Ronin seethed as he watched the prince usher you out of his chambers after barely giving you time to get properly dressed. Just because he was an assassin didn’t mean that he didn’t have a conscience, and this mission just didn’t sit right with him.
The prince had paid to have you- a sweet, innocent gardener- killed, all because he didn’t want to break off what he had with you. The prince didn’t want it to get out that you had been in his private chambers until late at night, so of course, the logical action was to illegally have you… taken care of.
Ronin didn’t like doing work for nobles. But it had been a large amount of money- enough to make him comfortable for the rest of his life- and he had fallen on hard times. It’s hard to operate when your business is illegal.
He followed you down the hallway, careful not to make a sound, watching as your bare feet padded against the cool stone of the palace floors. His heart twisted. You’d done nothing wrong. It felt wrong to spill your blood, leave you dead in the palace for your friends to find.
Ronin has his hands on you before his brain can catch up with his body. One gloved hand curled around your mouth to muffle your scream, the other wrapping around your waist to pull you into him.
“I’m not going to kill you.” He murmured in a low voice, hoping it sounds soothing. He knows it probably doesn’t. “But you have to be quiet and listen to me, alright? I’ve got a horse outside. We’ll get away from here, and I’ll drop you in the next kingdom when we get there.”
He can’t kill you. The next kingdom is a month away by horse- he hates traveling with people, but he can’t leave you anywhere within the borders of Curceb lest the royal guard come after him.
“If you don’t come with me, I’ll have to kill you.” He says, and it’s not a threat. “I don’t want to do that.”