After such a long wait, I present you with Her Duty. This is (so far) the longest short, running at around 3000 words. However, while working on this I found that taking stuff out ruined the overall goal of this piece. Enjoy!
Prompt: Captain Kerrn reflecting on meeting Conn. The Duchess and her revisit Kerrn's own past.
Captain Kerrn
"Pretty bold of him if you ask me." Farn spoke as he and Kerrn excited the cell. The room was quiet, the lack of criminals awaiting trail surprising but comforting. It meant that Kerrn, as well as the other Guards were performing at their peak.
"I would not give him such high praise. He's still a thief."
"Must be working for someone." Farn continued. "I mean, I can't imagine what a kid would want with one of the palace jewels." Perhaps Farn couldn't understand the thief's motives, but Kerrn could. A jewel of that size would mean a life of comfort for any thief. If he'd been able to escape into the Twilight finding him would have been nearly impossible.
"I want to know who he is." She ordered, locking eyes with Farn. "I want to know how he knew about that jewel and how he managed to sneak into the Duchess' room without a Guard seeing him." She could see how her stern tone affected Farn, but there was no other way to communicate the seriousness of the situation.
"Yes Captain."
"Well? Why are you still standing here?" She scowled, content once Farn had left the room. No doubt there would be chatter amongst the rest of the Guard. Once they discovered who this thief was gossip was a natural result.
The boy wouldn't fare badly though, she thought. Captain Kerrn had captured worse criminals prowling the Sunrise. Even then, the Duchess was reluctant to issue an order for a hanging. She preferred to exile outlaws, showing a kindness Kerrn had been surprised she possessed.
Glancing at the door that led to the cells Kerrn heard no movement that indicated the captive was awake. Besides, he was locked in and had been searched for wires. They were as safe from him as he was from them. Perhaps it was a good time to visit the Duchess.
The halls were lit as though it were still early evening. Servants had been woken in the confusion and Kerrn nodded to a few of them as she passed. No doubt the event of the evening would be the topic of gossip for the next few days. Perhaps one of the servants knew something about the prisoner. Kerrn knew that at least a quarter of the servants came out of the Twilight.
"Evening, Captain." Darina the Guard who had first alerted Kerrn of a possible intruder, grinned when she saw her.
"You're supposed to be here with Torric. Where is he?"
"The Duchess requested tea and, well, you see, Allie was the servant who was closest and Torric thought it was fit to escort her to and from the kitchens. Just in case that thief brought friends." Darina refused to meet Kerrn's gaze as she spoke. Though she held a strong friendship with her Captain she knew how seriously she took her job. For the most part, Kerrn was not shocked. She'd seen the way Torric looked at Allie, had even caught the looks Allie return to him.
"When he gets back from his trip, you tell him I want him in my office." Darina nodded, bowing her head as Kerrn entered the room.
Werelights bathed the room in comfortable light. Kerrn had expected to see a servant or two within the chambers, but was surprised to see only the Duchess sitting on her bed.
"I was wondering when I would see you, Captain Kerrn."
"You need only call, and I'll be there you know."
"You make yourself sound like a loyal dog instead of a person. Come closer, you don't have to wait by the door." Kerrn obliged and stood beside the Duchess. She remembered the first time she had been brought to the Dawn Palace and the Duchess had explained that Kerrn's new spot would be by her side.
"Your Grace, I would like to yet again apologize for—"
"Before you continue, I forgive this transgression. I am not so concerned about how this thief managed to get his way into the Palace. I want to know why he came here and who he is working for. He is too young to have come here for his own interests."
"You would be surprised how much influence these younger ones have. Power wins over age when you depend on the streets for a living."
"I suppose you would know more about that than I would." Kerrn frowned, eyes glancing towards the Duchess, but she hadn't moved. She sat on the edge of her bed, the covers tossed aside and continued to stare straight ahead. Once upon a time the Duchess' habit of avoiding eye contact had made her nervous. She had always believed it had been because she was calculating her next move.
"It has been a long time since those days."
"It has, though some days it doesn't feel like it."
"What exactly does my recruitment have to do with the current situation, your Grace?"
"Perhaps you could use your expertise to make him talk. I imagine there is something that can be promised to him as thanks for his cooperation." At that, Kerrn tensed. Though she was not ashamed about where she cam from, her life before Wellmet was not a topic she enjoyed reliving.
"I'm surprised you remember the details of that time. I was barely fourteen when we'd met."
"Yes, and you most likely would have been dumped into a ditch not long after had you not been brought to my attention." Kerrn knew she was right. The backstreets of Helva were not a place where most survived to adulthood. Often, disease consumed them, or they disappeared all together. Kerrn had been one of the lucky ones, she'd had her parents until she was nine; enough time to learn to avoid being caught by the pathetic excuse for city guards.
"Do you suppose he will accept a proposition like I did, your Grace?"
"Like you, I'm sure he could be persuaded. You were just as stubborn as I expect him to be. Part of me is still shocked we managed to persuade you."
1.
"Go figure the Count has enough funds to entertain some spoiled Duchess, but he can't even feed his own people!"
"Bet that's why there's been not a speck of extra grain. Bastard is probably hoarding it."
"Wouldn't do ta have them foreign powers thinking we the rats of the peninsular."
Kerrn moved between the drunks with her head down. She'd taken care to cover her blonde hair, so she wouldn't draw attention to herself. Even an inch of blonde hair could provide well for a poor man.
"Of course, I'd not say no to seeing that pretty thing up close."
"Yea, I hear she's a young lass."
"Fresh and untouched."
"Ain't she promised or something?"
"Maybe she'd want practice for the big night!" Raucous laughter broke out as glasses clinked and a few shattered from the force. Kerrn fought the urge to scowl, pigs were better than the men who frequented the Old Sod. But she wasn't here to judge character, no, she had an intent more malicious than that.
At the age of fourteen, Kerrn was a sight. Her blonde hair, usually wrapped up in a black cloth, separated her from the majority of Helvans. Her eyes were the colour of ice and held about as much warmth as snow. From a distance she could still pass as a young man, but her form had begun to betray her and each day it became easier to see she was a woman. She'd been careful not to let people get too close to her, lest they decide they didn't want to do business with a woman.
"Well, look who's back in action." Kerrn didn't stop walking, instead lengthening her strides as she heard another set trails hers.
"Too many men in this place for something like you, ain't it?"
"Ah Kerrn, you hurt me. You know you're the only girl I think about. Though, I suppose I'm going to have to start calling you a woman."
"Say anything of the sort in public and I'll take good care they don't find your body." They had arrived at a door that most believed headed outside. A swift set of knocks was all it took for the door to open for them. Below, stairs led down into a pit. Kerrn turned to give her companion a look, a warning that he could follow if he could be quiet. To his credit, Soreno smirked and mimicked locking his lips shut.
"Do tell me, do your ears burn when I even think about giving you an assignment?" Valerit grinned from his seat behind his desk. Beside him two rough looking guards stood armed, ready in case Kerrn became hostile.
"That would be helpful. You know I hate small talk, so what do you want and what do I get out of it?"
"Careful, I dislike rude behaviour almost as much as you hate small talk." Valerit growled, eyes slits that made Kerrn's skin prickle. "Ah, Soreno, good to see you're still healthy. I don't suppose you'd like to partner with—"
"I work alone, or I walk." Kerrn spat.
"Easy there, it was only a suggestion. Fine, I guess I should get down to business. You know we are to be expecting foreign royalty within the next few days. One of those dignitaries is the young Duchess, Willa. Her fiancé won't be around on this trip, so she'll only have some advisors and servants to guard her. What our client wants is for you, Kerrn, to take out her Chief Advisor. A man by the name of Reynolds."
"Why not the Duchess?"
"Because our client doesn't wish to start a war. However, this Reynolds man is attempting to negotiate the restrictions of trade travelling in and out of Helva. He wants to shut off the southern banks from receiving supplies and instead have us pay higher prices for them Wellmet people to ship us the supplies we need." Kerrn bit back the urge to huff, of course it had to do with another minister trying to starve Helva. Though not as prosperous as some of the other cities in the Peninsular, Helva still made its fair share of contributions.
Their wizards were among some of the most revered, men and women with more power than Kerrn would know what to do with. The skills of their weavers, who could create anything from baskets to elegant gowns, were nearly unsurpassed. Kerrn had spent many long afternoons watching some of them from a distance. They had caught her though, because she had returned to find a parcel with a new shirt and long pants addressed to 'the girl too shy to say hello.'
"I will see it done. As usual, you have nothing to worry about."
2.
A week had passed before she saw him.
He stood as proud as she imagined he would. He was tall, easy to spot amongst the rest of the party accompanying the Duchess.
Another week had gone by before Kerrn put her plan into action. More than once she'd seen him in the company of a woman, all of them possessing far more beauty than Kerrn could hope to create. However, she only had to get him alone for a few minutes for her plan to work.
"Kerrn?" Flit, she'd hoped Soreno would have had the good sense to not go looking for her.
"What are you doing here? Isn't this place too expensive for your humble tastes?"
"Well, for one we both know that I will spend my money wherever I want. It's you who doesn't belong in a place like this…looking like that. Is this the first time you've ever worn a dress?" Kerrn scowled, fighting the urge to turn away from Soreno. It hadn't been easy, but Kerrn had made her way into Ayse, one of Helva's most prominent elitist lounges. Here the wealthy gossiped while drinking fine spirits and indulging on the latest delicacies. Soreno fit better into the crowd, even as an outsider. He'd always been better than her when it came to social scenes.
"Go away, I'm working."
"Oh, so you mean to kill him tonight? Well, if it helps, you've managed to nearly put me on my back in that dress."
"That's not a hard challenge. You fall for your own reflection."
"Clearly, we can put you in a dress, but we can't make you into a lady." Kerrn was prepared to launch a witty remark when he walked in. She felt her heart race with excitement. Leaving Soreno, she tried her best to soften her strides. She'd watched how some of those women had walked. Though she couldn't say she had the same assets they did, she imagined she was somewhat desirable.
"Don't tell me someone like you is here all by himself?" She spoke, batting her eye lashes as Reynolds turned to look at her. She knew she had him by the length of time he took to look her over.
"I won't have to be alone any longer if you would do me the honour of being in my company."
"Oh, I'm sure the honour would be mine. You don't look like any man I've seen before. I imagine you must be quite the intellectual."
"You're the first woman with hair that golden I've seen since I've arrived." He leaned in closer until Kerrn could feel the heat of his breath against her ear. She resisted the urge to cringe, this man was vile, and it was clear what he was thinking about. "I have half the mind to take you somewhere less…crowded with these folks. I don't believe many of them are intellectuals like us." He was feeding into her compliment, probably thinking that a little flirting is all it would take to convince her to spend a night with him.
"I'd love nothing more."
3.
He hadn't been hard to persuade. Kerrn was almost scared of the power she'd had over him in the end. How a man with such little spine become a prominent minister puzzled her.
She'd thought he would have been more careful. He knew he was a powerful man, knew what happened to people like him. Oh, he had begged her to reconsider, had said he would not go through with his original plans. Kerrn was far from stupid though, she knew he would sooner have her punished before changing her mind.
It wasn't a painful end according to Kerrn. There had been a minute or so of suffering once realization set in, but that was typical. She glanced over to way his body lay, face down as though he'd fallen.
"Though I must admit Reynolds got along better with my fiancé, I can't say that I wanted to rid myself of him like this." Kerrn froze at the voice. Young, but experienced well beyond its years. In the doorway stood the Duchess of Wellmet, red hair loose around her shoulders. Kerrn had expected to see her wearing a lavish gown but was shocked to see the supposed Duchess in long pants and a tunic.
"Oh, don't look at me like that girl. I know you understand me."
"That's not why I'm staring."
"These clothes make it easier to evade my guards. No doubt they will be here soon enough. I would hate for them to stumble into this scene." The Duchess look around the room. Her eyes drifted from Reynolds to Kerrn, calculating. "I hardly feel as though this was the action of a jilted lover. You look like a child."
"How dare you speak to me like that." Kerrn spat, reaching for one of her knives before something stopped her. The Duchess brandished a sword and had advanced in quick steps toward Kerrn. The point of the blade was mere inches from Kerrn's chest.
"Knives are only helpful if you can get that close to your opponent. This blade that I hold makes sure that doesn't happen." Kerrn stood still, analyzing her opponent for weakness. The Duchess was not only confident, she was skilled beyond her years. When thinking about how royalty spent their days, learning how to use a sword properly hadn't crossed Kerrn's mind.
"Well?" Kerrn snarled. "Aren't you going to strike? I just murdered one of your ministers."
"While I agree with your thoughts, I don't kill unless there are no other options."
"There won't be any if you don't get rid of me."
"What is your name?"
"Excuse me?"
"What…" The Duchess advanced a step. "Do they call you?"
"A political assassin." Kerrn smirked, understanding that was not the name the Duchess had asked for.
"What a long name, surely you have a nickname?"
"They call me Kerrn." Now why had she said that? She never gave strangers her name.
"You show potential. I assume that this isn't the first murder you've gotten away with?"
"I'll do whatever it takes to protect those I care about. My parents didn't raise a coward."
"Yes, I can see that. Your skill interests me, I'd hate to have to report you to my guards." Kerrn fought the desire to strike as the Duchess lowered her sword. "That is why I'd like to inquire about the extent of your services."
(Present Day)
"I had expected you to attack me." The Duchess spoke. She still sat on her bed, calm as though her and Kerrn were talking about the weather.
"I wanted to, but defying direct orders would have been a far worse punishment than whatever you could have had planned."
"I'm still surprised about the conditions you set out. I had thought that a way to turn an assassin was to offer them a higher profit."
"Motivation is a multifaceted beast, Your Grace." Most would have fought for more money, desperation often clouded judgement. It hadn't been easy to leave Helva, but she'd managed. She had negotiated a deal with the Duchess. While Kerrn had worked for Valerit, she had never liked the man. He was careless with the lives of those he paid to do his dirty work. Kerrn had noticed the way he looked at Soreno; looks that spoke of the ditch she would find him in. So, Kerrn had sown to travel to Wellmet and train as a guard of the Duchess could get rid of Valerit.
"How is Soreno these days?"
"Good." Kerrn answered. "He married a few years ago, but just recently took his wife on a short holiday. His last letter also told me that him and his wife are expecting their third child. The Helvan Guard, though not as great as ours, has profited greatly from his leadership."
"Perhaps Conn has someone like Soreno in his life. I'd like answers, but I'd also like to know what side he is on." Kerrn nodded, knowing that the Duchess would expect nothing less.
End.
