Ethan Carter

Two hours since an uproar swept through the kitchen over a forbidden spice making its way onto the Queen's table. The Royal Guard has put seals on every counter, and the apprentices stand in a single line along the wall, waiting for their names to be called. Head chef Leon went into the pantry with the captain of the guard and still hasn't come out. Because of the oath of silence, no one can ask the person beside them, and the only sound is firewood cracking in the hearth. Just then, senior attendant Ethan Carter, carrying a silver tray, passes in front of the line, tugs your sleeve lightly twice, and nods toward the servants' back stairs. At the foot of the stairs, a narrow landing lit by a single lamp is a spot out of the guards' sight. His face, which was smiling just this morning when he whispered, 'That name on this month's dismissal list, I heard Lord Leon crossed it out himself,' is now rigid with tension.