A Song of Silence

Chapter 106: Avoidance in the Dark

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It was several days later until I was able to see Azazel. Well, see is too strong of a word. I saw him walking and surrounded by servants and was going to call out to him, but he shadowported away before I could say anything. In short, he was avoiding me. He had great reason to do so, but it still stung just how much he now avoided me. After a few days, I stopped seeking him out because I knew it would be futile. He would just keep getting away. Instead, I worked on my apology gift/ memento/ whatever the fuck you wanted to call it.

I couldn't get him a pet as he had. That would seem cliche and the farthest thing from heartfelt. I couldn't go up and apologize in person since he actively avoided me. I also couldn't go to Karasi for advice since she was many leagues away and was not a great gift giver either. She undoubtedly knew the predicament I was in because every time I sent her a letter, I received no response. The message she sent was clear to me anyway, I was on my own on this one.

Instead of trying to persuade him to give me a moment of his time, I planned my apology. Sending him a letter was shitty and was no apology by any means. My apology needed to be face to face, but Azazel refused to even look at me, let alone give me enough time to apologize. That left trickery and threatening people. Two things I had always been quite good at, but hadn't had to use in quite some time. In short, it was a means that Azazel would undoubtedly disapprove of. Perfect.

I knew Azazel had noticed my not trying to get his attention anymore. A strange look would cross his face before he would quickly cover it with a mask of indifference. And to him, my quick defeat would seem strange. I had never been one to give up quickly and my willing choice to give up only spelled trouble. He had his servants watch me, which was exactly what I wanted. They reported my every move to him and using that information he could avoid me and thwart any and all attempts to meet him or apologize. In short, those damn servants and Azazel knowing my character made my plans that much harder.

Unfortunately for Azazel, I was adept at placing false trails. The servants, poor things, would report everything to Azazel and he would waste time and energy trying to avoid me when he would coincidentally run into me in those attempts. Seeing that he could not escape me, he would use his last resort and shadow port away from me before having to acknowledge my presence.

As a result, I was the topic of much gossip in the palace. Whispered followed my every move and I was no longer invited to the morning teas with the High Queen. Not that I had expected to be invited back. We had not become allies, merely acquaintances and I had never expected her to invite me back after learning that I had killed her husband. Some wounds would never heal and I knew that was one of them. I often walked in the gardens, so I was no surrounded by the gossip, but I could feel their stares and their judgements as I walked past them in the hallway. Even with their scorn though, I never allowed myself to waver. My cheeks would not color in shame any more, not would my back bow in embarrassment. I would not give them the satisfaction. A week passed and I was no closer to my goal than before. Despite my attempt to keep a thick skin, the gossip and social exclusion kept getting to me. I did everything to distract myself from it, but it was no use.

Seeing as my apology could not happen for some time, I devoted a large amount of my resources to the orphans and young children in the provinces surrounding the Capital. My funds were quite large and instead of just giving the orphanages large sums of money that would only be spent by the greedy owners, I set up food and clothing stations and schools for the impoverished and troubled children. A few hefty donations and quite a few threats to the uncooperative orphanage owners and the children were allowed to attend school daily. They never knew I was their secret benefactor and I meant to keep it that way.

If there was anything Azazel loved, it was the people and helping the orphans helped the people. If Azazel learned that I was the secret benefactor of many orphanages across the continent, then he would think that I had an interior motive for helping those people. In truth, my apology had given me the idea, but it truly gladdened me to help those people in whatever way I could now that my assassin days are over. Helping those people was the least I could do now that my father was dead and I could help them without fear that they would be hurt by my charity.

Alongside not seeing Azazel during the past few days, I was unable to see the other members of the inner circle as well. Adonis was likely avoiding me on the orders of Azazel and the High Queens absence was obvious. Though, I sincerely doubted Adonis was truly avoiding me and instead spending some quality time with his daughter, Rose. You know, the little girl that I had met at the orphanage all those months ago and a child who I had carted several leagues to safety was the love child of Adonis and his deceased mate. It was a bit of a surprise to me at all he first discovery, but now that it had been revealed to Azazel and Adonis, the similarities in looks between Adonis and Rose was clear. Adonis had actually come to thank me in person for finding and keeping Rose safe before he was ushered away by Azazel's meddlesome servants.

Now that Karasi was the new Lady Assassin, I wondered who would take her place. Her usual role was interpreting her visions for Azazel, but her duties had also been finding out about gossip and reporting it to the inner circle if she found something troubling. It sure would be difficult to find someone to replace her that the inner circle could trust. Trust took time and time was the last thing they had right now.

My reliable network of information had stayed the same since the last time I was here. It surprisingly hadn't been discovered by Azazel and it stayed reliable, giving me juicy pieces of gossip when I needed it. It was invaluable and I used it to covertly do the work that Karasi had been doing for the inner circle, minus reporting to the inner circle if I found something troubling. If they wanted to avoid me, then they could find their own information.

One of the most noteworthy tidbits that they reported to me though, was the fact that the people in the Istlean Ruins had not calmed down despite the numerous efforts and attempt made by Azazel to calm them and stop the rebelling. Violence was the last thing Azazel would have thought to use against them, but his options were thinning and I knew it would be too late when he ordered his troops to attack them. This required a more steady, defined hand for a solution. Steady and defined was the last thing that Azazel was. He was more brute force and lots of thought. My hand would do well. Or more likely mine and Isidore WaterCasters. A letter was sent through my numerous network of information and I knew it wouldn't be long until we were on our way.