The Lost Explorer (An Atlantis Fanfiction)

Chapter Four: Slave Girl

He left, though he looked rather reluctant to. Once they were alone Kida made her way back to what looked like a smaller, more comfortable version of the throne in the main room, and Helga stood up, looking somewhat awkwardly around. What was she supposed to do?

Kida answered her question by appearing back in front of her with what looked like a rough sponge, and a stone jar filled with water.

"The moss has begun to take over much of the room. it needs to be scrubbed away." She explained looking as though she had even less of an idea to do with her then Helga did.

Helga simply shrugged, grabbing the things and setting them in a corner she began her work in silence. What unnerved her was she felt Kida's eyes on her. They weren't accusing, or even worried, but curious. It still didn't matter, she hated to be watched, especially when it simply drove into her mind she was not her own person anymore.
Feeling her gaze on her made her work faster, and more aggressivly.

She was going so fast she didn't watch, and ended up tripping herself with ehr bad leg, ending up sprawled out on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Kida asked, stepping next to her, and offering her a hand. Helga pretended not to notice it and stood up again, seeing with a groan that she had knocked over the jar, not only shattering it, but now the water was splashed all over the floor.

Again the white haired queen said nothing, just simply walked around a corner and pulled out a pile of rags, she handed some to Helga, then to her surprise, got down on the floor as well, mopping up the water.

"What are you doing?" Helga asked, looking wide eyed.

"Cleaning." She answered, looking back up with a raised eyebrow.

"Why? Isn't that what you bought me for?" Helga asked, trying to keep the sarcastic tone out of her voice. That would only get her in trouble.

"I still have both hands do I not? I can still be useful as a human being." Kida answered, sitting back on her heels and regarding her slowly.

Helga snorted, kneeling down to soak up the last of the water.

"You people confuse me." She commented, keeping her eyes to the floor. Kida chuckled lightly and stood up.

"Perhaps I can teach you? Make things less confusing." She offered watching as the blonde woman stood up again.

"Teach me what?" Helga asked, crossing her arms. Kida shrugged for a moment before answering.

"Our language, our customs..." She explained, waiting for the others reaction.

"I don't need any of that. I'm a slave remember?" Helga huffed, uncrossing her arms and looking down at the ground, before turning her gaze back up to the queen, her look almost defiant.

Kida opened her mouth as though she was going to answer, but instead thought better of it and simply remained silent. It was an odd day for both women, Helga continued to do odd jobs around the throne room, Kida, never let her out of her sight, a sign that even she did not fully trust the other yet.

What frusterated Helga most was Kida was not commanding, she simply told her things to do, even joining in occasionally. She was used to someone telling her what to do, ordering it would be a better word....

It was late in the afternoon when something happened that would begin to put the rest of their relationship into motion, Kida had left for some reason, a attendant calling her attention somewhere else for a moment. Leaving Helga alone in the room to finish her job of sorting some broken tiles into smaller piles. It was a mind numbing task to say the least, but Helga wasn't about to say anything, it beat anything else the queen could think of.

A rather broad man lumbered into the room, from the uniform and weapons Helga guessed he was some sort of head guard. He walked as though he took no notice of Helga's pressence, this wouldn't have bothered her had the man not decided to plow straight though her neat piles... Even then he probably wouldn't have said anything, had an edge pierced the bottom of his foot.

He grunted in pain, lifting the foot up to examine it.

"Watch your business girl." He spoke in english, more like growled at her.

"You were the one that decided to run right thought it." She shot back before she could think, the words hardly left her mouth when the man's nostrils flared in anger, a meaty hand came down and grabbed her by the hair, throwing her to the ground roughly.

A surprised cry escaped Helga's mouth, she hadn't expected the large man to be so quick, and apparently he had a temper. There was a whistling noise in the air, and suddenly the side of her face stung with pain. She turned her head slightly to look and saw the man held a whip in his hands.

"You'll learn respect slave." He said harshly, raising his hand to deliver another blow. Helga flinched to avoid further injury, then there was a running of footsteps, and Kida suddenly appeared, standing between the guard and Helga. Her forearm up in the air so the whip, which was still in motion, would wrap harmlessly around her wrist.

"You're majesty!" the man sputtered, dropping his weapon and bowing his head.

"How dare you!" She hissed, her eyes held anger, even though his whip was gone, she remained in her protective positon.

"But, but, the slave has a tounge about her! She needs to learn her place!" He defended himself gesturing wildly.

"To whom does she belong?" Kida asked instead, crossing her arms, the man ducked his head again.

"To you my Queen." He answered respectfully.

"Then I shall decide when, and how she is punished for any believed 'slights', you have your duties." She told him by way of dismissal, and the man left without another word, once he was gone, Kida turned and knelt down next to Helga, how was still on the floor.

"Are you alright?" She asked, noting the other held her hand to the side of her face.

"Fine." The blonde answered, her eyes narrowing. Kida ignored the signal, noting the stain of red on her hand. She reached out quickly and pulled the hand away to reval a vertical cut from the corner of her right eye down to her chin. It wasn't deep, but it was enough.

"You're bleeding... Come." Kida told her, pulling her up and leading her to a small table where a fresh jar of water was. Carefully she took a scrap of cloth and wet it, then handing it to the other, already guessing Helga would not stand for her to do it.

Helga grabbed it, and carefully wiped away all the traces of red, and then after a moment of internal battling she spoke.

"Thank you." There was a pause, almost like the queen was processing those two words...

"You are welcome."