A little boy with hair so dark stood at the entrance of the hallway, rage pulsating through his eyes. He looked to be about eight years of age, though he carried himself in a manner that told of wisdom far beyond his years. He was beautiful, unnaturally so, with his ears a tad longer than humans and pointy at the tip.

This was a Fae child.

Mora stared as the child’s guardians stood shaking before him, yet even in their fear did not falter, and blocked him from going any further.

‘My lord, you need to rest,’ one of them said. ‘You are just recovering.’

‘And I want to go see my father,’ the little boy retorted, enraged. ‘Why wouldn’t you let me?’

‘He is not around, my lord.’

‘Well then I’ll wait for him in his study.’

‘We can’t allow that, my lord. We have strict orders not to allow you in there.’

Mora watched the conversation with interest, fascinated at how the young elite related with his servants. The rest who came for the interview also watched on, along with Claudia who stood still, staring at the interaction with annoyance.

‘Young lord,’ she said finally, causing his attention to be on her. If the young Lord noticed the people lined up in front of his hall, he didn’t show it but instead set his gaze on the head maid.

‘I want to stay in my father’s office.’

‘We cannot allow that my lord,’ Claudia said, her voice firm. ‘Your father ordered us not to allow you in his study except he is around or he sends you on an errand. You are just recovering from an illness. Why don’t you go back and rest?’

The boy stared at her in extreme annoyance, then turned around and headed back the same way he came with his guardians going after him. The scene was a sad one, and Mora couldn’t help but feel bad for the young lord who just wanted to see his father.

Once the spectacle ended, Claudia drew her attention back to them.

‘We are done here,’ she declared. Then to one of the maids flanking by her side she said, ‘Lead them to their quarters.’

The maid nodded then turned towards them.

‘Follow me.’

Without another word, she began heading down the same passageway the young Lord had taken. Mora looked at Petal to find that she was also looking at her, and they both exchanged smiles. 

As they walked down the hallway, Mora used the time to study her surroundings. Huge paintings of the past lord’s of the Maroke manor along with their families hung on the wall. They all looked beautiful, blindly so. Yet, there was something utterly wrong with the expressions of the Lords. All of them looked...indifferent. 

‘We are here,’ the maid who led them said, pointing to a small door. ‘Whenever you have to work in the hallway or the hall, this is the pathway you take. But if you have a chore in any other area of the house, you are to take the servant doors. The maid who would come later to give you your chores would show you where it is.’ She walked towards the door and opened it.

‘This leads to the kitchen,’ she continued. ‘The adjourned room is the servants quarters. That is where you will be staying. You should all go in.’

Mora exchanged glances with Petal, and then slowly, along with their new colleagues, they all walked into the kitchen. She didn’t have time to study the kitchen as the maid who led them watched in impatience, but she saw enough of its grandeur. The door the maid had pointed to earlier was by the far side of the kitchen, far away from where all the kitchen drama took place. It was open, and so much wasn’t required of them but to walk inside.

‘Hurry and rest,’ the earlier maid said, standing by the entrance. ‘Your chores will begin this evening.’

She shut the door immediately.

Mora looked at her new colleagues. They were all seizing each other up, probably wondering how to introduce themselves to the other.

Petal clapped suddenly, a huge grin etched on her face. ‘Hello everyone! I am Petal and it’s nice to meet you. This is my first friend,’ she said, coming towards Mora and then pulling her to her side. ‘She goes by the name Kamora. Unique, isn’t it?’

A blush crept up Mora's cheek and she managed a small wave. ‘Hello,’ she greeted simply.

The tense air surrounding them diffused immediately and one by one each of them began to introduce themselves. In total they were seven in number, women from different backgrounds who had wished to work as maids in elite families. 

Once they were done with the introduction, they all then began studying the room they were in. It was huge, yet it felt cramped. Mats laid scattered everywhere, and Mora  couldn’t help but feel confused about it.

‘I guess we are not the only ones who would be staying here then,’ one of the girls who had introduced herself as Maya, said. That much was obvious, Mora thought. What she couldn’t understand was why the place looked like that. For maids, they were really disorganized. 

‘I don’t think this would be our permanent room,’ another, going by Amara, declared. They all turned to face her.

‘Well, for some of us anyway.’ She shrugged. ‘This is not my first time working in a huge family. There are servants quarters in almost every area of the manor. The chores you would be given determines where you would stay.’

‘So that means, if you are to work in the kitchen or the hall, you would stay here?’ Petal asked.

‘Probably.’

‘Well then, why don’t we go ahead and rest?’ Petal suggested. ‘This might probably be the only time we do so once we begin our chores.’

***

It was later in the evening. They had all rested,  and were ready to begin their work in the manor.

‘What do you think they are going to give us?’ Petal said, lying next to her. She was playing with a tendril of her hair, twiddling it around her index finger.

‘I don’t know,’ Mora said, staring straight ahead. Ever since she entered the manor, an unsettling feeling danced inside her. She couldn’t help but feel that something was off about the place...that it felt familiar. 

Perhaps I had come there before I lost my memory, she thought. Perhaps the manor held a bit of her past. But was she ready to look into it? That, she wasn’t sure about.

The door opened suddenly and everyone sat straight, staring at the person who walked in. 

She was a maid as one could tell by the way she was dressed. She had on a straight black gown that stopped at her knees, and her hair was wrapped up in a tight bun under a lacy cap. A white apron covered her waist, and she stared at all of them with disinterest.

‘I am Sandra,’ she introduced. ‘I'll be the one giving you your respective chores.’

Petal glanced at Mora, her eyes glinting. ‘It’s time to work,’ she whispered, and Mora smiled, battling the nerves inside her.

She was grateful for the life ahead of her, though she couldn’t help but feel like there were unexpected scenarios on the way.