Ballroom Agent

• Jaime Leivers, Grade 6
• Short Story
• 2017

The feeling of the dagger skidding over my leg hurt. A lot. The corset that bound me also hurt. The heavy jewellery didn't help. I knew that I looked just like any other court lady. Except I had a purpose beyond the latest make-up style. Which by the way stings. I was here to kill the king. How the hell was I going to do that? I was asking myself that.

The red silk dress hid the dagger that was strapped to my upper leg. The king sitting up on the gold throne couldn't be much older than me. Nineteen, maybe twenty. I was only seventeen. Tad young for an agent. Across the room the two undercover guards, Hunter and Mitch and the butler Edward stood awaiting my move. I knew that they thought I couldn't do it.

King Markus smiled at me. “Will I have this dance?” Shoot, I wasn't expecting this. I nodded. He took my hand and twirled me around. I watched Hunter, Mitch and Edward. I couldn't do this. I saw a maid trotting up a back staircase. The vents blew air onto my.........The vents! “Mark there are at least three undercover death agents at the rooms perimeter. You will die if you leave this room but you will die if you stay. Back staircase. You have thirty seconds. I'd drop the ceremonials.” He blushed at the thought of going down to his underclothes. With a forced smile I left his grip.

I sprinted up the staircase. I undid the fiddly buttons on my dress. The waves of red silk fell like a wave to my ankles. My stiletto heels flew across the marble floors with a screech. I hit a corner and hastily undid my corset and despite the urgency of the situation took a deep breath at the new freedom. I pulled on my agent uniform and sprinted at top speed onto the staircase landing.

Markus was standing on the landing. His shirt was wet and torn. “Come on we have to go.” He followed me through the maze of corridors to the back door. “How do you know your way around. No one knows.....the routes........secret.....” I smiled. The maps they gave me were easy to memorise. There were only five thousand routes. At the Alberta Grand Palace there were a billion.

Outside the gunfire had began. Soldiers were running out in excitement. They were going to fight. Kill. The more ferocious were ready for blood and with a start I realised, it was my blood. The blood that pumped through my blood, through my veins. My heart pounded like a jackhammer, adrenaline coursed through me. I drew my dagger.

As I stood face to face with the king I stopped. I knew that the money I needed. My family needed it but did I need to kill the him for it?

I stared at the king and mouthed a single word. Run.