A Truth Behind Closed Doors
She’s Got Spunk
--- Several Years Earlier ---
“I can’t!” Melinda Drynmire cried. She was sixteen now and her lover, Joseph Lien was asking her to keep the child that he had impregnated her with last summer. She was honestly trying to picture herself raising the child but saw only disaster in every scene. She was a Princess. A sixteen year old Princess-mother just was not done. She’d be named a whore and her father would never be able to marry her to someone who could do well for the kingdom of Kaito. Kaito was the biggest pagan country in the world and she was to rule it. She was supposedly engaged as well!
“Why not keep the child here?” He asked holding the baby girl in his arms gently and smiling down at her sleeping form. “She’s a real sweetie in her sleep…much more so than her brother ever was as a babe.”
Melinda allowed herself a smile. “She’d live to adulthood in your care. You’re-”
“I’m the Head of the Assassin’s Guild. I know.” He said still smiling down at his daughter.
She nodded. “That’s-”
“That’s why she would be safer with you and in better shape.” He countered before she even finished speaking.
“Joe,” She started. “I can’t. My father was mad enough when he learned I was with child. He’ll see the child killed if I expect…” She swallowed as she thought of how her father put it. “If I expect him to let a whored b*****d live in his castle.” She said with an edge.
He laughed. “Who will he get to do it? Will he try to hire one of my own assassins to kill my first daughter? I hope he would not be so stupid or foolish to ask such a thing. I’d kill any man that accepted the job.” Melinda loved the child already but she honestly didn’t want the responsibility of having to raise her. She wasn’t fit to be a mother. She only looked the part. “Why don’t you want to raise your child?” He asked glaring at her.
She sighed. “I’m not ready-”
“You lie. Do not treat me like a fool. Eight months ago, you said you wanted this baby.” Joe had been orphaned himself and found out at the age of eighteen that his parents had never wanted him. She knew that for that reason, the fuel behind his heartache and rage made him say, “Fine. Don’t you dare ever call on me to meet her.”
He started to leave after letting a slave wrap the baby in a black velvety soft blanket, so that the baby would blend to his cloak in the dead of night. “What will you tell her? What will you say when she asks you what happened to her mother?” She was on the verge of crying.
He gave her the coldest look she had ever gotten in all her years. “I will hold her as she cries.”
“Why would she be crying?”
“She’ll learn that her mother died some years ago, giving birth to her.” He left, slamming the door as he did.
--- Ten Years Later ---
Young Kiara Lien walked in the lit halls of the Assassin’s Guild one day during mid after noon. She was only ten, so it wasn’t like she had business to attend to. She was only looking around randomly for something to do. Her name and face was known, so if she started to head where she wasn’t welcome, the guards were very polite about turning her around and seeing her off to free areas. Her fifteen year old brother, Jesse, was out training to become an assassin. She wanted to learn, but wasn’t allowed.
She saw her father’s office and smiled as he stepped out until she saw that he looked very angry at the man who followed him out. More than once, she had been to the palace for whatever reason, usually just for the hell of it while they delivered messages between clients, her brother and herself with a tiny escort of ten to fifteen men. She knew what a Palace slave looked like and there was one talking to her father but why would a slave want her father’s services? Surely a slave could never afford such a thing. Her father said something to the man in a low tone, and the man nodded and left, passing her as he did.
He looked her over briefly and gave a slight smile. She waved as he passed her before her father noticed her and called out her name. She smiled brightly and ran at him, saying happily, “Papa!” She leaped into his arms and hugged him tight. He sat her on his hip with an arm around her as he walked down the corridor.
After a moment, he asked, “How were your lessons, today?” He asked her kindly. He never raised his voice to her but he never had to. She knew better than to disobey him.
“They were good, father. Barlow thinks that I will have a wonderful future once I learn to stay focused and stop driving people stark mad.” She giggled. “I just like to goof off and make him angry. His face is priceless.” This made her father roar with laughter.
He then said proudly, “That’s my little girl.”
She then asked, ignoring the little comment, “Father, what was it that palace’s servant wanted from you?” She asked as she very gently batted at the earring on his right ear with her index finger.
He grinned and grabbed her hand to stop her batting. “It was nothing, my dear. Don’t you worry your pretty head over it.”
She grinned at him, “Why?” She was always the curious type. ”What if it is something I should worry about?”
He chuckled. “You should know better than anyone that asking too many questions can be dangerous, young lady.”
She smiled. “You would never let harm befall me and besides father. What if I start to train with Jesse? Then I will need to be well informed.”
He grinned at her. “You want to train?”
She nodded. “More than anything else, Father, I want to train to be like you and Uncle Hunter.”
Her father put her down and said. “I’ll think about it.”
And he did. He went to the Drifter’s Square and found his brother, who was Head of the Thieves Guild. His brother was flirting with one of the court’esa that worked as a waitress. His brother was also lucky he was unmarried, for if his brother, Hunter did, he tended to pick the kind of woman that would kill him for looking at another woman. Joseph sat down and shooed the woman and Hunter didn’t stop him. “What brings you, brother?” Hunter said as he sipped his ale.
Joseph grinned. “Gods, Hunter, you will not even greet your older brother after being away for seven months? Jesse and Kiara miss you terribly.”
Hunter grinned. “I missed them too. I’ll drop by tonight.”
Joseph became grave. “Kiara wants to train…as a thief and assassin like Jesse is. You realize how dangerous that girl could be? She knows things that my informants haven’t even told me yet and I haven’t a clue how she knows.”
Hunter could only chuckle at that. “I always said that girl would be dangerous from a young age. Why not let her train?”
“Hunter,” Joseph said grinning, “Do you not understand how much more dangerous that would make her? No man would want to marry her if they knew she had access to all the information you and I could possibly gather. That’s more than any palace library could have because all of it is constantly updated.”
Hunter’s grin faded ever so slightly, “Are you afraid of your ten year old daughter, Joe?”
“No! I’m afraid that she may realize how dangerous she is and become corrupt with the power she holds.” He said sipping some rum a court’esa brought for him.
Hunter finished his off and let the same woman from before refill his mug. “I blame you for letting one of your best informants tutor the girl. She’s a sponge ready to absorb all the information she can. She’s not like normal children and that’s our fault. We should have let her grow up a little less…constricted. Most children have a curfew to be home and chores to do each day. She has lessons, chores, and responsibilities.”
“That girl doesn’t have any responsibilities.” Joseph said with a hard laugh as he looked at his brother.
“That, my brother, is where you are wrong. She keeps every secret she overhears. She doesn’t tell anyone what her father does for a living. She never speaks of where she lives and has to make sure she gets home without being spotted by anyone who might have reason to harm her, and since she has no idea how to tell who would want to hurt her, she can’t go anywhere without an escort. As for a suitor, she doesn’t want one. She doesn’t think there’s a man alive who could handle her for a minute.” He grinned a little as he added, “I agree with her. That girl is a loaded wild fire ready to blow.”
Joseph had to chuckle at that. “Honestly, I don’t think there will be much hope for finding her a husband but I’m still not sure that letting her become like us is a very wise idea.”
“Think of it this way,” Hunter countered. “Kiara will be able to provide for herself is she has the skills she needs to make it as a thief or assassin. If we pass on while she’s still young, she’ll have Jesse, but she won’t need him. Also, men don’t always want a little damsel that needs saving. You know I like the more independent types, most men we know are that way.”
Joseph sighed. “Alright, I’ll let her train.” He paused. “Would you care to hear something more about my ten year old?” His brother grinned and nodded. “She’s got spunk to be asking me such a thing.”
“Yes, she has spunk. Spunk is what made us have this conversation and what made you say yes.”
She’s Got Spunk
--- Several Years Earlier ---
“I can’t!” Melinda Drynmire cried. She was sixteen now and her lover, Joseph Lien was asking her to keep the child that he had impregnated her with last summer. She was honestly trying to picture herself raising the child but saw only disaster in every scene. She was a Princess. A sixteen year old Princess-mother just was not done. She’d be named a whore and her father would never be able to marry her to someone who could do well for the kingdom of Kaito. Kaito was the biggest pagan country in the world and she was to rule it. She was supposedly engaged as well!
“Why not keep the child here?” He asked holding the baby girl in his arms gently and smiling down at her sleeping form. “She’s a real sweetie in her sleep…much more so than her brother ever was as a babe.”
Melinda allowed herself a smile. “She’d live to adulthood in your care. You’re-”
“I’m the Head of the Assassin’s Guild. I know.” He said still smiling down at his daughter.
She nodded. “That’s-”
“That’s why she would be safer with you and in better shape.” He countered before she even finished speaking.
“Joe,” She started. “I can’t. My father was mad enough when he learned I was with child. He’ll see the child killed if I expect…” She swallowed as she thought of how her father put it. “If I expect him to let a whored b*****d live in his castle.” She said with an edge.
He laughed. “Who will he get to do it? Will he try to hire one of my own assassins to kill my first daughter? I hope he would not be so stupid or foolish to ask such a thing. I’d kill any man that accepted the job.” Melinda loved the child already but she honestly didn’t want the responsibility of having to raise her. She wasn’t fit to be a mother. She only looked the part. “Why don’t you want to raise your child?” He asked glaring at her.
She sighed. “I’m not ready-”
“You lie. Do not treat me like a fool. Eight months ago, you said you wanted this baby.” Joe had been orphaned himself and found out at the age of eighteen that his parents had never wanted him. She knew that for that reason, the fuel behind his heartache and rage made him say, “Fine. Don’t you dare ever call on me to meet her.”
He started to leave after letting a slave wrap the baby in a black velvety soft blanket, so that the baby would blend to his cloak in the dead of night. “What will you tell her? What will you say when she asks you what happened to her mother?” She was on the verge of crying.
He gave her the coldest look she had ever gotten in all her years. “I will hold her as she cries.”
“Why would she be crying?”
“She’ll learn that her mother died some years ago, giving birth to her.” He left, slamming the door as he did.
--- Ten Years Later ---
Young Kiara Lien walked in the lit halls of the Assassin’s Guild one day during mid after noon. She was only ten, so it wasn’t like she had business to attend to. She was only looking around randomly for something to do. Her name and face was known, so if she started to head where she wasn’t welcome, the guards were very polite about turning her around and seeing her off to free areas. Her fifteen year old brother, Jesse, was out training to become an assassin. She wanted to learn, but wasn’t allowed.
She saw her father’s office and smiled as he stepped out until she saw that he looked very angry at the man who followed him out. More than once, she had been to the palace for whatever reason, usually just for the hell of it while they delivered messages between clients, her brother and herself with a tiny escort of ten to fifteen men. She knew what a Palace slave looked like and there was one talking to her father but why would a slave want her father’s services? Surely a slave could never afford such a thing. Her father said something to the man in a low tone, and the man nodded and left, passing her as he did.
He looked her over briefly and gave a slight smile. She waved as he passed her before her father noticed her and called out her name. She smiled brightly and ran at him, saying happily, “Papa!” She leaped into his arms and hugged him tight. He sat her on his hip with an arm around her as he walked down the corridor.
After a moment, he asked, “How were your lessons, today?” He asked her kindly. He never raised his voice to her but he never had to. She knew better than to disobey him.
“They were good, father. Barlow thinks that I will have a wonderful future once I learn to stay focused and stop driving people stark mad.” She giggled. “I just like to goof off and make him angry. His face is priceless.” This made her father roar with laughter.
He then said proudly, “That’s my little girl.”
She then asked, ignoring the little comment, “Father, what was it that palace’s servant wanted from you?” She asked as she very gently batted at the earring on his right ear with her index finger.
He grinned and grabbed her hand to stop her batting. “It was nothing, my dear. Don’t you worry your pretty head over it.”
She grinned at him, “Why?” She was always the curious type. ”What if it is something I should worry about?”
He chuckled. “You should know better than anyone that asking too many questions can be dangerous, young lady.”
She smiled. “You would never let harm befall me and besides father. What if I start to train with Jesse? Then I will need to be well informed.”
He grinned at her. “You want to train?”
She nodded. “More than anything else, Father, I want to train to be like you and Uncle Hunter.”
Her father put her down and said. “I’ll think about it.”
And he did. He went to the Drifter’s Square and found his brother, who was Head of the Thieves Guild. His brother was flirting with one of the court’esa that worked as a waitress. His brother was also lucky he was unmarried, for if his brother, Hunter did, he tended to pick the kind of woman that would kill him for looking at another woman. Joseph sat down and shooed the woman and Hunter didn’t stop him. “What brings you, brother?” Hunter said as he sipped his ale.
Joseph grinned. “Gods, Hunter, you will not even greet your older brother after being away for seven months? Jesse and Kiara miss you terribly.”
Hunter grinned. “I missed them too. I’ll drop by tonight.”
Joseph became grave. “Kiara wants to train…as a thief and assassin like Jesse is. You realize how dangerous that girl could be? She knows things that my informants haven’t even told me yet and I haven’t a clue how she knows.”
Hunter could only chuckle at that. “I always said that girl would be dangerous from a young age. Why not let her train?”
“Hunter,” Joseph said grinning, “Do you not understand how much more dangerous that would make her? No man would want to marry her if they knew she had access to all the information you and I could possibly gather. That’s more than any palace library could have because all of it is constantly updated.”
Hunter’s grin faded ever so slightly, “Are you afraid of your ten year old daughter, Joe?”
“No! I’m afraid that she may realize how dangerous she is and become corrupt with the power she holds.” He said sipping some rum a court’esa brought for him.
Hunter finished his off and let the same woman from before refill his mug. “I blame you for letting one of your best informants tutor the girl. She’s a sponge ready to absorb all the information she can. She’s not like normal children and that’s our fault. We should have let her grow up a little less…constricted. Most children have a curfew to be home and chores to do each day. She has lessons, chores, and responsibilities.”
“That girl doesn’t have any responsibilities.” Joseph said with a hard laugh as he looked at his brother.
“That, my brother, is where you are wrong. She keeps every secret she overhears. She doesn’t tell anyone what her father does for a living. She never speaks of where she lives and has to make sure she gets home without being spotted by anyone who might have reason to harm her, and since she has no idea how to tell who would want to hurt her, she can’t go anywhere without an escort. As for a suitor, she doesn’t want one. She doesn’t think there’s a man alive who could handle her for a minute.” He grinned a little as he added, “I agree with her. That girl is a loaded wild fire ready to blow.”
Joseph had to chuckle at that. “Honestly, I don’t think there will be much hope for finding her a husband but I’m still not sure that letting her become like us is a very wise idea.”
“Think of it this way,” Hunter countered. “Kiara will be able to provide for herself is she has the skills she needs to make it as a thief or assassin. If we pass on while she’s still young, she’ll have Jesse, but she won’t need him. Also, men don’t always want a little damsel that needs saving. You know I like the more independent types, most men we know are that way.”
Joseph sighed. “Alright, I’ll let her train.” He paused. “Would you care to hear something more about my ten year old?” His brother grinned and nodded. “She’s got spunk to be asking me such a thing.”
“Yes, she has spunk. Spunk is what made us have this conversation and what made you say yes.”
