Chapter 1

I heard the jingle of the keys before my bedroom door unlocked. This only meant that my workday was starting.

The hauntingly black figure of the head maid appeared in the still black shadows of early morning and threw a burnt piece of bread at my feet, which would serve as breakfast.

The maids’ and servants’ corners were in the north wing of High Hill Estate. The estate currently housed Duke Kestrel and his family. After the uprising, ten years prior, they were moved here to oversee governing the capital of Airedah—Seagull’s Bay.

I grabbed the bread quickly before rats could spot it and immediately ate it to satisfy the rumbling in my belly. I would later have any leftover scraps from the duke’s breakfast.

My day started around four in the morning, so this little piece of bread would have to carry me until then. I tried to savour it, but my hunger compelled me to shove it in my mouth and eat it promptly.

I snatched my black maid’s garment from the small wooden peg near my bed and pulled it over my head. I slid my toned arms in the sleeves and pulled down near the waist, smoothing any wrinkles over my stomach and chest. The lacing on the front was easy to tie and helped adjust the somewhat enormous dress on my frame.

I wasn’t petite, but I was not big enough to fit in it properly. However, they only gave me this garment when I was sold to this estate one year prior.

“Ida, hurry up!” called the head maid from the darkness of the hallway.

She had already freed most of the other servants and maids, and I could see their black silhouettes passing in front of my opened door. She was looking at me with her usual displeased look.

I was probably the most annoying one out of all the servants and maids she had to keep in check. It wasn’t my fault, though; I wasn’t born into this life of indentured servitude, and the system was unfortunately rigged. Once you neared the end of your indenture somewhere, they would sell you to another home, and you’d have to restart your contract with your new owner and work until you had repaid your value. It was a way to keep us as slaves.

I had lived this way for almost a decade now, and I had issues with being compliant. What could I say? Old habits died hard.

I pulled my white apron over my tousled hair and deftly tied it on my back.

While moving to the door, I slipped my feet into my thin leather work boots and hid my red hair in a bonnet. Although it was not uncommon to have red hair, it left people with unsettling feelings because all Cardinal descendants had red hair. Having fiery red hair in this new era was not something people would consider lucky.

The late King Cardinal and his predecessors, who reigned for well over five hundred years over Airedah, had all bright red heads in the paintings I had seen. The new king would have destroyed most of them now, though.

Since my hair was that unfortunate colour, I hid it as much as possible under any headwear. If I had to wear a cap, I used a mix of ground coffee and tinctures to colour my hair a dirty brown.

They had whipped me frequently in my past indentures just for having that colour. Anything remotely red was now forbidden—a painful reminder for anyone still loyal to the old crown.

I closed the door hurriedly behind me, shuffled between the others, and we went close to the kitchen quarters to learn about our work schedule for the day.

They assigned many maids to the scullery or kitchen, others, laundry or the main lobby. Since I was among the prettier maids, they usually sent me to the parlours or living quarters where lords and ladies lived—they always sent the nicer one with a pretty face and all their teeth to better blend with higher society.

“Ida and Maud, you two are tending the young lord’s floor today. No one else is available to do it,” the head maid disdainfully said. “He will be entertaining lady guests, so ensure everything is spotless and his guests are well received. I will send you some kitchen maids around teatime.”

I rolled my eyes. The young lord was probably inviting single ladies again, hoping to find a wife. I had heard that this was a common occurrence. After all, he was indeed a wealthy and very eligible bachelor.

Duke Kestrel’s son, Alexander, was a mystery. I hadn’t even met him, but I already feared him. Apparently, he was very intimidating. He didn’t like to have maids running around his quarters, and his floor was off-limits to us except on special occasions like this one.

I glanced at Maud and saw the same uneasiness in her eyes. Good. I was glad not to be the only one with this weird feeling inside my stomach. I had never worked on Lord Alexander’s floor, so I didn’t know what to expect. I knew Maud had worked there twice, so my uneasiness diminished a little, knowing I would follow her lead.

I moved to the front, where the head maid was, and took the key she held out. It was the master key for the young lord’s floor. I heard Maud scuffle behind me, grabbing other necessities we would need.

Before I could leave for the servant’s stairs, the head maid grabbed my wrist. “Do not enter the room with the carved wood door. That one is… off-limits, and if one of you goes inside, you will suffer the consequences.”

Her eyes lingered on me a bit too long, and I understood what they underlined.

I had to behave.

My curiosity last week earned me five lashes on my backside. I winced at the thought and nodded before heading to my destination.

I pushed the door to the fourth floor, and once Maud and I were out, I closed it neatly against the wall. The servant’s stairs entrance was behind an enormous painting and looked like the end of a corridor. It was seamless. If you didn’t know what to look for, you would think this part of the floor was a dead end.

Maud pointed in a direction, and I knew she silently told me to take care of that section.

We hurried and cleared the hearth, eventually lighting fires in all the main rooms. It was winter, and having friendly fires in the foyers would do wonders for all the lady folk who would gather here briefly.

I used to love sitting near my fireplace to read a good book. Faiths, it’s been ages since I have done anything remotely for myself and leisure. These last ten years have been hard on me.

The lord was nowhere to be found. He must have left early to start his busy day. I didn’t fancy a chance to meet with him—especially with the gossip I had heard about the man. Still, there was no need for us to linger here too long.

I set out to one of the main reception areas and determined this would do nicely for teatime. I started dusting and polishing the furniture.

I saw the carved wooden door that I could not open from the corner of my eye. It was stunning and looked to be a massive slab of hard oak. Just looking at it made me wonder how someone would push open such a door. It looked cumbersome.

To my surprise, the chamber door opened, and a tall half-naked man walked out. I hurriedly lowered my head and pressed my back to the wall, but not before I saw him smirk. He was only wearing his night trousers, and his torso was all on display.

I tried to hide the growing redness of my cheeks. Although it was not uncommon for the residents of this estate to walk as they pleased in their assigned areas, they usually kept themselves in the proper attire. They were shy, always afraid of what chatter could follow their indiscretions.

Once I heard another door open and close further away, I returned to fluffing the pillows and straightening the paintings.

I noticed the door from which the man had come out was still open, and my curiosity got the better of me. Technically, if I passed by and took a peek, I still respected the head maid’s warning. I would not open the door or go into the room.

“Loophole,” I snickered to myself. Good thing there was a painting that needed “straightening” right beside the door.

The hallway carpet muffled my steps, and I quickly went in front of the door to peer within.

It was pitch black, and the room did not have windows, which I found pretty odd. But the overall feeling that the room gave me was like a warning.

The hairs on my neck stood up when I smelled the metallic scent of blood, rust, and sweat.