Chapter One - Hidden

     He sat clutching his knees tightly to his chest; eyes open wide in the dark of the closet. He listened intently for sounds of life on the other side of the wooden door, but all he could hear were muffled voices from the room below. It didn’t sound like there was anyone else in the room with him, but he knew how quiet she could be when she wanted to, and so he sat on in silence.

     After several minutes more, when he was certain he was the only one there, he gathered his courage together and let go of his knees, reaching out and touching the wood, pressing against it lightly with his fingertips. He was about to push open the closet door when he heard the sound of footsteps hurrying down the corridor, he froze and moved his hands away.

     The door to the bedroom was opened and someone entered muttering to themselves, he couldn’t distinguish the voice but it didn’t sound to be hers, it was softer. The footsteps paused for a moment, then crossed the room towards where the window was, he heard the pane being slid open and wondered who it could be, that particular room had been empty for a long time, and he didn’t know of any visitors due to arrive. There was a tired sigh and the footsteps sounded again, to his horror he found that they were approaching his hiding place. He didn’t know what to do, he was going to be discovered, he shut his eyes desperately and hid his face in his hands, praying silently that it wasn’t one of her people.

     The door opened with a quiet creak and light flooded into the closet, there was a scream and a thud; and then an angry shout.
“What are you doing in there?!” he peered out through his fingers and found a young girl sitting on the floor before the open cabinet, she was gripping a small pile of linen tightly in her arms and there was a startled look on her face. “Well?” the girl demanded angrily, “You frightened me half to death! Why are you in the closet?”
  
     He opened his mouth slightly and thought about what he should tell her, if anything at all, but before he could speak the door to the room was flung open and one of the house servants rushed in. The man stepped towards the girl worriedly, then stopped when he noticed the boy in the closet.
“Oh!” he gasped, quickly helping the girl to her feet, then hurried to him and took hold of his wrist, pulling him out into the room and towards the door. “Master Talin, Lady Erika has been looking for you everywhere, you must come quickly!” And with that, he was herded out of the room and away down the corridor, leaving the girl standing bemused beside the open closet.