Midnight Watch: The Crow's Silent Vigil

Vivian was lost in thought as she walked down the hallway, her feet carrying her away from Kat's chambers. Suddenly, two maids grabbed her arms, pulling her into a nearby alcove. Vivian's eyes widened in surprise, but she relaxed when she saw it was her friends, Sophia and Sarah.

"What's going on?" Vivian asked, still a little startled.

Sophia and Sarah exchanged a look, Both eager to inquire about the witch, they bombarded Vivian with questions. "So what happened? How did she look like? Did she try to kill you? What did she say to you?" Vivian, still trying to gather her thoughts. Tell us about the witch!" Sophia urged, her voice barely above a whisper. "She's nothing like what you guys told me," she corrected, shaking her head. "What, don't tell me she hurt you," one of the maids said, searching for any signs of injury, worry evident on their faces.

Vivian's small voice spoke, "No, she didn't," she assured. "She's a good person; she isn't a witch. It must have just been a misunderstanding," she defended.

Sarah's eyebrows shot up. "Misunderstanding? She attacked a people, what misunderstanding could that be?"!"

Vivian's expression turned thoughtful. "I know, but she doesn't seem capable of that. She's kind and gentle... and beautiful," Vivian added, a dreamy look crossing her face.

Sophia snorted. "You're always seeing the best in people, Vivian. Sometimes they're just plain evil."

Vivian's small voice spoke up, "I know what I saw, guys. She's not evil. And she's definitely not a witch."

Sophia and Sarah looked skeptical, but Vivian's conviction was unwavering.

"You both shouldn't listen to rumors" Vivian excused herself, continuing on her way to fetch the lunch tray.

Meanwhile, Kat had emerged from the bathroom, her robe securely tied around her. She settled in front of the dressing table, her fingers running through her damp hair as she dried it with a towel.

When Vivian returned with the tray, Kat looked up, her eyes meeting Vivian's in a warm smile. Vivian set the tray down and bowed.

In the west wing of the castle, Sabastian stood before a grand door and knocked respectfully before entering. Stepping inside, the room mirrored a similar interior as the rest of the castle, with heavy curtains drawn against the waning light.

At the desk sat a man, illuminated by the soft glow filtering through the windows, casting deep shadows across his features. His dark gray eyes were enveloped in a cold, ominous aura as they remained fixed on the parchments before him. The desk was stacked with parchments and documents, unfazed by the chilling presence.

Sabastian greeted the man with a deep bow. "Good evening, Your Majesty." "Hmm," the man replied with a hum, his attention still focused on the document. "Shall I give you an invitation to speak, Sebastian?" the man asked, his voice almost dripping with ice, Sabastian thought to himself that the king was in bad mood.

A smile came up Sabastian's lips as he spoke, not the slightest bit bothered by the man's bone-chilling aura. "The situation happened to be more complicated than I thought it to be." "I'm listening," the man said. And Sebastian began to recount the morning's events, concluding his explanations, he stated, "I do not sense she is a witch," he stated.

"But it is still preferable for us to look into it. She may be involved in something larger." The man listened, his features betraying no hint of emotion as Sabastian spoke. Then, with a dismissive wave of his hand, "I do not have time to babysit a lost child," he replied, his tone stayed indifference, referring to the situation at hand.

"Inform the Shadow Council, and have them look into it, as I have more pressing matters to attend to." The smile on Sabastian's face remained. "She tends to be quite persistent," he remarked. The man's gaze finally left the documents to meet Sabastian's, he raised an eyebrow. " name?" he asked.

"Katherine" Sabastian answered. "You are excused," the man dismissed again, Sabastian bowed, his smile broadening into a grin as he made his way out of the room. He heard the man speak, "Have guards situated outside her room until the arrival of the Shadow Council," he instructed.

Meanwhile, in Katherine's room, Vivian observed Katherine's unusual attire with curiosity. Kat laughed when she saw the girl's expression, which she found funny. "I'm guessing you've never worn sweatpants," she joked with a chuckle.

"Sweatpants? It looks like men's clothing," Vivian said, causing Kat to laugh again. "Well, I guess you are right, it used to be like that where I come from too but not anymore," Kat stated. "Where you come from?" Vivian asked, curious.

"Yes, well apparently I'm not from this world, and I don't exactly know how I got here either. Hopefully, Mr. Sabastian can get me back home soon," Kat explained. Vivian's brows furrowed. "How is that possible?" she asked in bewilderment.

"I wish I knew. All I know is I was in my world, and suddenly I found myself in this strange place, with people accusing me of being a witch, threatening to burn me alive" Kat said, her tone was more playful than serious, Vivian apologized, feeling bad for how Kat was treated and misunderstood.

Kat dismissed her apology with a smile. "That noble twerp was lucky I didn't beat him into a pulp," Kat muttered to herself.

Kat sat on the edge of the bed, ready to eat, with Vivian standing beside her. She invited Vivian to sit with her, and Vivian complied. "Let's have lunch together," Katherine suggested with a smile. Vivian declined, shaking her head. "No, my lady, I cannot," she said, smiling politely. "Why not?" Katherine asked, though she knew the answer as Emma also always did the same, no matter how she tried to get her to have a meal with her.

"For a mere servant like me, it wouldn't be right to share a meal with a guest of the castle. My apologies, my lady," Vivian explained, her eyes cast down in respect. Kat didn't insist further and ate her meal.

While eating her meal, she engaged in small talk with Vivian. "Winter is really close, just in a few months" Vivian stated, Kat wasn't so interested in that information, as she didn't intend to even spend tomorrow here.

Vivian moved to place more wood in the fireplace while she continued their conversation. Kat was glad she had at least one person to talk to for the time being. hour's had passed without their knowledge as they spoke.

Feeling a little peckish, Kat picked up two chocolate bar, Vivian's curiosity was piqued. "What is this, my lady?" she asked, her eyes fixed on the treat.

"Have you never seen chocolate before?" Kat asked, her brow raised in surprise.

Vivian shook her head. "No, I haven't heard of it," she replied, her voice filled with awe.

Kat smiled. "Your world is really that far behind in time?" she commented, her eyes sparkling with amusement.

Vivian nodded, Kat was sure she didn't understand what she meant, her reaction made Kat laugh. Vivian's eyes were still fixed on the chocolate and Kat offered her a bar.

Vivian hesitated before unwrapping the chocolate. She brought it to her lips, the cocoa aroma immersing her nostrils. Finally, she took a bite from it, closing her eyes for the impact of the taste. "It tastes amazing!" she exclaimed, her eyes widened in delight. Kat nodded. "Of course, it does." Vivian ate half the chocolate. Despite her wanting to gobble everything up, she reluctantly kept half of it in her dress. "Why didn't you finish it? You don't like it?" Kat asked. "It's not that. I want to share the rest with my friend," she replied.

Kat chuckled, standing up and reaching for the box of chocolates on the bed. She opened it and brought out two bars, handing them to Vivian. "I have always had a sweet tooth," she laughed. "Here, give these to your friends."

Vivian stood up and bowed deeply. "Thank you, my lady," she thanked appreciatively.

"My pleasure, but you really have to stop referring to me as 'my lady,' just Kat would be okay," Kat stated.

"I cannot call you by your name, since you do not like me referring to you in that manner. I shall call you Lady Kat," Vivian replied.

"Okay. It's better than nothing," Kat said, smiling.

Just then, they both heard a knock on the door. "May I come in?" they heard Sabastian's voice speak, Vivian was quick to stand abruptly.

"Please come in," Kat responded.

Here is the rewritten text with proper paragraphs and the added detail:

Sebastian stepped into the room. Vivian bowed to him in greeting. "Good evening, Miss Kat," he greeted and bowed slightly.

'Evening? Has time really gone by that fast?' she thought to herself. "Good evening, Mr. Sebastian," she replied.

"Vivian, please excuse us," he requested. Vivian bowed and began to gather the empty tray and bowl into her hands. "Thank you, Lady Kat," she said, smiling, before exiting the room.

"I'm glad to see you found someone to keep you company," Sebastian commented, his face holding a light smile. "She's really sweet" Kat stated. "Vivian happens to be one of our most efficient servants, I'm glad to know she's to your liking. I'm here to inform you that the investigation will commence tomorrow. It will be best for you to be prepared for questioning, Miss Kat," he informed.

"Questioning?" Kat repeated and Sabastian nodded" alright I understand. As long as I'm not attacked like yesterday," Kat stated. "I can assure you that no such thing will occur," he assured. After exchanging a few more words, Sebastian excused himself, leaving Kat alone once again.

The quietness of the room soon engulfed kat, and she found herself standing by the window, watching the evening sky. The clouds drifted lazily across the sky, transitioning from the vibrant blue of daytime to the deeper hues of dusk. The sun lowered towards the horizon, casting a warm golden glow over the land. She gazed out the window, her eyes following the gentle slope of the hillside.

Though the castle was situated within the capital, it stood far enough away from the town and villages that they were not visible from her vantage point. She could see the general direction of the settlement, a faint outline of rooftops and structures in the distance, but the details were obscured by the trees and rolling hills. Her attention was drawn back to the castle gates, flanked by forests on either side of the road. The scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.

Deciding to explore the room further, Katherine was drawn to a bookshelf filled with rows of books. She wandered around, selecting a few titles that caught her attention. Settling back into bed, she made herself comfortable, propping her head against the soft headrest and placing the books next to her. "This isn't so bad... I can still work this out like a vacation," she murmured to herself, opening the book titled "Enchanted World."

The tale of a forest luring people with the voices of their deepest desires, trapping them within its depths forever, captivated her attention. Hours passed, and Katherine was lost in the pages. The room was deadly quiet, the only sound coming from the fireplace. She was jolted back to reality by a knock at the door. "Miss Kat?" Vivian's voice asked from the other side of the door. "Please come in," Katherine replied.

Vivian entered the room, carrying a bundle of wood and a small bag in her hand. She added the wood to the fireplace, stirring the embers to life. As the flames crackled and grew, she reached into the bag and pulled out a handful of candles, which she proceeded to light, placing them strategically around the room. The soft glow of the candles cast a warm, comforting light, ensuring that even if the fireplace burned out, the room would remain illuminated and warm throughout the night.

With the fire and candles lit, Vivian turned her attention to preparing Kat's bath, filling the tub with steaming water and fragrant herbs. The scent of lavender and chamomile filled the air, soothing Kat's sense's .

After a relaxing bath, Kat changed into a comfortable nightgown, feeling refreshed and calm. "Is there anything else I can get for you, lady Kat?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

Kat smiled, feeling grateful for Vivian's kindness. "No, thank you, Vivian. You've been a wonderful help. Goodnight."

Vivian curtsied, her eyes shining with warmth. "Goodnight, Miss Kat. Sleep well." With that, she excused herself.

Despite the bed being so comfortable, Katherine couldn't bring herself to fall asleep. Closing her eyes, she tried to drift off. Just then, a face flashed in her mind. "That man," she muttered. Her eyes snapped open, fists slightly clenched at the thought of his face. "He didn't even bother to help and just walked away. Tsk." Discarding the thought about the rude man, Katherine closed her eyes again, attempting to fall asleep.

After a while, Kat's breathing settled into a steady rhythm as she fell asleep. The moonlight climbed high in the sky over the Kingdom of Davorin, its soft glow illuminating her sleeping face. She looked like a figure from a dream, her features peaceful and serene.

In the quiet of the night, a black crow perched on the windowsill, its dark eyes fixed intently on Kat as she slept. Its piercing gaze remained locked on her, unblinking.

As if sensing a presence, Kat slowly opened her eyes, landing on the window, and stared at it for a while with a sleepy gaze. Though she could feel a presence, she saw nothing there and was too sleepy to think about it. She slowly drifted back to sleep.

The crow remained by the window, unmoving, never leaving its vigil.