Underneath the thick carpet that Lady Tiffaney's face rested on was solid polished marble. As she managed to get her feet under her, she observed the room. Stunning landscape paintings depicted the castle, from its polished look to the darken clouds of today. Lamps with glass covers and reflectors were lit along the entire hall. In the grim light the details were difficult, until a brilliant flash illuminated everything.
"How may I assist you today" Beside her materialized a butler. Lost in her observance of the surroundings, there was a full three second pause as the child's brain took that time to connect the dots.
"Gahak Faahhhhaaaaa!" Shrieking wildly, she screeched nonsense as her mind failed to process the sudden appearance. Collapsing in a startled mass, the butler said nothing.
"This day is bad for my heart." She groused before as a lady the girl reoriented and recovered.
"Yes, good sir- "She began but the servant closed in quickly. His wrinkled face and bald for head gleamed in the light. He gently picked the girl up and walked her back several paces.
"Please wait a moment." His voice soft without gravel. "I have other 'guests' to greet."
"No wait, those are bad guys you need-" She spoke from his arms as he set her down several paces back.
"Don't move!" It was a sharp scolding retort. He glanced at the girl who locked up in fright and fear before his whole face softened.
"We have our own means to decide if a guest is worth welcoming so don't worry and stay put." His heart broke for a moment as she stood shock still, obviously something wasn't right in the experienced butlers perspective.
"Leave this to the grown-ups." He approached and the girl flinched and slammed her eyes shut. From his pocket he jammed a sucker into her mouth than melted into the flickering lights.
Tiffaney's eyes snaped wide open as the sweetness of the candy wrapped around her tongue. Even after her escape she never had the option to purchases those expensive items. She had witnessed her sister getting such treats, and new clothes as she hid in corner hoping to be unnoticed.
"Sweet? Why does something like this exist?" She asked herself and got no answer.
"Where did he go?" Surprised, she had never seen a servant disappear like that. Looking around she was about to move before the harsh words resonated with her. Standing obediently on her small marble square she tried to remain calm when the four men who were hired help broke in.
"On your toes, no one's come back alive, and we want to be the first." For a moment she felt like running away but she didn't know where to go. None of the places in the hall were close, and she would be run down in moments. It was latter she realized why the butler placed her here specifically.
"Hard to see with all the flickering." One in the rear muttered. Before they could spot the girl a few dozen feet away, a soft drawling voice sounded beside them.
"Welcome gentlemen, to Castle Dyne. How may I assist you today." From the right with no warning, the adults kept better exterior composer. Four men swiftly shifted defensively, hands resting on hilts ready to draw weapons.
In better light there was no question of his bearing, dignified, refined, standing straighter than humans should be able to, every seam and button gleamed in the light. Polished cufflinks and a head that glistened in the fluctuating lights. Each fiber of his being radiated a flawless servant unrivaled anywhere else in the world.
"Who are you?" The one closest to being a leader asked.
"Sir Octave Bandersnatch, head butler to The Castel of Dyne." He held the last syllable showing emphasize that they were at the lair of the most noble house of Dyne. The four who encountered no one and took the land to be abandoned hesitated. It wasn't good to say we have come to abduct a child and then leave her for dead in the woods. The entire spooky atmosphere had left them vulnerable to subtle suggestion.
"Ah, we didn't know that this place was still occupied, we are looking for our lost companion."
"Right, she's a small lady, young thing got lost in the woods." Drawled out the shortest of their group.
"We need to take her-"
"Home! We need to see her returned home." Stamping on the foot of the idiot about to spill the beans, the unofficial leader quickly interjected.
"Dear me, a lost young child, do tell how came her to wander alone in the woods?" A grave face fell on to the butlers' features concern evident.
"She was playing outside of Waypoint and wandered off." Nervous, any idiot could see that they were up to no good.
"How long has she been missing?" Speaking with dripping concern, the men were surprised that their excuse was accepted.
"Er just this afternoon, it hasn't been long." From the side the third man spoke when everyone else faltered.
"Goodness and you managed to search the vast woodlands already, my how dedicated. Unless you have some reason to think that a girl would wander so far away to our humble little chateau so hastily." Several of them gulped wondering just how much this impeccable servant knew.
"We are very dedicated to our young lady." Even Lady Tiffany could tell that the four men were faltering, praying that this man would believe them so they could get their promised reward.
"Yet she simply wandered off, kids these days no sense of limits…"
"Right, right, we were drafted to find her, we could never have let her wander off if we were present."
"Ah so it wasn't your negligence well it can't be helped than." The butler paused for a moment before continuing.
"Yet you didn't say how you discerned that she would be here." Gulping at the subtle feeling of menace that radiated from the elder, the four men clutched their weapons tense at the shift in atmosphere.
"Er, it was the only landmark we found, so we thought the child might come here."
"Yes well, you're in luck. The lady did come here but please stay a bit; the lord wishes to meet all guest that rest within our eaves." His eyes were soft, but nothing else seemed more like polished steel than this man.
"Oh, we couldn't stay"
"Right, there are folks waiting for her we got to hurry."
"Do you intend to forsake the lord's kindness?" Unlike before, there was nothing but cold glaciers falling of Sir Bandersnatch.
"That's not…"
"We can't…"
The small group was at a lost. It was inborn to defer to nobility as commoners, that was the cold fact of the world. Ideas of offending one, worse the most terrifying family in the land caused them all to shake slightly.
"Nonsense, the delay will be short, and the lord will see to a quick return." There was a veiled threat in the butler's tone so that the group could only helplessly nod.
"Excellent, please follow behind the lady here." Startled the group turned to see Sir Octave Bandersnatch standing with the girl they were chasing after. Stunned by the fact that she was a dozen meters away the group looked back and forth, then at the retreating pair.
Slowly they spread out after receiving and given each other a few nods, softly drawing their weapons amidst the tumultuous thunder.