"I'll place the moon in your heart., to accompany the sun in your soul."
Ichika Suzuki, a student at Keio University in Japan, is sent on an academic expedition of medicinal sciences to Romania. However, the owner of the castle she is residing in is...
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Ichika
With a heavy sigh and the removal of her glasses, Ichika opened the blinds of the window to be greeted by majestic mountains capped with snow. The sky was a light blue, and the clouds were fluffy with small flashes of lightning.
"Where...?" Ichika asked herself.
"We are approaching Bucharest, miss." A voice suddenly said over her shoulder, making her jump. Turning to see, she was only greeted with nothing. Ichika looked around the space, realizing she was the only person in the cabin, only hearing the roaring of the tracks against the wheels and the light laughter of the maids. She turned back to the window, seeing a grand city come into view. Bucharest.
The door opened, and the elder woman came in with a cart and wheeled it towards Ichika's table she had stationed herself.
"We reach the station in ten minutes. Do you require anything else?" She questioned.
"No, thank you," Ichika responded.
"Very well. I'll be getting these out of your way." The woman said and grabbed the plates and cups sitting in front of Ichika. Once gathered, the woman wheeled out of the cabin. Ichika packed away her books and glasses and dawned her gloves once more. With the sound of the horn, the train signalled its arrival.
Stepping out of the cabin, she noticed another extravagantly designed stagecoach waiting for her, driven by another faceless man who grabbed her by the hand while the crew of the train packed her luggage on the coach. Opening the door, the seats were designed with dark red leather that sunk in when Ichika sat on it. The walls of the inside were black, and the ceiling was designed to be stars.
Once the driver took the reins and the coach began racing from the station, a heavy feeling took hold of Ichika. Something felt wrong about coming to Romania, and it got worse when she looked out the window and was on a narrow path located on a mountain. The wheel was almost slipping off the path, and the thought of falling into the river below made Ichika sick to her stomach.
The mountains were still capped with snow, but many vibrant flowers grew with luscious patches of green grass. The landscape was beautiful, just as she remembered from the time she visited with her father when she was twenty. That was when she met...oh those eyes. Riding through a gate, Ichika was met with the most beautiful architecture.
The church was tall and complimented with a beautiful clock and stained-glass windows depicting stories from the bible. The stonework was defined by spikes and columns, with even smaller carvings on the feet and head of the stone piece. The streets were also made of stone, where they made clicking sounds whenever horses rode over it, and they were several.
The town was exceptionally large and well-built. Each building was built entirely out of stone and had a variety of use. Several museums, dozens of Inns, handfuls of vineyards and wineries, and thousands of houses. Overlooking the city was a large mountain with a grand castle built atop it. The walls and towers were also very tall, seeming to reach into the clouds and even beyond that. It was beautiful.
The coach rode up into the mountain. The paths along the peak were guarded by a wall and guards armed to the teeth. Upon reaching the castle, Ichika took a minute to survey the building, however, she couldn't see much from the abundance of vines that grew over it. Many of the castle workers began piling out of the door and to the coach, unloading the packages of Ichika and taking them in.
The door opened and Ichika stepped out and stood on the stone path leading to the door. The door was open, revealing a grand marble staircase adorned with red carpet. Ichika turned and watched the coach leave and turned back to see a man in a fine suit, wearing a face covering.
"Miss Suzuki. It is an honour to meet you." He said and bowed his head. Once standing straight, he resumed. "I am the butler of Castle Corb, you can refer to me as such for your stay here." Ichika furrowed her brows.
"Just...call you Butler?" She asked. He nodded.
"Yes, madam. The hostess will be busy for the remainder of the noon but has invited you to dine with her once you regain rest from your journey." He spoke. Ichika nodded and stepped forward.
"What can you tell me about the hostess? I've received letters, but nothing clear." Ichika questioned. The butler laughed and stepped to the side and offered his arm. Linking their arms, the butler led her through the door and up the stairs. The floors and walls of the castle were all made from stone, and beautiful artwork hung along the walls.
"The hostess has personally asked me to not say anything to you at the moment. She prefers to do the talking herself." He spoke. Ichika hummed. Many servants had passed the butler and Ichika, and she took in the fact that they all wore face coverings, ranging from veils to masks.
"Seems like an interesting woman," Ichika said, making the butler laugh. Opening a door, a large room was revealed to Ichika. The walls were painted white with expensive paintings hanging. The floors were still stone and covered with many rugs. There was a four-post bed with red satin sheets and covers adorning it, and a black canopy draping the bed. The fireplace was made of white marble and was decorated with a small music box, which was open and displaying a small ballerina spinning to Clair De Lune.
"All of your belongings have been put in their respective places. And in the closet is a gift from the hostess. All of us hope you enjoy your stay here at Castle Corb. Now, get some rest and one of the maids will come and prepare you for dinner." He said and left the room. Ichika looked around the room and walked towards the fireplace, watching the ballerina spin.
The song and the ballerina reminded her of meeting someone. The someone that she wanted but couldn't have. Quickly closing the box, Ichika approach the tall closet adjacent to the fireplace, seeing a gown hanging in there that she did not own. The gown was a light lilac colour, with a bright shine radiating from the sheer layer of fabric that covered the skirt. The design overall was off the shoulder with a lack of sleeves, and small flowers made of silk were sewn into the sleeves and neckline. The sleeves themselves hung on her upper arms, leaving everything else bare. It looked very regal, much more than she is.
Changing out of her current attire, she slid into a nightgown and crawled under the covers of the bed, instantly falling asleep once she settled in. Just to get through dinner, and then she could get to work on her studies.
