A Royal Assassination (on hold)

Part 4 - deliberate silence

Cassius had been in the palace less than 24 hours but he was already growing impatient. His fingers kept twitching to grab his favorite blade and throw it at one of the tall carved posts that decorated the four corners of the heir's bed.

Takeeo sat at his desk, hunched over endless amounts of documents, sometimes scribbling tiny notes in the margins. Once in a while, he would look up and gaze out the window but never for more than half a minute. Cassius was slightly surprised at the dedication shown to some flimsy papers. State of affairs would have passed to the Emperor himself, meaning that whatever Takeeo was reading couldn't be very important. On the other hand, considering the young man's nature, anything was possible. He had a feeling that what he'd seen so far of the heir merely touched the surface. All he knew as that the vulnerable young man he'd first seen in outlined against the moonlit sky was long gone.

He thought of the blood red lips, drawn into a wicked smile. There had been a prominent threat of escalation, but Takeeo had surprised him again by turning away as if nothing had happened.

Stifling a yawn, he scowled at the heir even if Takeeo paid him no mind. He had yet to sleep and was growing increasingly weary, but he couldn't leave his post unless his new employer told him explicitly that it was time to leave. Halden had been generous enough to give him a few pointers about his job description before leaving which was well since Takeeo hadn't said a word about what was expected.

The rules were simple enough. Stay, obey, and don't let the heir die.

He had a feeling he might want to go back on his choice to leave Takeeo alive if all he could do was stand in a corner and fling imaginary blades around. In fact, he kept wondering why he'd accepted the position. Trusting his gut had helped him survive so far, but this once he wasn't sure he'd made the right decision. Sure, the heir had proved much more interesting than most other people he had met, but that was when he talked, not when he read in silence.

Distraction and food arrived with a servant who quickly placed a tray on the small table next to the mantle piece. Her cheeks reddened when her shaking hands refused to cooperate. Red wine spilled from the green bottle, hastily rubbed away with the hem of her apron.

Takeeo seemed to take no notice of her, not until she bowed and held her position.

"He's not going to harm you," he said. "He's meek as a puppy."

Cassius knew the words were meant to taunt him rather than soothe the maid, but he refused to swallow the bait. It was better to stay silent and let the heir reveal his cards one by one.

Takeeo placed the quill in the stand and rose with deliberate ease only to walk across the room with hurried steps. "There's only one plate."

The maid lowered her stance even further. "Yes, your grace."

"Fetch a second plate and another glass. Don't make me wait."

She paled at his tone and fled as soon as she was allowed, leaving a too-quiet atmosphere behind. He'd not considered the possibility that he would eat with the heir. Perhaps his night wouldn't be so dull after all.

"She's not one of mine," Takeeo said, as though it would explain his fickle temper.

For a fleeting second, he imagined that he saw something that resembled resignation in Takeeo's eyes. The emotion vanished as quickly as it had surfaced. It might even have been an illusion, but the slip had been another card revealed.

The heir waved at the tray, stalking back to his papers. "Go ahead. Drink. You look bored out of your mind."

He didn't wait for Takeeo to change his mind. He was too thirsty to care if he came off as slightly rushed. Glass in hand, he leaned against the mantle piece, wondering if his continued silence had managed to bother the heir. Perhaps he'd been wrong to think Takeeo read for the sake of reading. It was certainly possible that he wanted to provoke Cassius into speaking up first. It was a strategy he'd used on occasion.

If there was a challenge, Cassius would gladly take it. Silence had never bothered him. Inactivity always got on his nerves, yes, but silence had the capacity to hold his interest and speak volumes if you knew how to listen.

The wine had flavors to it that he'd never tasted. Slowly, he took another sip.

"Thought you might like that."

He lowered the glass, waiting for Takeeo to continue.

"It's from Melderen. They're trying to marry off their daughter to me, and we've received wine since she was born." The dark chuckle told an entire tale.

Melderen lay north of the border, about a month away on horseback. He'd heard tales of mountains crowned with snow year around, cliffs that rose from the sea, and dark forests that swallowed every bit of sunlight from the sky. It was next to impossible to imagine. He'd never left the city and knew nothing of jagged mountains or dense forests. All paintings he'd seen appeared suspicious as if someone had dreamed the views rather than seen them in real life.

"Have you been there?" Takeeo asked, studying him with a smug grin. Taunting.

"No, your grace."

Takeeo drew the feather quill beneath his nose, a caress of insinuation. "Your fingers twitch every time you say 'your grace'."

He resisted the urge to clench his fists to capture errant limbs. Instead, he relaxed his stance. "What was it you said? Meek?"

The chuckle sounded genuine this time. "Docile."

It sounded like the heir described someone else, but he would take the strange titles for now. They were still playing, after all. Assessing their opponent.

Soft footsteps outside announced an arrival. The maid scurried inside, her gaze nailed to the floor while the cutlery clinked on the tray. She went through somewhat of an ordeal as she tried to fit both trays on the small side table. If she hadn't been terrified, it might have been amusing to watch. Cassius was half-way on his way to help her when he remembered that she was, in fact, afraid of him.

Takeeo dismissed her with a wave instead of a word, rising from his spot as soon as she was out the door. "Now, we should eat. I believe you are starving."

He found it particularly interesting that the heir would take a swing at his weakness, implying that Cassius was the sole owner of an empty stomach. Surely, the heir was hungry as well. They'd both been cooped up in the room for hours, and no food had been served. Considering the Takeeo's lithe body, he might not eat much, however.

With the graceful wave, Takeeo urged him to sit. Wondering what was going on, he did as asked, only to frown when the heir put on a masterful show. Swaying hips, eyes smoldering, Takeeo took the plates, one in each hand and served him as if Cassius were the master. Another move, another piece settled on the board. The game was very much ongoing.

Settled at the table, the dark hair falling to the side, Takeeo blinked with intent. Every time his lashes lowered, it had been planned beforehand.

"So, let's start. I think we've waited long enough."

Cassius schooled his expression. He was fairly certain Takeeo wasn't talking about the food.

A/N okay, so this was short. I'm sorry, but I had promised to post and then I had like no time. FAIL. Anyway, I will try to update soon <3

Hey, btw, did you see that the ebook of Volatile is only $0.99 on Amazon. You should go get it before the price rises again. It might not be on Wattpad forever.