"State your business boy," A guard of the castle said to Prince. He had arrived once again at the baron's castle..

"The last time I came, I went through the back, there's a huge gate and 10 guards outside the front entrance alone… breaking in here would be impossible... under normal circumstances." Prince thought

"Can you call for the Baroness?" Prince asked politely "I have this necklace of hers, she left at last night's ball" Prince said showing the necklace to the guards. "Tell her Lindor's nephew Lint is here."

"When did you nab that?" Pedro asked

"Just in case I needed to see her again, I nabbed it just in case" Prince said "It also makes a great pawning item."

"Lint!" Alicia yelled, joyfully running towards the gate. "Guards let him in at once!"

Prince knelt down, presenting Alicia with the necklace.

"Madam Alicia" He said as she took it from his hands.

"Thank you" She said smiling "Now lets see to it you're rewarded for your journey."

As soon as Alicia had led Prince out of the guards view, she began passionately kissing Prince, wrapping her arms around him.

"You came back…" She said, her eyes slowly dampening with tears. "Most people are terrified of my husband… I thought that was the last time I would see you…"

"I'm not here just to see you…" Prince said, releasing her from his embrace. "I'm here on business."

"What business do you have?" She said looking up at him, her arms still squeezing him tight.

"I've come to kill… your husband"

Alicia took a step back, and placed a hand over her lips, trembling softly.

"Thats… thats impossible!" She yelled

"Shhhhh…" Prince said "Don't be so loud! Let's go back to your room and discuss this."

They made their way up the stairs to Alicia's room as inconspicuous as they could.

"It's not possible!" Alicia said. "No matter what you do you can't kill him."

"What if we poison his food? Maybe we can catch him off guard..."

"Not possible! My husband has become very paranoid lately and doesn't do anything without his guard Bartholomew."

"Bartholomew?" Prince asked

"He's an ex royal guard that never leaves his side! He eats my husband's food before he does, drinks before he does… and he even…" Alicia said, tearing up "He even watches when my husband and I sleep together…"

"I see.." Prince said "So the only way to get to your husband is to kill Bartholemew first…"

"Should we poison Bartholomew first and then you kill my husband!" She asked.

"You talk about this with such ease... Don't you have any love for the man?" Prince said

"None whatsoever!" Alicia said "I was arranged into that marriage with him when I was 12. My virginity, taken from me at 13. I have spent the last 15 years desperately trying to escape!"

"She says this, and yet she was at the ball by herself last night… Why is she lying?" Prince thought "What is she hiding?"

"He wasn't all that bad at first but ever since he lost his nephew he's been inconsolable!" Alicia said huffing.

"Alicia…" Prince said "You have no children… correct?"

"Yes, my husband was unable to have kids with me, or any women for that matter."

"If he was to die, that would leave his riches to whom?"

"Well… to me of course"

"I see" Prince said "so that's how it is"

"Heheheh Your getting good!" Pedro remarked "Soon you won't need my shadow eye!"

"Alicia… do you want to spend your days as a widow? Or would you like someone to share your fortune with?"

"What are you proposing?"

"I have a plan… A plan for us to be together forever, you would like that wouldn't you?"

"Yes I would love that! What do you need from me? I'll do whatever it takes to make that happen!"

"Will your husband be alone with Bartholomewat any point tonight?" Prince said with an evil grin. He touched the tips of his fingers together, slowly raising them as he contemplated his plan.

" Thank you Baron Burgess, we have received all the information on the current status of the French military. With Godefroi bolstering their defense with the expansion of the military budget, The nation of Britain must make preparations to take him on. Within a few years, our nation's military, with the aid of the other major powers, will be able to strike a massive blow against the French. Thank you for your aide under these trying times.

"King James Vl"

Burgess leaned back in his chair, reveling in the great news that he had received in the letter. Alone with his guard in his private study, he collected his secret stash of messages and handed them over to Bartholomew.

:" Thank you Barthalomew you can burn these now." Burgess instructed.

Bartholomew crumpled the papers in his gigantic hands, and then tossed them into the fireplace beside them.

"Baron Burgess!" Two soldiers said burging into the room.

"What is it?" The Baron asked

"I have some very disquieting news sir!" One of the guards said."We found one of our knights stabbed in the armory!"

"Which knight was it?" Burgess asked

"It was Ricardo! He's still alive but he's suffered a wound to the back!"

"Richard? The boy I saved from the prison? Did someone find out about that?"

"I don't know sir but he seems to have no feeling from the waste down, he may be paralyzed sir."

"What! Who is responsible for this!" Burgess asked

"We don't know sir, he couldn't won't say a word he's stricken with an overwhelming amount of fear! But judging by the way he was injured we believe it was an assasin!"

"An Assasin! I've been betrayed but by who? It can't be Godefroi, he enjoys public executions too much, it must have been…" Burgess thought

"How long ago did this happen!" Burgess barked

"We just discovered him now, but he claimed the incident happened an hour or two ago"

"In other words… there's no guarantee either of you are not responsible!"

"Sir… we would never"

"Lockdown the castle! No one gets in or out! I'm going to the keep! Bartholomew lets go!"

"Yes Baron Burgess" Bartholomew boomed.

Burgess and Bartholomew scurried out of the castle over a bridge that led to a cave carved out of a huge mountain. In front of the cave two guards stood watch, on either side of its wide entrance that was barricaded by a strong iron gate.

"Open the keep at once!" The Baron instructed.

"Yes Baron Burgess!" The two knights answered

The two men began spinning a large wheel on either side of the gate, slowly cranking it open.

Bartholomew and the Baron walked under the gate heading inside. Before venturing further into the cave, the Baron slid a key from his pocket into a large wheel on the inside of the cave that locked into place. Bartholomew then turned the wheel creating a secondary gate that fell into place behind the first.

Wiping a drip of sweat from his forehead the Baron walked into the cave relieved that he had made it to his haven.

"Finally we've made it! Now we wait for the man to be caught!"

"Or" A man said emerging from the shadows

"Wait for the man to catch you, You truly are too easy to predict."

Prince approached the men with a dagger in hand, covering his face with a mask he had picked up earlier.

"You there! Who are you!" Burgess barked

"I've come to take your life! I am an assassin!"

"An assassin? How did you make your way into here?"

"It was all too easy." Prince said, shrugging his shoulders. "My.accomplish and I set this whole thing up. We purposely talked in an open space and then attacked one of your knights, leaving him alive until someone could find him. After you heard there was an assassin disguised as a knight, you predictably isolated yourself with the only person you trusted.

"So it's you! You're the one who attacked Ricardo!" Burgess barked

"Hehe thats right" Prince said grinning "He got what he deserved"

(a few hours prior)

"You there Intruder! What are you plotting…." Ricardo yelled

"Well this is a strange place to meet isn't it Richard?" Prince said drawing his blade. He took of his armor he had confiscated and stared at Richard with his cold red eyes.

"Those eyes! They're the same as that night! Prince have mercy! Please! I was a fool then! Iv since changed!"

Prince hesitated, his hand shaking as he watched the man who betrayed him cower in fear. There was a time where it was Prince who was terrified of Richards immense strength. To watch him squirm was more enjoyable than he could possibly imagine.

"Very well" Prince said putting away his sword. "Come Richard, I forgive you, you were right Zoe was just a stupid wench" Prince said opening his arms

"Prince Thank yo-" Richard choked

He spat out a pool of blood grabbing his back in agony.

Prince had stabbed him during the embrace dragging his blade across his spine.

"I meant what I said Richard" Prince said "I forgive you, now we are truly even, you'll never have your dick sucked again, and even if you do you won't be able to feel it! Hehehhaahhaaa" Prince laughed.

"So he's the reason they are alive... this son of a... No! There's no time to be thinking about that! I'v got to focus on the target!"" Prince thought

"But how did you get in? This room can only be opened from the outside! It takes two knights to move the wheels on either side! And it is always under surveillance!"

"That was tricky… But not as difficult as you would expect."

(a few hours prior)

"Madam!" A knight said as the Baroness Alicia bumbled into the keep with nothing but a towel wrapped around her. Her nipples were just inches from view as she carelessly waddled across the bridge.

"Open the keep at once!" The Baroness commanded. "I can't find any of my clothes! I think they have been stolen! But I have a spare dress in the keep."

"Yes Madam right away!" The knights said lifting the keep.

The Baroness loosened the towel she had wrapped around her, revealing a bouncy girth of cleavage.

"What are you too looking at!" She said. "Do you want me to tell my husband of what you saw! Close your eyes!"

"Uhh… Yes mam!" They said.

Using this chance Prince snuck into the keep behind Alicia, hidden from view.

"It went exactly as you said it would, Prince" The Baroness said. Once they were both inside.

"The hearts of men are easy to predict" Prince said laughing "It is the minds of men that can be problematic."

"Fool! You've locked yourself in this room, only openable from the outside with my strongest night Bartholomew standing before you! He was once in the royal knights! There is no way he will lose to a coward like you!"

"Hmph," Prince said, crossing his arms. "With my powers I could kill most men an instant! But unfortunately… you are right. There is simply no way I could win against him… In a fair fight that is."

Prince threw his dagger at the ceiling slicing a rope that held up dozens of oversized rocks.

"Baron!" Bartholomewcried.

Reacting in an instant, Bartholomew pushed the Baron out of the way as he was crushed by the heavy landslide.

"Bar… Bartholomew!" Burgess cried.

"Im sorry… Baron… I've failed…" Bartholomew said, passing out.

"And now your end comes!" Prince said swooping down on the Baron

"Waiiitt!" Burgess cried. "Just wait…"

Burgess fell to his knees sobbing. The cruel little tyrant, suddenly became a whimpering old man, regretting his ways.

Prince, frozen in his tracks, hesitated his blade just inches from the Baron's heart.

"Why… why am I hesitating?"

"I've lived... a hollow life,I was once a good man, but I lost myself in these last two years...I guess this is where the road ends for me…"

"Two...years?" Prince thought

"I just want to know… before I die… who put you up to this… Was it the Duke of Champagne?"

"Tsk," Prince said, looking away.

"Why am I hesitating!"

"I see… so it was him… He's decided to betray me in the end, after all he went through to assist me in this treachery."

"What treachery? The Duke assisted you in what?"

"He was the one who came up with the plan, he, like I, had resentment against Godefroi… we were planning to defect to Britain and cause a war to destroy him…"

"What? You… hate Godefroi? What… what did he do to you?"

"He's turned this country into a land of fear! He uses those 13 Swords of Wudon like a band of Assassins. He's killed so many people it's awful…"

"This guy…" Prince said lowering his weapon "He's… just like me! Maybe I can fake his death and we can become allies!"

"I also can't forgive him for what he did...On my nephews birthday..."

"Your… your nephew's birthday?"

"Don't drop your guard boy! One mistake and your as good as" Pedro began

"He hasn't seen me since he was tiny… but this little boy named Prince, he along with the rest of the Bourbon family were murdered by Godefroi!"

"I.." Prince hesitated.

"Nows my chance!" Burgess thought. Reaching into his pocket he drew out a knife plunging it into Prince.

"GFFFFF!"

Prince, just a moment faster, countered Burgess's petty attack, plunging a dagger of his own into his heart.

Burgess spat out a pool of blood falling over into a puddle that was coming from his wound. He trembled, decrepitly squirming on the ground, as he writhed in pain.

Prince dropped his dagger, falling to his knees. He grabbed Burgess's head holding him as he bled out onto the floor.

Slowly dropping his head, Prince pinched his eyes together as hard as he could, overwhelmed with agony and despair. For the second time in two years, tears began to fall from the eyes that he had desperately tried to keep shut."

"What...What have I done!" Prince said. "Was all that stuff you said true! Did you really have a nephew named Prince?"

"Yes… It was all true" Burgess coughed out. "I cared for him deeply, he used to call me Uncle Burger when he was a child! Carolyn had always been like a sister to me, I wish I could see her again…"

(Prince remebered his days as a child)

"Uncle Burger?" A 3 year old Prince said, putting on his uncles mustache.

"It's Burgess Burgess!" His uncle said

"Buurrrgerest!" Prince chimed

"Uncle" Prince said "What.. what have I become?"

"Prince! Is that really you… you're alive? Take off your mask! I want to see your face one last time!"

"I can't do that" Prince said "I can't leave you with that image before you die…"

"If he sees the black hair… he'll know…"

"One last word from a dying old man betrayed by his comrades" The Baron wheezed out. The soul in his eyes began to wither as he spoke. It was clear he was riding on his last breath.

"It seems you have walked a different path, one far from the peaceful Bourbon life you had before. But It doesn't matter if it is the path of darkness, or light, walk your own path! Walk a path you can be proud of! So that when you meet your end you die with a smile! Don't die for another man's dream! That.. is all I have surmounted too!"

"Uncle!" Prince yelled

Burgesses eyes rolled to the side, and his body became limp in Prince's arms. Prince got back on his feet and walked himself to the entrance of the cave.

"No way you're getting out now! Intruder!" The guards yelled

"Not even with a hostage..." Prince groaned, aiming a crossbow he had found

"What hostage?" The men said turning around

Alicia stood in the center of the walkway, in perfect line with Prince's shot.

"Any false moves and I shoot this arrow! Open the door now!"

"It's done," Alicia said. She and Prince had made it back to her bedroom Window.

"It's done," Prince said, climbing up to escape.

"When.. when will you return?"

"I'm not sure… it could be months… it could be years…"

"I don't care how long I have to wait! I will wait for you!" She said running to his side. The wind blew softly, wavering his black hair across the window.

"Goodbye Alicia" he said softly

Prince jumped onto the balcony, walking towards the end of the Castle.

"Uncle Burgess…" Prince thought looking down at the hands that had murdered him.

"Prince! Behind you!" Pedro yelled.

"Onguard!" A man yelled, extravagantly jumping from the top of the castle.

Spinning around Prince withdrew a dagger, interlocking it with an eccentrically dressed man.

The man pushed him back with ease, throwing a series of jabs that Prince narrowly avoided.

"This guy.." Prince said being forced back "He's good… really good"

"You there! Suspiciously ugly masked man!" The man said waving his rapier around "What are you doing here on a roof in the middle of the night!"

The strange man stood resolutely, pointing his balde at Prince. His ridiculous attire that could only be described as peacock spreading its wings across his body, sparkled in the moonlight.

"This guy… Is loud… and obnoxious… I really don't have time for this!" Prince thought

"Mother...these situations keep leading me to new places, places I can't even begin to understand...Is this meeting the same? Where will it lead me? Will I ever fathom the strings of fate?"