Evil I Become...

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Finding the cook was the easy part, getting her to acknowledge my existence was far harder.

 I entered the kitchen so confused about what had happened during the arrival of Lady Isabella I decided to simply do the one thing that I knew the cook would never ignore. I picked up one of her precious pies and stood in front of her only to eat it noisily in her face.

A sharp pain entered the back of my head as she hit me with her favourite ladle a.k.a her favorite weapon of choice. On multiple occasions had I envisioned her carrying her ladle in battle. It was amusing to say the least.

 “You incompetent little brat! Don’t you ever steal my pies again!” she screamed in face and she stood in the pie I had dropped 'accidentally' seconds before she hit me. Meat and vegetables squelched on the floor which I had no doubt she would make another unfortunate soul clean up.

Seething, she finally decided to give me my orders simply to get me out of the way, “Just go to the Lord and Lady’s chambers in the guest wing and do whatever they say.” As I weaved my way out of the kitchen she repeated “And don’t you ever steal my pies again!” waving her dough covered ladle for extra cook-style emphasis.

I knew the castle like the back of my sore hand; I had grown up there from a baby. So when I noticed that a curtain had been shifted from its usual place before I immediately tensed. Those curtains were only ever moved for cleaning which wasn't due for another month. It wasn’t unusual for one of the bumbling knights to knock the decorations on their daily rounds, but they never moved the curtain to a completely different place.

 Deciding that it would be safer for the castle to see if it was a spy I peered round the corner of the hidden dip behind the curtain. I could have been the stupidest decision of my life, after all I could have been killed, but of course I didn't think about that till it was too late.

I caught a of the edge of a long black cloak disappearing round the corner, but when I went to see who was on the other end there was no one in sight. Everything was as normal.

The whole experience was very disturbing and I wasn’t sure what else to do. So I made my way towards the guest wing as before, but only after I rectified the wonky curtain.

I attempted to stay professional for everyone not letting the incident shake me, but Lady Isabella knew something was wrong the minute I stepped through the door. A look of concern appeared along her face, but  she never pressed the issue. Although it was clear I was worrying her she still asked “I suppose you are here to be the laundry boy again while we visit?”.

“Yes, madam” I replied distantly, not really aware of what was happening. As much as i tried not to think about it my mind was too focused on who that black cloak could have belonged to. I was certain it real. I couldn't have been seeing things. Could I?

“Isn’t that excellent. Well I don’t have any laundry for you today, but it would please me very much if you could escort Arianna here. I would like to talk to my sister in private, that is of course if she feels well enough.” She said just as her husband walked in from the balcony.

Lord Allad's hair was beginning to grey at its roots but that clearly didn’t affect the smile on his face. Although he was an older man his happiness as well as fitness never seemed to fade. He was the kindest Lord in the country although that didn’t mean his rules for the kingdom were any less strict than any other Lord’s.

“Oh, Rocco what a pleasant surprise. You have grown into quite the handsome young man since our last visit.” He said. I didn’t respond simply because I didn’t know how. His comment really through me back. No one bar my mother had ever given me such a nice complement. After all I was just a serving boy.