Chapter Thirteen
"Is it not frightening for a woman to travel alone?"
"No more so than a man."
"A man is not so likely to be stolen away… though it would seem you defend yourself quite well enough on your own."
If only I could do so right then, perhaps I would have the mind to believe him. As it was, however, I was left to flee my own death. My feet felt of fire while I ran, my heart beating furiously against my chest with every thought that crossed my mind. Never before had I gone so far in so little time, yet I did not have the option not to.
After all, it was a trick of fate that allowed me to escape, and I was not about to tempt it any further lest it turn against me.
My men and I had come to the manor house with little difficulty, for the harbor had been left unattended save for two lone guards that made their rounds with little interest. It had been eerie to stroll about the docks with no one about, yet we made haste all the same. However, though we had some concern about making our way to the place on foot and the attention it may bring, we had no other choice, for had we called up for a carriage, there would then be a witness to our arrival.
Upon reaching the Admiral's place, I had feared we would be turned away at the door given our rather shameful state. Despite our weathered appearance, though, we were granted entrance and ushered into the ballroom with little hesitation. There was only the mere glance from a noblewoman or a guard, yet even those who eyed us with curiosity found it unnecessary to question us on our being present for the affair.
According to my orders, the men had scattered throughout the manor. Should any of them have found the admiral, they were to take his life. There were to be no questions. No doubts. There was only to be the coolness of a blade or the heat of a bullet. The means were a petty concern. Our business was vengeance, nothing more.
"Curse him." I spat at the ground, the iron-like taste of my own blood filling my mouth, but I pressed on. They would not catch me… not so long as my legs remained in working order at the very least. "That bastard ought to be dead."
If it was not for the vice admiral, there was little doubt that his superior would have been mine to take. Perhaps that was what forced my hand when he uttered my true name. After all, his being aware of my indentity brought an end to my plan even before it could truly begin. In doing so, however, I realized just how flawed my plot was from the very beginning. An embarrassment I could not find it in myself to forgive him, or even myself, for.
My dress caught then, no doubt on the branches which reached out for me, yet as I turned to free myself, my hair had entangled itself in those that hung low over my head. I cursed again, and without giving it any further thought, I drew my dagger once more to cut myself free. Both my dress and my hair. It was a small sacrifice, really. If I was caught because of something so petty as to be ensnared by thorns, the failure of what I had endured thus far would be all more of a bitter experience to remember as they hung me from the gallows.
"No, I will be fine," I muttered to myself before I broke into another run. Though I did my best to empower myself with such words, however, I was weary from the trials of my sudden escape, and so it was not long before I stumbled again. "Dammit… What is it I am supposed to do now?" I breathed. "What am I to do?"
"Depends on what you were doing in the first place."