A Dance in the Dark

The Silent Handmaidens was a group of elite and well-trained warrior-maids sworn to the secret protection of royal heirs and noble bloodlines.

They were trained to serve their designated heirs above all others. Their existence was still a secret up to this point, as they mainly worked in the shadows.

Their existence became known much later in the game and James wanted to keep it that way. Ruby's mention of a sister threw him off guard, as he didn't remember giving her a sister.

The sister she was talking about was one of her fellow Handmaidens, which prompted him to remember everything.

Disguised as ordinary attendants, they moved unnoticed within the grand halls of palaces, their presence never questioned, their skills hidden behind soft smiles and graceful bows.

Trained in the art of assassination, espionage, and close-quarters combat, they were shadows in plain sight—watching, waiting, ready to strike down any threat before it even reached their charge.

And James just happened to have one of the strongest maids right here in front of him.

"Oh well, that's quite unfortunate." He said as he sat on his bed.

Ruby immediately raised an eyebrow. "Unfortunate? Why would that be the case your majesty?" She asked, obviously concerned.

He smiled ever so slightly before making his expression plain again.

"Well you might not know, but Edwin is away taking care of some official duties so it seems I'll be all alone tonight." He said indifferently.

He couldn't outrightly tell her to stay with him, neither could he tell her about the assassin that was coming. However, he could plant some doubt in her mind and make her stay by herself.

"And quite frankly he's the only one I can trust." He said, and he could see her expression darken for a moment.

"Except you of course." He said with a smile.

Which was reciprocated by Ruby. "Yes, of course, your majesty." She replied warmly.

Good, he was making good progress.

He naturally glanced up at the quest screen and timer that was displayed boldly on top of it.

6 hours left before the assassin would make their way Into his room. "Hmm well, with Edwin gone it would get pretty lonely." He said as he got up and opened the window to his room.

Just as he does, he staggers slightly. Just enough so that Ruby rushes over and helps support him. He then places his palm on his head.

"Your Highness, are you alright?" Ruby asked, the worry in her voice clear.

"Yes… I was feeling a bit stuffy so I opened the window. It seems as though I'm not completely recovered from the illness from a few weeks ago." He said as he slowly stood by himself.

"Your majesty, perhaps I should stay with you instead." Ruby said as she guided James to his bed.

He celebrated inwardly and wanted to agree with her when he felt the feeling he had when he had wanted to ask Edwin to stay with him.

This time he saw the system window pop up.

[Player Can Not Interfere With Main Quest.]

'Now just telling her to stay by me isn't even allowed?' He racked his brain.

He kept trying to speak but his words didn't come out. He even went as far as trying to write his answer on a piece of paper but his hands couldn't move.

Ruby simply stared with worry as her young master moved around quite weirdly, but did not say a word.

"Ruby." He suddenly said, attracting all her attention.

"Don't worry about it. Cough cough ill just spend the night alone." He said with a painfully weak smile.

"Are you sure? I could stay and care for you?" She insisted.

"No, don't worry. Just… go and take care of your sister." He said with a weak wave of his hand as he entered his bed.

"At least let me close the windows, your highness." She said as she made her way towards the windows that stood ajar.

"No please, I'm feeling very hot at the moment."

"… Right then. Have a good night your highness. I will ask some other maids to standby in case you need anything." She said as she bowed deeply before leaving the room.

A few moments after she had left the room, James sat up and went to a drawer. He opened it to bring out a dagger he had requested in secret.

He kept it under his pillow and laid on his back, facing the ceiling. "I really hope that was enough." He said as he closed his eyes and went into a terrified 'sleep.'

***

The silence of the room was thick, and undisturbed, save for the soft rustling of leaves outside the open window. It had been a few hours since Ruby left the room, leaving James the painful responsibility of pretending to be asleep.

The moonlight stretched faint beams across the chamber, illuminating the still figure on the bed—James, seemingly sound asleep. His breaths were slow, steady. A perfect picture of vulnerability.

He could feel the energy shift as a shadow slithered through the open window.

The assassin landed soundlessly, their form merging seamlessly with the darkness. Dressed in pitch-black attire, they moved with practiced grace, their dagger glinting faintly under the moon's glow. Step by step, they approached the bed, their presence nearly undetectable.

James wanted to grab the dagger from under his pillow, but without lying to himself he knew he didn't stand a chance against someone so skilled.

James remained perfectly still. Every nerve in his body screamed at him to act, to grip the dagger under his pillow and strike—but he resisted. If he moved too soon, he'd certainly lose his life.

The assassin raised their blade, positioning it just above James' throat. A quiet breath. A slight shift of weight.

Then just as he had hoped, James felt another figure enter the equation as the air itself seemed to ripple.

A figure moved in the darkness. Swift, precise. A sharp gust of wind followed as a hand seized the assassin's wrist mid-strike. Before they could react, a devastating force slammed them backwards.

The assassin twisted, attempting to land on their feet, but a second blow knocked them to the ground with crushing efficiency.

Ruby stood above them.

Her crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dim light, her expression was calm and unbothered. Her delicate maid's attire contrasted the sheer violence in her movements as if she had merely been tending to chores rather than dismantling a trained killer in mere seconds.

The assassin gasped, scrambling to regain control, but Ruby allowed no such luxury. With terrifying speed, she aimed a precise strike at their throat.

But the assassin was not entirely defenseless.

At the last moment, they twisted sharply, slipping from Ruby's grasp in a way only someone equally well-trained could. They rolled, flipping to their feet, and darted toward the window.

Ruby lunged, and sending the danger, the assassin threw a dagger right at the prince's head. This caused her to leave the threat and catch the dagger instead.

The assassin leapt, vanishing into the night.

She exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing as she stepped toward the open window, scanning the darkness for any trace of them. But they were gone.

A soft sigh left her lips. "Tch. Slippery."

She turned back toward the bed, her eyes settling on the peacefully 'sleeping' James.

Her gaze softened immediately.

It was better this way. He hadn't been disturbed, hadn't seen the danger lurking so close. That was her duty, after all—to protect him without him ever knowing.

She took one last glance around the room before making her way to the door, intent on alerting the guards.

After a few moments James sat up in a rush, the adrenaline still fresh in his blood as he clutched his chest. He had quite literally almost died if Ruby hadn't come as he had expected.

His hands shook a bit but he quickly composed himself as he took a deep breath.

The system's screen popped up again, this time with positive news for the first time.

[Quest completed successfully: Rewards will now be distributed.]

Read the message as James couldn't help but smile at the rewards he had gotten from the just completed quest.

While looking around, he saw that Ruby had skillfully cleaned up all traces of the fight between her and the assassin.

But she didn't notice, near the foot of the bed, partially hidden by the shadows, a small metal ring lay forgotten on the floor. James however did.

He picked up the ring and saw the insignia, immediately recognizing it. "Isn't it a bit too early for you guys to make an appearance?" He muttered under his breath before his fatigue caught up to him.

After all, pretending to be asleep for 6 hours took its toll. Now it was time to actually fall asleep.

"Whatever it is, I'll handle it later." He said with a deep yawn as he finally entered Into a deep slumber.