A King's Sight | ON HOLD

~Chapter 5: When Sh*t Hits the Fan~

How the FUCK isn't he drunk yet?! Vanessa yelled in her head.

Maurice had already thrown back an inhuman amount of alcohol and was still sober as a judge! This wasn't going as easy as she had planned.

She shifted her weight on the bar stool feeling her sheathed knife rub her skin beneath her shirt. It was a silver infused blade with an ornate design; a gift from her father for her 18th birthday. He taught her how to use it for self defense saying to always keep it with her.

She thought at first it was a gesture by an overprotective parent, but there had been more than one time she was glad to have the weapon.

Now was one of those times.

Not that she had anything to worry about from Maurice but she could feel there was something off in the air that unsettled her. She didn't know what exactly. Maybe it was just paranoia from the day's earlier events.

Regardless, she needed to start getting answers from Maurice by playing her cards right; ease her way into the big question.

"So how did a country boy like you end up being Alaric's right hand man?" She began.

"Well, that's a bit of a long story. But let's just say he helped me out of a rough spot."

"That must have been really nice of him to do that."

"Yeah it was. He had no obligation to do it. Nothing to really gain. I guess that's why I let him help me."

"Never would take Alaric for the selfless type." Vanessa remarked. 

"He can absolutely be as cold as he looks but honestly, he's the best person you could ever have on your side." He said. His words taking on a more relaxed tone.

She started to see chinks in his sober armour.

This was probably as good a time as any to ask.

"Maurice..." she changed the subject. "... earlier today when you told me to stay honest, what did you mean by that? I kinda got the feeling it had something to do with a past employee."

"Actually, you're not wrong." He confirmed. "The last aide we had tried to kill Alaric."

"Oh my god! Are you serious??" She was legitimately surprised.

"Dead serious. That little bitch had all of us fooled too. There was nothing to suspect she would ever do it until she did it." He spoke about her with odd, bitter, familiarity like someone with a broken heart. Though, Vanessa wasn't yet sure.

"Well... did you guys have her arrested?"

"No." He wistfully asserted. "She just disappeared without a trace."

Interesting... she thought.

"What do you mean by disappeared?" She prodded.

"I mean, after she tried stabbing Alaric to death, she jumped out the damn window and vanished." He gritted with clear aching bitterness in his voice. She sensed there was definitely an intimate history he wasn't letting on.

"Holy shit..." At least that cleared up the mystery of the missing personal aide. Though the gossip girl in her hoped he would spill juicier information.

"Yeah I know right?" Maurice continued. "We found out she was an assassin."

The country boy had apparently fell for a fem fatale.

"An assassin?? Who would want Alaric dead like that?" Vanessa wondered. 

"Darlin', you'd be surprised..." He lowly said.