Fanilly hesitated a moment when she felt the hand on her shoulder. On one hand, ensuring the safety of the Princesses was obviously the most important thing. On the other hand, losing the assassin would also lose them their only potential source of information on just what was going on.

They had to capture the assassin and make sure the princesses were safe. Sir Fionn had already handled Princess Maletha. She would be a far more difficult target when his body formed a shield, the little girl trembling and covering her eyes under his arm before being set beside Dame Tyaethe.

Princess Elisandre had fallen backwards, wide-eyed with shock and terror at how close the end of her life had come, trembling. Fanilly stepped closer to her, offering her a hand before pulling her onto her feet.

"We won't allow you to be harmed, your Highness," asserted the knight-captain, "Nor your younger sister."

She took a deep breath.

They had to protect the Princesses. They had to capture the assassin. That was it.

"We have to ensure the safety of the Princesses, but if we allow the assassin to escape, the possibility of another attempt on their lives becomes a guarantee. We have to find out where they came from. Sir Fionn, I'll remain here as the other knights escort the Princesses to safety!"

And that meant capture. But if there were other assassins, were they concealed in the crowds? How had this first assassin managed to get in? Certainly their small size would have been an asset, but there were no easy entrances, nor should they have been able to get so close to the Princess while armed.

Was there a traitor in their midst? But even with that in mind, how would the assassin be able to simply walk up to the First Princess and take a shot?

None of it made sense, and as Fanilly called for the knights nearest to the Princesses to form a barrier and begin guiding them deeper into the castle, the others were able to pursue the assassin.

A pair of golden eyes peaked out from the darkness of their hood, and a brief flash of gritted teeth as the small figure took a sharp turn, then another, darting in and around nobles even as they attempted to clear the floor. While their size surely impacted their speed, the sheer agility of the would-be killer was remarkable. They were so small, and yet so swift.

But there were others who could move faster.

Indeed, the first one to come out ahead of the Assassin was Cecilia.

Then the wall of black steel that was Haelstadt.

Then the uniformed Crown Knights, barring the door.

Golden eyes darting to a nearby window, the assassin turned-

-And was taken to the ground by Renar.

Silently, she hit the floor, jolting from the impact, her hood falling back.

The assassin's small size and agility were almost immediately understood when her face was revealed. The almost-childlike features. The golden hue of her eyes. The pale skin and black hair.

In human lands, Nem weren't exactly a common sight. And yet here one was, a Nem girl clad in leather and cloth, a scarf wrapped around her neck.

The crossbow skittered away across the floor, with heavy black steel descending upon it moments later as Haelstadt crushed it beneath their foot.

The nem did not struggle.

She lay on her back, looking away without a sound, beneath Renar. For all her attempts to escape, she was no longer doing so.

[@Creative Chaos][@Raineh Daze][@Rune_Alchemist][@Saiyan][@The Otter][@Crimson Paladin][@Psychic Loser][@Richard Horthy][@VahkiDane][@Psyker Landshark][@HereComesTheSnow]