“I’m not really surprised that you murdered him.”

“You shouldn’t be; it is my line of work.” Poison-blue eyes fix upon the bloody sword, running a cloth along the metal to prevent staining the sheath. “If you expected anything but murder from a mercenary, you chose the wrong suitor.”

“Oh, no, that’s not it. It’s the way you did it that surprised me. I expected…” she paused. The sound of baritone laughter and moving metal broke her concentration, but at least she had his eyes now.

“What? That it would take longer?”

“Er, yes, actually. Isn’t it the Mercenary MO to give a lengthy speech and take an eternity to… liberate their victims from their inevitably doomed existence?” She slipped into a mocking eloquence to drive home her point.

“My dear, you read too much. It is typically the Mercenary MO to get the money and get out.” He shook his head, smiling at her. “I could give a speech here and there if it made you feel better.”

“I feel pretty alright as it is.”