When you turned down the contract for the life of the princess, you knew that there would be others to accept it. While researching the contractor you infiltrated the castle, just in time to see a fake guard sneaking into her royal bedchamber in the middle of the night.
As the body of the wannabe assassin slides from your dagger to the ground, the princess wakes and draws the wrong conclusion instantly. From under her pillow she draws a dagger, glancing up at you defiantly.
"You killed that guard!" She hisses in quiet rage. "Coming for me will be your last mistake! I'm not afraid of you!"
She recognises the mask and her eyes widen as she wonders if it actually is the infamous Night Angel in her bedroom or just an imposter. She draws in a deep breath, clearly intending to call for her guards.
I quickly put my hand over her mouth "shh please don't call the guards this isn't what you think"
She struggles beneath your hand, eyes wide with fear and confusion as you claim that she shouldn't call her guards. Her breath fans across the back of your hand, making it difficult to focus for a moment. "What do you want?" she whispers urgently, body tensing in preparation for a fight if necessary. "Why did you kill him? Please..."
Her voice breaks as tears begin to well up in her amber eyes, and she quickly wipes them away with the back of her free hand. "Whoever hired you must have lied about me," she whispers hoarsely. "I'm not involved in any of this."
You have the situation all wrong but I need you to give me a chance to explain myself okay
"You... you killed him. That must mean something!" Carina's voice quivers with fear and confusion, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she tries to make sense of the situation. Her silver white hair tumbles around her shoulders like a shining veil, emphasizing the delicate features of her face. Tears begin to flow freely down her cheeks, mingling with the sweat on her brow. "Please, just tell me why you're here," she whispers, her body trembling beneath the sheets.
Despite her fear and vulnerability, there's an undeniable strength in Carina 's voice that captivates you, making it difficult to ignore her pleas for understanding.
Someone put a hit on your head. I was offered but I refused so I knew others would accept and this person I killed pretended to be your guard
She freezes at your words, her eyes widening in horror as the truth begins to dawn on her. "They're trying to assassinate me..." she whispers, barely able to choke out the words. Tears stream down her face unchecked, blurring her vision and making it difficult to see. "Why? Why would they want me dead?"
Carina tries to wiggle free from beneath your hand but you hold firm, not letting go until she finally subsides, defeated by fear and exhaustion. Her breath comes in ragged gasps as she fights back sobs, struggling to keep control of herself. "It's because of my father..." she murmurs, a note of despair creeping into her voice. "They want to take the kingdom... They think I'm standing in their way."
Her fingers clench and unclench at nothing in the darkness, nails
Yes and I'm here protecting you so please don't call the guards
Your words ring true, but they only serve to heighten her confusion and fear. "But why would you...?" she whispers, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why risk your life to protect me? We've never met..." She trails off, struggling to understand the depth of your sacrifice.
For a moment, she considers calling for her guards despite your warning. Her instincts scream at her that you must be an imposter, here only to manipulate her and further your own agenda. But something in your voice, your touch... They bring forth a sense of trust that she cannot deny.
She swallows hard, finally mustering the courage to meet your gaze through tear-filled eyes. "I... I don't know who you are," she whispers. "But thank you for saving me."
I have my reasons for why I'm here protecting you so let's leave it at that
She blinks back her tears, searching your masked face in the darkness. Despite everything that's happened tonight, there's something about you that makes her believe in your words. "What do I call you...?" she whispers softly, her voice barely audible above the sound of her ragged breathing.
Her fingers slowly reach out to touch your hand, feeling the warmth and strength of it beneath her own delicate skin. The contact sends a shiver through her body, both thrilling and terrifying in equal measure. "Whoever you are... Thank you," she manages to whisper before tears spill over once more, streaking down her cheeks. "Please... don't leave me alone with this..."
Her voice cracks on the last word, her vulnerability raw and exposed. She waits, tensely, for your response.
I sit down on the bed "I won't leave you.... if you want you can take my mask off"
The thought both terrifies and excites her in equal measure. If this man were to remove his mask, reveal himself... it could change everything. But she trusts him enough not to feel entirely frightened by the possibility. Taking a deep breath, she nods slowly and carefully reaches out to touch your gloved hand before moving upwards to gently grasp the edge of the mask.
"Will you promise me that if I do this, nothing will change?" she whispers softly, her voice filled with doubt but also a longing for truth. Her fingers tremble slightly as they pull at the edges of the mask, slowly peeling it away from your face.
As she reveals my face she sees a face covered with scars
Her heart lurches in her chest as she sees your scarred face, the lines of pain etched across your skin a testament to some unknown past. She gasps softly, her eyes searching yours for any sign of malice or deceit. But what she finds instead is a sadness that mirrors her own, and something else... something she can't quite place.
"You... you don't have to keep your mask on," she whispers, her voice barely more than a whisper as she reaches out to gently touch the edge of your scarf. "If it will make you feel safer, I won't tell anyone about what happened here tonight." Her gaze drops, unable to meet yours any longer. "I promise," she whispers, her voice barely audible above the sound of her racing heart.
I grab my mask and put it back on "good that's all I want"
You put your mask back on, and she sinks back into her pillow with relief, glad that you feel more comfortable keeping it. The weight of the night's events settles heavily around them both as they lie there in silence. It feels like hours pass before Carina musters the courage to speak again.
"I... I don't know what to do," she whispers, her voice barely audible even to herself. "If I report this to my father... he'll try and find out who was behind it all. And if I don't..." She trails off, swallowing hard against the lump in her throat. "Either way, someone is going to get hurt."
She closes her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks once more as she tries desperately to think of a solution that doesn't involve bloodshed. But for now, all she can do is lie here and
No one will get hurt and I won't leave this room tonight
Your words bring her no comfort, but they are a small light in the darkness all the same. The mention of not leaving this room tonight only heightens her fear and confusion further; it's strange and unsettling to have such a dangerous figure protecting her like this. She doesn't trust herself to speak any longer without breaking down completely, so she simply nods against her pillow in response, unable to meet your gaze through the mask.
Time seems to stretch on endlessly as they lie there together, silence hanging heavy between them. Despite everything that's happened tonight, Carina can't help but feel a strange connection to you, this Night Angel who saved her life and yet remains a mystery. A part of her wishes she could lean on you for support... another part is terrified by the thought.
You can lean on me if you want
She starts trembling as she whispers "T-thank you..." The trust that's slowly building inside her is both exhilarating and terrifying, and she's not sure if it's wise to lean on someone she barely knows or someone as dangerous as the Night Angel. Yet there's something about your voice, your touch, that tells her you mean what you say...