Chapter Two

Contempt

"It gets hotter everyday Your Majesty."

Jessamine turned on her horse to smile at the two other stallions striding up to her. Her hand tipped up her riding hat, shifting the reigns to stall her mare as her Lord Protector and his lieutenant trotted up to her side. "Lord Essen, it's strange to see you out and about Serkonos, let alone on a horse."

"Even in my age Empress, I still have a job to do, no matter how much I trust my soldiers." He smiled. Nicolai Essen was a hardy man. A renowned General and Commander, he had fought in the war and built up his reputation enough for a place in the courts. He had been her Father's favorite soldier and friend, so when the time came to choose a Royal Protector, there hadn't really been a choice. He had always kept an eye on her when she was younger and his organization with her guards had proven time and again very efficient. Especially now that he was at an age where he couldn't always keep up with her appearances.

Jessamine turned her mare about to trot slightly ahead with Nicolai at her right. She lifted her chin, relishing in the slight heat through her tight riding jacket and pants. Although her legs still burned beneath her leather boots and her hair was insulating heat. "It is miserable, but I find the view along the sands beautiful." She commented. Serkonos was unrelenting, but still the Realm's southern desert gem. It was strange how its humble beauty, untouched by iron and industry, sparkled and yet on a second look the cities leaked with scandal, underhanded piracy, and shady dealings.

Nicolai followed her gaze to the ocean, his own strappings and badges of war weighing down his clothing in the heat. "The men here are born for this weather. We all redden and melt like wax, while they darken and harden like steel."

Jessamine chuckled delicately. "Tell me Essen, what news brings you to my side in such weather?"

She heard him sigh behind her before broaching the subject. "I know your Majesty wishes to make appearances to reassure the new treaty with the Serkonos regency… but while the regency wants us here and proves a great ally, they cannot always control their people." He paused and Jessamine turned her eyes on him curiously. "There have been some… reports of unrests near the compound with some citizens. Ruffians, mostly. Ones who obviously don't like Lord Rossini either."

Jessamine frowned. "Gallows men?" She asked.

"We thank the Abbey not!" Essen scoffed. "The Gallows of Serkonos train their assassins from birth. Those men know no love or sympathy. Many of them turn to piracy and many more simply kill so much they kill themselves with naught left to do." He frowned. "I've seen them train those boys like dogs. No… this is mere drunkards and thugs. But we don't want it to be any more than that."

Jessamine's expression pursed and her mare shook its head in the heated wind. "I see."

"You are best protected at home in Gristol your Majesty." Essen reiterated. He pulled out a handkerchief and patted his wrinkled brow and dampened beard. "Especially when you insist on running your Lord Protector rampant around this city." He chuckled.

Jessamine smiled back at him and nodded in understanding. "Soon then. Next week, prepare my ships. But I have to meet with Lord Rossini himself to talk trade one last time. Then I will be fit to depart."

"Very good, Your Majesty."

"He killed three of them, Captain. Faster than I could see-I couldn't have stopped him! I swear it or I would have!"

Morris ground his teeth together. Damn it all to the void. The 3rd time in three weeks, and now he'd killed three at once.

Corvo Attano had proved more than worthy of being a patrol officer. Though he had also proved the biggest problem Captain Morris had ever faced in all his years of being a watchmen. Corvo was stubborn and disrespectful of their organization and his orders. They were constantly reminding him of propriety and conduct. Not to mention the man made gaps in his security every five minutes. Or rather… he pointed out gaps in his security, which surely, were not there before.

Last week they had been able to reduce the number guards on the eastern side of the fence protecting Her Majesty's villa by installing a new tripwire mine system that was foolproof. Or it had been foolproof. Corvo has stormed in with angry hands, gesturing wildly that the minefield was a farce and Morris had shouted at him to leave. Three hours later Corvo returned to dump a handful of mines on his desk, nearly scaring him to death before he learned they were all disarmed. Simply to prove a point. It was a good point, but a ridiculous one. What man would spend that long disarming mines simply to get into one area full of guards and still have to face hours of patrols to get to the Royal Empress?

A man determined to kill her. Corvo had signed.

There was also an officer currently infirm with a broken arm from a brawl that happened in the barracks. But when he had heard the shouting and rushed to break up the fight, there wasn't anything to break up. The officer couldn't testify if Corvo had actually moved and neither could the other dozen witnesses in the room. Apparently the officer had been harassing and demeaning Corvo as Serkonan. He had grabbed Corvo's shoulder to provoke him and was suddenly on the ground. Just like that. No one had seen Corvo move to break his arm. "Maybe he just fell on it when Corvo shrugged him off?" They wagered.

Either way, he couldn't discharge him for lack of evidence. But at least his men would know not to antagonize the Serkonan.

All of that was enough for three weeks of service. If it wasn't for the killings.

The first time it had happened, the patrol officers acting as his guides lost him doing their rounds. They had reported to Morris, who was displeased to say the least. They looked around the compound for a good hour when Corvo suddenly appeared himself, dumping a dead body onto the courtyard.

An assassin. His hands spoke.

Morris could accept that. After all, who better to know and eliminate an assassin but an assassin himself? He had nodded, trustfully if a bit warily, and gave him a "Job well done."

The second time, Corvo had killed a boy.

He had to be no older than 12. This time, a sweeping hand to indicate the word 'assassin' didn't cut it with Morris. They had shouted. Well, Morris had. "You can't just make that call! He's a child! And you have no orders to kill civilians even if they are antagonizing! You will ruin everything between Her Majesty and the Lord Rossini's treaty! Are you mad!?"

Corvo had glared in a reserved fury before ripping out a metallic object from his coat. The guards at the time had all pointed their guns and Morris had nearly thought Corvo meant to attack when instead he threw the object before them. It clattered to the ground noisly, but laid still.

A spring razor.

Corvo had signed slowly, with fingers that held a controlled violence. Strapped to the boy. A Serkonan trick.

Morris had let that one go too. But not without suspending him from patrols for the rest of the week and berating him for an hour about the difference between being a Serkonos assassin and being a Gristol watchmen. He had wanted to detain him, or send him packing to his Ambassador. But that would be an open insult straight to Lord Rossini. Captain Morris was already making plans to talk to the higher ups or send a letter to he Empress herself if he had too. But until they actually left the island for home, Corvo was his responsibility. And they only had a week left, which seemed alright. But Corvo had gone back on patrol today after his suspension.

And now...

He ran along the fence of the compound with his lieutenant leading the way, fearing a slaughter of civilians. The streets were dark and sickly humid and hot. There was yowling of strays beyond the fence. Even close to the coast as Her Majesty's villa was, the stench of the impoverished villages just beyond reeked down the land.

Their steps echoed loudly and shadows began to emerge in the darkness ahead. A fluorescent watch light flickered on at the sense of their movement. The light striking the image of a lean man in patrol clothing standing over dark misshapen shadows. Three of them.

"Fuck it all!" Morris swore, slowing. He half expected Corvo to have run off, but there he was, standing there waiting for them. His lieutenant paused behind him as he stormed up the worn cobblestones to the Serkonan. He allowed himself to look down at dead bodies and nearly sighed out loud in his relief that they were all adult men and not children. His anger still did not subside. "What in the name of hell happened!?"

Corvo's long hair framed his face in darkness. The shadows of the fluorescent watch light hitting the back of his head made his eyes and pupils nearly unreadable in the night. He said nothing.

"We were just making the rounds Sir! Nothing out of the ordinary at all and the shift was nearly through! He was right by my side I swear it!" The lieutenant called again, stepping forward and looking down at the men and shaking his head. "I-I saw them a bit far off near the gates. I figured them for workers, what with their uniforms. I'd seen the servers before last week comin' in and out."

Damn it all. Corvo had slaughtered the Villa's servers. This was a mess.

"Then the mute he- he just took off! I chased him, tried to catch up but they all went down. He barely touched them and they just died, just like that!" As the lieutenant continued, Corvo moved, stepping over the first body and coming to crouch near the second.

"Get away from the bodies Corvo! Not another move!" Morris warned, grabbing the hilt of his blade. The lieutenant stepped backward in shock. "Do you realize what you've done?"

Corvo stopped when he was told and glanced over his shoulder. There was no anger this time. Just a straight seriousness in his dark eyes that made Morris bulk on his threat. Corvo's hand moved, grasping one of the dead man's arms and pushing his sleeve higher. A tattoo emerged into view, ragged and wicked black ink swirling in an intricate design. It looked infected... new. Corvo dropped the arm after Morris got a good look and stood, lifting his own sleeve to show him an identical marking. His was old and faded into his skin, interrupted by scars.

"Gallows men!" His lieutenant shouted. Morris let his hand drop from his hilt, staring at Corvo in slight wonder.

"This... isn't good. That mean's someone has the Empress targeted for a bounty." The Captain sighed, putting a hand to the back of his neck. "Not good at all. She meets with the Ambassador and Lord Rossini himself tomorrow." He cringed. "In town, at his palace."

Corvo stepped forward, his hand moving quickly.

Captain Morris made a face at him. "Blast it all I can't- I can't go that fast man!" He barked, feeling incompetent and irritated with the situation altogether. It was as if his problems were growing bigger in scale every day. Bigger than any he had ever faced. And it was this mute man's fault.

"He says that she mustn't go. Says that she should return to Gristol… tomorrow." The lieutenant supplied. "And he says... ah... says he must be assigned to her side."

Morris glared, stepping forward to point a finger at Corvo. "We had this discussion!" He bit out. Corvo's expression remained steady in his dark eyes and the control of his expression made Morris step back. He lowered his hand but not his scowl or his authority. "Look- I appreciate your skills and your insight. To catch all those men trying to get in here... " He paused, a weary but plaintive look on his face. "I apologize for my assumptions, but you still don't respect command. And while it's good that you caught them, you can't make the call to kill them! They have to be detained for information. You don't respect orders and you don't respect conduct."

Morris didn't even try to read the new words in Corvo's hands, he couldn't argue with him, not now. He ignored them instead, continuing, "The last thing that the Empress will want right now when she finds out that Gallow's men are after her is a Gallow's assassin near her!"

If he made assumptions before that Corvo would attack him during an argument... it was his instincts and the look in Corvo's eyes that made him surer now than ever.

"I'm sorry Corvo. But you were assigned here and Lord Rossini's commands for your position don't hold up under Gristol authority."

It was quiet under the buzzing of the watch light, it's bright shining whiteness the only thing carving them out of the darkness. "Perhaps it's not such a bad idea Captain... "The lieutenant trailed. Morris turned his irritated eyes on the soldier who paused at the look before continuing with genuine concern. "I would have let these men right in. It was enough for me they were wearing uniform and... I would not have known they were Gallows men at all but Corvo... Corvo just knew."

The fact that it was true didn't make his job any easier. It was hard gaining trust in Corvo Attano, with his particular behavior and presence, not to mention his background. But it was even harder coming to terms with trusting him and not supporting him because he knew others wouldn't. Not to mention if he was wrong, it would cost lives. Still, Morris knew a dire situation when he saw one. And the benefits of knowing one's enemy were enough to outweigh a little protocol.

"I'm assigned with a small regiment to her Lord Protector tomorrow during her venture into Karnaca to meet with the Lordship." He looked up, meeting the small black eyes of the assassin. "Come with tomorrow and stay close to my side. We can... keep a better eye on things with you there." He compromised.

Corvo didn't look happy, but he didn't look angry anymore either. The quiet tension of the night was filled with a soft tentative understanding between them as they nodded.

Morris only hoped that he was right to bring him along.

He hoped more that it wouldn't be needed.

Note: Shorter Chapter than usual for me. But only because it made more sense to cut it off here. Next chapter is very, very long.