He stood there on guard, watching as Ariana charged him. He hadn't even heard her name to this point, simply referring to her as 'the maid' or 'the assassin. Never actually giving her a true name, something disrespectful. Granted, she had tried to have him killed multiple times, along with his wife, so he supposed that was only fair to both parties involved. He doubted he could best her in swordplay, expecting one of his men to come and intervene. Instead, something else happened.

Ella shouted out, and the assassins blade missed. The attack would've been fatal, cutting open his throat and leaving him to bleed out on the ground, unable to strike back. Instead, it merely cut his cheek, and allowed him time to bring his own attack in. His stance had been set up for exactly this, stabbing forward with the shortsword. It easily pierced her clothing and flesh, half the blade cutting in and into her lung. With every artery he'd nicked on the way in, she'd be dead in minutes.

She stared at him, almost dumbfounded, as Markens face turned to one of pure shock. He hadn't intended to kill the girl, not himself anyway. He fell back, watching the assassins blood pool on the blade and begin to drip down, a numbness taking over his limbs. It was like he'd entered some kind of alternate reality, where the world was lighter, and heavier, he simply couldn't comprehend it. What had he done? It had been self defense but why? Why had he done this? These thoughts whirled through his mind, as Ariana slowly died on the edge of his sword.