ok....someone please clear up something for me. During tonight's family game of citadels I had built the ball room district card which states that while I possessed the crown when a players identity was called they had to respond with "thanks, your majesty" less lose their turn. A few hands later I possessed the crown and called up the assassin(my son) who immediately responded with "I wish to kill the king" and didnt respond first with "thanks your majesty" so therefore he lost his turn....but heres where it got hairy....I then called up the thief(my wife) who states "thanks your majesty" and that she "wishes to steal from the king".....I immediately point out that she can not steal from the same player that the assassin attempted to kill...and she argued that the assassin lost his turn so his play was not valid so she could steal from anyone....even though the assassin made the verbal announcement on who he wished to kill prior to the realization that he had lost his turn. The rule book states that you can not steal from the assassins "target". but does not specify as to its validity if the assassin then loses their turn!!!!

Let me answer this by asking another question:

Assuming the Thief had tried to steal from someone other than the King, would you have played that the King still lost his turn due to assassination even though the Assassin lost his own turn by not saying "thanks, your majesty"?

Bottom line, if the King isn't assassinated then he's still a valid target for the Thief. I would say that's the case here, myself. The Assassin lost his own turn and therefore did not assassinate anyone. Thus all remaining characters are valid targets for the Thief.

The fact that your son announced his plans means nothing if said plans are not enacted.