1. The Beginning

Mia opened the cottage's back door and stepped into the night. She was headed to check on the animals, as had been her duty for twelve years, ever since she turned four. The young teen hurried along, her path lit by the small latern she carried. If she stayed out too long, a ghost could snatch her away, leaving only the latern as a sign to what had happened.
Mia reached the barn and opened the doors.
The pungent smell of hay and animal droppings reached her nose. Her mare, Maddelina, looked up as she neared. Maddelina's solemn brown eyes watched as Mia stroked her tawny nose.
"Hello girl." She whispered and hugged the horse. Maddelina whinied a reply. Mia smiled and bustled about, checking that all the others were alright. She was preparing to leave when a noise startled her.
It was a clip-clop, the sound of horse hooves. But no one in their right mind would be riding at this time. As Mia listened, she heard multiple riders. Quickly, she doused her lamp and peered outside through a crack in the barn wall.
The horses stood on her family's land. Each rider was clad in a suit of silver armor that gleamed in the candlelight cast from the house. Mia recognizied them with a start: they were enemies soldiers of King Ralin's army.
She crouched lower and prayed they were just passing through, but it was for nought. The knights dismounted and Mia saw a torch in one of their hands.
They were going to burn her home.
She could only watch in horror as the place she had grown up in caught flame. She heard her parents screams, but could do nothing. Mia was so busy watching the cottage burn that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her until it was too late.
One of the knights brought the hilt of his sword down: everything went black.

2. The Bad Life

"Servant Girl! My shirt is ruined, fetch me a new one." Sir Leo threw his soiled clothing at her. Mia caught it and curtsied. "Right away sir."
She scowled as she walked to her master's bedroom. Apparently, it was respected to have some type of slave to boss around. Mia's duties were simple, but always annoyed her. Especially fetching Sir Leo new clothes.
He got into at least two fights a day, so his clothes were almost always torn and bloody. Sometimes both.
The man went through enough cloth to have served all the people in her old home with clothes for years. Her old home.
Mia froze. The home she had loved... She didn't know if the entire village had been destroyed, or just her home. It didn't matter anyways, seeing as she would never be going home again. She lived in Iren Castle now, with the most ungrateful man in the world.
Mia selected an already worn-looking green tunic and headed back to the training area. Her master was showing off to some giggling ladies, flexing his muscles and seriously flirting. She sighed and walked over.
"Here is your garment, my lord." Mia presented the tunic, which was promptly snatched from her hands. "That will be all, Servant Girl. Run along."
Mia curtsied again and headed for her small room beside Sir Leo's. Life was worse then bad: it was terrible.