Chapter 3

Adrianna was acclimating to her position as ‘lady of the Estate’ quite well. Though she wasn’t a public figure, as that position was reserved for those specially chosen by Mr. Dietrich, she was still privy to the indulgences of high society. Though she was in this position, Mr. Dietrich never allowed her to forget where she came from and how quickly this life could be stripped of her.

There were so many different rules, concepts, and etiquette that came along with the role as well. There was how to present oneself when in public, private, public events, private events, training, and so forth, it was almost impossible to keep up with it all. She much preferred the public aspects to the rituals of the more private side of it all. Unless of course that ‘private’ situation was shared solely between herself and Mr. Dietrich.

Today was a rare day of respite. Adrianna was allowed full access to the Estate, and had no appointments or classes today. She was set on exploring the parts of the Estate she hadn’t been to yet, as there was much to this place she hadn’t been to. There was rumor of a vast library somewhere, so she wanted to check that out first.

She began her search outside the main building, taking a scenic route through one of the many gardens on the vast property. The roses were in bloom, and she especially loved the many colors that this garden had. Roses in shades of pinks, oranges, yellows and even purples and black greeted her as she slowly made her way along the ornate brick path. If she still had a voice she’d squeal in delight at the dancing butterflies and bumble-bees flitting about in the garden.

Next she made her way through the old athletic fields, now adorned with statues and used by artists on occasion to hone their craft. Every other weekend the Estate hosted amateur artists to use the grounds for inspiration. She had been a subject for them a couple times since advancing into her new role. As exciting as it had been to see herself on canvas, or sculpted in clay, she did not like being so still for so long.

The athletic fields led into the pool and fountain area; many of the grounds’ fowl, namely the swans, enjoyed this area the most. They were beautiful creatures, but they had a mean streak to them. There was an age-old turf war between the swans and the peacocks, the grounds keepers made bets on a few of the birds when a fight would break out.

Adrianna wasn’t so much a fan of these birds as she was of the colorful, but deadly, cockatrice’s that nested near the food gardens. They were elusive, predominantly nocturnal creatures, but every spring the hens would show their young around the territory. They seemed to train their young in the daylight hours as if to expose them to humans early on. As she continued searching for the location of the library Adrianna wondered if she’d get to see a cockatrice.

Past the fountain area lay the food gardens. The Estate boasted quite an array of vegetables, fruits, and even a large orchard of different trees. It provided food for staff and events. Anything they didn’t have was imported from the highest quality of producers, but they much preferred to use their own products here. Adrianna loved to help with the cashew harvest, it was one of her favorite foods.

The further she went, the more new to her territory she got into. She could tell she was entering an older part of the property, the path was no longer a well kept brick way, but more of a less maintained cobble stone. She marveled at the scenery here. The trees were large and covered with moss and even some mushrooms. This was not a place the public would be privy to. It was more under the ruling of nature than it was meticulously manicured like the other places she had traveled through to get here.

There were a few columns and dilapidated sculptures with vines and lichen overtaking them. As if this place was a forgotten secret on the Estates grounds. There was an odd, almost unnerving silence here that gave an air of sombrousness. She wondered if it was a good idea to continue on the path.

Her insatiable sense of curiosity won out, and she continued on the pathway. The further into the brambles she went, the more the path became a tangle of roots and dirt cutting through the weeds. It was quite apparent that the groundskeepers didn’t come this way, at least not in years.

Finally she made her way into a clearing with a few old buildings, two of which were so decayed they had crumbled into little more than a couple walls still standing. Surely, a grandiose library wouldn’t be here. Adrianna had since abandoned the idea of locating a more modern structure, this place looked prime for exploration.

Adrianna decided on entering the most structurally sound looking of the buildings here. It had quite imposing looking doors with carved gargoyles. She pulled on the iron rung of one of the large doors. The creak it made in protest made her jump slightly. It must have been decades since anyone crossed the threshold of this place.

It was dark, but she was surprised to see a light casting shadows about. Could there be someone in this place? She continued quietly in order to investigate. The entrance hallway was coated with webs and dust, but underneath she could see flanking statues of beasts up against the walls. It was quite macabre, and reminded her of a few haunted houses she had been to as a child during the Samhain and death celebration feasts.

She paused upon hearing the sounds of shuffling coming from ahead. Someone, or something, was indeed there with her. Surely it heard that terrible squeal the door made when opened.