One of Rosewater's lackeys brought Annunu to the Captain's rooms, pausing a moment to leer knowingly down at her before opening the door and thrusting her unceremoniously inside. It was late - well past midnight - and An was a pathetic sight, dried tears smudging her face, her cheek red and slightly swollen with an obvious handprint. Her long pink pigtails were in disarray, and she had the generally dazed air of shell-shock, her movements jerky, her eyes red-rimmed, her reactions a hair slower than usual. Within herself, An's spirit was wrapped up tightly behind impenetrable walls. If she had gauged the man right, here was where Rosewater would make his move. Now, with An's spirit crushed and her support all gone - with An at her very lowest - only now would he tip his hand. The past moons of lying and acting and positioning had led up to this. She was ready.
Rosewater's bedroom was black save for the glow of a fireplace to the right of the bed. He was sitting upon the bed wearing only loose cotton pants, his face in shadow, his eyes fixed on her as she shambled nearer. "Well, well," he said softly. "My birdies tell me you've been a busy bee again, An. Making a trip to the Toll, heading out to Mist, getting drunk in the Quicksand... all without my say-so."
An felt a flash of surprise, her stomach jolting. He knew about the Toll? Then did he know she'd met Master Gogonji there? All could be ruined - but no. She'd carefully checked for surveillance after leaving the Ironworks, and the advantage of the rooftop restaurant was that you could see anyone approach - likely why Master Gogonji favored it. So Rosewater probably only knew about the trip to the Ironworks. Still bad, of course. She was supposed to be defeated, not looking for workarounds for the trap she was in. She averted her eyes, chewing her lower lip, fingering the choker. Perhaps if she spun it as a last act of defiance... "I-I just wanted... to see what it does," she mumbled.
"It's none of your damn business what it does!" Rosewater snapped. "It's there to make sure you obey, that's all you need know. And then to get a report that you're sneaking off to see Oan again?!" He lifted a sheaf of papers, shaking them incredulously. "I warned you before the narcissistic arse didn't care about you, and now look at you!" He got up, flinging the report down at her feet. Papers scattered. An turned her face away, tracking the papers out of the corner of her eye.
Rosewater knelt in front of her, his hands on his thighs. "And now it's over, An," he said, his tone kindly, his eyes glittering in sinister counterpoint. "It's all over. You failed. He hates you. Probably always did. Women always seem to think they can change a man, fix him, heal his wounds." He laughed shortly at that, unable to hold back bubbling incredulity. "And you just had to pick the most fucked-up guy of the bunch. But all of your effort and care and love... and he throws you away anyway."
He raised his hand, his fingers tangling in her hair, pulling first one pigtail free from its clasp, then the other. She stared up at him, her pale face framed by a veil of loose pink hair. He reached out to cup her cheek gently, his palm dwarfing the mark made by Gogonji's hand. "He even hit you. You... the woman who saved his life, who kept him from jail."
A tear escaped from her eye, and she tried to turn her face away, to hide it; but he turned it back to him, and, with one hand moving to rest over her heart, he leaned forward, his lips seeking hers. She jerked back instinctively before he could touch her, his hand pressing the hidden ring into her skin, Gogonji's warning - his illogical fear of her bearing Rosewater's child - echoing in her mind.
Rosewater's eyes met hers, and before An could stop him, his hand reached out and touched her chest - then violently ripped out the ring and its hidden pouch. She gasped, wrapping her arms around herself, and he looked down at the ring in its tatters of fabric. He pulled the cloth away, studying it. "... You love him that much, huh?" he asked softly. An opened her mouth to reply - and was sent to the floor as he swing the fist containing the ring into her already-damaged cheek.
"Your only value is as a tool, a weapon," Rosewater said, eeriely calm, turning the ring over in his fingers. "Since apparently I can't sway your heart toward me... it's fine. You'll still do as I say, because you'll go to the gallows if you don't - and it's not like Oan will take you back now anyway. Pity. I thought you'd be easier to control if you fell for me instead - but you have no reason to fight anymore, so you'll do as your told and be grateful for what crumbs you get. Won't you, An?" He patted her head, his earlier false sensuality gone now, entirely a master with a favored pet. She gazed up at him, her expression terrified and twisted, but with no hope left in her eyes. None.
Behind the walls within her, she leaned forward.
"Y-you... want me to kill? More...? Who?" She choked back a sob unsuccessfully.
He picked up a file on the bedside table. "I'd hoped for pleasure before business," he said mockingly, "but I guess it's all work and no play for now." He threw it at her, and the file hit her head, papers going everywhere. "Best clean it up."
An hastened to comply. Her heart leapt as she reassembled the file, carefully tucking the earlier report on her and Gogonji's argument inside with the other papers. It was a personnel file for a prominent Sultansworn. One even higher in the ranks than Rosewater, known to have the sultana's favor and a trusted associate of the Flame General. Handwritten notes about his personal habits and comings and goings were included, in Rosewater's own hand. And assessment data... also in his hand. She stacked the papers neatly back into the file, sniffling, rubbing her cheek. "A S-sultansworn...?" she stammered unsteadily. "But... but I don't understand... why?"
"A weapon doesn't need to know why, An," he reminded her with a faint sneer. "It's enough for you to know he's in my way. Kill him and bring his hand to me. Let's see if you're half as good as your reputation. You have two days."
"Two days?!" she gasped, her shock unfeigned. "For one of the sultana's top men?! I-I can't do any of the prep work in that time, much less -"
"Two days. I did the prep work for you in that file. Don't fail me. I'm all you've got left now, aren't I? And wouldn't it be a shame if you lost me, too?" He bounced the ring on his hand, smiling. "Now get out and get to work."
She stumbled out of the door, clutching the papers to her chest. Only when she was sure no eyes were upon her did she permit herself a broad smile. Two days. A tight timeline, but she could make it work. Two days to absolute victory.
Yes, indeed, she had work to do.
Rosewater's bedroom was black save for the glow of a fireplace to the right of the bed. He was sitting upon the bed wearing only loose cotton pants, his face in shadow, his eyes fixed on her as she shambled nearer. "Well, well," he said softly. "My birdies tell me you've been a busy bee again, An. Making a trip to the Toll, heading out to Mist, getting drunk in the Quicksand... all without my say-so."
An felt a flash of surprise, her stomach jolting. He knew about the Toll? Then did he know she'd met Master Gogonji there? All could be ruined - but no. She'd carefully checked for surveillance after leaving the Ironworks, and the advantage of the rooftop restaurant was that you could see anyone approach - likely why Master Gogonji favored it. So Rosewater probably only knew about the trip to the Ironworks. Still bad, of course. She was supposed to be defeated, not looking for workarounds for the trap she was in. She averted her eyes, chewing her lower lip, fingering the choker. Perhaps if she spun it as a last act of defiance... "I-I just wanted... to see what it does," she mumbled.
"It's none of your damn business what it does!" Rosewater snapped. "It's there to make sure you obey, that's all you need know. And then to get a report that you're sneaking off to see Oan again?!" He lifted a sheaf of papers, shaking them incredulously. "I warned you before the narcissistic arse didn't care about you, and now look at you!" He got up, flinging the report down at her feet. Papers scattered. An turned her face away, tracking the papers out of the corner of her eye.
Rosewater knelt in front of her, his hands on his thighs. "And now it's over, An," he said, his tone kindly, his eyes glittering in sinister counterpoint. "It's all over. You failed. He hates you. Probably always did. Women always seem to think they can change a man, fix him, heal his wounds." He laughed shortly at that, unable to hold back bubbling incredulity. "And you just had to pick the most fucked-up guy of the bunch. But all of your effort and care and love... and he throws you away anyway."
He raised his hand, his fingers tangling in her hair, pulling first one pigtail free from its clasp, then the other. She stared up at him, her pale face framed by a veil of loose pink hair. He reached out to cup her cheek gently, his palm dwarfing the mark made by Gogonji's hand. "He even hit you. You... the woman who saved his life, who kept him from jail."
A tear escaped from her eye, and she tried to turn her face away, to hide it; but he turned it back to him, and, with one hand moving to rest over her heart, he leaned forward, his lips seeking hers. She jerked back instinctively before he could touch her, his hand pressing the hidden ring into her skin, Gogonji's warning - his illogical fear of her bearing Rosewater's child - echoing in her mind.
Rosewater's eyes met hers, and before An could stop him, his hand reached out and touched her chest - then violently ripped out the ring and its hidden pouch. She gasped, wrapping her arms around herself, and he looked down at the ring in its tatters of fabric. He pulled the cloth away, studying it. "... You love him that much, huh?" he asked softly. An opened her mouth to reply - and was sent to the floor as he swing the fist containing the ring into her already-damaged cheek.
"Your only value is as a tool, a weapon," Rosewater said, eeriely calm, turning the ring over in his fingers. "Since apparently I can't sway your heart toward me... it's fine. You'll still do as I say, because you'll go to the gallows if you don't - and it's not like Oan will take you back now anyway. Pity. I thought you'd be easier to control if you fell for me instead - but you have no reason to fight anymore, so you'll do as your told and be grateful for what crumbs you get. Won't you, An?" He patted her head, his earlier false sensuality gone now, entirely a master with a favored pet. She gazed up at him, her expression terrified and twisted, but with no hope left in her eyes. None.
Behind the walls within her, she leaned forward.
"Y-you... want me to kill? More...? Who?" She choked back a sob unsuccessfully.
He picked up a file on the bedside table. "I'd hoped for pleasure before business," he said mockingly, "but I guess it's all work and no play for now." He threw it at her, and the file hit her head, papers going everywhere. "Best clean it up."
An hastened to comply. Her heart leapt as she reassembled the file, carefully tucking the earlier report on her and Gogonji's argument inside with the other papers. It was a personnel file for a prominent Sultansworn. One even higher in the ranks than Rosewater, known to have the sultana's favor and a trusted associate of the Flame General. Handwritten notes about his personal habits and comings and goings were included, in Rosewater's own hand. And assessment data... also in his hand. She stacked the papers neatly back into the file, sniffling, rubbing her cheek. "A S-sultansworn...?" she stammered unsteadily. "But... but I don't understand... why?"
"A weapon doesn't need to know why, An," he reminded her with a faint sneer. "It's enough for you to know he's in my way. Kill him and bring his hand to me. Let's see if you're half as good as your reputation. You have two days."
"Two days?!" she gasped, her shock unfeigned. "For one of the sultana's top men?! I-I can't do any of the prep work in that time, much less -"
"Two days. I did the prep work for you in that file. Don't fail me. I'm all you've got left now, aren't I? And wouldn't it be a shame if you lost me, too?" He bounced the ring on his hand, smiling. "Now get out and get to work."
She stumbled out of the door, clutching the papers to her chest. Only when she was sure no eyes were upon her did she permit herself a broad smile. Two days. A tight timeline, but she could make it work. Two days to absolute victory.
Yes, indeed, she had work to do.
People have forgotten this truth. But you mustn't forget it. You become responsible forever for what you have tamed.
Howl's Wiki
Howl's Wiki
