You maybe want to read up to part 8 of Consort before reading this side story. It takes place in the past, well before any of the events in Consort. I hope you all consider this worth the wait.

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Ka'ren ignored the hunger that made his stomach claw at his spine as if in search of sustenance and watched his target. She was walking in the gardens alone, something that would be safe for her if they had hired anyone but him. Her dark red hair was piled high on her head, and her skirts would undoubtedly hinder any movement were she to try to run.

But again, running wasn't an option. Ka'ren was the best. She'd never know she was being attacked. His employers didn't care how she died, just that she did. And she was important enough to set him for life. He'd never have to take another job again if he were to succeed. He'd even be able to buy the medicine he needed for the fever he felt in his body. His masters had been decidedly unhelpful with that. They said he'd have to earn the medicine, or die. After a week of fever filled travel, he wasn't sure he didn't want to die. But it was almost over now.

This was a job which would be amazingly simple as he would just kill her here and leave her body to be discovered. It would take him until nightfall to get out without alerting the guards to his presence though. He would wait; the less killed the better after all.

As she passed under the tree he was hiding in he pulled out the dagger given to him for the job. It had never been touched by human hands other than its forger, and would only be touched by the priest preparing her corpse. It was bad luck to touch a knife that was used for an assassination.

He slid down the tree behind her soundlessly, and moved a gloved hand to place the dagger into the back of her neck. A painless death for someone who very likely didn't deserve death. Again, business was business. Being fair never put food in his stomach.

As he moved to strike, there was a sword point pressed against his back. A rough voice said something in their strange language.

A woman then. Ka'ren dropped the dagger as he was almost certain she asked for that, the dull thud of the blade as it hit the ground rendering it useless. The woman behind him asked him a question, but he shook his head.

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Marina looked curiously into the strange assassin's eyes. "Ana I don't think he can understand a word we're saying."

The assassin, the man, said something softly, it was flowing and musical and Marina thought it almost sounded like the western languages, but somehow different. She tried asking him in that language, even if she could barely speak it.

Nothing. The assassin simply shook his head. Then turned and slapped Rheana's sword away. Stepping back and looking at both of them warily, then fell to the ground, unconscious.

Rheana swore as she knelt and touched his neck for a pulse under the hood. "His brain's boiling away and he's doing work like this?" Rheana looked up at her sister.

"Ana I know that 't even think about it."

Rheana pulled down the hood and face mask. "He's gorgeous."

"No. We are NOT taking care of this thing. He tried to kill me!"

"Probably for a handsome sum of money too." Rheana said smirking.

"It's not funny!" Marina frowned at her younger sister. Rheana was always so bored, why just last year she had befriended southern merchants. She even dressed like one for awhile. Her impulsive behavior would get her into trouble someday.

"I'll keep him locked up. He won't be able to get to you. Please Rina, he's so sick and helpless..and so tiny. He's barely more than a boy."

"That didn't stop him from trying to murder me."

"We've been over that."

"Fine fine. You can keep him. You're worse than the twins, I swear."

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Ka'ren awoke to the soft sounds of southern singing. It reminded him of his mother singing to him at night. She was from the southern kingdoms. He made to sing along, but the only thing that emerged from his mouth was a moan. It hurt so badly to try to speak.

The voice stopped, and started saying something in her weird language as Ka'ren let his eyes adjust to the dim lighting in the room. There was a window rather high up, barred and too small for even his tiny body to fit through, and the door looked solid as well.

The woman, well it was the same woman he had met before. He wanted to tell her he couldn't understand her words, but his voice just wouldn't cooperate. Maybe, just maybe..

Ka'ren made the worst attempt at singing ever in his life. Continuing the song she had been singing. She stopped her babbling and suddenly said, in horribly accented Innarian "Understand words?"

He nodded, wincing as the pain flared in his skull. "Oh..! Called?" She asked, giving him a sip of water. He swallowed it slowly and waited a moment.

"Ka'ren Jia."

"Karenja. Pretty. I own Rheana." Ka'ren blinked at her. "Food, now, yes?"

Ka'ren wasn't certain she was actually giving him a choice, so he simply nodded.

"Good."

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Ka'ren learned as the days went by, that the woman caring for him was the second princess, and actually knew how to use the sword that she carried. She occasionally carried on in her own language, and showed him things in books, and slowly he began to understand some of her words. After several more weeks he was fit to get out of bed, and told her as much, using Innarian to explain himself more fully.

His heart fell when she shook her head, "Captive. Can not leave. You cut my sister. Tried."

Ka'ren couldn't care less about the job anymore. "They already send someone else, you know."

"Who?" She asked, the final question, that which he had been dreading for these past few weeks.

After thinking for a moment, he said "What will you give me to tell?"

"Give you?" She was angry now, he touched the side of her face, and she pulled back more shocked.

"If I tell, I can have no more work as killer. I will die from no food or home. What can you give me to tell you?"

Her expression was thoughtful for a moment. "How much does it cost to hire you?"

"More than you can afford."

"I don't think so. Maybe I give food and a place to live forever. In return you help me keep order in this place? No more have to live from the killing?"

Stability, a place to call home, a palace no less. Ka'ren wanted to jump at the offer. "Can I think about?"

"Yes." She stood and left.

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Ka'ren was left alone in the room, with the few southern books she had brought with their northern translations, for three more days. Finally, sometime late in the night, when he was sleeping, the door opened once more.

Rheana stood there, candle in hand, clad in only a nightgown. Her face was red and blotchy from crying. " killed her. There was so much blood, but I got the bastard.I did. He won't be coming back again." She then started speaking too fast for him.

He stood, and held out his arms. When he was a child and was sad his mother always held him, and it made him feel better, maybe such a thing would work on the princess as well.

Ka'ren was surprised when she took his offer, and clung to him, sobbing once more. " not all bad." He said to her in an attempt at her own language.

"How do you figure that?" She asked, looking up into his eyes and sniffling. Even with the red tear blotches on her face, she was beautiful. He touched the disheveled dark red hair, smoothing a runaway curl.

" happens to all people. Maybe .mean to happen?"

"Fate? Destiny?"

"Destiny. Maybe destiny to die now. You, you want her .not sad. Then live."

"Live?"

"Honor live." Rheana's lower lip quivered for a second, but Ka'ren's attention was fixated on it. He brushed his lips against hers softly, and it did not hurt too much when he fell into the bed, a princess hungry to forget the night, in his arms.

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Rheana touched the face of her sleeping lover. Karen. For two years now he had remained. He had remained in her bed at night and by her side during the day. Karen had grown also, taller, even taller than her. She sighed and brushed a stray silver hair out of his face.

Imperial assassin he may be, but he was also the man she loved most of all. Even if she would now be empress, and must think of marrying others as well, none would be above Karen, the beautiful assassin.

She touched her stomach, it was too soon for him to be able to tell yet, but she knew. A child. Karen may have come to her, bearing death, but instead, he brought life.

A new life for both of them.