My dear friend,
It is with much regret that I pen this letter. I am so very sorry to inform you that your loyal subject, Rupert, is currently lying near death after saving me from an assassination attempt. The healers have not been able to identify the poison as of yet, and without an antidote, he will surely die. In fact, based on their assessment, it is very likely that he will be dead before you get this letter.
There was an assassination attempt against my son’s life today as well, which Rupert's eesprid foiled, thankfully. It seems that there is a serious attempt underway for the throne of this kingdom, and we both know that this jeopardizes both of our realms. The only information we have is that both assassins carried small gold tokens stamped with a black scorpion. Does that mean anything to you?
With this turn of events, I must respectfully request that Rupert’s replacement be sent as soon as possible, but not for me. I want the replacement assigned to Eryk. I have had my time as ruler, as you well know, and I want him protected – I value his life far more than my own.
I trust that you will know whom to send, and I look forward to meeting the newest member of our little pact. I will have Byron waiting to greet the new arrival ten days from when I penned this letter. Have your party wait for him by the waterfall bordering our kingdoms.
I wish I were able to write with better news. I miss you, my friend.
Tarren
Jackob sighed as he put the letter down. He ran his fingers through his thick, brown hair and shook his head. Even after their time together years ago, Tarren obviously still didn't understand that he, Jackob, had nothing to do with choosing the next bodyguard in line or deciding when they leave for Bacovia. The magical pact joining the two kingdoms determined all of those details. It had been that way for centuries now, so you’d think that the Bacovians would know how it worked!
Of course, he thought as he chuckled to himself, they had the easy job. The monarch of Bacovia merely had to govern his nation and send his army to protect Evendell if needed. It was the rulers of Evendell that spent their lives preparing for the call, the rulers of Evendell who gave their lives, or the lives of their specially trained subjects, to protect the monarch of Bacovia.
Now, with Rupert’s apparent demise, it was just a matter of time before the magic brought forth the next bodyguard. Jackob settled down to wait for his or her arrival, wondering which of the students it would be.
The King's Assassin Page 5
