Silena's Song

Sworn Companion / Chapter Two

A/N ; Please excuse any spelling/ grammar errors as I'm too lazy to check ok thanks

Being a slave in the kingdom of Phthia was actually quite easy. The only part that bothered me was the lingering nightmare that repeated every night. A rock drenched in blood and brains and a half dead boy attempting to grab at me. It didn't go away and often I awoke in the midst of night. I would live though.
Since I was apart of the younger crowd of slaves, as I was only eleven, I didn't get the hardest work. I, of course, wasn't used to doing all the messy work, such as serving food or cleaning, but I accustomed to it quickly. Everyday, all the slaves would wake up at dawn. We'd make our own beds, and then rush to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for all the male refugees the king of Phthia also took in. We would make the food, normally we made them porridge and sent a few girls out to the gardens to get figs. The kitchen duty was laughably easy, as all the slaves and I had a tad bit of fun while we cooked. Sometimes one of the younger girls would take a few figs and juggle, which was quite funny. Other times, Princess Clarisse walked in to take a few grapes from a bowl in the center of the kitchen. Though it didn't happen often, those were my favorite parts of the morning. She walked so casually, as if she didn't even have the pressure of being a princess.
After we made the breakfast, the other girls and I would take food out to the tables. The boys ate quickly, like animals maybe, and then left for training. Clarisse would be gone by then. Once the boys left, we cleaned and then were given free time until we had to make lunch. Those parts were fun. Lou, Drew, and I would sometimes take a fig from the garden and then go to the beach. We would eat the sweet fruit, laugh as we played in the water and sand, and frown slightly when we had to return for lunch. Though Drew had yet to warm up to me fully, Lou acted as if I had known her for years. The two of them were much closer though, sharing glances I wasn't apart of, as well as kissing when they thought I wasn't looking. I was, in fact, looking.
Maybe I was jealous? I wasn't very fond of the nightwork we had to do and I didn't like when they didn't include me in their glances. I chose to ignore it.
When the preparation of lunch came around we returned back to the kitchens. Lunch was easy to prepare, as it was bread and cheese, as well as a few olives. Again, a few girls were sent out to pluck the olives from the trees, me being one of them. The other girls were left to make bread, while we were given baskets and told to go outside. Lou stayed inside while Drew came out with me and an older girl whose name I didn't know. Drew seemed to deflate a little. The two of them were inseparable, and when they were pulled apart they seemed less lively. I had to practically drag her to the gardens, as she insisted staying behind and sending another kid out. That wasn't how it worked. We picked the olives, plopping them into our baskets, and when we were done, Drew was the one dragging me. Once she got back to Lou, they both smiled. In this instance, I shared that smile with them. I was happy for them, as they were happy together.
From then on out, whenever one of them was chosen to pick the fruit, and the other wasn't, I offered myself to go out for them. Their faces lit up, and they thanked me. It was the least I could do, right? But sooner or later I found myself wandering away from my duties. I always woke up with the other slaves, always helped make and serve the meals, but when the night came I simply hid. I didn't like the night, as we had to pleasure the male refugees that the King of Phthia took in. Lou and Drew did it easily. Were they more into it? Or were they just more used to it? I didn't know.
One day I was called to the throne room. Most likely to introduce myself to the King, I thought. The guards directed me to where the King was and I kneeled before him. "You're Silena Beaurgard, correct?" He asked. His voice was gentle, but it seemed it could harden if needed. "Yes, your majesty." That was what I was to say, right? Even if it had only been a short while since I was last princess, beginning to forget my ways of being a princess. Not that it mattered, of course, as my title was now a slave. "Very well. Pleasure to have you in my kingdom, you are dismissed." Was that all? No comment on how I was sent away? About how I killed a boy? I nodded my head in respect. "Thank you," With that, I left. The guards led me back to the slave quarters. That day had been strange.
When the night came, and the slaves were called to the boys quarters, I snuck away to the garden, where I hid in the bushes and looked at the night sky instead. I found that much more enjoyable. I wasn't sure anybody noticed I was gone, (well I knew Drew and Lou did, because they promised that if anybody asked why I wasn't there, they'd try to make an excuse.) because nobody really came looking for me. Me hiding away in the night lasted around a week. One night as I was sitting besides a bush, watching the stars, I heard somebody walking. They were heavy footsteps, but also light? It was a weird mix, but I knew it wasn't coming from one of the slaves. They were very light on their feet. I looked up and saw Princess Clarisse coming towards me.
"Are you alright? You aren't with the other slaves in the male quarters." Her voice was gruff, but nice altogether, as I remembered when I first heard it. I felt my ears get hot. "I... I'm fine." I replied, better not to lie, right? "Well," She started off again, "Why aren't you in the male quarters?" I noticed that she wasn't wearing a dress, but a different type of wardrobe. Different from what I had to wear as a princess. Did she prefer not to wear dresses? Memories of Lou's talk about her came rushing back to my head, about how the guards gave her dresses, even though she never wore them. That answered my question.
"I don't like it." I told her. She squinted her eyes at me. "My father wants to punish you, you know. You'll need an excuse." Punishment? "An excuse? For what?" I asked. She was confusing. But that was alright. "An excuse as to why you're not with the other girls, of course." She said it like it was obvious, which it was. Maybe I was getting flustered.
"Well, if you're so concerned, why don't you just tell him I was with you?" When did I get so... disrespectful? Maybe I would be punished, even if it was just for talking back to the Princess. I think she saw the look of fear pass over my face after my retort, as her face softened, even if it was just a tad.
She turned, and for a moment I thought she was going off to tell her father. After a few steps, five I think it was, Princess Clarisse turned back around. "Well, aren't you coming? I'm taking you to my lessons." She said it like is was supposed to be vicious, but it came out sounding sweet. My face flushed in embarrassment. "Of course," I replied, getting up. "Thank yo-" She silenced me by putting her hand up. Aggressive. "No need, now hurry, I'd rather not be late. Again." Was that a tone of amusement in her voice? It sounded like it. This girl was so confusing.
I hurried after her in silence as we made our way to her lesson. What would she even be tought? It didn't seem like she was into music. Maybe fighting?
We went back inside of the castle, me still having to walk quickly to keep up with her fast steps. Her legs were longer than mine, and gods did she walk fast. The silence was awkward for me, the only sound was the noise of our feet against the ground.
We walked down three corridors, passing her bedroom. We came to a door and she opened it, letting me go inside first. How kind.
There was a man, sitting down on a stool. His hair was partially grey, his eyes a deep brown that seemed welcoming. "Hello, Clarisse. You've brought a friend?" The man said.
"Yes, Master Kayson. Her name is Silena." She replied, sitting down on a stool across from him. I followed after and stood next to her.
"Nonsense, Silena, let me get you a stool," Kayson replied. "Thank you." I had replied.
Once I had gotten a stool and was seated next to Clarisse, he began the lesson. "Healing. Now, last lesson we had learned the art of removing an arrow from the body. We'll be learning the anatomy of the body today," He explained, he eyes glazing over the both of us.
He had us trace each other's arms, feeling the bones beneath them, and whenever they moved, the muscles that moved with them. Her touch was delicate, soft even. Something I didn't expect from her, as she seemed much more rough. I felt the tips of my ears getting hot from her touch.
I traced her collarbone, with only one finger, and she traced my jawline with two. She took my hand in both of her own, telling me to flex my fingers as she outlined every groove and dip within my skin. Her touch was enticing to me, as I kept wanting more.
We learned how the body moves, the bones and muscle that lie beneath the skin. It was fascinating, and I think I was more into it then Clarisse.
The lesson left me quite flustered, but afterwards the Princess led me to her father. We passed her room and into the throne room. I remembered our path from when I had to introduce myself.
"Father," Clarisse introduced herself. She kneeled in front of him, and I kneeled next to her. "I know you've been looking to punish Silena, as she hasn't been participating in the nightly activities with the rest of the slaves. I would like to apologize, as she has been busy attending my lessons with me." She looked up.
"That is the reason? Very well. That's fine, then." He said. I felt relieved, as if a large weight had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt myself relax. So I wasn't to be punished.
"And another thing, Father." She said. Another thing? I thought we were only here to inform him that I was attending Clarisse's lessons. "I would like for Silena to be my sworn companion." Sworn companion?
"I've been pestering you for years, showing many others that would be good. She will do no good to your reputation, as she has killed a boy." He told her, though there was a hint of amusement in his voice. I cringed as he brought up my accidental-murder. I still wasn't over the nightmares. Would this make the Princess think differently of me?
"I know she won't add to my reputation. That's alright." She replied calmly, her head bowed.
"Why do you choose her, specifically?"
"She is interesting." Princess Clarisse replied.
"Interesting." The King smiled slightly, a warming smile. "Very well. It is done, is that all?"
"Yes. Thank you, father." And with that, we left the throne room. I walked back to the slave quarters and Clarisse left to her bedroom. I was interesting?