The rogue moved silently throughout the castle, flitting across the dim hallways like a flickering shadow. The few guards that even caught a glimpse of her assumed she was nothing more than a rat, or perhaps a breeze rustling the tapestries. Her one stroke of bad luck saw her nearly rounding the corner into a guard's view, but she was well accustomed to blending into her surroundings. His eyes passed right over her, and she was soon moving again. A preferable outcome. Had he seen her, she would have been forced to slay him. A quite easy task for her, but never one she wished to do. It would leave evidence behind, yes, but worse, his likeness would join the throng of her sins, tormenting her as she slept. She wasn’t a killer, she was a thief. And she was a wonderful thief, by that measure. That was why she was here, to steal from the princess.

Princess Alaessi was known throughout the kingdom for her beauty, grace, and almost unnatural charm. She was a highly accomplished diplomat, loved by all the people in her kingdom, and the heart’s desire of every nobleman in the land, though she never appeared interested in marriage. And almost as famous as her were her lovely jewels. The jewelry she wore was so beautiful, so lustrous, so perfect that it hardly seemed crafted by mortal hands. Some whispered rumors that they were a gift from the Fae, a few even speculating that they were the source of her powerful charisma. The rogue held no such ideas, but the one who placed the lucrative bounty for the jewels did. Despite the danger of infiltrating the castle, the size of the reward made imprisonment or even death a worthwhile risk. And for the rogue, the accomplishment would be a satisfactory reward by itself.

The door to the Princess's room itself was unguarded, but the hallways around it were crawling with guards. But slowly and surely, the rogue slipped past all of them, nothing more than a breath in the air. The lock was hardly an obstacle, and the rogue slipped inside the dark, silent room, a small moonbeam her only light. She glanced around as her eyes adjusted, spotting the princess in her large bed, sound asleep. Even in the darkness, her vibrant red hair almost shone, gently moving as she breathed. Silently, the rogue looked for the jewels around the room. She noticed a large jewelry box next to a set of mirrors on the desk, and quickly set to work unlocking it. The lock was much more complex than the door, but still far too easy. The box clicked open, and she stared at the jewelry. They shone brilliantly, almost glowing, and the rogue gently picked up the pendant. Even without the rumors, a piece of this quality would grant her enough money to become a noble herself. The jewel was perfectly round and polished to perfection, and it reflected the meager amount of moonlight with a dazzling display of color. It really did seem magical… “Put the jewels back, please.” A soft, alluring whisper flowed through the rogue's mind, sending a pleasant wave throughout her body. She obediently placed the pendant back in the box before she could even think. The pleasant feeling was suddenly replaced by panic, and she whirled around. Behind her, Princess Alaessi stood smiling, her eyes glowing softly in the dark.

Instinctively, the rogue drew her blade and had it at Alaessi’s neck within less than a second. The Princess's eyes widened. The rogue knew she had to kill her, or else she’d never escape capture… But the Princess was so beautiful, so beloved, so defenseless… She couldn’t kill her… But she must. Hesitating for merely a second over this quandary, she prepared to slit the princess's throat. But that second was all Alaessi needed. “You do not want to kill me.” Her voice was still soothing and alluring, the gentle whisper snaking into the rogue's mind. “Look into my eyes. They are Beautiful… Powerful… Innocent… Let them fill your mind… Let me fill your mind…” The rogue began to waver, her blade not moving. “If you kill me, my spirit will never leave your thoughts as long as you live. Forever I will haunt your mind, filling your dreams, driving out all other thoughts. Whenever you close your eyes, I will be there, to remind you of what you did. The thousands of people you deprived of their beloved princess will wail inside your ears, and the weight of your sin will never leave you.” Alaessi's voice wove itself deep within the rogue's mind, next to all the other faces that tormented her. The rogue trembled, frozen, mortified at the thought of even hurting her now. “Drop the blade.” The rogue's hand opened almost on its own, and the blade clattered to the floor. Alaessi smiled. “Perfect. Now, come sit with me. We have much to discuss.” She led the traumatized rogue over to the bed, and sat down with her.

Alaessi gently caressed the trembling rogue's dark hood. “No need to be scared, darling. Just relax…” Her eyes emitted a soothing glow, calming the rogue's thoughts. “You are awfully brave, coming to steal my jewels… And unlike all the others after my jewels, quite competent.” She smiled sweetly, continuing to pet the rogue. “Yes, I know all about the bounty that’s been put on my jewels. Even your underworld cannot resist my influence… I knew even before you did. So many thieves and assassins have been caught by the additional security I installed, but you snuck past them all… Even I hardly saw you despite my magic… And your agility was frightening, as well. Had you not hesitated… I suppose my overconfidence would have resulted in my end. But you do have a heart under that mask, I suppose… I shall have to see for myself. Remove your hood and mask, please.” The rogue obeyed, almost enjoying the feeling of gentle helplessness the Princess gave her. Alaessi lit a candle and looked her over, smiling. “Hmm… Quite attractive, if unkempt… With a little cleaning and makeup, I believe you would look absolutely lovely.” The rogue smiled softly. She cared naught for looks… But she enjoyed being complimented by the Princess… Alaessi gently blew out the candle, the soft puff of air making the rogue's eyes flutter. Her gaze was now the brightest thing in the room. She leaned up to the rogue's ear. “And I have been desiring a suitable… Handmaiden of my own…” She giggled softly, and the rogue suddenly felt very dizzy…

As Alaessi got up to retrieve something from her desk, the rogue could have escaped. She could have used the opportunity to run. But she didn’t want to… She felt so comfy, and sleepy… And loved… And so she obediently sat there as Alaessi grabbed her pendant and a platinum brush. She sat back down beside the rogue and began gently brushing her hair, a very pleasant feeling, while holding the pendant before her eyes. “You love my pendant, don’t you? Such masterful craftsmanship… A gift from the Fae, I’ve heard it rumored… It grants the wearer such wonderful charm, I understand…” She giggled softly, the pendant beginning to swing. “What amusing rumors… They aren’t entirely false, of course… Most legends have a seed of truth somewhere… But the pendant is so beautiful, is it not? Just watch it swing, back and forth, back and forth… Swinging before my eyes…” The rogue watched the pendant, utterly mesmerized. Her mouth hung open as she watched the jewel rhythmically swing back and forth, back and forth… And every time it passed the Princess's eyes, it shone with a shimmering spiral of colors, filling her mind with bliss. She tried to tell what color the Princess's eyes were… But it was so hard to tell, the colors seemingly changing every time she looked. It was like they were every color at once… Or none of them… Or a color she couldn’t even comprehend… And as she focused, she dimly realized her own eyes were drooping, and Alaessi was whispering something to her. “…falling so deep under my spell, letting my words sneak into your fertile, sleepy mind… Feel me brush away your stress, your worries, your thoughts, your will… Your eyes are drooping now… Letting my spell take over… Everything fading… And Sleep.” Alaessi clicked her fingers, and the rogue collapsed into her gentle arms.

Alaessi gently caressed the rogue's now much softer hair. Putting the brush and pendant aside, she leaned down to her subject's ear. “Can you hear me?” The rogue nodded. “Perfect. Sit up, and answer all my questions honestly.” The rogue obediently sat up, her eyes still closed and her mouth still open. “Now, if you are to be my handmaiden, I must know your name.” The rogue stayed silent. Alaessi leaned closer. “What is your name?” The rogue still did not reply. Alaessi raised an eyebrow, a bit worried. The rogue was completely under her spell, there was no reason she shouldn’t be answering. Unless… “…Can you speak?” The rogue shook her head, and Alaessi suddenly noticed something about her mouth. She had no tongue. “Oh… I’m so sorry… Do you even have a name?” The rogue shook her head, and Alaessi suddenly felt an incredible amount of pity for her. “Well… My new handmaiden must have a name, of course… Hmm…" She gently stroked the rogue's head as she pondered the perfect name for her. "…Ssaelia. Do you like that name?" The rogue nodded, and Alaessi smiled happily. "Perfect… It's from the Ancient Language, just like my name… Would you like to know what it means?" Th- Ssaelia nodded, and Alaessi leaned up to her ear, whispering softly. "It means 'Beloved One'…" Even in her deeply hypnotized state, Ssaelia felt a genuine bliss spread all throughout her body…

Alaessi gently embraced Ssaelia for a while longer, before sitting back up. “I suppose I should start turning you into my handmaiden… Open your eyes but stay asleep, and stare into my eyes.” Ssaelia obeyed, her eyes lightly reflecting Alaessi’s already. “Stare deep into my eyes, and let yourself fall deep under my power… Every word I say is true… You are my handmaiden, my most loyal and obedient servant. Whatever I ask you to do, you will do without question, and you will find it very pleasant. You will bring me whatever I ask, you will ensure everything around me stays tidy, you will accompany me on any diplomatic mission, and most importantly, you will protect me from any and all threats. You will use your intelligence, stealth, and agility to detect any assassins or thieves, and you will silently and harmlessly dispose of them.” Ssaelia, even in her deep trance, seemed exceptionally happy at that suggestion, and Alaessi remembered how horribly traumatized she had seemed earlier when she had said she would haunt her dreams if she killed her. She didn’t seem to like violence, and maybe… “…You will forget the faces of everyone you killed. They will no longer torment you. All you must think about is me, and how much you love serving me.” Ssaelia smiled blissfully, and Alaessi gently kissed her forehead. “You will enjoy serving me, and will love nothing more than seeing me happy and pleased. And now, you will fall back into a blissful slumber…” She gently clicked her fingers, and Ssaelia fell limp again, smiling slightly. Alaessi smiled happily. Hopefully she would enjoy herself much more as her handmaiden. She gently tucked them into her bed, kissing them once more. She would return to bed soon, but first, she had an idea on a new way to utilize her magic to assist her handmaiden in avoiding violence…

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Ssaelia happily and dutifully swept the floor outside her lovely Princess's room. Her Princess was planning out a diplomatic speech for their impending mission, and the handmaiden was eager to ensure silence and calm. As she began dusting the candle sticks, she suddenly heard the faint sound of soft footsteps. She hid against the wall, watching carefully. Soon, a thief snuck into the hall, his blade and cloak red with blood. Ssaelia could not permit this criminal to disrupt her Princess. Walking soundlessly towards him, he was too focused on lockpicking to even notice her. In the blink of an eye, she swung her broom, knocking him back from the door. As he scrambled to his feet, brandishing his blade, she took a piece of her Princess's grass in her mouth and softly blew. A relaxing, pleasant tune whistled out, and the thief suddenly grew dazed and sleepy. Ssaelia stepped up to him, clicked her fingers, and began tying up his sleeping body. She looked at him disapprovingly. As if the attempt to slay her Princess and steal her jewels wasn’t enough, he ruined her wonderfully clean floor.