The Dark Lord's Seer

Quid Pro Quo

When I awoke, I was in a bed. A bed, a bedroom I'd never seen before. And I was alone, thank Merlins.

Lifting my head up off the pillow, I rose to a seated position and took careful stock of my surroundings. Still dressed in the same clothes I'd had on before I'd blacked out, I'd awoken flat on my back, on top of the covers. 

I tilted my head upwards. Canopied bed. A dark wooden bed frame: so dark the wood itself looked almost black. In fact, the whole room was fashioned rather darkly, save for a single large window - floor to ceiling - which, owing to the curtain left thrown to the side, was letting in a shocking amount of brilliant sunlight. 

I frowned as I considered the implications of this. It'd been late afternoon when I was last conscious, Tom and I together in my kitchen. And considering the amount of sunlight pouring into the room at present, that meant at the very least I'd slept through the night. Hopefully it was only the next day, and not anything more than that. 

Kicking my legs out and over the side of the bed, I rose to my feet and began a careful loop around the bedroom. It was a simply decorated room, but the furnishings it did have were undeniably elegant. The bed, as described, and a matching bedside table. I moved past a large chest of drawers, my fingertips skirting along the top of it as the large wooden floorboards creaked beneath my feet. The room was completely empty otherwise, save for an ornate area rug beneath the bed.

Seemed like a rather old bedroom, at least judging by the furniture and the architecture. Crown moulding on the walls: intricate and hand carved. That sort of detail work in and of itself was highly indicative of the age of the place. Modern builds lacked that painstaking attention to detail. Ok, so old. Old, and very clearly wealthy. 

Making my way to the window, my hand reached out and touched the thick black velvet curtain that'd been pulled to the side. I craned my neck to look outside. High up. Several stories, three? Perhaps four? Difficult to glean for certain. And nothing out my window that gave me any meaningful information as to where I was. All I could see was a large, well kept garden that extended far into the distance. And behind the most distant hedgerows, a dark forest. I narrowed my eyes as I stared off at the blackish-green tree line. 

The last thing left for me to inspect was the en suite bathroom. I pushed open the slightly ajar door and took a quick look in. A bathroom, like any other. Black and white tile on the floors, an old porcelain bathtub, toilet, and a porcelain washbasin. I shrugged to myself and turned, walking back through the bedroom. 

I came to a halt in front of the last unknown: the large wooden door.

Now then. What's beyond you?

I brought my hand to the door knob and hesitated. But when I tried turning it, nothing. I frowned.

Of course you're locked. Naturally.

Feeling rather frustrated at this revelation, not to mention irritatingly helpless, I turned back and took another lazy loop around the bedroom. And then another. And then another.

Oh by Godric's good graces. How long am I expected to stay here for?

Apparently indefinitely. And time was difficult to judge since I had no watch.

Merlins. I never thought I'd actually miss that bloody pocket watch...

After what I'd estimated to be another two or three hours, I finally heard the turning of the door knob. I'd returned to the bed, where I was splayed out and lost in thought. But as soon as I heard the creak of the door, I hopped up and steeled myself.

I scowled hatefully when I saw who stepped through it.

"What do you want?"

Rabastan sneered at me, "Our Lord is ready to have his audience with you."