"Don't worry, girls! We'll get it done on time! Why, I'd be willing to bet ten gold on it!"
Kame nodded quickly, humming with enthusiasm. Kuma and Kaida, meanwhile, exchanged a skeptical glance. Their intrepid leader just made a bad situation worse by making an impossible gamble. After all, how were the maids supposed to get everything done, when the time they needed to do it was cut in half before their day even began?
Kuma's dark eyes slipped down the length of the golden cord dangling by the Prince's bedside; to think that such a complex problem started with something as simple as a rope not being pulled by the one it was made for. Speak of the devil, the sound of boots could be heard strolling down the corridor.
"That's him! That's the Prince! Kaida sweep that under the rug, we can come back for it later! Kuma, close the windows, don't let in a draft! Kame-!"
Large, golden eyes blinked up at Koko, absently.
"Just... Stand right here. Everyone else, hurry, hurry, hurry-!"
The doors opened to reveal the four maids standing from tallest to smallest as they curtsied.
"Welcome home, your Highness!"
The young man gave a nod, before stepping into the drawing room. Sir Reim followed close behind, his face wrinkling with even more stress than usual.
"Prince, I need you to-"
"Reconsider?"
"No. Just to straight up make a better decision."
"Are you doubting your sovereign, Reim?"
The larger man crossed his arms, his mouth set in a deep scowl.
"..What do you think?"
The maid's eyes darted franticly between them. The tension in the room was so thick that they could cut it with a knife! Not wanting their liege and his most trusted advisor to have a falling out, Koko decided to speak up.
"M-My Prince! We've all been looking forward to meeting your new knight! Where are they?"
That snapped the two men out of their stalemate long enough to realize that neither of them had the answer to that question. Reim marched toward the door, cursing under his breath. They had been arguing so much that he had forgotten to keep an eye on the street urchin.
She's probably halfway across the city by now-
A shriek put Reim on high alert! The knight spun around, ready to neutralize any threat-! But, the only danger he could see was how overwhelmed the thief looked.
"Aren't you adorable?!"
"U-Um, I'm not really-"
"What's your name?!"
"O-Oh, it's-"
"I thought the Prince was bringing us a new knight, not a new maid!"
"W-Well, I don't really know-"
Reim slowly released the hilt of his blade as he considered the scene in front of him.
That girl. It's like she appeared out of nowhere. How did she-?
That's when he stumbled upon a revelation. The world faded away, as he allowed himself to glide through the earlier events from a different perspective. In his mind's eye he saw Chibi's steps mirroring his own as he raced after the Prince. How she softened her stride when they took to the stairs. How she turned with him, as he faced the maids, using his body as a shield; it was like she had become his shadow.
Of course. Makes sense. You don't evade capture that long, if you can't hide in plain sight. She comes off as clumsy. But, that's some damn good footwork.
The way she won the tournament was just a fluke. Apollo and Jasper were winded by the end of the event and the knight knew from experience that there was a lot more to winning than just one, lucky hit. But, Reim would be blind or worse, dishonest, if he didn't acknowledge the force behind that finishing blow.
There was more to Chibi than what first met the eye; a real diamond in the rough. His eyes swept over her with newfound appreciation. There was something there. Something he could mold. Something he could use. Well, provided he could wrestle the poor girl away from the maids; a task more easily managed by the Prince.
"Enough. She's not my maid. She's my new knight."
Their mouths dropped open, one by one, as they registered what their sovereign was saying.
"N-New-"
"Knight!?"
"Whattttt!?"
Chibi took a step back, startled as they all shouted at once. She searched for an escape, only to see Reim making for the door. The knight spared one last glance to see apple-green eyes pleading for help as the maids started poking and prodding at Chibi, like scientists who had discovered the most fascinating specimen. All she got in return was a grin, before the man disappeared around the corner.
Sorry, kid. You're on your own.
"Your highness! Y-You mean to tell me that this petite, young lady won the tournament!? With all due respect, that sounds absurd!"
"I agree with Koko. She's too puny to be a knight!"
"Yep. Too puny."
The Prince placed his sword on its stand, ignoring the questionable sounds behind him.
"Absurd or not, she won the tournament. I swore that the last soul standing would win the position, no matter what. And I always keep my word."
He turned to face the chaotic scene, stoically.
"Needless to say, she will be with us for quite some time. I want the room adjoining mine to be prepared for a lady of her station. And I want her cleaned up."
The maids all glanced at each other, still wondering if this was some kind of elaborate joke. The girl was even smaller than Kaida! How was she supposed to be effective at guarding anything, let alone, a Prince!? A question that died in their throats, as blue eyes sharpened; play time was over.
"Now."
"Right away, Prince!"
"H-hey! What are you-! HELPPPPPPPP!"
The maids scooped Chibi up, hoisting her over their heads as they dashed toward the lavatory. The royal shook his head. Even his own servants were questioning his judgement these days. What was this world coming to? But, he honestly couldn't blame them. Slowly, he brought up a hand to cradle his cloaked shoulder, wincing in pain.
What do you mean!?
What I mean, Sir Reim, is that the wound was too deep. I did the best I could, but... The Prince may never use his right arm again.
Eavesdropping was useful. But, it was a double-edged sword. On one hand, he got all the information he needed to make informed decisions about his life. On the other, it made him painfully aware of just how little everyone thought of him.
As if the King didn't have enough to deal with! Now, the black sheep of the family goes and almost gets himself killed!?
He's weak. He's always been weak. This would never happen to the crown prince!
Of course not! Lord Drasil can defend himself! He's the pride of Evergreen! Unlike that brother of his.
The young man leaned against the wall with a sigh that came from the deepest part of his soul. He knew what his choices looked like from an outsider's perspective. They looked like he had a death wish; but, that's only because he did.
...I won't disgrace the Lionheart line any more than I already have.