Divergence

-1-

Boiled

Corvo Attano, the former Lord Protector to Jessamine Kaldwin and her daughter, Emily, rode down the canal with Samuel Beechworth on the Amaranth, Beechworth's boat. They were surrounded by the huge stone walls that reached up from the musty moat waters, up to the Estate District and beyond. They served as a deterrent to potential 'undesirables' attempting to swim through and kept many City Watch guards with a hefty pouch. If anybody managed to avoid the hagfish that resided in the water, they would come across the second obstacle – a towering gate that closed off the moat to boats, swimmers and, (crucially) dead plague victims. Samuel had been down the canals many times before, if only to drop off parcels and pick them up. The former sailor tread the river carefully, his passenger soon becoming impatient.

"Can we not hurry this up, old man? I have a job to do," spat Corvo.

Samuel refused to make eye contact when he replied, "We could hurry it up, sure. That is, if you would like City Watch to catch or potentially kill us. It's your choice Corvo." Samuel continued at the same pace down the river, ignoring Corvo's demands.

"You're a clever bastard, aren't you?" Corvo declared sarcastically, before suddenly hearing himself and continued, "Look, Samuel, I'm sorry. I haven't felt like myself in...a long time."

Samuel glanced up at his passenger this time, "Apology accepted, Corvo. I understand that times are hard. This war can push on tonight."

Corvo found it hard to believe that Samuel could understand what he felt like. Losing the Empress, his Empress, was the most difficult event of his life. He had lost a friend, a partner, a lover and the mother of his child in under a minute. Whomever the assassin that murdered her was, the man would pay dearly, Corvo was more than sure of that. During his journey from Coldridge Prison, Corvo had not stayed the path of a Lord Protector as much as he had liked. He had slain many a man just to get to his assigned target's; family men and innocents doing their jobs, just for a corrupted government.

His first assigned target, the High Overseer, Thaddeus Campbell had been given a fate worse than death. He had been Branded and cast aside by his peers. Wherever he ended up, it would either lead to death or plague. Corvo had never hated him before he had been thrown in prison and considered just killing him out of mercy. That changed when he saw the Overseer's secret room. The debauchery and the smell of sex and cheap perfume had bound itself to that room like the plague had done to many a victim. Corvo had suddenly seen what had become of his precious Jessamine's city, and he despised it instantly. In his head, the former bodyguard had thought of many ways to kill Campbell; stabbing from above, swapping the poisoned drink of Captain Geoff Curnow with the Overseer's, waiting for him in his room, or simply running in and surprising them all. Corvo had run these options and more through his head many-a-time, but after overhearing two of his guards talk about banishment, he opted for that instead. After choking him in front of a surprised Captain Curnow, Corvo revealed that he would have been poisoned. Thankful, the Captain left in peace, which led to the unconscious Campbell being strapped to a chair and given the Heretic's Brand, a mark that, in the Abbey of the Everyman, would exile him from society. Corvo felt that it had been a fitting end to a reign filled with sin.

"Almost there now," Samuel announced.

A steel bridge came into view and Samuel inwardly congratulated himself for remembering the times the gate was open for maintenance. Corvo could see jet black silhouettes of people running over the bridge, only for them to be met with fiery arrows from a tallboy. Corvo had heard many a tale of their destructive use, but this was the first time he had seen one. He watched as the bodies flew up in the air, most of them landing in the canal, their grave. The tallboy moved backwards, its pilot soon making the structure disappear behind highly priced apartments.

"Good grief. The Lord Regent's pulling out all the stops for the Boyle Family," Samuel began, "I didn't think there'd be tallboys patrolling here tonight. Watch yourself, Corvo, they don't fool around." The masked man took the words to heart, he wasn't going to be killed by men on stilts, not tonight. Samuel began to pull up the boat, "The good news is, that mask of yours will let you blend right in. Enjoy your evening out with the folk of quality. Better you than me." Corvo stood up and raised his left hand to his right, he blinked up on to the ledge and crouched down. Looking down at Samuel, he could see that the boatman had lit up a cigarette and was keeping quiet.

A tallboy stomped through the street towards him, the pilot scanned the area with his crossbow and adjusted his shield plates. A foot soldier cupped a hand around the side of his mouth and shouted up to the tallboy pilot, "Were they weepers?" asked the foot soldier.

"Mostly, I think. There might have been a couple of homeless running past them," the stilted man shouted back.

Corvo waited for the grounded guard to walk towards an alcove and the tallboy to turn before blinking into the ditch across the paved street. He crawled along it, carefully as not to be spotted. When he reached the end, a few wooden panels blocked a space under the entrance to the manor. Corvo tore pulled at them and managed to release a few before anybody could hear him. His mask would be useful here past this point, if a little controversial. He had seen the posters around the city, calling for his capture or death for the reward of '10,000 COINS' with a detailed sketch of the mask.

He thought it was pitiful; the only reason he had been seen was because he had left a prostitute alive when he raided the Golden Cat Bathhouse. Corvo hadn't seen her or heard her behind the screen as he grabbed Custis Pendleton's neck. As he held him, he remembered that it was this particular Pendleton twin that made an inappropriate remark to the Empress at a state dinner. The remark he made crept up on Corvo from time to time as it baffled him as to why a man would make such a lewd request to the most powerful woman in the world. Corvo had stood over the Empress as she ate and had spotted the approaching, drunken Pendleton twin walk up to her and whisper in her ear, "Would you mind if I fucked you whilst you screamed?" Corvo immediately grabbed the twin by the scruff of his expensive collar and dragged him out shouting and screaming. At the time, Corvo had no idea who the man was, only that he was called 'a whore's son', 'Serkonan bastard' and 'a nobody'. The funny thing was that the last remark hurt him the most.

As the Pendleton tried to scratch at his mask, Corvo considered removing it to show him who had killed him. Tilting his head, he simply said to him, "Your brother died squealing in the steam room." The look on Custis' face when he said that was all the more priceless when Corvo's sword was jammed through his pencil neck. Suddenly spotting the brother's 'attendant' made it all the more difficult as she screamed in vain, the soundproof room blocking out her cries. The masked assailant walked over to her and put a finger to his mouth telling her to be quiet. She simpered and begged him not to kill her. To Corvo, this was new. He hadn't been seen whilst in Holger Square, but now he had to contemplate killing an innocent to protect himself. In hindsight, he felt foolish letting her live, as she had told the guards once she was sure he had disappeared, describing the eccentricities of his mask and his cloak to the horrified men sent to protect the two. At least he had rescued Emily.

He stood and brushed himself off, his invite neatly folded in his cloak pocket. A slight hill led up to the front gates, he passed an elderly gentleman who seemed to be talking to himself and spotted a car that had been parked alongside three people. As he approached them, he made sure to be discreet, noticing two generic looking party masks belonging to the sole man and the first woman, the third person had a disturbing mask, arguably more disturbing than Corvo's own. It seemed she had used a dolls head used to cover her face and the limbs were used as decoration above a white, silken shawl. She looked like a nurse from The Void. Whilst Corvo tried not to stare, this particular woman stared at him and beckoned him over.

"You there, with the skull mask! Come, please, join us!" she seemed to bellow across the entire district. Corvo nervously stepped over to the trio and nodded his head to them. "Have you ever been to a Boyle Party before?" the doll woman asked.

"No-Yes..." Corvo spluttered.

"Well make up your mind dear! We are all friends here," doll woman replied politely.

"Ahem," began Corvo again, "I meant to say that it's been a while since I attended one. Not since the late Lord Boyle passed a few years back."

Doll woman rubbed the bottom of her mask and adjusted the legs that popped out of the back of it, "Ah, I see. Very tragic the Lord Boyle dying, he was a kind man. Absolutely devoted to Waverley, despite the age gap. Plus, not to mention the wealth he had, oh!"

Corvo grinned under his mask, they believed him, "I don't believe we've met before. I would have surely remembered such a charming lady as yourself."

"Mattie, m'dear. And you are?" She held out her hand.

"Just a man," Corvo grabbed her hand and bowed slightly, unable to kiss it.

"Ooh, how naughty of you! These are my friends, Elisa and Jameson."

Corvo turned to shake Jameson and Elisa's hands, "A pleasure," stated a clearly bored Jameson. "Good evening, I like your mask," claimed Elisa.

A sudden gust of wind blew through the entrance, wrestling Mattie's invitation from her grasp. Corvo excused himself as the doll woman ran after the invite, against the persuasion to do otherwise. He stepped up to a railed window and saw a middle aged guard taking invites.

"Invitation please, sir," he repeated for what was probably the fiftieth time that night. Corvo handed over his invite. "Ah, Mr Bunting. That man behind you attempted to get in under your name." Corvo turned to see the hysterical seeming man by the gate was the art dealer he had stolen from the day of the Golden Cat incident. "I'll open the doors for you, sir."

With that, Corvo walked under an archway and stepped through an alcove up into the gardens, he had made it in with killing a soul, much to his relief and slight disappointment. These were the types of people that angered him the most. All coin, no soul. Golden ribbons adorned the place and huge lanterns hung above the guards and guests like reminders of their insignificance. Fireflies floated effortlessly around, adding to the visual spectacle almost as magnificently as the fireworks that seemed never-ending. Corvo walked upstairs towards the huge double doors and watched as a guard opened them for him. Stepping through, he was almost blinded by the rush of light from the lobby. Whale sculptures exploded with ribbons and glitter periodically, various rooms bombarded Corvo left and right, the guests gossiping and flirting amongst themselves. The most prominent feature to Corvo was definitely the Wall of Light that stood between himself, the guests and rats from peering upstairs.

"...a gift from the Lord Regent," he heard somebody say. Which meant it was probably the same as the other ones he had turned off, or turned against them. The guest book sat on a table next to him, Corvo contemplated signing it, just to get under the Lord Regent's skin, but decided against it. To his right, a library with presumably thousands of books. A few scattered groups of people stood around and talked absent-mindedly. To his left, there were two entrances, the first led to the lounge and the second led to a hallway. Corvo steadily paced into the lounge and spotted a woman in dressed head to toe in black. She wore a hand crafted porcelain mask that bore a blank face. A wisp of blonde hair had crept from the back, but she seemed immaculately groomed otherwise. Corvo walked up to her, feeling himself take deeper breaths than usual. The woman, from what he had heard moving towards her, was one of the Boyle sisters, and they all wore the same costume albeit in different shades.

Stepping closer, the woman turned and seemed to look Corvo dead in the eye, despite the mask and said, "Welcome to my party...I don't believe you've had the pleasure."

Before Corvo could reply, the Boyle sister chatted with another party guest, ignoring Corvo completely. Determined, he tried to speak to her again. "May I speak with you?" he asked.

She seemed to look him dead on again, "As you obviously cannot see, I am already speaking with somebody. Don't bother me again or I'll have the guards throw you out. Is that clear?"

Corvo wanted to show her he wasn't to be toyed with, he wanted to bother her until she called the guards and make her watch as he decapitated and gutted them. Instead, he moved away from her, and went down the hallway he had neglected before. On the right was a room covered with hunting trophies (which had many more guests than the library) and down the marbled floor nearby was the music room. It contained a grand piano and another Boyle sister. A maid had positioned herself nearby, she held a tray of drinks in her outstretched arms and looked uncomfortable. To maintain character, Corvo walked past her and straight to the Boyle sister dressed in a cream costume.

"Miss Boyle," he greeted, bowing to her.

She didn't say a word at first, looking at his cloak and mask, "What a deliciously simple mask..." she mused. "Have you been roaming the bushes?"

Corvo wasn't sure what to say, "Come again, m'lady?"

"You smell like that dirty, musky outdoors smell."

"I...see."

She smiled under the white face, "No harm meant by it, I simply wondered what you had been doing was all."

"I walked rather than take a coach. I wanted to take in the fireworks," he lied.

"What a beautiful idea, tell me, are you a poet or a scholar? Somebody of the arts?" she questioned.

"I follow certain arts, but I am yet to become a master."

"Musician?"

Corvo stood closer to her, "I played violin in my youth. I stopped when I inherited my fortune though. I was too busy."

"How gorgeous. My...other half is not one for playing, but he enjoys the sounds of the piano." Corvo's ear pricked up at 'other half'. "I play for him when I visit, but it's not worth the hassle sometimes."

"He sounds interesting. Would I have heard of him?" Corvo pried.

She became flustered but tried to hide it, "You most certainly will have, yet I'd prefer to keep him a secret for now." Corvo knew that she meant the Lord Regent but he had to be sure.

"Excuse me, m'lady."

He walked down the hall to the dining room, a huge table met his sight, a whale sculpture released the glitter and ribbons as he stepped in. Bunches of flowers scattered the table amongst the food. A shark lay cooked on the table, alongside various birds and vegetables. Corvo could smell Serkonan sausages and their spices. It smelt wonderful. He couldn't see the third sister, apparently she was in red. Searching the bottom floor again, he doubled back into the trophy room and spotted a man wearing a scarecrow mask. It encapsulated his entire head. Corvo was curious, so brushed past him, surprised when a sudden hand grabbed his wrist. Corvo wanted to pull out his blade, but the man started to speak.

"I know your mission tonight...we must speak privately."

"Who are you?" Corvo asked.

"I'm a friend of Pendleton's an-"

"And what?" Corvo interupted.

"...I've helped your cause," he continued. "How to put this...the person you are here to kill is the woman I love. I swear that if you bring her to me, unharmed, you will never hear from her again."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch," he said, lowering his tone, "There's a cellar under the kitchen, bring her there. I'm not proud of this...but it's better than seeing her killed."

"Which one are you with?"

"Her name is Lydia. Bring her to the cellar and I will keep her safe with me."

"Which dress?" Corvo demanded, their whispering drawing more than a few looks.

"White dress."

"What about the others?"

"Esma is in red, Waverley is in black."

"I'll do what I can," Corvo promised.

"Thank you."

Corvo stepped swiftly out of the room and made his way back to the music room. Guards took note of his speed but thought nothing more of it. For all they knew, he was just a guest. On his way, he spotted who the final sister in a crimson dress. They walked past each other and their heads turned to meet. She stopped Corvo just before he opened the music room door.

"My, my. You're quite...mysterious in that mask. Tell me, what's your name?" she asked, her voice was seductive and appealing.

"I'm nobody," Corvo replied.

"Now now, we're the ones playing the guessing game. One of the Pendleton's? Lord Brisby? Or someone entirely different?"

"Different."

She jutted her hips and rested her hands on them, "That is interesting. Can I tell you something?"

"What would that be?"

"I like a mysterious man."

Corvo was intrigued. Esma was supposed to be the one dressed in red and if the stories were true, she was quite the devilish one of the trio.

"How about a trip upstairs?" she continued, "I can show you some rare paintings, if you're interested in that sort of thing...or I can show you my bedroom. I have some lovely heirlooms in there."

"I.." he started, glancing at the door behind him, "I suppose I would rather have a look upstairs."

"Do you know who I am?"

"Esma, right?"

She stepped back on her left foot, "Well done. For that, I'll have to give you something extra special indeed." Esma Boyle grabbed Corvo's hand and led him through the dining room. To her, he was a tall, mystical stranger and she had set her sights on bedding him. To him, he was taking a risk. He thought about knocking her unconscious yet she was just as mysterious and admittedly exciting to him as he was to her. She let go of his hand as they entered the dining room, the two of them drew some attention, many of them simply thinking of Corvo as another notch on the Ladyship's bedpost. Esma continued upstairs, the sparse hall contained a guard and stairs upward and stairs down to the kitchen. Esma whispered something to the tall, rugged captain and he swerved a gloved hand to his left, letting Corvo go with her. She stayed silent, giggling to herself as Corvo wondered what he might have gotten himself into, only for the woman in crimson to open the door to her lavish bedroom. It was decorated in golds and reds, the bed was large and (if the gossip was true) well used. She stood and ran an index finger across the chest that sat below the bed and then grabbed Corvo by the scruff of his jacket, pulling him towards her.

"What do we do now...?" she asked in faux naïvety. She smelt like peaches.

Corvo didn't know what to say, he could easily kill her. One lunge of his blade would end her there, but he knew he wasn't there for her, he was here for her sister.

"I think...I think I should wash my face first," he replied, her head bowed in impatience.

"Oh. All right then. Do hurry, I don't wait for any man."

Corvo read the message loud and clear. He shuffled to the bathroom, he could hear her unbuttoning her blouse and nerves came over him. In her personal bathroom, Corvo took off his mask and pulled down his hood, he turned on the golden tap and washed away sweat and grime. He couldn't help but think that this was his best chance to get to Lydia. He could wait until the party died down and let them go to sleep, then kill her. He soaped his hands up and then thought of the consequences; Esma would probably piece together that the mysterious stranger allowed upstairs had killed her sister in the night. He could leave Esma where she was and make an excuse, or he could just take her to Lord Brisby. Despite his mind racing with ideas, he did find Esma oddly alluring. Attano stepped out of the bathroom with his mask back on and he saw Esma sat at the edge of the bed in nothing but her mask, underwear and her blouse.

"I do hope that you're a gentleman with me...unless I ask for it hard," she asked, sidling up behind him, removing his long coat for him. Corvo felt a lump in his throat as he felt her breath on the back of his neck, his dark hair now touching his shoulders.

"I don't think we should do this..." he told a nonplussed Esma. She pulled his shirt up and over his head, the mask not moving off his face.

"Nonsense, if you have a wife, you have no fear of her knowing, I like to keep my encounters to myself," her hands roamed his upper body and tugged on his belt. He found himself thinking of the Empress and became aroused, he scolded himself for it, but the urge to find comfort was building. "You can't tell yourself you don't want me?" Esma teased, her hand stroking up his thigh and waist until she pushed him forward on to the bed.

Corvo turned himself over, his mask had slipped off slightly and as he adjusted it, the woman formerly in all crimson jumped between his legs. "How about a taste?" Esma slipped off his belt and unbuttoned his trousers, pulling them down as she did. Corvo found himself being caught in the moment as she reached her hand into his trousers and stroked him.

I'm supposed to be killing her sister, the voice at the back of his head told him, whilst she took off her mask and placed him between her pink lips. He moved up on his elbows and witnessed the Boyle sister moving her head up and down, her blonde hair tickled his groin as she moved, Corvo caught a glimpse of her green eyes and small nose. She was gorgeous.

"I enjoyed that," she said as she took her blouse off and her corset, her ample breasts greeted Corvo's eyes and she grabbed his waist, moving her right hand slowly down his thighs as she felt herself get more excited. She moved her left hand to her underwear and felt through the fabric, letting out a gasp as she traced a circle with her fingers. That is when Corvo stopped her, Esma was bemused at the sudden change in the situation.

"Look, Esma..." he started, before she put her hand to his lower lip. He looked up at her, her porcelain skin shimmering under the soft light. He wanted to halt her train of thought, distract her long enough to leave her in bed. Something told the Lord Protector he wouldn't be killing her sister until she had got what she desired.

Samuel sat in his boat and stared at the now closed moat, having no idea whether Corvo had managed to finish his job in time to escape. The boatman remembered Admiral Havelock's orders for this sort of occasion – get back to the Hound Pits Pub and wait for any confirmation of success or death. Beechworth left the canal – and Corvo – to return to safety.