The journey from the carriage to the castle entrance was painful. There was no warm presence for support and all the knights held no kindness towards her. In fact, she may be mistaken but they looked at her with pity more than anything.
She let out a shaky breath.
The castle itself was daunting, but the people inside made her want to scream. In the carriage, she had tried her best to mentally prepare herself for the arrival, but this moment was too hard to bear. She really was at the Zephyr castle. A reality seemingly far from truth.
Liliana walked carefully on the stone path. Her knees trembled and she knew without caution, she would fall at any moment. Looking at beautiful scenery always helped calm her down, and luckily, the estate had a magnificent garden she could distract herself with. Her eyes scanned the area.
The rose hedges reached her waist and swirled across the castle front. The roses were beautifully red, perfectly bloomed as if they were fake. In between the emptiness stood black marble status, shaped in the form of different predators. Lions. Dragons. Snakes. And the mighty phoenix - the symbol of the emperor.
If she was not terrified, she would have openly awed at the beautiful garden. Although simple and colorless, the view was magnificent in its own right. Eerily artistic.
Once the castle doors opened, she was greeted by a single butler. He placed his hand on his chest before performing a bow - an action a commoner like her should never receive.
"Welcome to the Zephyr Castle Miss Liliana Grace." A part of her felt comforted by the welcome. He sent her the first smile she'd seen in two days. "My name is Winston and I will be in charge of your visit. I will make sure your stay at the castle is comfortable. Please follow me as I will escort you to your destination."
"Thank you," she whispered.
The sound of her footsteps trailed behind as she was walked up the grand staircase. Other than herself, the butler, and a single knight, there was not a person in sight. Where was everyone?
Finally, they reached a pair of velvet doors. Once opened, a large room was revealed. By the furniture placed, one could easily assume it was a conversational area for guests.
"There are snacks on the table for you to eat. Please sit down and stay comfortable as the two Masters come to greet you."
Liliana nodded. "Thank you."
And then he left, leaving her alone in the lonely room.
Every commoner had once dreamed of living in a castle when they are young. For Liliana, her castle consisted of beautiful white walls and colorful furniture. The corridors would be full of paintings of nature framed with gold and jewels. There would be lots of sunlight. Windows in every single room.
This was her first time in a castle, and all her expectations sunk. The Zephyr castle reflected its owners. The walls were painted in gold and blood red stripes - the furniture a dark mahogany. There was a large window on the side, but no light seeped in past the grey clouds. A blanket of darkness. Nothing in the room breathed life.
The brightest piece of furniture was the gold low-rise table in front of her. And even the gold color felt murky compared to her vivid childhood imaginations.
Liliana's eyes gradually shifted to the unfamiliar snacks on the table. Brown pieces decorated with gold accents - jewels in their own right. Surely, these small bites costed more than a months worth of rations.
Liliana's stomach rumbled but she did not touch. Her physical body and mind spoke different words. She was not hungry. How could she be? The pit in her stomach was too deep to fill.
She wiped her palms against her dress before staring at the clock placed near the doors. Despite feeling like a millennia, only a few minutes had passed. She wished they would come sooner and feed the curiosity in her mind.
What could her fate behold? Nobody was allowed in the presence of the Zephyr household unless they were a necessity to the family's biddings. Liliana was a normal girl with no special talents. What value could she add to their lives?
She took a deep breath.
In the castle's silence, the only sound she could hear was her own breath. An unwavering sign that she was alive.
And finally, the doors opened.