The white ribbon was very important. According to The Vulture's orders, I was supposed to tie it to any tree in the vicinity of the Dumont mansion. That was the sign that the ashaasins could come in and kidnap the Duke.
Lord De Fiore wanted to interrogate the Duke, but he would only give the order to capture him for questioning if I confirmed that Lord Dumont and the Queen were plotting something.
"It is important that you are very sure both are planning something," The Vulture warned me, "catching and interrogating the Duke is going to be a very dangerous move, and we cannot risk it if we are not sure that something is hidden."
I was sure. I had overheard the conversation. Duke Dumont and Queen Antonete were clearly plotting something.
Did that have something to do with the alleged murder of Queen Catherine? I hoped not. I prayed that Queen Antonete had nothing to do with it.
What a horrible sight. Murder a queen.
Kings and queens were supposed to be sent by the Supreme. To be an enemy of a monarch, was to be an enemy of God and the Saints.
Blasphemy. The worst of sins.
And I did not conceive that Queen Antonete was a sinner for such a terrible crime.
After tying the white ribbon to a tree outside, I went into my room in the mansion and waited.
At any moment, an ashaasin would arrive and capture the Duke, without a trace, without anyone seeing or hearing anything. That was how good Lord de Fiore's men were. Invisible, silent. Like specters in the night.
I lay down on the bed to wait. And when I put my head on the pillow, I gasped, startled, and ran to a corner of the room. There was an ashaasin in front of me. He stood firm and silent. With his night-black silk robes that covered his entire body, and dark veil that hid his face.
At what point had he arrived?
A chill ran down my spine. Those men weren't human. Rather they were ghosts. They must have enjoyed some kind of witchcraft.
"Why are you here?" I asked. "Shouldn't you go after Duke Dumont?
"Lord De Fiore commissioned me to assess whether the information you had discovered validates the Duke's abduction for further interrogation."
His voice was like a ghostly echo. Definitely, the ashaasins weren't human.
"Sure ... fine ... I understand ..."
"Please share your information with me," he asked.
"Erm ... well ... the Duke and Queen were talking about a mission."
"A mission?"
"Yes, a mission that according to them can save the kingdom."
"Save the kingdom ..."
"The queen said that the next step in her plan is to reveal that she is pregnant with the King."
The ashaasin seemed to shudder. They never revealed their feelings by their body language. They were trained to avoid that, but I could swear I saw his body shake.
"You are a maiden of the Queen," the ashaasin said. "You must know if the queen has bled."
"She has," I confirmed. "I don't know how she can be pregnant. It's not possible."
"What else did you discover?"
"They talked about something called the fatherless. And that was of the utmost importance to his mission. "
"Fatherless?"
"Yes. I don't know what it means, but that's what they said. "
Silence.
"That is all?" The ashaasin asked.
"Yes, that is all."
Silence.
"It is not enough information?" I asked.
"Perhaps…"
Nock, nock! there was a call on the door.
I shuddered and in a blink, the ashaasin in front of me disappeared.
Nock, nock! They knocked on the door again.
"Maid Daymara?" It was Sir Raymi's voice on the other side of the door.
"Sir Raymi?"
I walked to open the door. My hands were shaking and I tried to hide it as best I could.
"To what do I owe the honor of your presence tonight, Sir Raymi?" I asked blushing. It was rare for a knight to knock on a maid's door late at night.
"Maid Daymara, there is someone in there with you."
I felt my heart leap out of my mouth.
"A-anyone here? W-what are you talking about, Sir Raymi? " My voice showed my nerves.
Sir Raymi reached for the hilt of his sword, ready to draw.
"Maid Daymara, step aside, please."
I gulped and backed away from the door. Sir Raymi walked in and swept the room with his gaze.
"Sir Raymi, what is happening?" I asked.
"My men claim to have seen a shadow enter through your window, maiden."
"A shadow?"
That was not good, not good at all.
"Yes, a shadow," he confirmed. "We suspect that it was an ashaasin,"
"An ashaasin? In this mansion? It is not possible, here is the Queen and they are prohibited from spying on the royal family," I said playing dumb.
"That's what I thought. Are you sure you didn't see anything, maiden? "
"I am sure, Sir Raymi."
How did let an ashaasin be seen? They were supposed to be very careful, almost invisible.
"The queen must be warned that the Ashaasins are spying on her," Sir Raymi said.
No, no, no, no ... That was not good, NOT GOOD AT ALL.
Things weren't supposed to go that way. Everything had been complicated.
I thought that with my bad luck everything would soon go to shit and that I would be executed for treason ...