Killer Deal

The dimly lit tavern echoed with the sounds of hurried conversations held in hushed tones. Which wasn't exactly surprising. The king was dead, after all. And the assassin who killed him was still on the loose. The kingdom of Adora perched on the verge of total collapse. 

Every person in this tavern had their own ideas on how to handle the situation, and Haina was no exception. As the eldest daughter of the Noct family, she was in a unique position of power. Her father was already eyeing the throne, but most of the other nobles were in a better position to take it. They had bigger armies, better connections. 

But the Nocts were not without their own advantages. Haina knew she was one of those advantages. She'd played her father's political game long enough to know she was better at it than the majority of the nobles in the city. This meeting wasn't the first move she'd made in pursuit of the throne, but hopefully it would be one of the last.

She zipped the charm on the necklace she wore back and forth while she waited for her future associate to arrive. He was late. She glanced at the clock behind the counter. He was very late. This tavern stank of stale beer and tobacco, and she wanted out. She'd confirmed that he'd received her missive, but what if he'd...

"Lady Noct?" The gruff voice sounded from behind her, causing her to whirl to face the newcomer.

She didn't know him personally, but she knew of him. Knew more of him than he would assume she did. She knew the deep scar across his face was from an attempt on the king's life four years ago, when the man standing before her leaped in front of the arrow aimed at the king's forehead. She knew his light brown eyes were inherited from his mother's family, and the sandy blonde hair from his father's. 

"Captain Palta." She rose from her chair, allowing her necklace to fall back against her chest. "It's an honor to meet with one as esteemed as yourself."

"The honor is mine, my lady. That you'd even consider meeting with a failure such as myself...means a lot." He bowed deeply at the waist. Haina's lips tipped up, just a bit.

"Nonsense. One mistake does not make one a failure. Besides, who would've expected that assassin to strike in such a way?" The king's death was not typical of an assassination. It didn't happen in the night, with a cloak and dagger, nor was it by poison, slipped into one of the king's golden chalices. 

The assassin killed the king mid-speech. They'd dropped from the balcony above, crushed his throat with their boots, and fought off the king's guards in full view of the city below. Then, once the king was dead, they'd simply jumped over the rail, landed on a thatch roof, and slipped into the crowd.

Palta clears his throat. "It was my job to anticipate all attacks on the king. I failed, and the other nobles have let me know just how damming that failure was."

"The past has passed, Captain. Please, sit. I have many things I'd like to discuss with you." The captain took the seat across from her, and she returned to her own seat, suppressing a sigh of relief. Her ankle had been terribly sore of late.

"Yes. I'm guessing you would like to hire me to protect your father during his bid for the throne. Am I correct?" That was what her father thought she was doing here.

"No, not entirely. You're infamous, Captain. There's not a soldier in this city who doesn't know your name or know of your valor. You've earned that reputation through blood and sweat." She said, swirling the drink in her hand.

"I'll earn it when I catch the bastard who killed the king." Palta's hands clenched the edges of the table.

"And that's why you're here. I want you to gather all the soldiers you can, and find the assassin who did this, bring them to justice, and keep order in the city. I genuinely believe you could enlist the help of most of the fighting men in the city." Her soft smile spread wider. "I'm willing to match your former salary as Captain of the Guard to ensure you keep order in the city."

"That's—"

"Not nearly enough, I know. But my father's only given me access to a small portion of the family's significant wealth." She lied. "I can't afford to pay the men you gather."

"I was going to say that's more than generous, my lady. With my former salary, I could afford to pay my men. But you would be paying me to do something I'm already honor-bound to do." He looked down, staring at the table like it held the answers to all his questions. Across the tavern, raucous laughter sounds. Someone else had made a deal. Haina was running out of time.

"I have no issues with that. Do you?" She prodded. Palta needed to agree to this. She'd spent a great deal of time on this plan, and every aspect would fall apart if she'd misjudged the man before her, and he turned her down. 

"What happens after we catch the assassin? Would you expect myself and my men to continue serving the Noct family, instead of whomever takes the throne?" Haina made a show of drawing her eyebrows together.

"Of course not. Our agreement is to dissolve as soon as the assassin is caught, or as soon as a new ruler is chosen, whichever comes first." She paused. "If my family gains the throne, then we'll revisit your contract. Your mission to capture the assassin won't be excluded in that circumstance."

Palta chewed his lip, and Haina returned to zipping the charm on her necklace. She'd given the man everything he should want on a silver platter. And if he took her deal, he'd prevent the other nobles from marching their armies through the city streets and taking the throne by force, leaving diplomacy as the only route to power. 

The best way to handle things with diplomacy was through a purse. Her father, the richest man in the city, had given her full rein of his finances. Which made her the richest person in the city. 

But her father wouldn't be the one sitting on the throne when this was over. She would. As long as...

"I'll take your deal, my lady. Until the assassin is caught." She smiled as she shook his hand, his rough callouses scraping against her. 

"Of course. Have a wonderful night, Captain. And happy hunting." Her words were a clear dismissal. 

Haina waited until she was sure the captain was gone before she rose from her seat and limped out of the tavern. Her ankle still hurt from jumping off that damn balcony.