Out of the Darkness

Chapter13

The next day, I was woken early along with the other servants, to prepare for our day. Surprisingly, my back didn't hurt much at all and the wound had already scabbed over, which I was glad to see. When it was time for the morning meal, I walked with Gertrude to the kitchen and we started cooking together, as we had the day before. The entire time, I kept thinking about the strange dream I had last night. It seemed so real. Could it be the tea that Gertrude had made that had triggered it? I didn't know what to think.

"Gertrude?" I asked.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Do you think it's possible that the tea you made might have caused me to have strange dreams?" I asked, gesturing towards my head.

"Yes," she replied. "It's possible."

"How so?" I questioned curiously.

"I make my tea with special herbs and flowers from the otherworld," she explained. "I've been using them for years now, and it seems to help people sleep, but vivid dreams are sometimes a side effect."

"I had a strange dream about the wolf from the woods," I continued. "Do the dreams have meaning?"

"I don't know," she answered, looking perplexed.

I could see the confusion on her face, and it was clear that she was as confused as me. I shrugged it off as just a strange fevered dream and got back to work making breakfast. The smell of the food cooking was intoxicating, and it caused my mouth to water. I could barely think straight, the smell was so strong, and I wanted to eat everything I was making.

Once the meal was prepared, I took the tray in my hands, nervously making my way to the master's chambers. This time Gertrude didn't accompany me. She said I was more than capable of finding my way on my own, and she had more important things to attend to. As I approached the door, I heard muffled sounds from within. I hesitated, but after a few moments, I knocked on the door announcing myself.

"Who is it?" the master asked, his voice stern.

"Breakfast, Master,' I replied nervously, before opening the door and entering his chambers.

"I see," the master replied, as I walked forward to set down the tray of food on the table next to him.

He eyed me suspiciously before grabbing a fork and shoving it into one of the eggs on the plate. He picked up a slice of toast and took a bite, his eyes narrowing as he chewed slowly. Once he had swallowed, he spoke, "Good enough, I guess."

"Thank you, Master," I replied, waiting for the Master to dismiss me.

The master didn't dismiss me though. Instead, I stood there while he slowly ate his meal. The silence was unbearable as the two of us stood in the room, waiting for him to finish. I wanted to break the awkward silence and ask him to let me go, but I was too afraid to speak. I knew the punishment would be severe, and I didn't want to risk it. So I remained quiet, as I felt the silence between us grow longer and more uncomfortable with every passing second.

At long last, the Master finished his meal, and he set down the fork, leaning back in his chair. "How are you feeling today?" He asked me.

"Good, Master," I replied. "My wound feels better."

"Good," the Master responded, a slight smile crossing his lips.

I felt uneasy under his gaze and I quickly turned away from it. I couldn't shake the feeling that he was trying to manipulate me into something. The longer I stood there, the more my nervousness grew until I couldn't take it any longer.

"Master," I started, before quickly biting my lip. "May I please go now?" I asked nervously.

"Why, of course," he replied with an air of superiority. "You are dismissed."

I quickly left the room, relieved to be out of his presence. I rushed back to the kitchen, eager to see Gertrude and recant my experience with the master. I crashed through the kitchen door, my breath heaving from the sprint down the hallway, Gertrude was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Martha stood in the kitchen, scowling at me with contempt.

"Where have you been?" she snapped angrily.

"I've been serving the master breakfast," I replied defensively, feeling a tinge of fear come over me.

"You have been gone for too long," she said as she took a step toward me.

"It's not my fault," I shot back defensively, stepping backward to avoid her advance. "The Master kept me for longer than expected."

"Don't make excuses," Martha sneered as she continued to approach me.

"It wasn't my fault," I insisted again, as she reached me.

"If it wasn't for your mistake, we would not be having this conversation," Martha spat angrily.

"My mistake?" I was shocked. "How was that my fault?"

"Wait here," Martha ordered in a voice that gave no room for disobedience.

I stood nervously in the kitchen, as Martha stormed out the door, on her way to see the Master. I stood there, my body shaking, tears streaming down my eyes. I had done everything right. Was I still going to be punished yet again, even before my old wounds had healed fully? I wanted to run but I knew that would just result in a more severe punishment.

After what seemed like hours, Martha returned to the kitchen. I could hear the rage in her voice as she spoke, "Come with me."

I followed her to the master's chamber. My hands were trembling, and my knees felt weak as I stood outside the door.

"Enter," the Master's voice sounded, and I entered his chamber once more.

I found him sitting in his chair, his breakfast tray still sitting on the table beside him. He looked at me as I stood before him, and then he glanced toward Martha, before speaking, "Well?"

Martha took a deep breath, her face red from anger. "The new servant was late to return from serving breakfast. Now her other chores are delayed. Not only was she late, she tried to make excuses for her tardiness."

I looked at the floor, too afraid to look at either of them. I could feel the master's gaze on me and I wished I could just disappear. I could feel the master's anger growing with every word Martha spoke.

"Is this true, Kat?" the master addressed me.

"Yes, Master," I replied honestly.

At these words, a smirk of vindication appeared on Martha's face. "See," she said triumphantly.

I could hear the anger in the master's voice as he spoke. "Well, it seems as though we need to teach a certain servant a lesson."

Martha's smirk vanished as she realized what he meant, the master sneering at her wickedly. A few seconds later, the master slapped Martha across the face, causing her to cry out in pain. The master grabbed Martha's arm and threw her into the corner of the room. As she lay on the ground, struggling to stand, the master reached out for me and took me by the arm.

"What excuse did you have for being late for your chores?" He asked me, his voice menacing and low.

"I was here with you," I replied softly.

As the master was speaking to me, Martha had taken the opportunity to rise from the floor. Her face was a mix of anger and confusion, not sure what she had done to anger the master. She was glaring at me as she rose to her feet.

"She was here with me," the master spoke, turning his attention back to Martha.

"What?" Martha asked, confused, "But I thought..."

"You thought wrong," the master replied, as he let go of my arm.

"Go," the master said.

Martha and I made a move to leave the master's presence but the master's voice stopped us in our tracks. "Not you, Martha!" he said in a low menacing voice. "You will stay. I need to speak with you for a moment."

Martha looked at the Master in shock as she turned to face him.

"Me?" She asked, her eyes wide with fear.

"Yes, you," the master replied in an even tone.

I took the opportunity to flee the master's chambers, eager to avoid Martha and the wrath of the Master. I was relieved to finally be free from his presence. I made my way to the kitchens where Gertrude was waiting for me.

"Well, how did it go?" She asked me curiously.

All I could do was burst into tears and fall to my knees. Gertrude was there beside me in an instant, holding me in her arms. "It's alright," she whispered softly as she stroked my hair. "What did he do to you?"

"Nothing," I sobbed. "He didn't do anything."

"Then why are you so upset?" She asked in confusion.

.

"He let me go," I said between sobs. "He said I didn't do anything wrong, but Martha..."

Gertrude pulled away and looked me in the eyes. "What happened to Martha?"

I recounted everything that had happened after returning from serving the master's breakfast. I broke down into sobs once again, as I remembered Martha being beaten by the master.

Gertrude couldn't believe what she was hearing. The master had punished Martha, and then let me go. She looked at me, and her mind started to spin. Nothing made sense. Martha was the master's favorite. She hadn't been punished in years.

"Let's get back to work," Gertrude declared and helped me to my feet, pushing her concerns to the back of her mind.

There were still chores to get done, and Gertrude didn't want to push their luck. The master was unpredictable, and she wasn't about to take any chances. I helped Gertrude finish the morning meal for the rest of the castle, before moving on to lunch. By the time lunch rolled around, my body was exhausted from the hard work I'd been doing all day. My muscles ached from the exertion, and my feet were sore from all the walking.

After the final lunch had been served, Gertrude and I set about cleaning up the kitchen, and the evening meal preparations would soon be starting. As we finished putting away the pots and pans, the master's voice sounded behind us.

"I would like some tea, please," he ordered. "Have Kat bring it to me."

Gertrude walked over to the tea caddy and began brewing the master some tea. I watched her work, as she filled a teacup with hot water and then added some dried tea leaves. After letting the tea steep for a few moments, she removed the cup and handed it to me on a small silver serving tray, complete with cream and sugar.

I walked back toward the master's chambers, my nerves starting to get the best of me. As I approached the door, I could hear him speaking with someone on the other side of it. I gently knocked, and the master gave me permission to enter a few moments later. As I entered the room, I found the Master sitting in his chair, looking relaxed. Martha stood off to the side, looking nervous, a fresh bruise visible on her cheek.

"Ah, there you are, Kat," the master said. "Come in."

I walked toward the master hesitantly and set the teacup down on the table beside him. I could feel Martha glaring at me, and I avoided her gaze, hoping she wouldn't cause trouble for me. I knew the master would likely punish me for it.

"Thank you," the master replied as I finished serving him his tea.

I backed away from the table, turning to leave the room, when I heard the master's voice, "Not so fast."

I turned to face him and saw he had grabbed hold of Martha's arm. He was holding it firmly, and he seemed to be squeezing it tightly.

"Martha has something to say to you," the master said with a wicked smile.

"Kat," Martha started. "I'm... sorry."

I looked at Martha in surprise. Why was she apologizing? Was she trying to save her own skin?

"I've been a fool," Martha went on, her voice soft and timid. "I was wrong about you."

I was dumbfounded.

"Apology accepted," the master said. "You may leave."

Martha nodded and quickly left the room. The master turned his attention back to the tea in front of him. I was still standing in the middle of the room, wondering what had just happened, when the Master called out to me, "You may leave as well, Kat. I will call you when I need you again."

"Yes, Master," I said, quickly, and left the room.