Disclaimers: I do not own anything out of Resident Evil. All of the contents belonged to Capcom.
Chapter I: Awakening
'My father had died before I was born. My mother was the one who raised me.' - Sherry.
Raccoonia Castle, Afternoon
She felt warm, hot to be exact. Her throat was burning and there was an invisible lump that was bothering her when she swallowed. But most of all she felt drained and fatigued. And her nose caught some unfamiliar scent of pungent substance like in an apothecary.
Groaning softly, she tried to pry her eyes open and through the thin slits of her eyes she saw an unfamiliar surrounding, objects that did not belonged to her home. She had never woken up anywhere else other that her straw bed.
"Ah, you are finally awake, young lass."
Now she forced herself to be fully awake and struggled to sit up using her frail, lifeless body. She had only managed half-way when someone went right to her and stop her from proceeding, "Easy now, you are still weak. You need rest." It was a soft feminine voice. A woman.
Now she felt less hostile to the newness and she finally gather up her senses. The dizziness was not a welcome but at least her sensory was still in function. Looking over to the one stopping her, she finally felt okay for the first time since she had woken up in a foreign place, "Where am I?" Her voice was coarse, her throat was dry by the lack of water. And she did noticed that she was no longer in her disgusting mud-ridden clothes.
"In the castle's infirmary." The short-haired woman replied with a sincere smile, "I am Rebecca Chambers. A physician."
She gaped, shocked. How did she end up in the CASTLE?
"Chambers, has she awaken?"
Another two people entered the spacious room filled with beds and chemicals. Both was in their thirties, but still looked youthful especially the red-haired woman. The man on the other hand looked older due to the stubble on his chin. One thing they had in common is that they both were dressed nicely, of someone in high authority.
Rebecca stood from the bed and greeted the two with a slight bow, "Yes, Commander Kennedy."
The bed-ridden blonde cringed when the couple sat to her bed. But she felt her hostility subsiding quickly when the man identified as 'Commander Kennedy' smiled to her, and so did the woman who she presumed to be his wife, "We found you out cold at the street last night. Why were you out at midnight, raining on top of that, young lass?"
Yes. Yes, she remembered how she had pushed herself to the limit to run. She had run through the forest and finally reached the city of Raccoonia.
"I... I was... my mother..."
"Hmm? You have a family?"
The red-haired woman scolded her man, "Be quiet, Leon. Let her speak."
"I got it, Claire."
And she cringed and started to sob, holding the sheets to her chest which surprised the couple. Immediately, the red-haired woman soothes her and Rebecca went to the table and get her a glass of water.
"My mother... She's... she's gone."
"It's alright, hush now. It's okay. Slowly." Claire gave her the glass of water which she only take a sip, despite that she wanted to polish the whole thing down. Shakily, she proceeded, "She told me to hide..."
"Why?" Leon asked.
It must have been a horrifying memory that the blonde started to sob again. Miserably this time. "Okay. We'll stop asking if you don't want to think about it." Claire assured, stroking the poor woman's back softly and put her index finger to a lips as a signal for Leon to keep quiet, "Do you need us to send you home?"
"I don't... I don't have a home now... So I ran to the city..."
"Then how about staying here in the castle? It's definitely safer here and... we have a lot of people." To talk to. That's what Claire meant. She understand how this young woman feel to have lost her mother. And being homeless.
And with whatever courage the blonde had, she nodded at the offer. Clearly she had realized that this was the only way of her survival now.
"What's your name?"
"...Sherry."
Raccoonia Castle, Afternoon
The day was already high when Claire Redfield, as she had introduced herself to Sherry, went separate ways with General Leon Scott Kennedy. The general stated that he will need to report himself to her brother, General Chris Redfield and to find General Jack Krauser for some sword training.
As they proceeded through the hallway with the people eyeing onto the stranger Sherry curiously, Claire explained how she had found Sherry passed out in front of them in the streets of Raccoonia with Leon. They were just on their way back to the castle after Leon's reconnaissance mission when they had stumbled across her.
"I am going to bring you to get changed, then you will meet with the King And Queen before you become a full-fledged stewardess here." Claire said as she opened a the door to a room. It had several beds inside and it was definitely the room for the stewardess.
Sherry shivered, her first day and she had already get to meet the King and Queen of Raccoonia? When Claire gave her some clothes, she had already read the fear on Sherry's face, "You see, our King is a very careful person. Every person working here in this castle had already met his Majesty on their first day. This is to make sure that, there will be no traitor in his castle's wall."
"What do I do once I meet them?" The new comer asked. Claire only sighed at say that she will only need to explain herself.
"You are very lucky that the Queen is here today."
Later, Claire presented Sherry to the King and Queen in front of all his ministers. It might be an irregular practice in most country but here in Raccoonia, everyone had acknowledged that the King will have to inspect every single person working under his castle, just so he or she wasn't a spy nor an assassin.
Albert Wesker had even held Sherry's face by the chin just so he can have a better look on her mousy face. His golden-red eyes were hard and stern against her sapphire ones; too similar to his Queen and his son's.
There was only one word that he could read in her eyes: Fragility.
Her breath was held on her throat and she dare not to exhale it on the King's face. For a moment she wished that she could just close her eyes to block out the golden red ones. The grip on her throat was numbing. Smirking, the King released his grip and walked back to his throne, "Your name?" He asked, his elbow rested upon the arm of his throne and he crossed his legs.
"Sherry." She stuttered her reply.
A pause. "Sherry...?" He trailed off so that he could get her last name.
She shook her head weakly, "None, your Majesty. Just Sherry."
Before Albert can further ask, it was Queen Gabrielle who suggested the next question,"Mmm... you lived in the outskirts, don't you? The people had only a single name there... How old are you?"
"Twenty-one, your Highness." It was a lot easier to speak with the smiling beautiful Queen.
Gabrielle smile grew wider, "Do you have a family?"
Sherry suddenly went mute. Family? She had just lost her only family last night. She swallowed the heaviness sitting on her thumping chest and she opened her mouth slowly, "My father had died before I was born. My mother was the one who raised me."
The Queen's smile faded slightly on her choice of word, "Was?"
"Was." Sherry confirmed it.
"So with nowhere else to go, you came to the city?"
"Yes. And it was Commander Kennedy and Madam Kennedy who had found me last night."
Then, the Queen came forward, holding up Sherry's pale white hands and stroked it with sympathy, just like how Sherry's mother had done to her. It made Sherry wanted to cry again.
"Poor child." She said, before turning herself to the King, "I say that we will keep her. What say you, my dear husband?"
A scowl was present on Albert's face. He had always dislike the good nature of his wife that he redefine it as naïve and careless. but the King had also see that this young woman will pose no threat in any aspect so he nodded slightly, "Fine."
It was scary. King Albert Wesker.
Claire was right when she said she was lucky that The Queen was here. Because the merciful Queen of Raccoonia easily approved her in the castle unlike her skeptical king husband. "You are to take care of her, Redfield." Albert finally announced to Claire like he had always did to any other woman serving in the castle, "Make no mistake."
"Certainly, your Majesty."
Servant's Quarter, Afternoon
"This is where you will sleep when your work is done."
Her dormitory was quite modest, unlike the other rooms she had seen on the castle which most of them were very well-furnished. Even the bed in the infirmary was better than this, although most of them were covered in dried stains of blood from the people who seek medical attention. But it was better than nothing, Sherry had expected herself to sleep on the floor.
There were five other beds in the room excluding the one that Claire claimed to be Sherry's. She will be sharing with five other roommates then.
Later, Claire summoned the owners of each bed so that they can be introduced to their new comer Sherry.
They stood in line, side by side. From the first impression, Sherry had already a clear idea of each's personality. She saw energy in one, then hard, then carefree, grumpy and kind.
Bowing with her hand folded on her hip, Sherry introduced herself to her roommates, "Nice to meet you all. My name is Sherry."
First, there was this tanned girl that didn't look like a Raccoonia, probably in some other kingdom in another continent, "The name's Sheva. Sheva Alomar!" She said her name proudly, "Nice to meet you, Sherry." The huge grin on her face had been on since she had stepped into the dorm.
"I'm Helena Harper." Next was a matured looking woman, but her introduction was quickly cut off by the other woman who bear a striking resemblance but her face were more cheerful and carefree, "Deborah Harper, Sherry! Debbie is fine," Then she hugged Helena from her side, "Yup, Helena is my hard-ass sister. Don't mind her frowning too much, she being too serious about her work. That's all."
The other two was blonde like Sherry although the final one was a lot paler than hers. "Alyssa Ashcroft." The one with an uninterested face said simply. Sherry smiled to her but she didn't get the smile back, okay, grumpy was the right word.
But the final one was definitely 'kind'. "Hello, Sherry, I am Cindy Lennox." Her smile was the most sincere among the four (Not including Alyssa that is), "Pleasure to meet you, but be sure I will only see you here or during meals. I don't like people visiting me on my working place." She giggled innocently.
"She meant the infirmary. Sheva, Helena, Deborah and Alyssa are stewardesses just like you. But Cindy is a nurse." Claire explained, "Okay, ladies. Now that Sherry has joined you guys, be sure to teach her everything she should know about the castle."
And there they went with Sheva and Deborah happily dragged Sherry out from the dorm and straight into work. Helena only shook her head at her sister and her best friend's enthusiam and Alyssa remained stoic.
Cindy just smiled.
Raccoonia Castle, Evening
Jill Valentine escorted the Queen to her favorite spot next to the window when they were in her chamber.
It was a habit of Gabrielle, to stare out at the open orange sky wondering things, mostly about his child whom she loved so much. She always sighed whenever she thought about the young rascal.
Her stewardess knew that it was now the time to leave Gabrielle some time alone, "Should I make you a cup of tea, your Highness?" It was not really a cup of tea. She had never actually make one, it was just some sort of understanding between the two when the Queen felt like being left alone. Jill knew better when her Queen really need a cup of tea.
She had been with the Queen's side ever since the Prince was born.
Smiling wearily, Gabrielle nodded to her stewardess, "Yes. Thank you, Jill."
Closing the door behind her with a muted thud, Jill proceeded down the hallway to where the kitchen was located. Sure she wasn't going to make the tea but at least she got a little something to do in the kitchen, helping out the kitchenettes and so on.
And there was always this someone who compliment her cooking.
"Miss Valentine?"
She had heard this same man to call her 'Miss Valentine' even after nearly three decades they knew each other, two being on the castle and the last one was on their childhood. Jill turn with a playful sigh and saw the same man that always fidgeted nervously when he greeted her.
"General Redfield, for how many times in my life that I had to remind you to call me 'Jill'? Why did you insist to call me 'Miss Valentine'?" Jill pouted, her hands were folded neatly on her lap, looking very feminine.
As usual, Chris' right arm was holding onto his helmet and he was in his light armor. Even in his forty, the daunting grand general still looked as handsome as ever. He chuckled at Jill's comment, "And you had been calling me 'General Redfield' for twenty years ever since I joined the knights," Chris retorted with a smile that he will only show to this woman and his sister, "So, we are even."
"No. You are the Grand General of Raccoonia and I am just another stewardess on the castle. It is a customary that I address you as so or... I will lose my head."
"Sure. But you're my friend, that's what matter the most. Unless you call me 'Chris', I will not call you 'Jill'."
Jill pouted, "You just did, sire."
"An example."
"General!"
Both pair of eyes switched to another knight who was walking briskly to his buffed general. The knight was a lot thinner unlike his general's heavily trained body but he inherited the hard eyes of his mentor. The young knight saluted quickly and quickly informed, "The King wanted us to train the Prince again today."
Chris nodded calmly, but his young apprentice was sulking as he carried on, "I found him somewhere near the lake. Ready when you are, sire."
Anything related to the Prince spells hectic and hard work. It was obvious that the King antagonize the general so much that he assigned Chris as Jake Wesker's personal combat tutor, saying that he wants the best for his son. But the older Redfield lived up to his name to be calm and patient in the battlefield, even outside the battlefield. However, trouble began stirring as soon as Chris accepted this young knight with high potential under his wings, that Albert Wesker assigned him to be Jake's tutor as well.
Unlike his general, this knight had a shorter temper.
"I know you don't like the Prince. But why the face, Piers Nivans?" Chris said, making the frown on the young knight grew.
"The Prince never grow up. He's twenty-three for God's sake and yet he didn't act like one." His complain was quickly hushed by his mentor when Chris scolded, "How many times do I have to tell you to always keep your emotions in check, Piers? Your impatience was a weakness, even in a battlefield. Going into a blind rage and you will not see tomorrow again. Patience, Nivans."
Piers saluted apologetically and stood in ready.
Realizing that she was still watching, Chris turned his attention back to Jill with a small smile, "Aye, I'll see you again."
"Good day, General Redfield."
Then Jill bowed and left the two knights on the hallway.
With an amused smirk, Chris mouthed silently, "It's Chris."
A.N: I'm impressed of how much reviews/favs/follows (RFF) for the prologue. Thank you guys. Let's hope that I can keep my pace steady so that the RFF goes as steady as well. :)
I guess anyone had guessed out that the 'golden haired woman' in the prologue was Sherry. Make sense, huh? Leon and Claire rescued Sherry. Oh and the two are married by the way. Sorry for anyone supporting Aeon, but truly, anyone had a suggestion for Ada's role? I... can't seem to find any that fit in her sultry character.
Last chapter was about Jake's intro and so I made this chapter I made an intro for Sherry. How's the Chris/Jill at the end? Yup, unlike Leon and Claire, they are still under development. I think that they are cute together, don't you think? ;) And yay for Piers!
Sit tight and RFF! :)