A month has passed since my espionage mission. The Valorite Emperor finally is healthy enough to return to power. It was decided to celebrate with a party with all the nobles invited. While officially the party was just to celebrate the Emperor's return to health but everyone knows that the Emperor is planning to announce his successor incase he would fall ill again. 

Princess Valerie hired me and Cherié again as bodyguards as she's worried that the second prince might decide to stage a coup out of desperation since his faction had been left in shambles. 

-So you plan on hiring us as bodyguards.

-Yes, i'm worried about the second prince, he's been acting very suspiciously and not even my spies can't find out what he's planning. 

-Fine then, but i hope the pay is good. 

-Don't worry sir Snake you will be rewarded handsomely. Also you'll need this letter to get in

As i and Cherié prepare for the party we go over our loadout in case anything does go wrong

-We're gonna have to be discreet so pick a handgun and grab some smoke grenades. 

-Why smokes Master? 

-Incase we need to evacuate the princess and other VIPs. 

I decide to pack my sub-compact Pharo SMG incase we need some extra firepower. 

And finally we make our way to the castle. As we enter we tell the guards we were hired by Princess Valerie and show them the letter she gave us. As we head to the Princess's Chamber i deploy a few spyder drones to map out the castle. Now that's 2 castles I've planted bugs in. We arrive at the Princess's Chamber and knock on the door. 

KNOCK KNOCK

we see the door open and Michelle in a maid dress. 

-May we come in? 

-Yes, the Princess is waiting for you. 

We walk over to the Princess combing her hair in front of her makeup mirror. 

-Ah, sir Snake and miss Cherié you're here, are you prepared for the party? 

-Yes, yes we are. 

-Good, cause i fear the second prince is planning something for the party. He's been smiling and acting cocky despite the fact Father is definitely planning to announce the first prince as his successor. 

-You think he's planning a coup? 

-it would make sense considering that every noble and the entire Imperial family will be at the party. He could effectively eliminate both father and the first Prince while having the nobles swear fealty to him in one move. 

-Is the First prince prepared for this? 

-He doesn't believe that his own brother would stage a coup. He's a brilliant leader but he's too soft on his relatives, that's why this succession crisis lasted so long. He didn't want to take the initiative against him. 

-In that case take Cherié as your bodyguard. I'll sneak around and find any assassins the second prince might have in hiding. 

-Very well then, but be careful royalty only hire the best. 

-Princess I'm the best of the best. 

-Haha, so far you have proven that. 

I leave the chamber and activate my cloak. I begin to sneak around the castle while monitoring what the spyder drones have seen. I find a assassin nearby the ballroom where the party is held on one of the arches and i sneak up behind him and whisper to him. 

-Oi, susie! 

WHAM

I pistol whip him in the back of the head knocking him unconscious. I tell Cherié through her DNI to warn the Princess and be ready for an attack. The party progresses while i eliminate more assassins. Finally the party quiets down and the Emperor stands up with both princes to his left with the queen and princess Valerie to his right. 

-Nobles of the Empire! We are here to celebrate my recovery from illness. But what you don't know is that this party is also to celebrate my heir! Princ-

-ARRGHHH!!

Everyone turns to see the second prince stabbing the first through the heart with a knife. A moment later 2 dozen assassins jump down killing the imperial guards protecting the emperor. Cherié quickly pulls out her handgun and swiftly takes out 4 of them. 

I pull out my Pharo and jump down. I tell Cherié to pop a smoke and activate her thermals. Its the only way we can take back the initiative. I fire 2 rounds into the second princes legs crippling him. I want to make sure he doesn't escape. 

BANG BANG

-ARGH! 

As the smoke covers most of the ballroom the nobles begin to panic as some pullout their swords to defend themselves. Cherié and i continue to eliminate the assassins before the smoke clears and while their still dazed and can't see. 

As the smoke clears a dozen assassins remain and begin their attack on the Emperor. Cherié and i continue firing at the assassins dropping them one by one. 

BANG BANG BANG BANG

BANG BANG BANG BANG

BANG BANG BANG BANG

Finally as the last assassin drops i walk over to the second Prince to make sure he doesn't try anything funny. The guards outside make their way in and secure the ballroom.

As the cleanup goes on Cherié and i are brought to a private meeting room with the Emperor and the Imperial family. 

Cherié looks down nervously while i maintain eye contact with the Emperor, well as much eye contact you can while wearing a mask. After a few moments of silence the Emperor finally speaks up laughing. 

-HAHAHAHA! that was impressive! 

-All in a days work your majesty. 

-All in a days work he says saving the empire from collapse. Haha! What's more my daughter has informed me that you also exposed the evil snd corruption among the nobles. For this you must be rewarded. 

In the end we received 10 million on top of the original 3 million from Princess Valerie. We also get the Imperial dragon mark. The highest award in the empire given only to heroes and those favoured by the emperor for their skill. Giving us a free pass to anywhere in the empire be it the Imperial castle or the emperor's summer estate. 

The next day we watch as the first prince is given a funeral parade through the capital before being buried in the tomb of emperors. The Emperor gives a heartfelt speech about his son not as a emperor but as a father. 

The day after that we watch the second prince publicly executed and the announcement of Princess Valerie as heir to the throne. 

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(A.N i decided to see how much i could squeeze into a chapter before i burned out)