As an artist it is their job as any to create.

To create visions that display things more complex than the minds of anyone else can think of.

All forms of art are made to create.

However, how can one create when they've lost all that inspires them to do so?

Frederick Miller tried so hard to make great things of art, but even then he can still hear the voices of those who saw the recent pieces and their critical reviews still haunt his mind.

He has seen the papers fling through many towns with titles so bashing against his own name.

"The Royal Young Artist Fails to Appeal To His Majesty" or "Is He Even Worth the Spotlight Anymore?" or even "Painter's Massive Failure at The Academical Smoothmoore Museum".

The way they all looked at him was with so much pity from his friends and colleagues.

Could a man not grieve?

Could a man still be treasured with any and all pieces he creates instead of being casted aside?

All these depressing feelings were starting to make his chest hurt, oh how he craved a glass of wine between his fingers. Drinking it seems is way more fulfilling to Frederick now than it ever has been. A bottle near his side these days keeps the darker thoughts away, and painful ideas from racking his head so he can sleep.

If only he could have changed before this.

"Sir. Sir Fredrick, it's time to wake up."

Frederick opened his blue eyes to the voice of his butler who was looking at him with a raised brow as Frederick's head lay in his hand.

"Yes, Baines? What is it now?" He says groggily as Frederick tries to straighten himself back onto the seat of the coach. Newspapers crunched and crumbled beside him as he scooted them away to make more room.

"Sir, I've been trying to wake you up; the driver just informed me that we will be arriving shortly to our new residence." He tells his employer with a small smile on his old face.

Frederick hummed in acknowledgement and nod; however, a smile did not grace his face as one did Baines.

"Sirs!"

A shout could be heard from outside the coach that was escorting them along the country roads from the coachman.

"Look out the windows! We are almost there!"

"Are we really?" Frederick questioned as he turned his head to see, now out of curiosity of what his new place looked like.

Glancing out from the window at the passing trees that grew darker as the sun was setting. I saw peaking above the tree line was a couple towers of stone covered in vines and parts of the roofs missing sections here and there.

"You must be joking Baines or maybe perhaps the driver is, I bought a small castle that was ready to be moved in, not one in disrepair."

Frederick's face soured as he now buried himself further into the seat. Facing away from the approaching small and broken castle.

Baines sighed as he took off his glasses to clean. "I understand sir, however this is the right place. Castle of Winterbay, just as you had purchased. Of course, it will be in disrepair but I'm sure it is still move-in ready."

The painter shakes his head, still in disbelief of what all that money he had used had finally gotten him.

"Baines, remind me why I bought this place again?" Shutting his eyes again he was now feeling annoyed.

"To better improve your artistic abilities and gain fame back, sir," Baines replies, quickly, adjusting his glasses back onto his face.

Half of that was true, for that was the only half he had ever told Baines. The poor butler would never understand it if it was told to him fully. That old man knew very little or at least that's what Frederick had assumed for the most part.

"Why is this small castle I bought then, a wreck," He pointed out, not even opening his eyes again to look at the broken building.

"But sir, this is what you could afford. Remember? You even said you didn't want anything too large or else our staff could never handle the maintenance of the place. Plus your good noble friend, Mr. Brooks, was so nice with this offer."

Frederick ran his fingers through his loosened hair, letting out a sigh.

He hated to admit it but Baines wasn't wrong there, however after seeing the place Frederick also knew he wasn't right either.

"I'm just glad we stopped into town when we did. I'm starving and would prefer a hot meal and warm bath before I retire to my chambers to relax and sleep the first night here away. Traveling was just too exhausting."

"Of course, sir." Baines gave a small nod.

Their conversation ended there. So they continued traveling through the road till arriving at the front of the small castle, it was definitely small compared to the huge one at the capital of course.

It definitely had seen better days or at least from what Frederick had heard when they stopped into that sad harbor town of Winterbay and heard rumors of a ghost and how the castle served itself as a place of revolution many years ago.

He was surprised that the capitol hadn't repaired it or turned it into a museum or just tore it down completely. Then again, the rumors also did say about a ghost....

"Ghosts aren't real," Frederick stated while exiting the coach making his way up the stairs toward the large doors.

He stood there, studying the entrance while resting his hands on his hips. Pondering at it for a moment before sighing, he can already hear money crying from what he had spent already buying the place but now to fix it?

Cracks in the walls, weeds and overgrown vines and other plants, broken wagons and such littered the whole thing.

It seemed more like a disaster than a castle for some queen that was sent to live here.

"Seems we have some work to do here, sir."

Baines approaches Frederick's side, setting down their luggage near their feet as he takes a large iron key from his pocket unlocking the large lock on the doors. The chains fell to the ground with a loud clang.

Frederick stepped closer and gave a good push, the doors creaked themselves open, small clouds of dust illuminated by the entrance of sunlight welcomed the two into the castle. Entering inside, Frederick waved his hand in front of his face to disperse the dust clouds as he walked inside.

Furniture was covered in sheets, the whole palace was covered in dirt and cobwebs. Curtains or what was left of them were now just scraps of what they once were as they hung in front of the windows with holes. He continued further in, before stopping in front of the grand staircases that lead up the next floor. Frederick looked over his shoulder at Baines who was setting up their things inside.

"I'm going to continue exploring this place while you handle that Baines, we'll meet back here in a couple hours."

"Of course, sir. Just be careful not to get lost. Dinner will hopefully be ready." He gives the young man a small bow.

Turning his head back around, Frederick continued up the stairs, disappearing down one of the hallways.

He studied everything, even having to poke his head into rooms to see if anything else was a wreck.

Marks of its history were definitely prominent, cracks in the walls and ceilings, broken objects laying about. Paintings that once hung upon the walls seemed stolen, burned, or turned. Windows that were broken had let in vines of ivy into the castle. Frederick even had to dodge broken and missing parts of the floor while studying the many charred objects the closer he got to what seemed like the center of the castle.

However he also could have sworn to have seen birds into the higher rafters and a couple rats scurrying around.

Finally he came across a large ballroom. It seemed to be in worse shape than the rest of the castle, its several large chandeliers rusted, melted, and lying on the floor surrounded by pieces of ashes and glass. Tiles and parts of the stairs were broken into pieces, many things on the floor screamed of its chaos.

Frederick switched his focus to the ceiling, it too was a mess of the painted faces of little angels and clouds that once were a brilliant image were smoldered and distraught.

The longer he stared the more he wanted to know. He felt like he was in some sort of trance slowly descending the stairs that led to the floor below. Before Frederick soon found himself in the middle of the room.

He reached out his hand to seemingly trace the outlines of the room, only to recoil his hand back as something crashed behind him.

Quickly, Frederick turned around to see a fallen melted candle holder.

"Who is there? Baines, it better be you or a dang rat," He states out loud, darting his eyes around the now dropping temperature of the room, however all that happened was a small gust of wind that blew through the curtains in small movements.

After moments of no response or anything else, Frederick swept his eyes around the room once more before straightening up and ascending back up the staircase.

Something felt off though.

He felt the hairs on his neck and arms stand, something felt like it was watching him.

He hurriedly got up the stairs and did one last look around, there was nothing. Everything from lifeless ceiling to the cracked marbled tiled floors, there was only nothing.

Assuring himself it was fine, he left the room. Though the uncomfortable feeling was lessened, it still seemed to follow as though trailing behind.

Finally he returned to the main entrance to see Baines waiting for me there, lighting several candles.

"Ah, I am guessing it is finally time for dinner then, good I am starving for such a delicious meal," Frederick tells his butler while rubbing his hands together eagerly, they felt slightly cold. "Baines, is it perhaps chilly in this castle?"

"Yes I do believe that makes sense especially with it now being night time here in Winter Bay. I was almost about to search for you, you were gone for a few hours more than just a couple, sir." Baines gestures over to the clock hanging on the wall ticking away.

"I see... My apologies Baines, I was just having so much fun I guess exploring," he told him while rubbing the back of his head flashing the butler a small sheepish smile.

"Well we shouldnt waste anymore time talking or your food will get cold, sir."

"Right, right. Then let us go dine together and retire to our beds. I'm guessing you did find some better rooms than I did?"

"Indeed I did, sir."

"That is why you are my most reliable butler I could ever have, Baines."

"I am the only butler you've ever really had, sir."

Well he wasn't wrong on that.

Frederick felt himself chuckling at the remembrance of hiring Baines, and yet here that old man was several years later with him in this old castle.

Especially after that one dark night he was surprised any of his staff stayed.

'I miss her so much,' Frederick thought sadly as he tried comforting the ache it brought to his head, rubbing his temple.

So they made their way to the dining room, eating a delicious bowl of seafood soup with some bread and butter and of course a generous glass to oneself of red wine.

After feasting till they were full, Frederick wiped off his face, setting the napkin down at the table. He relaxed back into his chair, crossing his fingers together to rest on his lap. He felt himself drifting away into his thoughts again.

'Seafood... seafood was always her least favorite thing to eat. She hated the taste of it and could claim she could smell it from a mile away. I remember I stopped eating it completely, just so I would get a kiss after a meal... The meals I once shared with her.... We were suppose to keep eating meals together like this, we were-"

"Was the food to your liking Mr. Miller?" Baines asked his young masterm, as he gathered up their dishes from the table in his arms.

Frederick blinked as he was snapped out, wiping his wet eyes with a handkerchief he pulled out from his vest pocket. He then got up from his chair, pushing it back into the table.

"Yes the food was nice, thank you Baines."

"Anytime sir, give me a moment to settle these dishes into some water and I'll escort you to your room," Baines told him as Frederick only gave a nod in reply.

When Baines left the dining room, Frederick let his grip go on the chair he didn't even know he had.

"I'm a mess without you, my sweet love," he spoke out loud, hanging down his head in remorse as his long dark hair covered his face like a curtain as he stared at the floor to disassociate.

He sucked in through his teeth as his fingers curled into fists, " I am a complete mess, I bought a wreck of a castle in a place I don't even know about or anyone.... Why did you have to leave me like you did? Why can't you come back to me now? I'm so lonely again without you, my sweet, sweet love."

Cool air has seemed to settle down into the dining room. A breeze seemed to brush by the curtains as the sound of footsteps seemed to approach Frederick.

A pair of what felt like comforting arms seemed to wrap their way around him. He leaned into them while they held him, shutting his eyes.

"My Brianna," he mumbled out bittersweetly," You still seem to try and comfort me as always."

The feeling of arms around him seemed to slip away.

By the time that Frederick looked up from the floor, there was no one. A chill ran down his spine, his brows now furrowed once the coldness had seemingly slipped away as he wrapped his arms around himself.

'It's almost like she was with me, holding me in her arms again.'

Deep in his own thoughts, Frederick had become unaware of Baines coming back into the room and was calling out to the other if he was ready for bed.

"Sir! Sir!" Baines had called out from one of the entry ways from the dining room before strolling over to his young master and tapping his shoulder.

He jumped of course when Frederick did as the young man looked up at Baines blinking. Baines sighed in relief and smiled warmly at him.

"Good evening, sir. Welcome back, are you perhaps ready to retire for the night?"

"Oh." Frederick glances away before nodding and getting up from the table. "Is my room and things ready?"

Baines gave a slight nod before guiding Frederick out of the dining hall with a candlestick in his hand before arriving at the room. Baines stepped aside once he opened the door allowing Frederick to walk in.

When Frederick stepped in, he took a look around the room. A fireplace was lit with a chair and small table to his right and his left was his bed. It was freshly made, pillows were fluffed, definitely ready to climb into and sleep in. The curtains were drawn back to show the large windows with glass doors that lead out to a balcony. Some panels looked cracked and some spots definitely need to be replaced, but things seemed fine.

"You know, for a large room and the little daylight we had left. I'd say you did a fantastic job with sprucing up this room, Baines," Frederick laughed as he placed his hands on his hips, walking further into the room before stopping in the middle. His head tilted to the side as he placed a hand on his chin. "I never would have thought that as destroyed as most of the castle was, this side we are currently on seems to be still decent over the time."

"It definitely is a very well built castle sir, it was fit for one of the previous queens that stayed here," Baines told Frederick as he gave a small sad smile. " I heard from the townsfolk definitely mixed reviews about her."

"I see this, well no matter, she apparently had passed away or something when the castle caught on fire. I'm more surprised that the king or any other nobility has even allowed me to purchase this thing."

"I am very surprised too sir," Baines seconded as he looked around the room, noticing the empty spot on the wall above the fireplace where a painting might have hanged. He shook his head to himself with a deep sigh.

The butler proceeded to give the door a light tap on the door, gaining Frederick's attention. Baines gave a small bow.

"Ah yes, thank you Baines, go ahead and get yourself some rest," Frederick acknowledged as he watched his butler turn around and leave, closing the door behind them.

Walking over to the bed, Frederick proceeds to change into his nightgown, adjusting the high collar around his neck and buttoning up a few buttons. He pulled the ribbon that tied his long dark brown hair back out, tossing it onto the nightstand, as he ran his fingers through whilst making his way over to the dark blue wingback chair, plopping into it.

Frederick felt his body start to relax into the comfy furniture, rolling his shoulders and neck before peering over to his side. He let his once cheerful facade fall as he scooped up the glass and bottle of wine he purchased in town that was beside him.

He turned the bottle over in his hand as he rested the glass onto the arm of the chair giving it a stern look to make sure it stayed. He tugged at the cork, pulling it out with a small pop before pouring it into the glass now back into his hands. Watching as the dark red liquid filled, he set the bottle back beside him before swirling it around and taking a large sip. His blue eyes drifted over to the fire lit in the fireplace beside him.

"Another lonely night," He spoke out loud as he lifted up the cup, his eyes sadden. " Cheers, Brianna."

He took another long sip, resting his chin in his hand as he leaned in the chair. Swirling the liquid in the glass slowly as he stared at the fire which flickered and crackled. He closed his eyes for a moment, still awake as his mind buzzed slightly.

'My Brianna, I remember we used to sit by the fire in our evenings we once spent together. You would be sitting across from me, reading a book as we shared a drink. I remember my old sketchbook becoming full of the many drawings I etched into it,' he smiled a little as the thoughts of Brianna slowly filled his head, 'One of you smiling whilst you fiddled with the edge of the pages of a book you once read between your fingers, one of you sleeping soundly after the night of hosting a dinner, and my favorite one of you looking up from your book thinking I wouldn't have noticed your eyes on me.... Why Brianna, why did you leave me like this? I have this gaping hole in my chest, it hurts and aches with my head running in circles in thought of you. I just wish you were here with me again, walking into the room again.'

The door to the bedroom creaked open. Frederick's eyes shot open as he turned his head to see the door slowly opening before him.

"Baines, I thought you were going to bed?" Frederick said aloud, as he set down his glass on the floor near him, his hand now grasping the neck of the wine bottle instead.

Cold air slowly filled the room, as though pouring in like fog over a lake. The hairs on Frederick's body stood straight up as a cool sweat fell down his back. The warmth of the fire now seemed nonexistent. The young artist's other hand clenched tightly to the arm of the chair, as his eyes watched for whatever would appear from the darkness of the hallway to his bedroom.

Suddenly he could see a slight foggy glow materializing as it entered the room, revealing the full form of a lost looking young woman, her eyes searching for something before turning to face Frederick.

Her seemingly raven black hair was done up into a large bun decorated in pearls and ribbons around it, a small tiara graced her head. Earrings, a bejeweled necklace, and make up complete her full look as it all tied together with the dark blue ball gown dress. A large red bow tied around her waist draped in the front and back, laced gloves on her hands. She looked at Frederick straight on, as she seemed to glide across the floor, the sound of her shoes seemed to be clacking against the tiles as she approached closer.

Frederick, mouth now wide opened with fright, that he could not say any words as the woman approached him.

She stopped a couple feet away before him, her hazel colored eyes matching his gaze completely. Frederick gulped as he took in her features now that she was more up close.

She felt familiar to him.

"Brianna," he said to her, almost breathless. As though he couldn't believe who was standing before him.

The woman tilted her head as though a bit confused.

"Peirce?" She spoke back to him.

Frederick, who had the bottle mid way up to his lap, almost dropped it as his eyes widened.

That was not Brianna's voice, and whatever or whoever was now standing across from him was not Brianna at all.