The Crown and The Mask

[minervaminor]

The Assassin

It was common in his field, eliminating targets was like
second-nature to him now. But his most recent mission
involves him taking out one of the royals, Laurel Annalynn
Ronan. An established woman of high class that had
recently been married to the Dutch prince. It would be
tricky this time, as the Princess was well guarded and
watched like a dog. Little did the assassin know that
this was the same Laurel Annalynn Ronan that he once
played with in the courtyard. The same little girl that
he adored so much when he was younger, but now had
the responsibility of eliminating from this world. Will
he be able to fulfill his promise to his employer? What
will happen when the two start to talk...and he begins
to realise that she is in fact the same little girl that he
once played hide-n-seek with in the gardens that he
found her in?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The Princess

She had been holding up for a long time, with the marriage
of her and the Dutch prince, as well as all of the other
things going on in her life, Laurel Annalynn Ronan fit
the typical princess. While her life was very eventful,
she didn't much like the circumstances as it was. But
that didn't merit the sudden appearance of him. She
didn't quite know who he was, but it seemed he had
been tailing her for some time now. A suspicious man
clad in black clothes. But he only hovered in the
background. Who was he? Did this have anything to do
with the accusations her husband has been throwing
her way? And what does he want with her? When Laurel
encounters the man for the first time one night after
having dozed off in the gardens, something seems
slightly off about him. He seemed familiar in a way
that no one who acted in this way should.

[minervaminor]

Back To December - Taylor Swift
I'm so glad you made time to see me.
How's life, tell me how's your family?
I haven't seen them in a while.
You've been good, busier then ever.
We small talk, work and the weather
Your guard is up and I know why.
Because the last time you saw me
Is still burned in the back of your mind.
You gave me roses
And I left them there to die.
So this is me swallowing my pride,
Standing in front of you saying
I'm sorry for that night.
And I go back to December all the time.
It turns out freedom ain't
Nothing but missing you,
Wishing I'd realized what I had
When you were mine.
I'd go back to December,
Turn around and make it all right.
I go back to December all the time.
These days I haven't been sleeping
Staying up playing back myself leaving,
When your birthday passed
And I didn't call.
And I think about summer,
All the beautiful times
I watched you laughing
From the passenger side
And realized I'd loved you in the fall.
And then the cold came,
The dark days when fear crept into my mind.
You gave me all your love and
All I gave you was goodbye.
So this is me swallowing my pride,
Standing in front of you saying
I'm sorry for that night.
And I go back to December all the time.
It turns out freedom ain't
Nothing but missing you,
Wishing I'd realized what I had
When you were mine.
I'd go back to December
Turn around and change my own mind.
I go back to December all the time
I miss your tan skin, your sweet smile,
So good to me, so right,
And how you held me in your arms
That September night,
The first time you ever saw me cry.
Maybe this is wishful thinking,
Probably mindless dreaming
But if we loved again I swear I'd love you right.
I'd go back in time and change it but I can't
So if the chain is on your door, I understand.
But this is me swallowing my pride,
Standing in front of you saying
I'm sorry for that night,
And I go back to December.
It turns out freedom ain't
Nothing but missing you,
Wishing I'd realized what I had
When you were mine.
I'd go back to December
Turn around and make it all right.
I'd go back to December
Turn around and change my own mind.
I go back to December all the time

Laurel Annalynn Ronan
nineteen years old
only child
Elizabeth and Henry Ronan
English princess
born on march 15
currently married to a dutch prince
unhappy in her marriage
trained in how to be a lady
also goes by anna and lynlyn
aries
bisexual
born in london, england
english is her first language
specialized in writing
misty grey eyes
dirty blonde hair
130 pounds
5 foot 6 inches
petite body build
fears being alone
likes music and singing
dislikes men in general
royal bloodline
no modifications
three ear piercings (each ear)
nature is her specialty
extremely pale
no enemies
extremely introverted
very sweet and humble
blunt and straight-up
weaknesses are those she loves
strengths are her comfort zones
normal clothing
beautiful personality
open minded
fit to rule
no friends
isolated
likes going on nature walks
dislikes hunting
fears loud noises
french and english heritage
likes sketching
likes animals
fears weapons
pet kitten named rusty
caucasian
-----
"I never believed that I
would be able to do this
all on my own. No one to
care for me except for my
no good useless husband...
my parents left me on my
own. they only contact me
on extremely rare occasions.
i have no one."

nothing could have ever stopped her ... except herself

_________________________________

he was raised in the castle
in holland, by his cruel parents.
his older sister was married
off to a french prince, so
she was out of the equation.
next was him, who they married
to laurel, and he was done.
his two little siblings, twin
brother and sisters, are currently
eleven years old and still being
raised under his parents' cruel
wrath. that is why he is so
demanding and antsy with
laurel. he knows no other way
to act towards his wife. but,
despite this is the only way he
knows, he loves her. it isn't even
him who wants to kill her. it's
his parents. they set up a plan
with him before the marriage
and he swore to stick with it.

name;; Andreas Lucifer Ronan
nickname;; none...he's a prince
age;; twenty-four
d.o.b;; april 24
horoscope;; taurus
birthplace;; amsterdam, holland
height;; six foot three inches
weight;; 185 pounds
orientation;; heterosexual
gender;; male
positive trait;; royal
negative trait;; impatient
parents;; dutch king and queen
heritage;; purely dutch
primary language;; dutch
secondary language;; english
body mods;; none
piercings;; none

[ᴛsᴜᴋᴜʏᴏᴍɪ]

•Name: Hidden for privacy for now.
•Rank: First-Class Assassin
•Hair: It is black and almost shoulder-length.
•Clothing: His clothes are dark and hooded, just about the only other color to be seen would be blue or some gold. He has a blue 'snake' emblem on the back of his clothing, representing his assassination guild. But all of him is completely covered by his dark, robe-like attire.
•Weapons: A black, blue-handled dagger, A pitch-black handgun, small segments of rope, two blindfolds, arrows, and hand blades. He occasionally carries more than this, but his residence is adorned with them.
•Personality: He's rather reserved, but why not? Being an assassin, he knows well not to show or even have emotions. He doesn't really have many to begin with, as he was used to this facade since he was young. He's overly blunt and slightly sarcastic, but makes up for it with his calm nature, especially when it comes to his job. Despite the seriousness of his employment, he takes it at a rather lax pace. He's seen it all before, so not much changes his perspective when doing his job.
•Appearance: He hides his appearance the majority of the time. Being an assassin, it's only natural. Even when he's alone or at his residence, he rarely removes his mask. It has become a habit of his to keep it on and protects him from being recognized for revenge.

•Other: His name and face will be revealed later in the rp.

[minervaminor]

Laurel Annalynn Ronan
life is hectic and husbands are stupid. laurel woke up to the sound of her husband's snoring, and groaned internally. she knew it was still dark out, but she was wide awake. there was no way she was going right back to sleep after waking up to that. so, she got out of the bed and felt around the room for the oil lamp. she felt something cold and made of metal, so she assumed that was the lamp. she found something to light it with and did so, estimating that the lamp had about three hours time on it. she smiled, slipping her feet into slippers, and holding her nightgown up so she didn't trip. before she went outside, she put on her husband's coat. it made her look more like a man, so no one would question her whereabouts.
she managed to find a way outside without seeing any of the palace servants. it's not like she could tell them what she was doing anyway; she didn't speak dutch. this wasn't her place. this was her husband's place. her husband had been given one of the english noble's palaces and brought his own servants to her country and everything. even though he could be kicked out at any time, she still felt powerless.
she got to the palace gardens and stayed there for a good amount of time. she sat on the bench and simply thought, watching the flowers sway in the night. before she knew it, the lamp was almost out of flame, and the sun was nowhere near coming up. it must not have had as much oil as she thought it did. either that or her perception of time was very off. but she simply sat there until the flame had no more fuel. she actually laid down on the concrete pathway and fell asleep in the peace and quiet of the night.

[ᴛsᴜᴋᴜʏᴏᴍɪ]

It was overly dark here. But when wasn't it dark for someone like him? A terrible fate, indeed had he been given. He shifted to take the envelope that had suddenly made itself apparent. Concealed in the blanked-out envelope, was his next 'job'. That was what they called them anyway. He slowly opened the letter. These jobs were more often coming to him ever since he had made it apparent that he was an able employ. It was no surprise to him that this letter had come at such a late hour. Lucky for the silhouette that stood on the other side of his door, he was especially live at night. But his work would come at a price, and that included more than the mere promise to not relay any information about the so-called work that the letter entailed. No, what he was after was the pay. But secretly, more so the thrill of the hunt. It was like a hunt to him, this sick game that he played. But it was all he knew.

The figure moved from behind the door, their voice low as to avoid being heard. "It was all I could bring without being suspicious..." Came the sound of their terrified voice. He could sense the fear in their voice, the thought of hiring him usually caused the requesters to show their terror. But that was only natural to them. Fear? He never felt it, but he definitely sensed it from his targets. It was the last thing he sensed before they were finished. He flipped through the bills that he had retrieved from the envelope. "This isn't enough..." He stated. "For what you're asking, it'll take a whole lot more." The requester shifted uncomfortably. "I'll get the rest to you over time, but for now, this is my payment." He could tell by the voice that this person was different from his other requesters. But he ignored the thought, dropping the money on the table. "Fine, this'll do for now. But you are aware of what happens when I'm not eventually payed in full?" No definite answer came from the figure, but he detected an obvious nod. "You can leave, now." He sighed to the requester, waving his hand dismissively. Tonight, he would set out to eliminate his target.

[minervaminor]

Laurel Annalynn Ronan
she was dreaming. dreaming of a new masquerade, a new prince to take her away from her wretched husband.
she was dancing in the ballroom of her parent's castle with all of the men who courted her. all of the suitors looked friendly on the outside, but there was no telling what they were like away from the crowd. she danced with each one differently. some were more stiff, so she mirrored their stance. some were much more casual, so she mirrored their stance, and some you could tell had too much wine, so she simply dealt with it for the short time that they were near each other and pushed it out of her mind. but there was one man who sparked her interest, and he wasn't even a suitor.
a tall man, dressed in all black clothing with a hooded cape on his back. it was difficult to tell what his face looked like, but she could see his eyes. they were an interesting hazel colour, almost golden. he had black hair that fell down to his shoulders. he didn't look friendly to begin with, and maybe that was what both thrilled her and scared her. he wasn't even trying to be fake. people weren't talking to him and he wasn't going to try small talk with anyone else. this intrigued the princess very much.
she walked over to the man and curtsied, bowing her head as well. she watched his feet for a few seconds before she saw them shift as he bowed. she then rose, finding the man a good six or seven inches taller than she was. that intimidated her slightly, but she didn't let that show. she tried talking with the man, but he would only reply with short and curt responses. she eventually gave up on trying to have conversation, and simply stood next to him. surely if i stand next to him, then no one will dare try to take me away... she thought to herself.
she was wrong.
the dutch prince snagged her away from the mystery man, and danced with her. she was so distracted by the man in the hooded cape that she wasn't paying attention to her partner. she stepped on his feet several times on accident, apologising after each time. he hissed something under his breath about it, but otherwise didn't mention it.
her dream slowly began to fade as she felt someone watch her through the darkness.

[ᴛsᴜᴋᴜʏᴏᴍɪ]

She had sensed his presence. A strange thing for him to encounter, but nonetheless, he waited in idle apathy. This wasn't going to be even a minuscule hassle. There weren't many that were aware of their coming fate, but this one in particular seemed a little too astute. Whatever. He thought to himself. A mission was a mission, regardless of the circumstances. Bringing up the thought made him remember something. But he forced it out of his mind before it could surface. Leaning against the top of the trunk, he eyed the target. It wasn't such a big deal, but there seemed to be some hint of worry in her eyes. It was a woman after all, his target. The usual jobs he would come upon consisted of men. They were easy to take care of. Loud, boisterous and self-righteous were the men of this country. Only a select few were noble and distinguished. Those were the ones he hated most.

He sat back in slight intrigue. It was a way to savor the idea of the once-living. Just taking them out right away was boring, and he liked thrills. The suspense built and made rise, the anticipation inside him. He would do this swiftly, and not a soul would hear or know of his presence. Not a single one. That was his usual tactic anyway. But for some strange reason, he wanted to change his pace. Carefully scanning his array of merchandise, he thought of what to use. Right, anything was fine, just as long as he wasn't heard by the parties not involved. Having lingered a little too long for a typical job, he pulled out his notorious dagger. This would be the end of this mere woman. Her life may have been unimportant to him, but her death, so much more.

Shadowed by the tree, he jumped down. His land was soft and noiseless. A perfect landing for the light-footed individual, and an asset for a man of his work. He slithered along in the dark, keeping a close grip on his dagger as he moved through the shadows. A one-hit kill. He was sure of it. Wrenching a cloth bandana out of his suit, he moved in close behind her. This one was definitely more like what he wanted. A suspenseful job that entailed him finishing the victim off before they even noticed him. He was there now, prepared to strike when he suddenly covered her mouth with the bandana. It would be used to mute her cries if she had felt the need to alert whoever was nearby. Quickly, he revealed the dagger, pulling it in front of her and reacting fast. "Sorry, just doing my job." He muttered before moving the dagger in towards her.

[minervaminor]

Laurel Annalynn Ronan
she sat up, rubbing her eyes. she looked around in the darkness, trying to find where the eyes were. she could feel them watching her, but she didn't know where they were. she heard something faint. almost noiseless. she turned around again, her heart racing as she looked around. worry was evident in her eyes. she was completely defenseless.
before she knew it, there was a cloth around her mouth and a dagger to her neck. she heard a deep voice say something along the lines of "I'm just doing my job". Job? what kind of job does this man have? is he...oh no, i bet he's an assassin. i might as well let him kill me...or maybe i can offer him more than he's getting paid! she struggled against the bandanna for a moment, trying to get free.
she managed somehow to do so, slipping the bandanna down to being around her neck. she looked back at the man behind her who had covered her mouth with the cloth. "wait! wait...i...i can offer you more money than you're being paid..." she panted. "i...tell me how much money you want and i'll gladly bestow it upon you, if only you were to spare my life..." she begged, close to the point of crying. she was tired and scared.
a single tear rolled down her cheek and fell onto the bandanna as she sniffled quietly. she was trying her best to keep as quiet as possible.

[ᴛsᴜᴋᴜʏᴏᴍɪ]

Before he knew it, she'd slipped free from both him and the bandana. A crafty woman. But he wasn't failing his job that easily! His attempt to grab her again was stopped abruptly by her voice. What? Targets didn't talk at all! Let alone to him! He hesitated at her words. Offer more? What was this woman thinking? Like he would just throw in the towel from a money bribe. Unable to conjure up any words of his own, as he was never much of a talker, he scanned her. She hadn't the body type for much of a struggle. He could end it all now, but using the same method was ignorant. She'd see right through it. Many different thoughts hammered in his mind. What now? Shoot her? He had a gun. But it made too much noise for something like this. Don't become hasty. He told himself. You still have the dagger. That was right. He gripped the handle in determination, beginning to advance towards the woman. No, target. That's what she was. Just a faceless, emotionless target. Like the kind he used to practice with. Just a target for him to...he stopped himself.

This target wasn't like the others. Why? His mind questioned, searching for any plausible explanation. This 'target'...yes, this target had a voice. A very feminine voice at that! He sighed quietly. It was strange, how suddenly he was stricken with this dilemma. Not only was his target a woman with a voice, but she had spoken to him and had asked for her life to be spared. He was emotionless, of course. The pleas for help had fallen on deaf ears. But his gut wrenched at the thought of actually taking the life of this woman. Was it her voice? It couldn't have been. He had drowned voices out many years ago. That was why he had forgotten to use his own.

The sun would be rising soon. Wether it was true or not, the idea snapped him back to reality, and he looked down at the woman, his mouth opening to speak, but expelling nothing. She was crying. He took a step back, his hand relaxing around the dagger as he turned away from her. "We..will talk.." The only words he managed to say to her echoed in his mind as he moved quickly, back into the cover of his only allies, the surrounding shadows.

[minervaminor]

Laurel Annalynn Ronan
she watched him with vacant eyes as he negotiated with himself over what to do with her. she could tell that was what he was doing, for she had seen that same look on her husband. she knew he wanted to dispose of her so that he could rule alone when it came the time, but it is much too early now. he wants children. that's what he is using her for right now. children and control over the english people. she knew that look because she had seen it all too often.
that and the look of disgust after her husband smacked her across the face for not wanting to do anything with him.
she heard the mystery man speak in his deep and throaty voice, and listened to the words that were spoken. we...will talk. the words rang through her head. we will talk? is that literally all you have to say after you just attempted to take my life?! what the hell?? she thought to herself. she looked around the gardens for him in the dark and realised that he was gone.
"wait! come back! we...we can talk now!" she shouted into darkness, "take me with you...if you're still here..." she said, remarkably softer now. the sun was just barely peeking over the horizon, and she realised how tired she really was now. she simply laid back down on the concrete, not wanting to move.
all too soon, one of the servants came out to fetch her. she saw her laying on the ground and almost freaked out, before realising that she was still alive. the girl tapped on laurel's shoulder and motioned to go inside. she looked around the gardens one more time for her mystery man before heading inside, not finding him. the girl lead her to the dining room, and stopped at the threshold, bowing as she waited for laurel to sit down.
her husband sat at the other end of the table, watching her with intense eyes. "so, where were you when i woke up this morning, my love?" laurel scoffed, "that's none of your business." her husband was taken aback by her snippy tone.
"i asked you where you were, laurel...you should answer me..." her husband said again, in a much more threatening tone this time. she kept her ground until her husband lost it, slamming his fist down upon the table, "laurel, i ask you one simple question and you refuse to answer me!" he bellowed, and that scared laurel enough for her to tell him that she was in the gardens. once she told him this, he rose, and left the room. she ran her fingers through her hair in frustration and confusion, not sure what to do.