Lucy held back a swear word at his answer.
The Prince?!
She resisted the urge to shake the man and scream at him for his foolishness. Kill the Prince of Fiore? Impossible. Lucy bit her tongue, trying to staunch the flow of questions that begged to escape her lips. Lucy knew she was talented in the guild; she was known to be silent and smart. She didn't brag about her kills like others, something that ultimately led to their downfall. But she was no god.
The Prince of Fiore was not only surrounded by soldiers 24/7, but he was also trained by the famous Igneel himself. Lucy fought back a snappish refusal – she had no right to refuse her father. She had no power to say no. So instead, she asked a reasonable question.
"Who could afford such a job?" Jude was the richest man she knew, and only he could possibly afford such a risky task. Even their jobs that were considerably small costed an arm and a leg. "Is this personal?"
She immediately regretted her last question.
Jude stood, his chair squeaking backwards. His eyes sharpened dangerously as he leaned forward on the desk. Lucy's blood froze.
"That," he snarled, "is none of your business, now is it?"
Lucy said nothing. Her pride wouldn't allow her to nod. He continued, taking a seat, resuming his place like he hadn't just looked at her like she was scum under his foot.
"You will leave in two days' time and travel to Magnolia. Virgo will accompany you." He paused, eyeing her up and down. Virgo was, no doubt, meant to keep an eye on her. "I expect you to continue any jobs before you leave."
Once he finished she waited, but he had looked back down at his papers. Realizing her dismissal she gave a half bow and walked towards the door. Just as her hand grasped the handle he spoke up again.
"One more thing, Lucy," he said, not removing his eyes from the paper. "If word were to get out about this mission… there will be consequences." Without replying she yanked open the door and stormed out. They closed behind her with a slam.
Virgo stood against the wall, but upon hearing Lucy leave the room she straightened and approached Lucy. Her attire was just a black dress with a white apron over it, with strange light pink hair. Virgo never explained it so Lucy never asked.
"Do you wish to go to sleep, miss?" she asked. Lucy nodded, too exhausted to make a proper reply. The day was catching up to her.
"Very well, miss, if you'll follow me." Lucy didn't need to follow Virgo to get to her rooms, she had lived here her entire life, but Virgo seemed to believe she forgot every time she left the confines of this underground trap. Opening another door to the left of Jude's study Virgo silently walked down the steps, Lucy trailing behind. The stairways wooden steps squeaked under their feet and Lucy winced at every sound. Virgo always assured her that there was no one lurking around but almost a lifetimes sneaking around taught Lucy the value of silence. She wasn't one to enjoy disrupting it.
When she was small, this place used to terrify her. The cold atmosphere coupled with the claustrophobic feeling of being buried alive used to drive her to hysteria. But over time she'd been given no choice but to deal with it; it wasn't like her father was going to comfort her. But still, even now, she couldn't get over the fear that climbed her throat.
At the bottom of the stairs was a long hallway that they walked until they came upon a wide, wooden door. Virgo pushed it open and Lucy sighed in relief when she crossed the threshold.
She shook off her boots next to the door and draped her body across the large canvas bed, not bothering to change. The covers were soft to the touch.
Say what you will about her father (heck she would probably join you), but he did have a taste for finery.
"Don't you wish to change, miss?"
"Not tonight, Virgo," she mumbled into the sheets.
"Very well." Virgo snuffed out the candle that she was carrying as shut the door behind her, offering a small, "Goodnight miss Lucy."
Lucy sighed and drew the covers around her body. She closed her eyes in attempt to sleep, willing the exhaustion that had settled in her bones to take over, but her mind was going a mile a minute, not allowing for the rest her body craved.
She thought about the man.
It had been a normal job, she'd thought in the beginning. Given a name, address, and description. Until the added detail that she was to kill him in public. Usually her jobs allowed her to be as discreet as she wished. But this was an order from her father.
The cries of his family echoed in her ears. The look on his face before she stabbed him. She took a breath and thought of something else. Something more pressing than her suffocating guilt.
The Prince.
He was a famous prince, popular for his kindness and obvious love for the kingdom. Despite this, he was considered to be a bit of a wild child. The kingdom loved him as far as she was aware, but she had heard a few people murmuring worriedly about such a child becoming king one day.
Despite this, he was a popular guy. He was trained by the great Igneel and it was rumored that once the Prince beat Igneel in a fight. Igneel had long been deceased but he still lived in legend.
The only possible reason someone could want him dead was for the throne. He did have a younger sister, but girls weren't allowed to rule alone, and she was only fourteen – far too young to rule. So if the Prince was killed there would be an opening.
She desperately wanted to ask Jude who had requested the job, or if it was his own request. And if so, why? Was Jude vying for the throne? The country would never accept someone like him being in power, no matter how much money he had.
Lucy shuddered at the thought of him being king. What a cruel ending to a beautiful kingdom that would be.
Never mind the reason, she thought, how was she even supposed to get close to him?
Lucy could take care of the guards possibly, but the Prince and his close entourage were a different matter. If she was being honest, Lucy had no idea if she could beat someone trained by Igneel. Not only that, but getting close to him would be close to impossible. He lived in heavily guarded castle after all. Lucy knew she was good, but she had her limits
She was probably going to die on this job.
Lucy briefly thought that it was best that she did die. She had no want to kill the Prince, just like she had no want to kill anyone. She was still a child, seventeen, and her actions were because of her father. She'd tried to rebel once. To leave. She didn't like to think about it.
She was the empty husk of a bright girl she'd once been. She'd been carved out, and left hollow.
Lucy raised her hands above her head. Though she couldn't see it, she could feel the sticky blood that covered them. She was an assassin and nothing else.
Though, she reflected, no one truly sees me as one.
She was only seventeen after all, when people looked at her they forgot she was the best assassin in the guild. All they saw was a tall, blonde, child who didn't know left from right.
The only people who actually knew she was an assassin were in the guild. Everyone in Fiore has heard of Heartfilia's Home, and they even have heard about the founder's child becoming an assassin, but that was it. Her father had made sure any rumors about her appearance and gender were squashed. Lucy couldn't very well complete a mission like the one she was going to attempt soon if everywhere she went, people knew who she was.
Lucy sighed and snapped her eyes close again. Sleep was necessary to function. She started to hum a small lullaby to herself, one her mother used to sing to her.
When she did fall asleep, she dreamed of the dead man's eyes.
Lucy's eyes creaked open and she moaned in protest. Virgo stood over her with curious eyes, holding the candle a little too close to her face for Lucy's liking.
"Miss Lucy, you were mumbling in your sleep," she said.
"Yeah," Lucy groaned, "I do that sometimes. Thanks."
"You're welcome," she said with a straight face. Lucy rolled her eyes and sat up. Mumbling curses about this ungodly hour she pulled open the bathroom door and climbed into the bath already prepared. She regretted not taking one last night at the feeling of dirt coating her skin in layers. A sigh left her lips as she sank into the warm water.
She slowly relaxed her head against the tub and started to wash herself. She took extra care with her long hair. Despite its ugly connection to her father (them being the only two in the guild with golden blonde hair) she loved it. Once she was done she regretfully stood from the bath and Virgo, who was standing by the door and watched silently, walked over with a towel.
Lucy dressed in a dark blue shirt and black vest with black pants. She clipped her black cloak around her neck, grabbed her sword from the chair where she had set it last night, and slid it on her belt. She heard a knock on the door just as she finished tying her hair into a ponytail. Shooing Virgo away, who was already attempting to pull it open, she grabbed the door and shoved it open, already knowing who stood on the other side.
An older, bald man wearing a pristine suit with dark glasses on his nose and a firm mouth line stood in the entrance.
"Capricorn," Lucy greeted warmly. The edges of his mouth quirked up into a smile at the sight of Lucy, but it didn't last long. The edges of his mouth turning down. Capricorn and Virgo had been in service to Lucy ever since she was a baby, but Lucy had always considered them to be her only friends and family.
"I have your next job," he said. Immediately her short but sweet good mood disappeared. Lucy opened the door wider so he could enter. He stepped in with an air that reminded her vaguely of a soldier. "Just one," he added as an afterthought.
Relief flooded through her. On the occasional occurrence she would have to kill more than one person in a day and the result was always taxing. Sometimes it resulted in no sleep for days and if she did manage to get some, it was filled with nightmares.
"Who is it?" she asked warily, shutting the door behind him.
"John Lorne," he said. "He has been blackmailing a noblewoman and she wishes for us to get rid of the problem." Lucy felt revulsion rise within her. What a pointless reason to take human life.
Lucy nodded grimly. Before she could say anything though her stomach rumbled loudly. Knowing she would regret this later she asked, "Breakfast first?"
What'd ya think? I realize it is probably going a little slow right now, sorry! It will pick up soon though, just give me some time. I will make you all love this story :p. I'll probably past the next chapter in two days? One if your lucky. We'll see... It all depends...
Oh, and yes it does seem a little OOC for Lucy to be an assassin, so there might be instances that she doesn't seem like herself. I'll do my best though to keep her in her normal state!
Please review, I love hearing from you!