The royal castle stood high and mighty, like a giant made of old grey-like stones. Its huge walls shot straight up into the sky, sturdy and still, with it's tall towers shining under the bright sun. Creatures in the sky flew over the highest tower, their songs echoing faintly in the open air.
On the castle grounds, gardens bloomed with colour—roses, lollies, and wildflowers dancing in the breeze. Mazes of multiple structures occupied some of the pieces of land alongside one of a kind fountains. The gates stood wide, welcoming to travelers with a still sense of peace. Hefty armoured men stood guarding it, monitoring who and what goes in and out of the castle.
Carriages of multiple structures and designs are being stopped by some of the guards, who demanded for their businesses in the citadel.
"State your business here, coach." Dydra's ears caught the demand one of the guards directed at the coachman of the carriage she was in.
"Maids." The coachman replied casually, as though this wasn't his first time, like a thief who's done this before. The guard didn't respond and gave a single nod to the other guards, who returned it, letting the carriage in. As the it wheeled into the castle, Dydra's eyes shifted to the people in the carriage. Only after she heard the coachman say maids, did she observed that the people occupying the carriage didn't wear fancy clothings, or wore their hair up in a fancy way. Rather, their hairs were tied in messy buns and they wore shabby clothes, their shoes were looking second-hand, and their skin lacked a norish glow.
After she and the old witch got back to the cottage the previous day, they had both been utterly exhausted, as they didn't speak any word to each other. Oryen went to her room, and Dydra did the same.
Very early in the morning, Oryen informed the young witch that she was off the work as a maid in the castle. Dydra, who had decided to stay a few more days, felt like a burden not doing anything for the old witch in return, so she suggested to also work at the castle, which Oryen found to be a great idea, as she knew someone that could appoint the young witch as a maid, as getting a job, even as a maid, in the castle, wasn't a piece of cake.
A light gasp escaped the red-haired girl's lips as she started at the magnificent greenland in front of her. Glorious, was an understatement when describing the castle grounds. It was filled with tall trees, that stood amongst roses, dandelions and sunflowers.
The carriage rode on a narrow dirt road, that led to a small a wooden building. She observed people on a line, as one by one they entered through a door, but she didn't see them existing. She turned to the raven-haired woman sitting opposite her, whose gaze was on her.
"Why are those people entering that building?" She whispered, but low enough for the people around her to not hear, but loud enough for Oryen's ears to pick it up. The old witch knew not to answer that question in public place, as some people are gifted with supernatural hearing. Her answering the question will make people wonder if the girl was a real maid, as every servant in the castle knows about this place. If they were to find out she wasn't, they would cause trouble, as this wasn't the way maids are appointed. Truth be told, most people did not willingly become a maid or a servant, as most of them were kidnapped and then something is done to them for them to comply peacefully, with zero questions asked.
Flashes of what happened that had her became a maid, surfaced in the mind of the old witch. She could still feel the rough hands that grabbed young her, tearing her away from her sister—an Okitu. She screamed and kicked, trying to break free but the guard was too strong, and he knocked her out. She lost consciousness and the next time she regained it, she found herself in a pitch black room, with the only source of light coming from a single candle flame. Her blue eyes had wondered about, and it settled upon a pair of red ones, staring intensely at her blue ones. She was in shock, she tried to scream but then she noticed a cloth tied tightly around her mouth, preventing a sound from escaping her lips. She tried to move her body but she was bounded with chains. A hand suddenly came to her face and snatched her chin, causing her to fix her eyes at the pair of red ones. As she was about to shut her then due to fear, a calm voice came.
"Don't be scared," instantly, the intense fear she had evaporated, as though it was never there. Her mind wanted to scream at her, but a certain feeling of peace washed over her, as though her panic was never there,"you will be a maid in the castle, and whatever goes in there, stays in there. You will remember this, but will never tell a soul. You will have the memory of your abduction, but will let it live with you in peace. If anyone asks how work is in the castle, you will say it's great. And that the royal family are the good people, that they respect you, even though you are a lowly servant. And that you are very grateful to work for them."
After that, she was once again enveloped with darkness, and when she woke up, she found herself in one of the rooms of the cottage. Youth Oryen was confused, she left the bed and notice a paper sitting on the floor. She went over and picked it up, reading the words she found in it aloud.
"This is a gift to you from the royal family, for agreeing to serve us as a maid. You should be at the castle after sunrise, fulfilling your duties. You shall be receiving wages of two chilling each day for your service."
Though she was confused, she found herself getting ready every morning, for the past few years, going to the royal castle to work as a maid, and till now, she still does it, with peace in her heart.