He was surprised that he woke up. Almost as soon as he had heard the mysterious voice, his world had faded to black.

He wasn’t in the back alley anymore. The bed he was on was soft – full of cushions and blankets. The room was dark, heavy curtains obscuring the windows. The only light came from the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, candles slowly dripping wax into their holders.

“Ah! Good morning, young master.” A different voice greeted from the doorway, holding a gleaming silver tray.

“Err…” was all he managed to say as the person entered, presenting their tray for his approval.

“My Lady suggested that these would be to your taste.”

The tray was covered in a range of breakfast foods, from bacon to pancakes to rice to a bowl of a sugary cereal he only barely recognised. There were other things to, things he didn’t recognise.

“I recommend you start with what you know, young master, and let me know if anything else has your fancy.”

“Right. Who are you exactly? And who’s this lady? And why am I here – I don’t…” the words spilled out of his mouth and he flushed as he realised how rude he must have sounded.

“I am Aleksi, one of the servants of Lady Anuva. You are in her manor – she found you last night in an alley and decided that she would remedy the situation as much as she could. She wants to speak to you actually, I’ll lead you to her when we are finished, young master.” The other explained.