Gunner's Paradise

Forbidden Love

The Gate silently opened and in the distance the house of Cassis was huge and intimidating as Mark approached it, seated on an acre of land nestled like a crown, everyone in this city was familiar with how influential the family was. His parents had called in many favors to get him his position here as all workers of the Cassis house were of lower nobility are some form of prominent standing within society. He was not so fortunate but he hoped to make his parents and family proud by his service all the same.

The guard came up to him,

"Name and identification Sir," the well-dressed gentleman said to him.

"Mark Verlone and here is all the information that I have on me," Mark replied handing the guard the documents from his bag.

The man nodded as he went through the document, you may proceed, and the head maid has been expecting you.

Mark continued walking as he took in all the sights and scenes around him; it was like stepping into art. The hedges were shaped and crafted the garden was well maintained and the area that seem like a large guest reception was stunning with its view.

Finally, after what felt like a short walk due to the sites, he was at his destination before knocking he made sure he gussy up himself at the door, he started to give himself a pep talk and moved his hands accordingly.

Until he heard the laugh of a girl behind him, he turned around to see a young girl with blonde hair and green eyes trying her best to hide her laugh.

"Apologies," he said to her, with an embarrassed expression trying to regain some of his pride, "I didn't know anyone was behind me."

The girl gave him a warm smile, "I have been here a while but you were so into what you were doing I couldn't help but listen, what is your name?"

"My name is Mark," he said pausing before adding "Mam."

"Wonderful," she said as she proceeded to open the door, "come with me."

"I'm sorry my lady but I have to meet with the head maid first," Mark said to her as he took a step in the inside of the mansion.

"Wow!" he exclaimed as he felt as though he had left earth.

The girl laughed again."I only meant through the door but it seems as though this is where we part Mark."

She left him there and he didn't have long to think before he was greeted by one of the maids.

"You must be Mark, I am Selima," she said, "come with me."

Mark followed her as he was lead to the head maid's office

"Welcome, "an old woman said to him looking him over, Selima bowed and then left. "I have been going over your information you seem like quite the talented person, this is the first time we will have someone who is not of some form of noble birth here, I do have high expectations for you. My name is Dorothy."

"A pleasure to finally meet you mam," Mark said as he bowed courteously.

Well then let's get to the matter of your work she said. He was shown his sleeping areas, work clothes and his duties which ranged from mostly dealing with maintenance outside the house, throughout all of his work for the first week at the Mansion, he had not met his boss rather the owner of this place, he wondered why but he always seemed to be running into this mysterious girl.

If he didn't know any better he would assume she was stalking him and she always seemed amused by him as she kept catching him in some rather embarrassing moments. She enjoyed laughing at him and would disappear quite fast afterward, he had wondered if to ask about her but he didn't know if it would be a problem so he never mentioned it to anyone.

What he was told,that the owners had a young daughter but this girl never seem to make mention of her superiority to him maybe she was a friend of the daughter but he assumed she had to hold rank here and by the end of the week he had found her company to be amusing even though she constantly picked at him to her own amusement, they now shared a common banter with each other from familiarity.

The head maid cleared her throat bringing Mark back to reality,

"Tonight, Mark you will be working the dinner shift alongside a few other maids, take this time to get acquainted with them and the chef."

"This is an important night as Mr. Elon Cassis will be here tonight for the first time in at least two years along with him his new wife."

Jacqueline Cassis, please note she is very fond of her red wine.

"Everything is listed within the report if they are any questions let me know now, with that you may leave."

Mark had taken the initiative to set the table he laid out the cutlery and placed it perfect alignment, everything was set and he stood in his position waiting for the night to play out.

It was a short wait before the members of the house came to dinner only three persons for such a big table and that's when Sheldon saw the girl who had teased him earlier. She gave him a quick smile as she passed him by and took her seat at the table.

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He had a feeling she was important, but he did not know she was the daughter he had only assumed she was a friend, why was she not attended in the days he saw her for that week, he thought to himself.

The dinner proceeded smoothly, Mark, and the maids danced around the table craftily removing plates and bringing out the food they also ensure that the wine was always poured and their needs were tended to but the atmosphere felt off to Mark for a family, it give the expression that everyone here were total strangers and it was coming to an end.

A signal was given and Selima one of the maids made her way to pour red wine for Jacqueline Cassis.

As Mark went to pour water in the girl's glass they both gracefully crossed each other.

"Father," she spoke as she looked at the head of the table.

"Yes, Mathinda," he said almost as if knowing what she was going to say.

"That servant there," she pointed at Mark, "I want him to be mine personally."

Mark was a bit taken back by the response and it showed on his face,

What did it mean? he thought to himself.

"Very well, that can be done," the man responded "but if I do this, you must also do something in return a fair exchange. You have many duties that you have overlooked in my absence, you must strive to be not just like your older sister and brother but better, that way our house will always be filled with improvements."

The woman sat there not saying anything in response as the Father got up to leave with a glance at Mark that almost made him went pale. The lady followed after. The maids saw this and proceeded to clear the table of the plates and glasses.

The girl came right over to Mark who had only moved shortly away looking him over as though he had just been bought in a yard sale or an owner that just bought a dog. Smiling from ear to ear, she took his hand and pulled him as she walked on.

All Mark could say to respond to her given the scenario "was my lady?" but nothing else left his mouth.

'Where was she taking him?' he wondered in his mind

They were now in the library and she let go of Mark's hand as she turned to face him.

With a tone of authority she said, "starting from tomorrow you won't have to do those chores anymore also you will report to my room, every morning and will only do work of my choosing, I will have this communicated to the head maid."

"Why?" Mark said under his breath nervously as he tried to understand the change in circumstances.

"Because when I am with you I am no longer bored, and I no longer want to be bored."

The next day Mark was early and had found his way to Mathinda's room he did not feel it right to enter, and he had asked one of the maids to do it but with the mention of the girl's name the maids face all changed and suddenly became too busy with work to help.

He didn't understand this, even the head maid acted this way which was a shock given her personality, that was how he first learned her name.

'Why were they avoiding her so?' He thought to himself as he knocked on the door.

'It can't be all that bad can it?'

"Lady Mathinda," he called, "your servant Mark Verlone is here."

"Come inside and close the door," a voice behind the door said.

Mark felt off about the request he knew this was a breach of the proper standards of a servant but, he could not refuse so he did what he was told.

The room was large and the décor exquisite which did not portray that of a girl's room rather only a few prominent signs gave it away. He couldn't help look all-around before he saw two eyes staring at him from a girl seated on the bed.

This was the first time Mark notice that she wasn't a little girl, he just assumed that because of her youthful face and height.

"Captivated again as always I see."

"No my lady, I was just..."

"No need for such formality, besides I already know the sort of person that you are."

"What orders would you have me do...Mathinda..... mam?"

"Orders, hmmm, okay how about this make me laugh."

"Excuse me, I didn't hear you clearly."

"Make me laugh Mark."

Mark stood there thinking about what he should say to make her laugh, he had heard a few jokes before but where he grew up but he didn't know if it would fit for this kind of environment and he wasn't too sure if Mathinda would like those kind of jokes it may lower her opinion of him and he could end up out of a job. What to do he kept thinking over and over.

She sat there on her bed patiently waiting for him to respond in what may have seemed like an eternity to him.

Mark scratched his head well ah "I sold my vacuum the other day... he paused... all it was doing was collecting dust."

"That's it, after I waited so long that's the best you could come up with," as she started to laugh. "Unbelievable."

"Well, I tried not the best with jokes," he said as the weight came off his shoulders.

"I can see that still it in adverted made me laugh at how bad it was anyway so it still worked."

"To that, I am grateful that I was able to entertain you, now then is there something else you need me to do?"

"Well then, I think you should hmmm..."

"If I may be so bold my lady why has no maids come to help you change, and why was there none to attend you the times I saw you my first week here? My apologies if I overreach but I feel I have to ask this."

Mathinda was silent as she held a long look at Mark her eyes had changed but he understood it and what it was in those eyes held a deep sadness.

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When his brother had passed away, he had felt this way as well he had buried himself with work and trying to make himself successful to save his family from the poor life that they were in. He instinctively walked across the room and held her in his arms, a hug gentle yet powerful as he felt her tears in his clothing, they stood like that for a while before Mark parted.

Seeing her like that Mark decided it was the best time to part so she could regain her strength, he bowed courteously before dismissing himself, there was a long gazing look in her eyes but Mark did not see it. The rest of the day he was in his room, she had not called for him once since then so he spent it thinking on what to do next for this situation.

The next day he arrived at her room with a fire in his eyes, he announced himself as he knocked and entered the room. Mathinda looked at him for a while thinking and he was sure of what he had come up with yesterday. He didn't hesitate as he strutted across the room, the last time he was here, he hadn't noticed it before because he was captivated the windows of the room were closed, he opened them up to let the light in. He then did all the tasks that the maids would have to do for her room he started by clearing things up that seemed like clutter as he was about to place back the undergarments laying on the ground.

"What are you doing? I can deal with that myself," she said embarrassed.

"I am your servant my lady and from now on I proclaim my loyalty to you first," as he knelt. "I will strive to do all the duties that have been neglected from you, I will be your knight when you need protection and I will fill all the roles you need me to be for your cause." "Please accept my vow of fidelity, Lady Mathinda," as he lowered his head.

"What am I to do with you," she said as she smiled at him and placed her hand on his shoulder "I accept, your vow from now on you are my knight."

That was seven years ago, many things had changed since that time, Mark became the head butler although he had many who didn't like him for his social rank and had taken on all the duties of the house but still considered his duty to Mathinda first.

Mathinda had pulled his family out of poverty by engaging her father and a pension for him to be raised out of poverty and in a sense he was now a minor noble, his parents were extremely happy with the news although he wished he could've worked for it even with his salary he knew it would have been impossible and in many ways he thanked her.

He had also learned the reason for why the maids had treated Mathinda so badly before, it was the influence of her step-mother but it didn't stop there, she was constantly at Mathinda although he still didn't quite understand since Mathinda was one of the many children her father had so he couldn't truly grasp the importance of her to that woman.

Regardless Mathinda had grown to be an extremely smart woman, and they both had gotten very close to close for what they were supposed to be. He knew all of her strengths, her weaknesses and he especially knew all of her expressions, those faces of hers came to mind as he thought about them. She was always herself around him and he no longer used honorifics when they were alone.

Mark missed her when she left but he couldn't say it, and it hurt him to wait for her to return, she wrote him when she was away for long times and he would always smile when he read it. He wanted to tell her many times how he felt but, he knew it could never be, he was a mere servant and she had a huge name and a huge responsibility. She probably wouldn't even be able to choose her own husband as that would be picked for her. Today was one such a day as he wondered to himself as he read the letter 'does she feel this way too?'

A knock on the door, brought him back to his senses as a maid bowed with an impolite look on her face and entered.

"Lady Jacqueline Cassis has arrived for dinner," she said not holding back her disdain.

Mark raised his hand, and she left taking a bottle of red wine. He looked back at the final part of the letter.

Burn this after you read it

This will be the last night of my dear step-mother, she feared my mother and now she fears me it's a pity, I knew her plan already,

She comes to kill me poison me on my return and have you take the blame as I have gained the most influence within the house of Cassis, something I hardly care about but this for her, she cannot allow, however despite that I am also the weakest without you by my side I would probably be dead long ago.

I must inform you some time now, I became a member of a religion, introduced to me at one of the meetings that I went to, at first I just did it because I thought it would be fun but now, I realize how small a thought that was and how big a path I can create. Tonight will be a new era one where I can finally be free, you and I together.

Listen for when the glass falls but don't look back, come outside and be with me.

Red wine is such a lovely thing.

Mathinda Cassis