted to see. I say, you're always up to date with the news, what have you heard about the murder? Hastarllen? Shot in his own home, can you imagine? Next thing you know we'll be murdered in our beds! What is the world coming to?"
Forcing a smile of interest on his face, Slade prepared for another long day of court.
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So how was it? Good? Bad? This is my first attempt at Fanfiction, so please review!!!