[Mekatra]

Joane cursed under her breath at his impertinence and clamped her hand on the back of his neck, forcing him to his knees. "If you wish to keep your foolish head, you would be wise to watch your tongue and mind your manners." She hissed at him.

The king's expression didn't change, but his words seemed to take a bit longer to come to him. "I need an assassin and thief to work for the crown. Off the record, unbeknownst to anyone other than a small circle of my advisors. You will serve in this capacity and if you fail, you will die. Painfully." If his sudden change bothered the monarch he made no sign of it. "Your training will fall to Joane. I understand she was an unsavory character before her father claimed her from her mother."

The knight looked away, clearly ashamed of her past.