The assassin stared in blank confusion, momentarily taken out of her limp acceptance of everything that was done to her, when the little girl retrieved napkins and food. That, certainly, was difficult to understand for the girl. But she understood when parchment was spoken of. As the girl who had pinned her to the ground asked her questions...

For the first, the nem nodded. She nodded to the second, as well. To the third, she hesitated.... and as her mind seemed to wander, an expression of anger came to her face. Yes, she'd failed, but if she hadn't...!

With trembling hands, she snatched the paper away from the taller girl, then the quill and inkwell. She'd tell them exactly what they'd done by stopping her assassination attempt. Then they'd understand.

As she wrote, the true hoplessness of the situation she'd found herself in sank in deeper and deeper.

When she raised the parchment up, there were furious tears in her crimson eyes.

[i]You've killed my sister. And so have I.[/i]

[hr]

Fanilly relaxed slightly when she saw the Assassin had been stopped. Good. She'd gotten stopped before she could leave the room, and she was unharmed by the looks of things. That meant they could figure out who was behind this. As Sir Gillian proposed getting everyone out of here, the short blonde nodded. It'd be easier for everyone involved.

It was about then that the head of the head of the royal guard approached. He was a tall man, in ornate armor, with a long poleaxe. He had quite the mustache.

"Your highness, are you okay?!" her called. The Princess nodded.

"I'm fine, the Iron Roses kept me safe," she said. While she looked like she had composed herself, Fanilly could hear her voice wavering. "The captain has a request for you, as well."

"The captain?" he looked around, before realizing the rather short Fanilly was directly in front of him. "What is it you request?"

Fanilly nodded. "I need your men to clear the hall out, to get every noble to a safe location. We'll keep the Princess safe."

The main hesitated. It was their duty... but... the Iron Roses were legends, of course, even lead but such a small girl... "... V... very well."

With that, he set about ordering the guards to clear the room. Fanilly glanced back at the others.

"I'm going to see the prisoner," she explained, "Keep the Princess safe, no matter what."

And with that, she began to approach the cluster of knights, and the defeated assassin. As she grew closer, her blue eyes widened at the sight of the ugly scars on the nem girl's throat. Just what had happened...? ... Regardless, they had to learn what was going on. That message she held up... they'd killed her sister? And she had as well?

... No. They'd find out what was going on regardless. There certainly hadn't been a second Nem here... So the message must have meant something else.