Chapter 12: Another attempt

Hitomi closed her eyes, treasuring the feel of Van's arms around her. She opened them again to look into his face. He was looking down at her with a mixture of love and worry on his face. She reached up to stroke his cheek. "Van, I...,"she began, when suddenly she knew they were not alone. Not alone and in great danger. Her head snapped around to stare into the shadows where the enemy was hiding. The man in the shadows cursed as her eyes found him and let loose the arrow, aiming for Van.

"Van get down!" Hitomi yelped, pushing them both into the fountain. The arrow hissed overhead and Van jumped up, sword in hand, water streaming from him.

"He's by the trees!" Hitomi yelled as Van bellowed for lights and the guards.

The man dashed for the wall, fuming that his mission had gone awry. How had that woman seen him? He was no match for the king in swordplay and his only hope lay in reaching the wall where he could fire another shot at the man pursuing him.

He jumped over the bushes at the base of the wall, his feet scrambling for purchase as he hauled himself to the top. He turned to face the king. As he drew another arrow and aimed it, he felt a sharp pain pierce his side. Looking down, a dagger was embedded in his chest. Slowly he collapsed, loosing his arrow, which flew harmlessly into the air. He fell with a thud into the bushes next to the wall.


Phiat straightened from his throw. He had been near the gardens when he heard Van yell and arrived to see the man trying to notch an arrow. Phiat had reacted according to his training and had defended his king. Van ran into view and stared at the man, then looked at Phiat, who walked over to him. Van looked around, trying to penetrate the shadows. "Do you think he was alone?"
"Yes" gasped Hitomi, running out of the garden, the skirts of her wet dress held in her arm. She looked with sorrow at the dying man while Van sheathed his sword and knelt by him, turning him over.

Phiat stood by Van, surveying the area, before returning his second dagger to its sheath. "Are you sure?" he asked Hitomi.

"Yes," she said quietly, kneeling by the man and touching his face. "He worked alone. He was always alone."

With the touch of his face, Hitomi saw a room with a shadowed man in the corner. She heard as the assassin received his orders.

The man's eyes opened a sliver. Van grabbed for his sword, but Hitomi stopped his motion. The man looked at Hitomi and saw the grief in her eyes. Grief for him. Something stirred where his heart would have been. His gasps for air were loud in the night air. He stared at her and then whispered to her, her alone, "You know."

Hitomi nodded sadly. He smiled sorrowfully, and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered as his last breath left his body. Van stared at the man, and looked at Hitomi, who was crying for the man as she had cried for the doppelganger that had almost killed her.

"What do you know?" he asked quietly as the night air filled with the shouts of the guards.

She looked at him through her tears. "Nothing," she lied.


The scarred man cursed. Veris stood silent, knowing that the assassin's failure reflected on him as well. He waited for the wrath of his master.
Finally the scarred man spoke. "Well, I guess this proves the old adage that if you want something done correctly, you must do it yourself. It will be more satisfying this way anyway."

Veris bowed, relieved that his life would be spared, and prepared himself to complete his master's next order.