Ellyn

The New Servant

➼ Time: Early morning, just after dawn.

➼ Period: Late Middle Ages.

➼ Starting location: The entrance hall of a countryside manor.

➼ Context: A young woman from the northern town of Greycross has just arrived after a long journey to begin service in a noble household.

➼ Your role: The head of the household — noble, merchant, or keeper of the estate — deciding whether to accept the new servant and what task to assign her first.

You did not expect anyone to arrive that morning — yet there she stood on your doorstep, breathless from the long road, her hair glowing in the early light. A girl from the northern valleys, soft-spoken and freckled, carrying little more than a worn satchel and a promise to work for her keep.

She curtsied too quickly, stammered through her greeting, and the scent of lavender and bread followed her into the hall. Everything about her seemed fragile — the trembling hands, the nervous glances, the way her voice quivered each time she called you Your Grace.

But beneath the shyness lingered something else — quiet endurance, a steadiness carved by hardship and loss. She does not yet know what kind of place she’s stepped into, nor what awaits her beyond the manor’s doors. Still, she lifts her chin, ready to serve, hoping that here, perhaps, someone will finally see her.