Chapter 7: Hired Help

A/N: Just to clarify, since I got a rather interesting comment… This story is not about Amber being evil. She has an evil counterpart. Please read the full summary/description before jumping to conclusions. Of course, this is out of character for Amber. Because Ember is NOT Amber… Thanks! 😊

Once Ember had completed her shadowing with her father, the king planned his daughter's coronation and had it carried out in an expeditious manner, due to the circumstances. While Ember herself, Jaime, and even Moses to a degree were excited for this switchover, most people within the kingdom were not thrilled. After all, it was no secret that Ember could be downright cruel and disrespectful. Ever since she was young, she would torture the staff and demand things that seemed impossible (like changing the weather, for a more ridiculous example), and she was also vocally abusive toward the subjects who lived in the surrounding villages, making her a menace in their eyes.

Moses had begun medical treatments for his condition, and while most of his fainting spells had stopped once he'd stepped down from his stressful job as king, he still experienced a few of them on occasion. It could have been just a lingering effect of his position, or it could have been a precursor to a more serious medical condition that would reveal itself in due time, but for the most part, he wasn't as ill as he had been during his consistent reign. However, that didn't mean his stress was entirely gone. After all, his daughter was now a queen… And just as he'd feared, although she'd begun strong and generally fair, that all quickly went out the window.

Within the first month of her reign, Ember had fired over half of the castle staff, including people who had worked there for many years—even before she and Jaime had been born. She offered no reason behind it except to tell them that she was the queen, and she'd made her decision. For her own purposes, she found some of them useless or incompetent, but most were people she'd hated for a long time. Mrs. Harriet, for example, was a seamstress who had completely messed up the hem in one of her favorite gowns (likely due to poor eyesight since the woman was in her late 70s, but Ember didn't care about that). Another fired worker was Clyde, the second floor maintenance man. She'd found him making out with a few of the maids on occasion, which she considered an inappropriate use of his work time.

Following the numerous firings, Ember sent out a request for new hires for many positions: maids, servants, guards, and a castle steward (the other one was one of the reasonable releases, since he was very sick and likely to pass soon). However, what she didn't know was that due to her brash decision-making, terrible behavior and attitude, and overall negative approach as a queen, a group of insiders (informants who had once pledged allegiance to King Moses but certainly not to Queen Ember) had reached out to an underground agency known for hiring many undercover workers. What this agency was most notorious for? Hiring undercover assassins.

Unfortunately, an insider assassination job, especially one of such high security and status, was no easy feat. It would be a rather lengthy process, involving assassins who were comfortable with going deep undercover—as new castle workers, no less. Granted, it was the perfect time, due to the queen's request for new people, so she would be none the wiser.

"We have two of our best undercover agents who are willing to take the job," the leader of the underground group told the informants when they visited to set things into motion. "He has handled a total of thirty cases in the last six years, and she has done about 14 in her two years here at our agency. At a previous agency, she'd had a dozen or so client requests, and all were handled quietly and quickly." He removed the pipe from his mouth and glowered at the three men under a set of rather bushy eyebrows. "But if you want them to take out the queen, it will be a hefty price, and it will take much longer than average."

"Price is no matter," the lead informant told the boss. "We know how to access the private royal funds. However, what kind of time frame are we looking at here?"

He cleared his throat, shuffling his large body in the rickety chair he'd clearly occupied for quite a while. "Well, royal jobs are rather intricate. There's always someone watching, and snitches are everywhere. Guards, rather. To go in too quickly would be a fatal error, for both my workers and your lot. If I estimate correctly…" He tapped his pipe to his chin, pondering over potential events and figures. "Maybe three years."

"Years?" one of the other informants managed to ask in awe. "You don't think they could knock that down to three months?"

The boss grunted as he sat up, folding his arms as his pipe now dangled from his teeth. "Do you want the job done sloppily, in which you will probably hang for treason and premeditated murder? Or do you want it done well, in which Queen Ember will have an 'unfortunate accident' and you're all spared? Because my assassins don't mind dying either way. They've all been stabbed, sliced, mangled, burned, or otherwise, so this is nothing new to them."

The main informant sighed heavily, nodding. "Fine. Three years, but not a day longer. I'll honestly be surprised if Exchancia is still standing by then." He reached out to take the other man's hand, shaking it firmly. "When will your people be available?"

"Tomorrow. I'll inform them of the job tonight, and they'll enter as separate interviewees for different positions."

"Mm, ooh, Brookes…"

"Orchid, I—ohh!"

A dark room in the basement area of the secret underground agency was the current home of two of the best assassins the group had ever seen: Agent Brookes and Agent Orchid. No one knew if those were their real names, and no one cared to ask. The fact of the matter was, they were efficient, swift, and relentless when it came to their work. They worked well separately, but they were better together. They often took on roles as an 'undercover couple,' which had (unsurprisingly) led to them actually getting together. They didn't flaunt their relationship, and most were often found wondering, but nothing had been confirmed.

Unless, of course, someone accidentally walked into their shared chambers in the underbelly of the agency… Currently, their clothes lay forgotten on the floor, while candles were lit in the dim tiny chambers, with hardly any other light source to reveal them. Orchid was lying on her back, her long brown hair down from its usual bun, spread messily over her pillow and normally pristine white sheets. Her lover's actions had deprived her of her typical dark blue jumpsuit, and her creamy skin was only visible through layers of shadows and tangled sheets. Orchid was 31, and she'd been an assassin for over a decade now, thanks to her connections with the man hovering over her and kissing her senseless (not to mention, driving her mad).

Brookes was in his early sixties, but he had the body of a 40-year-old man. He stayed in shape by working out and running every morning, and of course, actively engaging in pleasant activities with his beloved Orchid. The 30-plus year age gap meant little to them, as they'd found themselves inexplicably drawn to each other when they'd first met not long after Orchid's 21st birthday. His silver hair, tied in a low ponytail down his midback, was the only evidence of his true age, unless one counted the tiny spectacles he also wore for mildly bad vision, otherwise. Of course, he'd had them since he was a child, so it had nothing to do with age…

It wasn't long before the lovers were spent, and they collapsed onto the bed next to each other, Brookes covering them with a heavy blanket as he kissed his partner's forehead. He chuckled as she tried to wipe the sweat from her body with the blanket. "I know I'm usually one for cleanliness, but I don't mind a little mess now and again. Especially if it's with you."

"Ugh, Brookes," the woman scoffed, her Cockney accent stronger now that she was tired, and it was late at night. But the smile on her face indicated something other than annoyance. "I'm ready for round two when you are, lovey."

He sighed, kissing down her cheek and jawline, before briefly finding her lips. "I don't think I've got that kind of energy tonight, Orchid. Let's try again tomorrow, hmm?"

"Right, tomorrow mornin' it is." She giggled as he rolled his eyes. Her mood shifted a bit when a heavy knock fell on their door, and she moved from him, scrambling to find their clothes. "Brookes, quick! Get your butt out of bed and get dressed!" She tossed his clothes at him as she quickly shoved on her jumpsuit, tying it firmly in place.

Brookes merely laughed in amusement as he pulled on his black trousers and cream-colored shirt, tucking it in. "Speaking of which… I think we might need to sew your jumpsuit, sweetheart…"

"What are you-? Brookes!" She gasped when she felt his fingers press through a very obvious hole just below her waistline in the center, and she shifted away from him a bit and glared up at him. "Wait for tomorrow, just like you said."

"Or after this order of business," he suggested cheekily as he moved to the door, opening it. He blinked, making sure to adjust his clothing a bit better as he stepped back. "Oh, Boss. We weren't expecting you this late at night."

The boss raised an eyebrow as he stepped into their chambers, a fast glance around indicating what he'd already suspected. "Mm-hmm. I can see that. Look, what you do on your own time is none of my business. Just try not to set the room on fire." He looked toward Orchid, smirking. "Again."

"That was one time, Paul. One time."

Paul rolled his eyes, adjusting the suspenders draped over his shoulders. "Anyway, I have a job for both of you. Undercover mission to Exchancia. Seems their informants—mostly legal advisors and other workers for Queen Ember—want her taken care of. Looking at a contract of three years for $25 million if you can handle it."

"We can handle it," Orchid answered, folding her arms. "I've heard about that girl from other sources. She's bad news. Practically turned her father's kingdom upside down once she took the throne."

"What exactly would we be doing for three years though?" Brookes wondered.

"Undercover workers. Orchid, you'll be a head maid. Brookes, they need a steward."

"Hold on," Orchid argued, pointing accusingly toward her lover. "Why does he get to run the entire castle while I'm some cleaning lady? I don't clean messes—I make them."

"I can confirm that," the older man agreed, though he winced when Orchid slapped him upside the head. Brookes slowly grinned as realization struck him. "So that means… I'll be her boss." He smiled playfully at the woman, who glared at him. "And you'll have to follow my orders…" He ran one hand down her bare arm, chuckling as she shivered involuntarily.

"Not if I have a headache." She smirked when he sighed and folded his arms, rolling his eyes. "Paul, count us in. Even though I don't want to be a maid…"

"Head maid," Paul corrected. "And I'm sure Brookes will appreciate your outfit." He chuckled and turned, heading toward the door as the couple seemed a little flustered by that comment. "I'll draw up the paperwork tonight, you can sign tomorrow morning, and then you'll need to head to Exchancia to meet your contacts. They'll guide you from there."

After arriving at the castle and getting their assignments, Orchid and Brookes were given shared quarters, which were about twice the size of their old rooms. They now had more room to move around and appreciate, though they were just glad to stay together, given the circumstances. It didn't take long to realize why their patrons wanted Ember dead. She was insufferable.

Regardless of their opinions on the matter, though, they knew to keep a low profile and just stick to their new surface level jobs while keeping in mind their actual purpose for being there. They had to get used to a new routine, actively participate in their fake jobs, keep a low profile, and learn the queen's own routines to get a better idea of how to handle her downfall when the time came.

They were both used to living double lives, so surely, this wouldn't be all that different. And according to their contract, they'd be paid a nice stipend monthly, and at the end of the job, if they were successful, their patrons would give them a sum of $25 million.

"I think I can handle this for a while," Orchid told Brookes as she exited from behind a divider in her new maid outfit, though it was obvious she'd pinned it up to be much shorter than it should be, and she also didn't appear to be wearing anything underneath it, nor any stockings or shoes, and her hair remained down. She smiled teasingly as she moved to sit in his lap, her arms wrapping around his neck. "How can I service you, my dear steward?"

"I'm sure I'll find something for you to do," he whispered, leaning forward to place a kiss to her neck, which she evidently enjoyed based on her small hum of delight. "And we'll make this work, Orchid. Don't worry."

She smiled, moving forward to press her lips against his, whispering, "I'm not worried. Just kiss me."

So he did.

To be continued…

Next Chapter: Fists of Fire