Dallen walked across the room, his black boots echoing off the marble floors. His raven hair tied back. He moved, a tiger waiting to spring. He approached the prime minister, bowing low when he arrived in front of him. The prime minister sat, stroking his long beard beset with gold. His black silk robe trailing upon the floor.
"My lord, you summoned me?"
The prime minister grinned. "My friend! Yes, it is finally time." He began to pace the floor. "She has butchered entire villages simply for questioning her, killed thousands, tens of thousands for protesting her will. Tonight you will bring it to an end." He smiled, laying his hand upon Dallen's shoulder. "She killed your father, twenty years ago for revolting against her. You have been trained your entire life for one purpose…to end her reign!" His hand fell from Dallen's shoulder. He turned "End it Dallen, End it and usher in a new age! And after… I will fix everything." Dallen bowed
"Yes, my lord, I will"
The moon shone bright above the imperial palace. Guards dressed in the black and gold of the Royal Family paced the walls. The wind blew, harsh and cold from the north. It traveled past the guards agile and alert at their posts. It rustled the grass as it traveled across the grounds. It shook the leaves upon the tree, resting below a balcony in the palace. It rustled Dallen's hair as he crouched, silent and unseen.
He crouched in the shadows. His eyes glowing like diamonds in the night. His black clothes pressed tightly against him. He looked at the moon. It reflected off his eyes.
Tonight it ends and a new age dawns.
He glanced through the shadows. His eyes moving from one guard to the next. He waited. When all were out of sight, he moved. He made no sound as me jumped into the tree. The branches barely shook as he jumped from branch to branch. He leaped onto the balcony; arms spread out.
Steel glowed softly in each of his hands as he crouched on the balcony. His eyes traveled swiftly to the door, looking for the slightest movement. He began to move, ever so slowly across the floor towards the open door. His eyes never wandered from the opening before him. His stayed low and moved within the shadows cast by the pale moon.
Silk covered everything. The walls were draped with it. The seats were wrapped in it. The bed was bedecked in it. She lay quietly wrapped in silken sheets.. Her chest slowly rising and falling. Her raven hair spread around her head.
He walked across marble floors that gleamed silver in the moonlight. Past the golden goblets and carafe on the table; past the silk wrapped seats; past the chests piled high with gems or every color. He stood over her, and watched as a slow smile spread across her face.
"If you are going to kill me, please make it quick. Running an empire is tiring work and I don't sleep much as it is." He jerked away from her. A silvery laughed escaped from her lips. Her eyes opened, sparkling emeralds in the night.
"For an assassin you seem to be easily surprised." She rose languidly from the bed; silk falling carelessly around her. She rose, and walked towards him, hands open at her sides.
"You do realize you are not the first they have sent." She smiled, her scarlet lips curving. "Or did they tell you that you were to be the one chosen to usher in a new age?" He stared, unmoving as she laughed. "You know, if you're not going to respond just kill me and get it over with. I'm tired, and sleep would be welcome right now. Permanent or transitory I leave to you." She turned slowly exposing her back to him. She moved slowly back across the room. She stopped at the table and reached out a hand for the carafe. She poured its contents slowly into the closest of the goblets. Her ivory skin gleamed. Her emerald eyes snapped over to him.
"I know why they have sent you." She raised the goblet to her face and swirled its contents around. She smiled and sipped. The goblet moved away and her lips seemed stained with blood.
"I have unified the entire continent. I have brought peace to a world torn by war." She began to pace across the room. "Yes there have been casualties. Many who have opposed me are dead;" She paused and stared at him "Just as I will continue to kill all those who oppose me." She smiled sadly "But think of the alternative. Before my rule tens of thousands died every year in senseless war. The Hundred Kingdoms all vied for supremacy, and blood flowed like rivers." She began to move towards him. "Now a few die, it's true, but thousands who would be dead will live. Peasants are free to tend their land in peace. The merchants form guilds, pouring money into hundreds of public wokrs." Her eyes glowed in the moonlight. He didn't move. "And the nobles continue to plot and strive for more power." She stared into his eyes; searching. Finally, she sighed.
"Do what you feel you must. Even if I scream my guards will not arrive in time to save me." She continued to stare into his eyes.
"How many have come before me?" His voice rasped out, a harsh whisper. She smiled sadly, and her eyes glowed.
"You are the ninth this month. Your masters are unwilling to fully brief you it seems." He continued to stare.
"They told me I would be the one to usher in a new age." His voice broke. "Yet I see no lie in your eyes." He continued to search her face. His knives rested lightly in his hands.
"I have done many evil things. Yet I have also built something that has endured a thousand years and ensures a peace we have never known." She stepped close to him. Her hand closed lightly around his, the blade unimportant. "Make your choice." She stared into his eyes.
He pulled his hand lightly from hers.
"One night, I may find my way back here again;" he moved slowly back towards the balcony, his back to her. "But this night, you live." He paused and looked back at her. His diamond eyes glowing. "You may want to watch your Prime Minister more closely." He vaulted lightly over the side and disappeared into the shadows below.
She reached for the goblet and downed the last. Her hands shook.
Tomorrow I double the damn guard…not that it's done me any good. And my darling prime minister…I shall have to come up with something…suitable.
She moved slowly back towards her bed and sank into the silk. Her breath began to rise and fall evenly.
Tomorrow I set the army to routing out the last of the traitors. By then I'll have come up with something for that fool of a minister. She shivered. This last one came too close.
Her emerald eyes closed. She slipped quietly into dreaming. Her last thought that of a pair of diamond eyes.
"My lord, you summoned me?"
The prime minister grinned. "My friend! Yes, it is finally time." He began to pace the floor. "She has butchered entire villages simply for questioning her, killed thousands, tens of thousands for protesting her will. Tonight you will bring it to an end." He smiled, laying his hand upon Dallen's shoulder. "She killed your father, twenty years ago for revolting against her. You have been trained your entire life for one purpose…to end her reign!" His hand fell from Dallen's shoulder. He turned "End it Dallen, End it and usher in a new age! And after… I will fix everything." Dallen bowed
"Yes, my lord, I will"
The moon shone bright above the imperial palace. Guards dressed in the black and gold of the Royal Family paced the walls. The wind blew, harsh and cold from the north. It traveled past the guards agile and alert at their posts. It rustled the grass as it traveled across the grounds. It shook the leaves upon the tree, resting below a balcony in the palace. It rustled Dallen's hair as he crouched, silent and unseen.
He crouched in the shadows. His eyes glowing like diamonds in the night. His black clothes pressed tightly against him. He looked at the moon. It reflected off his eyes.
Tonight it ends and a new age dawns.
He glanced through the shadows. His eyes moving from one guard to the next. He waited. When all were out of sight, he moved. He made no sound as me jumped into the tree. The branches barely shook as he jumped from branch to branch. He leaped onto the balcony; arms spread out.
Steel glowed softly in each of his hands as he crouched on the balcony. His eyes traveled swiftly to the door, looking for the slightest movement. He began to move, ever so slowly across the floor towards the open door. His eyes never wandered from the opening before him. His stayed low and moved within the shadows cast by the pale moon.
Silk covered everything. The walls were draped with it. The seats were wrapped in it. The bed was bedecked in it. She lay quietly wrapped in silken sheets.. Her chest slowly rising and falling. Her raven hair spread around her head.
He walked across marble floors that gleamed silver in the moonlight. Past the golden goblets and carafe on the table; past the silk wrapped seats; past the chests piled high with gems or every color. He stood over her, and watched as a slow smile spread across her face.
"If you are going to kill me, please make it quick. Running an empire is tiring work and I don't sleep much as it is." He jerked away from her. A silvery laughed escaped from her lips. Her eyes opened, sparkling emeralds in the night.
"For an assassin you seem to be easily surprised." She rose languidly from the bed; silk falling carelessly around her. She rose, and walked towards him, hands open at her sides.
"You do realize you are not the first they have sent." She smiled, her scarlet lips curving. "Or did they tell you that you were to be the one chosen to usher in a new age?" He stared, unmoving as she laughed. "You know, if you're not going to respond just kill me and get it over with. I'm tired, and sleep would be welcome right now. Permanent or transitory I leave to you." She turned slowly exposing her back to him. She moved slowly back across the room. She stopped at the table and reached out a hand for the carafe. She poured its contents slowly into the closest of the goblets. Her ivory skin gleamed. Her emerald eyes snapped over to him.
"I know why they have sent you." She raised the goblet to her face and swirled its contents around. She smiled and sipped. The goblet moved away and her lips seemed stained with blood.
"I have unified the entire continent. I have brought peace to a world torn by war." She began to pace across the room. "Yes there have been casualties. Many who have opposed me are dead;" She paused and stared at him "Just as I will continue to kill all those who oppose me." She smiled sadly "But think of the alternative. Before my rule tens of thousands died every year in senseless war. The Hundred Kingdoms all vied for supremacy, and blood flowed like rivers." She began to move towards him. "Now a few die, it's true, but thousands who would be dead will live. Peasants are free to tend their land in peace. The merchants form guilds, pouring money into hundreds of public wokrs." Her eyes glowed in the moonlight. He didn't move. "And the nobles continue to plot and strive for more power." She stared into his eyes; searching. Finally, she sighed.
"Do what you feel you must. Even if I scream my guards will not arrive in time to save me." She continued to stare into his eyes.
"How many have come before me?" His voice rasped out, a harsh whisper. She smiled sadly, and her eyes glowed.
"You are the ninth this month. Your masters are unwilling to fully brief you it seems." He continued to stare.
"They told me I would be the one to usher in a new age." His voice broke. "Yet I see no lie in your eyes." He continued to search her face. His knives rested lightly in his hands.
"I have done many evil things. Yet I have also built something that has endured a thousand years and ensures a peace we have never known." She stepped close to him. Her hand closed lightly around his, the blade unimportant. "Make your choice." She stared into his eyes.
He pulled his hand lightly from hers.
"One night, I may find my way back here again;" he moved slowly back towards the balcony, his back to her. "But this night, you live." He paused and looked back at her. His diamond eyes glowing. "You may want to watch your Prime Minister more closely." He vaulted lightly over the side and disappeared into the shadows below.
She reached for the goblet and downed the last. Her hands shook.
Tomorrow I double the damn guard…not that it's done me any good. And my darling prime minister…I shall have to come up with something…suitable.
She moved slowly back towards her bed and sank into the silk. Her breath began to rise and fall evenly.
Tomorrow I set the army to routing out the last of the traitors. By then I'll have come up with something for that fool of a minister. She shivered. This last one came too close.
Her emerald eyes closed. She slipped quietly into dreaming. Her last thought that of a pair of diamond eyes.
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