The place was enormous.

When the Enchanter said that he was taking her to his home, she hadn't expected it to be a castle. The building was gigantic, if obviously ancient. Blood red climbing roses covered large sections of the outer walls of the structure, looking for all the world like elaborate plant supports to keep it from crumbling rather than decorative flora. The roses seemed to be the only real life around the place, though. The grass looked dry and barren, almost as dusty as the path the carriage traveled, and Aoife didn't even hear any birds rustling in the trees.

There was only the wind.

The Enchanter stepped out of the carriage without a word to the driver and swiftly made his way towards the castle. Aoife turned around to glance back at the man who brought them here, wondering if he needed any help with the luggage.

"I've got it, Miss. Don't worry, it isn't as heavy as it looks." He waved her off, and she reluctantly turned back towards the castle.

Aoife's boots kicked up clouds of dust as she scrambled after the Enchanter, struggling to keep up with his long strides. He opened the door without preamble. It was so dark inside compared to the bright afternoon sun that it looked like a black hole to Aoife, swallowing up all light. She stepped inside the shadowy entrance hall reluctantly, the echo of her footsteps on the hard stone entryway ringing out like a march to the scaffold. Despite the Enchanter's assurance that he would not kill her, Aoife wasn't convinced in the least. She watched warily as he lit an oil lamp by the door, and then another, casting a warm glow over the cold, colorless space. The entryway was made of nothing but cold stone, with no tapestries or tables or decorations to brighten the room. There wasn't even a rug on the floor. Three hallways stretched out from the space— one to the left, one to the right, and one that went straight ahead— and a large, stone staircase looped along the circular walls and up to, presumably, the other floors of the castle.

It wasn't until Aoife noticed a shift in the lighting that she realized the Enchanter had moved, had removed his hood one again, and was now walking up the staircase. Given the choice between following and being stuck in the dark, she chose to follow, scrambling up the steps after him as the Enchanter began to speak softly.

"The rules here are simple. You are free to enter any room that isn't locked except for mine, and if a room is locked, just ask for the key and I'll give it to you. I simply don't plan on going around unlocking doors all day for the sake of your explorations. Don't ask questions you don't want to know the answers to, don't get lost, don't act like a sniveling child, and-" he stopped suddenly, turning around to face her, ghostly gray eyes flashing in warning. "For the sake of whatever God you believe in, do not try to run away."

"Why?" she asked halfheartedly, looking around the hallway curiously. He raised an eyebrow and cut a glare in her direction.

"I thought I just told you not to ask questions that you don't want to know the answers to."

Aoife blanched, afraid to press for more information. They continued down the passage until they reached what was presumably a dead end near the back of the house. The Enchanter pulled an enormous ring of keys from within the folds of his cloak, shuffling through them with a chorus of metallic clinks.

"This is your room," he said, selecting a key from the ring and unlocking the door. It opened with a dull click. For a moment, Aoife expected to see a dusty, disused room, and was surprised to find that the reality was quite different.

"Oh," she breathed, astonished.

Unlike the rest of the castle, this room had been outfitted to feel less like a fort and more like a living space— tapestries embroidered with nature scenes covered the walls, and a hodgepodge of carpets messily overlapped to almost completely conceal the stone floor. A four-poster bed with a canopy and cream-colored curtains dominated the room, while a vanity, a wardrobe, and a bedside table seemed to be arranged around it. In front of the bed was a fireplace, a fire already burning and casting the room in a warm glow. A wide window with a padded seat in front of it looked out on the woods behind the castle and just showed the view of the tall watch tower to the north side of the structure.

Aoife immediately walked to the window, happy to be met with the image of the forest in the late afternoon sun rather than the road leading away from here. Some irrational part of her mind thought that looking at the road for too long might tempt her to turn back.

"The washroom is that way," the Enchanter said, oblivious to her thought processes. He pointed to a narrow door in the back corner of the room that she hadn't noticed before. "Bathe if you wish, change your clothes, and meet me for dinner. There is a selection of dresses in the wardrobe. Take a left, back down the stairs, and then two more lefts."

The sound of receding footsteps signaled his retreat, and Aoife knew it was likely her last chance to find at least a few answers.

"I want to know why I'm not supposed to run away," she said, staring out the window at the forest. She clenched her hands into fists to stop them shaking, half scared of the answer and half scared of his reaction to her asking again.

The Enchanter moved away from her with a sigh. Aoife didn't turn, bracing herself for the answer. "The woods around here are dead as dust, but their inhabitants are not. Suffice to say that it's a miracle you survived the woods the first time."

"The first time?" Aoife whirled around to look at him, but he was gone. She rushed to the door and peeked out into the dimly lit hallway, but no one was there.

Heaving a sigh, she finally put down her bundle from Lizzie and untied the knot. She said that the palace had sent word, and they wanted to give her something to help remember her time at the estate. Inside the cloth was a wooden box, decorated with a pattern of carved buttercups and clasped firmly shut. Aoife carefully released the clasp, slowly opening the lid, and gave a tiny gasp of surprise. Inside was an incredible selection of colored embroidery thread, four silk handkerchiefs, a set of needles, and a note.

Come back and see us when you can! You will always be a part of our household.

The paper fell from her fingers as Aoife finally allowed herself to sink to the floor and cry.