The first to notice the maid was Troy. He quickly stood up, but as he was about to take a step, he felt his arm being grabbed. Troy looked behind him and saw Horen shaking his head.
"Leave this to me. Remain seated."
Troy did as he was told to avoid arguing with his older brother. However, his gaze remained on the bloodied appearance of the maid. Meanwhile, Horen hastily made his way towards where the maid was. His mind was vigorously at work on speculating about the incident.
Once Horen was in front of the maid, he stared directly into her eyes. He flinched upon seeing how blank the maid's eyes were.
"I've seen this before. There are the eyes of someone who has been hypnotized." Horen muttered as he averted his gaze.
He proceeded to inspect the maid's body and tried to find her wounds. In his head, there was also the possibility that the blood on the maid's uniform was not her's. Since there was no visual indication of where the blood had come from, Horen reached out for the maid's shoulder. The second that his hand touched the maid's body, she fell to the ground.
It was like she was a marionette whose strings were suddenly cut off.
The servants, who weren't ordered to do anything, sprung into action. It was against Horen's implicit rule of leaving him to his own devices until he warranted someone's assistance. Withal, they couldn't just let their young master touch the blood of a meagre maid.
One of the guards knelt down to inspect the maid's heartbeat. The act was useless at best, considering that the maid turned into the dust in the blink of an eye. The servants all stepped back, surprised at the happening. On the other hand, Horen couldn't take his gaze off of the pile of ashes that became of the maid.
The Duke of Gertrude trusted his son enough to wait for his call on the situation. But there was something that bothered him about the maid's death. Even the Duchess herself was perturbed despite her experiences fighting in several wars.
"Children, please retire to your bedrooms. I'll have my guards accompany both of you back to your rooms." Sorsiana said to her two youngest, putting a smile on her face to reassure them.
Ophelia and Troy had no other option but to agree. They wouldn't be of help in the first place. Without uttering a word of reply to their mother, the two left the dining hall with their servants.
Down the corridor, the siblings went their separate ways. Ophelia bid her brother farewell and hurriedly made her path back to her bedroom. Truthfully speaking, she had the same apprehension as her father. From the point that the maid appeared, a stifling feeling arose in her heart. She couldn't put a name on it which made her all the more uncomfortable.
She stopped in her tracks and turned towards her guard.
"Jeston, what do you think happened with that maid? Her death was just bizarre. The servants of the dukedom aren't sorcerers. Their bodies should be intact upon their deaths."
Right at that instant, horripilation covered Ophelia's entire body. Her eyes widened in horror as she turned her feet and began walking in the direction of the Banquet Hall.
"Young Miss, we have to send you back to your room! It's the Duchess' order!" Jeston tried to stop Ophelia while running after her.
Unfortunately for him, nothing could change her mind. It was a chance for her to get answers. She knew that her mother, father, and her older brother wouldn't tell her a thing with regards to the incident.
"Miss! Please turn back! It's dangerous!"
"No, I will see it for myself."
Unable to convince his master, Jeston started to pray under his breath. For sure, he would be scolded by the Duchess if she ever found out about Ophelia's disobedience. It was the duty of one's guard to stop their masters in case they're making decisions that could possibly harm them.
The nearer she got to the Banquet Hall, the silence fueled Ophelia's suspicions further. The Duchess ordered the servants to work in shifts to allow everyone to enjoy the celebration. There should be guards and servants stationed along her way, yet there was no one in sight.
One last turn prior to reaching the corridor that would lead her to the Banquet Hall, Ophelia caught the sight of Troy walking in a haste. She immediately knew that her younger brother had similar misgivings about the matter.
The siblings were both tensed, urging them to keep their reticence at their short parting. Their steps quickened even more as they approached the Banquet Hall.
Jeston and Troy's guard, Bard, ran ahead of their masters to open the doors of the hall for them. However, the interior caught their eyes as soon as it was revealed. Their bodies stiffened, mirroring the terror in their hearts and minds.
Of course, Ophelia and Troy noticed the bewilderment of their guards. They dashed the rest of the distance and stood afore the opening of the hall.
"What in the world is happening…" Ophelia breathlessly uttered. Her hands began to quiver as she covered her mouth with them.
Meanwhile, Troy felt a sense of validation after having worried over the happenings in the Banquet Hall. Still, he wasn't particularly glad of it. If anything, he couldn't move out of the dread that struck him.
In front of the siblings was a scene that ought to be reserved in the war battlefield.
The pearl-white marble floor -- decorated with inlays that of paintings from well-known artists -- was now riddled with the lifeless bodies of the Gertrude Dukedom's servants.
A pool of blood was now encompassing the entire floor.
Troy snapped out of his transfixation, snapping his head towards his guard thereafter.
"Bard! Call my father and older brother this instant! Tell them that it's urgent but don't inform them what's happened."
Bard was certain that Troy had a reason for giving him that order, so he just heeded it right away. In the end, the guard had faith that his masters would resolve the matter, albeit still afraid of what he had just witnessed.
Once his guard had left, Troy went on to make use of Jeston.
"Jeston, take my sister out of the hall." Then, Troy cast a glare at the guard, making him flinch. "This time, make sure that you accomplish your duty. Use force if you have to. Watch her room and don't let her out."
Taking a big gulp of his saliva, Jeston bowed at Troy ahead of approaching the unmoving Ophelia. The lady couldn't get a grip on her emotions, mixing consternation and fear with the sadness of losing the servants that she cherished. From afar, she could spot some of the maids who had served her throughout her adulthood, even the maid that she considered as her best friend.
Before her tears could even escape her eyes, Ophelia was dragged by Jeston out of the hall.