Kill Your Darlings (Jaskier x Assassin!Reader)

Chapter 20

Days. It had been days since that night, but to you, it felt like an eternity. You barely got any sleep. Barely ate. But today, you forced each foot ahead, one step at a time. You couldn't afford to wallow any longer. You had to do this.

You mindlessly followed the guards further towards his office, your expression stone cold like the walls around you.

They gestured you into the office not dissimilar to Rauf's. It nearly made you shudder.

"Hello again," he said, smiling as he stood up to greet you. "It has been too long."

"Arnet. It's good to see you." You forced a smile for the man. It made every muscle in your body want to react, to attack the guild and lash out on anyone who stood in your way. But you knew if you did that, you'd be good as dead. And right now, you needed to be strong. For him.

The man in front of you smiled, "I last saw you when you were very young. Look at you now." Arnet's old eyes crinkled more at the edges, despite the wrinkles that had already formed there.

He was much older than Rauf was, but just from meeting him as a child, you could see why they were friends. They had similar humor, similar charm — though now, Arnet was much more of a humble grandfather type.

Looking at him again after all this time, the blood in your veins heated once more. How could these people you had known for so long be just as bad as the monsters you trained yourself to hate?

Arnet smiled again, "Please, have a seat."

Your body pushed itself down into the chair across from Arnet's. Though his office reminded you of Rauf's, it was definitely bigger, more welcoming. At least, as welcoming as an assassin leader's guild office could be.

After another moment, Arnet spoke, "You have suffered a great loss, child."

"As did you."

He nodded, watching you with careful eyes. "But I cannot imagine the pain you must be going through. You must know your uncle was strong, but he was not invincible."

"He taught me from a young age that death was not something to agonize over. It happens to everyone."

"Yes, but not always so brutally." He shifted in his seat, "We evoke death for a living, but when it is one of our own, it is very, very different."

You nodded your head, but inside, you were screaming. Just because you don't know someone does not mean their life is not meaningful. Just because Rauf was my uncle doesn't mean he was a good person.

Arnet probably took your silence as grief. He probably saw you as a poor innocent child who had lost a loved one. But really, all you could feel was anger.

He continued, "As you know, I sent some of my guild to take care of everything at the fellowship. I'm afraid no one made it out of there alive."

You nearly sighed in relief. No chance of being outed. No loose ends.

Arnet rose from his seat and walked to his desk, picking up a leather satchel. He turned to you, holding out the bag with a nod.

"Rauf's papers, contacts...they are all here. I thought you might want them."

You dropped your facade for a moment, allowing yourself to frown, "Why?"

"Your uncle was murdered in cold blood. I...can imagine the thirst for revenge you must be feeling. To find who did this."

Who did this. The memory of Rauf's blood over your hands, his flesh beneath your blade, flashed before your eyes.

You swallowed the truth and took the satchel from his hands. "Right. Thank you."