Madeline's POV

He frowned and glared at me, like I had just done something bad.

“And what if they investigate why I died? If they found out I raided another kingdom and we are both assassins, you might also be beheaded,” he said and chuckled, his tongue getting out from his mouth. “So that we are going to be together in hell. Don’t you want that?”

I pouted sarcastically and widened my eyes at him. “I don’t think I would love to share a room with you in hell. You are annoying,” I commented and preceded him in riding my horse.

“That is why we are best of friends, Madeline. We have so much in common! I am annoying, while you are a pain in the ass!” he commented and laughed. "I wonder who your unfortunate husband will be. Ohhhh, I can already see how you are going to be a wife."

I just rolled my eyes and did not comment anymore. His mouth, which I think is similar to a girl’s mouth, started to work again, so our trip on the rocky road in the middle of a vast pasture towards our kingdom was loud and nonstop. I listened to him all night with my ears hurting, side by side. Prince Arthur is the youngest prince of the Kingdom Monjour among the other princes. This is why he is the most childish, can’t even make anything serious, and is very playful around everything. He is just so lousy and reckless, like a stupid girl! I even thought before that he was gay, when in reality, he is not. But don’t underestimate his skills in assassinating. I can even guess that he is better than me. He just jokes around, but he can manipulate his target and kill it with an evil smirk on his lips.

“We’re here now,” I announced when we walked through the forest that is not far from our house. “Master might be waiting for us.”

“I am sure of that,” Prince Arthur agreed. “He will be happy if he knows that we killed the king successfully.”

I raised my eyebrow, discreetly looked around the forest to see if there were other parties, and when I confirmed that there was none, I signaled the prince to dismount our horses. The crickets of the forest were filling my ears, but in the middle of the deafening sound of nature, silence was also engulfing, a cue that we are alone yet not really. The prince opened the door of what seemed to be a rusty tank. If hunters pass by the forest, they would only think that they should not touch it since it is already scorched by time. Without them even knowing that there is a secret door leading to the headquarters of our secret organization.

“Are you fine?” the prince asked me as we climbed down the stairs when we got inside. “I bet you are tired.”

I just grinned at him, even though he couldn’t see me due to the darkness. “Don’t worry. I am more of a man like you,” I said.

“Madeline!”

“What?” I said while cackling. “If you’re the one who’s gonna tease, I don’t react. And if I am with you, it’s annoying. Are you not normal? Or sick on the head?”

Man, if there were townspeople who would hear our conversation, they would suggest that they burn me to the flames. No normal person would speak nonchalantly to royalty. Or else, he would be beheaded. He did not speak and just followed me throughout the hallway towards the headquarters. When I saw a torch, I grabbed it so it could be the illumination of our way.

“Let me go! Or I will make you regret it! I am Count Darius if you don’t see!”

What the hell?

“What is happening?”

We watched all of our comrades surrounding a man who was tied up in rusty chains. They all looked at us with discerning gazes, while my eyes only focused on the man who was trying his best to get away from the chains. He was standing, his hands above him and his feet on the ground. When he heard my voice, he also looked at me with his red eyes. I flinched when I recognized him --- the creature I encountered in the forest last morning.

“Madeline, Prince Arthur,” the old master of our organization called us. “Thank goodness you are all safe coming back from the mission. How was it? Would you like to elucidate what happened in the kingdom you have been in?”

Our master calmly approached us without minding our curiosity about the creature that was chained. He is currently being beaten up by our comrades every time he moves. The organization’s master led us to the wooden table where we saw three cups that contained ale. He urged us to drink, but I was staring at the creature who was now closing his eyes due to exhaustion he got from our comrades.

“The king was found by us sleeping in his chambers. We killed him easily, but we were almost caught by the royal guards,” the prince explained to our master. “We will be expecting that tomorrow morning, the slaves in that kingdom will be freed the moment the oldest prince will be taking over.”

My focus on the creature was cut off, and I looked at the prince beside me. Our master noticed that my attention was now on the conversation. I sipped on my ale.

“I don’t trust the oldest prince in that kingdom,” I suggested a statement while shaking my head. Indulgently. "There is just something off about it."

“Would you tell us why?” the master asked.

“I think he just wants his father dead. I don’t know why, but he won’t let go of the slaves there. I talked to him the last two moons ago, and he was acting desperately for us to get rid of his king father.