Blind Spot

Status
Not open for further replies.
Sayomi was surprised when Angel appearing, dismissing the guy she had been dancing with, even more when he said it defiantly. She couldn't help but let a smile slip back to her face as they danced, her long thing fingers wrapped around his. "A familiar face is sometimes all that is needed to feel confident, and tonight, my prince, that is what you need the most. These are your people. They look to you for everything. I must give you my deepest thanks for relieving the man. He had a rather..Macabre stature to him. I didn't know if he was a noble or not, and I was not about to start a commotion because of simply stating no for a dance."

As the two danced, she noticed that they got closer to the outside of the floor. She knew that him sticking with one partner, especially her, and one of not even the slightest noble blood could be seen as bad. She needed to be able to watch him and see who he truly was. If he was truly as the old man said, eventually it would come out. And she wanted to at least give the old man a little more for his conscious for having the prince killed. If she could at least offer him a why to the death of the king that the prince thought justified, then it would be the perfect closer to this assignment.

"If you need a friendly face again, I will be here all night. But mingle about with your people. Talk to them too. They want to know you as much as I do." As the song ended her rosey lips set in a smile again, she squeezed his hand and did another small curtsy before dismissing herself. She didn't want to also mention that she was worried the queen would have her thrown out for a mixture of her looks, and because of hogging the prince. She headed to grab a drink, looking over her shoulder once to see what he did. She needed to find someone who she could talk to in the back, while she watched to see how he interacted. She figured soon he would slip up with who she thought he was pretending to be, and start to show a bit more of the person that killed his own father for the throne.
 
Angel sighed to himself whimsically as he made his way to a larger crowd of people. Dancing always seemed to calm his nerves, and having a wonderful partner made it even more effective, not to mention the fact that he was able to step in without shaking like a leaf. As he traversed the floor, many people from all walks of life congratulated him and wished him well. His face brightened, and his demeanor became more confident with every stride he took.

As the prince initiated in conversations, his hands became more animated, gesturing to tell wild stories of a rambunctious youth in the castle. As the night passed, Angel had amassed quite the crowd of eager listeners to hear his stories. One in particular caught a group of men's attention. It was that of his days training with his longtime bodyguard in the ways of a blade. While the story itself wasn't so intricate, it was enough for one of the men to scoff.

"Hah! No disrespect, my prince," Stated the man, "...but I never thought a royal would be the kind to dirty their mitts with a weapon." The other men joined in, chiming in their doubts, but the prince replied in lighthearted mirth. "Friend, if you would care to test me, I would welcome the challenge!" Along with the goading of the crowd, the man's pride forced him to agree. The crowd moved to the lobby near the entrance of the castle in order to procure weapons and establish the challenge.
 
Sayomi smiled as the Prince found his confidence. She always had him in the corner of her eye. As the night drug on more and more people came to ask her about her dress and why she wore it. She brought up her travels and how in other places they did not dress like they did in this kingdom. She brought up all the differences in their culture such as their dancing.

As people came and went, the man she had danced with before the prince stayed close. She always felt his eyes, almost always undressing her. Sayomi tried to hide her uneasiness as the night went on. But slowly he made his way closer. As she was about to finally make her way closer to the prince so she would be left alone, the prince and all the people around him followed out. She decided it was time to look around though. Everyone seemed so busy that she knew no one would notice her absence.

Once she got the chance she made her way to a hallway. As much as she wanted to watch to see what the prince was doing she deemed her entry and exit plan more important. She opened doors slowly and quietly. She was trying to find hiding spots and places to avoid. As she walked, she turned, thinking she heard something.
 
The queen herself, her slim build and tall figure overtaking most of the hall, arose from the shadows behind Sayomi. Up close, she not only demanded respect, one could tell that she earned it. Her lips were stained with a dark purple shade, and her piercing blue eyes went well with her long black hair, braided into a ponytail reaching almost to her waist. Even her dress, its crimson and purple hues fluttering down to her feet, made her look like a goddess among men.

"So... Did you enjoy the party?" The queen questioned, her deep, rich voice echoing in the empty hall. "I assume so, having the honor to dance with a prince! ...indeed, what a lucky girl you are..." The queen smirked as she looked down on the girl in front of her, scoffing at the fact that she held her son's favor. Even while holding a tone that almost mocked Sayomi, her powdery-smooth visage remained cold and emotionless.
 
Sayomi was surprised when it was the queen that appeared. But she was also not that surprised. She had seen the looks that she was given from the queen. "It is a grand party. Much grander than I have been to before. Alas, I cannot seem to find the lou, or does that mark my need to leave?" She did not lie about not finding a restroom anywhere. She was not in need of one, but it was a good excuse.

Once the queens tone turned to mocking, Sayomi's pupils grew as she stared, ready to run if she must. Her naturally sultry voice rang out with a hint of ice to it. "I do believe you are the one who told him to come talk to me based off my choice of dress. I do feel honored to dance with the prince. Every girl here wanted that chance. So I was amongst the lucky ones." Sayomi held herself tall, even though she was shorter than the queen, she was not going to allow her to talk down to her.
 
"Mmhmm, you have some fire to you." The queen stated bluntly. "...but there is no need to fret. I don't bite." The queen stepped closer, magnifying her height seemingly two-fold. "You are an interesting creature, I must say. I can see why the prince, all lack of judgement aside, would befriend you of all people." She began circling Sayomi, observing her from head to toe. "Don't look so flighty, dear. In a dress like that, you're likely to hurt yourself. I only wanted to chat with you. Forgive me for being a 'concerned' mother..." at this, the queen cleared her throat, clearly expressing her distain for the words she had just spoken, then she continued, "...but I must know what it is about you that made my dear child so lively."

Though the queen took heed of Sayomi's words, she brushed them aside, as if hearing the excuse for the hundredth time that night. She continued to circle the girl, never making a threatening step. The queen's stride made no sound, so it could be concurred that she wasn't wearing a traditional shoe for such a public event. Her eyes never blinked, and her hands, clasped loosely behind her back, had no intent of moving. "You look like a dumb-struck animal, my dear. Please, do not see me as a hunter. I am simply another lucky...lucky woman, such as yourself."
 
"My lovely queen, you do not sound very excited the prince came out of his shell." Quickly Sayomi's entire demeanor changed. She started to question who in fact killed the king. So far the queen seemed more like the one to be bitter about everything, while the prince was so afraid of her at first that he hardly would look at her. She watched the queen and decided to test some water. "Was there a reason that you sent the prince to me besides my choice of how I look?" She started to circle the queen, her walls back up, and her personality back to how it usually was. "You seem so diminished towards my appearance, but how I saw it, more people were interested in me and the prince than they were with you. Did that upset you any? You are beautiful, maybe the green monster in you came out?"

Sayomi's almond eyes looked at the queen. "Right now, I do not see you as a hunter. At least they are connected with the nature they kill. I just see a poacher until proven otherwise." It was amazing how fast she was able to return to her typical self. She watched the queen, figuring the queen would do nothing but kick her out after yelling at her. Then she would just sneak back later. Depending on what was going on.
 
"Heeheehee... Ahahahaha!" The queen's subtle laughter grew louder until it filled the hall with an almost tangible presence that added to the queen's stature. "Oh, my dear!" She leaned down to Sayomi's level, gazing straight into her eyes. "You seem to find joy in accusing me of such things, don't you? Ah, yes I like you. So ambitious, and with an attitude to boot! You remind me of myself, back in my younger years." The queen's demeanor, and her entire face with it, changed from cold and harsh to almost wild and lively. Her mouth spread into a wide smile, and her eyes opened just as much. Like a swan's neck, her body realigned itself to its imposing height.

"You're dress is lovely, as it were. However, I find no reason to be jealous of you. We, my dear, are on entirely different tiers. This is why I am a queen, and you are a humble subject. As for the prince, I figured that both of you stood out in comparison to the common rabble, so perhaps you had something in common. Something must have drawn him to you other than my words, for the prince can be very stubborn when he needs to be. Take it as a compliment...you most likely won't get any better from me." With these words, the queen straightened out her hair, smoothed out her dress, and glided off without so much as a glance back. A slight chuckle could still be heard echoing from her direction as she walked off.
 
Sayomi was thrown off guard by the queens laughter. With how cold she had been about everything in general just moments before. It made her question more though about the queen. As much as she believed that a smile was the best thing a person could do, she was still thrown off. As the queen walked off, Sayomi turned back continuing to look about. She observed every little thing. As she turned a corner she realized it was more secluded then the other. She liked the feel of this hallway. Going to a window and looking about, she deemed the window as the window she wished to come on.

She found her entry and was content with it so turned on her silver heel and quickly left. She still wanted to see what the prince was doing and why he had lead everyone outside. She picked up her steps to see if she could see at least a little. Once she entered into the courtyard she was approached by the man who had been following her. Without a second glance she made her way through the crowd hoping to see the Prince.
 
The crowd was howling and cheering at the spectacle before them. Never before had royalty fought in public, let alone for pure sport, but the prince welcomed a challenge to test his skill with the blade. The throng of men and women made a circle in the courtyard now, where there was ample space and even ground, just to watch the spectacle. The prince had removed his black jacket, showing off a vibrant red undershirt which made him look a degree more intimidating. The man across from him, though not as finely dressed, wore a smile as he brandished his blade, a practice saber provided by the royal house for duels such as this. The prince, in turn, showed off his weapon of choice, A practice rapier. With the combatants readied with protective gear, the duel commenced. The rules were standard; first to land three hits is the victor.

Without a word, the prince began with an offensive strike, taking everyone aback. Nobody expected so shy a person to charge so blatantly. However, the man was not without experience, as he took a step back and prepared for a riposte. The prince, not to be overtaken so easily, parried the attack, and lunged forward for a successful strike on the arm. The two men backed away to their respective position to begin the second round. The prince this time assumed a defensive position, with his blade held back to prevent disarmament. His opposition took advantage of the vulnerable position the prince was left in, and lunged directly for the chest, accurately hitting his mark. Each man once again returned to their post to begin anew. Angel once again took the defensive, retracting his blade and keeping an active stance. Once again the opposing man took the offensive, assuming the prince had not yet learned from his mistake. However, with a flick of the wrist, the prince struck the man in all his eagerness, right above the collar-bone in the neck.

The crowd, who had been roaring at the time, grew quiet as the battle reached its climax. Each bout had been short, and decided effectively, but it could easily be understood that the next round would not be so quick. Angel kept his sword in front of him this time, but he made no active movements toward the man, who also kept his blade at the ready. They advanced slowly, matching each-other movement for movement. When they got close enough to cross blades, the action truly begun. The opposition began, with a swift downward slash aimed for the prince's dominant arm. Pivoting to his opposition's unarmed side to dodge, the prince then struck out for the man's waist, but made a quick back-step to dodge the trajectory change that the man made. Each made one offensive pass after another, clashing their blades time and time again. The prince finally saw an opening as the man thrusted straight for his center of mass. Angel mimicked the thrust with complete control, maneuvering inside the man's blade and hitting his target. The battle was over.

As each opponent removed their gear, they shook hands and had a laugh. The crowd was deafening in their cheers, and many congratulated the prince on his victory. Everyone was surprised at the outcome of the duel, but none were as shocked as the prince himself. The laughter and mirth of his opponent, even after losing, brought a tear to his eye. As he turned to observe the crowd, he spotted the burgundy dress and piercing green eyes that he owed his confidence to that night. Doing his best not to blush, the prince made his way over to the woman and paused in front of her, letting the crowd trickle away for the night. As the courtyard emptied, Angel took her hand, bowed, and kissed it as a sign of respect. "I...I don't think I could have come this far tonight without your assistance, however minute you may think it was." The prince smiled as he spoke, his blond locks falling from their place from the result of the duel. After releasing her hand, he continued. "Nadia, it was my eternal pleasure to meet you on this fine evening. I hope you enjoyed your stay."
 
By the time Sayomi pushed her way to the front, the duel was nearly over. She stood there and watched in amazement as the prince held her own, never expecting that from him. Her hands grew slightly clamy as it progressed. The thought of fighting stuck in her head. When he landed his final blow she couldn't help but cheer along with the crowd. She knew that she shouldn't, but she found it heard not to.

Sayomi let her entire face smilr again for the second time that night as the prince walked towards her. As he grabbed her hand and kissed it, she felt her face burn up, her green eyes watching him. "Do not thank me. I am sure that it would have found its way out." She smiled up at him as he stood. "You should never underestimate yourself. And this should prove that to you. I unfortunately was stuck in the back before I was able to force my way through. You would be so amazed with the fight it took to get here. Everyone wanted to see their prince at work."

Sayomi couldn't help but look down when Angel said that he was glad he met her. "I have had a wonderful time tonight. Far more fun then I have had in a long time. It was a great honor to be able to dance with you and have the opportunity to actually talk to you." She needed to figure more out. She was atill confused about the queens reaction. "Maybe one day the stars will allow our paths to meet again, my dear prince."
 
"Indeed, but until that time, I must bid you farewell." The prince spoke with ease to Nadia, a rare feat for him. "There is much I must prepare for...becoming king and all. If we have another gathering here, I hope I will be able to expect you to return." The prince gazed at the woman before him for a brief moment, until he was interrupted by a gruff, if not familiar voice.

"My prince, it is getting late. Perhaps you should return inside?" Spoke the same old man who had given Sayomi the contract. "The queen doesn't take lightly to your antics, you know!" He said with an almost grandfather-like air. "You'll just have to wish your lady-friend goodbye. I'm sure you will see each other again, especially with the queen throwing all these parties about." The man began to scoff, but was cut short once he realized who it was that the prince was with. He contained his emotion remarkably well for one of his age, but a bead of sweat still made it onto his brow. "Darius, I don't appreciate your spying on me, even if it is for mother's gain." Began the prince as he walked toward the castle with the man. "If I am to be king, I should be able to make a decision without having to explain myself. As for Nadia, I believe you told me something akin to 'don't be shy.' Forgive my paraphrasing, but I made use of your advice, so don't be so judgmental! I swear, you and mother..." The prince trailed off in a lighthearted chuckle while Darius tried to follow along without sounding suspicious.

As Angel entered the castle once more, he looked back to the woman and bowed a gracious farewell before the doors shut, and he could be seen no longer.
 
Sayomi smiled and nodded as he had spoken. Knowing that unless it was soon, or the old man returned with another invitation, she would indeed not be returning in the way that he wished of her. When the somewhat familiar voice rang out, she looked at the old man, her smile changed. It was there, but it had turned into a little bit more sinister. He held his composure well, even though at that point with all the reactions that she had been given that night, she doubted the prince would have even blinked.

Once the prince was gone, she turned and took her leave, her carriage was awaiting her when she walked up. "Did you enjoy yourself Ms. Chi?" theman asked, offering his hand for assistance in. She took it graciously and climbed in. She watched as it started move, her eyes scanning the land. She was debating what her next move was to be. Should she go out and purview the castle from the outside or not. She also wanted to see if there was anything she could find out the queen, and maybe possibly talk to the old man about her attitude about the prince opening his shell.

When they arrived, Sayomi went into the house "Mama! Undo me! I want out of this air constricting abomination!" She yelled as she walked in. Her mother came down the stairs and started to untie the dress. "How did it go?" her mothers gentle voice asked. "It was actually a very injoyable evening. I just am not sure if it was the prince or the queen anymore. Everything seems backwards when you meet them." She trailed off lost in thoughts again. Before she realized it her mother was done, and she stood there, putting on her leather again. "I am going to go and at least look the castle over from the outside." She said as she strapped on her dagger. She put her boots on, then took off out the door.
 
When the prince entered his room, he dressed into more comfortable clothes for the night. However, sleep had yet to find its mark on him, so he went to the grand hall, where the staff were no doubt cleaning up after the festivities. Waiting for him outside his door was his ever-faithful bodyguard, Evelyn. Rather than the slender bodies of the women found commonly in the castle, Evelyn was stocky and short. She wears armor well into the night in order to protect the last of the Fey lineage from danger, and she does so with extensive focus. Her steely brown eyes could make anyone uncomfortable, and her sense of justice was impeccable. Were it not for her excellent judgements of character, the royal bloodline would have been stifled out years ago.

"Going somewhere, kid?" Evelyn laughed heartily. It was a thunderous chuckle that seemed to shake foundations, and her short brown locks of hair always bounced around with it. Her heavy tone continued with her brash manner of speech. "You shouldn't be out right now. You're lucky I didn't intervene with you and that small girl. I figured you were enjoying yourself, so I let you have your moment. Now do me a favor and make my job easier, okay?" The bulky bodyguard crossed her arms and grinned up at the prince. Though she had to look up in order to see his eyes, she knew she could talk him down at a moment's notice. But the prince pleaded, "Please Evelyn! I can't sleep! Couldn't you at least entertain the soon to be king?" His puppy-dog eyes still melted the heart of the woman who acted the most motherly towards him, even with him being a grown man.

"Oh, would you stop that! *sigh* I can't say no to that pompous face of yours, now can I? I saw you fighting that man, and though you gave him what he had coming, you were rusty on your form! We cant have that coming from a 'future king,' now can we?" Evelyn tousled the prince's hair as they walked down to the armory to prepare for a few practice sessions. "Come to think of it, that's the first person you fought that hailed from outside of the castle! I'm proud of you, kid. You did me justice out there, thrashin' that wimp!" Letting out another hearty laugh, Evelyn lead the way past the servants finishing up their duties for the night. With the castle almost lifeless, the only sound that could be heard was the clang of metal upon metal as Angel and Evelyn sparred.
 
As Sayomi got closer to the castle, she stopped and pulled on her hood and a mask leaving all but her eyes and forehead visible. Her eyes bore through the night much like a cat's. She was unsure of how tight security would be with the king passing, so she instinctively stuck to the shadows. She was not about to be caught and have to make up an excuse and risk being hung. As she walked, Sayomi could hear the echos of swords striking. The patterns of the sounds were not the same as a true fight so she decided nothing against it.

Slowly she made her way completely around the castle, piecing together where windows and doors were. She kept a mental note of the ones that appear less used by the amount of staff passing in front of windows. Slowly she found her way to the wall that separated her and the gardens, and it only took her a few moments to scale it. Slowly she raised her head up, looking for guards. She saw a few, but they were paying absolutely no heed to anything except a young kitchen maid. As she observed the women staff she felt like she was not as pretty as three fourths of them, and her feel good from earlier in the night vanished. Even though Sayomi was a striking women, she never saw herself as that. Maybe it was because of her line of work. She spent most of her life away from the whole courting process, she felt like in a few years, she would be much older than anyone out trying to court anyone.

After staring a bit, lost in her thoughts again, she completely jumped over the wall and ran to the wall of the castle. She wanted a birds perch to see the absolutely best look at for around the castle to find the best hiding spots that were around it. Her long slender fingers were perfect for climbing, making it easy for her to grasp harder sections, and her small stature made it easy to lift herself along with being extraordinarily nimble. carefully she climbed, not slipping once, every window she met she glanced inside to see what and who was there, and then was off again. Once she made it to the roof she paused and looked around. There was an amazing view of the kingdom. She wanted to absorb it all before she figured she would try and find the old man.
 
As the clashing of blades rang out across the castle, Darius, the aged man that he is, was sound asleep in his chambers. His snores were as audible within the castle as the clang of metal was outside. His window, partially cracked for good air flow, let in a scant amount of light from the moon. Darius slept soundly for what he assumed was going to happen that night.

The prince and his bodyguard wrapped up training, mainly because the prince fainted from exhaustion in the middle of a parry. As Evelyn picked up the boy, she smiled softly, and almost began to coo as she carried him back to his chambers. The night was growing late, and as tireless as she was, Evelyn needed to rest up for tomorrow. "At least an hour should do." She told herself wearily, as she lugged her stocky, armor-clad body to the room just to the left of the prince's. The entirety of the castle, aside from the night watch and a few scullery maids, was asleep from the fatigue of the festivities.
 
Finally after letting the beauty absorb that the girl had been amazed by, Sayomi decided that it was time that she sought out the old man, who she learned that night's name was Darius. She already had a handful of windows to disqualify as his. She began checking every window, starting intently in the ones that could possibly be his. She had found many rooms. A library, what appeared to be the study, more than a few empty rooms that she expected was for visiting nobles, lady's in training. She was getting to the point where she needed to sleep or her body was going to make her sleep.

As she was about to loose all hope for the night, she finally found him. She peered in through the slightly opened window, and stared at him. Slowly she opened the window and climbed in without a sound. She walked over, and sat in chair leaning against a desk. Then let her fingers beat gently against it, waiting, and staring. Her cat like eyes staring at him.
 
Darius, awoken with a shock by his own snoring, looked over to Sayomi's direction. He then proceeded to nearly fall out of his bed in a panic. After a time of straightening himself out to look presentable, he stood up as well as he could and began to speak.

"Wh-who are you! Don't make me call the guards! I'll have you know I haven't been bested by a masked assailant for many years!" Darius piped furiously, attempting to seem more threatening than he was. It was obvious that he didn't recognize the masked figure in front of him, nor was he in any mood to try. Fatigue took the man from his yelling, forcing him to balance himself on a nearby chair while he looked intently at the invader of his privacy.
 
A small laugh escaped her rose lips as she pulled off her mask. "Calm yourself before you alert the guards. If I had wished to kill you right now, you would already be dead." Sayomi looked at the man as he reacted to her in a panic. She at least assumed that he would put two and two together and know it was her. Either way his reaction was more of what she was used to then all the interactions that she had that night.

Darius, I just have a few questions for you." She made a point to use his name,and her smile continued on as she watched him, making sure that he would not scream louder. "To start: Why would the queen not be happy about the prince leaving the shell? Why would the prince want to kill his father? And what would the queen gain if she had been the one to kill the king?" Her face went to being serious as she asked the questions. "I do not work the same as others in my field of expertise. I will not just accept the money and just kill someone, especially someone innocent." She didn't explain her encounter with the queen yet, waiting to see if he just answered freely. "The faster you answer, the faster that I leave."
 
"Ms. Chi! I-I don't understand..." The man exclaimed sharply, slightly flustered and frustrated about being woken up at this hour. Darius sighed and began answering her questions one by one. "First of all, your use of my name does not shock me. The prince said it often enough, I'm sure." He said, seeming proud of what influence he assumed he had over the prince. "As for your questions, the queen...isn't truely the prince's mother. She came into the picture recently after his birth. She doesn't make active efforts to include herself with the prince, but its because she knows she could never replace his mother!" Darius spoke sadly, as though attempting to defend the queen's harsh demeanor. "As a male heir of the throne, the prince would rise to power over the queen if the king died. So it stands to reason that the prince, having an entire kingdom to gain before his 'mother,' killed his father. That is my reasoning. As for the queen's gains... I cannot see what she would get from the king's death." Darius finished with a sigh, hoping he had cleared things up enough for her to leave.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.