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The first week within her new home, and her new position, had done little to ease Caroline. Rebecca had been a rather kind mistress, hardly demanding more than a brush or a dress from Caroline as she learned how to be the servant she had always expected to have. Her fine gown had been taken away, as it was unseemly for a maid to own such, replaced by a rather drab and worn out dress made of a coarse fabric. It was difficult to believe she was the same fine lady she had been when she had left home. Yet, the fear of discovery continued to linger in her mind, causing her to glance over her shoulder at every noise and fear the day her father's guard came riding through the front gates in hot pursuit of the wayward girl.

The more time they spent together, the more parallels Caroline could draw between herself and her new mistress. It was obvious that Rebecca held a certain fear and loathing for her father, though she was secretive about the details of her personal life. The man scared her, that much was obvious. Caroline came to understand that it was her brothers that held all of her affection, Lord Niklaus above all, whom she had yet to meet. Despite his being the master of the castle, Rebecca kept her secluded from her family. She was forbidden from wandering the halls at night, and rarely ever left Rebecca's room, which took up an entire wing of the estate so there was plenty of space.

Still, Caroline found herself curious about the elusive family. There had been so many rumors circulating about them that even she had heard them. They were dangerous, apparently. People feared them, but none could speculate on why. On the occasional day, Caroline would sit beside a large window overlooking the courtyard, trying to glimpse one of Rebecca's brothers that she had heard so many stories about. She would sometimes be rewarded with a glance at their faces, but she could hardly make out any details from the distance she was at.

It was late, and it was clear a night as any, and Caroline simply couldn't sleep. No position was comfortable on the thin mattress she had been given. She crept from her bed and to the window, lulled by the gentle breeze filtering in, encouraging her to sing with the full knowledge no one could hear. Picking up her brush, she began to pull it though the long strands of her hair as she sang. A strange sort of peace stole over her, finally. The moon was abnormally bright, giving her an unhindered view of the courtyard. In the center of it all, sat a man. His hair was blonde, a sandy tint to it, and his shoulders wide. His entire being was bent over a canvas, making it difficult to distinguish any other characteristics. How fascinating he was, a man who painted by moonlight. She stopped singing. Moments passed into minutes, she knew not how long she sat gazing at him. All at once his hand, which was poised over his canvas with charcoal, halted, and his head turned in her direction. He couldn't see her, she knew. For no human had eyes good enough to see so well. But she felt positively seared with intensity as he was looking directly at her window. Gasping, she fell back a step. When she felt brave enough to do so, she dared to peek back out, only to find him gone as well as his art supplies.

A shadow loomed at the edge of the courtyard, the moonlight catching the gleam of long blonde hair. Rebecca. She prowled along the edges, sticking to the shadows before slipping into the forest and out of Caroline's sight. For the life of her, Caroline couldn't begin to imagine where she would go at such a time. Shivering a bit now, she slipped back into bed and pulled a thin blanket around her shoulders. She was not fond of the mystery this was turning out to be, she thought with a slight pout to her lips.

Morning broke through, alarmingly bright. Rebecca had returned and was curled up on her massive bed in the next room over. Caroline considered waking her, but decided against it. Gathering up the clothes strewn about the room, she set out to wash them like a good little servant, although she had to clamp down her teeth to keep from grumbling about it just a bit. It was early enough to no one but the other servants were up and about. A slow melody was playing through her head and she couldn't help but hum along to it at first, softly and to herself so as not to create a spectacle. The words to the song were soon falling from her lips quietly but growing louder. The bustle of the other servants fell away and suddenly she realized they all had quit the room. Turning curiously, she found herself alone but for the man leaning idly against the door frame.

He was tall and wore a smirk as well as he did his finely tailored clothes. His hair was curly and light. His eyes blue and laughing. She might have thought him most handsome man she had met if not for the cruel lock of his jaw, which gave him a superior and serious sort of impression.

"No need to stop on my account." He murmured graciously, his voice smooth and sliding over her like raw velvet. He had an accent that said was from a different land, for it didn't sound quite like her own. "I do believe I liked last night's rendition more, however." Her eyes widened. The man in the courtyard!

"I apologize if I disturbed you." She said, refusing to be meek and lower her head despite the fact he was quite obviously noble and she was pretending to be nothing but a servant of lowly birth.

"I am rather glad that you did." He replied with a smile strolling further into the room. "How did you get into my home?" He said, catching a stray wisp of her golden hair and rubbing it between his fingers. "I do not recall hiring any others to my staff." His eyes were hard but his voice soft. How confusing.

"She is my personal servant." Rebecca's form filled the doorway, her voice carrying with a catch of determination to it. "I felt no need to inform you of it."

"Indeed you should have, sister." He released her hair, but turned himself so that he was between Rebecca and Caroline. "I find that I am now extremely curious of this delightful creature you have brought into my home."

"Come." Rebecca beckoned to Caroline, but he put an arm out to block her going around him. "She has duties to attend to." She ground out through clenched teeth.

"Perhaps we should redefine her duties." Caroline couldn't suppress a shiver at the intent in his voice.

"No." Was all his sister replied. He allowed Caroline to scurry around him and back to Rebecca's side, although at this moment she didn't feel either was a safe place to be. They departed, leaving him in the empty room, which had cleared out merely because of his unspoken presence. Of course, he could be none other than the master, Lord Niklaus. The man whom she had been hidden from and warned of. There was a strange trembling to her entire being, though she couldn't tell if it was fear or something else causing it. In the back of her mind, she wondered if he would be painting again to night.