Sora's Quest

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was the morning after the disastrous birthday. Lily stood on the wide, grand foyer, thick sunlight spilling down the walls like syrup. Two large staircases stretched up behind her, starting on either side of the room and arching above her head. The floor was pure white granite; the walls painted blue. A set of carved, wooden double-doors stood open to her left, leading to the ruined ballroom. Servants ran in and out with brooms, dustbins and buckets of glass.

Her hands kept twisting her apron, picking apart the seams, running over the hem. She looked at the white floor, the mud that had found its way between the tiles. She thought of the amount of time it would take to clean.

A rather tall, dark-haired man stood only a few feet away. He was dressed in midnight-blue velvet, trimmed in silver thread. He was young, traditionally handsome, yet his hair was flecked with gray. She knew from the other servants that he was in his prime, a desirable twenty-eight years. There was a firmness around his mouth that spoke of heavy responsibility, which would explain the gray hairs.

She watched him shift in the sunlight. His hands rested on a tall, dark-wood cane. His velvet suit was adorned with small tokens of the First Tier—a large gold pin in the shape of two unfurling wings. Three badges, carved from perfectly black onyx: military honors. And his House insignia, a rearing blue stallion on a field of silver thread. She knew the House colors, of course. Lord Gracen Seabourne. Captain of His Majesty's personal guard... one of the few military positions reserved for Nobility.

“Lady Fallcrest is... gone?” he asked slowly. Lily didn't respond right away. It was a redundant question. She had already told him the news.

“My Lord,” she bobbed a curtsy. “I went to check her room this morning. We all thought she was asleep last night. But when I looked in, it was the same as she had left it. No sign.”

Lord Gracen nodded slowly again. He had a stern face, as intense as an eagle, with dark, unreadable eyes. “And you are her personal handmaid?”

Lily nodded. He knew this as well. He had spoken first to Housekeeper Grem, the thankless woman in charge of the staff.

“I must ask... did the Lady speak of any... discontent? Was she upset with her father?”

Lily's lips paled, set in a firm, tight line. She certainly couldn't lie. He had only to ask another servant or any of the serfs to know the truth. “The Lady argued with her father, just as any youth would. But... she is gentle, my Lord. She couldn't have....”

“And they maintained a stark silence these past two years? No letters? No pleasantries?”

Lily let out a slow breath. She knew what it looked like. “There were letters about her schooling. Few of them, to be sure. Lord Fallcrest was a... a practical man, good at business, not the warm or sensitive sort. Not the type to raise a daughter....”

Lord Gracen glanced away, up the first set of stairs to a large oak door, closed tight. Two servants stood outside of it, trying to appear alert after a long, sleepless night. Lily winced at their shabby appearance, crooked uniforms and mussed hair.

Beyond that tightly shut door was a very cold body. With Lord Fallcrest dead, all of the servants were holding their breaths, praying for Lady Sora's return. All of their jobs—their very livelihoods—hung in the balance. Unless the Lady reappeared, the estate would be seized by the King. A probate would ensue, assets would be passed off to distant relatives. The King would keep a hefty chunk of it, to be given as gifts to his favorite courtiers.

A small crowd of serfs had already formed on the back steps; many had brought copies of their land contracts and a few had even brought swords. Lily didn't even know where to start with them. My Lady! she admonished in her mind. Where could you have gone? She felt as though a younger sister had disappeared. She had known Lady Sora almost since birth, and she knew her better than anyone. Her mistress rarely had both feet on the ground. Had she fled the manor? Taken a fright? Or perhaps, more likely, run away from the humiliation? Lily chewed her lip, determinedly picking apart the situation. There were no horses missing from the stables, and no one had seen her outside....