Fantasy The Clock is Ticking (Fudge&Michi)

[IFudgedUp]

Tulio rolled his eyes and sighed, "Fine, but I'm grabbing one for the road..." He snatched the bottle he chose earlier and left the cellar and saw the girl being tended to by others, "What's going on up here now?"

One of the maids that wasn't doing anything any longer stepped forward to whisper to the assassin. She was the same one who poured drinks for the king and Tulio.

The assassin gave a grave expression to the servants, "Well, unfortunately, this will have a very adverse effect when negotiations come into play. I suppose I have more than an intruder to investigate while I'm here."

For a prince to act cruelly to a prisoner who was going to kill him was one thing, but to the staff themselves.... He had time to observe and see if there was a shred of hope the Prince was worth sparing.

 

[Michi]

"Intruder?" One of the scullery maids stepped closer, "There's a intruder in the castle?" Her cockney accent was heavy and her eyes sparkled at the idea of gossip. "Is that about the dead chambermaid they found?"

"Holly! Stop running your gob and take Sara to her room so she can rest." The undercook snapped at the girl who pouted but stepped toward the crying girl, helping her up from the seat, cooing that everything was okay. Once the pair had left the room, the woman turned her attention to Tulio, looking at him closely, "And what are you doing in the kitchen? The only ones allowed in here are the kitchen staff." Her tone was firm but her eyes moved to focus on the bottle of wine in his hand. "Who are you?"

 

[IFudgedUp]

"I am Tulio, the first intruder that didn't get to kill anyone," He shrugged, "The king and I have an understanding. He hasn't set anywhere in the castle off-limits to me as long as I remain on the grounds. Also I guess I'm supposed to keep things safe for the time being, but no ones going to make that easy on a personal level, it seems."

Honestly, talking about the Brotherhood was probably the best way to lure the other person out. They would naturally want to question why he was there and why news had gone out that he was captured if he was perfectly fine, especially if they did not know each other.
Question first if it is a fellow brother, kill first if not. It was a good rule to live by when in the field on a mission, especially when there were these situations of negotiation.

 

[Michi]

The woman’s eyes widened but her moth closed at the information given. After a moment her brow furrowed. “We haven’t heard nothin about that. I will have Chef find out. In the mean time, if you need help in the kitchen please ask. Things are a bit tense and we don’t need any distractions when one girl’s already turned up dead.”

Nearby another girl seemed to be sweeping the floor at an absurdly slow pace listening to the conversation with intense interest. “Girl, if you don’t sweep that floor like you mean it I’ll have you sent away again. Chef don’t like a messy kitchen.”

“Yes, ma’am.” The girl responded quickly and resumed sweeping the floor at a normal pace.

“If there’s something you don’t want known, don’t tell none’a these girls in here. Buncha loose lipped ninnies I tell ya.” Shaking her head she wiped her hands on her apron and looked around, “What are you doin with that knife? You’re gonna chop off your damn fingers!” She snapped before walking off towards a young girl who was sitting in the corner peeling potatoes with a knife that was far too large for its purpose.

 

[IFudgedUp]

"Oh don't worry, ma'am, if anything," he spoke lowly as he looked over the woman's shoulder at the girl sweeping slowly, "...It'll help bring them to me."

At least, as far as he knew, there were no words exchanged over anywhere being off-limits. In fact, for him to find the person, it was better that way. The king probably knew that when they spoke, since if the assassin was working in the castle, it would make no sense to prevent him from going where there were staff working.

He took a few steps around the room to casually get a look at the sweeping girls face. Maybe he would recognize her, maybe he wouldn't, maybe she was just a busybody and knew nothing. Maybe she was interested in the conversation for a reason.

 

[Michi]

The girl continued sweeping, now seeming focused on her job, but occasionally slowing whenever two people within earshot would start talking. She did enjoy listening to all the palace gossip. It was like getting to live vicariously through all the stories she heard; if only she had the chance to get out of the kitchens more often. Maybe become an actual maid, they got paid more than she did and got to wander around the castle freely. But she wasn't pretty or clean enough to be a maid, giving a quiet sigh as she resumed her work lost in her own thoughts.

 

[IFudgedUp]

He didn't recognize her face, but that didn't mean much. He looked for the woman in charge and approached her, "The one over there sweeping, miss... How long has she been working here?"

The longer she has been working here, the better for her, but it still didn't mean much. It could easily be a regular cover. It was a little uncommon, but it wasn't unheard of for Brothers and Sisters to have days jobs on the side.

 

[Michi]

"Who Annie? She's been here about... six, seven years. Since she was fourteen round about. Always got her head in the clouds, but she's a good hard worker when she wants. Good kid." The woman gave a fond smile as she worked on kneading the dough she'd left on the counter minutes before. "You thinkin' it was someone in my kitchen that done the killin'? Ain't no one new in here. I help all the hiring myself. They did do some new hiring at the stables couple months back. Had to replace a groom that got kicked in the head. Dreadful day." She gave a sad shake of the head.

 

[IFudgedUp]

"Are those the only new hires in the past couple of days?" He asked curiously, "I couldn't imagine that the intruder has been here long. They need to have some sort of cover..."

He sighed and took a swig of the open bottle in his hand, "I guess I'll check it out tomorrow when I have time. Are there any open guest rooms in the upper levels? I wasn't really given any direction aside from 'find the other intruder and deal with an asshole'."

 

[Michi]

The woman gave a short shrug as she continued to work, "I dunno. You can ask Thomas, he's the house steward. He's got all those books on everyone here. Usually has lunch in his office round noon everyday." She stated with a nod, "Lots of work to do down here, not much time for lollygagging and gossip, even if the girls think different."

 

[IFudgedUp]

He nodded and left to locate an empty room that he could settle in for a while before the castle started getting busy. He managed to find a room with a made bed, but no belongings showing it belonged to anyone before he walked in and curled onto the bed. Tulio would investigate and observe the prince after he woke up an everyone was awake.

 

[Michi]

It was nearly dinner when Oren was spotted wandering the castle again. His mood seemed to have lifted, and he was talking to one of the noblemen guests of the palace. A balding older gentleman, who made up for his unappealing face and lack of hair with an excessive show of wealth in the form of jewelry expensive clothes and an air around him like he was the king himself. Oren wasn't very fond of him, but he was eager to please, desperate to stay in good graces with the crown. He was pretty sure the man was hoping that when the crown changed hands, that by being nice to Oren he would gain some sort of upper hand over the other nobles.

He would not. If anything, Oren couldn't wait to strip the greedy old man of his title and lands. He had plenty of people who begged at his feet. A noble of the court... shouldn't be one of those people. He should carry himself with more dignity. If he was so ready to betray his father's trust and turn his back on him before he was even in the grave, how could Oren be sure he wouldn't do the same to him once he became king.

 

[IFudgedUp]

Tulio woke up from his little nap sometime later on his own accord and had begun wandering around the caste trying to spot a face he recognized or seemed suspicious when he noticed the prince and some ugly man in beautiful clothes and jewelry talking.
He made a grimace at the sight of either one and quickly turned to walk the other way. He knew Oren was an asshole, and the other man didn't seem like anyone he would ever want to converse with.

Hell, if someone was holding a dagger to him, he'd rather be trapped in a cabin, snowed in and forced to cuddle with Oren for heat and survival until the snow cleared before he wanted to get anywhere near the other person the Prince was talking to.
Just looking at the other man made Tulio's eyes feel dirty. If someone paid the Brotherhood to kill him, the Brotherhood would return the money saying it was for the love that was good in the world and kill him for free.

 

[Michi]

As the man continued to speak, Oren kept looking for his chance to escape. "Aren't you here to meet with my father about something?" He finally cut the man off who backtracked and sputtered.

"Yes, of course! Thank you for reminding me, My Prince. So gracious and intelligent. The kingdom will flourish under you command!" These statements were punctuated by kisses to the back of his hand, and Oren had to pull his hand away awkwardly. every time the man touched him, his skin crawled. Oren nodded at the man and smiled as he pulled away and turned to walk away. Ugh.

Making his way down to the dining hall, Oren took his usual seat as dinner was sat at the table in front of the food. His stomach growled when he looked at the plates of food that were waiting to be eaten. Oh..... The Earl was probably supposed to eat with them as well.... how unfortunate.

 

[IFudgedUp]

Tulio decided to drink his dinner personally and went to bother the kitchen staff for a bottle of wine. He made no progress today, but supposed he should come and be present for dinner since he hadn't followed Oren at all that day.
Maybe he should have discussed schedules and such with the king. If he was in the dining area, maybe Tulio could grab his attention for a moment after dinner.

In the meantime, he needed to get dinner for himself somehow. In a way, it felt like he was a rat in the castle. He was there, but was mostly ignored and not paid any mind.

 

[Michi]

When his family joined him at the table, dinner was brought out and they all spoke idly of there days. His mother scolded his sister on her poor posture, and his father sat at the head of the table. Oren picked at the food on his plate, and remained mostly silent. He hadn't had a very eventful day himself.

"I heard from Anna, that you're letting his killer walk around the castle free." His mother spoke finally after a moment of silence overtook the table.

"Indeed. I'm working with him to try and save Oren's life. He's going to be protecting Oren while I work on negotiating with them to keep him safe. In the mean time, I would like for you to not give him a hard time, Oren. I know you enjoy your little games, but your life is on the line here too." The king's gaze remained focused on his plate as he spoke.

Oren frowned at the older man, "I don't need him to protect me. Just put more guards around me. How can you know he's not going to try to kill me? You can't trust him." He muttered as he glared at his food as if it had offended him instead of his father.

"I will trust whomever I want. And you will do as I say." The tone told him that that was the end of it, and he wasn't going to negotiate with his son on the terms that had been set with the assassin.

 

[IFudgedUp]

Which was the smartest thing for the King to do. Tulio could make arrangements for everything, but he couldn't change the way he had to go about it. Any negotiations had to be made on the Brotherhoods terms.
Such as it being in a private location, away from authority and guards. Kings had an exception, as they were allowed to bring two, even if it was just to make him feel safe. The rule that only a fellow Brother could engage negotiations was also a very important one, as well.

Tulio was listening in from the other side of the door. Good, at least it didn't seem he was to be bodyguarding today. It gave him more time, and he still hadn't been informed of any schedules that he had to pay attention to. He supposed he would just find the Prince later.

Rather than actually go through, he looked behind him to a maid and asked, "Can I get something to eat, pot favor? I probably shouldn't go in there."

It seemed the ladies of the castle didn't approve of his presence, either. He didn't blame them, of course, but he hoped they weren't any trouble like Oren would be.

 

[Michi]

“Servants eat in the kitchen.” The maid informed him as if this were supposed to be obvious. If he wasn’t eating with the royal family then he mustn't be a guest and must have belonged with the servants.

“Well if he's supposed to be protecting me, he's doing a pretty bad job, I think. Seeing as I haven't seen him since lunch." Oren asked as he picked up another bite of food from his plate before setting it into mouth and chewing slowly.

His father didn't look amused, "I am sure, he has a perfectly valid reason. Mayhaps he has found a lead and is following it. For now he's trying to protect you and find out who the assassin inside trying to kill you is."

Oren sighed and continued eating his dinner, holding out his glass for a refill on wine.

 

[IFudgedUp]

"I'm not looking to eat in there, I'm simply standing here," He snapped at her quietly enough for his voice not to carry through the door, "Not to mention, I wouldn't consider myself a 'servant', seeing as how you were never trained to kill a man with a chicken bone as a shiv."

To be honest, his clock was messed up, and though he spent the day trying to go through all the servants, there were just so many servants in the castle at one time. How would he ever find them in the first place? It didn't matter. He would guard Oren at night when the other assassin would be most likely to strike anyway. The Prince would be much safer during broad daylight.

 

[Michi]

The maid frowned and took a step back away from the man. "You can eat in the kitchen, with everyone else." She repeated though her face took a cautious expression.

Once Oren had finished his dinner, he excused himself and made his way to the library. Maybe he would read a book, or play some chess or something for a few hours before he retired for the evening. Maybe find a servant to share his bed with. The girl from earlier should have been paid by now. Oren would need to make sure that had happened tomorrow. His eyes scanned over the shelves in search of something to distract himself with in the mean time.

 

[IFudgedUp]

Tulio smirked at how she reacted to his comments. Well, at least his reputation would be scary by the end of this. He went into the kitchen and grabbed his food, eating whatever he got a hold of before leaving to find the Prince.

Naturally, he checked the room the male was to sleep in tonight, but when he wasn't there, he headed towards the study, figuring there was nowhere else to spend his time.

Finally entering the room, he sighed and was quite disappointed in himself that he was able to locate the Prince. He hesitated, but eventually crossed his arms and approached Oren, but stayed silent as he simply sat in a chair not too far away. He didn't want to be here, but it was part of the deal.

 

[Michi]

When Oren had finally decided on a book, he pulled it off the shelf and moved to take a seat in one of the seats near the fireplace. Pulling his feet up, he curled into his chair and opened to the first page with a sigh. His eyes scanning over the story in front of him, as the fire glowed in front of him and warmed him. His head turned slightly when the door opened but he didn't say anything when he realized it was the failed assassin and turned his attention back to his book.

 

[IFudgedUp]

Good. No talking, no fuss, no annoying little games. He was just going to have to sit there with the Prince. In awkward silence. For the next two nights, not including tonight.

He let out a sigh through his nostrils as he closed his eyes and focused closely on listening to his surroundings. It was better than trusting his eyes if another assassin was to make a move. Especially since when the Prince went to bed, Tulio would have to stay up at night in the dark, ready to fight without any light source.

Sometimes, it was better to warm his skills up ahead of time. Since he was still just a student, he hadn't honed all of his abilities to their greatest potential, but it was certainly in him.

 

[Michi]

It was nearly impossible for Oren to focus on his book, the fire crackled quietly, warming the room with it's dim lighting. After reading the same page for the fifth time, he closed the book and relaxed into the chair watching the fire. After a while more of staring into the flames, he found himself dozing off only because a guard had come in and woken him to inform him he shouldn't sleep in the study because it wasn't safe. He gave a groggy grumble but moved to stand, the book falling from his lap and landing on the floor with a quiet thud. Someone would pick it up later.

He followed the armored male from the room along the halls and up the steps to his room stepping inside with a yawn before salking over to the bed, not bothering to wait to undress before climbing on top of the blankets and stretching out with a sigh ready to fall back into the blissful warmth of his dreams.

 

[IFudgedUp]

Tulio was aware when the Prince closed his book. He was aware of the crackling of the fire. He could even hear as the Prince drifted to sleep, as his breathing changed. When thre guard insisted the Prince go to bed, he supposed he could still do his duty and check the parameter.

He picked the wrong room, but if he had gotten lucky, he could have ended up coming in straight in from the Prince's window. It would've been wise for them to allow him his weapons, but he could still stay in the room and be more effective at darkness combat than any of the guards, even with no weapons or armor.

He followed silently to the Prince's room as well, armed with the knowledge that he had to protect the Prince, and his best use was for when it was dark, and knowing that the best way into the castle was still to probably scale the walls in the shadows. All any of the parties involved had was luck if all the Prince had as protection were guards around the door.