Unmasked

Chapter 20

~unedited~

Chapter 20:

Mariah takes a step inside a closet of some sort after we walk for a while down a long, carpeted hallway.

"Based on your old uniform you worked on the household necessities," she hands me a chart that's only really a basket, a laundry basket, "seeing as this is a castle holding much, much more people we only need help with the washing."

We continue walking, "if we need you anywhere else we'll move you. That's something we do a lot, we move around the servants."

We turn a corner and enter another walkway but this time it's not empty, it has rows of doors.

"Our rooms, nicer than what you had last but not the best," she states simply, "don't worry you'll have a room."

"I haven't seen any one else rather than downstairs," I tell her.

"Well, like I said this is a fairly large castle," She looks back at me and smiles, "you'll find your way eventually."

"Eventually," I mutter under my breath. If she heard me she choose to ignore it because we continue on in silence.

We finally stop at an empty hallway and she completely turns to face me.

"This should be easy enough for a new comer," she says more to herself than to me, "Listen now, there's a lot of history behind this castle and a meaning behind each... peculiar thing you might begin to question about this building. If you're here long enough I will explain everything to you."

"Oh, um, thank you," I respond questionably. What is the proper way to respond to that?

"For now, this hallway is yours for the cleaning," she begins to explain, "all these rooms aren't used as often so cleaning them isn't a concern for the time being,"

"But why is there so many-?" I begin to ask.

"What did I just say?" She snaps.

"Sorry."

"As I was saying, this hallway is mostly used to get by so you will come across some of the masters, you respectfully bow your head and nothing more unless they ask you to do something directly. Understand?"

I nod.

"Well then," she pats my back in what I assumed was supposed to reassure me, "have fun."

Is that supposed to be funny?

I stare at her as she makes her way back leaving me alone.

What am I supposed to do without anything?

The silence is eerie and new to me, back with mothers everything seemed active and there seemed to be more noise but here it's silent.

Either I'm too little or the castle is too big; the idea of both scare me.

I begin to make my way down (or up, who knows) the hallway, trailing my fingers gently across the plaid wallpaper, occasionally a door will interrupt the path.

Each one seem to call out to me louder and louder, the fine polished wood all reminded me of the doors at the church my father took me too long ago, where everything was new and clean to where I can almost see my reflection starting back at me.

I try to my gaze forward but each time my fingers trail was cut off a door calls me until finally curiosity got the best of me. At first, the tip of my finders gently feel the coolness of the silver knob then I turn it.

The castle really is big.

The room I enter is as big as my mothers main living room, the floor is polished and mainly empty, the wall completely a mirror, I step back out.

The next door I enter is the opposite, as tiny as my old room but carpeted.

Have fun.

I enter the next, the next, and the next door and each side of the hall until I reach the end at a four way cross.

Each and everyone of them is different, whether as massive as a commoners house or as small as a broom closet, all these rooms differed from one another and served a purpose only the king can know about.

There's a lot of history behind this castle, if you're here long enough I will explain everything to you. How long is long enough?

"Let's have another party!" I suddenly hear a woman, no a girl, exclaim excitedly. They calmly make their way passing me, I immediately can tell that they're not servants by their clothing.

"There's already one going on at the main wing," the woman next her explains. They continue on without noticing me and before I can turn around, I hear more voices, this time males.

"I'm not about to spend a fortune to send my army men to their graves..."

"I suppose that is so..."

"Perhaps custard is more like it,"

A large group of them. Panicking, I turn and make it seem like I was just heading back until I hear his voice.

"It's been too long, she hasn't written back..." Suddenly everything tunes out and I find myself facing back before I can stop.

I only get a glimpse but it's enough to know that it is him; the prince. He passes the hall without noticing me for whoever he was speaking to was responding to his concern.

I help but linger a while longer there at the corner, it feels like it's too late to reach out to him, that whatever that when on between us has now expired.

When Mariah mentioned to stay out of his way, I didn't expect to be near it so soon or ever for that matter.

With the feeling in my chest hurting too much, I turn around and make my way back down before he can feel someone staring.