Chapter 5 Kasimir
KASIMIR
Ruby is a beautiful dancer. She doesn’t notice me as I watch her from beyond the reeds, the black leather of my clothes blending seamlessly with the tall hedgerows surrounding her dance circle.
Her eleven close friends – or half-sisters, as I recently found out – don’t notice me either. The twelve of them leap and spin across the stones without a care in the world, occasionally stopping to giggle when one girl bumps into another or when their musicians start up a new song.
In their colourful tutus and pointe shoes, they’re all so similar, yet I can’t keep my eyes off her. Every time she sweeps her leg up, it takes everything for me to not burst through the reeds and run my hands down her perfect waist, her perfect thighs.
After Ruby left, my contacts at the palace managed to sneak me in fairly swiftly, and since then I’ve been gathering information on Hugo and chasing after red-haired maids.
Though it took me accidentally wandering into the princesses’ wing to discover that of course my lying Ruby was not a maid at all.
Princess Amaryllis. A beautiful name for the king’s eldest daughter, but I think I’ll stick with Ruby when I finally confront her in her bedchamber tonight. She’ll soon learn how much I hate liars, and how much I hate royals, especially royals related to that shitstain of a king, Sol.
He might think it’s acceptable to impregnate a dozen unwilling women across the realm in the hopes that one will give him a son, but the rest of us certainly don’t.
A laugh from one of the princesses jerks me from my thoughts and marks my cue to leave.
It’s been three days now, and I’ve spent far too long watching Ruby, and not nearly enough time figuring out a murder-free way to get rid of Hugo.
Silently, I crawl past the reeds and back towards the palace, slipping through a narrow hole I made in the hedgerow. I might not care much for any royals, but I do care about the insane amount of gold and jewels I can share with my crew if I complete this job.
I just need to figure out a way to do it.
In the distance, I spot the dark window of Hugo’s bedchamber. The sun is low in the sky so he’s most likely feasting away in the banquet hall. If I can get inside his room, perhaps I can find something to use against him, even if it’s just the name of an illegitimate child.
Keeping close to the bushes, I move quickly across the grass until I dart inside the palace. Hugo’s bedchamber isn’t far, and I’m about to slip inside when I hear the grating voice of my target.
“Do come to bed with me, sweet things. I don’t bite, not unless you ask me to,” he purrs from a nearby corridor.
Heart thundering, I dip behind a suit of armour before the foul prince emerges with two small servant girls, one hooked under each arm.
“I’m sorry, Your Highness,” one of them stutters. “But we’ll get in trouble if we’re out of our dorm much longer. The head servant likes us to be in bed before nightfall. She always checks in on us too.”
Carefully, I peer out from my hiding place. I can just about make out the youth of her features. Judging by her small frame, she can’t be older than fourteen.
“Yes, please forgive us, Your Highness,” the other girl adds. “We mustn’t stay out late. It’s a risk for us to even be out this far from the kitchens.” My eyes widen as they step close enough for me to see her. She’s probably even younger than the first.
“Nonsense,” Hugo scoffs, keeping his arms around their shoulders. “No amount of trouble is worth missing a night of fun with your Uncle Hugo.” He chuckles. “Bah, I can send for someone to fetch us some desserts. You’d both like that, wouldn’t you, girls?”
Fists clenched, I flick out my dagger from beneath my sleeve.
I know Ruby didn’t want him dead, but I can’t in good faith just stand here and wait while he does Stars know what to those poor girls in his bedchamber.
There’s no guards here. No one else to protect them.
And just the way his gaze skims their dresses makes me feel ill.
“Thank you for the offer, but really we should be going.” One of the girls finally manages to wriggle out from under his arm.
Scowling, he reaches for her, and I almost leap forward to stop him when suddenly there’s distant laughter down the hallway.
“Let us both go or we’ll scream,” the girl who slipped away first yelps. Panic flushes her cheeks red.
With a reluctant scowl, Hugo drops his arm from the other girl’s shoulder and stomps towards his bedchamber. “You’d do well to learn your place around here, girls,” he growls over his shoulder. “You don’t say no to nobility, especially not to princes.”
The two serving girls remain rooted in place until Hugo finally slams the door shut behind him. Then, they bolt down the corridor, leaving me alone to seethe in the candlelit hallway.
Ruby was right. Whatever I end up doing to Hugo, he’d deserve it, and more. Over the past few days I’d caught glimpses of the swine as he’d poke fun at the twelve princesses. He’d go out of his way to make the girls feel uncomfortable.
Still, while his behaviour was inappropriate and at times completely disgusting, it was nothing beyond what I’d expect of someone of royal blood.
But that… What I just saw was deplorable.
Sol might be predatory scum, but at least none of his victims were children.
After waiting a few more minutes, I tuck my dagger back into my sleeve and step out from my hiding place. I’d told Ruby the prince wouldn’t die here, so I’ll wait until he’s on his way home, all tucked up in his cushy, gilded carriage – then I’ll give him all the pain he deserves.
For now, though, I have other matters to deal with. Like the pretty red-haired princess who’s probably just slipped off her dance shoes and climbed into bed.
I believe it’s about time I paid her a visit.
Stepping back out onto the manicured lawn, I sneak along the palace wall until I catch sight of the dim light spilling from her window, high above.
Then, I begin climbing.