The sky began to cloud over as the sun rose into the sky. Tempers were flaring in the little camp just beyond the forest ridge. An angry hellcat roared and growled with anger while she berated her men.
"They were sent after children! How could they be dead? Sneaky… they were cat folk! How could they be caught? Sloppy stupid…." The angry tiger grabbed a candle and hurled it at a tree. The sound it made was an unsatisfying thud. Nothing to write home about despite her anger. With that in mind she grabbed a brush beside it, made of wood and glass and hurled it at the tree as well.
A deft hand caught it, saving the delicate piece from being destroyed. "I would thank you not to destroy my things, Princess." He purred running the brush through his long orange strands. The black streaks smoothing into their stripes again. The handle felt natural in his hand, and he slipped it into his bag.
"Where have you been! Our entire plan was ruined by some useless assassins. Wastes of resources, what sort if garbage did you train!!" She screamed at the man kneeling before her. Verone sighed deeply, there was a time he found her explosive energy cute. Now, however it just annoyed him.
"Our plan was ruined though being bested, not incompetence." Verone corrected her with an exasperated smile. The woman turned to him and glared.
"You watched them fail and did nothing to stop it!" She growled raising a paw like hand to strike him but, in a blur of motion both her arms were over her head, her back pressed hard against the tree. His blue eyes flashed with fiery silver depths.
"I am not one of your peons, you can not strike me as you wish. You may be alpha and leader here but that is only because I have yet to take it from you. If you destroy things that belong to me, or try to strike me again I will not hesitate to dominate you in front of this entire clan." He growled against her ear. She froze, the overwhelming power of him suddenly aimed at her took her breath away. She couldn't move, she couldn't think for the fear running through her veins. All she could hear was his voice and the beating of her heart beat. "Am I understood, Princess?" He demanded and she nodded. He pushed away from her, leaving her in that position against the tree. Verone looked at the man on his knees and reached down offering him a hand up.
The assassin stood, dusting himself off. "I am sorry for my failure… it will not happen again."
"You can not blame yourself. A Dark Prince intervened, A Demigod of the Shadows. You can't be held responsible for the lives lost or the plan's failure." Verone replied turning a seething glance at the woman still standing by the tree.
"Why would he intervene!" Demanded the woman as though it was absurd. He chuckled and shook his head.
"I warned you. You know the codes, no child should answer for the sins of the father. That includes royal children answering for the sins of their people." He replied coldly. "Now I am going to bathe. Stay out of trouble while I'm gone." And he sauntered away, no one made a move to stop him but watched him closely as he went.
"Princess, I feel like he… knows." The assassin master offered the words tentatively. There was hesitation in his expression and a sense of concern, deep set in his bones.
"No… I think he suspects something. That damn brush. I knew something was wrong with he found it and kept it." She growled kicking the rock near her feet.
"Go, pacify him. He almost dominated you this time. Let him get it out of his system or he will next time and you will lose control. No one completely loyal to you could best him." Warned the general behind her. He was a wolf, missing an eye and covered in scars. He looked more like a mangy dog than anything.
"If you could, I wouldn't have needed him so much." She reminded them before loosening her corset and putting on her best wronged expression. She followed Verone down the path to the water where he swam. His cloths neatly folded on the rocks.