I awoke to a soft knock on my door. I sat up in bed.

Floating lights lit my room. It was still night outside

Another knock. “The Mistress will see you for breakfast.” A voice said from behind the door.

I rubbed my eyes. “I need a minute.”

“The Mistress asks you not to keep her waiting.” The voice added.

“Well, I’ll make it quick,” I replied.

I climbed out of bed and found my slippers. I turned to Doux who was now wide awake on his little pillow. “I need you to stay here. I’ll bring you back some food, okay?” I told him as I scratched his head. He let out a happy squeak in response.

The halls outside my room were barely lit. I realized I had no idea how to get to the dining room.

“This way, young sir.” A voice said from the darkness.

Above, ghostly blue light spilled over my surroundings. Polished marble floors reflected light like mirrors. Large fine pillars held up the ceiling. Fine lines of gold and silver lined the moldings and furniture of the halls.

“Sir? This way.” The voice said again.

I turned in the direction of the voice. A single statue stood in the dim light. It was a man with a cooking hat that drooped to one side. His hands gestured down the dark hall. His expression was expectant but jovial.

I started toward him. I blinked. He was a few steps ahead of me. I kept walking and blinked again. He kept appearing ahead of me as if walking beside me.

We approached a staircase. “Just down this way and turn left. The Mistress is waiting.” The servant pointed down the stairs.

“Thank you,” I told him as I followed his instructions and descended the stairs.

The dining room was large enough to fill an entire army. In the middle of the room hung a giant chandelier lit with blue flames. A massive banquet table lay in the center of the floor. The table was covered in an exquisitely woven tablecloth. Interlocking patterns in the style of a tangled web of vines with blooming blue roses filled out the fabric. Tiny twinkling gems shined from inside the weaved roses. The two place settings, at the middle of the table and across from one another, were set with polished silverware and spotless white china.

On the other side of the table sat the raven woman. She wore a purple and black dress which went up to her shoulders, leaving her neckline exposed. Her long thin arms were covered by lace sleeves. Her taloned fingers drummed impatiently on the table. Her shining blue eyes stared into me.

“You’re late.” She said in that low voice.

“I just woke up,” I replied as I took my seat. “I meant no disrespect.”

“Of course you didn’t.” She remarked sourly. “I find tardiness quite rude. When I make a time-sensitive request, I expect that you follow it. Do you understand?”

I didn’t respond, unsure of how to answer.

She rolled her eyes. “I said, do you under—"

“I understand,” I interjected. “It won’t happen again.”

She turned up her beak. “Good then. Now if we should discuss your staying here.”

I nodded, trying to avoid looking into her eyes.

“When your mother stole from me, she violated an ancient law of hospitality that my family line holds very dear. In ancient times, the price would’ve been her head. We are more civilized now, so I chose companionship over execution.” She sniffed and brushed a piece of lint off her beak. “Before we left, we discussed the terms of which she’d be staying here. I shall explain it to you in the spirit of good faith.”

“Go ahead,” I mumbled.

“You are to remain here for the foreseeable future. Do not leave the grounds under any circumstance for if you do, the forest will take you and you will never find your way back. While you are staying here, you will be taken care of by my servants. We will provide you with anything you desire.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I see. What about my family?”

“They will be taken care of. I am sending them a sum from my family’s reserve funds as we speak.”

“How do I know you’re telling the truth?” I asked.

There was a rush of wind around me. I looked down and found a single gold bar. I picked it up and stared at it in disbelief. Even in the gloomy light, it gleamed brightly, its wealth dancing off its surface.

“One of those can pay for ten houses. Satisfactory?” The raven lady sneered as she examined her talons. “This manor is your home now, so you may go anywhere you wish. But there is one place you cannot go: the storage room. If I catch you there, you will face grave punishment.”

“What’s in the storage—”

“Off. Limits.” She snapped. Her words made me flinch.

“Yes, Madame,” I said meekly.

“Now if you don’t mind, I would like to have breakfast.” She held her hand up and snapped her fingers.

In the blink of an eye, a sumptuously prepared breakfast appeared between myself and my host. Several servants stood bowing in the corners of the room. There were poached eggs, fruits, pastries of every kind, and plates of freshly baked ham. There was enough to feed ten people at least. When I looked over the food, I realized just how hungry I was. I looked up at the Madame.

“What?” She said, annoyed.

I felt myself regressing to an animal state, just grabbing whatever looked appealing and stuffing it into my mouth. It was all so sweet, so succulent, so filling and satisfying and savory. My previous palette was akin to a world cast in black and white and gray, with this field of plenty washing it all into bright color.

Occasionally I glanced at the Madame as she ate. Her silverware remained evenly spaced. Her napkin remained in her lap. Her plate was barely full. When she picked up food, she would peck and pick at it like a bird. When she was finished, she folded it up into an even square and placed it on the table next to the unmoved silverware.

The table wasn’t nearly empty enough when we finished, or rather when I finished. The Madame snapped her fingers again, and the table was clean once again. “I trust you enjoyed yourself,” she remarked.

“I did. Thank you for the meal, Madame.” I said, bowing my head.

“You ought to.” She replied. “Especially with manners like that.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had so much to eat. I apologize for my manners.”

“If you’re going to eat like a horse, we have stables that are no longer in use. You can eat there if you like.”

There is no pleasing this creature, is there? I thought. “I’ll watch myself next time, then.”

“I hope you do, for both our sakes.” She rose from her seat, serpentine in her movements. She stared down at me with contempt.

Just watching her move made me uneasy. I felt like a mouse compared to her. Those long, curved claws and that hooked beak did her no favors. But it was her eyes that scared me the most. Even when I wasn’t looking, they had a way of lingering in my vision. They were like an after-image of the sun burned into one’s eyes after staring at it too long; two bright spots piercing coldly through my soul.

The Madame raised a talon. “One last thing: you will join me for dinner every night. Someone will summon you as before. Otherwise, I don’t care how you spend your time.”

“What am I supposed to do?” I asked.

“Figure something out.” She said coldly, turning away from me. “You have nothing but time here.” And with that, she disappeared down the dark halls. The loud tapping of her cane echoed down the hall before fading away.

I was alone in the dining room. If I’m supposed to remain with that for the rest of my days, I’m not sure what I’ll do, I thought with a shudder. Just eating with her was unpleasant. For someone so fixated on manners, she had none to speak of.

“Hello?” I called out. “I need to get back to my room.”

“Right this way, young sir.” A voice whispered from the dark. I turned. A servant with a lopsided hat stood in the hallway. His expression was beaming. “If you may follow me.”

I walked behind the servant through the dark halls and up the stairs. Every time I blinked, he appeared just a few more paces ahead of me. He made no footsteps or sound of any kind as he moved ahead. He seemed more like a ghost than anything.

“Here we are.” The servant said when we arrived at my room. “If you anything else, please don’t hesitate to ask. We are always here; you need only call on us and we’ll come.”

I bowed to him in gratitude. “What’s your name?”

“Finley.” The servant answered. “A humble servant to the Mistress.”

“Thank you, sir. This all has been difficult to adjust to. I’m glad there’s at least someone here who is—” My voice trailed off. “Never mind. Thank you.”

“We are here to serve, young sir.” Finley flashed a grin. “I will see you later.”

I blinked. Finley was gone. I was alone again.

At least he seems kind, I thought. Maybe the others are, too.

I laid down. I stared up at the canopy of my bed and remembered the cottage. Here, the roof didn’t leak. The walls only creaked occasionally, protesting the constant howling wind outside. No animals were howling outside despite the proximity to the forest. And despite the wind, it was so quiet here. Peaceful, even. Maybe this new life wouldn’t be so bad.

My hand absently wandered over to the small pillow beside me.

The pillow was empty.

“Doux?” I called, whistling into the room. “Come out. Doux?” I suddenly grew frightened. I shot out of bed and ran around the room, calling my little friend’s name and searching for a little white blob of fur. I couldn’t find the head or tail of the little rodent. I peered into the halls. I saw only darkness.

He could be anywhere here, I thought as I slunk back into my room. He could be—he’ll turn up. He’s alright. He’ll be fine. He must be fine. I fell back onto the bed and curled into a ball. It will all be fine.

I wished I believed it.