Oscar rolls his neck, gingerly rubbing it. The work is harder than he expects, and it’s definitely way past dinnertime now that he’s done. The sky is dark beyond the windows, and the only lights are from the artful gas light fixtures within the manor. His stomach growls loudly. He blushes, looking around cautiously and hoping that nobody heard him. James said dinner was starting around ten for the servants, but Oscar hadn’t seen a single soul on his way to the servants’ quarters. Maybe he’s too late. He turns the knob and—

“Surprise!” a chorus of cheers and hollers resound as Oscar enters the kitchen.

“Aagh!” Oscar jumps. He blinks at the sight before him of all the servants gathered around a lavish spread of food and desserts on the dining table.

“Welcome to Blackwood Manor,” William says.

“It’s your welcome party, Oscar!” James laughs. “Man, you should see the look on your face right now. You’re pale as a ghost!”

Eliza jabs James. “Don’t mind him, Oscar. He’s been dying to tell you since the morning.”

He’s swept away by other servants, dragging him into the party room. James pops a wine bottle, hollering, “To our newest and youngest addition! Oh, but you can’t drink, Oscar.” Laughs and chuckles ripple through the room as everyone begins piling food onto their plates. The festivities begin as somebody plays a fiddle and excited conversations and raucous laughter fill the room.

William smacks James. “Watch that cork! You could break something with that!”

James laughs harder and a few of the older servants join in, teasingly.

A hand settles on Oscar’s shoulder and Eliza smiles, handing him a plate filled with juicy morsels of meat and deep-fried veggies that must’ve come straight from the gardens.

“Th-this,” Oscar says, still in shock. “This is expensive! How?”

“Don’t get used to it,” she tells him sternly. “It’s a tradition here at Blackwood Manor to celebrate each time a new servant joins the household. We don’t eat like this every day, so you better enjoy it while it lasts.”

Oscar nods vigorously. “I’d be stupid not to.” He quickly takes a bite, and the warm juices explode on his tongue. His world is a rainbow of flavours he’s never known before, and he can’t stop the smile from spreading across his face.

Eliza smiles. “It’s that good, eh?”

Oscar nods, taking another bite. He swallows. “It’s the best food I’ve ever had.”

“Right?” a higher-pitched voice chimes in. “I’m Lucy, by the way,” she says, her blonde ponytail swishing from side-to-side. “I’m the scullery maid here.”

“Nice to meet you,” Oscar says.

She laughs. “You’re so polite. How old are you?”

“I’ve just turned twelve.”

“Wow! So young. I started working here when I was nineteen. Seven years go by faster than you’d think.” Lucy winks at him. “But you know, there wasn’t nearly this much food back then…”

“Of course,” Eliza nods. “There were far fewer servants back then too. Just a handful. Now look at us! This room is too small for all of us, and there’s barely any more lodging available.”

“Hey, I’m grateful, I’ll have you know,” Lucy sniffs. “I owe the Blackwood family my life.”

Oscar turns to Lucy, curious. She catches his gaze.

“I don’t talk about it,” she winks at him. “But here’s something you’ll hear about only inside these walls. The Blackwood family is founded on charity.”

“Founded on charity?” Oscar echoes. “What does that mean?”

“It’s—” Lucy begins, but she stops as she catches Eliza’s gaze. “…Exactly what it sounds like! They’re very generous masters as you’ll soon come to realize. They treat us with more respect than is necessary for people of their standing, and that says a lot about the type of people they are.” Lucy takes this opportunity to ruffle Oscar’s hair and he lets her, his curious eyes unblinking and wide but not prying.

“You’re always so excited whenever there’s new blood,” Eliza sighs fondly.

“Of course,” Lucy huffs. “We got a feast and another little brother today. What’s not to love? Here, Oscar, have a chocolate.” She drops a candy into Oscar’s hands.

“In my experience, kids don’t take well to the fact that there’s another sibling on the way,” Eliza chuckles.

“Hey! Who are you calling a kid!” Lucy bristles.

“Watch your tone, young lady. I’m your senior in both life and around here.”

“Oh, pulling rank, are we? Ha! You don’t scare me!”

Oscar watches as Lucy chases Eliza away, swerving around the other servants laughing and dancing. In his chest, a warmth blossoms, and the chocolate that melts in his mouth is sweeter than honey.

It’s noisy. It’s rowdy. But it’s…nice. Oscar ducks his head, trying to cover his grin with his sleeve. I could get used to this.

The scene before him is something he’s never had the luxury of experiencing before. The colors, sights, and sounds around him are all remarkably vivid. Even if he barely knows anybody here, he feels as if he’s been with them for years.

Eliza’s words from earlier in the afternoon replay in his mind. So, you don’t have to feel alone.

Ah, so this is what she meant. Oscar relaxes, gazing at the golden-hued world before him filled with laughter, good food, song, and dance.

Outside in the black night, the snow begins to fall silently, covering the world in a blanket of soft white. The windows of Blackwood Manor are alight, fiery torches of warmth in a cold, swirling storm. Gradually, as the night wanes, the lights dim.

Oscar places his dish on the rack with the others. The room is mostly cleared out and only a few others are left, sweeping the floors and disposing the leftovers.

“Thanks, Oscar. Leave the rest to me!” Lucy calls.

“Want me to help wash dishes?” he asks.

“Nope. You’ve got a long day again tomorrow and you’re not used to your work yet, so don’t push yourself worrying about others too much. Go to bed. You know where the servants’ bedrooms are, right? You get your own room around here. The Blackwoods really are too generous…”

For a moment, Oscar heads for his assigned bedroom, but he quickly catches himself. Alan. What should I do about him? I’ll have to go back eventually, but if I stay the night, how would I explain it to them later?

“A-actually,” Oscar begins, “I have to go back to my old place.”

Lucy pauses her scrubbing and turns to him. “Really? You’re not going to move in here?”

“One day. But I have a younger brother and he’s expecting me back soon.”

Lucy nods in understanding. “Ah, a shame he’s not at the working age yet. Otherwise you both could just live here. Assuming he also passes the interview, that is. You could recommend him later if you think he’d make it here.” Lucy glances outside. “The snow’s starting to fall more heavily. You should go as soon as you can. Do you have a coat?”

Oscar’s cheeks warm in shame. “No.” He can’t afford one.

“Take mine. It’s on the rack. Might be a little big for you, but it won’t be too bad.”

Oscar glances up, stunned. “You sure?”

“Yeah. I’m not going anywhere, and you can just return it tomorrow morning. Once you get some money, you should definitely invest in a good coat. Oh, I can take you shopping then!” She giggles.

Oscar smiles as he bounds out the door. “Thanks, Lucy. Have a good night!”

As Oscar rushes down the foyer, he glances up at the mural again. He freezes. The throne is black and there are only four objects instead of seven: the ring, the cloak, the silver chains, and the golden pocket watch. But when Oscar blinks, the image is gone, and everything is as it was before. A golden throne and seven objects all in place.

That was weird. He shakes his head and bundles up before heading out into the night.

By the time Oscar arrives at his apartment, Lucy’s coat is covered in snow. Oscar shakes it all off in the stairwell. He unlocks the door and finds Alan studying from his books.

“Oscar!” Alan greets happily, bouncing over and helping him take off Lucy’s coat. “Did you get a new coat?”

“No, it’s a colleague’s,” Oscar laughs. “It’s too big for me.”

“Colleague?”

“It means somebody you work with,” Oscar explains as he hangs up Lucy’s coat beside his own. “Are you hungry, Alan?”

Alan nods.

“Okay, well first, you must promise me something,” Oscar crouches down and gazes searchingly into his brother’s eyes. “Don’t ever open the closet in our room ever again, okay? I need to use it for work. If I can’t work, you can’t eat, and we wouldn’t want that, would we?” Satisfied at Alan’s vigorous head shake, Oscar ruffles his brother’s hair. “Good boy. Remember, don’t use the closet anymore. Can you do that for me?”

Alan nods enthusiastically. “Yeah!”

“Pinky promise?” Oscar holds out his pinky.

Alan hooks their fingers together and follows Oscar along as they chant, "Pinky promise, not dishonest. Break it and you'll be unconscious. When you wake, you'll find red ribbons. They'll string you up so you can't escape!"

“Okay, grab your coat and let’s get something to eat,” he tells Alan as he retracts his hand.

Oscar’s gaze hovers over his old patchy coat, but his body remembers the lingering heat of Lucy’s thicker one. He grabs her coat instead. Alan’s hand searches for his and Oscar obliges, curling his own around his little brother’s.

Together, they step into the cold snowy night. Oscar is bundled up warmly while Alan shivers in a fraying coat, feebly huddling closer to him.