---------------

I sprang up out of bed, gasping for air.

My trembling hands clenched my chest tightly.

I hadn’t realized it, but warm tears flowed slowly down my face.

What was this?!

“What did you see?” Maisy asked seriously, sitting in a chair beside the bed.

I could feel the anger building up in my body.

“I felt like I-I was drowning, I felt my lungs fill with water. I couldn’t breathe. Did you know this was going to happen to me?!” I asked, shaking from the trauma of dying again in my dream.

“No, it’s different for everyone,” Maisy started, before pausing.

She lifted her hand slowly.

Hesitating. Before placing it on my shoulder.

“I assure you, I did not intend to make you relive the loss of life, but in order for you to survive in this world, you need these memories. Otherwise, you will die.. I-I am trying to help you live,” Maisy said seriously, speaking slowly as if searching for the right words.

I sat quietly for a long moment, before letting out a sigh.

“Will this happen every time?” I asked.

“I’m not sure. It may get easier,” She replied, standing up from her chair to hand me a glass of water.

I instantly shook my head and crawled out of bed.

I don’t think I’ll be able to stomach drinking anything right now.

Will I really have to go through this again?

I bit my lip, I wasn’t sure if I could handle something like that.

It may have been just a dream…

But it felt so real.

The morning passed by slower than usual.

I sat at the table, pushing my food around with my fork…

While Maisy sat at the table watching me push my food around with my fork.

I sucked my teeth in annoyance.

“Um, can I help you?” I asked, pausing the redesign of my plate to look at her.

She paused, seemingly in deep thought.

Well, this was new.

It’s never taken Maisy this long to get to the point.

“It’s… nothing,” She replied, folding her hands in her lap and looking away, her head turning slightly.

“Wow, I never thought I’d see the day when Maisy would try to spare my feelings. Now I’m curious, come on, tell me,” I urged with growing interest, as I set my fork down on the table.

What rude insult did you have cooked up in there, Maisy?

“You always have seemed… uncommonly hungry. That enthusiastic piggish appetite might have been one of our downfalls, but this bit of restraint has given me a semblance of faith that our future etiquette lessons may not be a complete failure from the start,” She admitted.

AND there it was!

Typical Maisy, back from the dead.

“Yea, I’m not even surprised that’s what you were going to say. Honestly I thought it’d be something worse,” I said crossing my arms, leaning back in my chair.

She really never changes.

“I’ll be taking you into the garden today,” Maisy said, changing the subject.

“Seriously?!” I asked loudly, sitting up straight in excitement.

Outside? Like fresh air outside?!

“Please, lower your voice. A noble woman always conducts herself with civility,” Maisy corrected.

“What do you mean?! I was brought here against my will, poked, prodded, held captive, and now I can’t even be happy to go outside? You really are the devil’s spawn,” I said, quickly standing up, before jogging in place.

Only to immediately stop as my thoughts were brought back to how I got here in the first place.

I hurried to Maisy’s side as she guided me through the door.

It was then, I came face to face with a tall man dressed in armor and… a sword!?

I met a pair of warm grey-green eyes.

They were intense, as if he held the weight of some huge responsibility.

As his eyes shifted to Maisy, I took the opportunity to examine the man further.

He had a strong angular jaw line and a tapered chin. His features were symmetrical and handsome, but that was overshadowed by his reserved expression.

His mouth was set in a firm line, which gave me the impression that he was a man of few words.

His hair was a medium chestnut brown color with earthy undertones. It was short, cleanly cut, and pushed back from his forehead. The hair on the back of his neck lightly brushed his collar.

That made sense, I’d never seen anyone in the military look disheveled, well… on-duty military anyway.

He was of average build and carried himself with the air of someone who relied on skill and training rather than raw size.

Though I could clearly see how solid his neck and shoulders were beneath his clothing.

His armor was a charcoal obsidian grey color, which gave him a larger, more imposing silhouette.

Well, at least to me it did.

It held saffron-yellow colored trim along the edges, though certain pieces were a full fiery copper color with burnt orange highlights.

The palette of his armor was beautiful, but it left me feeling somewhat intimidated.

I’m glad he’s on our side.

“This is Sir Alaric Ashborne, he has and will continue to act as your personal knight,” Maisy explained, handing me the opened diary.

I took it, sticking my finger between the pages.

It would be bothersome if it locked back up.

“Hello, Sir Ashborne, thank you for your service,” I said, politely with a brief, yet graceful curtsy.

“Think nothing of it, My Lady. I shall escort you to the east garden,” Sir Ashborne said, gesturing for me to follow him.

I turned back to look at Maisy, sticking my tongue out.

See?

I can totally act like Isadora.

You were getting on my case over nothing.

I followed Sir Ashborne’s quick stride down the corridor.

I don’t know if it was just me, but it felt like he was purposely walking fast.

I hurried along as he hung a quick left and we descended a narrow staircase.

If this was only the east wing, the estate must have been huge.

I coughed as we stepped into a hallway filled with stale, dusty air. 

It smelled as though the area had recently been opened up after years of disuse.

We exited through a side door that brought us out into the east lawn.

I covered my eyes as the sun beat down on my head.

Squinting out at the neatly manicured lawn that smelled of freshly cut grass.

Sir Ashborne led us to a large white iron gate that was so crisp and clean, like it'd been freshly painted.

You could barely see through the ribbed gate, as the rails were woven through by thick vines with unusual metallic-blue leaves.

“What’s this plant?” I asked, softly running my fingers along the rough, barked surface.

There was a strange static energy emitting from the vine that tickled my fingers.

The metallic-blue leaves glinted coldly in the sunlight, giving the feel of a wall of protection rather than a decorative organic gate accessory.

“I’m not sure, My Lady, but I can ask Mr. Dorran,” He said. 

Dorran? Where have I heard that name before?

I nodded, following him through the gate's threshold.

The moment I set foot into that garden, it was like the environment had completely changed.

The loud open-air sounds of the east lawn vanished. It was like I had been brought into a different world, where time itself had stopped.

The profound silence was only interrupted by the faint rustle of leaves and the distant hum of bees dancing among the flowers. 

The grass beneath my feet had been replaced by a path of off-grey river stones and broken slate.

I gasped as I noticed little flowers with petals of sapphire blue growing on the green carpet between the stones.

They were hauntingly beautiful and seemed to be thriving in the space.

To our right was a pergola.

It towered with large posts of aged white oak.

The unstained wood grain stood out even more as abundant growths of rosemary and lavender settled at the base of the structure.

The smell was so calming, it seemed to cleanse the stale air of the estate.

The heavy canopy and the oak beams of the pergola broke up the sun’s direct rays.

I knew that's where I wanted to sit for the rest of my time outdoors.

In the deepest shadowed part of the pergola, I noticed a mass of dark green velvety moss clinging to the stone decorating the perimeter.

There was a white iron table and comfortable-looking cushioned chairs prepared for me.

When I moved to sit down, my eyes were drawn up to a subtle flickering above me.

I couldn’t help but stare in awe at the sight above me.

“Oh!” I gasped.

Its leaves were a leafy green on one side, but a shiny silver on the underside. It was not just a chaoticly-placed wonder, but a beautiful disturbance that added an interesting touch to the garden.

My god.

Where even was I?

I inhaled deeply. This is crazy.

This is all completely insane. 

I sat down with a sigh and opened up the diary.

I suppose I should start reading.

Entry 1433

Tuesday, Sept 19th, 418 

Shelby delivered her delicious sugared milk this evening, then we had the most profound conversation. Pertaining to one Jeremiah Mauvais and the suspicions surrounding his death. It seems the Duchess has a history of eliminating people who are valuable to her for status, but disposable to her ambitions. One would almost be inclined to think a certain carriage accident was staged by someone wholly capable of political murder.

(4 Weeks Before Last Entry)

I cupped my mouth with my hand suppressing a gasp.

Holy shit.

Is she saying her step-mother killed her first husband?!

That’s insane!

“Is everything alright, My Lady?” Sir Ashborne asked, looking back at me from where he stood at the edge of the pergola.

I nodded quickly, giving him a small smile.

I had forgotten he was there.

“Sir Ashborne, there was actually something I wanted to ask,” I said, as he turned back around, giving me his full attention.

“I read a book, a book about the Forest of Death, it spoke of creatures. Have you ever seen anything like that before? What did they look like?” I asked.

Purposefully omitting the fact that it had been a children’s book.

“I should not be speaking of such things to a young Lady of your standing,” Sir Ashborne rejected flatly.

I frowned.

What a boring loser.

“Well, if you don’t tell me, I may have to go into the Forest of Death to find out for myself,” I said, shrugging.

I watched as he furrowed his brows into an annoyed line.

He composed himself before responding.

“What exactly would you like to know, My Lady?” He asked, with a sigh.

“Hmm, just the basics, but explain it to me like I’m 5,” I said with a grin, holding out my hand, my digits displayed prominently.

“There are 3 types of creatures that are common enough within the empire. We call them, Pledges, Grims, and Oracles,” Sir Ashborne started, looking around to see if there were any prying ears.

I struggled to restrain my laughter.

“Pledges are the most common infestation, they are the lowest of the low, they don’t possess any magic, nor have they been deemed to possess intelligent thought. They simply kill farm animals and the weakest of humans for food,” Sir Ashborne said, looking at me with a serious expression.

“By weakest of humans, you mean me?” I asked, pointing to myself as he nodded stiffly.

Jeez man, I’m not going out there.

No need to try to scare me straight.

“The next are the Grims. They’re quick and smart enough to work together. They reside in the swamps of the forest, but also dwell on land to hunt. Their claws also have a paralyzing toxin, so it’s best to avoid them completely,” He continued.

I shivered, how fucking terrifying.

“Lastly, there are the Oracles. They use magic to turn not only Grims and Pledges into their puppets, but also weak-minded humans. These creatures are the masterminds. Though you likely will never see them, if Grims and Pledges are about, the Oracles are hiding somewhere nearby,” Sir Ashborne finished.

“Um, wow. Thank you. That was utterly terrifying,” I said, trying to shake off the creepy feeling that now overtook my body.

He simply nodded and turned back to his post.

I sighed before turning my attention back to the diary.

Entry 1434

Saturday, Sept 23rd, 418

The Duchess’s brother Gideon, his wife Francesca, and their son Xavier arrived this evening to share a meal at the main estate. While this was probably one of the most unsettling encounters I've ever been made to endure with the Villani side of the family, I was left wondering why Gideon's dark gaze left me with the feeling he was dangerous… just like the Duchess. 

(3.5 Weeks Before Last Entry)

Ah, I see.

So the whole family is weird as fuck?

I bet the step-mother and brother killed her husband together!

I honestly wouldn’t doubt that.

She’s most definitely giving me crazy killer villain vibes.

I looked up as a man entered the garden and walked up to the pergola.

He had a tray of various sweet-smelling pastries and tea in hand. 

Oh, fuck yeah.

Snack time!

“Greetings, My Lady. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. My name is Henry Dorran, your footman,” He said with a bow before placing the tray in front of me.

So this is who Maisy was talking to the other day.

Hm, she was right, he’s pretty average looking.

He was probably in his late twenties, but he had a lean, strong build, with black hair that was cut short and neat.

His brown eyes were friendly and warm.

“It’s nice to meet you Mr. Dorran,” I said, with a polite smile.

Trying not to salivate at the treats in front of me.

“Please, just Henry. These pastries are from the kitchen staff, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy. They wish you a speedy recovery,” He said.

I felt a tinge in my chest.

It’s been a long time since I’ve come across such kind people.

“Thank you,” I said, smiling down at the tray.

Henry gave a deep bow before stopping to speak with Sir Ashborne and making his way out of the garden.

I took a small bite of a pastry, the flavors quite literally exploded in my mouth!

Cinnamon, sugar, and bits of apple between a buttered flaky crust. 

My god, if this wasn’t heaven, I had no idea what was.

I looked up out of my foodie stupor to see Sir Ashborne staring.

I raised my eyebrow and swallowed.

“Mr. Dorran said it’s called iron root vine, it’s strong enough to hold a grown man,” He said, before turning away.

Oh, so that’s what it’s called.

That name was very fitting...

I thoroughly enjoyed my day outside, Maisy was MIA and the lunch Anita brought was absolute fire.

Who doesn’t love roasted chicken?

But now the sun had started to lower in the sky, making the air cool a bit.

I sat in the garden with Sir Ashborne, wondering when Maisy was going to show her face.

Don’t tell me she planned to make me sleep out here or something?

I haven’t even had dinner yet.

I huffed and turned my head back to the diary.

I guess I could at least squeeze in another entry.

Entry 1435

Tuesday, Sept 26th, 418 

Basil, the gardener from our countryside estate has been sending more of the sunstone fennel tea to the main estate. My mother and I used to drink it often, she and Basil grew the herb together in her garden. It has an interesting taste to it now, but I feel refreshed after every cup. I wonder if he’s blended the herbs with something new?

(3 Weeks Before Last Entry)

I remember trying this tea.

It was citrus and mint-flavored.

I know Maisy really enjoyed it, who knew she was such a tea snob?

My head sprang up at the sight of her entering the garden. 

Who would have thought I’d ever be excited to see her?!

She gave me a shallow curtsy and gestured for me to follow. 

Book in hand, I shot up and trailed her like a puppy.

I was so ready to eat and go right to sleep.