It was a cold misty morning when Maurice left the village. He had spent the last few days preparing for his journey - there was a good chance he may never to the small French town he called his home. He had resided there for many years after his wife passed, trying to raise his young daughter, Belle, the best he could. She was still asleep when he left, so he had written her a letter. He had not wished to wake her from her dreams. If all went well, she was to sell their quaint home and move with him to the city. He would write to her the moment he reached the palace and tell her about all of the beautiful sights there. She always had a curiosity for the great beyond. Maurice had been appointed to be a craftsman of the Queen. She had seen one of his inventions at the annual crafts fair held near the palace and was greatly impressed. She requested his recruitment almost immediately after, to which he had obviously agreed.

As Maurice ventured into the woods on his stead, Philippe, he realized he had miscalculated the length of his trip. He tried not to be discouraged, trial and error were an important part of science. When he sat down to eat in midday, he decided to take an alternative route that should have him arrive at the palace by sundown. This route wasn't well-trafficked and would harder to follow, but he would arrive on time for the Queen, which was his only concern. Maurice, however, lost his way rather quickly, and couldn't find any landmarks to help direct him. He had been wandering for hours, going seemingly in circles became all the trees looked the same. When the sun began to set around him he began to lose hope. Shadows from the trees seemed to reach for him, and a chill ran down his spine like cold fingers. A sharp howl could be heard in the distance. Nightfall brought many dangers, so Maurice began looking for somewhere to settle for the night. Close to giving up, he stretched on Philippe's back. From his new angle, his eyes caught something, a faint glow coming from his right. He slowly approached it and the trees thinned into a large clearing. Beyond it lied a great and haunting structure. It was what looked to be an abandoned castle. Something that once was beautiful but had grown weathered and unkempt. As he and his stead made it through the wrought iron gate, he realized the dull light was coming from a window. He unhitched the cart Philippe towed and tied him under a small overhang, praying whoever inside was kinder than the forces of night.

As Maurice walked up the stone steps and knocked upon the heavy door a feeling of unease settled over him. This place felt like a secret and one that wanted to be kept. There was no answer to his knock so carefully opened the door, which had been unlocked, and stepped inside. It was much warmer than outside, to which he was grateful. "Hello?" He called out, "I'm sorry for my intrusion. I'm lost and in need of a shelter from the night.

There's silence, and then a voice from above him speaks. "No need to worry. I provide sanctuary to all." The voice is soft and feminine, yet still strong. Slowly, a shadowy figure walks down the spiralling staircase towards him. "Come," says the silhouette, which wore a hood to hid their face. "I was just sitting down for dinner, but there is plenty to spare." They lead him to a large room with a weathered-looking table. Upon it is a tablecloth that is fully set for eight people.

"Are there others?" Maurice asks curiously.

"No," says the figure, which in the dim lighting of her candles he can now tell is a woman. He can hear the smile in her voice, "I just like to be prepared."

She then begins serving herself some of the meal sitting on the table. It's some sort of meat, a salad full of greens, and roasted potatoes. To Maurice, who hadn't eaten since lunch, it looked delicious.

"Do you grow this all yourself?" He asks, filling his plate. There was no way she could be having these brought to her.

There's a small pause, as the woman had already begun eating and had to finish chewing. "Most of it. I also forage. I caught that rabbit this morning. It was eating the vegetables in my garden." She stands up slowly, "Would you like some wine? I make it myself."

"Maurice smiles. "Yes, that sounds wonderful."

She pours him a large glass, "So where are you headed?"

Maurice notices she has a great curiosity. He wonders how lonely she must get living here alone. "I'm headed to the palace," He shares, "The Queen hired me to be one of her craftsmen. I'm also bringing a baby gift for the princess. I'm trying to get into her good favour."

"Baby gift," She muses.

"Yes. Why didn't you here, Princess Cecilia had a daughter! Isn't that great?"

"Wonderful," The woman says, her tone dark. "Well, are you all done with your food? I'd like to show you your room."

"Maurice hadn't been finished, but her change in tone made him lose his appetite. He stood up, "Yes, of course."

She leads him up the staircase she was on when he first heard her despite that they already passed multiple rooms. She stops suddenly in front of a closed door. She opens it for him and points inside. He walks in. It's not horribly dirty but there's more dust than he thought he saw in the others. He turns towards her curiously, only to see her shutting the door. Then he hears a click. She had locked him in.