A Game of Masks Chapter 7
Title: A Game of Masks
Pairings: Super Junior Members + OCs
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Notes: Character death, Medieval/Fantasy AU, occasional crack
Summary: Magic, intrigue and secrets abound in and around the king's court. While everyone has something to hide, some have more than others. Who has the biggest secret and will it end up tearing the kingdom apart?
“Hurry up, Dear”, Lord Shindong said, urging his wife, Lady Lian, to dress at a quicker pace. While he waited for her to finish her toilet, Shindong thought back to their early days. True, they had only been married a tad over three years but some days it felt closer to three decades to him. Shindong couldn't complain that his wife was ugly because she wasn't, she was merely plain. Prior to accepting her husband's proposal, she had been quickly nearing that dreaded condition called “spinsterhood”; therefore, Lian's face no longer had the flush of youth about it. It could be said that the word that best described Lian was “average”. She had average looks, average intelligence, had average talents and was of average size and weight. For the third daughter of a minor lord living in genteel poverty it meant few marriage prospects. So when Shindong showed interest in Lian her father quickly accepted him despite his lowly birth and the questionable source of his family's wealth. Few families in their position would have turned away Shindong's offer. The fact that he was a pleasant, well-mannered man sweetened the deal. Shindong smiled, contemplating how he certainly got the better end of the deal. He could have easily ended up with a shrew for a wife. That was one of the benefits of not marrying a beautiful woman in Shindong's opinion. In his experience, fine looking women generally knew their own beauty and expected their husbands to wait on them hand and foot or at least cater to all their whims and desires. As it was, his wife didn't ask for much. Occassionally Lady Lian would start asking a lot of questions and become very nosy. However, to date, she hadn't learned any sordid secrets from his past and Shindong planned on keeping it that way. After a few minutes the lady appeared, ready to be escorted to dinner. Smiling at her husband, she took his offered arm and began walking towards the dining hall. Tonight's banquet was one of the monthly ones Earl Kyuhyun held in his palace. Prior to dinner the Earl made good on his promise to place Lord Shindong and Lady Lian at a higher table and thank the lord publicly for his assistance in a private matter. This made Shindong chortle internally with glee as his ego and ambition grew. Outwardly, he was the model of modesty and self-effacement at Kyuhyun's words. During the meal a servant came to Lord Shindong telling him that the Earl requests his presence later in the evening. Shindong sent the girl back with his reply that he will be there.
Several hours later Kyuhyun and Shindong were seated in the Earl's sitting room. Shindong refused any further food or drink, waiting to hear why he had been summoned. After a minute of silence Kyuhyun spoke, “Once again, I need your assistance in the royal castle. I find myself in a situation that requires your special finesse and abilities.”
“As it happens, I was planning on returning to the city before too long due to business,” Shindong replied.
“How fortuitous for me, then. You remember the tentative plans we were making last we spoke?” Shindong nodded so he continued, “Well, I think it's time to put those plans into action. I've come up with the perfect distraction that will allow you to do what is necessary.”
“And what is that?”
“I'm sorry but I won't be telling you. It's going to be a pretty significant event in court and I want you to be able to act with the appropriate emotions when it occurs. It is not that I doubt your acting abilities, my good man. This is critical to my plans and I don't want to give the royals any reason to doubt or be suspicious of you. I have full confidence that once the initial shock has worn off you will realize the situation for what it is and will set the necessary plans into motion.”
Shindong was a bit upset that Kyuhyun didn't trust him with the truth, regardless of what he said. However, he couldn't fault the man's reasoning so he simply nodded again to show his acceptance. For the next hour or so the two men worked out the rest of the details. Excusing himself for the night, Shindong headed back to his suite of rooms to tell his wife about their travel plans. Before they could leave there was still some business Shindong had to attend to. In all honesty, Lady Lian wasn't that sad to return to the royal city; it was where she was born and raised. Both she and her husband had a residence there as well as here in Kyuhyun's earldom, the place Shindong was raised. Currently, the two split their time between the residences as Shindong had businesses in both places and his wife was loathe to completely leave her family behind.
A week later Shindong was in a very disreputable part of the royal city, one generally not frequented by the nobility. Even many common folk kept their distance. He walked into a seedy-looking tavern. Few occupants bothered to even look his way and those that did quickly returned their attention to their drinks. Even the most jaded of prostitutes gave him a wide berth. With a curt nod to the barkeep, he entered a back room then went down several flights of stairs. He navigated his way through several storerooms to a tiny room, lit by a single candle. The man Shindong had a meeting with was already present and turned to greet him. “Let's get down to business. I've heard you do side jobs; freelance, if you will. Is that correct?” the lord asked.
“It depends on if there is a conflict of interest with my main employer or my conscience. Otherwise, I am open to other offers,” the other man replied.
Shindong raised his eyebrow at the mention of a conscience but stayed silent. “Fair enough. I am interested in your services and wish to hire you.” He went on to explain the job in detail.
At the end, the other man giggled and said, “Oh, this should be fun! The implications and the resulting chaos should be delicious,” and he giggled again.
Shindong grimaced, wanting to slap the man before him. He had always abhorred effeminate men, couldn't tolerate them in the least. He wouldn't even consider hiring this “gentleman” except that the other is the best at what he does, despite his appearance and mannerisms. His “other side” was what Shindong needed. In this matter only perfection would do and this guy was the only one who could deliver. So despite his inner revulsion, Shindong shook hands, sealing the deal. Money was exchanged with a promise of further payment upon completion of the job. Quietly each man exited the same way he entered.
The next day, Kyuhyun had a meeting of his own. Seated in his private receiving room, the Earl sat, lips pursed and a thoughtful look upon his face. “So, you understand the details? Timing is critical to the success of this mission. You've always done good work for me. This time it's imperative that you leave all your emotions behind. You cannot show any regret or sentimentality. Also, you cannot be seen by anyone, either in disguise or in your usual uniform. As much as it pains you to do it, you will have to eliminate anyone that sees you. Use that as an extra incentive to remain unseen. Are you confident that you can complete this mission successfully and with a minimum of lost lives?”
After a few seconds of thought the young man kneeling before him quietly said, “Yes, Sir. I have never failed you before. It's not my place to question the instructions I'm given. I promise to complete this to your satisfaction.”
Smiling warmly, Kyuhyun replied, “That's a good lad. I know I made the right decision in choosing you. In all these years you've never let me down once. You have my full trust.” While saying those words he rose, pulling the youth up with him. Then he gave him a brief but warm hug. “So go and get your affairs in order; I'll expect your departure by tomorrow mid-morning.” The other nodded his compliance and then left by a secret door.
Once he was alone, Kyuhyun sat again, sighing. He hated giving this assignment to the boy, but honestly, there was no one else he trusted. Sure, there were others he could have hired, but he found it hard to put his faith in someone who wasn't loyal to him. He had long suspected that the best in the profession was tied deeply to the throne. Considering how he was trying to overthrow the current monarch, that would be the last person he would choose. In addition, the man was a bit ruthless for Kyuhyun's tastes, especially when that assassin had a grudge. Some of the stories he heard whispered gave him chills. It was a perfect reminder to him that appearances can be very deceiving. Someone so sweet and innocent was actually the opposite. Sighing once again at his lack of options, he rose and readied himself for bed. He just had to trust that everything would turn out as planned; at this point there was nothing more he could do.
Several days later, a dark shadow slipped into a sleeping chamber in the royal castle. A man and woman lay asleep on a bed in a close embrace. Making sure no one else was around, he advanced toward the bed. Before the man took more than half a dozen steps, he heard a soft noise behind him. He turned to see the door quietly closing and someone sneaking into the room. Curious, he watched as the newcomer glided on silent feet towards the bed. He gave a mild cough to let the other shadow know of his presence. Instantly, the figure across the room stilled and turned his head. Catching sight of someone unexpected in the room, he pointed towards the figure on the bed and whispered, “Mine.”
The man who first entered shook his head and whispered, “No, mine,” in reply while quietly pulling sais from his scabbards. In response, the other man crouched and pulled out two medium-sized daggers. The two assassins eyed each other warily, looking for any weaknesses or openings. Slowly, they advanced on one another and began circling in the center of the room. Suddenly, the larger of the two lunged forward with his sai, testing the other man's defenses. In the blink of an eye, his arm was blocked and then his opponent was behind him, trying to stab his kidney. Quickly, he jumped and rolled forward, ending in a crouch, facing his adversary. Several more times they came at one another, careful to block blows with their bodies to keep their metal weapons from clanging together. Groans of pain were bitten back so that no one would be alerted to their presence. At one point in the fight one of them accidentally bumped into a small table, sending an empty vase flying. The other man quickly leapt, deftly catching it before it could shatter on the floor. He returned the vase to its rightful place as the other quietly thanked him. Seconds later, they resumed their sparring with a mutual nod. After several minutes of fighting the smaller man tossed a dress that had been discarded on the floor onto the other assassin, making him temporarily blind and encumbered. However, before he could take advantage and press the attack, his feet became entangled in a pair of pants, causing him to fall and bang his head, rather loudly, on the floor. Both combatants froze, waiting to see if they would be discovered. The man on the bed rolled over and muttered something about land grants before he resumed his snoring. After several more heart-wrenching moments of silence, each assassin concluded that their presence was still a secret...for now.
The older one whispered, “This is futile. If we keep this up we'll both be discovered. Let's call it a draw and try again later.”
After a few seconds the other one agreed and said, “I'll take the window if you take the door.”
The first nodded and said, “I give you my word as a professional that I won't try again tonight. Will you do the same?”
A handshake and the agreement between the assassins was made. Both of them slipped away, neither one looking forward to reporting their failure. It was the first failure for each and it was a very bitter pill to swallow. They comforted themselves with the facts that they hadn't been discovered, there would be a chance to complete the mission later and they had kept their professionalism. Although few knew of it, a set of rules for professional assassins did exist. There were those who scorned them and played by their own rules but they were despised by the others and generally met an untimely death. Those in the profession were proud of it and expected all members to hold themselves to a certain standard and code of ethics. It was the only way to prevent total chaos and blood-shed. Because of this, the two men did not need to worry about being double-crossed as they stealthily made their way through the city. Each of them had a strong suspicion of who the other was which only added to the certainty that the promise would be kept.
Pairings: Super Junior Members + OCs
Rating: PG-13 for violence
Notes: Character death, Medieval/Fantasy AU, occasional crack
Summary: Magic, intrigue and secrets abound in and around the king's court. While everyone has something to hide, some have more than others. Who has the biggest secret and will it end up tearing the kingdom apart?
“Hurry up, Dear”, Lord Shindong said, urging his wife, Lady Lian, to dress at a quicker pace. While he waited for her to finish her toilet, Shindong thought back to their early days. True, they had only been married a tad over three years but some days it felt closer to three decades to him. Shindong couldn't complain that his wife was ugly because she wasn't, she was merely plain. Prior to accepting her husband's proposal, she had been quickly nearing that dreaded condition called “spinsterhood”; therefore, Lian's face no longer had the flush of youth about it. It could be said that the word that best described Lian was “average”. She had average looks, average intelligence, had average talents and was of average size and weight. For the third daughter of a minor lord living in genteel poverty it meant few marriage prospects. So when Shindong showed interest in Lian her father quickly accepted him despite his lowly birth and the questionable source of his family's wealth. Few families in their position would have turned away Shindong's offer. The fact that he was a pleasant, well-mannered man sweetened the deal. Shindong smiled, contemplating how he certainly got the better end of the deal. He could have easily ended up with a shrew for a wife. That was one of the benefits of not marrying a beautiful woman in Shindong's opinion. In his experience, fine looking women generally knew their own beauty and expected their husbands to wait on them hand and foot or at least cater to all their whims and desires. As it was, his wife didn't ask for much. Occassionally Lady Lian would start asking a lot of questions and become very nosy. However, to date, she hadn't learned any sordid secrets from his past and Shindong planned on keeping it that way. After a few minutes the lady appeared, ready to be escorted to dinner. Smiling at her husband, she took his offered arm and began walking towards the dining hall. Tonight's banquet was one of the monthly ones Earl Kyuhyun held in his palace. Prior to dinner the Earl made good on his promise to place Lord Shindong and Lady Lian at a higher table and thank the lord publicly for his assistance in a private matter. This made Shindong chortle internally with glee as his ego and ambition grew. Outwardly, he was the model of modesty and self-effacement at Kyuhyun's words. During the meal a servant came to Lord Shindong telling him that the Earl requests his presence later in the evening. Shindong sent the girl back with his reply that he will be there.
Several hours later Kyuhyun and Shindong were seated in the Earl's sitting room. Shindong refused any further food or drink, waiting to hear why he had been summoned. After a minute of silence Kyuhyun spoke, “Once again, I need your assistance in the royal castle. I find myself in a situation that requires your special finesse and abilities.”
“As it happens, I was planning on returning to the city before too long due to business,” Shindong replied.
“How fortuitous for me, then. You remember the tentative plans we were making last we spoke?” Shindong nodded so he continued, “Well, I think it's time to put those plans into action. I've come up with the perfect distraction that will allow you to do what is necessary.”
“And what is that?”
“I'm sorry but I won't be telling you. It's going to be a pretty significant event in court and I want you to be able to act with the appropriate emotions when it occurs. It is not that I doubt your acting abilities, my good man. This is critical to my plans and I don't want to give the royals any reason to doubt or be suspicious of you. I have full confidence that once the initial shock has worn off you will realize the situation for what it is and will set the necessary plans into motion.”
Shindong was a bit upset that Kyuhyun didn't trust him with the truth, regardless of what he said. However, he couldn't fault the man's reasoning so he simply nodded again to show his acceptance. For the next hour or so the two men worked out the rest of the details. Excusing himself for the night, Shindong headed back to his suite of rooms to tell his wife about their travel plans. Before they could leave there was still some business Shindong had to attend to. In all honesty, Lady Lian wasn't that sad to return to the royal city; it was where she was born and raised. Both she and her husband had a residence there as well as here in Kyuhyun's earldom, the place Shindong was raised. Currently, the two split their time between the residences as Shindong had businesses in both places and his wife was loathe to completely leave her family behind.
A week later Shindong was in a very disreputable part of the royal city, one generally not frequented by the nobility. Even many common folk kept their distance. He walked into a seedy-looking tavern. Few occupants bothered to even look his way and those that did quickly returned their attention to their drinks. Even the most jaded of prostitutes gave him a wide berth. With a curt nod to the barkeep, he entered a back room then went down several flights of stairs. He navigated his way through several storerooms to a tiny room, lit by a single candle. The man Shindong had a meeting with was already present and turned to greet him. “Let's get down to business. I've heard you do side jobs; freelance, if you will. Is that correct?” the lord asked.
“It depends on if there is a conflict of interest with my main employer or my conscience. Otherwise, I am open to other offers,” the other man replied.
Shindong raised his eyebrow at the mention of a conscience but stayed silent. “Fair enough. I am interested in your services and wish to hire you.” He went on to explain the job in detail.
At the end, the other man giggled and said, “Oh, this should be fun! The implications and the resulting chaos should be delicious,” and he giggled again.
Shindong grimaced, wanting to slap the man before him. He had always abhorred effeminate men, couldn't tolerate them in the least. He wouldn't even consider hiring this “gentleman” except that the other is the best at what he does, despite his appearance and mannerisms. His “other side” was what Shindong needed. In this matter only perfection would do and this guy was the only one who could deliver. So despite his inner revulsion, Shindong shook hands, sealing the deal. Money was exchanged with a promise of further payment upon completion of the job. Quietly each man exited the same way he entered.
The next day, Kyuhyun had a meeting of his own. Seated in his private receiving room, the Earl sat, lips pursed and a thoughtful look upon his face. “So, you understand the details? Timing is critical to the success of this mission. You've always done good work for me. This time it's imperative that you leave all your emotions behind. You cannot show any regret or sentimentality. Also, you cannot be seen by anyone, either in disguise or in your usual uniform. As much as it pains you to do it, you will have to eliminate anyone that sees you. Use that as an extra incentive to remain unseen. Are you confident that you can complete this mission successfully and with a minimum of lost lives?”
After a few seconds of thought the young man kneeling before him quietly said, “Yes, Sir. I have never failed you before. It's not my place to question the instructions I'm given. I promise to complete this to your satisfaction.”
Smiling warmly, Kyuhyun replied, “That's a good lad. I know I made the right decision in choosing you. In all these years you've never let me down once. You have my full trust.” While saying those words he rose, pulling the youth up with him. Then he gave him a brief but warm hug. “So go and get your affairs in order; I'll expect your departure by tomorrow mid-morning.” The other nodded his compliance and then left by a secret door.
Once he was alone, Kyuhyun sat again, sighing. He hated giving this assignment to the boy, but honestly, there was no one else he trusted. Sure, there were others he could have hired, but he found it hard to put his faith in someone who wasn't loyal to him. He had long suspected that the best in the profession was tied deeply to the throne. Considering how he was trying to overthrow the current monarch, that would be the last person he would choose. In addition, the man was a bit ruthless for Kyuhyun's tastes, especially when that assassin had a grudge. Some of the stories he heard whispered gave him chills. It was a perfect reminder to him that appearances can be very deceiving. Someone so sweet and innocent was actually the opposite. Sighing once again at his lack of options, he rose and readied himself for bed. He just had to trust that everything would turn out as planned; at this point there was nothing more he could do.
Several days later, a dark shadow slipped into a sleeping chamber in the royal castle. A man and woman lay asleep on a bed in a close embrace. Making sure no one else was around, he advanced toward the bed. Before the man took more than half a dozen steps, he heard a soft noise behind him. He turned to see the door quietly closing and someone sneaking into the room. Curious, he watched as the newcomer glided on silent feet towards the bed. He gave a mild cough to let the other shadow know of his presence. Instantly, the figure across the room stilled and turned his head. Catching sight of someone unexpected in the room, he pointed towards the figure on the bed and whispered, “Mine.”
The man who first entered shook his head and whispered, “No, mine,” in reply while quietly pulling sais from his scabbards. In response, the other man crouched and pulled out two medium-sized daggers. The two assassins eyed each other warily, looking for any weaknesses or openings. Slowly, they advanced on one another and began circling in the center of the room. Suddenly, the larger of the two lunged forward with his sai, testing the other man's defenses. In the blink of an eye, his arm was blocked and then his opponent was behind him, trying to stab his kidney. Quickly, he jumped and rolled forward, ending in a crouch, facing his adversary. Several more times they came at one another, careful to block blows with their bodies to keep their metal weapons from clanging together. Groans of pain were bitten back so that no one would be alerted to their presence. At one point in the fight one of them accidentally bumped into a small table, sending an empty vase flying. The other man quickly leapt, deftly catching it before it could shatter on the floor. He returned the vase to its rightful place as the other quietly thanked him. Seconds later, they resumed their sparring with a mutual nod. After several minutes of fighting the smaller man tossed a dress that had been discarded on the floor onto the other assassin, making him temporarily blind and encumbered. However, before he could take advantage and press the attack, his feet became entangled in a pair of pants, causing him to fall and bang his head, rather loudly, on the floor. Both combatants froze, waiting to see if they would be discovered. The man on the bed rolled over and muttered something about land grants before he resumed his snoring. After several more heart-wrenching moments of silence, each assassin concluded that their presence was still a secret...for now.
The older one whispered, “This is futile. If we keep this up we'll both be discovered. Let's call it a draw and try again later.”
After a few seconds the other one agreed and said, “I'll take the window if you take the door.”
The first nodded and said, “I give you my word as a professional that I won't try again tonight. Will you do the same?”
A handshake and the agreement between the assassins was made. Both of them slipped away, neither one looking forward to reporting their failure. It was the first failure for each and it was a very bitter pill to swallow. They comforted themselves with the facts that they hadn't been discovered, there would be a chance to complete the mission later and they had kept their professionalism. Although few knew of it, a set of rules for professional assassins did exist. There were those who scorned them and played by their own rules but they were despised by the others and generally met an untimely death. Those in the profession were proud of it and expected all members to hold themselves to a certain standard and code of ethics. It was the only way to prevent total chaos and blood-shed. Because of this, the two men did not need to worry about being double-crossed as they stealthily made their way through the city. Each of them had a strong suspicion of who the other was which only added to the certainty that the promise would be kept.