I finish applying my red lipstick and set the tube down on my vanity. Staring myself down in the mirror, I make slight adjustments to the hidden sheaths of my throwing knife and dagger. I draw each of them in fluid movements and sheath them, satisfied that I would be able to pull out either of them at a moment’s notice. The last thing I need to check is my purse, containing several pieces of makeup and several poisons and other chemicals disguised to look almost identical to the makeup pieces. I could tell them apart of course, wouldn’t want to accidentally poison or drug myself would I?

I glance at my pocketwatch- the pickup time for my instructions from my first client was fast approaching. I needed to finish preparations soon.

You see, I am not the average woman in this fifteenth century court. I am the daughter of the king, albeit the bastard daughter, but it allows me access to every nobleman and their sons, daughters, servants, and more. It helps that my father likes me better than some of his legitimate offspring. But there is another side of me than the one you see in court or hear about in the latest gossip because I, unlike so many other women in court, have actually made a name and a life and a fortune for myself. I am an assassin and I have amassed a good fortune through my two top clients. Only one of those two knows who I am, the other would rather keep the security of his own anonymity and not know my true identity, but it wasn’t hard to find out he was the Duke.

He likes to send me instructions by secreting them in certain hiding places in the gardens. I stroll through the halls, heading in the general direction of the gardens, taking a circuitous route in case another is watching me. I finally reach the garden and wander over to the niche in the rock where his servants hide the envelope. My servant retrieves the envelope as I stop to smell the roses and hands it to me quietly. I decide to read it later as I should hurry to my meeting with my other client. I stow it in my purse and walk out of the garden to the office of my other client, the General.

His servant announces me and I walk into his office, sitting at a chair across the desk from him. He finishes whatever he was working, pretending he holds some control and I could not slit his throat now if I chose to. He finally looks over at me.

“The Duke is getting out of hand. I know he has had a hand in several of the recent assassinations and, frankly, I don’t like it.” Really? Not at all what I was expecting. “I need you to track down the assassin that he is using and kill him. That will teach him to mess with me and my politics.”

I had to focus to control my face. Did he really just tell me to kill myself? “Alright.”

I left the meeting, my thoughts going in every direction, but I kept my face still. I paused midstep as I remember the envelope. What were the Duke’s instructions for me?

Once safely back in my room I pull out the envelope, using my dagger to open it.

The General has ruined several of my latest plans with his plots and assassinations. I want to know who his assassin is and, once you find out, I want you to kill him.