I stepped into the mansion, gazing at its grandeur aura. I stopped by an old statue, which seemed to be of old ages. Very old. I could clearly make out the small number of cracks within the corners.

‘Taking it all in I see…’ she was behind me, patting my back once. My eyes fell on her as she walked past behind me, heading towards the stairs. Stopping mid-way, she stumbled on the first fleet of the beginning of the stairs.

‘Careful…!’ I raised my hand forwards.

‘Say… how about being my butler? Sounds plausible?’ she turned to me, holding the wooden ball at the end of the railing, leaning against it. She really seemed like a child, like acting out in front of her father. And, speaking of that, did she really have a father? And mine? He moved away when I was seven… all by my own, saying, ~Go do some sort of job and earn your living. You’re a man right? Hah, can you even believe it? He had found a new partner, leaving me and my dead mother behind. I would not call that feeling pity that my dad felt as he left me in a foster home. I stood by the corridor, watching him helplessly as he walked away without even a glance back, and that too at his own son. Well, I guess that’s normal for people like me. Oh, there I go again, self-pitying myself. What a pussy, or so what I heard the bullies calling weaklings. I was young at that age. If someone had to protect me, that would be… my only brother whom I looked up to.

Speaking of him, where was he? Probably doing his best in some job he acquired. More to speak, he was alive, I was dead… and brought upon, what I would call it, a dreamland? I had a vague idea that I was dead, but then my mood changed so suddenly that I immediately ended up accepting everything.

‘Yes… I think that would do.’ I replied as firmly as I could. Bowing, I thought I could express my gratitude towards her. But as I lifted my head up, I witnessed her disappear from my eyesight. I gave a small gasp as I felt a strong presence behind me. I swiftly turned around, seeing Michelle. She gave a small smile as she saw me twitch in surprise.

‘When did you…’ I began, but she stopped me halfway, shushing me with her index finger. I stood there in my pose, a bewildered look on my face as I gazed at her eyes, staring straight into mine. My face instinctively moved closer to hers. Her eyes widened a little. I narrowed my eyes, almost completely shutting them, not sure what I was doing. While she froze in her position, I couldn’t stop myself.

‘Hey, do you mind, coming with me upstairs?’ she asked me all of a sudden, covering my mouth with her hands, her looks on the floor. I nodded.

 

---

 

I began wondering, how much of my world had changed? I still woke to the breathless gasping from a terrible dream that morning too. Was I responsible for it? No… I had died, so there couldn’t be my fault. If my life were a single string, flowing straight ahead, then I would say it was now running on an entirely different string. I couldn’t grasp anything out of it. It always went its way.

And now, here I was, standing in a plain black suit with a towel in my hands, my hair slid back, wiping a framed window as I watched the warm sun, gleaming over those green fields. The glass of the window reflected some of my person. It seemed like I had forgotten how I even looked like back then. I stopped at wonder at the thought. After straining my hands, wiping the window clean, I fished out my pocket watch bound by a golden chain. Gripping it felt a little tricky. The gloves were in the way. I flipped the watch’s metal plate to see the little clock, ticking, as if whispering me to go serve mistress lunch.

‘Oh my, look at the hour. It’s almost time,’ I peeked for a quick moment as I had to go prepare lunch. I hurried down the hall, other fellow servants following suit whom I did not bother knowing. I wanted to stride up and serve Mistress Michelle right away as I stroked my chin, wondering while walking. But, unfortunately, she wasn’t around. Said she had to run an errand in the town. I turned around to find three other servants.

‘You three there. You, bring up some of the new silverware to the diner. You, shave off the hedges… they look old and worn out. Might as well replace them. And you, go check the stew. I’ll do the rest,’ I dismissed them with a light clap of the hands. They commenced wisely, turning around and strode off. I continued to hurry towards the kitchen burner, to stoke the beef.

I wonder when she will arrive… I couldn’t help but think. ‘Sir,’ someone called out to me from behind. It was a cook. ‘If you could leave this matter upon me, then it would be really helpful,’ he suggested—a middle aged man with a beard, probably the cook handling the fire equipment.

‘Very well, I shall leave the rest on your hands,’ I bowed. Then left the room with an exhausting sigh, shutting the door behind. I brushed my right shoulder and then headed for the main entrance, checking the hour of mistress’ arrival, looking at my pocket watch. Closing the lid, I strode towards the gigantic front door, pushing it open to welcome the late noon’s sunshine. I shielded my eyes from the sun’s glare of the noon, somehow making out a shadowy figure of a coach entering through the mansion gates.

‘It seems the errand is over.’ I sighed a small smile, stepping down the few flights of stairs to the stone-paved path. I tapped into my greeting position, thinking of greeting her in the finest way.

The coach stopped at a feet’s gap from me. I stepped back. A young lady stepped out of the carriage. My eyes widened. Who was she? With long, cascading red hair, complimented by the dark, textured horns atop her head. She was beautiful. Almost as a princess. Grazing past me, she smelled of a lily, fragile yet futile. Gliding up the stairs she seemed like a graceful swan over the surface of water.

‘Connor, you were waiting on me?’ Mistress Michelle stepped out, holding my hand as a support.

‘Milady, who might our guest be? I am afraid I do not know her,’ I asked as I helped her up the stairs, ushering he inside. The coach left behind us with the trotting sound of horses’ feet. The mansion was clean after all. The beautiful young lady glanced around, facing every directions with her pointing face, probably inspecting something. I did not bother noticing.

‘Well then, I shall go and prepare lunch milady, please give us a moment of your time.’ I bowed with my right hand over my chest, courteous to both of them, backed my stride and then left the scene.

I headed towards the kitchen, ready to prepare the small luxury banquet. Tapping my boots through the wooden floor, I passed a moving ray of a faint hint of a sunlight, coming from outside through the window. The kitchen was nearing as I saw the door and saw the old man exit with a diner pull, covered with metal frames.

‘Sir Connor, it is ready as you asked,’ he handed me the pulley over.

On reaching the diner hall, I rounded up the royal table with the finest silverware, the clinking plates on my either hands. Just when I was about to finish, both of them stepped in—Mistress and the red-haired lady. I greeted them with a light bow.

The dinner began. I stood beside Michelle as she clanked her spoon on her plate, talking to the young lady. For some reason, despite her character and attitude towards me, she seemed older than the young mistress. Was she somehow related to her? An acquaintance maybe?

‘Say, how much longer before you extract?’ the young mistress asked. Michelle stared at her for some moments. I stood as a rock pillar beside her.

‘How much time you say? Quite soon enough I believe,’ she continued with her meal.

‘Well, not that it bothers me but, please make haste, will you?’

‘Yes.’ She ended. A candle flickered near the door as we bid the young mistress farewell to her coach. The henchman took off his hat, thanking me. I patted the horses’ back, causing them to stomp their feet, catching me bewildered by the strange behaviour.

 

---

 

‘My, my. Look at the hour! You should get some sleep, milady.’ I suggested. She nodded, with some expression as if she was bugged by something. I wanted to stride up and ask… but I would only look like a fool, asking something like that out of the blue.

‘You’re right. I will. Thanks…’ she turned from my face and left the hall. I could hear her tapping her feet, going up the flowing stairs. I couldn’t help but worry about her. After all, I was her servant, because of the ritual last night…

 

****

‘Okay now… close your eyes for a moment,’ she ordered. I obeyed as I was told. It happened when she called me upstairs with her, when I was still unfamiliar with this world. Michelle held my face close to hers. I could feel her breaths on my forehead. Was she doing something to me? No, that couldn’t be, since I was already in a contract with her. Or maybe…

‘Okay, you can open them now!’ she gleefully clapped her hands, shoving a mirror in my hands. ‘Look!’ she said with a smile.

I saw a mark, up my forehead, between the hairs splitting. I saw a black star mark disappear in plain sight. I gasped despite myself, seeing something unbelievable. Magic, dark arts, maybe taboo? Who knew… that I would be stepping onto the path of a fantasy I hadn’t even dreamt?

‘That’s quite a mark. Is it a tattoo or something?’ I muttered to myself.

‘Hmm? You said something?’ she asked, sliding forward into my lap, her hands on her laps, staring with that striking gaze of hers. I flinched, she smiled. Actually, I liked her smile… when her faded red lips curved into a smile, as if she were a shy maiden. I held her arms gently, closing my lips to hers, almost about to collide with her pretty face.

‘Maybe some other time, hm?’ she shushed me with her finger, grazing my upper lip. I felt disappointed, yet somehow relieved from the inside. She hopped off the bed, patting her bare feet on the floor to the glass door, a small balcony appearing in sight. She pushed the door open, letting the wind come in and cool my mind. I sighed a breath of relief.

‘Look,’ she called. My eyes fell on a dark falcon with dark wings, with a glowing eye and a dark and empty dark eye. I couldn’t tell if it was her. She had feathers grown out of her wings on her bare back, only in her night apron. They fell to the ground. She was neither a bird, nor a deity. Something inhuman, something cruel. Even then, I could sense a hint of kindness in her gaze. She looked at me. She raised her hands, nails as sharp as a spike, ready to strike.

Her tensed face of an animal warmed down to a caring smile, tilting her head and staring at me, the moonlight making her outlines clear. I stood myself up and walked up to her. I could feel the fallen feathers on the floor below my feet. They were almost soft as a cotton pillow. Glancing around outside, I could see the gazebo we arrived that late evening, I could see and feel the sea breeze on my face, grazing past me. The moon reflected over the sea, brightening the edges of the faraway mountains. We both looked outwards, speaking nothing.

‘What I gave you is a curse, a magic spell that binds you with myself,’ she said, turning to me. I could see her hair flowing with the wind. I wanted to stroke them, as If to caress them forever.

‘Understood. Then, shall I begin work from tomorrow?’ I asked her politely.

‘Yes. You may.’ She ended.

 

****

 

I opened the room door of Mistress and found her to be sitting on the bed in her plain night outfit, staring out the window.

‘Miss, can I ask you something?’ I entered the room, intuiting something to come out of her mouth, spell out the truth.

‘Go ahead,’ she said, not turning towards me.

‘Tell me, is there something bothering you recently?’ I asked, gathering my wits. She said nothing. Remained quiet for some time.

‘You want to know?’ she spoke lightly, as if wanting to give away, trembling in her voice.

‘If it is within my power, then yes.’ I added firmly.

She sighed.

‘I will be married off in a few weeks…’

My eyes widened.