In the capital of Vashna, all the lords and ladies preside in their carriages of gold and clothes of fine silk. Noble townhouses and high end shops line the streets with glittering jewels and the best of baked goods to enjoy. The Academy of Aena, where priests and knights promise their lives for Goddess Aena, looms in the east. Towering gates and arches with tall spires and glistening stain glass windows give it an air of elegance that’s somehow eerily beautiful.

In the background is the palace of King Rufus Baylor, the great white towers and blinding golden terraces are obvious from miles away. The epitome of status and riches, perched behind the clean city streets where prices are high but all can afford after living atop mountains of riches that have been passed on from generation to generation.

I’m about to become a part of this world, but only in the sense that I’m going to work for one of those lords. Most would call me lucky, earning your place as a loyal servant to the nobles gives status higher than a commoner, the pay is great, living in the capital is impossible otherwise, and connections can be made. However, since agreeing to my new position I’ve been called crazy and “a walking corpse.”

That’s understandable, seeing as I am not residing in the bustle of city life, but rather taking a long road lined with towering oak trees deep into the west woods to the castle on the hill. Gothic in nature, even from a distance the great spires are visible and the stained glass windows of red, orange, and gold give off a glow of flickering flames in the sun, like a beacon that none will follow. Many describe it as a cursed stain over the city of Vashna, a once beloved structure of House Makai, but now a most hated sight that nearly all wish to see burned to ash, or rather the one within burned to ash.

“You must be Wallace,” the butler says that greets me at the front door. He, like the others within working about, is dressed in a black blazer and matching trousers. The women aren’t much different, black dresses with white aprons.

I smile. “Please, call me Wallie.”

“My name is Layne, it is a pleasure to meet you, Wallie. I hope you didn’t have any trouble getting here. Please come in.”

Layne steps aside, allowing me to pass over the threshold. I’ve never been in such an estate, it is nothing like the houses back home, but we weren’t swimming in money, especially after war ravaged our country side.

I admire the exquisite craftsmanship within, breathtaking and otherworldly to me. After all, House Makai has been of noble status for centuries, even once rulers of the empire of Aberia before it became a kingdom ruled by the Baylors. But the Makai family has owned property, wineries, mines, jewelry stores and more longer than any other. Simply money and power piling on top of more money and power until they probably hadn’t a clue what to do with it.

As breathtaking on the inside as it is on the outside, the hallways are long and narrow but the ceilings high and arched. Every railing is hand carved so that each detail is as beautiful as the last. There are statues embedded with gems and paintings of old littering the rooms with furniture made from the finest craftsmen. Each room can probably house a family of six, even the bathrooms are immaculate, all of which I see as Layne escorts me to the servants quarters downstairs.

“This will be your room,” Layne says, opening one of the many doors in the basement. Inside are two beds pressed to opposing sides along with a desk, two nightstands and two wardrobes. It pales in comparison to the rooms upstairs, but it is more than I had back home. “You will be sharing with Hael. He’s been here going on five years so I hope you can learn some tips.”

“I’m sure I will. Thank you for escorting me.”

“Your attire is already in the wardrobe. Please change. I will inform Higra that you’ve arrived. She’s the head maid and trains all new recruits, but I warn you, she’s rather stern. Don’t ever be late, don’t complain, and try not to smile.”

I raise a brow at that because, shouldn’t it be the opposite? But Layne said what he said and he leaves with a quiet bow.

It isn’t until he’s gone that the truth settles in. I’ve made it. After a week long of travel, after living my whole life in a troubled town, I’ve left and I’m here, unsure if here will be any better, but I doubt it can be any worse.

Sighing, I sit my bag atop the bed. All that I’ve brought are two extra pairs of clothes, a blanket, and a few items from home, such as Dad’s books that I cannot read and Mom’s cracked teapot. I chuckle upon pulling them out, removing the wrappings to sit the books on my bedside table with the teapot beside them. How out of place it is, but I had to sell everything we owned to pay off Mom’s debts and this is all I have to remember either of my parents by.

Opening the wardrobe, I find four clean uniforms, more than expected. I’ve never worn such nice attire and struggle a bit putting it on. The blazer is a little tight across my shoulders while the pants are loose, but looking in the mirror within the wardrobe, I can’t help but feel it looks rather nice. Maybe that’s because I’ve never seen myself in anything other than ripped pants, a tattered shirt, and a hat while on the farm.

Even my hair is done. I used the last few coins I had to get a trim on the way here. The once curly white hair is now settled down on the sides so only the top has volume pushed to the right. The barber said it was all the rave among the servers, gave a sense of responsibility but kept some fun, or something like that. I wasn’t really listening, only thinking of the job I barely managed to get thanks to my cousin, Matthias, that Mom kept in touch with while back home and thus I did the same after her passing. He knew of a few openings among the estates, sent letters of recommendation, and now here I am.

I want to laugh. Who would have thought I’d end up at House Makai? If I believed in fate, I’d call it that.

“Don’t mess this up, Wallie,” I whisper and scowl at how my blue eyes quiver from nerves. My hands follow suit, even more so when there’s a knock at the door.

“Come in,” I call, turning in time to find an elderly woman step in. She must be Higra, I can tell purely by the scowl on her wrinkled face.

“Wallace,” she says, and I’m tempted to ask she call me by my nickname but, based on what Layne said, that’s probably not the best idea. “We heard great things about you. I hope you live up to expectations.”

“I will do my best to serve His Grace.”

“Your best?” She smirks. “Your best may not be enough.”

That was unsettling, but I expected nothing less. Afterall, Soran Makai is a vampire, hated and feared by commoners and nobles alike. There are rumors galore, none of them all that great, and it’s hard to tell fact from fiction.

Higra suddenly shuts the door. She stands elegantly, hands curled together in front of her and chin held high. But her face is one of apathy while her eyes speak of fearful secrets when she says, “There are rules you must follow while here, Wallace. Lord Makai, as you know, is not like us. You will witness instances that will unsettle you. You may be asked to complete tasks that frighten you, and if you fear what those may be then I suggest you leave now, because if you show hesitation and fear before His Grace you will be leaving as a corpse.”

My throat runs dry.

“Do not ask questions. Do not smile. Do exactly as you’re told without question or concern. Never show disgust or fear, if you can do that then you’ll be just fine.”

Higra steps over to me, looking up with her cold brown eyes. They narrow into a glare, one of warning, and although it’s unsettling to see it doesn’t change my mind.

“Can you follow those rules, Wallace?” She asks.

“Absolutely.”

“Very well. Follow me.”

♱♱♱