Mellindre was standing by the window, running slender fingers through her silky crimson tresses when the servant girl brought her evening wine and set it on the low table. "Shall I pour for you, your Highness?" Ileanna asked softly holding the golden pitcher.
"No," the princess answered shortly as she motioned for the girl to leave. As soon as her servant's back was turned, she slipped a vial from her sleeve and tapped a small sprinkling of powder into a goblet. "Wait," she called. "Please stay awhile and have some wine with me." Ileanna turned back and took the proffered glass. As she raised the wine to her lips, she noticed the gleam in Mellindre's eyes that brightened as she pretended to drink.
"So, the wench did decide to drug my wine," she thought sourly as she smiled at the one she was supposed to serve. "I only wish I could be there to see what's left of her when the Assassins have finished." Aloud, she thanked the princess and when offered a seat, chose the bench next to the partly open window. For the next hour, she pretended to drink while secretly pouring the wine out of the window. Mellindre, eager to be away from the palace, never noticed. Ileanna's voice began to slur as her eyelids drooped and a broad smile spread across the princess's face.
Suddenly, the young brunette slumped forward, her hair spilling across the table, and the empty goblet fell with a blank to the stone floor. The princess giggled delightedly and lay the other girl down on the bench before covering her with a blanket. "Wouldn't want a chill to wake you early," she whispered merrily as she shut the open window. She then turned to her wardrobe and rummaged through it until she found the small bag containing her peasant costume. Glancing ever so often at her servant, she donned the tattered dress and cloak, making sure her hair was completely covered.
Ileanna watched with slitted eyes as Mellindre opened the hidden door to the servant's passages and slipped through. She waited until she saw the dingy figure slip out of the palace gates, then lit a candle to place in the window. Leaving the signal shining through the twilight gloom, she stole through the passageways and into the city after the princess.
Jainad checked her appearance in the cracked mirror as she pulled the masked hood over her head. Clothed in black from head to toe, her eyes were the only spot of color to be seen. Tollan strode into the room and stopped short at the vision that greeted him. An angel of death in black leather that looked to be painted on her lithe body, his breath caught in his throat as she turned her icy blue gaze his way.
"Are we ready?" she murmured coolly while noting the lust that blazed in her Second's eyes. Cool eyes raked his body from head to toe and up again to pause with a mocking smile at the bulge forming in his pants. "Or perhaps you would like to ...take care of something first?"
Anger flashed for a moment in his eyes, but he merely responded by saying, "The signal has been sighted, High Assassin." A cruel smile spread across her face and she strode past him, purposely brushing against his body, chuckling at his sharp intake of breath. Soon, dark figures slipped from the abandoned house on the outskirts of town to meld with the deepening shadows.
On the other side of the city, Ileanna finally caught sight of the disguised princess and quickly pulled the hood of her cloak forward, casting her face in shadows before stepping up beside her. "Are you lost, girl?" she whispered, causing Mellindre to jump and back away in fright.
"W-who are you?"
The young spy raised a shaky hand to gesture at her stooped form and answered querulously, "Merely an old woman, lonely for company and friendly talk. No need to fear, child."
The princess relaxed and stepped forward to take the "old" woman's arm and smiled brightly as she offered, "Why don't I walk you home then?"
"What a sweet child you are, dear," was the whispered reply as she lead the red haired girl into a narrow alley.
Talking non-stop, Ileanna led her liege through the maze of alleyways, watching for signs that her employers were following them.
Suddenly, hands flew out of the darkness covering both girls' mouths and effectively silencing their cries. In short order, the pair were gagged and bound tightly, cords of harsh leather twisted about wrists and ankles, thick pads of the same filling their mouths and strapped tightly at the backs of their necks. They lay trussed and helpless on the cold stones as an intimidating figure strode into their sight.
"Well, well, well boys, look what we've reeled in tonight. A two-for-one special it seems."
Jainad signaled for the girls to be lifted, then told them in a pleasant voice, "Make a sound, my dears, and you will die. By the time the night watch arrives, your life blood will be seeping from your throats to stain the cobblestones and we will be mere whispers in the wind. Understand?"
Frightened eyes met her hard stare and they nodded frantically. Each girl was hefted to the shoulder of one of the men. Melting once more into the shadows, the Assassins carried their burdens from the city into the forest beyond.
Once they had reached the stronghold, Jainad had the captives brought to her chambers, then dismissed all but Tollan to their well deserved rest.
"Welcome to my humble home," she said with a mocking bow. She then reached up and snatched the hood off of her head, allowing her midnight hair to cascade down her back. Mellindre whimpered knowing what the black tresses meant. She knew why she had been taken, but why take the old woman also?
The evil woman saw the fear and confusion in the princess's eyes and began to laugh. In one swift movement, the High Assassin crossed the room and crouched down between the two bound figures lying on the floor. She ripped the hood off of the "old woman" revealing the servant girl, Ileanna.
The princess gasped in shock, causing another malevolent chuckle to burst forth from her captor's lips.
"Surprised, girl?" Jainad taunted the terrified princess, as she grabbed a handful of the bound spy's hair, viciously yanking her head back. "This little sewer rat was quite a willing participant in your abduction. It is soooo hard to get good help these days, isn't it, dear?" she cooed as she drew a large hunting knife from her belt.
With agonizing slowness, she dragged the blade down her informant's face leaving a thin white trail, but not marring her skin. Frantic mews grew louder as the girl's eyes pleaded to the one holding the weapon. Jainad slipped the blade under the gag and cut it off, allowing the girl to draw a ragged breath.
"Please--" she whimpered. "I-I helped you! I was supposed to be paid!"
A sharp slap silenced her and the older woman turned to her Second. "Tollan, she's not much, but do you want her?"
"Certainly, High Assassin, I've always wanted a personal slave..." his words were suddenly drowned out by an indignant shriek.
"ME?!? A slave?? What of my money? What of my reward??"
"Did you honestly think we would let you walk free? You know too much, and you are being rewarded...with your life. Unless," Jainad hissed. "You would like to die now."
The painful grip in her hair held her in place as the sharp blade once more bit into the delicate skin of Ileana's face and she began whimpering fearfully, tears streaming from her terrified eyes. "N-no please!" she sobbed. "I d-don't want to die!"
"Well that is your choice, girl. Die or live as his slave."
"I-I'll be a s-slave," the poor girl replied brokenly.
"Wise choice, slave," Jainad said coldly as she yanked the girl to her feet by her hair and shoved her across the room to her cohort.
Tollan caught the young brunette and flung her over his lap, using her as an arm rest while he waited for his leader to deal with the princess.
With a kick, the High Assassin flipped the bound redhead over on her back and crouched down beside her.
"And what do we have here, Tollan?" she asked with a wicked smile on her hard face as she shoved the hood of the peasant cloak back. "My, my, my looks like we struck gold this time."
With the knife, she slit the girl's dress to the top on the left side, revealing a small wine-colored mark in the shape of half of a heart. Satisfaction shone on her face as she saw the proof of her captive's identity.
"Princess Mellindre, how wonderful it is to have you as a guest, albeit a permanent one." Horror filled the poor girl's face as she realized she would never be ransomed... and she fainted.