The plan

What happened next was quick. Less than an hour after my conversation with Captain Veyals, I was taken to the prefecture's baths. Waiting for me there was one of the guards' healers, who tended to my wounds so well that no trace of their former existence remained. They left me to wash up and then led me, still wrapped in a towel, to one of the cells. On one of the two beds inside was a clean blanket, on which were a pair of new brown pants, a dark gray shirt, a few pairs of socks, some underpants, and a sack in which I could store some belongings.

Dinner was soon served and proved to be more than adequate. When fatigue finally got the better of me, the guard on duty took me to my cell and left me a parchment and a small purse:

"From Captain Veyals," he whispered, as if I hadn't already guessed. "Read it immediately, the ink is magical and will soon disappear."

I sat down on the bed and scanned the message in the dim light of the only candle in the room.

"You will be taken tomorrow morning to the Deer Forest, to the estate of Lord Froane, the administrator of Karcep. You will be infiltrated as a petty criminal, caught for theft and sentenced to two months of community service, as part of the Royal Merciful Rehabilitation Programs. You will work there as a valet for Lady Elinor Froane, daughter of Lord Vicente Froane, and as a servant in the manor when she doesn't have work for you. You will serve under the name of Kloi. Any attempt to escape or rebel will be fatal for you. Your mission is to neutralize Lady Elinor. In the purse you'll find a medallion that opens with a small lever on the back. Inside is a miniature vial containing a dark liquid. Swallowing it will result in instant death. Even if you prefer another method of disposal, it's vital that you pour the contents into your mouth before or just after death. Failure to do so will nullify the killing, as she will be revived almost immediately. Your future after that would be short and unenviable. For now, just play your part and investigate. When the time is right, you'll receive a sign. A black narcissus. You must act on that very night. After the assassination, do not leave the mansion, but be careful not to give any clues that could lead back to you. Even if you do, they'll be erased. Your reward is one hundred and fifty golds, which you'll receive immediately after you leave the manor. Make no mistakes. Good luck."

I reread it several times until the ink was so faded that only the indistinct marks of the letters remained. I examined the locket. It was silver, large and shiny, with an elliptical shape and a small blue stone in the center. I would never have worn something like that if I hadn't been forced to. I decided to keep it in my purse for now, but in the future I would have to wear it under my shirt, as I didn't want to risk a servant stumbling upon it.

I assumed that the bottle contained a mixture of poison added to some Vampire-Lord blood, a substance I'd never seen, but which Gobin had told me about. In Arcadia, such a product is not only illegal and extremely difficult to find, but the mere possession of it is punishable by death. I know it's black and never coagulates. Ingesting this liquid corrupts the soul, and not even the holiest of priests can invoke Filenoi for a reanimation.

I waited a while for the sounds of footsteps and chatter from the corridor to die down, pondering Captain Veyal's words. Then I took out the little red gem I'd been trying to keep hidden in my underpants. I couldn't see much because of the dim light, but it looked like a regular ruby. I tried squeezing it between my teeth, which didn't affect it at all. I'm not sure it would have made any difference if it was a fake.

I even wondered if I'd try to break it with my shoe. After all, if it was real, it would remain intact, and if not, what did it matter if it was a fake?

I placed the ruby on the ground, put my foot above it, and struck it twice with some force, but almost silently so as not to attract any attention. At the first blow, it simply sank into my sole, but at the second, not only did a large piece shatter, but the rest was crushed into red fragments. Well formed, colorful glass, but glass nonetheless. It was obviously a fake, which led me to only one conclusion: there was obviously more to this mission than I had suspected at the time.

I picked up the remains of the "ruby" and laid down on the bed. For the next few hours, I pondered over the mission and the events of the day. My thoughts took a surreal turn, my mind began to blur. I dozed, then fell asleep.