Re: Ashbourne Estates (game thread)
"I'm Jessara," the girl introduced herself, shaking hands with the other maid. "But come, we don't want to keep the mistress waiting," she added, turning and leading the way out of the room. The pair of them met up with Katrina on the way back the kitchen and before long, the three of them entered the doors to the kitchen as Elaina finishes squeezing her juice.
"I found them," Jessara declares, before looking around, "Uh... Where's Danielle?"
"Right here," came Danielle's calm voice from behind her, giving the girls in the doorway a start. It seemed the head maid had come up the other staircase from the basement and thus ended up behind them, rather than entering the kitchen from the servants quarters she had left by. "Now then, if you could all follow me, the Lady awaits. Could you handle the tray Elaina?"
Leading the girls out of the kitchens, they head north through the house, moving through the great library with its towering bookshelves. It truly was an awe-inspiring sight, just as much so on the second trip through it as the first, if not slightly more so; now that they were more used to the scale of the house they were truly able to appreciate how much space was devoted to collecting knowledge. And in some of their minds, the words that this was but one of three libraries in the house clung to their thoughts, further driving the emphasis home.
The came to a stop at the door Danielle had referred to as Lady Ashbourne's study previously, and she quietly rapped upon the door. "Yes Danielle?" came a soft, silvery voice from within, soft and muffled slightly by the door, yet still both pleasant and firm at the same time. "My lady, I have lunch prepared, and the new staff are ready to be introduced to you," the head maid responds and after a second turns the knob to enter the room.
The first thing the girls could see of the study was another bookcase; against the far wall from the door, another sturdy wooden set of shelved sat, loaded down with more books and tomes. One almost had to wonder just how many books existed, did she possess multiple copies of some, did she have every book there was? Indeed, most of the far wall was covered by this and other cases. Towards the centre of the room was a writing desk, facing towards the door, behind which sat the woman who could only be their new master. Her light blue hair was not elaborately done up like it had been in her portrait, but was still exquisitely brushed with no a single hair out of place and pinned back by a few ornate hairpieces to keep it from shifting into her face. Her skin was indeed quite pale and putting aside the papers she had been studying, she looked up at the assembled group with silver eyes. She wore a white gown upon her body, fairly simple in construction yet clearly well tailored and concealing her skin from the base of her neck down, the sleeves only ending where her hands sat, crossed upon the desk.
"My lady, these are Jessara, Peaches, Katrina, Ellena and Elaina," Danielle said, gesturing to each girl in turn as Ashbourne watched with an expressionless face.
