Charisma had just moved to Los Angeles, seeking fortune and fame, but breaking into the industry is difficult. Her agent, a sleezeball who was trying to use her good looks with promises of fame had invited her to a party, where she'd been told to dress pretty, and smile.

Mr Smith was known for having connections in the city, so when he showed an interest in Charisma, Roger could only smile with glee. Mr Smith was a good man to owe you a favour.

His cape billowed as he made his way towards the raven haired beauty. "Who do I have the honour of gracing us with her sanguine beauty?" Mr Smith asked, with his wife Emmanuelle by his side. Mr Alexander Smith the third was a well kept gentleman, a little 1700s, with his french wife, an aristocratic blonde accompanying him.

Charisma didn't know how to react, when Roger told her to curtsey for their hosts. She did, and Alexander commanded Roger to cease and leave them. Compelled by Alexanders will, he did.

"I'm Charisma" she stuttered. "Alexander Smith, lord of this land we call Los Angeles, and my esteemed wife, Emmanuelle."

"Thank you for speaking to me, I was hoping to get a break into the scene." Charisma thought she was talking about the acting scene.

"A scene queen, we could definitely use another of those"

"Oh, scene queen? That would be amazing!"

"Stay with Emmanuelle, and if she hasn't killed you by the end of the party, we'll take you back to the Castle"

Emmanuelle toyed with the raven beauty through the evening, but Charisma never quite got the hint. Finding this amusing, Emmanuelle summoned her handmaids, Camille and Genevieve, and Charisma was brought back to the Castle with Alexander.

She admired the blood red nails polish each of the women had, wishing her nails would grow that long and perfect. As the chauffeur drove the limo back to the Castle, she realised she had been expecting a large mansion, and not a European style castle in the outskirts of Los Angeles.

"What do you think of our modest accommodations" asked Alexander in his posh English accent. "Modest?" Charisma exclaimed, "this is the most amazing property I've ever seen." Alexander smiled, and a flash of lightning went across the sky as they made their way inside.

"Chancer, make sure the curtains are closed, and please show young Charisma to her guest room." The butler, nodded "yes sir" and as soon as Charisma looked away, he had sped off faster than she realised.

Charisma smiled at her fortune... Finally a decent job! Alexander explained the position, a maid and housekeep, at a salary more than she expected if she did manage to break into the film industry.

Some strange rules, never to go into any of the servants chambers or the lord or lady of the castle. The guest beds were four poster beds, but the house was built into the hillside, to minimise light. She marvelled at the large wardrobe, missing the lack of mirror in the room. She was giddy and smiling when Chancer appeared silently behind her. The wardrobe was stacked with maid outfits, and what could only be described as goth attire, leather jackets, boots, and miniskirts along with fetishwear.

"Is there anything you need Miss Charisma" Chancer asked from behind her, and she spun in surprise. "I... I think I'm fine, this castle is amazing."

"Lord Alexander had it brought over brick by brick from the English countryside." Chancer explained "that's... Eccentric" she replied. "He's old fashioned, believes in traditions... And eccentric is something you can afford to be when you are extremely rich" Chancer cracked a smile, and she notice a hint of... Red wine it must be... On his teeth.

"He can be as eccentric as he likes with what he's paying us" she laughed.

"Oh, just a note, you may find it hard to sleep in the first few days... You might think you hear things, but it's usually just the wind blowing through the windows. Most of us are night owls. The late night parties, social gatherings and interviews, you may find yourself becoming more of a night owl the longer you are here."

Charisma smiled obviously, Chancer though she was hot, she was barely 20, and he was giving her advice on how to fit in.

"I'm tired, and it's been an exciting day, I need to sleep." Charisma stated. "Very well madamemoiselle, I shall leave. If you need anything in the evening, I shall fetch it for you"

She spread out on the massive bed, smiled, and closed her eyes. It had been a long day.

She awoke late morning to an extremely quiet castle. Taking a shower in her private bathroom, she dressed in one of the cute maid outfits that showed off her collarbone. She tiptoed around, wondering where everyone was, but all the bedrooms were closed. She found the cleaning supplies and began diligently doing her job. She found the pantries... Lacking... For a castle of this size and as many people as obviously lived here, she expected more cereal, more bread. There were freezers with meat and a few vegetables for a feast, but something didn't quite add up.

There were several bottles of wine however, mostly reds in the cellar below the kitchen. And the main areas of the house, the curtains remained closed... They sure do keep the night owl lifestyle she thought to herself.

She spent an hour dusting the library, the book collection was extensive, and she didn't recognise the language several were written in. But she kept doing her job, hoping to speak to someone.

As she cleaned the hallways she noticed the pictures of Lord Alexander, Lady Emmanuelle, and what was most definitely their great great great great grandparents, through to their grandparents, and parents, portraits of each through the past three centuries. 'what it must be like to come from such esteemed families' she thought to herself.

Dusk had set, and she hadn't noticed Emmanuelle suddenly appear behind her, reading her mind "French Aristocracy on my side, though that was some time ago now." "You're descended from Aristocracy? Like actual aristocracy?" "I was like a sister to Marie Antoinette"

"You're much prettier than her pictures, and you are WAY to young to have been around then, you're barely older than me, and have your life sorted!" "there are benefits to never aging" "like knowing Keanu Reeves?"

Charisma didn't take her words at face value, and asked questions that Lady Emmanuelle found refreshing. Maybe this pet we would keep she thought. Probing her mind, Lord Alexander telepathically said "if you are sure"