Elizabeth was ecstatic as could be, given she was exhausted. It was long after the sun had gone had gone down, and she should have been in bed hours ago. Her family had inherited an old castle from a distant relative with no other family, and were supposed to be moving in that day. As the moon hung behind the forest around the structure, she smiled and stared at it, the old brickwork, the ivy creeping along the exterior, and the large, wooden double-doors that had black iron on them, in dots and lines. Elizabeth didn't know why they were there, but found them both scary and fascinating, in the moonlight. The castle itself was small, almost the size of a large house, but the gray stone towers, each 5 stories with windows, cornering the giant square box in the middle made it stand out. She adored it. She watched the clouds roll by, and dozed back off.

~~~~

When Elizabeth woke back up, it was to a young woman in a black dress and white apron gently shaking her. "Young miss? Wake up, it's time for breakfast." She said. Her voice was soft, and her small lips were pressed together into a kind smile, her pale green eyes holding a warm light.
Elizabeth didn't recognize her, but she seemed friendly. She pushed herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes.
"Who are you?" Elizabeth asked, still practically asleep.
"I'm Diantha, your maid. The master asked me to watch over you until he can meet you himself, and personally welcome you to your new home! I do hope you'll take a liking to me, Lady Elizabeth." The maid answered, her head tilted ever so slightly to Elizabeth's right.
"Lady? I'm just Elizabeth..." The girl said, brown eyes starting to stay a bit more open with the news.
"Of course you're Lady Elizabeth. Lady Elizabeth of Greythorn Castle!" The maid beamed.
"Greythorn Castle? Is that where Mommy and Daddy moved us?" Elizabeth asked, now fully awake.
"Yes, it is. I'm afraid the Master is away at the moment, but if there's anything I can do for you, please let me know!" Elizabeth was a little unnerved by just how willing Diantha was to serve her, but ignored it and asked for something to eat, since she was hungry.
Diantha came back a few minutes later with a platter of two waffles with berries and whipped cream on a plate, a bowl of cereal, a saucer with a few pieces of bacon, a piece of toast, a glass of orange juice, and a glass of water. She set them on the bed in front of Elizabeth, who was staring wide-eyed at the platter, her jaw hanging open.
"Is something the matter, Lady Elizabeth? Do you not like this breakfast?" Diantha asked, already moving to pick the food back up.
"No, no! It's not that!" Elizabeth managed to blurt out, before taking a breath and adding, "I just wasn't expecting so much food. Are you sure I can have all this...?"
"Of course you can!" Diantha laughed, leaving the tray where it was. "Well then, I'll be right outside should you need anything. Just call me, and I'll be right at your side." Diantha said, before walking out of the door, closing it quietly behind her.
Elizabeth listened, but couldn't hear footsteps leaving her. She shrugged it off, and began to nibble at her toast.

~~~~

About an hour later, Elizabeth finished off her orange juice and flopped back onto her bed, feeling so stuffed she thought her stomach might pop. She took a few deep breaths, then sat back up, took in a gulp of air, and called for her maid.
"Diantha? I'm done! Can you please come take these dirty dishes?" Elizabeth called, and before she had even finished, Diantha was opening the door and walking towards her.
Without speaking a word, she placed the scattered plates and glasses back onto the platter, and headed for the door.
"Wait!" Elizabeth called, and Diantha looked back her, smiling.
"Was there something else you needed, Lady Elizabeth?" Diantha said, propping the platter on her hip.
"No, I just..." Elizabeth figeted a moment. "I want you to talk to me. Don't just come in and not say anything, okay?" Elizabeth said, sitting up straight.
Diantha looked a bit taken aback, but smiled and said, "As you wish, Lady Elizabeth. Shall I take these to the kitchen and then return to your room to speak with you?"
"Please?" Elizabeth said. "And, could you bring some games or books to read?"
Diantha let out a soft laugh. "Of course, Lady Elizabeth."
And with that, Diantha left the room and Elizabeth looked out the window.
From the window, she could see a large Ash Tree without leaves, covered in frost with snow around it, even though she could have sworn it was the dead of Autumn. She liked that tree. Somehow, it seemed...friendly, was the only way she could put it, even as the sky behind the tree was blood red, fading to a dull black on the horizon. A weak, uneasy smile crossed her lips as she waited for Diantha to return.

~~~~

Diantha had brought in a few board games, and a whole cart of books. They had just finished their third game of checkers, something Elizabeth couldn't recall hearing about in her city home. Diantha, however, seemed to love the game, and Elizabeth enjoyed it, so they played. After what had to have been a few hours, the maid suddenly stood up, and began putting away the round pieces.
"Diantha? What are you doing?" Elizabeth asked, a little confused and worried.
"The master is nearly home. I would like for you to meet him. Please, follow me." Diantha said, and Elizabeth hopped off the bed.
She looked at her plain grey dress and wondered if it was appropriate. She opened her mouth to speak, but Diantha cut in before she could start.
"Don't worry dearie, I'm sure he won't mind whatever you're wearing!" She beamed again, and Elizabeth, even at only 8 years old, had enough common sense to know that normal people don't know what you're thinking, especially if you've only just met them.
Hesitantly, Elizabeth nodded her head, and headed for the door while Diantha put the games and books on a small dresser near the wall. She reached the doorway, and stood beside it, some strange maturity overtaking her as she waited for Diantha, who joined her not even a minute later, wearing a bright grin on her own, pale red lips.
"Well then," she said. "Shall we be off?"
"We can go. I wouldn't want to keep him waiting." Elizabeth replied, something in her gut twisting and churning, begging her to turn to run. To fling herself out of that window if need be, and into the crimson sky beyond.
Diantha didn't seem to notice that thought, and if she did, she didn't show it. She simply smiled, took Elizabeth by the hand - a bit too tightly, Elizabeth noted - and walked downstairs.

~~~~

The castle seemed much bigger on the inside.
Diantha had taken her down a long corridor, then down two flights of stairs, which led to a large, sprawling living room, where Elizabeth now sat on the large, cushy sofa and watched the young man, who was in turn absently watching another maid poor him and Elizabeth some tea. She barely noticed when he asked if she'd like sugar or honey, and how much.
She'd replied that just two spoonfuls of sugar, with a few drops of honey, would suffice, and that she wanted the pastries on the silver platter much more than any tea, which he laughed at before having another maid, an older woman with grey hair and mature, no-nonense eyes, give her an entire plateful of. Not a saucer, a large plate, which Elizabeth currently held on her lap.
"I do hope you've been treated properly, my dear." He said. Elizabeth blinked, suddenly realized he was talking to her.
"What? Oh, yes. I've been treated very well by Diantha. We played a game called checkers, and she read to me. I didn't quite understand the words in those books, but they seemed very interesting." She said, and tried her best to smile. Even though the young man was very handsome, with scruffy brown hair and green eyes, something about this place seemed...wrong. It felt too large, and she couldn't find her parents.
Her parents. Where on earth where her parents? She ignored the thought as she found herself paying more attention to the young man sitting across from her, a kind smile on his lips. It reminded her of the smile her father looked at her mother with.
"That's good," he said. "I was worried Diantha might frighten you away. She's a bit overexcited each time she meets you again, for the first time." He chuckled a bit under his breath, and Elizabeth vaguely noticed Diantha's face turning a slight pink.
"What do you mean? Isn't this the first time I've been here?" Elizabeth asked, cocking her head to the side. Surely this young man couldn't be what was wrong...maybe it was just being in a new place. Yes, that was it. It was nothing more than a little girl not being adjusted to her new home. She shifted in her seat, eyes transfixed on the man.
He blinked at her, then, as if remembering something simple, smiled and shook his head. "Of course, of course." He waved his wand in front of his face. "No matter how many times we have this conversation, you never remember. I suppose that's what happens. Well, this time, my love, I won't let you go so easily. I won't let you go at all."
Elizabeth recoiled a bit. What did he mean? Each time she came? Wouldn't let her go? She figeted a bit before speaking. "What...what do you mean?" She mumbled, a strange fear building in her stomach, even as she seemed to hate herself for fearing him, like she'd known him all her life.
"Oh, don't worry. You can go home. You aren't ready yet, not nearly. You can go home, and grow, mature, and I'll speak with you whenever you wish. Simply call for me whenever you go to bed, and I'll bring you here, in your dreams." He replied. His smile was so soft, so kind. Elizabeth found herself smiling from it. That fear seemed to vanish, like a shadow when a light is turned on. "But, what's your name?" She asked, realizing she didn't actually know his name.
He laughed again. He was so gentle...
"Oh my! I forgot about that...I was so excited to finally see you after so long..." He said, almost more to himself than anyone else. "You may call me whatever you like, my dear." He smiled even wider, but it wasn't scary like she expected. No, he was utterly kind and friendly. Elizabeth liked this man, a lot.
"Then," she said, and bit down on her bottom lip, looking for a name to fit him. She looked at him, observing those eyes, his hair, his dark-ish skin. "Lucas. Your name is Lucas." She didn't know where the tone had come from. It was like she was addressing a servent, instead of a grown-up. It lacked the respect her parents had so carefully raised her with. He didn't seem to mind, though. Quite the contrary, actually, he seemed rather delighted.
"Lucas it is, then. How lovely it is to see that you're adjusting so well...it took you at least a week last time!" He said, and when Elizabeth gave him a puzzled look, he sat up straight and took a breath, before speaking in a casual, if not playful, tone:
"Well, I guess I should explain, hmm?"
Elizabeth's nod was the only confirmation.
"Well, this isn't the first time you've been here. You could say that you've...been born again, after dying. I see to it, always. I've been in love with you since the first time your soul came into existence, and I've always watched over you, ensuring you grow strong and sure, and kind as you were all those centuries ago. I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than you can comprehend as is, but I'll tell you more when you're older."
Again, Elizabeth's mouth seemed to have a mind of it's own as she replied to him. "I want to know what you can tell me. When will I be old enough to hear everything?" It was both exciting and worrying to hear herself speak so disrespectfully to an adult. Her parents had taught her manners, after all. They simply seemed to vanish when she spoke to Lucas in particular, the same way two children address each other, or a human addresses a dog.
Lucas seemed almost relieved at her behavior, and laughed. "My, so very bossy as always, my dear!" He exclaimed. She wasn't sure what he meant. "But, if you're that determined to know..." He rose from his seat, setting the tea onto the table and walking to a bookshelf behind him. He pulled out a large, dark-green book, an Ashtree in it's prime on the cover, the leaves done in silver thread, the bark in gold.
"This book holds your previous lifetimes. I have been watching you, Lizzy, and I have been waiting." Lucas said, setting the book down and opening it to the front. He turned it around, then slid it towards her. She studied the words, but couldn't make out much.
"Elizabeth Baker...that's my name, isn't it?" She said, looking up from the book, locking eyes with Lucas. Those pale green eyes were so patient, so kind. He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile.
"It has always been your name. I have made sure to hand-pick a mother and father who would love you as much as your first. Of course, that's getting harder and harder..."
He shifted in his seat, then, looking down, something like anger and pain mixing in my eyes. Elizabeth felt something like heartache in her chest, the same feeling she got when her mother or father cried.
She shook her head, looking towards the book, and tried to read the words. Some, she understood, but they were strange and old, and she struggled to even recognize their letters. Lucas noticed, and laughed a bit sheepishly.
"Ah...right...you're still so young...it's the first time I've met you at this age. My apologies." Gently, he took the book from her, getting ready to read. "You're usually a bit older, and able to read even this Old English. I forgot, younger children can have...trouble." He gave her a small smile, then, and she grinned back. She felt calm with him, like he was family.
"Well then, shall I read it to you?" He said, propping the book up on a leg. Elizabeth nodded, sitting back in the chair before yawning, and rubbing her eyes. Diantha laughed, then.
"Oh my. It seems the young Mistress is tired. It must be getting close to morning..." Elizabeth looked to Diantha, confused.
"Morning? But I've only been up for a few hours..." She looked to Lucas, who had also let out a chuckle.
"You're adorable as always, Lizzy." He said, standing up and walking around the small table, bending over and picking her up. He made it seem so easy, as if she weighed nothing. "You're dreaming, my dear."
"So, this isn't real?" Elizabeth felt something in her chest tighten at that thought, as if it hurt her. Lucas shook his head.
"No, no, it's real. You simply can't get here when awake. You're sleeping quite peacefully, in your bed. But we can't keep you here forever. As much as I'm sure you enjoy those pastries, they won't feed you. You must return to the 'real' world, and care for your body. Grow strong, and remember that you can see me as easily as going to bed at night." He said, finishing as he reached the room she'd woke up in. Diantha opened the door, and he took her to the bed, gently setting her down. He looked at her a final time after tucking her in. "Do you need anything, my dear?"
She bit her lip, looking away.
"Ah...could you sing me a song?" She didn't know why, but suddenly she felt as if she couldn't sleep without it. He laughed, and nodded, sitting at the edge of her bed, singing.
His voice was like silk, and she barely heard the first verse as his calming sound and her already tired body took her off to sleep.

"Rest now, rest now, Morning Dove. Don't let the shadows Steal your light, love."