Disclaimers: I do not own anything out of Resident Evil. All of the contents belongs to Capcom.

Chapter VI: First Assignment

'Your task is simple, Sherry. Just do whatever the Prince ordered you to.' - Jill Valentine

Raccoonia Castle, Morning

The morning when the rest of the maids had to see Sherry leave the servant's quarter which she had only used twice, it felt like they were bidding her farewell. As if Sherry was going to war and never to come back alive again. But Sherry wore an optimistic, cheerful mask that morning. She spend the whole morning trying to convince Sheva and Deborah that she will be alright to put up with the 'evil Prince' (a nickname they had dub Jake when they talked about him last night) and to protect herself from his... cruelty.

"I'll be fine."

Everyone know that she was upright lying; her face was pale, and her hands were secretly shaking, even her breath were shallow.

When Jill came up to the quarters soon after to bring Sherry to her new room next to the Prince's, everyone looked at her like she as some sort of jury to bring Sherry to her confinement. The twenty-one looked so nervous, that Jill might consider calling Claire for help. But Sherry swallowed and put up her next mask: strong and eager.

Dawn was breaking as they walked to the rear castle where the royal chambers were. The hallway was luxuriously furnished, gold and light blue and purple colored the hallway and the servants there were nicely dressed. This was the first time Sherry had been in this corner of the rear castle and she was astounded by the view.

She thought that the King's hall was the only nice place in the palace, the rest were all dungeons and sand and soldiers. Was she wrong.

Jill introduced each room they passed by to Sherry as they went for her room, "This is the room for the maids with higher ranks," Both heads turned to their right to a mahogany door, a far cry from the servant's quarter at the courtyard, "These maids had worked in the palace for years before they deserve this position. And over there is the mess hall for these ladies."

Sherry followed Jill's finger as it pointed to the door a short distance away from the quarters.

The younger woman was about to ask if she will be sleeping there with the older maids in their forties, some very snob looking and to the kind side; but Jill walked past the door without mentioning anything.

Then they had reached an even well furnished long hallway with at least four door - two with a double door with two single door at the intervals. A good distance between each door emphasized how spacious each double door room is. No doubt it's the royal chamber and the smaller room must be the stewardesses. They stopped at the first door when Jill turned to Sherry with a smile, "Here we are, this will be your den, young Sherry."

Opening the door to a modestly sized room, Sherry was impressed on how nicely decorated the room was even if it was meant for only a stewardess. The walls were painted light green and easy on the eyes, the wooden floor adds a nice contrast to it even without a carpet. There was a nice vase of flowers at the corner and well, the bed looked dreamy. Way better than the one she was sharing with Sheva, Deborah, Helena, Alyssa or Cindy.

Or that little straw bed back home.

Jill allowed Sherry to have a look around her bedroom for a while and the latter knew how long this room had been vacated by the thin sheet of dust around every corner.

That had to be cleaned.

Dust was her worst enemy.

Valentine led Sherry out the hallway a little while later, "This room next to yours was... the Prince's. But he rarely ever sleep here. So... I guess that you will not be in your room as often as you think. But I promise I'll clean it for you when I have the spare time."

The timid woman nodded. Right, the Prince was everywhere in the castle, which will soon led her to be too since she will be by his side all the time.

Next Jill pointed out the other double door which was the Queen's chamber and the last single door at the corner was hers.

"Your task is simple, Sherry. Just do whatever the Prince ordered you to. And here are The Prince's training schedules," Jill gave her a sheet of paper, "Be sure to convince- remind the Prince of it."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Good. And if you need anything at all, you know where to find me. Now, go get changed, and embark on your first ever assignment." Jill finally smiled and entrusted the first assignment for Sherry's as the Prince's stewardess.

Find the goddamn Prince.

Infirmary, Morning

Rebecca pushed her glassed above the bridge of her nose as she reread the note again; by The King, to her.

You are required to diagnose The Queen, whether she will like it or not and to send me a medical report later.
Failure to comply to this order will be punished severely.

The female doctor folded the order and slipped it into her coat. She saw The King's point of having The Queen checked up. She knew that The Queen had been avoiding the physicians for a time now and from what she had heard from Valentine, her cough had been elapsed to five days and still The Queen was not any better than yesterday.

Queen Gabrielle should not decline her offer this time.

The day was still early and Rebecca decided to give it some time before she make her way to Gabrielle's chamber.

"Aye, you are early today, Doctor Chambers."

She knew the voice of her co-worker so well, without bothering to turn around, Rebecca nodded simply, "Good morning, Doctor Hamilton. Well, it's not early for me, I hadn't left the infirmary since yesterday. We are physicians after all."

George settled his equipment to his own desk, agreed, "You are right, who know there will be people who needed our help. Where's Cindy?"

"I told her to get some rest on her dormitory. Poor girl had never got the time to rest."

"She's a good nurse, I am glad to have her around."

Then, they re-focused their attention back to their own business. Rebecca checking on to her medicines in her med-box and George dealt with his own paper work. It wasn't too long before George realized that Rebecca was getting ready to head out when he saw how she rearranged the chemicals in her box.

"Are you seeing someone this early morning?" George asked casually without tearing his gaze away from his papers filled with his patients information from the recent ambush.

Rebecca nodded quickly, "Aye, The King had ordered me to see the Queen."

George made in unintelligent noise and his brow furrowed, tilting his heads upward to meet Rebecca's eyes, "The Queen... if I recalled correctly, she had been coughing for days now. If it's a simple cold, her Highness will not be coughing any more than three days. Do you think this is a symptom to...?"

"Pray, let it not be real."

Walls of the castle, Morning

Sherry panted when she had finally reached the top of the almost endless flights of stairs. From what she had heard from the maids, they saw the Prince had climbed up to the walls last night and never came back down. This made them assumed that The Prince slept up there last night.

Her freshly ironed dress was now sticky with her own sweat. She was mildly impressed of how the Prince was said to climb up here effortlessly.

Oh wait. He's a trained man, wasn't he?

After climbing the tower, Sherry stepped out to the sunlight and saw Jake sitting with his legs crossed staring at the lake. Her hard breathing made him to be aware of her presence immediately and he threw her a smile, "That's pretty fast for newbies. You found me in less than an hour since you were introduced to your room."

"You had slept here throughout the whole night, your Highness?" She asked incredulously, the night itself was cold enough and the Prince was even able to withstand the cold wind.

Jake nodded and walked towards the young woman, to which she ducked her head and avoid his sharp gaze. His eyes were penetrating her skull it seemed. She looked mostly afraid of him, it's a good thing for Jake. Easier for his aim to get rid of her.

The Prince brought a hand to her chin and lifted it slightly so that she was facing him in the face. Her jaws was trembling out of fear and Jake released it soon, glaring darkly at her. It reminded Sherry of King Albert Wesker when she first reported to the castle, that was how the King had done to her when he wanted to look at her face.

"So, basically you will listen to whatever I am going to say?" Jake asked with a scowl.

She nodded. It's like she was telling him that she was up for whatever challenge he threw at her.

He smirked as he crossed his arms and tucked it on his chest. 'Time to execute the first method.' "So, now I am all rise and shine, I wanted a bath and breakfast. Think you are up for it?"

"As you wish, your Highness." She replied softly.

"I'll just gonna have another nap here while you get yourself ready, when I return to my chamber, you are to get everything done, got it, little girl?"

"Yes."

"Get the hell outta here then."

Sherry didn't even have the time to bow when she carried her tired feet away as quickly as possible. Jake watched silently when a sigh escaped his lips.

'Please, Sherry. Just give up on my first move, I don't want to go to the second step.'

It was his intentions to be harsh with her, to pressure her so that she give up by herself. Jake will purposely find her mistakes later and just lash out at her. He clearly remembered how he had shooed the first woman out of his room for failing to make him a hot bath in time and complained harshly that his food was cold, she got to frustrated that she feign a broken spine and left his service.

But the second, the third and the fourth survived his first test.

Very funny. A while later after Jake had waited, he strolled back to the rear castle where everyone was trying to avoid him. He walked past his mother's chamber and there was soundless in her room, maybe his mother was still asleep by now. Just as he walked past his own room, Sherry was just bringing a tray of food to his chamber - still steaming hot.

Sherry froze on her tracks when she saw The Prince at the distance, her grip to the tray tighten when Jake came closer as if trying to dig out her flaw.

Surprisingly he saw none. The food smells good and it looked great.

"Did you prepare my bath?" Jake asked sternly, hoping that her answer would be a no so that he would have a perfect excuse to scold her.

Sherry nodded back and said softly, "Yes, sir. The water had been heatened in your chamber."

Jake raised an eyebrow before dropping it back down in an instant. Sherry had done her chores faster than he would have expected; drawing the water, heating it and cooking - looks like he had underestimated the small body of hers. The other girls who had once served for him all failed to bring his hot bath in time because they failed miserably at the drawing water part; hauling water from the courtyard to the rear castle wasn't a simple task for most people.

This Sherry... she was not just some simple girl. She can lift weights.

The Prince huffed disappointingly when he had not found what he wanted and stepped into his room. There was a tin bathtub sitting in the middle with gentle steam rising from it.

Sherry was about to leave the Prince alone for the sake of his privacy (and her own hormones) when Jake stopped him, calling out her name sharply, "Aren't you supposed to help me strip?"

Her face became as hot as the water from the tub to his command. Luckily the lighting was still dim due to the lack of candle in the chamber or else he would see that she was blushing scarlet.

Jake could see the crimson on her face AND how she was currently fidgeting unsurely in her spot near the double door - Sherry was fighting whether to obey to his command or simply stand and wait. He sighed again, 'Maybe that was a little too hard for her? Fine, just this time I'll spare her.'

"Alright. Go outside and wait til I'm finished."

As much as she wanted to dash for the exit, Sherry maintained a calm attitude as she walked out of the chamber while wiping the blush from her face.

Jake glared at the closed door and scowled, 'Looks like I need to put in a little more effort.'

Infirmary, Morning

Rebecca got her final preparations ready and was about to head to the Queen's chamber.

Until a woman appeared on the infirmary to stop her, supposedly.

"Miss Valentine." Rebecca called with a smile and Jill returned it but a lot weaker.

From the glint of Jill's eyes, Rebecca knew that Jill was by the Queen's command to stop her from seeing the Queen. Sighing softly, Rebecca showed the King's note to Jill and the latter was rather unfazed, instead, she looked glad and grateful to the King.

"Although the Queen ordered me here to stop you, but I am worried about the Queen as much as everyone did too. But doctor, would you give it some time so that I can persuade the Queen to come here myself?" Valentine pleaded.

"You knew the Queen better than I did, miss Valentine," Rebecca said, "Doctor Hamilton and I suspected that it was more than a simple cold. It's not about that I will be losing my head, miss Valentine, but the Queen need early medical attention."

Jill went mute for a second. She knew that the Doctor was stating a fact, "I know. It wasn't just coughing anymore, her Highness had lost appetite and she complained of dizziness too." The Queen's stewardess begged, "But for this only time, Doctor. Please, I promise to bring the Queen to you next time we met."

Chambers could see the tears shimmering in the eyes of the poor woman. Shaking her head disapprovingly Rebecca removed the med-box from her shoulders and smiled, "Okay."

"Thank you, doctor."

When Jill returned to the rear castle that morning, her heart felt heavy as if a thousand boulder were stacked onto it. She knew why the Queen avoided the doctor: because the Queen herself knew too.

Gabrielle was very well aware that it wasn't just a simple cold she was inflicted with. She knew that it was something way worse than that. And yet she refused to face it, to face the fact that she was no longer a healthy woman. She thought that by avoiding the doctors, she will not learn the truth.

Whatever it is, Jill vowed to stay by the Queen's side.

A.N: Sorry, peeps for the lack of Romance for now. At least Jake was not being an total asshole for day one (he had no reason to). :)

Believe me and stay with me: I had more in store for you guys!
Yup, RFF as usual! XD