Sleeping Roses

The Guest

Despite what Kilan had said to Briar the night before, she had made a very valid point. What was he going to do if he couldn't break the curse before his contract ended?

He had no doubt Beldon would allow him to keep his job at the castle, but he wasn't really meant to work in a castle.

As Briar said, he wasn't a servant, he was a Storyteller, he couldn't be anything else, not in the long term. He had tradition and duties to follow that his family had followed for generations.

When the time came, whatever he said, he couldn't stay. The castle was Beldon and Luka's world. The castle was Jeremy, Tobias and Millie's world. The castle was Briar's world.

But it wasn't his.

Besides that, the life of a servant would eventually drive him to distraction. He wasn't used to staying in one place for so long unless it involved a fairytale.

And no matter how much enchantment surrounded Briar, no matter how good a story it would make, he couldn't collect it so it held no bearing on his work.

He sighed as he held a ladder steady for another servant who was hanging a garland and ribbons to one of the balcony railings in one of the ballrooms.

They had just over a week until the ball; they had just under a week before the guests started arriving.

"I'm still not sure about your choice in guest," someone said at his shoulder and Kilan looked around to see Rosalia at his side, looking up at the balcony.

"I can't say I particularly care for my choice in guest, but needs must, Miss Rosalia," Kilan replied.

She sighed. "Needs must indeed," she said. "I hope you take care of yourself."

Kilan smiled slightly. "I shall, of course. You needn't worry for the likes of me, Miss."

Rosalia smiled at him. "Think of it as something for me to pass the time with then," she said and Kilan laughed slightly.

"Shall do, Miss."

"You haven't seen Beldon have you, by the way?"

"Not today I'm afraid."

Rosalia sighed, annoyance darkening her striking features. "That boy," she said, pursing her lips, "How dare he leave me alone to deal with all of Antoinette's demands. He and Luka have clearly gone into hiding."

Kilan snorted at the idea of his masters, both so imposing in their own ways, hiding from the work involved with preparing for a ball.

"I'm sure their valets have some idea where they might be hiding," Kilan said.

"Well first I have to track down the valets," Rosalia said, glancing towards the doors and, at that moment, Iago had the misfortune to pass the open doors. "Ah! Iago!" she shouted, pointing at him.

Iago looked around at his name, then clearly panicked when he saw who had called him, looked for an escape, saw there was none and grimaced.

"Carry on, Kilan!" Rosalia said as she marched out of the ballroom, advancing on the valet, demanding to know the location of her brother.

Servants around the hall stifled laughter as they watched one of the head servants try and escape the lady and Kilan looked back up at the servant at the top of the ladder, his thoughts slowly drifting back as everyone's attention returned to work.

When the time came to leave, he would have to leave, the castle, his friends and Briar.

The idea hurt him more than he had thought possible when he had first arrived. Back then, when all he had wanted was money and time to heal his wounds, walking away would have been much easier.