Chapter 1

Chapter 1

A darkened shadow glimmered on the shattered glass from the broken window. With a flash of lightening the shadow slithered away creeping further into the darkness. No one had discovered her intrusion yet, nor the fact that she had climbed her way up the rusted drainpipe and kicked in the front window of the manor. Thanks to the storm and the deafening crashes of thunder, her attack was falling into place quite easily.
Concealing herself behind her dark mask and hooded cloak, she managed to blend into the darkness disguising herself. A small child skipped unaware in the corrodor outside the open door softly humming to an unrecognisable tune. What was a child so young doing out of bed at this time of night? She didnt have time to question, it wasn't her job to question. Her job was to obey, to kill for her King and Country when he so asked for it.
She was his assassin and leader of the Red Cloth; the private armed forces group that would silently be the Kings guard dogs whenever a new threat presented itself to the country.
Seeking her opportunity she shimmied into the hallway, lit by nothing more than a silver candelabra hung near a portrait of the same child. The face in the portrait seemed to have aged more with the shadows now painted on it. Its eyes staring into the viewer, as though it were real and seeing into their soul. She quickly looked away afraid of the judgement it would give if it knew of her intentions for the Lord and Lady of this manor.
There were six doors in the hallway including the one that she had appeared out of. The nearest one to her right had a wooden plaque hanging from the brass handle saying Kian. She assumed that was the child from earlier and carried on down the hallway, listening for any other intrusions.
The last door on the left had footsteps growing louder, she could hear the mumbles of a conversation between two women from just behind the door. Taking a deep breath she backed herself up against the door behind her, twisted its cold handle and stepped in, closing in it time with another crash of thunder. Just in time as two maids stepped out of the room opposite carrying two empty silver platters, trudging down the hallway and towards the stairs at the far right.
Briskly turning to face the unknown room she found herself staring at the Lord and Lady of the manor, asleep and braced in eachothers arms under a thick ivory duvet, in what looked like a king sized bed seperated from the other furniture of the room. On the floor lay a white gown laced with a soft pearl coloured thread, crumpled next to it were the black trousers and shirt that belonged to Lord Albert himself.
She crept to the side of the bed where Lady Martha lay, her blonde hair illuminated by the lightning made her seem no older than early twenties. It was a shame that she two had been scheduled for execution. Her beauty would have made many Lords jealous, or maybe that was why the King had ordered for her to go as well?
Unwrathing her dagger from her belt's sheath she raised it to Martha's neck and made a quick and deadly cut. Covering the womans pink lips with her hand to silence her choking from her sleeping lover.
She stepped back and looked at Lord Albert. His snorring covering the sounds of her choking and approaching footsteps to his side of the bed. She cleaned her blade on her sleave, keeping it as proof of her kill to her King.
After another deep breath she raised the blade above her, ready to make her final blow on the next strike of thunder. Lord Albert moaned and opened his eyes wide, staring back at his awaiting reaper in disbelief.