Names

It didn't matter what Lilin asked Annie to do. She wouldn't just be able to excel at it, she would be do so while humming the most irritating tunes. Cleaning the floors, shining the door handles, clearing windows, dusting everything in sight, anything! Even cleaning the chandeliers on the worst ladder she could find didn't seem to bother this thing! Lilin had thought she would be happy if there was an actually capable servant, but this... This just felt infuriating! Everything Annie did was so clearly meant to piss her off, but she couldn't do anything about it because she was actually doing it right. She finally snapped when she saw Annie singing into the handle of a feather duster while still cleaning faster than she could.

"Alright, listen here, waste of mana," she barked, "You're either gonna be quiet and take your work seriously, or I'm gonna give you a one-way tour of the dungeon! Got it?"

Annie looked up, chuckling to herself. "Dear, is it a crime for me to enjoy my work? I've been doing quite great, have I not? Why should my little songs have to stop?"

Lilin glared at Annie, seeing her smug grin. She finally lost it. She stepped over to the smug woman and grabbed her by the arm, squeezing it tight and poking her nails into it until she drew dots of blood. She stared right into Annie's eyes, seeing them open in fear as she yanked her close.

"Don't. Test me."
Her words lingered in the air as she shoved Annie back, watching as she stumbled into a wall. The song had stopped, making her grin. Finally, silence.

"Better," she said. She turned back to the walls and continued to dust alongside the now-frightened Annie, very pleased to be able to work in silence.
Yes, silence. Wonderful, wonderful silence.

...

...Dammit, the songs were in her head. She could still hear them, and they were in Annie's voice, too. Dammit, why was she thinking of her by name, anyways?! She should just be ten, like the tenth maid at the castle! The tenth person she'll make sure gets executed when she proves to be useless! She looked over and saw Ann- Ten, looking at her.

"The hell are you looking at, huh?!"

"The songs are stuck in your head, aren't they?"

Lilin tried to scowl harder, but she couldn't. Her face turned red as she turned away.
"Get better material," she muttered.

"Oh? If you have music you enjoy listening to, I'm all ears, dear."

As Lilin turned to say something, a familiar booming voice shook through the castle.

"Lilim. Report at once."

Lilin tensed up, the message taking her off-guard, then looked over to see how Ten would react to the voice of the Demon King. Unfortunately, she seemed determined to ruin all of her favorite moments with new recruits, because she didn't seem bothered at all by the booming sound. 

"Lilim? Do you have a twin sister or something?"

"Shut up, and don't you dare say anything about it," Lilin groaned as she grabbed Ten's arm. She started walking towards the throne room with the newbie in tow behind her.

Annie was honestly quite rattled by these sudden things happening in rapid succession, but she didn't let it show. She had been trained to resist these things by the greatest teachers in the world; grandchildren who owned an airhorn. She had always had the benefit of her hearing not being the best, but she had grown used to shouting and screaming loud enough to shake the floors. She couldn't deny, though, that the voice was quite terrifying. She wasn't sure she wanted to meet the speaker.

Lilin reached the massive golden doors to the throne room, knocking once more. The doors began opening without words, prompting her to kneel at the entryway. She turned to tell Ten to do the same, but she was already kneeling. Good instincts.

The two of them knelt at the entrance to the Throne Room. A sharp blade of wind shot just over their heads, crashing into the wall behind them and leaving a deep, pronounced gash in the wall. Annie could tell, it was designed to decapitate anyone who wasn't kneeling or bowing in front of the door.

"Very good. Lilim, stand and enter with your Tenth servant. You may report."

Lilin stood, pulling Ten up with her and walking forward. 
"My lord," she said as the two of them bowed, "I retrieved The Tenth as you requested. She has already been put to work."

"Why did you fail to report to me upon your return?"

Lilin's heart sunk. She had gotten carried away trying to feel superior. She hadn't even remembered her orders to report back with the new servant and-
Oh shit. She hadn't retrieved proof of The Ninth's death, either. Shit, this wasn't good. Months of effort were about to crumble- or worse, what if he... No, the Demon King wouldn't execute her for something like this! No, she meant far more than that to him! She was his best servant after all, he wouldn't kill her! He wouldn't even banish her! ...Right?

"You shake, Lilim. You have failed to retrieve proof of her death."

Lilin was panicking, trying her absolute hardest to think of a way out.
"Th-This is true, my lord, but-"

"Your Majesty, might I interject?"

Lilin looked at Annie with wide eyes. For a moment, she didn't see her as a Tenth Servant, she saw her as a dead body.

"Have you a reason to speak, Tenth?"

"Yes," she said, trying her hardest to keep her voice even as she held her arm against a pocket of her uniform. "My Master, L-Lilim, seems to have forgotten. Upon finding me, she gave me a sign of what would happen, sh-should I dissent. It was... A torn piece of an apron. M-May I present it for your viewing, your lordship? I-I believe it could... C-Constitute proof of the previous servant's death."

Lilin looked on in disbelief. Was Annie insane? What was she talking about? And was she really talking to the Demon King? Wait, was the Demon King actually considering it?
She watched as he shifted in his throne, the first motion he made since they entered. He looked at Annie, then at Lilin, then back to Annie.

"Very well. Present this evidence."

"At once, your Highness. Thank you."
Annie stayed bowed as she reached into her now-bloody pocket and pulled out a scrap of Charlie's apron. It had torn off when she dropped the sticks in the small grove, and she had kept it in her pocket as a little bit of good luck. It was quite lucky she had kept it, and even luckier that she had blood ready to stain it with. She slowly drew it out and held it up in her hands, then felt it drifting upwards and out of her hands. She didn't dare raise her head to see what was happening. It was probably something magical, but she had no way of knowing.

"I see that this is not torn from your uniform, and it is the material worn by the Ninth. This is truly hers. Very well, this evidence is accepted."

The Demon King turned to Lilin, speaking further.

"Lilim. Your failures and shortcomings are disappointing. However, since you have not technically failed in your duties, I will excuse it this once."

"Th-Thank you, My Lord!" Lilin couldn't believe it.

"However, because the Tenth has proven to be necessary for your success, I will not allow you to leave her side until you can prove you are worthy of independence again."

"B-but, My King," she plead, "I-If I am accompanying the Tenth in her duties, how will I accomplish all of my duties whilst training her?"

"I cannot trust you will accomplish your duties without her assistance. Prove to me you can be trusted without her, and I will consider allowing you independence once again."

"V-Very well, My Lord. Your will is my command," Lilin said, fighting against the rage boiling inside of her.

"Now, leave my presence. Resume your duties."

Lilin didn't need to be told twice. She promptly stood, making sure Annie stood with her, and left. She walked as fast as she could without running, and Annie didn't have any issues leaving just as hastily as her.

Seeing the two servants leave, the Demon King waved his hand to close the doors. They were both open books to him. Lilim, as rebellious yet eager to please as ever, had entirely abandoned her responsibilities because she was irritated. Despite that, she wanted so desperately to please him. That new servant, on the other hand, was quite interesting. Her blood was on the apron she handed him, not the Ninth's. However, her intentions were not to trick him, but to aid Lilim. A curious thing, to be sure, but an interesting dynamic.

The Demon King had allowed this to happen for one reason, and one reason alone. It had been a long, long time since somebody had fascinated him as much as this strange servant had. He wished to see how her presence would influence Lilim, and vice-versa. This would be very, very interesting.