Chapter Text
The air hung heavy between the two individuals, thick with dust. A singed smell of dirt reached their noses as it made contact with the burning candles, making the room feel stuffy, yet the darkened corners of the room remained empty, cold, and desolate.
Both of the room’s occupants leaned over the table, huddled over a piece of paper with miscellaneous items scattered across the worn wooden surface.
Unseen tension filled the void between them. Careful words exchanged, glances to the corners of the room noticed, and movements calculated.
Neither of them trusted each other, a healthy caution to exercise. They both kept their attention trained on a piece of new but grayed and yellowed paper in front of them. The larger’s finger traced the dried ink.
“This is a high-risk mission,” they said in a low voice, worn rough around the edges and thick with an unplaceable male accent. “It says here the parameters for completing this will be within this time period.”
His finger tapped on a scribbled date. A month into the future, which was a little too restricting given the nature of this job.
The other sat back a little, clasping their hands together as they read it over and pondered.
“Seeing your expertise firsthand, I expect it will be done sooner than this deadline,” the man continued in the silence of the other, “You’re always one to cover your tracks, and in a timely manner as well.”
They nodded, considering the job as they read over the other requirements, as well as the target themself. After a moment, they gave a nod.
“This shouldn’t be too hard,” they said easily with a smile slipping onto their face. Another male voice, in contrast to the other, sounded clearer, “It’s convenient that they allowed that great ball, or whatever it is to fall within this time period. Making my job a lot easier.”
A response that the contractor wanted to hear. He gave a nod, approval flashing behind his weathered and shadowed eyes. That sparked satisfaction in the other man’s chest, knowing that the look he just got meant that he’d definitely get a good name out if this job was done.
With a nod, the contractor reached for two of the items beside him on the table, pushing them forward. A pen and an inkwell
“Very well. Then the job is yours. And I hope you read the consequences.”
A laugh escaped the other, and he leaned forward and took the pen, dipping it into the inkwell. He thought it to be some big joke, not believing them when he read them.
“Expelled from the guild? That’s the lightest consequence yet, but I don’t see that happening any time soon. I’m surprised that this is the punishment for such a big target.”
Despite him going big on those words, he couldn’t help but feel worry twist in his gut, ever so slightly. He couldn’t afford to screw up a mission as big as this, especially not with a high-value royal at the end of this contract.
And if he screwed this up, he would be kissing his life goodbye in too many ways. There was no other life he knew outside of this guild and even then, if he got caught on this mission, then the guild would be the last of his worries. The noose would be his biggest.
The contractor read his thoughts all too well and a smile yellowed by candlelight crept open. It made the other uneasy.
“Good, because if you fail, the palace’s hangman will have a new pair of boots.”
He could only give a smile as he sealed his fate in ink.
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Caeli couldn’t quite understand why any upper-class people could ever wear fancy clothes. Royalty, attendants, guests. All of them. Why did all of their clothes have to be so uncomfortable to wear? They all felt too tight, much unlike the regular robes he was so used to wearing.
And what he had to wear? He really hoped that he didn’t need to use it again after the night was out. Maybe burn it later, yeah, that felt like a good idea.
This felt all too tight on him and although it did look quite eye-catching and flashy. The perfect way to fit in with those rich idiots, whether he despised the style or not.
Still, only for one night, he had to remind himself that.
Caeli steeled his expression into one of contentedness as he slipped the mask over his face. The extravagant ball dated during the time of this contract gave him the luckiest set of circumstances, happening to be to a masquerade. No one would be able to recognize him, thanks to the lovely feathered mask.
He still didn’t like how it blotted out the edges of his vision. Nothing he could do about it, really, though he still believed he could hold up pretty well with it on.
After putting on the mask, he slipped out of the alley corner he had hidden in, following behind some equally eloquently dressed nobles. He had to bet they never toned down on the fanciness.
He just didn’t quite understand why the huge fuss was about maintaining appearances like this daily. Sure, he had to give it to them that this was a fancy event, but that event only came by every once in a while.
Caeli kept the thoughts to himself as he carried himself similarly to the nobles, careful not to stand out or be out of place. Fitting in was the hardest challenge.
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He made it in without much incident, the mission so far going smoother than he ever thought it would be. The guards let him in with only an incline of their heads, believing him to be an actually invited guest.
Too bad they were mistaken, but good thing the outfit he had to painfully let go of his money on actually helped him play a convincing role. Maybe he wouldn’t actually burn it if it served him well over the night. Sell it back, perhaps.
He didn’t tease the idea for too long because he immediately became drawn out of his thoughts when he entered the main hall, where the ball took place. Caeli stared up at it in awe, mouth falling agape slightly.
Never before had he found himself in such a place, though he mentally shook himself and set his face back to neutral. What was he thinking? He posed as a nobleman who needed to have a good knowledge of places such as this.
He averted his eyes, regretting he didn’t get to have a better look at the grand hall around him. If the night proceeded as he planned, then he would have ample time to get a lay of the land before doing anything rash.
Much unlike the chattery guests with their partners in arms, he remained silent as he followed the noble pairing filter around the room with the others. Soon, he detached himself from them, opting to go to the walls where the more lax guests loitered.
Caeli glanced up to the far end of the room, over the sea of heads to those who stood above them, metaphorically and literally. His eyes fell on each and every one of the royal’s faces, trying to discern one belonging to the prince.
And there he stood. Elegant in robes, Caeli couldn’t deny that. Nothing over the top or fancy, especially for a royal, which surprised him.
Well, he looked away while fighting down a slightly crooked smile as he walked away from where he once was, then the expensive and fancy clothes won’t be ruined by spilled blood.
Allowing the music of the room to fade into the back, he weaved around the partygoers, trying to make his movements as fluid and as natural as they could be. No one would hurry at a party like this, so he would take his time.
He made his way to the outskirts of the main floor, shooting a look back up at the thrones. With a small twinge of disappointment in his gut, he realized that the prince no longer stood atop there.
Great, he was mingling with the guests, though that wouldn’t be too terrible. Though searching for him would be like scouring for a needle in a moving haystack. Who knew where the needle would end up next?
There. He spotted white hair on the other side of the dancers, taller than the other guests. Caeli never realized that the prince had actually been that tall. He seemed larger than life up near the thrones, though that must have been a trick of perspectives. But here, Caeli didn’t know what to think.
Now that he had eyes on the target, it would be best not to lose sight of him. Once he had the prince go off on his own, then his time would come. That simple. Now, Caeli could play the waiting game.
He attempted to melt back into the crowd as the guests parted to let the prince walk through unhindered. Caeli didn’t get a good view through the sea of limbs and bodies, but he could see them chatting merrily with the prince.
With the prince distracted now, he carefully made his way along the perimeter, once more weaving around the partygoers. All the while, he saw the top of the prince’s head rotate as he continued to occupy himself with the guests.
A sizable crowd of champaign glasses surrounded him now, which made things even better for Caeli by the second.
Crowds greatly benefitted him here. He walked closer to the back of the prince, hand slowly going to a hilt on the side of his belt. The masks were a saving grace. Caeli moved a part of his coat to the side as he stepped around another guest.
Just one movement and he could slip back into the crowd and be lost to the madness that followed. With the guards trying to do their best for damage control, he would flee the scene without incident.
Oh, how easy it was to kill a royal.
Caeli got closer and closer, heart beginning to sing in his ears as he closed the distance between himself and the prince.
Almost there, if he could squeeze between those two, for only a second, then it would be--
The prince turned to face him and Caeli paused. Alarm bells shot through his mind as he sharpened his eyes. No matter, if he could get him before any more attention was thrown onto him…
“Oh, a new guest to entertain?”
He jinxed himself. Caeli swore within his mind, though took care to not let his disdain show on his face as the guests on either side turned to look at him. Witness upon witness, so much for being one to be known to cover his tracks.
He felt the pairs of eyes on him as he met the prince’s own, who were curved into crescent moons by the smile on his face. Genuine, interested, quite surprising for someone of his status.
“If you aren’t talking to enough already,” Caeli supplied, keeping his voice measured and smooth. He was playing the game of nobility here. He looked the part, and now he would put his skills to the test by acting it.
Flattery would get anyone anywhere when dealing with royalty. That, and looking like one was worth their time with money. If Caeli played his cards right, then this entire interaction still stayed in his control.
The prince smiled wider, brightening as he took half a step closer to Caeli. Not wanting to cause more of a scene than he already had, Caeli straightened up more, not daring to move back.
“But I’m missing out on something that these others can’t give. A little bit of excitement. Shall we?” He held out his hand.
Caeli stared at it, weighing his options. He couldn’t do anything more in this situation, and backing out could be risky. Maybe if he earned his trust then…
“How can I turn a dance down from someone like you?” he asked, feeling his own lips twitch upward as he took the hand away from his hip. It settled in the prince’s own, a plan already stringing itself together into fruition.
The prince pulled him away from the guests and all Caeli had to do was follow along in stride. Despite it all, he wished he could say the look of wonder on his face was fabricated.
No, he didn’t think he could’ve gotten this close to the prince at all before the deed started. The night had just begun and he already managed to get close to the target. And no one told him at all how pretty he…
He couldn’t lose his head here, not now.
Caeli steeled his expression once more, trying to keep it calm and collected as Zorro led him to the last place he wanted to be: the center of the room. That entire night, Caeli wanted to use guests as shields and covers so he could blend in with the crowd. Now he was a part of the specter.
They instantly stepped into form and Caeli had to try his best to not topple over the other’s feet. Not like he didn’t excel at dancing, why footwork had always been one of his saving graces in battle.
The problem that he instead faced took the form of this prince. Now, Caeli didn’t know too much about him, always sticking his nose out of any imperial affairs and instead what his next job would be. But what he did know was that the prince danced very well.
Caeli kept his eyes trained on him, careful to keep his guard up. He couldn’t let it down in the presence of someone that he would turn his back on later on in the night. Despite the treachery he planned as their steps skirted across the floor, he found himself feeling bad for what would come to pass.
“I don’t think I recognize you from anywhere,” the prince commented, staring down at Caeli, “I definitely haven’t seen anyone this pretty before. With a face like yours, I would’ve noticed you sooner.”
His eyes widened slightly behind the mask, his brain stopping in its tracks as it tried to recollect what it just heard. Did Caeli get phased by the flirts? In more ways than one, yes.
Caeli had no idea that the prince could be like that, was he a smooth talker for everyone here? And besides, Caeli did his best to push how those flirts impacted him in that regard, but instead forced himself to focus on the danger behind those words. If the prince knew, then he would have to use a convincing cover story.
He didn’t allow his smile to tighten at the question. Caeli came prepared to an event, on the off chance he managed to get roped into some conversation with a noble that sat far below the prince in status. The lie would easily carry on here.
“A foreigner,” he supplied with a toothy smile to add on the charm that the prince gave him, “You have quite the extensive invite list this time around. Frankly, I never believed the letter would reach me, but, here I am. I must say, you have a wonderful reception.”
The term ‘foreigner’ came as a bit of a stretch, though all of it did. However, Caeli wished for the prince to not look too far into it, as Caeli didn’t come from a noble house at all. The clothes he wore were the only mark of status he could ever have.
But the prince didn’t need to know that.
“Ah, it’s always so touching when someone as special as you makes the trip out here for a party such as this.” The prince's face dusted a dark red as he continued the dance, swaying along with Caeli.
“Yes, I’ve always been a partygoer. There would never be a chance in the wide world where I would pass up the opportunity to see you, Prince Zorro. You’ve become the talk of the land and I needed to see the one behind them all. It’s an honor to dance with you.”
Prince Zorro’s cheeks became an even darker red at the bold chatter Caeli gave. The other did his best to keep his own emotions in check, attempting to become sly. He needed to give off the air of a charmer that wouldn’t let the prince see straight.
“Now why would you feel honored?” Caeli raised an eyebrow, now finding that he was beginning to thoroughly enjoy the conversation. His dance partner seemed to be awfully good at talking. “I am only a mere guest in a sea of people, surely I’m just another face.”
With a shrug, Prince Zorro replied just as smoothly, “To put it in other terms, you aren’t just here for the food and party tricks like the others around us. It’s refreshing.”
Caeli kept the darker undertones of malice away from his face when he listened to the prince talk. Oh, he had no idea that Caeli had no interest in any of those things, as he did tell half the truth. He was here for Prince Zorro, but not in the way the royal believed.
“Why would I be here for those? You have such a lovely face to show, and I knew I had to see it the moment I received that invitation. And you are exceeding all expectations I had about you.”
Prince Zorro’s face looked to burn more, which Caeli took as a silent victory. The more sweet talk and moments like these he could give him, then the easier trust would come.
The taller of the two gave a fox-like laugh at Caeli’s words, pleased and delighted. “You’re quite the smooth talker! Beautiful words from a beautiful voice.”
“To be around such extravagant people, I’ve learned how to make my way into their hearts.”
A bold, risky move. Caeli threw his entire facade at the prince, though confident that his words would be seen as nothing more than a flirt.
“Well,” Prince Zorro said with an even darker red face, “My heart is already fluttering, you’re really the charmer.”
“Then my words have hit their mark. A success, if you ask me. Are you like this in the face of any good-looking stranger?”
“It’s not every day I have a direct one-on-one with someone like you,” he replied with a fox-like grin equal to his laugh. Though Prince Zorro’s composure broke slightly as his expression gave way to a more genuine smile. “I can’t deny hearing someone genuine like you leaves me flustered.”
Caeli’s smile broadened as his mind had a party of its own within his head. Everything behind Zorro’s words betrayed no suspicion, he finally truly believed Caeli to be a charming noble from a faraway kingdom. How gullible.
“It’s not every day that I get to dance with a charming prince.”
Now those words made Prince Zorro’s face burn more. He watched as the blush crept more into his cheeks, led on by the sweet talk and lies that Caeli scattered in front of himself. He couldn’t deny that Prince Zorro was good-looking, only a fool would pretend otherwise. At least he had control over himself to not fall for said silly feelings.
Quickly, Prince Zorro recollected his own features into smugness once more. It looked as if he didn’t even know how much his face looked like it burned. “For you being a new arrival to the kingdom, I’ve already taken a liking to you.”
“Is that so?” Caeli didn’t like how his own cheeks began to warm. He couldn’t deny that the prince was a perfect smooth talker, and how all of his words came from a genuine heart. And he couldn’t look past how actually, admittedly stunning he was. “You sure have a heart that falls quickly. Not even one dance in and it seems as if the foreigner has taken your fancy.”
A moment after the words left his mouth, he found gravity give way for a moment as Prince Zorro’s hands found his back and dipped. Caeli allowed himself to be caught, ignoring the jolt from his heart and how the other’s hands felt.
“What can I say, you’re hot,” Prince Zorro replied with a sly shrug as he continued to hold Caeli in the dip, “What more of an answer do you want?”
Caeli did his best to keep the smug smile on his face as he shoved away the flirt. “My looks are nothing compared to yours, and I can tell without that little mask.”
Another fox-like laugh erupted from Prince Zorro’s chest as he finally straightened up. The music that had been playing through their waltz had come to an end, and the dragging note brought the noise back to Caeli’s attention.
He stood up as well, not noticing that the dip had gone on for so long. Just like that, their dance of built trust ended, leaving Caeli much more confident with how the night would go. He fixed his coat as the prince gave a bow.
“Thank you for the wonderful dance,” he said with a wink. Caeli bowed back, keeping the respectful facade up. “I hoped to dance for the entire night, but that’s sadly not the case. The partygoers simply wouldn’t have it if I stayed with one dance partner the whole time, isn’t that right?”
“Then another dance for later,” Caeli replied, tilting his head to the side with affirmation despite the panicked jolt of his heart.
For a moment, he believed that Prince Zorro caught onto his little game and needed to find some other backup plan if this one went astray. Though the lack of a knowing glint in the eyes of the other and his explanation at the end helped his nerves slightly.
Of course, Caeli couldn’t be sure. He had his own false explanations and stories, so he wouldn’t put it past the prince to have his own.
As the prince drifted off to dance with another partner, he in turn strode away from the dancers and back to the observers, where he blended in the best. That attention-getting stunt already put Caeli’s nerves more on edge than he liked them to be. That was too much for an undercover operation, and to be in the arms of Prince Zorro, no less.
No, he’d be keeping a low profile for the rest of the night. He found the dance to be dangerous too. Despite knowing what was to come and how he and the prince were enemies, he still couldn’t ignore the warmth in his chest.
He wasn’t going to get attached.