Chapter 3

Ruby and Oswald walked down the corridor, which the former slowly illuminated with a candle as they passed the lamps. Whenever they found a minor flaw - a consumed candle or a dusty mirror - Ruby would erase it as they walked it by. Oswald watched, amazed, at the beauty shining before him. With each new orb of brightness, the hallway's elegance became more evident. Above their heads were intricate murals of thorny roses and leafy vines. A canopy of heaven, that was what the Master had called it. She remembered that the job's completion had required five men and six months' worth of effort, nine hours each day. In return, Master had paid each of those artists their weight in silver. The walls were vanilla-hued and framed with gold. Nearly bare with furniture, the hallway had only a long, slightly faded carpet. It muffled their footsteps. Softened Ruby's slightly sore feet.

"I'm sorry to have to walk in front of you," She apologized over her shoulder, "but I didn't have time to light these earlier, and the...the Mistress will have a fit if she finds a dark hall." God, how she hated calling that gold-digger by her household title. The word felt rotten in her mouth.

"Oh, that's okay." Oswald assured her warmly. "But...what's the problem? I mean, do you have to...?"

"Yes." Ruby understood immediately. "I'm just a handmaiden. I can't wait in front of, or beside, the residence. Always three steps behind them, that's the ticket."

"But..." Oswald blinked hard. "...That's so condescending."

Ruby agreed, and she almost wanted to admit that she hated having to apply that rule with the Evil Queen and her two brats. They always found a way to rub their elevated status in her face. But instead of saying so, Ruby went with the phrase that she'd grown up with: "That's just the way things are."

"Hmph." Oswald sighed. From the corner of her indigo eye, Ruby could see that he was pouting thoughtfully. He looked like a student who'd been presented with a Rubik's cube. It was downright adorable. Blushing slightly, Ruby skillfully changed the subject. "Master wants to speak to you privately. He also asked me to share a couple of the house rules with you." Without waiting for his answer, she pressed on. "Dinner is served at six. Most of the servants go home after that."

"You don't?" Oswald inquired gently.

Ruby took a moment to answer. This was all so...new. She'd been a maid here for seven years, since her nineteenth year, and had learned how to become as part of the background as the tapestries and chairs. All of the Master's visitors had treated her as such. Queen Bitch even took it a step further, dismissing her with a, "That will be all," and clapping her hands twice. Never had anyone taken the slightest interest in her.

Until now.

"I...sleep in the attic." Ruby replied nervously, quickly using her sleeve to wipe the grime off a mirror. In one swoop, it was as polished as a pearl. "The acoustics allow me to hear any noises in the house." She tapped her ear, where her peridot earrings shone lime-green in the candles' light. "And I have rather sharp ears."

"Fascinating." Oswald sounded like he actually meant it. Ruby smiled timidly in thanks before continuing her tread. Oswald trotted at her heels like a newborn foal following its mother. Helpless. Delicate. Once again, Ruby wondered how he'd survived in Gotham. A few more minutes of silence passed between them. Ruby had so many questions that she wanted to ask, but she kept her mouth shut. It wasn't her place to inquire. Her job was to serve in silence.

Finally, the door to the tea room appeared as if by magic. Ruby's nostrils picked up the delicate aroma of vegetable soup. Smiling softly, touched that the Master had personally prepared the meal for Oswald instead of just delegating the job to the cook. Yet another shred of proof that she was working for the kindest man in Gotham. Turning back to Oswald, she bowed from the waist up. "This is your stop, Oswald." She gestured to the door with an outstretched arm. The black-haired man went as white as a sheet. Yet he put on a brave face. "Thank you, Ruby." He lurched towards the door. For the first time, Ruby noticed that Oswald limped slightly. A pang of sympathy shot through her, along with curiosity.

As he passed by her, Ruby reached out without thinking. Gently touched his arm. Oswald stopped, surprised, and looked at her. Ruby felt her cheeks burning like lumps of coal in a fireplace, but she did her best to smile. Hopefully, the hallway's duskiness hid her blush. "Don't worry," she assured him, "I've known the Master for years. He wouldn't harm a fly, even if it was sitting right on his nose." Treading the thin line even further, she gave Oswald's arm a tiny squeeze. "You have nothing to concern yourself with."

Oswald visibly relaxed, and Ruby, in turn, felt better. A pale hand, with slightly yellow fingernails, took hers. Ruby froze as Oswald held her hand, looking at her with the gentlest of gazes. "Thank you, Ruby. You're very kind."

Ruby bowed again, if only to hide the tears that'd sprung up. "Duty, Oswald." She felt Oswald pat her hand before pulling away. The heat that had enclosed her hand evaporated. Suddenly, she felt chilled. Quickly holding her hand over the candle's blinding flame, she closed the door behind Oswald. She lingered, listening to the scrapes as two chairs were pushed back. The clink of metal - the ladle, probably - against porcelain. The slosh of soup filling a bowl. Then, the Master began to speak.

Ruby knew that any self-respecting servant would have departed at this point. This was clearly a very private, intimate moment between...father and son. If Master had wanted Ruby present, as he did almost all the time, then he would have invited her to join them. Even if it just meant clearing the plates afterwards. But he...hadn't. Honestly, this hurt Ruby a little. Ruby had always been allowed to stand by Master. Even when his mother had died, Ruby had been permitted to remain in the sickly-sweet bedroom while Master grieved. When he'd been too depressed to get out of bed, Ruby had bathed him, shaved him, and all but spoon-fed him.

Now...

Ruby shook her head, clearing it. What was going through her thick skull? Master owed her nothing. He'd already done more for her than she could ever hope to repay. Who's to say he had to share everything with her? The least she could offer him in return was some privacy.

So that was what she'd do.

Taking a deep breath, Ruby began her march back down the hallway. To distract her straying curiosity, she made a check-list of this evening.
Five o'clock: clean the dining room with the other maids.
Five-thirty: set the table.
Five forty-five: change in her maid's costume. In all of this hussle and bussle, she hadn't gotten out of the black dress yet. While the Master probably wouldn't mind, Queen Bitch would seize the chance.
Six o'clock: stand in waiting while the family ate, and clear the plates afterwards.

Then, her day would be complete.

A figure emerged from the corridor's entrance, coming straight towards her. For a split second, Ruby was scared. Went back in the past. That night in the alley, under the icy rain. But no. She couldn't go back to that alley. She revisited that place in her nightmares often enough. The person passed one of the lanterns. Warm, hazy light fell upon a familiar face. One that dragged against Ruby's nerves like a cheese grater.

"Oh, great." She muttered to herself.

"Why, hello, Ruby!" Sasha Van Dahl giggled as she stepped forward. She tossed some caramel waves over her shoulder. When Ruby saw what she was wearing, Ruby could almost feel her skin becoming green with envy. Resting on Sasha's pebble-smooth collarbone was a diamond necklace. Not just transparent diamonds, either: some were green, others yellow, and a few were even black! The rarest type of diamond of all! Ruby bit her bottom lip so hard she felt it pierce. Sasha's annoying voice snapped Ruby out of her jewel-trance. "I am so sorry I couldn't clean up my room this morning!" She laughed. "But I had better things to do - like count the number of shoes in the closet I keep them in!"

Ruby blinked, momentarily stunned. "Your shoes have their own closet?" A second later she cursed herself for taking the bait.

"Mm-hm!" Sasha nodded sweetly. "And they're all very expensive. I'd cancel that trip to the bank this month, if I were you. Don't think Elijiah will have any leftover scraps to throw your way."

Ruby's fingers clenched around the candle's tallow body. Her skin began to ripple like a body of water at the mercy of the wind. "I serve Elijiah Van Dahl out of loyalty, not payment expectancy."

"Yeah," Sasha agreed, "last I checked, circus freaks didn't get paid."

An extra pair of arms began to sprout from Ruby's ribcage like weeds. Pushed against the dress's soft fabric. Ready to strangle the life out of this stupid whore. With some difficulty, Ruby forced them back beneath her skin. She felt the extra skin, muscles, and bone dissolve into nothing, rejoining her natural structure.

Sasha pushed some imaginary strand behind her ear, completely oblivious to Ruby's dilemma. Looking around as if bored, she asked, "Anyway, where's Elijiah? I need a thousand dollars."

Why? Ruby thought snarkily, did the whore house not pay you generously enough? Suddenly, the maid brightened. Grinned from ear to ear. "I fear that, in this moment, Master is unavailable." She paused for effect. "He is entertaining his son."

Sasha's eyes bulged, perfect eyebrows scrunching. "Excuse me?"

"Oh!" Ruby placed a hand on her small chin. The very image of innocent surprise. "I suppose Master never told your dear mother that she wasn't his first love? That many years ago, he fell in love with his family's cook? So much so that he and I visited her grave today?"

Sasha's smarmy expression was ancient history by now. She was glaring at Ruby the same way she would at a dog turd sitting in the middle of her bed. Ruby took a second to drink in the satisfaction. "Well, it seems that Master's innocent love bore fruit. A very polite young man named Oswald. I must say, the family resemblance is really quite striking. Anyone with eyes could see that they were related."

Sasha was snorting through her nostrils like a bull about to charge. Ruby smiled wide. "Isn't it sweet? How the family just got a little bigger? I can't wait for you, Master Charles, and Madame Grace to meet Oswald in person."

By this point, Sasha had become so stiff that her muscles were like plywood. Ruby enjoyed every second of the show. "Well, I would love to stay and chat, Miss Sasha, but I have work to do. I have to make things especially nice for the future head of the Van Dahl family."

Sasha's face became beet-red. "Why, you-"

Ruby blew out her candle. The smoke hit Sasha in the face. Ruby swerved around her and walked away.