45 Accomplice (1/2)
Within the silver palace, Corco had always felt out of place. His mother, the former empress, had been southern nobility. After a grueling civil war, the marriage had been supposed to seal lasting peace between the north and the south. However, things didn't go as planned. People didn't forget that quickly. Fueled by individual grudges left over after years of constant warfare, the animosities towards the young empress never ceased. As the heir destined to heal the wounds between the north and south, Corco himself had also been under constant pressure in the capital.
As a result, spent most of his time either inside of his own raven court yard in the castle or at Siniya, the small southern estate his mother had brought into House Pluritac as part of her dowry. However, his constant absence only gave those with sinister motives an excuse to label Corco as 'weak and sickly', not suitable for succession. And once they had poisoned mother and son, their accusations had become true. In any case, what mattered about Corco's history at this moment was that he didn't know the family castle all that well. He had escaped his room a while ago and now he he was tired, bleeding and hopelessly lost. The dark of night and the roaring storm also did nohing to improve his situation.
”Intruder!”
”Catch the assassin!”
”A foreigner has killed the prince!”
The shouts had echoed through the floors for a while now. Someone had leaked his supposed assassination and his greatest worry had become reality. By now the guards swarmed the walkways to catch the intruder. Corco, meanwhile, had no idea who to trust, so when he had walked down the memorized path to Fadelio's room, he had been blocked by the oncoming guards and had decided to take a detour. Thus he had lost his way. With every additional minute out in the open, his pursuers drew the circle around him more and more tightly.
As he spotted a light move up the stairs behind his back, he rushed forward, in frantic search of a solution. After only a few steps, another light appeared right in his front.
*Trapped.*
Although Corco's chances were bleak, he wouldn't go out without a fight. As his fingers tightened around the assassin's sword, the prince got ready to make the largest possible commotion. He wanted to believe that not all the family warriors were part of tonight's attempt on his life. Even if they were, he would make his head as costly as possible. Sometimes simple viciousness could trump the best laid plans.
Although Corco had already prepared himself to fight for his life, he realized his mistake after only a few more steps. The light in his front had not come from another guard, but from inside one of the rooms instead. A resident must have been woken up from all the ruckus, be it the storm or the shouts of assassination.
*Last chance,* the prince thought as he moved up and banged his fist against the doorframe.
”Open up! The rooms are to be searched for hidden assassins!” he shouted.
Through the paper door, Corco could see the owner of the room shuffle up to the door and slide it open to peek outside. Against the strength of the owner, Corco drove frame open with his foot and stormed inside. His rush overwhelmed his poor victim and drove her back into the room. To avoid any trouble, Corco put his hand over her mouth and his knife under her neck.
Though the room's occupant was a woman, Corco hardly had the leisure to care. As he forced her back some more, the helpless damsel took a large step back to gain leverage and jammed the dagger in her hand right into her attacker's stomach.
With a clink, the blade got stuck on Corco's chain mail. You could never spend enough on good armor.
”Drop it or I'll cut your throat,” the prince growled.
For a few eternal seconds, he stared into the girl's defiant green eyes and realized that a threat wouldn't be enough.
”I'd rather not have to,” he added in a softer tone. This was the girl's last chance. Corco had to close the door soon, before a guard would come by.
With a clang, the knife dropped onto the wooden floor. Corco kicked the weapon into a corner and then turned to close the door.
He was safe, for now.
”Back to the window,” he barked at his prisoner as he pointed with his sword.
”What do you want?” Although the girl's voice had a light accent, there was no fear.
”...I want you to get back a bit. Thought I said that already. If you please.”
After the girl had inched to the back wall of the room, Corco took off the assassin's helmet. Free from the constraint, he began to cut apart the assassin's robe as well. He didn't want to get it stuck halfway and make himself vulnerable.
”What exactly is your plan, revealing yourself like this? Shouldn't an assassin keep his face hidden?” Despite seeing a man undress himself in front of her, the room's owner didn't seem to care much about his actions. She still moved, bit by bit towards her left as she engaged in casual conversation.
”I'm not an assassin.”
For the first time, Corco gave the woman a careful look. A bit short and a bit thin, unfortunately for her she didn't meet the beauty standards of her time. Despite her stature, she appeared well-trained, maybe a guard to some high-born lady. However, the girl also seemed quite young, around twenty years at most, had a pretty face and well-maintained skin, which might have made her a lady herself. From her accent and the tone of her skin it seemed like she would be from a surrounding country, if not from Medala itself. Now that Corco had finished his analysis, he informed his opponent of the results, to prevent any accidents.
”I'm half a head taller than you and considerably heavier. I have armor and a sword. Unless you have an army hidden on that shelf to your left, I wouldn't try my luck and stop moving. Now.”
The girl gave him a critical look before she stepped back, an unwilling stare aimed at the shelf and whatever she had hidden there.
Once his host had been pacified, Corco got down on one knee and looked at his shoulder. It was starting to go numb from the pressure, but at least the wound hadn't bled through the bandage for now.
*Let's just hope they didn't splurge on poison,* he thought.
Even so, he had to get some help fast if he wanted to keep his arm and his life.
”I'll ask you a few questions and would appreciate answers, ok? Ok.”
Corco took off the backpack which had been hidden under the black robe and started to rummage inside as he continued his mental thread.
”Where are we?”
The look she gave him this time was dumbfounded, but it seemed like she had made the decision not to provoke the unknown intruder. As such, she still answered.
”Pluritac Castle?”
”...where in the castle?”
”A guest room. I don't know where.”
Corco had no idea how the castle's interior had been rearranged in seven years, so this would be less than helpful.
”Time for plan B then.”
He took out an ethanol compass to check the direction. Back across the Welfalic Sea,he was forced to build it himself. After all, he had to make sure advanced navigational technology such as this would not stay there, with people who could become his enemies as soon as he became emperor.
”Tell me what's outside that window there. If we're both lucky and you do a good job, I'll be out of your hair soon,” the prince used his sword to point towards the large window next to the girl. Although she couldn't see anything through paper, darkness and rain, the girl still looked over in reflex.
”It's a courtyard garden in the castle.”
”Ok. You know how high we are?”
”Second floor.”
Corco looked down at the compass in his hand as he mumbled instructions.
”Good, good. Can you hear the river? Not now, I mean usually. Outside or with the window open.”
”...I don't believe I can,” she said with a frown.
”...wait... what?”
Corco looked up at her and then down at his compass to check if it was broken. The compass was fine. Which could only mean...
”...isn't this my old Raven Yard then? How the hell did it turn into a place for guests? I thought those servants were just fucking with me when they didn't bring me here...”
His temper provoked, the enraged prince looked up at the girl again.
”...and now that I think about it, who the fuck are you? From hearing your accent... aren't you an outsider?”
Sure to avoid large movements, the girl nodded her head.
”No foreigners allowed? No foreigners my fucking ass you old fucker! Oh boy, this one's probably a dignitary too! How fucking shit can he actually be at 'human'! HEY!!”