Silent Shadow

Trina's POV 

After a few days, I decided that it was time I met this secret professional that the old elder had told me about.

I was eager to see who would be the one to give me what I wanted.

The only trouble was that the king was back and now I had to be very careful lest I would have to deal with a man who already hated me.

My every step would need to be made with ease to not get the old king mad.

As I waited for the elder to call for me, I had so many questions to ask. What would this professional be like? What methods would they employ to rid me of the maid? I found myself questioning if my decision would actually work, but the desire for freedom and peace overwhelmed any doubts.

It had to work or I would be screwed.

Finally, one evening, the old man came to the palace, a glint of excitement in his eyes. 

I was seated in the garden when he entered and called for me to follow him.

I got into a carriage with him and rode to a deeper part of the pack, getting to the dirty parts that I never visited.

"Is this where you will kill me and dump my body in the bushes," I chuckled as the man shook his head.

"I'm a bit too old for that. For now I prefer hiring people to do the dirty work. But you live only because I still have use for you."

That was meant as a joke but it was a very dark one.

When we got to a rundown house, we got down and entered it.

"Follow me," he said as I did that. What choice did I have anyway?

We got into a dimly lit room, filled with an array of peculiar objects and a faint scent of herbs.

Seated at a small table in the center of the room was a figure cloaked in darkness, their face concealed beneath a hood. The old man motioned for me to approach, his voice barely above a whisper.

"My lady, meet the one who will handle your problem. This is the Silent Shadow."

The Silent Shadow inclined their head, acknowledging my presence. Their voice, when they spoke, was like a whisper carried by the wind. "My lady, I have heard of your troubles. Rest assured, I will ensure that the blind maid is no longer a burden to you. I hear she has powers to evade anyone."

My heart pounded in my chest as I met the gaze of the Silent Shadow. 

There was an air of mystery and danger surrounding them, an aura that sent shivers down my spine. 

But I reminded myself that this was the path I had chosen, the path that would lead to me having my palace back to me.

"Please," I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. "Do what needs to be done. Ensure that she is removed from my life, never to return. I don't care what you do to her or with her, just get her out permanently."

The Silent Shadow nodded, their eyes gleaming with determination. "I will leave no trace, my lady. The maid will be gone, and you will be free."

"Thank you," I bowed to show my respect.

"As for when this would be done, that should not concern you. Just know that I have my ways and it will surely work."

"Can you do it tomorrow or even tonight? I don't want to have her around me anymore."

"Leave her to me. Focus on not being anywhere near her. That should leave everyone from suspecting you."

With those words, they disappeared into the shadows, leaving me uneasy. 

I looked back at the elder who shrugged.

"Is that how they do business?" I asked. "They appear and disappear like that?"

"They are called the silent shadow for a reason."

"I couldn't tell if that was a man or a woman."

"I barely know what they are myself. I've worked with them for a few years now and I still don't know what they are."

I shrugged. "As long as he or she can get the job done I would be happy about that."

I got to my feet and we walked to the carriage but I wasn't ready to get home yet.

I wanted to hear all about this man and know who he was.

"How do you know this assassin?" I asked. "It's not like you suddenly woke up and found them standing outside your door."

"I had a problem with an old friend of mine," he sighed. "The man tried to steal from me and I couldn't have that. So I had him removed. At first I tried hiring these low assassins but they were no good. So I decided to shed out a few more and I got the person I needed. This shadow went straight there and destroyed them. It was a time of joy for me and sorrow for them but who cares anyway."

I laughed. "You seriously have the worst sense of humor."

"Oh that wasn't a joke. The shadow can be very dangerous if they want to be. I'm only here to escort you to do your thing but trust me, you don't want them on the other side coming after you. Just as they are a great asset, they can also be a great enemy too. So just don't piss them off. Give them what they want in payment and move on. Don't haggle with them, just do what they say."

"But we didn't discuss any payment factor," I sighed. This was a dangerous situation for me.

"Let's hope they are kind enough to ask for something you can easily let go of."

Now I was beginning to wonder what the pay was going to be like. Was it going to be a finger or a huge sum of money?

Whatever it was I hoped I could give it.