Chp.46: Stuart

"Two grave mistakes?" Now this she was really surprised to know. She only knew about one mistake, what was the other one?

"Your majesty, a maid named Claire was tryinh to steal your 'Azure Night' necklace. She was found while in act, so she was caught red handed." H explained.

"Claire?" Regina was shocked to know the name.

She decided to clearly think about this after returning to her room. "It's fine if she is caught." She said. "Ask my lady-in-waiting to come to my chambers and prepare for a bath." She ordered.

The six lined up men quickly scattered and walked away to different parts of the premise within a few minutes. The head butler stayed and walked the queen back to her chamber on the third floor.

"Stuart... I wish to ask you one thing." Regina turned around to ask him as she stood in front of the door to her chamber.

"Yes your majesty." He said with a polite bow.

"Where has his majesty kept Claire?" She asked with an authoritative tone.

Stuart flinched at this unexpected question but there were no orders to not tell the queen, the location of the maid. So he decided to tell her.

"Your majesty, she is..." but as Stuart was going to say something a voice called for him.

"Sir Stuart." It was a strong voice. It should've belonged to someone who was right in the middle of their youth. And so it was.

Regin and Stuart both turned their heads to the place from where the voice came from, and Regina shuddered at the sight of that man.

He was tall, and had a very familiar look on his face. Moreover it wasn't the only time he had appeared out of nowhere.

His cunning smile and sharp intentions that he had mastered to keep hidden behind his mask of innocence. But this very quality of his made it all the more harmful for anyone to become his enemy. No one ever would have dared to become his enemy, but Regina couldn't quite understand why and how she became the person under his radar?

He was Desmond. He was the person she had only seen yesterday.

The man who tried to kill her.

The man who has the ultimate support from the very monarch of the kingdom she was living in.

And what made her actually fear was, 'Not having enough information on him.'

"No man is dangerous, whose background is well know." Was the quote that Regina abided by since the first day when she took the oath of becoming and assassin.

She took all this as an opportunity, she wanted to take all this as a challenge. The only thing remained was- The lack of time for her to find about him.

He walked towards them, towards Regina and Stuart as they were talking about the maid.

"Yes... yes.." Stuart tried to stay calm. He didn't want to make it obvious that Desmond, the man who just called him was an important person.

But this was enough for Regina to get triggered and think - "So Stuart is one of them as well. The king's man." She quickly came to this conclusion.

"I wanted to get assigned today as well. I am sorry for I am late to stay present here." He said making a polite bow to him as he walked towards to the head butler.

"Oh, pardon my insolence, greetings your majesty." He said in a deep bow and apologetic manner.

"Work here? Is he trying to become a servant here? Why?" Regina thought as she managed to keep her mask on.

Afterall after eating the Szarni poison just a day ago, and successfully tricking King Duncan she also had to pretend to not know Desmond.

If anyone could even get a small hint that she remembers Desmond, it was game over for her. So she tried staying calm.

"Yes, greeting." She said in a sweet and nonchalant voice, as though she only saw a servant in front of her and not a snake in disguise.

Desmond obviously tried not to make it obvious as well. "So he doesn't want me to know where Claire is as well!" Regina thought once again and said, "Then that's fine Stuart. Help this servant first." She raised her eyebrow and turned around. She went inside her room.

Stuart could feel nothing but just overloading awkwardness and enemity. But what can he himseld do? Maybe the only thing to pretend as well and go along with the flow.

But for Desmond all this was a littl bit more fun. "She is Count D'Azure's only daughter. That makes this whole fact a lot more intresting." He snickered as she walked behind Stuart.

They were going to the service chambers of the Eastern palace, as it was indeed true that he was going to work there as a servant or rather pretend to.

"She is a feisty one. I like that fact. It will be more exhilarating to play with her before killing...." "No Desmond no." He contraindicated his own thoughts and found fun in his own self.

They kept quitely walking until they reached the office where all the servant records were kept and also the positions were alotted.

"Hey old man!" Desmond shouted from behind Stuart. Stuart who was going to open the door calmly turned around to look at him. He didn't even flinch one bit when Desmond yelled.

"Yes, your highness." He said making a bow. Calm and trying to avoid any kind of event that can upset Desmond.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk." Desmond clicked his tongue as he looked at Stuart. "Look at you. Trying to avoid anything that is controversial eh?" He found it fun when someone stayed calm and yet flustered.

"It is nothing. There is nothing like that, your highness." Stuart said calmly.

"Hmm? Really?" Desmond looked down on Stuart as he easily towered over the short and old man.

"Very well." Desmond said as a whining child. "Seems that you have finally learned something after serving me for so many years." Desmond said hoping that one last time, he could see Stuart panicked.

But no change. "Fine. I give up." He broodingly gave over his fun time.

Stuart turned around and finally opened the door to the office of Servant Records.

"But that reminds me-" Desmond said as he walked close go Stuart, "Were you going to tell that maid's location to the queen?" He asked. His voice stone cold and enough to make Stuart shudder.

A chill ran down Stuart's spine as he couldn't even dare to turn around and look at Desmond's face.