Assassin Thirty Two

Sixteen: A World Away from the Cold

Another month had passed and while Ivy had been training almost everyday, mainly to kill time, Valentino didn't have any other missions for her. Trotting through the arena, the afternoon sun glared down, burning her cheeks and blinding her eyes. It was comforting having the warmth of the sun while being locked in a place so cold.

The horse slowed down to a walking trot and flicked its head up, tugging on the reins. They had spent almost two hours out in the paddock just galloping and trotting their worries away. Ivy wasn't much of a horseback rider, typically because she lived in the city and didn't find the need to have a horse as a companion but every now and then, when she'd be staying at the agency, she'd find herself out in the stables helping exercise the horses there.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a tall figure approaching her and she led the horse towards the gate, trying to figure out who it was. As she got closer, Valentino's familiar face came into view as he leaned against the wooden fence.

"Have you come to tell me off?" Ivy asked in a playful tone. Valentino smirked and called out to a stable hand that was walking past.

"I thought I would join you for an afternoon ride." Valentino replied, tugging off his suit jacket and pulling off his black tie around the collar of his shirt. The stablehand returned, a beautiful stallion following closely behind. Its hooves click against the pavement. Ivy watched Valentino pull himself up onto the horse and couldn't help herself when she gazed at his arms, the blotches of ink on his skin barely visible through his white shirt. Leading the way, Valentino flicked his head as he began to trot further away from the stable and paddocks. Ivy didn't waste any time, firmly tapping the horse as it began to follow.

Soon they were trekking through the trees that surrounded the perimeter. There was a wash of cool air suddenly hit her face and she sighed with relief. The breeze was refreshing and the sound of the leaves swaying made it feel like time had suddenly stopped. They didn't talk much, barely speaking a word to one another and Ivy was grateful for it. She felt alive. As alive as she could be in such a dark world she survived in. The horse began to pick up speed and she looked up, seeing a clearing of vibrant, green grass ahead.

Valentino must've seen or known about it because before she could blink, his horse was already galloping away, his posture steady as if he had been riding since he was born. Galloping after them, Ivy smiled. She felt so carefree, so alive and adrenaline rushed through her veins. Was this what heaven was like? The blindness of the sun rays even with your eyes closed, the cool breeze wrapping around your skin? Valentino looked back at Ivy and grinned, going even faster. She tried to catch up but his horse was faster and when he was sheltered back underneath the trees, Valentino waited for her.

"I've never felt so alive before. Ever." Ivy breathed out, the horse now steadily trotting next to Valentino.

"Tell me about your childhood." She suddenly asked, hoping that Valentino would continue the innocent and light conversation. Something flashed in his eyes and she noticed that he clenched onto the reins faster. "I mean, you know a lot about me but I want to know what the little Valentino was like."

Valentino was quiet, almost hoping that she would drop the topic and embrace the silence instead. But with her full attention on him, he couldn't help but shift in her intense gaze, deciding it wouldn't hurt to share a couple of memories. "I never knew my mother. I was brought up by my father and two uncles, born as the heir to their throne. My mother was reasonably young when she had me, she passed away shortly after giving birth to me."

"Did you have any siblings? Cousins?" Ivy asked sincerely.

"My uncles were younger than my father. Once I was born and deemed healthy, they didn't think it was necessary to have more children. I used to play the violin. My mother had passed it down to me but when I turned twelve, my father began to teach me how to kill." Ivy listened intently, curious about Valentino's past. What made him become the cold hearted killer he was now.

"Do you still wish your mother was around?"

Valentino spat out a dry chuckle. "My mother was deemed to be a cold hearted bitch who loved money and alcohol more than anything. If she was still alive, I would've turned out more deadlier. At the end of the day, I don't remember a single memory of her. Why would I miss someone I don't remember?"

Ivy looked down at her hands, the horse's body moving underneath hers as they strolled back to the stables. "Sometimes I miss my mom. But I don't anymore. I blame her for some of the things in my life. Like how she decided to have me but couldn't promise the responsibilities that came with it." Valentino looked over at Ivy. She was sharing her thoughts and it was real. She had slightly opened up the door to her thoughts and mind just enough that Valentino could peek through. He saw emotions other than hate and anger.

"Is your father still alive?" Ivy asked, wanting to know more about him.

"I killed him when I was seventeen years old. He showed me what power and control could get you in this world and I wanted more of it. I was supposed to inherit everything when I turned eighteen. I was selfish and I didn't want to have to wait. So I killed the bastard. Then my uncles too. Before my eighteenth birthday, I was the youngest and deadliest man in the game. People from all around the world feared me when word got out about what I did to get to the throne early. It was clear that when things get in the way of me, I take them out. I'm a selfish man who needs control and power." He stated, his voice cold and firm. There's something dark lurking in his eyes and it scared Ivy. She underestimated how evil he was. How badly greed affected him.

The difference between the two was that Ivy had a life before the cold. Before the blood and before giving death to someone was the only thing that put a smile on her face. She knew what it was like to be left alone, a little naive girl who was scared of monsters under her bed and unaware of the ones that would walk straight past her, disguised as the average human being. She had a taste of feelings other than greed and hatred. Love. Sadness. Happiness even when her life was shit.

While she adapted to the coldness, Valentino was born into it and it's the only thing he knew.

He was a monster that was merciless and the only personality trait he had was to be powerful. To always one up everyone in the room. He didn't know what it was like to lose someone close to you or to be torn between two decisions. Valentino was born this way and if he was cold enough to kill his own blood, his own father, then Ivy prayed that she would never be someone that would be in the way of getting what he wanted.

He promised her one year of life. So, she was going to accept the one year and live it. Hopefully not getting herself killed in the meantime.

While they rode back to the stables, the mansion just visible through the blankets of trees, a thick and heavy silence fell between them. The cold breeze wasn't welcomed anymore and the sun was hidden behind grey clouds. Everything, even the tone of the green grass, was cold and heavy. As soon as they hopped off of the horses, stablehands immediately walked over and led the horses away, leaving Valentino's tall figure towering over Ivy. She didn't dare to look up into his dark eyes, what he had revealed about himself was terrifying enough.

Running his thumb along her jaw, he forced her to look up at him. She was tense under his gaze and the demons that lurked inside fed off of her fear. She tried to act strong, unbothered about the truth but he could read her. Ivy might try to portray that she showed no emotion but the way her eyebrows would slightly furrow and her teeth would gently bite down on her bottom lip, she wasn't fooling him.

"You wouldn't stop me from getting what I want though, Princess?" He muttered, taking a step closer to her.

"No. Not on purpose." She replied.

Valentino sent her an evil smirk. Like he was the devil himself. "Good. I'd hate to have to kill you before the contract ends."