Hi guys! This is my first english fanfiction... Yes, you've read well!! I'm italian, and since i don't have any english beta-reader for this, i pray all you: if you see any error, please make me know it!! It's important!! And well, it's obvious that i want a lot of comments... So: R&R!!! I hope you like this story. Enjoy it! Kisses

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Trigun... sigh... well, if you want to give me Vash or Knives as a present, you're welcome!! XD

CHAPTER 1: ARRIVAL AT COLLINGWOOD

-NORMAL POV-

For Meryl Strife, a young woman life was never been exactly good, the only important thing was to make ends meet with her own ability and, for a bad joke destiny seemed never want to finish, lately this led to be pretty difficult. Being a servant in the counts Saverem's house initially seemed to be manna rained from the sky because she, a little penniless middle-class girl, was in searching of a job in order to help her numerous family.

But when she started working, becoming a member of the servants of the wide and luxuriant estate of Gladstone, she couldn't imagine that in a few months she would be find herself there, in front of the huge gate in wrought-iron of Collingwood, the other estate of the Saverem family where lived the younger son.

With the injustice undergone still weighing she made up her mind to go beyond the gate, entering in the private property of one of the most powerful english families of the '700.

-MERYL POV-

I went up the enormous marble stairs, stopping me on the threshold of the entrance. I didn't dare going past this.-Is there anyone

No one answered. I moved forward a little to be able to make out someone on the passages.

-What can i do for you?- a voice coming from my shoulders made me turn around: a very high woman who had to be about my age held on a basket full of vegetables, and some light brown locks had escaped from the chignon that gathered up her hair. A genuine smile lightened her face.

-I'm the new servant-

-Oh, yeah! Come on!- she exceeded me, beckoning to follow her. We ran through a passage adorned with portraits of men in armour or wrapped in precious clothes and pictures of young ladied who seemed of china.

-The palace isn't as big as it seems! You'll accustom to it soon, you'll see!- she assured me with cheerful voice leading me towards downstair, where werw the kitchens and the lodgings of the servants.

-This is my room, and from today it'll be yours too- the girl annunced opening the door of a room. It was little and well-free: exactly how i expected it. I couldn't help surprising in front of the look that girl was giving me. And, other all, what astonished me more was that was obvious that it came from her heart.

I smiled holding out the hand.

-My name is Meryl-

-Milly- the girl shook it energically. I put down my few personal objects.

-Who manages the estate?- i asked, not knowing who i had to turn to annunce my arrival and to know what my tasks would be. Milly's solar smile cracked at my question.

-Is Mr. count. I suppose you had heard of him at Gladstone, don't you?-

I tried to remember, but the past period wasn't an happy parenthesis in my life. I tried to not think of who there was in Gladstone; of who caused my sofference.

-A little... Isn't that who was driven away from Gladstone?- i asked remembering to had jeard something like this from an old maid.

-Yes, he's him. You must turn to Mr. count, Meryl. To mr. Knives Saverem-

CONTINUE...