As the days passed, Zilayefa and her brothers settled into their new life as servants in the castle. They were assigned to various tasks, with Zilayefa working in the kitchen, and her brothers helping with the castle's maintenance.
Zilayefa's days began before dawn, as she helped prepare breakfast for the castle's inhabitants. She worked alongside other servants, who seemed friendly but wary. They would occasionally whisper to each other, casting suspicious glances in Zilayefa's direction.
Despite the cold reception, Zilayefa worked diligently, determined to prove herself. She quickly learned the kitchen's routines and soon became adept at preparing simple meals.
However, her evenings were a different story. After dinner, Zilayefa would often sneak away to explore the castle, searching for any clues that might lead her to her mother or brother. She would creep through dark corridors, avoiding guards and other servants, her heart pounding with excitement and fear.
One evening, as she was exploring a particularly deserted wing of the castle, Zilayefa stumbled upon a hidden door. The door was cleverly concealed behind a tapestry, and it looked like it hadn't been opened in years.
Zilayefa's curiosity was piqued. She pushed the door open, revealing a narrow stairway that descended deep into darkness.
As Zilayefa made her way down the narrow stairway, the air grew thick with dust and the smell of decay. She could hear the creaks and groans of the old castle, and the flickering torches cast eerie shadows on the walls.
At the bottom of the stairway, Zilayefa found herself in a cramped, dimly lit corridor. The walls were made of cold, grey stone, and the floor was covered in a thin layer of dirt. She could hear the sound of scurrying rodents coming from the depths of the corridor.
As she made her way deeper into the corridor, Zilayefa stumbled upon a figure huddled in the shadows. The figure slowly stood up, revealing a gaunt, hollow-eyed servant. He regarded Zilayefa with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion.
"What are you doing down here?" he asked gruffly.
Zilayefa hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. "I was just exploring," she said finally.
The servant snorted. "You shouldn't be down here. This is the servants' quarters, and you're not one of us."
Zilayefa felt a surge of indignation, but she bit back her retort. She knew that she and her brothers were outsiders, and that the other servants didn't trust them.
As she turned to leave, the servant called out to her. "Hey, you're one of the new ones, aren't you? The ones who were locked in the cage?"
Zilayefa's heart skipped a beat as she turned back to face him. "How did you know?" she asked warily.
The servant shrugged. "Word gets around. You and your brothers are quite the talk of the castle."
Zilayefa felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn't like being the subject of gossip and speculation.
As she made her way back to the kitchen, Zilayefa couldn't shake the feeling that she and her brothers were in grave danger. They had been in the castle for weeks now, and they had yet to see Duke Larry again. But Zilayefa knew that the Duke's absence didn't mean they were safe.
In fact, the opposite was true. Without the Duke's protection, Zilayefa and her brothers were at the mercy of the other servants. And they were not kind.
Ryan, Bryan, and Richard were constantly bullied and belittled by the other servants. They were given the dirtiest, most menial tasks, and they were never given enough food to eat.
Zilayefa tried to protect them as much as she could, but she couldn't be everywhere at once. And besides, she had her own struggles to deal with.
The head cook, a cruel and sadistic woman named Mrs. Nickels, took great pleasure in making Zilayefa's life miserable. She would constantly criticize Zilayefa's cooking, and she would often slap her or pull her hair.
Despite the abuse, Zilayefa never gave up. She worked tirelessly, day and night, to prove herself. And she never forgot her ultimate goal: to find her mother and brother, and to escape the castle.
As the days turned into weeks, Zilayefa and her brothers grew stronger and more resilient. They learned to rely on each other, and they formed a tight bond that nothing could break.
But despite their strength and resilience, they couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. And they couldn't shake the feeling that Duke Larry was waiting for them, patiently, in the shadows.
One night, as Zilayefa was making her way back to the servants' quarters, she saw a figure lurking in the shadows. The figure was tall and imposing, and Zilayefa could sense a malevolent presence emanating from him.
She quickened her pace, her heart pounding in her chest. But as she turned a corner, she realized that she was lost. The castle was a maze, and she had taken a wrong turn.
As she stood there, frozen with fear, the figure emerged from the shadows. Zilayefa gasped, her eyes wide with terror.
But as she looked into the figure's face, she saw something that made her blood run cold. It was the servant she had met in the corridor, the one who had told her that she and her brothers were the talk of the castle.
But there was something different about him now. His eyes seemed darker, more sinister. And his smile seemed to be hiding a secret.
"Welcome, Zilayefa," he said, his voice low and menacing. "I've been waiting for you."
Zilayefa tried to run, but her feet seemed rooted to the spot. The servant took a step closer to her, his eyes glinting with malice.
And then, everything went black