Anger, jealousy, rage…
I guess it must have been in me for a while before it happened. Perhaps it was something that was even going way back into time. Maybe… maybe if I would have paid some attention to it, maybe then I would have noticed… way… way before it was too late. But it was too late now, the tipping point where I went from good back to evil definitely located in Waterdeep.
One year ago we left the coast of Baldur’s and moved up north to the City of Splendors. And with we, I mean me and Seraphina, my girlfriend. It had seemed better to her if she would try and start on her own, erect a small import and export company, apart from Moire Rouge’s, her former employer. And I have to say, Seraphina was quite talented. She built her own little trading empire within a matter of months, and soon had her business going nicely. And me? I just lingered by her side, most of the time operating as her personal bodyguard. This entire success however also knew a downside. And that was our personal time. I know, it just sounds so typical. I also oversaw her deliveries and made sure transport arrived and departed with a maximum of security. I hired the people for it, and saw to any further training. Yeah, I taught them the dirty tricks too, yeah...
But as we both were busy, Seraphina had also began to arrive later and later during evenings. Often I would look her up, but after some time such became quite the task. You see, Seraphina wasn’t always in the places where she said she’d be, especially since her business was constantly flowing. Sometimes she met people during her business meetings, who’d then in turn would ask her over after said meeting. And so it had become rather intensive for me to track her down. There was however one guy I didn’t like, some rich merchant-son who arranged and settled business for his father. Not only was Theo into business though, he also seemed to be into my Seraphina.
The first time I brought it up to her, she told me she’d be careful, and would do her best to give the young lad not the idea said interest was mutual. But when I noticed him flirting and her smiling back at him, I addressed her once more about it. She assured me it was fine and even introduced me to the lad, officially, as her lover, and future husband. I still have no idea what had gotten into the lad’s mind, but after she did that, things grew even more worse. And more importantly, they happened out of plain sight. At least that is what I thought. Perhaps I was still being haunted by Belle’s betrayal some years ago now. Perhaps that experience would dominate my feelings for the rest of my life.
Anyways. When I went out to find Seraphina again, I couldn’t find her. Night after night it had become quite the feat to track her down. So, that is when I decided to track down good ol’ Theo the Ego. That’s what I called him. He was the type of lad who pretended he could afford anything, do anything, and take anything from anyone he wanted, whenever he wanted it. Perhaps he reminded me too much of those people who kicked me out of the house after my mother died, and who never really treated us kindly either. I don’t know, there is just so much on my mind right now. Including my own death.
So, Theo. Theo, as I quickly learned, happened to dine often in an establishment not far from the Warm Beds inn. It was a rather dignified place in a rather rough section of the city, the docks actually. And it’s there that I also found… yes, her. They seemed to get along rather well, like good friends and perhaps business partners. I watched them from a small distance, and apart from Theo’s usual flirting, nothing to my surprise happened. But my mind, it never ceased. I looked around and realized this was a fairly public place, for a select sort of customers, but still. So that is when I decided to stick around and did something I hadn’t done for years. From the rooftops I kept an eye on the entrance, and as soon as Seraphina came out with Theo and walked off together, I started to follow them. Now, you have to know that my heart thumbed in my ears, and not just cause of the ride along the roofs.
Why out of all men would Seraphina have a dinner with this lad, a lad of which she knew all too well that I didn’t like him? When they arrived at the main road, I saw Theo leaning in towards Sera and kissing her on the cheek. She laughed about something he said, and then they parted ways, she back to our home, he to his daddy’s fancy manor just outside the city. I looked from him to Sera, both their forms disappearing in the distance. I had to know though. I just had to know. Only, why I decided to listen to him rather than her, I still don’t know.
With an agility that even surprised myself, I went after Theo, over rooftops, down a rainpipe, until I was able to stop him by suddenly stepping out of a dark street and moving to stand before him. I had my arms crossed and startled he looked me in the eyes, his hand moving to the hilt of his rapier, but stopping as soon as he recognized me. Then, an evil smile spread across his features, and I wish I could have wiped that makeup off of his face with my fist.
“Ahh, Ricky boy” he said to me. “Out for your nightly patrols? Saw something you like or... didn’t like?”
He was clearly provoking me, and I took the bait. “You leave her alone, or…”
“Or else what?” He said, clearly delighted with my reaction.
What he didn’t know was that I was the wrong person to mess with. Up to that point he had only known me as a calm and simple guard at Sera’s side, and who also happened to be her less exciting looking fiance. That had merely been an act on my end, just to not scare off customers or intimidate any, but it had been something Theo had taken for granted.
“Right. We’ll leave the city. You can have it.” I said a bit uncertain, knowing that my lass would be extremely mad. I believed though that if I would explain it well, she’d understand. So I bluffed.
And he called my bluff.
“Seraphina isn’t a girl for you. She belongs in a place like this with someone rich at her side to help her paving her path. I don’t know if you have noticed it, but she is already spending less time with you, isn’t she?” This lad even dared to show me a sardonic smile.
I was on the verge of smashing his nose into bloody pulp, and once I’d get going, it would have taken six or seven guys to pull me off of him.
“Why would she even pick a guy who can’t even wash his own clothes?” I growled.
He grinned at me. “Cause said guy doesn’t -have- to wash his own clothes cause he has people like you to do it for him.”
All my rage came out faster than magma out of a volcano, and it was just as destructive.
SMASH, my fist connected right with his cheek! And so yeah, I was the one who started this. I don’t know what got into the lad’s mind, but instead of intimidating him with that one hard blow, he growled, and just drew his rapier on me, flicking the sharp metal with the deadly tip at my eye. The bastard was more tough than I expected, and he was giving me a hard time to dodge his attacks. One thing was for sure though. No wait. Two things. His daddy had seen to Theo’s fencing lessons. And, Theo wanted me dead. Where are guards when you need them is what I thought.
“Think you can have at me ey?!” He shouted at me as he lashed out dangerously close to my heart. “You didn’t think that I would be able to counter your thug techniques?! That is why you’ll never be a good match for Seraphina, moron!”
The gap between us grew and I backed away into a darker alley. Bastard came right after me. “If you run away, I’ll tell Seraphina what a loser you are, so c’mon, face me, fight and die like a man!”
Now, what Theo didn’t knew is that I could have killed him already three or four times. And each time I suppressed that desire. But when he came down on me fairly hard, my old instincts took over. I just wanted to wound him, pin him with his shoulder into a wooden door. Only... it became two rounds of crossbow bolts shooting out from under my sleeves, straight into the lad’s heart.
He stared at me with his rapier frozen in mid air. He tried to move his chest, tried to suck in air desperately, but none came. I knew his heart had stopped beating the very moment I saw mist descended on his eyes. He sank to the ground with six bolts sticking out of his chest. My bolts. I had killed the lad, and Seraphina would never see him again. But Seraphina knew about my past, and if she ever learned what had become of Theo once they found his body, she’d likely would always suspect me. Especially if the priests succeeded at resurrecting him and learned what had occured between us. Well, Theo’s truth and side of the story.
That is when I decided to leave Waterdeep, and with it, Seraphina. I didn’t think only of that lost love, but also of the noose they’d likely put around my neck once the truth came out.
I looked out over the sea and saw in the distance the flickering lights of Baldur’s Gate. From there I intended to take a ship to Roaringshore and think on what else I could do with my life. I’ve been an assassin before, and now, now I was also a murderer.
My eyes settled on the midnight water surface and I murmured in front of myself. “It looks like I won’t be joining you in the afterlife after all, Lord Captain of the Waves.”
“But I suppose in hell I’ll be in good company as well…”