3 Debacles

While following Mary to the kitchen, his mind was working in overdrive. His eyes were taking in everything he was seeing and trying to find out what was going on. But the more he saw, the more he was getting the feeling, that he jumped back in time. He was walking over a wooden floor, indicating, that this was probably the uppermost floor of this building, while the walls were made of something that looked like stone. It probably was stone but was covered in a layer of paint? Well, not paint, definetely not paint, because it looked too rough to be real paint or at least the paint that he knew. And there were no windows in this hallway, so it was lit up by candles, standing on little metal chandoliers, all neatly placed a few meters apart. They went past 6 rooms, 3 to each side, probably other peoples' private rooms and he could see the big revolving staircase leading up and down at the end of the hallway, well, both ends to be precise. The only difference being, that the staircase at the other end of the staircase led just up and not up and down. He looked upwards during the last metres and noticed that the roof was partly stone but looking back it switched from stone to wood. Why? Maybe near the staircases the stone roof serves as a stabilizing thing? He didn't really know and guessing was not something he was fond of. But since waking up this day, his mind was always trying to guess why he was here and what happened.

"This way, Milord." said Mary and brought his focus back to the task at hand. And again he noticed the pure stone walls and stairs. 'Seems like a round tower of some sorts. Maybe its just there for the staircase?' This time, he saw a Window and was surprised. The Window sills were around a metre thick and he had no idea why? There was no apparent reason, why it would be that thick. 'Well, at least there is a bit of light here.' he thought and counted the steps down to the next floor. '18.' he counted but was surprised, that the staircase didn't continue downwards. 'No cellar?' he wondered and followed Mary through the door into a small hallway. He observed the door they went through and was surprised again. It was a massive, wooden door, held together by metal bands running over the surface. And from the looks of it, it could be barred. At least there were two hooks on the inside of the door. He actually overlooked the hooks in the staircase and the big wooden plank used for barring the door. 'Why is everything here so defensible? I'm not worth that much, right?' he asked himself, still ringing with the idea that he was kidnapped and brought here, but he began doubting that thought. Otherwise, Mary would probably be a world class actor possesing multiple oscars.

Mary took him to the first door on the left and opened it for him. He noticed the smell of meat that wafted through the air by opening the door and entered the kitchen. Seeing the oven that was more like a fireplace built into the wall and the pile of wood next to the stone oven, he frowned. He observed the kitchen and noticed the rustic ambiance. 'Is this whole place a reacreation of a castle?' he thought to himself and looked to the 3 people going about their business, until Mary coughed and brought their attention to him. They looked shocked and bent deeply, before calling in unison "Welcome, Count Brandon." which made him blink a few times. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times. Thankfully the three of them were still bending and Mary was standing behind him, so they didn't notice. 'What the fuck am i supposed to do now?' he roared in his head. 'Act the part?' was the only thing he could think of, the other option being just turning back around and running away. "Rise." he commanded and tried his best to sound as normal and natural as he could. Which didn't really work. But at least, he didn't stutter, there is a bit of hope left for him. Sighing, he looked around the kitchen and went to the table and little stools standing around it. He laid his hands on the table and wanted to sit down, when he noticed the surprise, no, outright shocked faces of the three servants. He stopped in an awkward movement and went back up, wuthout sitting down. Mary, who was also surprised, came to his help. "Milord, the food will be brought to the Feasting hall, just opposite the kitchen."

Coughing, he laughed it off nervously. "Don't let me hold you up. Continue with your work." he waved his hand and left the kitchen immediately. Upon leaving, he breathed relieved. But just then, he frowned again. 'They called me Brandon. What? Wait! Why? That is my name?' A few thought emerged and he shook his head afterwards. The headaches made themselves noticeable again, which would force him to accept the fact, that his name would be Brandon from now on. But then again, it couldn't be that hard to change his name back, right? "Milord?" he heard from behind him and turned around. He forgot, that he was standing in the hallway in front of the kitchen, and that Mary was still accompanying him to get something to eat. He looked at her and smiled awkwardly. "Uhh. Yeah, lets go." he said. He shoved the experience in the kitchen right now into the back of his mind and let Mary open the robust door, just across the kitchen. He entered the Big hall and stood still. It seemed, that he overthought we he heard the word Feasting hall. When Mary said that just now, he thought that it would be a proper big hall, like the one they used in the company he worked for, for occasions like a christmas party. But now, looking at the feasting hall, it would be a putting it nice, to call him disappointed.

He ignored the other people in the Hall, that turned to the door, after it was opened or rather overlooked them, because he was lost in his thoughts. He observed the big hearth, at one end of the hall and then the 2 big, long tables, standing parallel to each other and taking up most of the space in the hall. There was also a small table, apparently for a selected few people, standing a meter away from the wall with the big hearth, near the only visible heat source in the room. He then saw, that 2 women were looking at him with a slight smile, before standing up and coming over to him. "Woke up already?" said the older woman and grabbed him into a hug, which he let her do with a surprised look. Suffice to say, he didn't know either of those women, just that they both looked more or less the same and were wearing dresses that looked colorful.

"Hello, Lady Amanda." said Mary and came to his help again, without even knowing it. Bowing into a curtsey, the Maid turned to the younger Women and curtseyed again. "Hello, Lady Beatrice." Both of them smiled in her direction and Beatrice waved a bit. 'Amanda and Beatrice, eh?' "What is it? You don't greet your mother anymore?" Lady Amanda asked, with a wide smile on her face, throwing him into another hole to climb out of. First the debacle in the kitchen with the servants and now this. 'She is my mother?' he asked in his mind and noted that she looked relatively young. Too young in his mind to be his mother. "Uhh.. Hello.. Mother." he said and freed himself from her embrace.