Challenge #02059-E235: Betrayal is a Two-Way Street
“You really ought to learn not to be so trusting,” ze sneered. “The world’s a dangerous place.”
“Clearly you’ve never met a pissed-off human before.” She smiled. “Please, allow me to... enlighten you.” -- Anon Guest
The Human interlaced her fingers and twisted them about to make a sound like several walnuts being crushed at once. While the guards were wincing at that intolerable sound, she casually purloined one of their polearms and used it to stun the other one.
It happened so quickly.
The polearm became a whirling dervish of destruction, laying waste to the ornamental guards in the room and the very few who were competent at their weapons. Even when the blade broke, the handle was still used to lay them all flat. They were alive, but the message was clear. They could easily be not alive in a matter of minutes.
In seconds, Thrandall the Duplicitous was staring down the broken business end of a polearm that was only made to intimidate. And, because it had already been used to put a mark on hir face, it was more intimidating than it should have been.
"You really aught to learn not to be so ignorant," she said. "Now. Apologise and keep your end of the bargain, thanks, or... I might take more than I'm currently owed." Her gaze flicked around from hir crown to the golden armour of the guards to several silk tapestries, to the ornate rings on Thrandall's fat fingers.
"I- I'm very sss-sorry, Hum--" the broken blade twitched. Pinked hir skin.
"Start with my name," she said. "I know I told it to you."
Thrandall, who had never bothered to recall anyone's name in hir entire lifetime, wracked hir memory as fresh blood flowed from the newest wound. It was such a tiny thing. Why did it hurt more than the other, larger wound on hir face? What was the Human's name? Some kind of flower? Lavender? Baby's breath? Sunflower? Daisy? Rose! She had a last name. Something occupation-related. "Rose... Scrivener?"
Her ferocity dampened, but not by much. "Correct. Well done. Now the rest."
"Rose Scrivener. I am tremendously sorry for mistakenly believing that I could escape from an honourable deal. Allow me immediately make amends by paying you in full."
"Good," she cooed, lowering her weapon. She did, however, keep a good grip on it and kept herself ready for any sign of betrayal.
Thrandall wasn't that stupid. He summoned his Visier. "We owe a great debt to this--" ze learned fast. All it took was a twitch of her hand. "Rose Scrivener. See to it that she is paid what we promised."
The Visier's face was an open book, and the current page read, What the heck? And then he spotted the fallen guard, the ruined polearm, and the fresh blood on his monarch's face. It didn't take a genius to work out that math. "At once, Majesty."
"And your signet ring," said Rose. "As a token of goodwill and a sign to all that I am, now and always, a friend of your empire."
Damn. She foresaw that one, too. There would be no sending the army after her, once she left. Reluctantly, and with some difficulty, Thrandall removed the signet ring from a pudgy little finger.
It fit neatly on her thumb.
She loaded up her rewards and said, "It has been an honour to serve." Pronounced, I can kill you and you know it so you're going to take this sass and like it. On her way out she added, "By the way. If you plan on keeping up your business model, you might want to drop 'the Duplicitous' from your name. It kind'a gives the whole game away."
Thrandall was very enthusiastic about seeing her on her way to inflict herself on other realms.
[Image (c) Can Stock Photo / LAR01JoKa]
If you like my stories, please Check out my blog and Follow me. Or share them with your friends!
Send me a prompt [29 remaining prompts!]
They actually seriously called themselves "the Duplicitous"? XD
You'd be amazed how many folks it fooled before Rose got there.