Masquerade
Summary: "I see you are not the regular arrogant aristocrat." She smirked on the inside as once again, he was caught off guard. "And it seems that you too are not the average maid." AU
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
As diplomats conversed with Lords, and Ladies socialised, he kept his position by the wall and surveyed his surroundings with a critical eye.
Easily ignoring any lingering eye contact (demanded mainly by clusters of giggling women) he sought his quarry. Leaning against the wall he shifted slightly to gain a clearer view, immediately pinpointing the face of the timid Lady Hinata.
Dark hair that cascaded over her slender shoulders shielded her eyes from him, though even from the opposite side of the hall he could see a reddish hue colouring her pale cheeks as the girl made an attempt to excuse herself from the small group of young nobles; each sent by their respective parents to gain the favour of the heir of one of the most influential duchies in the kingdom.
Someone outside of his eye line caught her attention, causing her to turn about. Twisting back, a shy smile gracing her lips she bade her companions farewell with her silver-grey eyes sweeping the room before setting her sights on her cousin. Gliding across the hall, weaving between members of the royal court, she strayed from his gaze many a time. Still maintaining his image of being the epitome of indifference, he briefly registered Lady Hinata reaching the young knight and consulting her cousin in hushed tones.
His eyes darted around the expanse of the room - seemingly at random - as his sharp mind quickly identified several terse looking men stiffly 'mingling' with their fellow nobles hiding barely concealed weapons under their clothing. One, two, three, four… as he counted each he felt a presence approach him, stopping short by about half a metre. His peripheral vision confirmed his suspicions in the form of a serving girl.
He ignored her.
When she spoke though, he was unable to continue doing so.
x X x
"There are fifteen of them," she remarked lightly. Clad in a simple blouse and skirt, her ensemble was completed by a half apron that covered her from the waist down. Her attire coupled with the way that her bangs were bound back by a plain pin marked her as a noblewoman's personal maid rather than a servant bound to serve the palace. None the less she carried a tray which she offered to the brooding man before her, enquiring in her nonchalant manner, "Care for a pastry, My Lord?"
His eyes narrowed in suspicion as he seemed to mull over her possible intentions, whilst her own amber orbs positively glittered as she observed him. She watched as the cogs turned in his mind; as he realised that she had purposely placed herself in a position that would minimise chances of lip-reading or eavesdropping now that her initial statement had been aired; that the grin that was beginning to stretch across her lips was one that a commoner would never dare to use when addressing her betters; that she had deliberately used the incorrect form of address for a noble of his stature to avoid any suspicion from others; that for him to extract any information from her, he must play along with her; and also that she was aware that he was now conscious of these details.
He reached forward and accepted a savoury snack. "A knight of the realm is addressed by 'Sir' followed by his first name," he reprimanded sternly without sparing her a glance. "You may refer to me as Sir Sasuke."
She bowed her head, as was expected of her and custom dictated, and her steady response was also one that had tradition behind it. "As My Lord wishes." Then apparently realising the repeated mistake, she let out a shaky "Begging your pardon Sir Sasuke."
It was clear to both of them, however, that it was again, deliberate.
"I see you are not the regular arrogant aristocrat."
She smirked on the inside as once again, he was caught off guard.
She had seen the way that his eyes had tracked Lady Hinata's every movement. He had located almost every guard posted to protect her with practised ease… His shrewd gaze did not go unnoticed. Without raising alarm, she had gently advised her 'mistress' to seek the company (and the more subtle protection) of her cousin.
"Though I suppose that certainly the 'aristocrat', and perhaps the 'arrogant' part, are undeniably accurate." The corner of her lip curled upwards and she cautioned herself against overconfidence. Still, she could not deny that this exchange was the most amusing encounter that she had been provided by her line of work thus far; perhaps this one would even venture to keep to her pace?
To his credit, Sir Sasuke's only visible reaction was to quirk an eyebrow.
x X x
"I see you are not the regular arrogant aristocrat." He could see the mirth simmering in her honey coloured orbs as she continued, "Though I suppose that certainly the 'aristocrat', and perhaps the 'arrogant' part, are undeniably accurate."
"And it seems that you too are not the average maid." Indeed, it was commendable the way that she had casually sauntered over without attracting attention (a feat almost impossible for nobles to achieve, never mind the servants under their scrutiny!). Each breath she took seemed to be carefully calculated and he would hazard a guess that she knew at least the name and rank of every person present, along with other points of interest that may be useful to her. She almost certainly knew who he was despite her earlier charade of ignorance.
Yes, she certainly wasn't the average maid…
At first he had considered the possibility that she was a spy hired by some noble or another to gather information. He had, however, soon dismissed the notion. Whatever intelligence she gathered would merely be for her own amusement. But the more vital/critical point was this: as a spy, she could not be more disadvantaged than she had already become by 'revealing' herself to him.
He was never one to curse another's stupidity – it often proved to be a blessing in disguise – but it struck him as odd that someone who seemed to have planned for multiple possible scenarios would make such a potentially fatal mistake.
But what could she possibly gain by-?
His brows rose ever-so-slightly as he finally saw her for what she was.
Ah. So that was it.
She had unflinchingly imparted the number of guardians present in the room. But these were only the visible guards. She seemed intent on insinuating that Lady Hinata also had more covert protectors at hand too.
Her confidence gave him reason to believe that she had correctly identified both him and his objective quite early into the evening; the fact that she had approached him at all indicated her conviction in the efficiency of both the guards posted throughout the room and of her own skill.
To strike now could prove to be fatal.
Better that he follow his original plan; to observe. Indeed, this scouting session had proved to be most educational:
His target had a body guard. A very good one.
By acting the part of a servant she would be able to gain access to almost anywhere that she pleased under the ruse of running errands. She could ask questions that would not seem suspect coming from her; in the eyes of nobles, most common born folk were uneducated (even when it was proved otherwise). She could stay by Lady Hinata's side without raising suspicion, guarding from the sidelines where enemies would least expect her.
But then again, he wasn't exactly the conventional assassin either.
x X x
The whole situation was intriguing in itself, she mused as she studied the man before her. Who would have thought that a knight of the realm - pillar of the kingdom and upholder of the Code of Chivalry – would sell his services? She found herself to be impressed despite herself. There were not many facades that were so effective; knights were held in esteem… Coming from noble families and protecting their people, they were highly regarded and were often the last to be suspected of any wrongdoing. This Sir Sasuke was almost untouchable. The keyword being 'almost'. In this cat-and-mouse chase, she had to set the traps and catch him in the act before she could do anything. Excitement bubbled in her chest and her eyes flashed.
A challenge.
Sir Sasuke caught her gaze. She could almost feel him don his courtly veil as his position shifted; their conversation would no longer be concealed.
"May I be directed to the guest's wing?" Despite the wording, it was not a request.
She dipped into a shallow curtsey and bustled away to deposit her tray. She took this opportunity to send a hand-signal to the guards to keep an eye on Lady Hinata – she would be back momentarily.
She approached Sir Sasuke again; lashes lowered, and lead him out of the hall. It was a silent journey, save for the soft tapping of shoes on floor. About to turn the corner, she heard the rustle of cloth as the man behind her moved into action. Lowering herself to the floor, swiftly, she pulled a flat knife from the band that held it in place on her leg. Cold metal met her throat as she slid her weapon under her opponent's arm.
She quickly quelled the look of triumph that seemed to linger in his eyes by murmuring "If I cut you here, you will lose as much blood as I would if you cut me."
His smirk was now gone, but the blade had yet to be removed.
Her eyes were serious, her voice lowered as she spoke, "If you lay so much as a finger on My Lady…"
She needn't continue. His brows rose at the threat. He didn't know how far her reach was - any false moves and his mission would be left incomplete.
She watched as he turned and took measured steps – to prove that he was not intimidated - until he was out of sight.
And so, the game begins.
-Hollyrose-
A/N: I wrote this a couple of months ago for a creative writing competition at college (which I didn't win), but thought that I should upload my effort :D I'm not sure whether or not I'm going to continue this or not...
I'm still in my AU spree, and still stuck in the medieval type of story (not that that's a bad thing or anything).
Thanks to everyone who read, and any feedback you could offer would be appreciated!