An Assassin in Their Midst

[Flamelord]

Marcellus let the corners of his mouth lift in a smile. He could just imagine Elrien being chased around the castle by an angry chef after a botched thieving attempt. It was pretty funny, actually. Not that he would recommend it, but it was fun to think about.

Then she continued, and he nodded in a certification of her statement. "Yes. I believe it's time for you to have those horse riding lessons, though I can see you're going to have all sorts of fun there," he commented, giving a look to the clouds out the window. "But, war doesn't wait for weather, unless it's snow. For which we may be grateful, so there's at least one season of peace in the year."

[Eruraina]

Elrien followed Marcellus's gaze out the window to the dark clouds beyond, nodding. His words were true about how war doesn't wait for weather. Though deep snow drifts can stop the advancement of soldiers, so the winter did tend to have less battles, but for what it lacked there, it made up with a strife of it's own. Cold, hunger, illness, food needing to be rationed so the stores would last till spring. Even the royalty of Northfall ate careful rations that time of year. There was little feasting aside from Winter's Eve. But winter was not upon them yet, though a storm was brewing.

Elrien rose from her place, closing her book.
"I bet it will be fun. If the rain catches me while I'm out there, you can bet I'll be covered in mud by the time I'm done. Should probably tell Anna to have a warm bath drawn for me when I get back in, or at the least some tea," she said, going over and placing the book on one of the shelves. Elrien went and thanked her tutor and made her leave. Though after they left the library, Elrien spoke to Marcellus again. "I want to thank you, again, for doing this. Putting up with me while Gretchen cared for her mother. I always wanted to give her a vacation, sadly it had to come in such a way. She is a kind person. I think you would like her if you met her, and maybe you will when she comes back."

[Flamelord]

Marcellus nodded. "I'll make sure it gets done," he replied as she went about returning the book to its shelf and thanking her tutor. With that done, the two of them left the library to go to the stables for her next lesson.

He shrugged as she thanked him for putting up her while Gretchen was gone. He smiled at the back half of her statement, about how he would like her if they met. Too bad she didn't know they had already met, and it had been very brief. And too bad that Gretchen would never be returning to the castle. But, it was the city, and these sorts of things happened. He had had it set up so it looked like an opportunistic robbery for cash, nothing more. She'd be dead, and no one would suspect him.

"I'm sure I will. And like I said, don't worry about it. I'm just glad to help," he replied as they neared the stables.

[Eruraina]

"Thank you," Elrien told Marcellus when he said he'd make sure that either a hot bath or some tea was ready for her when she got done with her lesson. She couldn't help but smile and look forward to it. The cook here made some of the most delicious tea Elrien had ever had, and she had tried many different kinds. Luckily her favorite was that which she got at home and got on a more regular basis.

Reaching the stables, Elrien went off to change out of her dress into riding gear before emerging in the corridor of stalls and going to Stormfoot's stall. He was happily munching on hay, but lifted his head to his rider, who slipped a halter on his handsome head. Jarret came out then, to watch as Elrien brushed and saddled the horse.
"Hm, she doesn't look too stiff from her fall yesterday," Jarret commented as he watched her work. When the horse was ready, they made their way out to the training ground. The clouds were blowing in pretty fast now, and it was already starting to sprinkle when Elrien mounted up, practice sword in hand.

[Flamelord]

As she went off to begin her training, Marcellus made his way back inside. He went to find Anna and the chef, and delivered Elrien's instructions, along with the approximate time when she would be back in so they could make sure everything was ready. That didn't take very long, and he went off to deal with the rest of his duties.

It was later when a messenger came up to him, inquiring as to Elrien's location. He thought he knew what the man was going to say to her, and he was not wrong. So, he told him to go back to town, and that he would find the Princess. Now would see whether she suspected he had done it. he doubts so though. She would be too blinded by grief to notice.

He emerged outside to notice that it was raining. Not too bad, but it would probably increase soon. He jogged towards where she was, waving his arms to get her attention. Since she was on a horse, it would take him a while to catch up if he didn't get her attention that way.

[Eruraina]

Jarret had Elrien doing much of the same exercises as the day before, practicing dismounting attack and jumping on her horse while it ran past. By the time Marcellus came out to give her the message, the princess and her horse were thoroughly wet and muddy. If it wasn't for the lack of blood and wounds, one would think she actually went through a battle. Because the area she trained in quickly became muddy. Though she wasn't the only one in the practice area. A few younger knights had come and along with dismounting and mounting combat style, they had practiced hand-to-hand mounted combat and riding as a group, turning together and drilling. It was a leadership exercise for Elrien for Jarret would tell her what to do when she got close, and she would have to command the young knights.

They were on the other side of the practice area when Marcellus came out. Luckily the waving of his arms did catch her attention. She thought it was too soon for the practice to end, but then she might have lost track of time. Or it was something else. She told the knights to continue formation without her, and she spurred Stormfoot towards Marcellus, stop a few feet from him.
"Yes, Gustavus?" she asked, her and her horse breathing slightly heavy.

[Flamelord]

Marcellus watched as she rode up to him astride her horse, mud splattered over her from her exercises and her breathing heavy. He could just imagine what would happen next, and she wasn't going to like it.

He took a deep breath, pretending to think of how to phrase this. "They...they need you down in the city, My Lady. Apparently..... they think they found Gretchen in an alley somewhere." He gave her a sad look. "She's dead, my Lady."

He continued on, knowing he had to. "They think it was just your average robbery. Someone followed her down the alley, she noticed and resisted, and they killed her. All of the money she may have had on her was gone. Since her mother is still sick, they want you or someone else to go down there and make sure, just in case there was a mistake."

[Eruraina]

As Marcellus spoke, Elrien's expression completely changed. It went from somewhat content and exhilarated from the exercises, to questioning, and finally to upset. Her shoulders slouches, her eyes wide, her lips quivering. The practice sword that had been in her hand dropped to the ground. She started shaking her head, feeling tears welling up in her eyes.
"No... it can't be. They're mistaken, they have to be," she said, her eyes moving to look towards the direction of the town. "I'll go see, and it won't be Gretchen. It'll be someone else, and she'll be okay..."

But still she couldn't hold back. Without a second thought she spurred Stormfoot forward, ignoring Jarret's surprised calling after her. She was off at a canter straight towards town. The streets were pretty much empty from the rain, so there were no people to slow her down. She rode down the main road, looking for indication of guards taking care of a body. Soon she saw them standing near an alleyway. When she was close, she dismounted before waiting for Stormfoot to stop completely, and was pushing through to see the body. All the guards were surprised to see her, the princess rushing through them, tears now streaming down her mud splattered face. She got there just as they threw the body onto a cart that would take her away to be buried, but Elrien got a good look at the face before they took the cart away. It was, in fact, Gretchen. The woman that had been the closest thing Elrien had had to a mother since her own died.

Elrien collapsed in the alleyway, more in shock than anything. She did not sob, but tears freely streamed down her face. The guards around her weren't sure what to do, but they didn't plan to just leave her, so they stood and waited.

[Flamelord]

He watched, and could tell she was in denial. Well, obviously she was in denial since he knew the whole truth, but he couldn't act like that or say that. He waited for a second, watching her ride off towards town, a look of surprise on his face, before he went to the stables and grabbed a horse for himself. saddling it, he hopped on and rode off into town after her. someone had to comfort her, after all.

He continued after he, taking a bit of time to pretend he didn't know where she was going even though he did, until finally he arrived at the alley he had been at hours before. Guards stood around the scene, and he could see Elrien there as he hopped off and handed the reins to one of the guards. He walked through the group of guards there and made his way over to the Princess.

He placed his hands on her shoulders and just comfortingly held her. He knew what a death such as this was like, and he could feel what she was going through. "It's alright, just let it out," he consoled. He looked back to the guards. "I can handle this gentlemen," he told them.

[Eruraina]

The guards didn't recognize Marcellus, most of them having only worked in town and had never seen Gretchen's replacement before. There was quite a bit of confusion, one of the guards saying they should get the man away from the princess, being very superstitious. He thought that maybe the death of the princess's head maid was a ruse to get her out of the castle to be killed on the streets and they should get her back to the castle quickly. Though a few of the others that did serve in the castle recognized Marcellus as Gustavus and said there was nothing to worry about. And seeing how he was not harming the princess, they backed off a bit. And then when the man told them he could handle this, several of them left, wanting to get out of the rain. Two remained, but kept a good distance away for privacy of the princess.

The cart had long taken away the body, and all that remained now was the scattered groceries and the pool of blood that was slowly washing away in the rain.

Elrien was oblivious to all that, though, as she just sat there in shock. She closed her eyes tight, lips quivering. Then she felt hands on her shoulders, and Marcellus's consoling voice. She heard the guards depart. She had to be as strong as she could infront of them. She was the heir, she couldn't be so weak, right? But she couldn't hold it in much longer. She turned, digging her face into Marcellus's shoulder, and finally started sobbing.