Lilly woke up not remembering where she was. It was a strange bedroom. The green sheets on the cot were unfamiliar but warm, and she quickly got out of bed in a worried daze.
To her relief, she did recognize this place. She had only been living here for a couples days, and she had not yet gotten used to waking up in these conditions. She had woken up in the same hovel every single day since she was a baby, but there had been a fire in the village. Her father had no choice but to work in this castle to provide for the family, and much to her surprise, the Lord who owned it was very generous, giving her a room of her very own. For a price, of course. She, too, would work in the castle.
It was a small room, but big enough for her. The window was facing the garden, and she loved that fact. Even though she stayed most of her days inside helping in the kitchens, she would rush back to her room to stare at the beautifully laid out garden. There was a discolored dresser, but she had few clothes to put in it, and a leftover vanity table.
She loved having a vanity table. In all of her 19 years, she had never had one. It was a luxury that she had only dreamed of, and now she had her own.
Changing into her work dress, she looked in the mirror. Her body was fragile and pale. When she stood at her tallest, she was only five foot one, and though she had worked her whole life, her muscles did not show. Her hair was a peculiar shade of silver, so silver in fact that it almost looked blue. Though it caught the attention of many men, it was too different for her to appreciate it. It was fine and long, just barely grazed her elbows. Her eyes were a dark blue color and were surrounded by long, thick lashes. The kind of eyes that suitors would fall into. When Lilly looked into the mirror, though, she didn't see a good in any of it.
The only redeeming feature she had, in her eyes, was the shape of her face. It looked just like her mothers. Of course, most people would argue and say that she had every feature of her mother, nearly twins if you asked them, but Lilly predominantly thought it was the shape. It was finely round with a delicate point for her chin. It was the only thing she could remember of her mother, and she was glad that she could be reminded of that every time she saw her reflection.
Lilly finished putting on her work dress and put her hair into a bun. Her bangs hung down, partially touching her face. She reminded herself for the umpteenth time that she needed to ask another maid of the house to help her trim it, and left the room to attend her duties.
When she got to the kitchen, it was in utter chaos.
"Samantha?" She asked, tapping the shoulder of another maid. "What's going on?"
"You didn't hear?" Samantha replied, putting plates of luscious food on a tray. "Another Lord came to visit, without an invitation or proper notice."
"Who?" She asked, confused. "Why did he come without notice?"
"Our Lord owes him money," she said bluntly. "And lots of it. Will you help me carry in these trays?"
Lilly tried her hardest, and managed to pick up and carry a tray to the dining hall. She walked slowly as to not trip on her dress. She hadn't gotten it hemmed yet, so it was slightly too long for her body. When she got into the room, she fortunately remembered to not look up.
"Thank you," the man said. This must be the Lord that Samantha was talking about. She curtseyed, and turned, trying to make her way out of the room, but he grabbed her wrist. "Wait!"
A tingle shot through Lilly's spine at the feel of his fingers wrapped around her wrist. She turned towards him, still looking down.
"Would you mind if you looked up every once in a while?" he said kindly. She wasn't used to looking in the eyes of nobility as she never talked with them, but she couldn't very well deny a guests request. She sat there, evaluating what she should do, but the Lord of the house spoke up.
"It's okay, Lilly. You're new here, so you don't know. Lord William Bishop feels uncomfortable with the modest approach I expect from all of my workers."
She looked up, and was intimidated. She didn't know that he was handsome, it would have been nice if Samantha had told her that. He seemed large, from what she could tell as he was sitting, and very strong. His hair was brown and thick, his lips were slightly pulled up into a grin. And those eyes...those eyes. They were a strange color, a dark blue with a gold trim, like lightning on a stormy night. They were aggressive, and piercing through her like daggers.
"And your name?" He asked, his gaze looking as though he was playfully testing.
"Lilly," She said. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lord Bishop."
"William," he corrected. "You can call me Lord William."
"Lord William..." She repeated.
"Do you mind if she stays?" He asked.
"Not at all," the master of the castle said. "Lilly, bring a pitcher. Refill our glasses with wine when they empty."
Lilly quickly rushed out of the room to grab a pitcher of wine, but she had to take break. Her thoughts were racing, that man was simultaneously intriguing and unapproachable. When she finally regained her composure, she felt a familiar hand grab her wrist. She squealed in fright, but a hand covered her mouth.
"Don't make too much noise, now," William said. "I wasn't trying to scare you." He let go of her, and she took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't mean to-"
"No, no. It's quite alright," he said. "Would you follow me, though? I have something I would like to show you."
