Master (ManxMan)

Prologue

"Happy Birthday Avery!" Everyone in the kitchen cheered. I grinned like a fool.

It was my eighteenth birthday and I was glad I wasn't 'The Child' anymore. For as long as I could remember, I was referred to as 'The Child' or 'Martha & Jonah's Boy'. Martha had been my mother and my dad - her husband - had been Jonah. Martha and Jonah Griffin, were the best maid and butler to have ever served under the roof of Eldemire Manor.

They'd died two weeks after I was born in an accident on their way to a family reunion. A drunk truck driver had T-boned their vehicle... Or so I was told. Obviously, I wouldn't remember them. I was told on numerous occasions though, that I had been born to the most humble couple; a couple who'd been happily married for twenty years and had made Eldemire Manor the immaculate place it was up until this very day. They'd been the ones to design the shifting system that had made the servants' work easier and the changeovers smoother.

Now, hopefully, since I've stepped into adulthood, I could finally build and secure my own reputation among the servants of Elemire Manor. I scanned over the many faces and grinned once more.

"Aw, thanks you guys." I swear, I loved these people.

"It was my idea." Daphne, my bestfriend, stated proudly as she stepped forward. She gave me a warm hug and whispered in my ear, "Maybe now you can finally get what you've always wanted." She pulled back and gave me a kind smile. I returned it with a sad one.

"Maybe." I said.

Someone cleared their throat and I looked over to see Hannibal standing there awkwardly.

"Yes, er, happy birthday indeed Mr. Griffin. I hope you'll enjoy it. You can have the day off today." He mumbled the last sentence. I knew how much it killed him to say that. Impulsively, I squeezed him in a hug; affectionate on my part, awkward on his. I felt him relax. Hannibal was as old as the planet itself and was the head of the staff of servants in the manor. He was truly a fuddy-duddy old man but he was the closest thing I had to a father, though he reminded me more of a grandfather than anything else.

"Thank you so much!" I said excitedly. This was my first day off in eight months. Of course I'd be grateful.

"Er, yes well. You deserve the day I suppose." He patted my back awkwardly.

We pulled apart and he looked away, uncomfortable with the excess show of affection. I stepped back and was about to say something when Daphne smashed a slice of birthday cake on my face. I gasped in shock, not at all expecting the assault. The other servants laughed. Oh, this means war.

I grabbed a slice myself and plopped it in her hair.

"Avy, you jerk!" She screamed and started laughing. I cackled ridiculously. Taking this as cue, everyone started pelting each other with my birthday cake.

"Stop, that cake is for eating!" Hannibal protested. I grabbed a piece from out of my hair and splattered it across his vest. He gasped and I laughed. A small smile appeared on his face that gave way to his humour. Everyone started throwing cake about the kitchen, heedless of the mess being made and ran around, laughing without preamble. I was about to smear a handful of frosting in Daphne's face when someone cleared their throat at the doorway. We all stopped and turned in the direction of the kitchen exit. Master Sterling stood there in all his mystifying glory with an inscrutable expression on his face. I looked over to Daphne who visibly gulped. I was trying, however, to prevent drool from escaping my mouth.

"What's going on in here?" He demanded, his voice eerily calm.

"S-sorry Master Sterling. We were j-just... Having f-fun. It's Avery's birthday and..." Gladice, the cook and ruler of the kitchen trailed off. Master's head snapped towards me and he walked over to where I stood. My knees were shaking and my palms were getting clammy. I held my head down.

"Is that so?" He asked, only a foot in front of me now. I nodded timidly and chanced a look up at him. His expression was still unfathomable. He reached over to scoop up a pile of cake residue from the counter.

"Well then, in that case..." He plastered the cake on my face and a grin broke out on his. "Happy cake day, birthday boy." He grinned lazily and winked at me. He turned in the general direction of the other servants.

"Please, don't let me stop you." He says to everyone. "Do continue." He chuckled and sauntered out the of kitchen.

The shock on my face was reflected on everyone else's. In a flash though, the shock disappeared and the cake war resumed. Laughter erupted among the staff and playful yells circulated the room.

I, however, stood there in the middle of it all with a silly grin on my face and butterflies in my stomach.