Narcissus
Chapter 5 - The Diverse Morning Moods
The next morning, Sharon woke up to crisp linen and the scent of lavender, feeling exceptionally cheerful. Normally, she woke up somewhat grumpy and disoriented, for despite being a top assassin, she was still very much human. Today, however, proved to be something special. Indeed, Sharon felt very cheerful as she remembered her findings from yesterday.
What did she find? Oh, delicious blackmailing material: how the young prince rambles the lower quarters in disguise and tumbles with thieves and knacks. And just as a teeny, tiny side note—that girl-in-disguise was obviously infatuated with the prince, who was even more obviously in love with Sharon herself.
Oh, the glory and justice of the world.
Yet a few moments later, Sharon came to question that justice. For a man had come into her room, courteously waiting for her to be finished with washing her face with rosewater before demanding, "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't pull you to the court and call you a scam for feigning to be Lady Delia."
Not to be put off her good mood just because of this little intrusion, Sharon pleasantly replied "Oh yes, that was her name, I believe, from the pretty little page's introduction last night. Didn't remember it that well—you see, we weren't on the best of terms. In fact, you might say she holds a grudge against me; or really, held."
The man (who had a very imposing sort of air around him, as if he was a king) cocked his eyebrow and invited her to continue.
"I'm not very acquainted with whatever it was that you were going to do with her, for if you know that I'm not this Lady Delia, then you must be awfully familiar with her, as the rest of those bloody fools didn't notice a thing. Then I give you this reason: whatever it is that she can do, I can do it better." She said it confidently, head slightly up and eyes slightly narrowed.
The Duke Roger smiled. "Ah, just what I have been dying to hear, my good lady." Offering his arm to her, he deepened his smile, "Then shall we get on to business, then?"
—
Alanna gloomily trudged through the halls of the palace. The flame-haired youth did not share in a particular lady's amiable mood. In fact, she was feeling the opposite: it was very distressing to see one's master and secret love to be so head over heels over such a flirt.
Needless to say, Alanna did not enjoy the company of Lady Delia. But such drudgery was to be endured, in the name of chivalry and the such.
Damn chivalry sometimes, because sometimes, Alanna would like to get some chivalry herself. It wasn't easy, putting up a disguise as a boy when one was really a girl. A stubborn girl who was tough as a hippo's side, to be sure, but girls were always made of more sensitive material than guys anyway.
No matter. This morning, Alanna was on her way out of the castle and into the dirty, boisterous lower quarters again. It seemed somewhat odd, that thieves were the only company that she could keep these days and still maintain a sound, calm mind.
—
Jon, who missed Alanna barely several times in his travels across the palace, was not in a bad mood himself. Last night had really puffed up his sense of pride and how glorious he was. Not that he was so egoistic normally, but it was one thing to feel that one was the greatest thing in the world, but another to be told by a beautiful lady who had other knights trailing after her.
He was, actually, on a quest to find Alanna, the only female that he could confide to and ask for advice. It was never too safe with women, you see, for they were such a strange race of creatures: better ask what Alanna thought was the best way to capture the Lady Delia.
After spending quite some time in the palace without any success at finding the aforementioned girl, Jon spent a few moments in quite contemplation. After the few moments, he decided that perhaps he could put better use to his time actually trying out what worked and what didn't.
Not on the actual Lady Delia herself, of course. That would be simply boorish and ill-mannered of him. Why, he'd simply go to George's court and find some woman there to experiment with.
With this well-thought plan, Jon began his own journey to the lower city, where he was not a prince but a merchant's son. Who knows, perhaps he'd even find Alanna there.