Mattias, Viola and Katrine reappeared back in Kyros’s lair, who immediately looked annoyed to see them.

‘What’s going on? Why have you are all back here? Has Patricia been killed?’ Mattias was in a complete state of panic. ‘You haven’t killed her, have you?’

‘No, I haven’t’

‘Inconceivable! You know the price of defiance! Get back there at-’

‘Stop it!’ someone shouted. It was Katlamina, accompanied by Orhan.

‘What is your business here, child?!’ Katlamina took a bracelet off of her wrist, revealing a crown symbol ‘Oh, my apologies. What can I do for you, my lordship?’

‘Lordship?’ questioned Mattias.

‘You will spare poor Mattias over there. That is an order!’

‘Ye-ye yes, I will do as you say. But, might I ask what has brought you here?’ Katlamina took a while to answer.

‘It is totally unreasonable to assign someone to kill a target who is close to them. You might as well have sentenced him to de- uhhhh, I mean ummmm…’

‘I know what you mean, my lord. And I understand. But you must know that I don’t come up with the assignments myself, they are commissioned by the other lords of the underworld’

‘And which one of them commissioned this assignment?’

‘I- cannot say! I’ll have to look into that. I’ll let you know as soon as I’m aware’

‘Might I interject?’ said Orhan.

‘Oh god…’ muttered Mattias.

‘Yes, Orhan?’

‘That’s Orhan The Great to you, taskmaster. As her lordship was saying, I would also like to add that we have done numerous background checks on this Patricia. She is a completely innocent young lady. And due to her being part of Borschland’s royal heritage, ending her life would cause total disarray and destroy our relations with that kingdom’

‘Yes, I agree, ahem, Orhan The Great. But whoever commissioned this assignment surely knew what he or she was doing. Also I’m well aware you’ve killed innocent people yourself, it’s strange you’ve mentioned that’

‘Huh?’ muttered Mattias.

‘That has nothing to do with this subject’ he answered ‘Mattias will spared and the assassination will be called off. End of story’

‘And that’s an order!’ said Katlamina.

‘Very well, the assassination has been cancelled. I will however like to have an investigation on how this assignment came about in the first place. It might even be possible we have a rogue lord in the underworld’ he then looked at Mattias ‘Oh by the way, everyone who reaches the title of lord in the underworld is referred to as a “lord”, regardless of gender, Mattias. I did notice that you were confused about that. We have quite a few female lords in the underworld, with young Katlamina being one of them. You can refer to her as a lady if she’s all right with it’

‘That’s completely fine, Mattias’

‘OK’ there was a brief pause ‘Kyros?’

‘Yes, Mattias?’

‘I made a promise with Helga, Patricia’s mother, not to harm innocents. I don’t want to break that promise’

‘That’s really sweet of you, Mattias!’ said Katlamina, smiling.

‘That’s… commendable, Mattias’ said Kyros ‘But that can be an issue due to your role as an assassin’

‘Yeah, I know. But I have an idea: what if I only kill people who have committed crimes? I would have no problem with that’

‘I have no problem with that, either!’ said Katlamina. Viola and Katrine were silent.

‘That’s… a very interesting idea, Mattias. As a matter of fact, I rather like it’

‘Oh, good’

‘I will make sure that your next targets will be criminals for now on. I’ll redirect them to someone else if they’re not’

‘And that’s another order, Kyros!’ said Katlamina.

‘Yes, OK you lordship? Or do you prefer ladyship?’ she didn’t answer.

‘I’ll be off to my chambres’ she then walked up to Mattias,

‘Thank you, errrrrr…’

‘Katlamina. You still haven’t remembered my name?’

‘Oh no, I do remember it. I just didn’t want to mess it up’

‘That’s OK. You’re always welcome to see me any time, or send me any letters. I would love to hear from you!’

‘OK, thanks. You too’

‘Awwwww, you’re a real sweetheart!’

‘Am I? Ummmm, sorry, I…!’ his face was all red at this point’ she then held his hand.

‘Goodbye for now, Mattias! I hope we meet again!’

‘Yeah… you too’ she then walked away. Orhan was still there.

‘So, you’re going to become an angel of death, then?’ he said. He almost sounded like he was mocking him.

‘Looks like it’ there was a brief period of silence.

‘By the way, you better not be thinking of courting Katlamina. You know who she belongs to, right?’ Mattias gasped, he almost looked like he was going to cry.

‘No, quite frankly I don’t’

‘I see then’ he was walking away ‘I hope this all works out for you, angel of death’ he proceeded to walk out of the lair.

‘Bastard’ muttered Mattias ‘Way to piss on my parade’

‘I do at times question his hubris myself’ said Kyros ‘He should be aware that I outrank him in the underworld’

‘I don’t think he cares’