Castle Secrets. Of War and other Intrigues.

The new maid

Ten new maids were brought to the castle that very day the war finally ended. With the returning of the high ranked generals and captains, the castle would come to life again, every room filled, every corridor breathing again. All lands had greatly suffered from the war; the kingdom was in need of working hand. Fugitives, refugees, even war prisoners had to be used and one of them had gotten send to the castle. What she was, a refugee or a prisoner, no one knew. Her papers got lost, while she was moved from one place to the other and she was barely talking at all. So it was decided for her to spend her days with labor at the castle, a place that preferred its maids as quiet and invisible as possible. And for three days straight the only word she spoke was her name.

Something the overseer of the castle was thrilled with. Born in the castle, raised with the maids, but taught to read and write, the woman had long lost her name when she had been placed in charge of laborers as she had managed making everybody call her Lady. Even the prince and princess called her that, as the name of the woman had long been buried together with their parents.

Lady was hated by the working class of the castle for her brutality and vicious lies. The good and secure life of the castle was not enough for a woman of her ambitions, not even the wealth she had gained in a life of offering all kind of services to anyone who had enough dimes to pay for them. But even Lady had a weakness and that was General Tenoh.

General Haruka Tenoh seemed to be everybody's weakness at the castle. Maybe because his looks differed from the other men, maybe because he was the youngest general of the army, maybe because the king favored him or maybe because he managed keeping his wealth when everyone had almost lost it. A man who kept himself from shallow romances, always concentrated on his work nonetheless, women and men all appreciated or respected his company, which was exactly what the general had aimed for. It gave him the chance to hide in plain sight, hide that he actually was a woman.

But the war was over and even the general had to finally return home, together with his army. And the castle would be filled with life again.

That night the dinner was rich and tasty, the buffest filled with the best wine and drinks. Talks about war filled the room, as always turning such a bruising experience into a tale of heroes and adventures. Haruka's ears and mind was fed up, she placed her elbow on the table and rubbed her left temple. Her eyes wondered around the room and froze when they spotted her.

The maid, standing right to the buffet with drinks passed as unnoticed as a statue. Maybe someone had stopped and had glanced at her as she was beautiful and definitely from another land, with marble white skin and turquoise hair, but as they passed her they would forget her. In fact all people forget something they never wanted to see in the first place.

Haruka stood up and approached the buffet. She grabbed a drink and looked at the smaller women. She didn't move, she didn't look up. She was barely blinking. Haruka felt cold, like all the warmth of the world had been suddenly swallowed. It was because of the woman's eyes; they were empty. As Haruka looked into them, without them looking back at her, she felt surrounded by a grey matter, which was neither life, nor death. She was staring into a bottomless void, but as she looked closer, the void wasn't empty. War was happening there, war over and over again, the same battle the same move. And in the middle of this war a hole was rising, emptying life and death, leaving nothing behind. There was a pain that went through Haruka's veins and she had to look away from the woman to be able to come to herself. She felt a tap on her shoulder, only to turn to one of her cheerful comrades. Haruka went back to her table, only to look back at the maid who was standing there like the world was still.

Haruka couldn't find any rest that night. She felt like a child who had read a ghost story, unable to fall asleep, afraid of shadows and long curtains. She tried closing her eyes, but the void returned in the form of the woman's empty eyes, the war unleashing over her. Even her heart raced faster and no drink helped. She slipped her clothes on and left the room as she felt it was going to suffocate her.

The corridors were empty, but too much light burned her eyes so the woman walked into the library. It was tall and vast, dim and quiet so she sat in the pitch black darkness, between all those stories on white paper, hoping it would give her peace.

But soon her silence was broken as she heard the squeaking of the door. A small candle burned, light footsteps approached a shelf. The white hand of the woman stroked all the books, searching for something. Her hand finally rested on a book. Her turquoise hair was loose, a little tangled, she must have tried sleeping. Haruka stood up and approached her in perfect stealth, but the woman didn't scare when the general's face appeared in the light of the candle. Her face was as impassive as before

"I'm sorry, sir, I shouldn't be here," she just whispered.

"I am sure there is no rule that forbids the maids to enter the library at night. On the contrary, everyone should be allowed to read, even if so few of your kind can," Haruka spoke, trying to get a reaction out of her. Something, anything, to break that spell around her.

But there was nothing. Haruka approached her and placed her hand under the woman's chin.

"Look at me," she demanded. "What is your name?"

"Michiru," she replied staring empty.

"Why are your eyes a void?"

"Sir, I need to go now," she spoke silently and calm.

"Answer me," Haruka didn't let her. "Why do they terrify me and still I feel the need to stare into them?"

"I have no answers to questions. What you see is what I am," she said lightly pulling away. She politely bowed her head and walked away.

Haruka grabbed the book Michiru had rested her hand on. A story would break that void, would turn her into a regular person. She opened the book just to realize that every single page was empty. A journal of some sorts, not one word was written in it. Haruka's blood froze, a shiver going down her spine.

I know...another story about Haruka hiding behind the a man's uniform. But stick with me it gets much better! :)

Thanks for reading!