The young maiden sat up groggily and looked around her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was laying down by a tree in the meadow to take a quick rest before continuing on down the road. She brushed her curly brown hair away from her face and looked at the horizon. It looked to be a little more than midday, which was definitely longer than she had expected to reside here for. She shielded her eyes from the sinking sun and sat up against the tree trunk. Her corset itched against the coarseness of the bark. She had to get up now, determined no more time was to be wasted. The young woman hastily gathered her few possessions and headed for the main road once again.
Upon walking further and further into the outskirts of town, the maiden could tell that everyone knew where she was going, and they observed her with interest and a slight edge of fear in their eyes. The brunette kept her head up high and didn't give into her own anxiety. She knew what had to be done, and that was that. Nobody would steer her away from her resolve.
As she walked, she could almost feel the air around her getting colder, seemingly tightening against her small figure. The stone beneath her feet gave way to black gravel as she drew away from the main road. A few heartbeats later, and the woman could see the trees that had previously enclosed the road become more scarce, and the castle loomed into view. It was every bit as dark as everyone had told her and more. The craggily walls with bricks seeming to be almost coming undone evoked a sense of danger. The door- if you could even call it that- was so large it could fit an elephant through and back. It was painted a very dark purple, unlike the black coating the rest of the castle was dripping with. The huge brass knocker only made it more intimidating for the young servant to be. It was the exact opposite of everything she had grown up knowing. Taking a deep breath to pull herself together, she banged on the door twice.
And then she saw him.