Victoria POV

The owner of this inn the Wheel of Fortune is in front of me in the stairs. We are going into the hallway when a door closes before us. This is the room of the Saint Knight Gabriel. I have time to plunge my eyes into his through the crack for a second. This is the first time our eyes meet. Yet I often walked in the shadow of the knight, perhaps it is fascination, love without doubt but at my age? I stayed in this inn only because Gabriel stays there. A converted catholic tired of spilling other's blood, he probably has killed more people than me despite my job, I have cut down many men in my life just for money.

Axelle the inn owner continues to advance with great strides in front of me. I slowed my pace to look down below at the two travelers who have recently arrived. They stop, exhausted, under the huge converted wagon-wheel-chandelier. Their clothes are worn out by their journey but look expensive. I watch them as they exchange a few words with each other. Nobles fleeing their bad fortunes perhaps? I guess there is a more complex story behind it.

Unfortunately, I'm running out of time to discover it.

I finally joined Axelle waiting for me in front of the room's door, motionless. Looks like she can't stand my apparent slowness, that is because I am an old woman patience is not Axelle's greatest virtue. Is this an olive oil scent in the air? Axelle breaks my thoughts.

“Your room, ma'am.”

“You can call me Victoria.”

The woman with the ebony skin nods in silence before leaving me alone. I know well the story of Axelle: her childhood in the streets of the little city Palmy, her career as a mercenary, her return to Edyna where she bought the “Wheel of Fortune” to settle with Gilles, her companion and boss. We hesitated to approach her with our Guild of assassins, she would have made a recruit of choice. I am questionning myself on her ability to adopt our methods. It's one thing to kill in combat, it is another to murder a man in the back in a dark alley. She looks too sincere, too honest: I do not think Axelle would be able to live with remorse.

I push the door that opens to a small room with one window. I approach it to close the shutters. The wind blowing them forcefully make it somewhat an easy task... the folding wooden shutters finally give way. The salty smell of the sea immediately filled my nostrils. A bird on an opposite rooftop stares at me, surprised. It screams abruptly breaking the silence of the night. The bird finally stopped when it realized that I'm not a threat. The streets below are deserted. I lean over the railing to have a better look head out. The wind whistled loudly in my ears. I can see the moon reflecting its light over the sea. The city of Edyna is sleeping. I close the shutters. The cold invaded the room, and coming with it an iodine scent. The room is now a huge ball of fragrances.

The assassins guild teaches us to unravel one by one the wires of the world, to recognize, to rule out the unnecessaries and to keep only one: that we have to undo. When we found it, we patiently go to the end of it. And then finally, we slice its fragile knot that connects our victim to the world.

I sit in front of the crackling fireplace. I tend to fire my fingers mottled with age. They are so icy that heat has little to no effect on them. We assassins have hands that take the gold, regardless of whether it is catholic or protestant. I leave politics to those who pay us. The kings of  Eda, succeed one after the other, but the Guild survives them. It does not settle the arm holding the knife, you are at the risk that it turns against you if you ever try to mess with the Guild. I led the Guild for twenty years now. I could not let this fail. The stakes are too high. I bribed Stanley Libertat, Captain of the Royal door, who is waiting for my instructions. Silas, my dear turkish lieutenant is preparing to sabotage one of the walls of the city with his men. If everything works as I expected, this should distract the guards and leave me a free hand to carry out my mission.

In a few hours, the consul is dead and the Republic of Edyna with him.

Axelle POV

I barely finished accompanying the old woman to her bedroom as two new customers are already waiting for me at the counter. The layers of dust and mud covering their coats reflect a tedious journey.

“We want a room.”The middle aged man talked.

With the hood down, he tries to hide the ash-colored stains of his neck, but I have good eyes. It is the mark of a magician eaten by his Art.

I came across one Artbonnier (it is what we call them) in my mercenary career. He has gloves that conceal the blackened fingers resulting of the excessive manipulation of Artbon. But... I don't see the little box they usually wear around their neck. He probably hides it in a pocket of his threadbare doublet. It should not be far away, it represents their identity of Art practitionner it is similar to an identity card for magicians but also it contains the their most precious treasure. The stone of balance. Stabilizer of their power.

He helped his companion, younger than him. The companion has fine features and is also almost as tall as me his hands are stained with ink. Own, looking up closely he (or she ?)is rather cute. I can't tell. His disciple perhaps? He stares at me through his heavy eyelids with fatigue.

The man realized that I have seen through. He plunges his eyes into mines, still waiting for my answer.

They are fleeing something, what exactly, I do not know and besides, I do not care. I saw what the Artbonniers are capable of during the siege of Parthena the capital. I could lie, tell him that the inn is full. I don't know him, and do not owe him anything. His look is that of someone who gave up everything to start over. I know that look, It still sometimes shows up on my mirror.

“Here you pay in advance.”

His relief is noticeable I find myself relaxed too. He pulls out a few silver coins and lay them on the counter. We still have not budged. I am suddenly aware of the silence  in the room and the stares of other customers.

“Follow me, I'll show you your room.”

I pocketed the money. The middle aged man is discreetly supporting his companion by the arm to help him walk.

I walk between the tables. All eyes turn away and murmurs began again. I go upstairs and wait in front of their room's door. Their fatigue is now fully visible.

After having them installed, I'm going back down to announce that the inn and inn's restaurant is closing. The last customers grumble and then quicked out unsteadily. I ask Gabin to clean the room before bedtime. The boy nods. His eyes are two black pockets. He grabs the brush and begins to clean the tables. I add a log to the fire and prepare Gabin a bench near the fireplace. I will probably find him curled up on the bench in my wake tomorrow. I still do not understand why he insists on sleeping like this.

I enter my room quietly and softly close the door behind me. The room is plunged into darkness, I put a few moments to get used to the dark. Aube sound asleep in his crib, fists clenched. A mother would take her baby in her arms and kiss it. I feel nothing of this love that we must bring to the child. I must not be a good mother. Mine never taught me tenderness. 

Gilles spoke with me one day about having a child. He could not conceive that a woman does not want one. He wanted this child so much that I could not refuse. He swore that it was him who will take care of and so far he has kept his promise. I fought three against one with a leg pissing blood. Raising a child can not be more difficult than that, right? I go out of my way to stroke the head of Aube but I stop my gesture. What do I fear?

“Axelle?”

Gilles is watching me, half asleep in the bed. He smiled mockingly while I undress.

“What?”

“Nothing, you make me laugh.”

I lie next to Gilles and hugs him. I embrace him hard. I bite his lips by pressing it against mine. He meets my embrace, stroking me gently. I spread the blanket and put myself astride him. My hand sought his rod that begins to harden. I introduce it in me in a sharp movement of the hips. He stifles a groan when I start to swing on him. The enjoyment comes slowly, in silence. He raises his head to kiss my breasts. My fingers run in an instant the burns along his arms. The image of  the Artbonniers is needlessly fleeting in my mind, I chase it immediately. I push Gilles suddenly against the mattress and our movements are faster. The fun goes on and on. I can feel our body shudder in unison. We love each other. I forget the rest. We are enjoying this together. I restrain myself from screaming. I ride him while panting like an animal. He takes me in his arms without a word. I love my husband. I love my daughter. I'm not like my mother.

Armand POV

The lady showed us our room: a room under the eaves, small but clean.

“You want me to light the fire?”

“No thanks. My name is Armand.”

“Axelle.”

She remains motionless for a few moments, staring at me intently with her brown eyes as if she pondered on what to say. I'm a little impressed by this tall woman with black skin. She suddenly slightly bends her head on the side. Her tresses fall over her face.

“Please enjoy your stay in the Wheel of Fortune.”

I look down the stairs slowly, while observing her going down. Neither beautiful nor graceful, it emanates from her a force that seeks to hide, but without success.

“You have an eye for the madam? I did not know you liked women...”

Roland, lying on the bed, is smiling at me with a false angry face. I join him on the mattress for a kiss. His lips are frozen. I clamp him a little harder against me, rubbing his back.

“You're frozen.” He kisses me again, stroking my cheek, smiling. His eyes are still sunken. His bad fever has still not left.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“Rest, I will take care of the fire.”

He lets himself fall limply on the bed I approach the fireplace, I add some twigs and wait for the fire to take before adding more wood. I am fanning the embers blowing it gently then the logs ignite in return. Heat slowly filled the room.

I turn around. Roland fell asleep without taking the time to remove his boots. His coat slipped to the foot of the bed, his chest whistles every breath. I stroked his hair gently as not to wake him up. I unfold the blankets and cover him with it.

I take off my wet shirt and putting it on the chair to dry it before wrapping myself with the other blanket. I move the stool closer to the fire to make the most of its heat. Our journey from the Commandery of Soly was exhausting. My whole body is now released as we arrived. I feel I have ten more years with these pains. I lengthen the legs to the fire that barely warm my frozen bones.

Edyna is the last city of the kingdom to deny the authority of Frank IV. This will not last: we saw on the way the king's troops marching toward the city. We are not immune to the Knights Hospitaller. The Order will not abandon tracking down two deserters: two Artbonniers but it was to flee or die. Even if what we're doing is just winning some time we are still alive and there is hope.

I miss the contact of Artbon. The weaning was harder for Roland even if he practiced the Art for a lesser amount of time than me. His violent outbursts were awful the first days. I sometimes see him searching for the box in his sleep. We left them in our cells at the Commandery after a long hesitation. Roland wanted to keep his, in case we would have to defend ourselves against our trackers. I reminded him that we are not fighters but healers. I convinced him of the risk of possessing an Artbonnier's box. We could be found out pretty easily. I especially believe that I will not be able to resist the call of the Artbon if we had kept a balance stone which is inside the box.

Tomorrow, I will search for a ship for the Holy Roxan Empire. In his last letters, Amber assured me that alchemists of Emperor Ruth were working on a remedy capable of healing the wounds and scars caused by the Artbon. Even if this rumor is unfounded, I think it is preferable than this endless flight that awaits us if we stay in the kingdom of Eda. The Order will find us sooner or later. I prefer not to imagine what they will do to us then. A log crackles and a flame illuminates for a moment the room. 

Gabriel POV

I crossed for a moment the eyes of the ghost who walked past my door. It had the same eyes as Philippa. I was waiting for a sign but I did not think it would borrow the features of my late wife. The past is there on my doorstep. I have only to let it in so that this old Gabriel and this Knight finally reconcile, and eventually become one again.

What time is it ? I've been sitting on this table in the dark for ages! I close my eyes while waiting for the views of my victims to come back and haunt me.

And then. Nothing. No faces, no cries, not even the simple image of a drop of blood. The nightmares that have chased me all these years will end today. Tonight I do not want it. No more. I have had enough.

The storm outside breath out with force, sometimes snatching a tile that goes crashing to the pavement. Each of its threats want to bury me alive under the rubble. I have no fear. The wind can always blow tomorrow to convey its madness to men as it did during the last three days. Crazy, I already am and the devil, as cruel as he is, don't have the power to break my fate.

Sleep overtakes me immediately when I lie down on my bed. I feel like a tarot card, beaten with others before being drawn at random and placed by an invisible hand on an infinite table. Tomorrow, the cards will be returned one by one, revealing the secrets that will write the future of a destiny that is beyond us. Yes, tomorrow will be mad Edyna, the storm will blow harder still wishing to bring down the walls of this city.And tomorrow I will finally become Knight.

Silas POV

Executioner, I can explain everything. I know, the odds are not in my favor, but let's take our time to discuss it will you? I never had the opportunity to visit the buildings of the catholic league. They look more like fortresses than places for prayers. Their basements confirm my impression: we took no less than two harrows and three heavy doors to get in that basement. The chair on which you are chaining  me, certainly robust, is very uncomfortable. As a guest, you did not offer me wine or even a glass of water. I thought it would be a little more welcoming here in the catholic league.

I'm Silas. I must confess, executioner, you're my idol. It's simple, when I feel the smell of a burning no-believer or unfaitful, I think of you. With talent you break their fingers and balls during the public trial. With class you put fire to the pile following by the cheers of the crowd. With a gesture that is supple and controlled, you must have had special training right executioner? It is not possible otherwise. It is true that you also practiced a lot. How many executions have you done? Fifty? Hundred ? You do not know? Well, it does not matter. I too have lost the count of it.

You know our lord Frank IV finally converted himself to the Holy Catholic Church? Pope Charlie C. VIII suddenly lifted the excommunication that struck our good king. I heard that he also did the same thing for the Artbonniers. They even now welcome with open arms all those who wish to convert. Between us, the Church already had some of these spellcasters in their ranks. Soon you'll see, you will no longer burn witches, or magicians, you'll recruit them. That's progress. Well, I'm sure you'll find something else to occupy yourself when that time comes. Haaa. Executionner you might find out that butchering cows and chicken is much worth than doing it with humans at least you get to eat them or sell them afterward.

Now Frank IV took over the catholic league in the capital of Eda, there is only this big city: Edyna who still resist. Our good consul does not recognize our new lord, he seems to have taken a liking to his independent republic. You, I know you are not doing this for power or money. No, it is that you must love the Edyna's sun and its sandy beaches, executioner. The weather is warmer here than in the capital, for sure. Yet, excuse me, but you're as white as a butt. You should work less at night and go out from time to time. And stop wearing all day that leather hood, I'm not sure this is very good for your health.

Do you like chess? I guess you did not make me come here to play a game? Too bad, it's my favorite game. Have you ever wondered, hangman, what piece you'd be on the set? I guess I'd be a pawn a soldier. I would go in a straight line without thinking, being submissive and obedient. You, the executioner, you certainly would be a fool. Oh, see no insult, but it's the only pawn in the game that carries the clerical clothes and it is the Church that employs you. Should we see a link between madness and faith? What a blasphemy, forgive me! I promise to go and confess next Sunday all my sins.

I'm talking and you are staying focused on your task. I recognize you there: unshakable in all circumstances, one of the rocks on which the Church has built its faith. I distract you while you arrange your tools methodically on the table. Beautiful blades, but a little bit rusty, anyway I guess they must be sharp enough. They are pretty, really. They must have a connection with the embers that I see there in the fireplace. No, do not tell me anything you must keep the effect of surprise. I'm proud of you executioner!

But I always forget that you are stone deaf. You do not hear anything poor bugger, brave mountainous inbred. You do not speak either, unless we call small talk  those little squawks you're doing while drooling. You're there to make me more talkative to the future questions that our dear consul will ask me right? It does not matter, I love you anyway. After all, you only do your work.

I'll do the questions in your stead. You see, we'll make a good team both of us.

What was I doing near the East gate at such a late hour? I'm just taking a nigh walk. Yes, at night, I find it difficult to sleep. So instead of turning in my bed, I stretch my legs and take advantage of the early morning mist. With four of my friends, even those were poked with a spear by many guards in their ass. The city guards said that we were about to sabotage the wall surrounding the city? Hey, hangman, you can't seriously believe those ruffians who are not even capable of writting! They were drunk like defrocked monks! I have nothing to hide, I am an honest man whose only fault is to suffer from insomnia. It's not a crime!

But why did we have two barrels of gunpowder with us? Ah, that, executioner, sorry but I can not tell you! It's the life of a woman. Without it, understand me well, I would have told you already from the start. Whip me all you want, no explanations will come out of my mouth. The wounds can be closed and bones knitted, but remove me my honor and I would be no more than a dog.

Am I a protestant? An unfaithful? Hey, don't be fooled by my face. I may be born Turk, I am a devout catholic believer today! I know the list of the saints by heart and pray to them e-v-e-r-y night. I slaughtered the lamb every sacred day and I go to church, sometimes several times a week! I assure you, executioner, you're getting at the wrong person.

I see that you do not believe me. You see, I'm exhasperated. You have hurt me. And I feel that this is only the beginning.