5 parts Ongoing Mature"Ye must never look the master in the eyes, ye hear?" Her voice dropped to a whisper as her hands pressed into the dough, kneading it with the same grim certainty that had settled in her words. She paused, casting a furtive glance over her shoulder before resuming her task. "Curfew is at seven sharp. Ye must not leave yer chamber after dark, nor venture beyond the servants' wing unless requested. There be things in this place ye don't wish to encounter, girl. Lord knows what malice awaits those who stray where they ought not."
Agatha nodded, her hands folded over her threadbare gown. "The master," she began hesitantly, "what is he like?"
The woman's expression hardened, a coldness creeping into her voice. "The master is not for the likes of ye to know. Do yer duty, obey the rules, and ye'll stay out of his path."
Agatha stilled, taken aback by her severity.
The maid wiped her flour-covered hands on her apron and turned toward the girl, her face softening ever so slightly, "Listen well child. I've seen many come and go from these walls, some who didn't heed my words. This place... it's not like any place ye've ever known"
The girl 's eyes flickered toward the dim light seeping through the kitchen's doorway. "What is it like, then?"
The maid hesitated, casting a wary eye toward the ancient stones that paved the floor. "There are tales," she muttered, lowering her voice to a hoarse whisper. "Whispers of shadows movin' when no one's there, of strange hapenin's in the dead of night. Some say the castle itself... chooses whom it keeps, and whom it casts aside. But ye'll hear no more of it from me, not if ye want to sleep tonight. And I need ye up bright and early."