It's very cold, I felt my own body shivering, while long gusts of wind were blowing, making me pull my long cloak tighter about me, then adjusting my hood that was threatening to come off my head, it had been a long few minutes since I arrived at Dimitrescu Castle, and I still hadn't plucked up the courage to knock on the door, the place seemed strangely beautiful and frightening, more like frightening than beautiful, and that was making me fear what I would find on the other side, never in my life did I think I would be here, forced to work as a maid for Lady Dimitrescu. Speaking of her, I'd never even seen her in person, I'd only lived on rumors and stories about the woman, about her appearance and her size, which made my mind imagine the most frightening things about the lady I was to serve.
-God...- I mutter to myself, before letting out my breath through my mouth, and I can see a puff of smoke coming from it, because of the cold.
In small steps, I approach the door, deciding that if I was going to die, it would be in a warm place and not in the cold that would freeze my bones. I raise my hand and knock on the dark wood, making an echoing sound with each knock, before a silence fills the room. In a matter of minutes, I hear the sound of someone's footsteps approaching, making me crack a small smile at the person who was coming to my call. I see the door open slowly before a woman in maid's clothes appears in front of me, looking at me with a serious countenance, I observe her from head to toe, realizing how much taller she was than me.
-Children are not allowed in the place- says the red-haired woman with a frown on her face, while I close mine after hearing those words, feeling offended.
-"I'm not a child, I came here to work as a maid," I say to the woman, who widens her eyes in surprise before simply letting out a light laugh. "Was she laughing at me?" - I ask myself with a serious look on my face as the woman seems to mock me.
-I'm sorry miss, with your face I thought you were a child, I'm sorry- she says calming down as I just nod in affirmation, she then moves away from the door allowing me to enter.
-"Wow..." I say after seeing the decoration of the entrance that leads straight into the main area. -"I know... it's breathtaking," says the woman, smiling at me after closing the door.
-"What's your name? - asks the maid.
-"My name is Annie, and you?
-"Kate, nice to meet you," I say, sounding friendly as Annie shakes my hand in return.
-Well, Miss Kate, I'll take you to the lady of the house. She'll explain your duties and the rules you have to follow. - She says, making my eyes widen as I realize that I'm going to come face to face with the person who gave me nightmares because of my own imagination.
-A L-Lady? - I ask to be sure as Annie shakes her head in affirmation, then starts walking while I swallow, my fear evident in my trembling hands, which I decide to put behind my back as we walk straight to the beast's lair. Wait, I'm already in the lair...
As we walked towards Lady's office, Annie decided to talk about a few things about her, which interested me to a large extent, making me forget for a moment where we were going until we both stopped in front of long double doors. -Well, you're on, darling- she says before knocking on the door and then hearing a loud but calm voice on the other side asking her to come in.
A chill seems to rise in my stomach as my nervousness seems to increase, I try to breathe calmly only to realize that this was failing when I see the doors being opened by Annie and then in front of her a huge table appearing in my field of vision. I follow the redhead who is entering the room, before bowing to the woman in front of her, who unfortunately or fortunately I couldn't see after she bowed to me. I keep my head down as I hear Annie's voice talking to Mrs. Dimitrescu.
-She said she came to work as a maid, ma'am, I'll leave her in your hands- she says after a few seconds of conversation, bowing again and then leaving, closing the doors behind me, leaving me alone with Lady, who was silently watching me.
-What is your name, child? - says the woman, her voice firm and strong, making me tremble slightly.
-K-kate, ma'am- I say still with my head down as another silence fills the place, I can feel her eyes on me as I listen to her slow, calm breathing, making my ears move slightly over the hood in an attempt to catch some other sound.
-"Take off the hood, dear" she says calmly, probably having noticed something moving on the hood as I feel my face go pale.
I raise my head quickly only to see a large woman sitting on a large chair, she was wearing a large hat, while wearing a long dress that could be considered white, her eyes seemed to glow under the hat making me shiver while the woman herself cracked an almost imperceptible smile.
-"I imagined you differently," I say before realizing that my thoughts have gone further, coming out in words, causing Lady to raise one of her eyebrows, looking amused.
-Oh, really? - she says before resting both elbows on the table, bringing both hands together under her chin.
-M-Me, I'm sorry ma'am...I-I wasn't paying attention to what you were saying or thinking- I say before lowering my head again in complete embarrassment, but then a noise catches my attention, and it's a laugh that the big woman is making.
-No need to apologize little one... I wonder what a child like you is doing in my castle, if you don't know, little ones can't work here- she says as I feel my face heat up in anger, after realizing that she also saw me as a child.
-I'm not little! - I say, raising my face again as I cross my arms over my chest, forming a beak over my face.
The woman laughs again when she sees the expression on my face.
-"Lovely!" she says, looking amused as I blush more at the term. - "But now, honey, take off that hood, will you?" she says, returning to her previous request, to which I am undecided as to whether or not I should comply.
-My parents told me never to take off my hood, I'm sorry ma'am- I say to the woman who remains silent.
-That wasn't a request, child, it was an order- she says, sounding serious, making me swallow.
-I don't want to- I say before quickly regretting it when I see Lady's serious expression and then she gets up from her chair, standing to her full height and looking utterly terrifying, making me shudder in my seat after noticing her turn around on the table. Kate looks at her in complete awe as she sees the big woman approaching her so quickly with just a few steps, the young girl takes a few steps back in reflex as she slams her back against the door, mentally cursing herself for not having an escape route.
-Get away- she says, pointing her finger in the direction of the woman who just laughs at her audacity before stopping in front of her and, just like that, crouching down and touching the hood of the young girl who stares at her with wide eyes as she feels the fabric over her head being removed so that her ears are exposed.
The young girl closes her eyes tightly, and after a long silence, no sound coming from her or even from the lady standing next to her, Kate becomes alert until she jumps on her own skin when she feels long fingers touch her delicate ears, making them droop in reflex.
-As I said before... lovely- she hears from Lady, making her feel confused by these words. Are you still...?