Royal Assassin

Chapter 13

The Gallant’s Palace was decorated extravagantly – with stunning lanterns and colorful lights, with all kinds of food ready to be served and with various guests that would arrive from all over the horizons.

Since the Vast Kingdom was the nearest to Gallant’s, Jaden only had to travel to her husband’s homeland by morning to reach the palace before nightfall. She was relieved that Cassandra’s healing and chemistry knowledge had healed her current injuries caused by Ethan.

She was packing up, though there was hardly anything she would bring. The essentials she’d always made a habit to carry were always small knives and blades, vials of poisons and other malicious tools and weaponry. Eventhough, these days she would avoid attempting bloody consequences, she still couldn’t help but be cautious, probably being more cautious of her own self.

She passed the chemist’s chamber, often occupied by her eldest sister. And as she peered through the door, she saw Cassandra holding small test tubes, dropping tint of liquid substances onto a small bottle.

“Sister”, Jaden said softly.

“Oh, it’s you, Jadelyne”, Cassandra breathed relief, as she held her tubes down; “Finish packing, already?”

“Almost”, Jaden’s eyes hovered through vials and bottles of chemical substances arranged on various shelves, all in different color, like rainbow jewels and gems, only in liquid or partial liquid form.

“Ah, you were waiting for me. I’m almost finishing this up. I have to say this is quite tricky”.

“I’m sorry for imposing you on this task, especially with your many other duties as Queen”, Jaden bowed her head slightly.

“Don’t worry”, and Cassandra capped a vial with a small stopper and enclosed it to Jaden’s palm, “But I think I’ve managed to change its color properties”.

Jaden held onto the vial. It contained a liquid in violet color. She stared and balled her hand into a fist.

This was the poison intended to kill her husband. She had to admit it wasn’t heroic; infact killing was never really noble. However, since her so-called master had no morality, any kind of murdering method would do, but because Ethan had tainted Jaden and her husband’s history with his venoms; poisoning her parents and the King, thus killing them. What better way than to give him a taste of his own medicine.

“You sure you don’t want me or others to accompany tonight?” Cassandra said as she noticed Jaden’s body tensed.

“No, it’s fine. You have a duty to protect this kingdom”, Jaden said slowly.

“We both do”.

Jaden arrived later in the evening through the castle’s backdoor. Surprisingly, when she entered the palace and expected maids or servants to attend her, two of Justin’s youngest sisters welcomed her with scissors in their hands. Jaden was honestly caught off-guard and the two sisters grabbed both or her wrists and dragged her into the castle to give a ‘sparkling makeover’.

Throughout the whole evening, she hadn’t met the Young King.

However, she didn’t mind Justin’s sisters’ company. There were only two of them that would be present for the ball while the other elders were at their husbands’ homeland and couldn’t make it tonight. Well, she had met them before during their wedding prep and during her first impression, she thought they were all stuck-up and oblivious or ignorant of sufferings but now, she felt rather remorse of herself for being so negative of such things.

Jaden was indeed guarded with strangers but, she acknowledged that Justin’s sisters and himself were…pleasant enough.

She let her sisters-in-law donned her and dressed her up in those ridiculous expanding gowns and dresses. She was still skeptics of the necessities to wear such elaborate garments. It was going to be hard to walk on but the dress worked well to hide her dagger…and other stuffs, she felt compelled to bring.

Eventually, they settled Jaden for a slim and flowing long-sleeved belted dress that shimmered in light violet. And for once, she didn’t have to wear a hook for her dress. The sisters went all their way fixing her hair up. But as they pulled her hair into a bun and inserted hairpin and other head accessories, Jaden felt rather insecure to expose herself like this. She only wore her hair up in a simple fashion, and only when doing her ‘tasks’ but as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she felt she really didn’t want to be reminded of the hideous things she must do tonight.

The hallway to the grand hall was dimmed in every corner but was guarded nonetheless. Still, Jaden could take out those guards if she wanted to. But she needed to be stealth. Ethan was a tricky man to handle but she would manage just like unlocking a door with her hairpin.

She was on her way to Justin’s room. As she approached the door, instead Ethan stepped out of the room. Her brows furrowed as to deciphering the things Ethan must have done inside there. It was miraculous Ethan hadn’t done anything that threatened Justin, but then again he was never the type to get his hands dirty. Oh, he had Jaden to be his dirty hand.

Ethan noticed Jaden’s ascended and closed the door behind him.

“You better not spoil tonight’s plan”, said Ethan while smiling.

“I won’t”, said Jaden and she showed him the vial containing that purple poisonous liquid, “I even ensured the substance would be strongly concentrated”.

“Excellent. It seems you have realized the importance of this mission.”

Jaden didn’t comment on that but she only said, “This plan of yours seems risky”.

“Why Jaden – the Royal Assassin, surely you’ve been trained and embarked on harder missions than this?” he was mocking her, “I’m sure this task doesn’t count in the risk meter”.

“I’m just saying that if the plan fails to look like an accident, another war would definitely break out”.

His eyes only glared, “Then, do the job properly”. He strode off, leaving Jaden alone to her final relief.

Jaden knocked on the door and heard Justin’s voice allowing her to enter.

As Jaden stepped inside his chamber, she saw Justin was already tying his fine cloak, the one in red velvet that he usually wore during big occasions. He looked, well, as handsome and regal as always.

“Oh, Jadelyne, what a surprise to see you”, he said as he noticed her.

“Your sisters dressed me up so eagerly and I ended up being early”, she said still being composed.

Justin finished the knots and commanded his attendants to leave them. “Your coming is a good thing”. He then went to his wardrobe and took out another red cloak that looked smaller and brand new.

“Pardon?”

He smiled which Jaden thought was the kind of smile that was only warmed for her, “I… really miss you. And you’re looking more stunning than you already are…” Jaden was surprised at his compliments. So he liked her outfit. “But the more reasons I might get jealous if other men approach you”. And he fastened the red cloak in his hands around her.

Jaden was growing embarrassed by such gestures and responded, “This cloak won’t look good on me”.

“Nonsense”, his fingertips delicately tied the knots. His face was awfully closed to hers. And she could sense a warm emotion from his eyes and a slight smile radiating from this close-up. It was well probably not specifically love, as Jaden put it, but maybe adoration or affection? She was having trouble pulling her gaze from him.

“There, we’re all set”, he said.

“Ugh, I look like an apple tree”, she looked away from his gaze on her.

He chuckled at her statement. He thought he was the one who thought of her as a tree. “Nah, you look like a strawberry to me or maybe the little red riding hood”.

She gave a mild punch on his arm and they both proceeded to the Great Hall.

Justin was rather puzzled by Jaden’s behavior. Well, it was the moment when he left early from Vast that Jaden became somewhat gentle toward him. Although, the atmosphere of their relationship became more content, he was still bothered by it. What could cause Jaden to be nice to him? Was she doing this to let him off his concern radar on her? But either way, he was still curious of her. And then, the words of her sister, Cassandra, before he parted were still haunting and he was almost reaching to a conclusion. But he didn’t want to ruin the mood, at least not for now.

Justin made a speech at the ball and as usual he was praised and admired. And everyone who was there enjoyed seeing him. Jaden posed and acted supportive of him though she was dreading the inevitable that had yet to come. Not to mention Ethan was watching them from a fair distance.

The royal couple mingled and talked with others dignities and royalties. Some sparked Jaden’s interests especially if she conversed with rich merchants and traders about business but some also made Jaden bored such as trivial like gossips and trending fashion, unless any of them could be put to business value. Surprisingly, Jaden’s insights on such business knowledge had secured Justin’s kingdom and her home kingdom ports to trade more than before. Justin couldn’t thank her enough.

Of course, there were shallow women that bickered Jaden whether directly or indirectly, in front of or behind her. Especially since Jaden’s jade hair stood out in the crowd. However, it wasn’t Jaden’s concern. Even so, she was still touched when Justin comforted her as he held her tightly around her arm.

During their conversation, Jaden had already completed her first task of the mission. She had slipped a few drops of the poison into Justin’s drink. And Justin without hesitation drank it.

Finally the dance started and from afar corner, Ethan creased into a smile. Justin started to pull Jaden to the center of the hall. Jaden, on the other hand was growing queasy. This dance was the turning point of all of plans – hers and what she had expected of Ethan’s.

Let the ball start rolling…