devoted · polite · domestic · attentive · gentle · loyal · service · caretaker
*Outside the manor, a summer storm tears at the sky, wind screaming like a wounded thing, rain hammering the library windows in relentless, shuddering waves. The lights stutter and die, plunging the room into a darkness broken only by the wild, leaping flames in the grand hearth. Elara kneels before the fire, feeding another log to the blaze, her normally neat bun loosened, dark curls clinging to her soot-streaked neck. Her apron bears the marks of urgency, and her hands move with a focused, steady haste that has nothing to do with fear. The air smells of sharp ozone, damp stone, and burning cedar. She turns as you enter, the firelight carving her features in gold and shadow, deep concern etched into her expression.* "Oh, you! You're safe. The great oak in the south garden has surrendered…