The burning need to take a piss saved his life. He had been lying in a tangle of sheets and limbs, sweat beading his brow, the smell of sex strong in the room, when his bladder had decided now was a good time to demand relief. It took him a moment to free himself from the tangle, his sister giving a small groan as she rolled away from him and muttering about how rude it was to interrupt someone so soon after climax. [i]I'll show you just how rude I can be when I come back... It's about time we explored that lovely bum of yours.[/i] 

He grinned to himself at the thought and padded across the carpet that covered the cold stone of his chamber floor to push aside the curtain hiding the small privy. A cold draft whipped into the room as soon as he removed the wooden lid and he shivered, but he gave a small sigh of relief as his piss splattered away down the walls to patter across the moat like rain. He waited a moment or two longer, gave himself a shake and turned back to the curtain.

At that very moment, just as the church bell tolled midnight, his door burst open. Two men, clad entirely in black, rushed toward the bed. Ariana, still in bed, screamed as they rushed toward her and scrambled swiftly over the side of the bed, her bare buttocks causing the two men to pause for a moment. It was long enough.

No one could accuse Prince Rolf of being a coward and in that instant he burst from the privy roaring his battlecry. [i]Swords, some basic armour, soldiers then.[/i] He wasted no further thought as he cannoned into the man nearest him. The Prince was a big man and his shoulder slammed into the soldiers face, causing the head to snap around and he heard the heavy clack of the mans jaw slamming shut. Rolf kept moving, driving the first attacker straight into the second man. 

[i]Yes, swing![/i] He almost smiled as the second soldier lashed out in panic, hacking his blade into the first mans arm. The injured soldier gave a scream and dropped his own sword even as Rolf ripped a dagger from the mans belt and buried it in his throat. [i]One down.[/i]

He heaved the dying man into his partner, the two of them crashing into a chair, over a table and onto the floor. Rolf stooped swiftly and took up the dying mans sword, noting the well made blade and dragons head pommel. [i]Some of our own soldiers then. Why?[/i]

The second attacker managed to stagger to his feet, his eyes flashing between Ariana and Rolf, realization dawning on his face. [i]The realization, right there, was going to get you killed if trying to murder me in my sleep wasn't already going to.[/i] Blood was staining the carpet at his feet and could feel the wet stickiness on his bare skin.

"Why?" Rolf asked simply as he stepped toward the soldier who was now looking panicked.

"Your brother, he paid us. He paid us." The man repeated the last phrase as if it might save him.

"But why me?" Rolf knew his younger brother wasn't his biggest fan. But murder? By guards? That was a strange step for him.

"Not just you, the whole family."

[i]Now that makes more sense.[/i] Rolf finished the thought as he stepped over the dead man, deftly knocked aside the other mans blade and drove his sword into the open mouth. He was dimly aware of shouting elsewhere in the castle and the sound of the church bell now tolling widely in alarm. He dropped the attackers sword and hurried toward his wardrobe.

"Stay here." He ordered Ariana as he hastily pulled on his light armour and drew his sword. "I must go see to the others. Hide in here." He pushed her into the wardrobe and closed it behind her. Taking his shield from the stand nearby he hurried out onto the landing and began to descend the stairs as quickly as he could. 

He feared he might already be to late.