Once Upon A Time

Chapter 43

When Juvia first beheld Gray's castle she became very frightened and was anxious to go inside. True it was a magnificently built estate but it was so dark and shrouded with the winter winds covering nearly every perimeter. She could see no light from the windows which gave her the assumption that there was no light inside the estate at all. When the reached the front doors she feared that once they were opened horrible creatures would come running out and tear her apart. But luckily no such event occurred when Gray made the entrance open by itself with just a snap of his fingers.

Inside the castle it was even darker and so very cold. For a moment she suspected that the entire place was made of ice but then she heard Gray snap his fingers again and some candelabras were lit which allowed her to see that this castle was made of stone not ice. 

"Follow me." He told her.

She followed him down a long candle lit corridor that seemed to be leading them into an abyss of darkness that made her very unsettled. She could not see much in the dim light but what she could see were the doors of the corridor and some of the artwork that adorned the walls. But they was nothing remotely elegant or exquisite about them. The few paintings and tapestries she saw were all of hideous, twisted, and fearsome beasts who were either suffering pain or inflicting it onto someone else.

"I have an acquired taste in decor." She heard him say. "Some things in here may startle you at first but you'll get used to it."

"Wha...What will my duties be?" She asked trying to take her mind off of how scared and uncomfortable this place was making her.

"You will serve me my meals and you will clean my abode." He explained. "You will dust my furniture, launder my clothing, fetch me fresh straw when I am spinning at the wheel."

"I'm sorry." She said confused. "Spinning with straw?"

"Well if you've heard of me then you must know about my talent for spinning straw into gold."

"Oh that...Yes I've heard of it. I just forgot for a moment."

"Well I'm not in the habit of repeating myself so pay attention when I speak to you and keep your memory in check."  As they approached a part of the corridor that had rug laid out on the floor, he continued explaining her tasks. "You will read and translate any language or scripture when I tell you to. You will wax the table and polish the silver."

"Yes." She told him, she was all too familiar with this scene. "I understand."

"Oh and you will skin the children that I hunt for their pelts." He grinned sadistically.

She was so horrified and taken aback by that phrase that she tripped over the rug, fell down, knocked over a small table, and ended up dropping one of her shoes. 

"That one was a quip." Gray chuckled. "Not serious."

"Oh...Right." 

"A little clumsy, are we?"

"Maybe. I'm sorry." She said scrabbling to push the table back up in it's place. "It's not broken and the wood as no scuff marks."

"Just try to walk a little better. I can't have you wrecking my things."

"Yes sir. I'll be more careful." She assured him. "Shall we continue on?"

"Um...Lose something my dear?"

He stretched out his finger and from the end of it hung the heel of her shoe which she had dropped.

"Oh thank you." She moved to take it from him and put it back on her foot. 

"You know they can tell a lot about someone based on their shoes. That pitiful covering for your feet will be very ill suited for your work."

"I know. They're worn and tattered but their the only pair I have. I could never afford anything more suitable. I often wished that I knew how to make shoes then I could make them instead of needing to buy them."