For the first time in years, the noble had a real bed to sleep on. When she woke, panic set in. If anyone caught her in a proper bed, she would be made to regret. Scrambling out of it, she hurriedly reconstructed the bedding. Making the small bed up wasn't a new task, so she quickly folded hospital conners into the sheets before doing the same with the woolen comforter. Wiping the fine sheen that collected on her forehead, it occurred to her she was no longer at her former residence.
Tiffaney didn't know what she should do next. She was supposed to stay put when she didn't have anything to do but no one said that she was required to do that anymore. With out a lot of concern she left the sharded space and traveled into the hall. The hall was empty at this time, and from the messy, unkempt bed, the other lady must have already left.
Without the time the girl was left to wander the castle.
"Get out of the way!"
Unsure of where to go, she had stopped to look at a strange feature in the hall floor. Unlike the smooth flat tile, this surface was a rough trough. The girl had been standing in it until she was tacked from the side.
Moments after a smooth round ball bearing ran through the space the girl had just been standing. The noble had not known that one could make a round ball that large.
"You all right kid?" Looking down the thin wire of a maid was sprawled out over the young noble. Having had several years to recover from her time in an orphanage, maid Mare was a coat hanger in her growing phase. Lady Tiffaney was a tiny slip despite what would be found to be a two-year age difference.
"Why is there a boulder there?" This question would prove to be the first of many questions.
"Always been one there, most of the things that will kill you in the servant areas are marked, it's the entry halls that you have to be careful of." Mare answered from her own experiences.
"Things that will kill you?" At least before the counts family needed her to still be living. What was with these savages?!
"That's why we mark them, so we don't have to worry about it." Clearly miss maid had been brainwashed into thinking this was a good idea. Noble house and castles had walls and guards not death traps.
"I don't think it is supposes…to be that way?" Tiffaney stated a question, trailing off as the other girl's expression made it seem commonplace. Mabey the noble was the one who was wrong, after all most children live in the normal rooms, not unclean holes.
"You get use to it. I'm Mare by the way." Placing her hands behind her neck the girl casually introduced herself.
"Lady Tiffaney Oakenstaff, daughter of Count Oakenstaff of Green Weld." Bowing formally the noble retained her manners. The overshirt given to her was large and served as a dress as the girl curtsy downward.
"Wait! Way to formal, never do that again!" Waving her hands wildly, the stick girl tried to talk her down.
"We don't even great the lady of the castle that way." Surprised that someone would act that way, the girl looked on bemusedly.
"One must never forget their manners lest we be no better than common wrongs." Quoting formally what had been beat into her.
"Might class up the place than. Really you worry to much, just relax the only person you have to mind is the Lady but lowly maids like us almost never see her."
Tiffaney returned to her standing position, worriedly smoothing out the wrinkles in her shirt. If she angered the lady, would she be whipped like before? She was still a trespasser here, liable to be tossed into a pit at any moment. If she didn't work hard or the lady didn't like her...
"Really though I don't think any nobles have ever come here before to join us, not like those stuck up brats would-"
"Would what maid Mare. What would those stuck-up brats do?" From the shadows the stern head buttle emerged like a ghost.
"Lots of work to take care, see ya Tiff!" 'Tiff" was taken aback at the speed at which maid Mare disappeared down the hallway.
"One must be careful within these walls; this labyrinth is the work of countless generations of Dynes twisting it into a monstrous machine." Tiffaney didn't know about that quickly bowed to apologize.
"I'm sorry Sir Ban-" Stuffing a new sucker into the girl's mount, strawberry, the butler refused to entertain the apology.
"Thank you, sir." Tiffaney muttered interrupted by the intrusive candy.
"Come now, all servants will not be within public spaces without proper clothes on. Return to your room and wait. Maid Jac is currently getting you new clothes.
"I couldn't accept, taking me in was more than enough." Having a bit more practice her speech was less obstructed this time.
"If you could I will wash and tend my own clothes, your generosity is not needed." Bowing once more, the lady followed orders and returned to her room. Sugar did not make for a decent meal, and her stomach expressed its displeasure.
"We have a bed any more is to ask too much; we will have to see if we can forge in the nearby woods latter." Looking around, there wasn't a dearth of objects in room itself, the noble lady noted. Each side had a bed, a chest of draws, a roll up desk, and a small wardrobe. There was a small, attached bathroom, one of the few things the noble had helped herself to. It shocked her that the servants had indoor plumbing as only nobles generally enjoyed such things.
"I hope I don't wake her." It was a soft singsong voice as maid Jac quietly opened the door. Lady Tiffaney was sitting in the chair on her side of the room, quietly almost motionless. Seeing her awake the maid was surprised, it had been late before the noble girl had been coxed to sleep, and she expected the child to not wake till lunch. Her arms contained a large cloth bundle filled with clothes for the newest member of their team.
"Good morning sprout." Now in the daylight, the cuteness of the small girl was reaching lethal levels.
"Good morning, Lady Jac." She remained seated properly, given that she had not been allowed to stand.
So dignified and refined yet so tiny! Danger! My heart is in danger!
"Now, now none of us are nobles here, no need for such formality." Turning to shut the door, she missed seeing the girl lock up in fear. It appeared to be a bad thing to be a noble. Thinking further this only made sense, the Dyne family hated the nobles who effectively exiled them. However, she already told lady Mare! Ignorant of the girls panic maid Jac had already moved to set the clothes on her bed.
"Did you make my bed?" Why was her life so stressful? The noble child was sure she was about to suffer for doing something she wasn't supposed to. With eyes closed, she could only wait for her punishment.
"It's' amazing, even I can't make the bed that well." Warm hands fell on her head as the maid patted the younger child. There was no choice but to sit quietly and let the tears spill out of her eyes. No one had ever told her she did something well, not once in ten years. Warped and damaged, the noble girl couldn't even pray that she would feel such caring again. Once was enough.