Assassin's Path

I fell through the shadows, my only desire was to escape, to get away from the man that had done despicable things to me. I wanted to be somewhere safe, somewhere I didn't have to have my guard up. I fell for what felt like hours but must've only been a few seconds before I reappeared. When I landed I stumbled, tripping over a rock or offset cobblestone in the street, I thought I was going to tumble to the ground but a pair of strong arms wrapped around me before I could fall.

"Are you alright?" that voice...my heart leapt of its own accord, my throat constricted, my skin stopped tingling, and my body melted into the accidental embrace as I looked up into Aiden's beautiful face, full of concern and worry. His eyes were searching my face for something...

"...no," I was barely able to whisper as the tears began to leak from my eyes, "I don't think I am..." His arms grew tighter around me as I wrapped my own around his torso. His head leaned forward to press against mine as I became fully enveloped by the embrace.

"Let's go back to the castle," he whispered into my hair. I could only nod, not trusting myself to speak for fear that only sobs would come forth. He wrapped his cloak around my shivering form, though it wasn't from the chill in the air, and he guided me over to his horse. Aiden helped me mount up before getting on behind me. I curled into his chest, continuing to hold onto him for the entire ride.

I was breathing heavily and didn't pay much attention to the trip back, I was more focused on...other things. I felt every square inch of our bodies that were touching, from his thighs behind me to his arm wrapped around me protectively as he guided Isolde up the streets in the direction of the palace. He wasn't wearing armor so I could feel his chest rise and fall with his breathing, the warmth of his body, I could hear his heartbeat that was hammering faster than it probably should've been.

"Are you alright?" I asked quietly, my eyes still closed as I savored his touch, "you seem agitated." Aiden actually laughed, a harsh bark that held no amusement.

"I'm furious," he started and my heart sank, what had I done to make him this angry? It was probably because I had wrapped him around me like a blanket to protect myself, I hadn't even hadn't even considered what seeing me, let alone touching me was doing to him. I was soiled and tainted by Coran, of course he didn't want me. My skin began to tingle again as I came to this realization.

"I'm sorry..." I started to apologize for whatever I had done as I began to move away from him as much as I could while being on the same horse.

"Why?" Aiden's voice became confused, "it's not your fault that the bastard was allowed out of the dungeons, you couldn't have known you'd run into him." I looked up and saw his jaw tense at the mention of Lord Coran.

"What was he doing in the Temple?" I asked, tentatively leaning against him again. Aiden made no move to stop me moving closer again, probably because he felt guilty, but I returned my head to his chest. I couldn't help myself, Aiden made me feel protected even now when I was certain he wanted nothing to do with me.

"Last rights, begging the Dragon of Justice for forgiveness and mercy I bet. It won't do anything to change his fate," Aiden said before muttering the next more to himself than me, "Even if the Dragon themselves comes down from the sky to pardon that bug, he'll still die for what he did to..." his voice trailed off and his jaw tensed again.

Aiden will make an amazing King, I caught myself thinking, he cares for his people and what Lord Coran did to them...what I did to them. My skin began to tingle more as I remembered the faces of every person Lord Coran had made me kill, every face wracked with terror as I ended their life, every-

"We're back," Aiden's voice pulled me back to reality, we were alone inside the royal stables. He had dismounted and was holding out his hand to help me down. I numbly took it and hopped off the horse. I took his cloak off and held it out to him.

"Thank you," I couldn't bear to look him in the eyes out of fear, fear of seeing the disgust and anger he must feel towards me.

"Why aren't you looking at me?" Aiden asked, not taking the cloak from my hands. His voice sounded choked, like he was holding something back.

"My apologies, your majesty," I said as I raised my eyes to meet his, and it was worse than I thought. There was a pain in his eyes...

"I'm sorry," Aiden's words surprised me, what did he have to be sorry for?

"Why?" I asked, dumbfounded by this situation, he had rescued me from slavery, taken me away from my captor, freed me from the bastard's control. Aiden's jaw had tensed up again and his eyes were shining with tears that were held at bay by willpower that was crumbling.

"I should've come after you right away," Aiden's hands clenched into fists, "but I couldn't because of the laws and the bureaucratic bullshit of the nobility. I knew that fucker had taken you, but I couldn't save you..."

"You did save me," I cut him off, "you're the only reason I'm here now." I would've still been trapped in the estate if not for him...but Aiden seemed to wince at that statement.

"I know, if I hadn't dragged you here in the first place that bastard wouldn't have seen you," Aiden was breathing heavily now, "and he wouldn't have taken you." I was shocked by this, I hadn't thought that Aiden would blame himself for my abduction. I looked around and spotted a hay bale in a corner. I walked over and sat down on it, nodding my head for him to join me. Aiden took a seat next to me, his whole body was tense as he gingerly lowered himself onto the bale.

"It's not your fault I was taken and...used," I said, "that was entirely HIS doing, he's the one who bribed and murdered a guard, he's the one who bought something that oozed Dark Magic."

"But If I-" Aiden started.

"I was the one who caught his eye," I said while staring at my feet, cutting him off, "I was the one that talked to him, danced with him. I brought this to myself."

"NO!" Aiden practically shouted, startling the horses, I looked up towards him and the anger on his face broke my heart, "this isn't your fault. How you act and who you talk to isn't permission for ANYONE to do what that shit-head did to you." His face softened and his voice quieted as he spoke.

"But..." my mind was trying to reconcile his words and what had happened, what I had been told growing up, what I had been trained to think....

"I can't even imagine what you're feeling," Aiden's voice was barely a whisper, "but I want you to know that it's not your fault." I just sat there, not saying anything as my thoughts continued to race around my mind. My parents had always said I draw too much attention to myself, my instructors at the Guild had mentioned my times that I was too perfect to miss so I must learn to use that to my advantage, and Coran had said many times that I was too attractive to be wasted on just the Prince. Tears began to roll down my face as I leaned forward so my elbows were supported by my knees as I cried into my hands. I felt a hand tentatively start to stroke my back.

"You don't have to do that," I said through the tears but I didn't push his hand away either.

"Are you alright with me touching you?"

"Of course I am," I cried a little harder as the tingling sensation returned, "I miss your hands on me, I miss being in the same room as you, I miss you looking at me, I miss your kisses, and I miss..." my voice trailed off.

"You mean....you want me to touch you?" Aiden asked.

"Yes," I admitted miserably, "it's so selfish and I don't want you to force yourself to-" my words were cut off as Aiden pulled me into a kiss. My breath left my body as his lips touched mine. I surrendered to the feelings coursing through my body, letting myself revel in his touch. He pulled away after what felt like only seconds, but I was gasping a little for air that my lungs desperately needed.

"I assumed you wouldn't want to be touched or looked at like this after what happened..." Aiden was cut off when I pulled him back to me, kissing him harder with a touch of desperation to make up for lost time.

"I thought you couldn't stand to see me after what Coran did...after I was tainted..." I said quietly after we parted for air again.

"I didn't want to push you into doing something you didn't want to do," Aiden explained as we started kissing again, our tongues fighting to touch as much of the other as possible.

"I didn't want to hurt you by being near you," I gasped, realizing how stupid that actually sounded.

"You could never hurt me like that. I don't think I could ever not love you," Aiden said...and then froze after he must've realized what he had said.

"You...love me?" I asked, my breath caught in my throat.

"It sounds crazy," Aiden blushed, turning a bright shade of red as his gaze moved to the floor, "but I've never felt like this about anyone else in my life...you make me crazy when you're near me and even crazier when you're not. I know that the fairy tales with the whole love-at-first-sight thing are just stories....but I can't get you out of my head." The smile on my face got bigger and bigger as he continued to ramble nervously until I thought I was going to tear the muscles in my face.

"I love you too," I said quietly, my face now mirroring his as I blushed, "If I'm being honest I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we met. And I can't explain it either, but I don't think I want it explained....I just want to enjoy this, whatever this is, with you for as long as I can." We were kissing again, I had moved into his lap and was straddling his legs. Our bodies were pressed together until there was no space between us, as if we both felt there had been enough distance between us recently to last many lifetimes. I had just begun to undo his shirt, my fingers fumbling at the buttons and ties desperately trying to touch his skin, when I heard a soft chuckle behind me.

"My my," the voice practically crooned while still sounding venomous, "little Dancer found a Prince to play with." I whipped around, still on Aiden's lap to look at who was speaking, but there was no one there.

"What is it?" Aiden asked, sounding alert and slightly disappointed.

"We're not alone..." I let myself become enveloped by Magic, pulling it over Aiden too, to shroud us from view.

"What the-" Aiden started to ask but I covered his mouth and pleaded with my eyes for him to remain silent. He looked into my eyes, his own going wide for a second before nodding.

"Playtime's over my boy," the voice whispered, "time to come home." I didn't recognize the voice and I couldn't see where it was coming from. I heard a rustle from the rafters and a quiet whooshing sound. I wrapped my arms around Aiden's neck and threw us both to the ground as a dart embedded into the wooden wall, right where Aiden's neck had been a split-second ago. I reached for my daggers...but they were back in my room.

"Dragon's Blood!" I cursed loudly, but I used Magic to make it sound like we had moved farther. The ruse didn't work and I had to roll Aiden and myself out of the way of three more darts.

"Parlour tricks won't work on me little Dancer," the assassin's voice echoed from everywhere at once, this time though Aiden did hear it.

"Who are you?" Aiden called out, jumping to his feet and out of the shadow shroud I maintained, "What do you want?" Aiden unsheathed his sword, looking around the room, trying to determine where our attacker was.

"I merely want to retrieve my organization's property," this time the voice was in one location and a figure stepped out of the shadows. A short woman with a smirk on her face, her black hair tied up in a bun. She held two darts in each hand between her fingers, no doubt coated in some sort of toxin, and was wearing the dark leathers of the Guild.

"Which Guild are you from? What do you want?" Aiden asked, I dropped the shroud and stood up next to him. I stepped slightly in front of him, making sure to keep his sword arm unobstructed.

"She's with the Assassin's Guild," I said flatly, "and I'm the property she's here to get."

"My my Little Dancer," she practically cooed, "you've grown up so much in the last few years. So handsome now, I can see why the Prince was so easily seduced." She flicked a wrist and sent a dart flying towards Aiden. I reached over and snatched it out of the air before it could get to him.

"Leave now, and tell the Masters you failed," my voice was low, almost a growl, "or I will collect your soul here and now bitch." I threw the dart back towards her on the last word to emphasize the threat. She caught it as easily as I had, unsurprising, and lazily flipped it around in her fingers.

"Oh I doubt you can follow through on that promise my dear," she said, throwing two more darts at us. I grabbed them out of the air as well, dropping them to the ground this time.

"You are under arrest, in the name of the Crown you will surrender now or be killed," Aiden said gravely as he changed his stance ever so slightly to be ready for a fight.

"I don't recognize your authority my dear boy," the woman said, the sneer returning to her face.

"Very well," Aiden's voice was somber but firm, "you leave us no choice." Suddenly Aiden's sword seemed to explode with light, radiant Magical power coursing through his entire body. His eyes became pools of the purest light and his entire body began glowing. I had to avert my gaze as the light expanded from him, forming into a set of radiant armor around him. Aiden moved with a speed that matched my own, charging at our attacker in a burst of light.

"Fucking Paladin," the assassin spat as she threw more toxic darts at Aiden. The light surrounding him seemed to burn them to ash before they reached his body though. He rushed forward again, bringing his sword down where the assassin had been, but she had flung herself clear of the attack, using the momentum to get to her feet. Aiden was right on her though, never giving her a chance to get her balance. His sword slashed at her again and again, but every time she was able to doge out of the way.

"You will not hurt Myr," Aiden said, his voice was calm as if he was simply stating that the sky was blue. He feinted left and slashed right, catching the assassin on her side. She barely managed to maneuver so it was just a mild cut instead of the fatal blow Aiden had intended. Aiden was relentless...and it was around this moment that I realized I had just been sitting on the ground the entire time. I moved to a crouching position waiting for an ideal moment to leap into action.

Aiden pointed his sword towards our assailant and seemed to fire a blast of pure scorching light at her. The assassin managed to leap to the side, just out of the way of Aiden's attack, staggering ever so slightly by the force of the blast, but that was just the opening I needed. I rolled behind her and wrapped my arms under her shoulders and around her neck while my legs encircled her waist.

"Surrender," I demanded, "otherwise you die." She just laughed, which I responded to by tightening my grip on her, cutting off her airway. That's when I felt the sharp pain of a dart stabbing into my arm. I had completely forgotten about the weapons in her hands, distracted by Aiden's radiant form looming over both of us. My muscles tensed up and then relaxed, my grip loosening and allowing the assassin to escape my grapple. She leapt to her feet and glanced back at my prone form. Her face had a gloating expression on it...but that quickly changed to a look of surprise as Aiden's sword parted her head from her shoulders.

My vision began to fade as the toxin took hold in my body, Aiden rushed to my side and picked me up in his arms. His body was warm and comforting, the light around him had reduced to a pleasant glow rather than the furious sunburst it had been during combat. I couldn't feel my limbs anymore, my chest was on fire, and my breaths were becoming shallow. This had to be the venom of the mountain wyvern, I thought to myself as I slipped away, nothing else the Guild has is this efficient or potent...

"You'll be ok," Aiden's voice sounded far away, like it was echoing down a long corridor, "I'm not letting you go again." I felt more than saw him glow brighter, and that light seeped into my body as he held me in his arms. It coursed through my veins leaving behind a warm feeling as I felt the Magic burn away the toxins in my blood. My breathing became easier, my eyes fluttered open, and my limbs began to move and stretch.

"I'm not going anywhere," I whispered as I looked into Aiden's glowing eyes. I reached up and caressed his handsome face, his eyes closed and he pushed into the touch. The light around him dimmed as I lifted myself into a sitting position on the ground. I leaned over and pressed my forehead against his. He wrapped his arms around me and held me close as our lips came together. The kiss was gentle and tender, a caring touch of a lover almost lost.

"Your Majesty!!" A loud voice broke through our moment of distraction, and we both sat up and looked towards the stable entrance. Mathers and two other guards had barged into the building with their weapons drawn. They stood there for a second before Mathers barked some orders for the other two to sweep the building and surrounding area.

"We're fine, Captain," Aiden said calmly as he helped me to my feet. Apparently even that was a bit much cuz my vision got a bit cloudy for a moment and I had to lean on Aiden to stay upright.

"I wouldn't mind laying down for a bit," I murmured as my head found Aiden's shoulder, his comfy perfectly shaped shoulder...the toxin probably had some side effects even after Aiden had healed me. My mind was still a bit fuzzy and the room was all...wobbly. Though the same thing happened every time I kissed Aiden so...maybe it was that. I looked up at Aiden, my shining knight and protector...nope still affected by the poison. I'm a romantic but I'm not that sappy normally.

"A member of the Assassin's Guild attempted to kidnap and then kill Myr," Aiden explained as Mathers glanced down at the decapitated woman, the sneer tinged with surprise still on her face. I kicked the head a bit so it was face down in the dirt. I sniggered quietly and did it again.

"I think Myr should get some rest," Mathers nodded towards me as I kept toeing the dead woman's head.

"Come on," Aiden lifted me into his arms, when he did so my arms wrapped around his neck instinctively, my legs squeezed the arm under my knees as I nuzzled into his neck, "let's get you into a bed."

"It better be your bed," I grumbled as my eyelids started getting heavy, "my room doesn't smell like you and I like how you smell..." My voice trailed off as I gave into the weariness and fell asleep in Aiden's arms...the only place I wanted to fall asleep ever again... wow those toxins were strong.

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When I awoke I felt groggy, a little dizzy, like I was floating on cloud, and as ifI was wrapped in the finest cloth. I stretched my body, extending every limb to its longest reach. My body felt amazing, well rested, and pent up if my throbbing erection was any indication. I was in the comfiest bed I have ever experienced, not that the bar was set very high, and the silk sheets elicited sensual feelings as they moved over my body.

"Good morning gorgeous," I turned to look over at Aiden when he spoke. He was seated next to the bed and he looked terrible.

"Did you get any sleep at all?" I asked as I rolled over under the sheets, my cock throbbed again as if complaining about my lack of attention.

"I did...maybe a few minutes," Aiden smiled embarrassedly, "I was keeping an eye on you, the doctor said you'd be fine but I..." His voice trailed off as a distant expression crossed his face.