Acacia the Assassin

Abandoned by her birth parents and brought up by a thief, Acacia's next mission is to assassinate the ruthless Prince Darren.

Acacia the Assassin

-A tale of strange love  for my mother whom I love-

T here once was a kingdom, called Thaliath, with a good king and a grand castle to the North. To the South, a mighty river split the land in two, creating the East and West halves of the land. Both sides had thriving flatlands with rich soil for growing crops. Different lords controlled the flatlands and employed farmers, who grew the food to feed the rest of the kingdom. The lords were kind and fair to their people, the King ruled with a gentle hand, and most everyone was happy.

At the edge of the flatlands, a dense forrest began to take root. To the East, was an enchanted place where fairies and other magical creatures took refuge. By order of the king, no mortal was allowed to step foot inside, for fear of disturbing the forest dweller's peace and cursing the land. To the West lay a much darker and sinister forest. Hidden within the shadows were fearsome beasts. The forest was also swarming with assassins, thieves, and others who served as a threat to the good people of the kingdom.

Near the border of the forest, where the poorest of peasants took refuge, there were constant raids and other such trouble. Some suggested that the forest be burned down and those inside put to death, but the peace-seeking king didn't like the idea of such gruesome methods. He loved all his people and thought that even if these men did wrong, they shouldn't be punished by death. In addition, the people affected by the attacks were all peasants with nothing to offer, so none of the lords really cared. And so, the raids continued as everyone turned a blind eye.

Early in the morning, in one of the small shacks on the border of the West forest, a beautiful baby girl was born. Her mother looked into the baby's eyes as tears pored down her cheeks. Though she and her husband loved the child, they were penniless and couldn't keep her. As it was, there was barely enough food for them and they simply couldn't afford to feed another mouth. Also, there were constant raids in the town and they didn't want the child to live with the fear of being attacked. The woman ordered her husband to drown the child in the tub, but he had a weak constitution and couldn't bring himself to do the task. Instead, he ventured deep into the forest and left the child there, hoping some wild animal would save him him from the task.

The babe began to cry, for it was the only thing she could do besides breath. A savage boar heard the call and headed toward the noise. As luck would have it, the boar was being hunted by a thief, named Raven, for supper. After killing the beast, he discovered a small bundle and his heart filled with sorrow. He took the child, along with his kill, back to where his band of thieves and assassins lived. All the men took great delight in the child and decided to raise her as their little princess. They named her Acacia after a plant that grew in the forest and with each passing year, the girl grew more and more beautiful.

Sixteen years later, Acacia had blossomed into a fetching young woman. Her long golden hair caught in the sunlight and one look from her turned even the most savage beasts tame. Her adoptive father Raven and the rest of the men who took her in always joked that she must be part fairy. For how could a mere mortal girl could be so enchanting? Even though she was pretty, she wasn't in any way fragile. In fact, she was known to the border peasants as the 'Phantom,' due to the fact that she would kill and steal without leaving a trace. Among the men, she was treated as an equal and she lived a merry life, along with her family, in the forest. This all changed however when the old king died and the ruthless Prince Darren took his place on the throne.

Unlike his pacifistic father before him, Prince Darren ruled his land with a hand of ruthlessness. In his mind, if he didn't punish the lawbreaking inhabitants of the West forest, they would eventually become a threat to the flatlands and the palace. His first plan as king was to follow the peasants’ wishes and burn the forest to the ground. However, he couldn't take the crown without a queen and sent his advisers out to collect all the eligible daughters of the flatlands' lords.

Once news of this reached the forest, Raven and his men were enraged. Burning the forest would kill off their food source and leave them homeless. More so, didn't the foolish Prince realize that the fleeing animals would flood the flatland and trample and devour the crops? Raven came up with a plan. They would kill Lord Bastian, along with his entire family, and have Acacia impersonate his only daughter Ellaya.

Lord Bastian was one of the poorest lords and had little to no security. Further more, he and his family were the ones who tended to their own crops, so there were no farmers to alert neighboring lords. When Acacia the Phantom sneaked into the house at midnight, the family's throats were cut before they could scream. Acacia looked down at Ellaya and found the girl striking. It was with a heavy heart that she slit the girl's pale throat. She quickly found the other girl's clothes and changed into one of her fair dresses. The next morning, the Prince's advisers came in a golden carriage to take her to the Palace of Thaliath. 

In total, there were thirty five girls for Prince Darren to choose from. The moment he lay his eyes on Acacia, he fell in love with her. Though her clothes were more plain than those of the other girls, her beauty outshone the others like the moon blocking out the stars. Darren had heard tales of how Ellaya, the peasant lord's daughter, was a pretty sight, but he hadn't expected her to take his breath away. He quickly sent the jealous girls back to their homes and proclaimed he would marry Ellaya, daughter of Bastian, by the time the week was up. It was Tuesday and Acacia had five days, at the absolute most, to kill the soon to be king.

Darren was leading Acacia through his palace. She marvels at the richness of it. The walls were covered in expensive gold-framed paintings and there were decorative sculptures of ivory spread out everywhere. Inside glass container were fairy wings and dragon’s blood and mermaid scales. It was hard for Acacia to hide her genuine awe of the place.

"Isn't it beautiful?" Darren asked, pointing to a finely crafted rapier. Acacia had to remind herself to act like a lord's daughter.

"The craftsman who designed it was talented indeed, but such weapons fill me with fear." She said, feigning innocence. Little did he know she was thinking of running him through the heart with the blade.

"Ah yes, I'd almost forgotten women have no taste for such things. Forgive me. My mother died early and I have no sisters, so I know little of the ways of women." Darren said, giving his black hair a toss. Acacia wanted to laugh. From what she'd heard, Prince Darren was quite the womanizer and knew plenty about the fairer sex. Instead, she simply smiled shyly.

That night, in celebration of the Prince choosing his bride to be, a great feast was held. Acacia wore the gown spun from the essence of the moon. Her golden hair contrasted with the silver hue of the dress perfectly and even the most spiteful maids had to admit she was stunning. Darren was dressed in a suit the color of midnight; a silver rapier with a guard of gold at his side. The two looked like the perfect loving couple. Instead they were the assassin and the fool.

The food was unlike anything Acacia had ever tasted. There was pigeon in a orange plum sauce and lean pig seared with honey and fresh vegetables in garlic sauce and smoked salmon caught that night from the river and wine aged for decades and little bite-sized desserts that melted in you mouth. Acacia realized early on that the Prince had no food tester and that it would be so easy to poison him. The meal however was so delightful it drew her attention away from her malevolent plans. She laughed and talked and drank with the Prince and was filled with so much joy and drink that that when Darren kissed her, she didn't resist.

Three days had passed since Acacia had left on her mission and Raven had heard no word from her. Worried, he decided to check on her. Late that night, he sneaked into the Prince's room while Darren was asleep. Acacia was wide awake as if waiting for him.

"When are you going to do it?" He asked his daughter quietly. The sooner Darren was killed, the better.

"I'm not." Acacia replied, mouth set.

"What did you just say?" He questioned, mouth beginning to set in a line.

Acacia held her position, "I clearly said that I'm not going to kill him."

Suddenly, he was filled with rage. He could tell from her eyes that she had fallen in love with the man who was going to destroy their home and kill them. He couldn't believe this. He had saved Acacia's life, raised her as  his child, taught her everything, and now she was defying his orders over something as idiotic as love. Unable to control his emotions, he hit her hard across the face, knocking her to the wooden floor.

"If you won't save us from this monster, I will," he whispered savagely. Before Acacia could reply, her father had drawn a short sword and had it plunged through Darren's heart. The Prince opened his eyes in surprise and found Acacia's. The look of betrayal stung her like fire and she silently sobbed as he fell and went still. Overtaken with the pain and sorrow of loss, Acacia drew out one of her daggers and threw it into the back of her father. He fell with a grunt and everything went silent. As blood dripped onto the floor, she knew they both were dead. The people who people she had come to love had been stolen in a heartbeat.

Acacia fled the palace, knowing she would be locked up once the body of the prince was found in the morning. She couldn't return to the West forest either. Even if she lied and convinced the men that her father had died by someone else's hand, she wouldn't be able to face them. When they found the dead Prince with out her body beside him, she would be hunted down and searched for in the flatlands. The only place to go in the entire Kingdom was the forbidden, enchanted East forest and with a heavy heart, she entered.

The moment she lay her first foot in the forest, the tree sprites and pixies took notice. It was the first time in a hundred years that a human had dared step foot inside. They were filled with a mixture of fascination and fear. Every time she got too close, they would hide. After realizing she wasn't that scary, the most daring pixies began to go up and pull on her hair. Soon, her once-beautiful golden locks were a knotted mess. More and more tiny creatures flocked her and started to pinch the poor girl. Acacia was on the ground, huddled in a little ball sobbing, when the Sylvia, Queen of the Fairies, arrived.

"Child, what business do you have in our forest?" She asked in a gentle, yet firm tone. Acacia began to sob and told the Queen of the Fairies her story. Sylvia took pity on the girl and wanted to help. However, Acacia had broken the law and disturbed the forest's peace by entering. She informed Acacia that she could bring one of the men back to life if Acacia could complete three difficult tasks for her.

"If you wish to bring back the one you care for, you must capture the smile of a water nymph, bring back a piece of gold from Talon the Dragon’s lair, and give up the soul of that who is loved, but not known. You must do this before the sun sets seven days from now. If you fail, you will be forced to serve me for eternity." The Fairy Queen said softly before handing Acacia a small sack, tied with an emerald ribbon, and warning her that she was forbidden from looking inside it.

"Might I ask what's in the sack?" Acacia asked, filled with curiosity.

The Queen looked Acacia in the eyes with a stare that sent a chill down her spine, "I will only tell you that if you disobey what I've told you, you will regret it forever." Acacia nodded.

After cutting her hair so short that she’d be mistaken for a boy and putting on a magically fitted tunic and trousers, Acacia set out with only a dagger, the pouch, and a map of Golderon the Queen had decided to give her at the last minute. After a day of walking though the forest, she came to the edge of a tall mountain range that acted as the border between her kingdom and the Eastern neighboring kingdom of Golderon, ruled by King Chydiss.

Golderon was a large kingdom filled with lagoons, dark caves, and gentle valleys. It took Acacia the Assassin two days to reach the peak of the treacherous Zambian Mountains. She was descending down a winding, wind-swept path when she reached a pile of sculls. They lay outside a large cave and were cracked and blackened. Outside on a splintered, half-charred sign read the words: TALON THE DRAGON'S LAIR: All who enter shall DIE!

Acacia took a deep breath and stepped into the darkness. From the crunching noise and the unstable ground, she could tell she was walking on bones. But Acacia was used to gruesome things and death. She walked farther in until a warm wind, carrying a foul stench, blew her way. Instinct told her it was not a wind, but rather the breath of some unseen beast. She saw a faint glow and followed it until the cove opened up into a giant room. Asleep by a fireplace fit for a giant, on top of a pile of gems and trinkets, lay the sapphire blue colored dragon Talon.

Looking at her small Dagger, Acacia felt less confident. Talon's treasure was all carefully tucked beneath him and it seemed impossible to steal it while he slept. Still, Acacia knew she had to risk it. If she didn't, both her father and lover would remain lost to her and she would forever be the fairy's slave. For a second, she thought about the sack at her side. Maybe there was something useful hidden inside. She quickly dismissed the thought. Acacia had enough to regret as it was. She didn't dare open the pouch and face the consequences.

Without notice, the dragon’s amber eyes opened and looked down on Acacia. She was out in the open and didn’t have time to hide. All she could do was run. Talon, however, was quick and blocked her from the tunnel that lead to the exit. He gave a snarl, followed by a sinister laugh.

“It has been quite a while indeed since the last young lad was stupid enough to enter this place. It will be my delight to watch you die. Tell my boy, why would someone so young choose to throw their life away?” Talon asked in a low voice as smoke poured from his nostrils.

“I need gold because Sylvia the Fairy Queen promised to bring back the one I love if I bring her what she wants. And by the way, I’m not a boy! Just because I have short hair doesn’t mean you can assume such things!” Acacia said haughtily. Talon opened his eyes a bit more and realized that Acacia was indeed a girl. 

He had an issue. Even though Talon was a dragon, he didn’t like to be viewed as a monster. He only killed men because they came attempting to slay him and steal his gold, when he hadn’t done a single thing to them. It infuriated him, but Talon had made a promise to himself not to harm any women. However, this girl had come to steal his gold and quite possibly harm him. He couldn’t just let her walk away, but at the same time, it seemed wrong to kill such a brave girl. In the end, since he was bored, he decided to play a game. 

“Girl, how about you and I play a game of riddles. You tell me three riddles and if I can’t solve any of them, you get to take a piece of gold and leave. If I solve all your riddles, you will become my snack.” Acacia agreed, jogging her brain for all the riddles the men had told her as a child.

“Okay, here’s the first one: I have a head, a tail and everyone loves me. I shine in the sun, but alive is not what I be.” Acacia said. The answer was obvious and the dragon seemed annoyed at how simple it was. 

“Should have thought of a better one. Dragons love treasure more than anything,” he snarled, “The answer is a coin.” 

Acacia took a deep breath and recited the next riddle: “What does man love more than life, fear more than death or mortal strife? What do the poor have, the rich require,
and what contented men’s desire?”

This one, thought Talon, was a bit better. However, he knew men well enough to know the answer. Men’s desire was unprecedented as was their desire to live. In the end the answer was common sense. 

“Nothing,” Talon said calmly. Acacia winced. Her next riddle would mean the difference between success and death. Talon was correct, nothing was more frightening than death.

She thought about it for a while and finally decided on her riddle. Being a dragon, she figure Talon couldn’t possibly think of the answer. “What lies at the end of time and the beginning of eternity?”

The dragon scratched his head with a razor-sharp claw. His face contorted and he huffed, smoke flaring every time he took a breath. Acacia held her ground as his mighty fist pounded down next to her, shaking the rocks in the lair. A single piece of gold fell from the pile and came to a rest at Acacia’s feet. She didn’t need the dragon to tell her it was hers.

“Get out!” Talon yelled as he moved out of the way, allowing her to exit.

As Acacia turned to leave, she stopped and looked back at the dragon and muttered the words, “The letter ‘E’.”

“What?” He growled.

“The answer to the last riddle,” she said with a mischievous smiled, and then she stuffed the gold into her trousers and booked out of the cave. As predicted, this dragon didn’t know how to write. The sign outside the lair must have been written by a man.

The next day, she made it to the bottom of the mountain in half the time it had taken her to reach the top. As on the other side, there was a forrest on this side of the mountain as well. A posted sign informed her the name of it was Dryad Forest. Soon, Acacia found a clear-blue brooke that was labeled on her map as Nymph River. She figured this was the place she would best be able to capture a water nymph’s smile. 

Sure enough, in the water, a river nymph sat watching her. Like Talon, this nymph also mistook Acacia for a man. Water nymphs had a habit of flirting with young and attractive men and this particular nymph took a liking to Acacia. 

There was a splash of water that surprised Acacia. In front of her appeared the figure of a young girl, made of water. As time passed, the figure became more solid until she looked like any other blonde girl except for the fact that she wasn’t really wearing any clothes. Acacia turned a shade of red and looked away as any modest person would do. This however made the nymph think her a boy all the more. Acacia tentatively turned around after a while and was relieved that the girl now wore a skirt (a short skirt granted, but a skirt none the less) and top. 

“Who are you,” she asked in a low voice, since her throat was dry. 

“I’m Marissa the water nymph. My name means ‘of the sea’ even though I only inhabit this river. I’ll leave the sea to those self-centered mermaids!” She said, crossing her arms over her chest, “But enough about me, who could this handsome young man be?”

Acacia looked behind herself, confused, but then realized what she was wearing. She had the urge to tell this annoying, flirty nymph the truth, but realized how much the nymph was smiling. Acacia doubted Marissa would be smiling half as much if she knew Acacia was a girl. 

“I’m Acaden,” Acacia said in the manliest voice she could muster. It wasn’t very good, but Marissa didn’t even seem to notice. Acacia guessed Marissa neither saw men very often nor saw knew much about them.   

“What a cool name,” Marissa cooed. Acacia tensed up as the other girl approached and tried her best to remain calm. 

“Uh, thanks.” She replied. Marissa got closer. 

“What’s this?” Marissa asked, reaching out to grab the little sack Acacia was forbidden from opening.

“Don’t touch it!” Acacia shouted, slapping the girl’s hand away. Then she realized the tears streaming down Marissa’s face as she became more transparent. This wasn’t good. How was Acacia going to capture Marissa’s smile if Marissa was crying and vanishing?

“Look,” Acacia began, gently reaching out to the watery form, “that pouch is very important to me. In fact, it holds my life force and if you open it I’ll die. It’s not that I don’t like you, it’s just that I really want to live.” Luckily for her, Marissa was easy to forgive and Acacia had learned to be a quick liar. 

“Fine, I forgive you,” Marissa said with an airy sniffle, “but only if you spend the night with me.” Acacia’s heart dropped. 

“Sorry, but I can’t breathe under water.” Acacia said seriously, wanting anything but to sleep with this nymph. 

“You’re funny.” The girl replied with a giggle, “We’ll be sleeping there.” She pointed across the river and Acacia’s eyes bulged. There, under a ring of romantic pink-leaved trees, was a cobalt blue king-sized bed with frilly patterns and golden hearts. This water nymph had to be joking, thought Acacia, but of course, she wasn’t. 

After a strange, yet good meal of river-weed and Marissa talking for hours on end about her other relationships (which averaged about a day each), it was time for bed. Acacia cautiously crawled into the bed and moved as far away from Marissa as she could.  Acacia’s body was tense and even after she heard Marissa’s even breaths signaling the other girl was asleep, she couldn’t find sleep herself. 

Quietly, she glanced over at the water nymph. As predicted, she was smiling. Acacia almost felt a twinge of remorse as she drew out her she dagger and severed Marissa’s head from her body. She made sure the cut was clean and painless so Marissa remained smiling even in death. Instead of blood, water trickled from her neck and her body burst into water, drenching the bed. But the head, peacefully smiling, stayed solid and turned to the coldest of ice as Acacia wrapped it up and thought about the last task at hand. 

Give up the soul of that who is loved, but not known: those words rung through Acacia’s mind as she began her journey back over the mountain to reach Sylvia, Queen of the Fairies. No mater how many times she had gone over it, she couldn’t possibly figure out what it meant. She conjectured that it had something to do with killing, but didn’t quite know who it was she had to kill. She only had a little over three more days to get the task done and it would take almost all of that time just to cross the mountains and reach Sylvia. She was so close, yet so far away. Three days later, she reached the Queen of the Fairies. 

“Welcome back, have you completed all three tasks?” The Queen asked in a delighted voice. 

“No.” Acacia said dropping the piece of gold and Marissa’s head at the Queen’s feet, “I’ve done all but the last task. You see...” Sylvia gave a squeal of delight, cutting off Acacia.

‘I’ve been wanting these two items for so long! You even got the precise nymph I wanted, how amazing!” The Queen said, kissing the piece of gold and Marissa’s smiling lips. 

“Listen, I’m running out of time, so could you please explain the last task to me?” Acacia asked, trying her best not to seem urgent or annoyed. 

“Oh yes,” the Queen remarked, her face becoming more serious, “You must give up your child to me.” 

Acacia was confused, “I don’t have a child.”

“Yes you do, you’re pregnant.” The queen insisted.

“No I’m not,” Acacia said, self-consciously looking at her stomach. There was absolutely no way she was pregnant. The only people she’d been with was Marissa and the prince. She’d done nothing with either and besides, Marissa was a girl... or so she thought. 

The Queen flipped through a small book labeled “Princess Facts” and her face became flushed.

“Oops,” she said with with a forced giggle, “Wrong person. I accidentally was looking at the information for Princess Abigail when thinking up your tasks. You both are ‘A’ names and so close together. That reminds me, I need to get Abbie a baby shower present!”

Acacia didn’t even try to hide her furry, “Well then, what’s my last task?”

“How about,” the Queen paused for a moment, “Even if you bring back one of your loved ones to life, you will have to live with the fact that the other person’s spirit will haunt you for eternity.” 

“That isn’t a task.”

“Who cares, I got what I wanted most. I thought it would be fun to raise your child, but Abbie’s would probably drive me insane. Anyhow, do you accept the terms?” The Queen asked coldly. 

“Yes.” Acacia said just as coldly. It was weird, but she wondered if the Queen was drunk today. Last time she had seen the woman, she had acted so much more... Queen-like.

“Well then, who do you wish to save?” 

Acacia didn’t have to think for long about that question. She could deal with her father’s hatred and disappointment for the rest of her life, but not with Darren’s whining. Besides, truth be told, she was tired of being mistaken as a boy and just wanted the pampered life of a princess. 

“I want the idiot Prince back,” she said with a sigh. 

The queen nodded, “As you wish. Time will turn back to the night both of them were killed. You must kill your father before he kills Darren. If you can’t do this, history will repeat itself regardless of whether you kill your father or not. Since you have chosen who to save, you can now have Darren back, or both will be gone.” Acacia gave a look of understanding.

“One more thing,” she burst out before the Queen reversed time with her all-powerful magic, “What was in the pouch?” 

“The souls of your Father and the Prince. If you had opened it, both would be lost forever.” Sylvia, Queen of the Fairies replied bluntly before Acacia was transported back to a night a little over a week ago. 

The moon lit up the room and Acacia was wide awake. She figured it would be another half hour until she had to kill her father to save this arrogant twit of a Prince. Even though she admittedly liked him, there were somethings she need to lay straight before she could let him live without any regrets. Roughly, she shook his arm. 

“What?” He asked in a sleepy murmur. 

“Just listen to me and shut up okay? I’m an assassin who was sent here to kill you. For some reason, I’ve decided to save you. However, if you don’t refrain from burning the East forest, you will be murdered by my father.” She whispered in his ear.

“Fine,” he said calmly, “If you don’t want me to burn the forest, I won’t.”

“What did you say?” This wasn’t the reaction she had expected. She thought he would refuse and she would be forced to torture him. She also thought he’d be more angry by the fact she was here to assassinate him.  

“I said I wouldn’t burn your forest okay?” He said, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. 

“Yeah I heard that, but aren’t you mad at me? Don’t you feel at least a little betrayed?” She replied incredulous to what she was being told.

“It’s nothing new. All my friends betray me, in fact, most of my brothers have tried to assassinate me one time or another. It’s a the kind of thing you get used to as a Prince. In fact, I’m surprised you didn’t kill me off sooner, but if not burning the forest is all it takes to gain your favor, I won’t burn it.”

Acacia wanted to scream. This indifferent boy was supposedly the ruthless and savage king to be. How could he be so easy going? Even seeing him act as a charming flirt was better than this carefree attitude. If Thaliath was going to stay a strong kingdom, they needed something more than an indifferent leader who bowed to the requests of every person who came to assassinate him. 

She was so enraged that without thinking about it, she plunged her dagger into the boy’s heart. Her father arrived five minuted later and was ecstatic to see she’d gotten the job done. In fact, he was so overjoyed he had a heart attack and died, sparing the heart-broken girl the dirty task of killing him. And so, Acacia was left in a moon-lit room with two bodies, just as she had been before.  

The closet door creaked and Acacia jumped. Out of the closet stepped someone Acacia thought was dead: Prince Darren. 

“What a sinister little black bird you are,” he smiled cruelly. Acacia turned to the bed, where the prince was indeed dead. And yet, there was this man standing before her. 

“What..” She was so confused she couldn’t even finish her words. 

“Oh, I guess you’re wondering what’s up with this right?” He said, voice laced with arrogance, “You see, you just killed my older twin Darren. Thanks, by the way. Now that that’s over with, I can officially become the King.” His souless eyes stared into hers. They were devoid of all things kind and light in this wold. She found this man fascinating in a way she couldn’t describe and the way he looked at her was foreign. For a second a sarcastic thought floated into her mind: and they say the older child is more cunning. 

“Let me guess,” she said, regaining her composure, “All this time you’ve been watching the Queen to be from the shadows, while letting Darren play his part. The reason is quite simple: you are a suspicious person and figured that if I was dangerous, it was best if your twin died and you were there to witness it. It would be killing two birds with one stone. You would accomplish not only staying alive and getting the credit of having me arrested, but also claiming the throne. Your brother of course was stupid and thought it was all just fun and games as always. In fact, I’m willing to bet you two switched spots quite often (like when Darren was called to make a critical decision on how to run the country) so that most people believed you were Darren and he was you. I thought it odd that a man known for such ruthlessness would be so carefree around me. Well, now I know the truth.” 

“What a clever girl. As of now, you’re a treacherous black widow who will be decapitated on my order, but If you wish it, I offer you the chance to be my Assassin Queen.”

“No thanks, Prince...” she paused, waiting for him to give her his name.

“Draven,” He said seductively. She didn’t notice the implied tone. 

“Prince Draven,” she continued with distaste at such a similar name to the dead king, “I have better things to do than help a ruthless man become even more ruthless. Besides, I don’t take well to threats. I’m a lady. If you’d offered me something nice, perhaps I’d take your offer.” 

He walked over to her, confidence in every move, “If you be my Queen, I’ll save your forest.” Acacia thought about it for a while. While she despised him for being such a deceiving and self-centered man, she had to admit he was intriguing and yes, handsome. Besides, despite her bluff, she really didn’t have anything better do do.

“Fine,” she said, raising her head a bit, “I’ll be your partner on two conditions. First, you save my forrest and second, you treat me as your equal. I have far too much pride to be the puppet of someone like you.” He gave a dark smile that she read as agreement and before she could stop him, he kissed her. She made a gagging sound and hit him hard, with her ringed hand, across the face. 

“I’m a hot tempered assassin, never forget.” She whispered savagely in his ear,  “You will not touch me unless I give you permission. If I find any wandering hands in the bed, I will be sure you will never, NEVER produce an heir.” 

His eyes sparked with delight. This girl, he thought, was more than he’d expected. She was a rose with thorns and he wanted a wife with some fire to offer, but he also had too much pride to be treated like a dog.

“If you hit me out of line again, and leave a mark on my fine face, I will lock you up in your room for an entire week and starve you.” He said easily. 

Acacia hit him again, making sure to leave a mark. Draven locked her in his bedroom and she missed her meals for the next week. After she was out, and the mark on his face was reduced to a pink line, they never fought again. After all, both knew the strong headedness in the other and feared more punishment. 

In the end, Acacia got what the fairy had promised, but not in the way she expected. Draven and the Queen ruled with a firm, yet semi-forgiving pair of hands. Over their first year of marriage, they came to respect the other and opened up a bit. In time, they came to love each other enough that Acacia even allowed her husband to touch her as he wanted. In addition, she got to eat delicious food every night and her belly became puffy. However, to be fair, this was also due to the fact that she had a child growing in there. In the end, the kingdom of Thaliath thrived and Acacia the Assassin and the Savage King lived happily ever after. 

That is, until their sweet-faced demon child was born.

Author's Note

I hoped you enjoyed it. I'm open for suggestions!