Castle Corpulnet

Chapter 1: The Arrival

My mind was racing a bit as the landscape of the foreign land zoomed past me, the tall pines feeling as if they stood there for centuries, the white crystalized snow drifting slowly down towards me as this horse drawn carriage carried me towards my destination.

In retrospect I would have probably not agreed to this a few years ago, but I just turned 30 and it felt like my life had already been full of regrets so far, leaps I didn't take, jobs I didn't pursue, relationships I didn't fight for... So now in this very Eastern European countryside I was finally doing something for me, Stacey Grey, I was living in another country finally and it was rent free which felt like a dream that I was waiting to wake up from with every bump of the carriage on the path, and then I would wake up back in my bed in small town in Iowa.

But as the bumps continued getting bumpier as the path went further along, I wondered to myself what was waiting for me after all these trees and snow. The sun was starting to set, and it had been a long journey already, and it seemed as if I was going to a new world entirely and leaving the boring capitalistic everyday rise and grind life behind.

Not saying I was one of those girlies, but I drank the Kool-Aid I did the college thing, got a job, a partner, etc... and I was just feeling so dead inside as if I like Ed Norton in Fight Club had ordered the entire IKEA catalog and still felt empty. But instead of resetting the public's debt, I just kept trying hoping it would get better, but shocker it didn't. I just became more and more burnt out and so one could say I ran away from everything and everyone I loved and or loved, but i planned it my parents are long gone, I quit my job, I got my rainy day fund, I closed my lease, I checked all the boxes for as much as I can be spontaneous after being in the American dream machine for so long.

"Everything alright back there lovely" the driver of the horse carriage shouted back at me.

"Yes, all good! Ummm do you know how much farther it should be?" I asked a little fearful that I was going to be murdered in these woods.

"Yes! YES! We should be arriving in under an hour I don't like to keep the mistress waiting. Dinner should be ready upon your arrival as well so be prepared to feast!" He grinned back at me with the look of this might be the first person I have engaged in conversation in years.

"Amazing, thanks!" I said then immediately went back to looking out the window as to break eye contact with this bizarre ass dude. I wondered what "Mistress Nostradomu" was like in person. I had emailed Lou the carriage driver back and forth when I had answered the ad I saw on craigslist saying "Come live with me for free in Europe for a year women or femme people apply only" now looking at the land around me and where I was headed plus the lack of phone service I am surprised at how progressive as this place culturally was.

As nerdy somewhat millennial/gen-zer internet girlie I was aware of what was going on in the world, but to be all the way out in the sticks like this and still be in tune seemed crazy especially with the total lack of cell service for multiple hours now. But that made me feel safe that I wasn't just living with some out of touch bitch that might throw out a slur at any moment. And Lou seemed well... he seemed as normal as you can be, being a caretaker of a castle in the middle of nowhere.

It was pitch black out now, all the trees were covered in darkness only the wind rustling past was what I could really make out at this point in the ride, then a slight drop from the carriage and the bumps stopped and turned into the wheel skating over stone that was smooth from many years of wear and tear. I stuck my head fully out of carriage and saw torches lighting up what I knew to be my new home Castle Corpulent.

As we slowly moved our way through the big gate that seemingly opened by itself maybe some technology was making its way out here, I unloaded myself from the carriage in the courtyard, while Lou began to grab my bags for me and handed them off to some other seemingly uniformed coworkers that carried them inside the house.

"Uhhhh should I follow them?"

Lou looked and smirked "No you must come it is time for a feast; The Mistress is dying to meet you."

I smiled then followed Lou into the castle which from the outside looked like a little run down, but when I took my first step inside, I couldn't have been more mistaken. It was a vintage vibe, but not from multiple centuries ago more like the 70's meets an emperor's palace lots of gold, red, emerald, the carpets lined the place in red and the walls with gold and green interwoven into transfixing pattern. It was all very bohemian, and I was shocked to see all this existing here, that I was so wrapped up in it that I didn't notice Lou watching me absorb the place. He snapped back forward. Once I noticed him, I wondered if he helped decorate all of this.

"Alright, here is where you shall be dining." Lou opened a door which led to a room with a small table next to fire place a linoleum table with sterling silver and the best china dishes I had ever seen in my life.

"The Mistress should be down shortly please make yourself at home" Lou shuts the door and then it is just me and the crackling of the fire.

"Wow, this place is amazing." I say in complete disbelief this is my new home, I sit down at the table and begin to fidget with myself, I feel some sweat to form on my back, I am nervous no doubt about that I begin to just pinch my belly, not that I have much of one, I was never really thin or fat to be honest, but recently as I got older I had a little muffintop nowadays and sometimes to relax I would just jiggle it or pinch it to relax myself.

Not totally sure why just something that I enjoy a lot, something just for me and I really do just want to be doing things just for me nowadays. I just sat there as I jiggled my belly in my lap waiting for my new roommate.