The Royalty gets a Bodyguard.

Alice reminded herself that violence in front of children, no matter how much heinous screeching came out of their mouths implying they were actually goblins from the pits of hell, was hardly considered permissible and would likely be frowned upon. But how her hands itched with the desire to make him bleed. "It had best be nothing, Wrung. You won't survive me long otherwise."

Taryn was getting up, waving goodbye and heading over towards the two. They raised an eyebrow, noticing the tension that seemed to have intensified between them, but said nothing, just slowly approached.

Wrung's smirk widened. "Oh, I might be better at surviving than you think," he said, bowing as Taryn began to approach.

Alice rolled her eyes, muttered "I highly doubt that" just loud enough from Wrung to hear her. She dipped into a shallow curtsy as Taryn approached and willed herself not to reach for the knife tucked away inside her boot. Vandike's ire was hardly was she needed at the moment.

Taryn continued to walk along, pulling down their hair, since they were feeling hot with it all piled on top of their head. They were just beginning to zone off as they walked, wondering where their dear fiance had been. Since their engagement they had hardly a day to themselves.

Alice followed behind them, fists clenched behind her back, teeth grit tightly. "How are the children, Majesty?" She asked, anything to keep her mind off the irksome presence of Wrung beside her.

"Oh they're lovely, always so sweet, but so energetic. I don't remember having that much energy when I was younger," they said, snapping out of their little daze.

"Will you have many children Your Grace?"asked Wrung, interjecting himself into the conversation. "You seem like you will be a wonderful mother."

Taryn didn't answer for a moment, a pit of dread they couldn't explain forming in their stomach at the question. "Oh yes...I imagine so," they said, unable to continue the incredible cheer in their voice.

Alice wrinkled her nose at the idea of having children around the castle even more frequently than the little horrors were now. When they paused before answering Wrung's question and their voice absent of the contentment before he'd shoved himself into a conversation which would have been better off without him, concern pulled at her, made her watch them with sharper, worried eyes. "I'm amazed you can put up with them, Majesty. I've always found them much too loud myself."

Taryn began to force the contentment back into their voice, refusing to give anyone who might overhear, or was part of the conversation any ammo for their growing panic. They weren't even sure where the panic was coming from, but it was there. "Children are important, they're people too, sure they're loud and overwhelming sometimes, but they also are going to be in the court. Their ideas may help," they said. "And my children will help lead the kingdom, it's paramount that I have them. And I can't wait to do so."

Wrung smirked. "You sound very excited Your Grace."

Taryn's smile fell away, although they were in front of Wrung so he couldn't see it. "I very much am." they said evenly.

"Of course, Your Majesty, I apologize." Alice hummed and bowed her head in deference. "As you say, so it must be." There was no mockery in her voice, only the faintest thread of sincerity, although she wasn't sure she believed that small, mewling welps who couldn't take care of themselves would have any useful ideas for the courts.

"There is no need to apologize," they said. They continued to walk until they made it inside the castle, stopping to greet a few people on their way. They were eager to change out of the now grass stained dress into something a little cleaner.

"As you say, Your Majesty." Alice nodded again, ponytail sliding over her shoulder, following behind them silently. She kept about a foot of distance between herself and Taryn, enough so that she wasn't hovering but near enough so that if anything happened she was close.

Taryn continued to walk once they were free of all the people who seemed to want their attention. When they were clear of people, Wrung began to speak again.

"Will you be honoring the Young Lord at the tournament?" he asked, watching both Alice and Taryn for a reaction.

"Of course I will, he is to be my husband, I've never loved anyone more," Taryn replied, forcing the false happiness they had grown quite good at into their voice again.

Alice very carefully did not scoff when they said that and wondered at how the false cheer in their voice wasn't obvious to Wrung. Admittedly, he seemed to be an oblivious oaf playing at being a competent assassin, but if Alice had learned anything, it was that people were never entirely what they seemed.

Wrung simply smiled. "Well that's good to know Your Majesty, forgive me for prying into things," he said, bowing slightly, even though Taryn couldn't see it.

"You are forgiven," Taryn said, not really paying much attention. The sinking feeling wasn't going away, they sped up a little bit, desperate to reach the safety of their room, or just somewhere out of sight of most people.

Alice followed them silently, feeling an uncomfortable, worried tightness in her chest every time she looked at them. They seemed to be in a bit of a daze and especially since the little lost prince had arrived, they'd been anxious and unsettled.

Taryn continued to walk, but Wrung spoke again. They felt like he was doing this on purpose, but quickly brushed that off. That wasn't something they would believe he would do.

"I"m sure you'll make him a very happy man," he said, although Taryn barely heard it at this point.

Taryn quickly opened the door to their room. "Stay here," they ordered, not sure who exactly they were ordering, one or both of them and went inside the room.

Alice hummed and took up her station outside their bedroom door, feet planted and hands crossed behind her back. She kept her back straight and her eyes constantly moving, assessing the halls and listening for any suspicious sounds coming from within.

Taryn closed the door behind them, feeling the panic finally overwhelm them. They sat down on the floor, knees pulled up to their chest breathing heavily. Suddenly they were crying,and they didn't even know why. They just wanted all of this to stop, and there was no way out.

Alice twitched when she heard something that sounded like crying from inside, but kept herself stationed where she was. They'd asked her to wait outside. Alice would respect that unless something happened to put their life in danger.

Taryn was desperately trying to calm themselves down, but was finding it very difficult. Their breath was coming in short gasps, they really didn't have a name for what was going on right now. This sort of thing had never happened to them before. They could only feel that tightening and dread in their chest which had spread all over.

Alice twitched, pursing her lips and turning to press her ear to the door. She heard the faint clink of what sounded like a grappling hook and opened the door just as a slim, short man in black vaulted over the window ledge and took a running leap at Taryn where they sat on the floor. He didn't quite make it to them before Alice barreled into him, hissing like an angry cat and punching him hard enough that he saw stars.

He shook his head to clear it and lashed out, his knife grazing Alice's cheekbone before she grabbed his wrist and slammed it into the floor with enough force that he let go of his weapon. But not before he jammed his elbow into her ribs and tossed her off him, scrabbling for the knife. Alice snarled and grabbed for it, hands wrapped around the blade and unflinching even when if left deep gouges in her palms.

Taryn hadn't heard the grappling hook, and only knew the man was there when Alice opened the door. They turned around, and screamed in surprise, watching the scene lay out before them, unsure of what to do.

Wrung followed Alice in, but had stepped aside to let her grapple with the assassin for a moment before stepping in as Alice grabbed the knife, pulling his sword and turning on the man.

The man shoved Alice away, letting go of the knife to rabbit punch Wrung in the stomach and jump on his back, sinking teeth into the meat of Wrung's shoulder. Alice regained her balanced quickly, threw herself into Wrung with enough force to send both him and the unknown man into the wall. The assassin's head crashed into the wall, stunning him just long enough for Alice to stomp on his foot and crush it and press the knife painfully into the thin skin of his throat.

Wrung grunted, grabbing for him, although was unable to do much by the time Alice forced them all into a wall. "Watch it girl," he yelled, his head hitting the wall. He got up putting his foot on the man's skull, even though Alice's knife was there, and pushed down.

Taryn stared, finding themselves unable to move, half dried tears staining their face. The first words they choked out were "Alice," because of Alice's hands. They didn't want to move, especially now that it looked like Wrung's boot was breaking into the person's skull.

Alice threw the knife into the wall, getting to her feet and shoving Wrung back, ignoring the sting in her hands and the blood running down her wrists. It wasn't nearly as important as the fact that Wrung had done one of the most amazingly foolish and ill thought out actions she'd ever known an assassin to commit. "You fucking incompetent!" She shouted, as furious as she'd ever been. "Don't you know how to do anything? You don't kill the fucking assassin until he's been questioned, it's an easy enough to grasp concept unless you have all the intelligence of a fucking brick!" Her cheeks were flushed red and her eyes molten hot, spitting fire. It was the least composed and most foul mouthed she'd ever been in front of Taryn since taking this assignment.