Aristocrat | ✓

CHAPTER THREE

     The work was easy. I woke up at six in the morning every day and went straight down to the kitchen to pick up the Lord's breakfast. Maire and I would chat for a bit as the tea boiled, and she would make me promise to feed the chickens or something along that line when I was done with my morning duties.

     Going to the lord's room for the first time had made me nervous. I had stood at the door for minutes practicing the line I had made in my head to wake him up. I had walked in, dropping the tray of food on the table I had pulled from the side before knocking on the wood of his King-sized bed. The lord's eyes had peeled open immediately, and we had stared at each other until I backed away, muttering that his food was ready for him before leaving the room in a haste. I shouldn't have done that, but there was something about him staring at me that made me want to retreat.

     He never mentioned what had happened that first morning when I served him his brunch at the common room and his lunch and dinner at the main dining room. I concluded that he was one to forgive minor mistakes and stopped worrying about being spoken down to as punishment.

     Aside from serving him his food, I also had the duty of laying his clothes out for him and shining his shoes. He had big shoes that correlated with his size, and sometimes I would measure my smaller feet up against them for my own amusement. I cleaned up after him too. Putting away the books he would take out and arranging his mess in the rooms he spent time in. I grew accustomed to his dog as well. It was friendly like the Lord had promised and stayed out of my way when I was working.

     Wandering the castle was something I did in my pass-time. As the Lord had said in our first proper meeting, there weren't many things visually interesting about the place. There was a drawing-room no one used, and a fireplace that didn't seem to have been lit even once since the winter started. I went to the common room sometimes, and the first book I ever picked from there was a small catholic prayer book. I didn't know some words, and I found myself folding pages and telling myself that I would ask somebody about them.

     The women that cleaned came in during my first week. They were a talkative pair. The two were blonde, and the assumed age difference between them made me guess that they were a mother and daughter pair. No gardener had come during the past two weeks since I've been here. The ground was frozen over, and the snow was only getting deeper.

     Sometimes I thought about my parents and siblings, and it was usually at night when I was alone in my room. It felt strange, having spent all my life sharing a room with all of them.

     "I've been looking for you. You should go get the linens from Evenus' room," Marie said out of the blue, bringing me out of my thoughts. I looked up at her. She was standing at the doorway to my bedroom with one hand on the knob and the other holding a basket filled with clothes.

     "I'll go do that," I said, sitting up and putting the book I had with me under the pillow.

     "Bring it to me outside. I'll be waiting," she said, and I nodded before getting up and making my way out of my room. I walked through the hallway and climbed the stairs to the topmost floor where the master's bedroom was. His room was conjoined to the tower of the building. I rapped my knuckles on the door, waiting for him to give me permission to come in.

     "Come in." His voice was low, and it drowned out by the noise of the barking dog. Troy really did follow him everywhere.

     I opened the door and stepped in, but immediately felt the urge to step out.

     "Don't be shy. We're both men, aren't we?" he said. After hesitating for a bit, I walked him. His lower half was covered, but he was still trying to get into one of his shirts. I spotted the hunting rifle by the wall, as well as his thick knee-length boots.