|| 𝐴𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 || [𝙆𝙖𝙧𝙡 𝙃𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙜]

Part 3

Daniela came back into the room a few minutes later.
"Here are your clothes." She handed a rosy pink servant's outfit to Aless and left.
Aless took off her white dress, which was now dirtied. She put on the new one. It fit her comfortably, not too small, but not too big either.
She heard a knock at the door. "May I come in?" Dimitrescu's voice echoed.
"Yes." Aless said. She felt a bit better now, in her new room and new clothes.
Lady Dimitrescu entered the room, smiling gently. She bent over as she came through the door, as it was too small for her to enter standing upright.
"I have decided that you are to be a servant." Lady Dimitrescu said softly as not to scare the girl any further.
Aless nodded, proving that she was listening.
"Now, I'm sure you understand what a servant is. But you are to do as I say. And do not ever leave this castle. There are many dangers out there, and I do not want you to get hurt. Do you understand, dear?" Lady Dimitrescu said to Aless, gently stroking her hair.
"I do."
"Good, then" Dimitrescu said, putting her hands together. "Now, your first task shouldn't be too hard, you just arrived," she said sweetly. "I think I'll have you.. dust the castle a bit, hm?"

///

Aless had been working hard at the castle for a few weeks. Lady Dimitrescu and the daughters had been awfully kind to her, despite reeking of blood sometimes.
"Darling, the wine cellar is a bit... messy." Lady Dimitrescu said to her one day. "Wouldn't you mind cleaning it a bit? I can't, I have a visitor over for business today."
"Yes, my lady" Aless replied. She readied her cleaning things
"Oh, and remember what I told you before."

Tidying the wine cellar, she glanced around.Her eyes laid upon a door that was painted red, that Dimitrescu had warned her previously not to go in.
She shrugged and continued dusting and wiping. It took her a few hours to clean most of it.
She was going through the cupboards when she spotted something shiny.
A key?
She picked up the key. It was an iron key, carved to look like a bone key.
She looked over at the cellar once more.
I shouldn't...

///

She put the key in her pocket, and continued on.
When she was finished, she went back upstairs. She walked back to the dressing room to inform the Lady that she was finished.. when she heard chatting.
"I would watch your mouth." Lady Dimitrescu's voice echoed. "Remember whose home you are in."
Another voice sighed.
"Look, all I'm askin is... damn it." The voice was low and awfully familiar.
"All I'm asking is some support."
"Support? For what? Another one of those filthy, deadly projects? No. Absolutely not." Lady Dimitrescu said flatly. "You won't even tell me what it is."
"God damn it woman! Would you listen?! I told you, I can't tell you what it is." Lord Heisenberg barked.
"Just please. Just give me the funding, you'll thank me later."
Aless opened the door softly. Lord Heisenberg and Lady Dimitrescu stopped, their eyes darting to the door.
"I-I'm sorry to interrupt, my lady. I have, um," Aless looked down at her feet nervously. Heisenberg's stare bore into her, she could feel it. "I've finished cleaning the cellar."
Lady Dimitrescu's face softened. "Of course, dear. Why don't you take a rest for now? I must talk to you later, anyways." She said, her voice calm and sweet.
Heisenberg glared at Dimitrescu.

///

Aless nodded and left the room. She could hear them continue arguing, which slowly faded away as she walked back into her chambers.
On her bed, her old white dress was neatly folded. It was clean. Lady Dimitrescu must have done that for her.
She happily slipped into the flowing white garment. It was her favourite dress.
She pulled out the skeleton key from the pocket of the rosy dress.
Hmm.
She put it into the pocket of the white dress and left her chambers. She began to explore a little bit.
She went up to the attic floor, which had all kinds of old things. She also went back down to look through the dungeon. It was wet and musty, but had some interesting artifacts to find.
Soon, it was almost dinner. Aless passed by the wine room. She stopped in front of the red door.
Sighing, she pulled out the key.
It wouldn't hurt to take a peek, now, would it?
She slowly put the key in and turned turned the lock, careful not to make a loud sound.
Click!
The door opened slowly.
Aless stepped into the room. It smelled similar to the dungeon, but.. slightly of wine.