"You are in the Arcardian land, my lady," replied Alvin.
Myra nodded absentmindedly, lost in her own train of thought.
"Milady, a maid will come by later with a new set of clothes for you. Is there anything else you need?" asked the butler.
Myra simply shook her head. Alvin bowed politely before exiting the room.
With a sigh, she got out of bed and strolled to the table where food had been neatly arranged. She ate quietly. Never in her life had she tasted something so delicious. It was a meal fit for a king, making her wonder what she had done to deserve such treatment.
"Is this a dream?" she murmured to herself, pinching her wrist.
"Ouch!" A dull pain radiated from the spot.
Just then, someone knocked on the door. "Come in!" she called.
A woman, clearly human and likely in her late twenties, entered the room. She wore a navy-blue outfit with half sleeves and a skirt, a white apron tied neatly at her waist. Her brown hair was combed back and secured in a bun.
Maybe she's the maid the butler mentioned earlier, Myra thought.
The woman carried a bundle of neatly folded clothes in her hands. She curtsied and smiled.
"I've brought you a fresh set of clothes, milady," she said. "If you've finished your meal, shall I prepare a bath for you?"
The maid looked at her expectantly, and Myra nodded. She placed the clothes on the bed and walked toward the adjoining room, which Myra assumed must be the bath chamber.
Myra stood still for a moment, overwhelmed. Everything was confusing. As far as she could remember, she was a nobody, a homeless wanderer searching for work. She couldn't understand why she was being treated like royalty or where she even was. None of it felt real.
After a minute or two, she followed the maid.
The bathroom was beautifully designed and decorated. A large, built-in pool made of white marble stood in the center, filled with warm water and fragrant herbs.
The maid saw Myra at the doorway and smiled. Myra returned the smile.
"What's your name?" she asked as she stepped inside.
"Rachel, my lady," the maid replied.
Myra smiled. "Rachel, please call me Myra."
It was all so awkward for her. She'd never been in a situation like this. All her life she had been used to doing household work such as cooking, cleaning, running errands. She had always done everything herself, so this kind of treatment felt entirely foreign.
"Your bath is ready, Lady Myra," Rachel said.
She stepped forward to assist Myra with undressing, but Myra instinctively stepped back.
"Thank you, Rachel. I'll do the rest myself."
The maid nodded reluctantly, curtsied once more, and left the room.
Myra stared at the closed door and sighed. Is this all real?
Even though everything seemed like an illusion to her currently, a small voice inside her head told her to enjoy the pleasures while it lasted.
Slowly undressing herself she climbed into the pool. The moment her skin touched the water, she sighed with satisfaction. The warmth soothed her aching muscles and made her feel relaxed. She closed her eyes, resting her head on the rim of the tub.
This had to be the best bath she ever had. Back home, her bath was usually short. Not more than ten minutes. Smiling contently, she took a deep breath and the rich fragrance of lavender and roses wafted around her.
Myra actually enjoyed her time in the bath, and when the water turned cold, she got out. Putting on the robe Rachel had left for her and went into the bedroom.
The clothes Rachel had left behind was on the bed. It was a beige coloured dress with bright floral prints here and there. The dress fit her perfectly. It emphasized her small waist and increased in width from her hips before the dress flowed downwards. The sleeves were puffed and short. This was probably the nicest dress Amyra had ever worn. Even the material was soft and of good quality. Staring at her reflection on the mirror, she wandered how she had turned out be this lucky.
A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts.
She opened it to find Alvin standing outside. He bowed. "My lady, if you are ready, the Lord wishes to meet you."
"Lord?" she asked, confused.
"Aye, My lady" he said with a blank face, "I will take you to him, if you follow me"
What Lord? Myra wondered.
Alvin began walking, and she followed him down the corridor, her eyes wide with awe.
She scanned the corridors and inhaled sharply. The place was really huge and elegant. The mansion was beautifully designed and artfully furnished. There were so many doors that she couldn't really keep a count. They came down the grand stairs.
Myra noticed that everything around, were artfully decorated with antique furniture, urns and costly items. There were numerous large portraits of Trueborn demons. Many males and females along with children were painted. Some of them looked oddly familiar though.
"Err..Alvin?" Myra called out, to see the Butler slightly turn around.
"Yes, My lady?" he gave her a questioning glance.
"How did I get here?" No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall anything after the mugging.
The last thing she remembered was someone on a black stallion before she blacked out.
"Lord Theodore carried you home, Milady" replied Alvin, the butler.
It was then she concluded that the Lord must have been the man in the horse and he must have rescued her from those two men.
She was more than just thankful. There were so many rumours about the Lord being mean and cold hearted, but with the way she was treated so far, she deduced than that the rumours must be false.
The butler led her towards a large open door. It seemed like a study room. She looked around with interest. The room was big and stylishly furnished with thick velvet drapes and heavy upholstery. The walls held beautiful paintings.
At the far end of the room, a man stood with his back to her, gazing out the window. He was tall and broad-shouldered. The lighting was dim, with only a few candles burning.
Amyra's heart thudded loudly at the thought of talking to the Arcardian Lord. Personally she had never met him before but she was scared.
"My Lord, the lady is here," Alvin announced before exiting and closing the door behind her.
Lord Theodore who was yet to turn around and face her, was holding a glass with amber coloured liquid in it.
"Sit down", he ordered without facing her.
Myra, fidgeting with her fingers, sat gingerly on a nearby settee and waited.
A minute turned into two, but nobody spoke anything. It was an awkward silence.
Just as Myra considered breaking it, the Lord finally spoke.
"Did you have your dinner?"
"Y-yes, My Lord" said Myra,
"Does your head hurt?" he asked after a pause, sipping from his glass.
"No… My Lord." She touched her forehead. There was a small bump, and it did hurt a little, but she chose to ignore it. "Thank you… for rescuing me. And for taking care of me so well. I don't know how to repay your kindness."
A dry, humorless chuckle came from him. "Myra, what are you doing in Terracota all by yourself… unchaperoned?"
Myra frowned. How does he know my name?
As if reading her mind, the Lord turned around and placed the glass on the table, facing her now — with an arrogant smirk.
Myra gasped in horror when she saw his face.