At Your Service

Prologue- Start

 "What should I know about Madam Vandiver so I may best serve her?"

Damion stared at the man who was to take his previous occupation as the butler to the Vandiver household. He envied him, as he would now have the honour of serving the most revered, prestigious, and powerful magical family in the United Kingdom; however, he was relieved because his life would no longer be put at risk by associating with the family. With fame came danger for witches, which has been proven by recent events. "There are four people you will be working greatly with," Damion explained. "Marjorie is the maid. She does the cleaning and laundry. She is very energetic and shy, easily flustered, but she does her job well. Huko is the chef. He's a bit rough around the edges but he is a fine culinary artist. Finn is the groundskeeper. He's a bit of a dreamer, his head always up in the clouds, but, like the others, he's good at what he does. Lastly is Solomon. He takes care of the finances. He's a little crazy with his... old man wisdom, but he's a fun time and great to talk to. The previous Master liked everyone to eat dinner together, family and servants, so I'm sure it will still be this way."

The other man chuckled, his voice much lower, darker, and smoother than Damion's. "They sound like quite the crew. Tell me about Madam Vandiver."

"Miss Anja is quite the independent person. She likes to make her own tea, get dressed on her own, tend to the garden, and keep her spaces tidy. She insists on it if you try to do any of it for her or help. She'll be shy about asking you things because she'll think she's troubling you. She's... Well, she was a dancer, but she won't dance with a partner. She likes to be woken up at seven every morning; otherwise, she feels as though she is wasting time. She likes to listen to the radio in the library, but she likes to listen to her own music in the garden and the study. She likes to do crossword puzzles from the newspapers in the bath. She'll want to go with you on errands, mostly for socializing and getting out of the house but also because she may remember something she forgot to put on the list.

"Her periods are irregular, so she may not have the necessary products in time. She may try to leave without saying why. She is absolutely going out to get products. Go with her no matter what for her protection, as you most likely know already, but I'd try to keep an eye on how much she has and keep her stocked. She can only wear the orange ones because her periods are very heavy, and she doesn't use tampons, so don't bother buying them. She doesn't go out much and isn't too social. Try to get her out a little, take her somewhere fun every now and then, especially if she seems down or cooped up. Umm, she may tell you at some point, but she identifies as genderfluid, as she has since she was fifteen, and will let you use any pronouns for her, but everyone tends to use she/her since she used them previous to this discovery."

The man nodded with vague understanding. "How will her newly-acquired injuries affect all of this?"

"She'll need more help, that's a given, which means she'll be more stubborn about doing things on her own, even if she knows she needs help. Be patient with her. She may need help getting dressed, getting in and out of the bath, et cetera. She's very self-conscious about her appearance and presentation and will most likely be even more so now, but normalizing it and not making a big deal out of it will help tremendously." Damion's expression softened, emotion pouring into his eyes. "She's allergic to peanuts and mushrooms, and she takes three sugar cubes in her pot of tea. She doesn't eat beef, pork, turkey, or chicken, but she'll eat anything else. She's always willing to try new foods. She will ask for your opinion a lot and will try to get to know everything about you. She loves poetry, and she likes to read it to you and for you to read it to her. She likes when you leave reminders on the mirror in the bathroom or on one of the pillows on her bed when she takes her morning shower... bath. Don't bother with cleaning the study unless she asks for something to be cleaned. She's very particular about the placement of her materials and ingredients, no matter how chaotic it may seem to you." Damion sighed. "I know this may all sound like a lot to you, but you'll have the crew to help, and they know her very well, and Miss Anja is a very gentle lady. I have never seen her temper once. I have grown quite fond of her, and I'm sure the same will happen to you. She has that effect on people.

A disturbing grin, wicked in appearance, enthusiastic in meaning, and handsome, curled the new butler's face, his dark eyes gleaming with glee. "I simply cannot wait to get started with her."