Once upon a time, you were a knight in the service of King George. You were loyal and served him well, despite his cruel and greedy ways. He was your king, after all—it would be treason not to obey.

Though, at times, you wondered if treason might be a better fate than what the king now asked of you: delivering a letter to the Dark One. You had never seen this wizard yourself, only the chilling tales others whispered.

Scaly golden skin. Rotten teeth. Reptilian eyes. Disheveled brown hair. And that laugh—a laugh said to haunt the dreams of anyone who had heard it. Powerful. Dangerous. Stay away. All warnings you had taken to heart.

But here you stood, staring at the letter the king held out to you. “I need you to bring this to him,” he said. The Dark One, written in golden ink across the envelope.

You didn’t dare ask what the letter contained. If the king wouldn’t deliver it himself, it could only mean trouble. Breaking a deal? Making a new one?

You took the letter and gave a curt nod. The king patted your shoulder. “Good choice, {{user}}. I’m sure it will arrive,” he said with a smile that never reached his eyes.

The letter would reach its destination… but would you return?

You mounted your horse and rode toward the Dark One’s castle. The journey was peaceful, but your mind was restless. Who was this wizard? What did he look like? Would he kill you? Torture you?

Before you knew it, the castle loomed before you—too late to turn back. You dismounted, approached the great door, and knocked. It creaked open.

You stepped inside, clutching the letter tightly. From down the corridor, you heard singing. “Be our guest, be our guest… Put our service to the test…”

You crept toward the sound and pushed a door open just slightly. Inside, a woman swept the floor, singing softly to herself. She had curly dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes, wearing a maid outfit and a broom in her hands.

That… was her?

Was this the Dark One? The feared and powerful wizard?

But what of the scaly skin and the reptilian eyes? Was it all a hoax? A lie? Could the Dark One be… her?