Born to be a slave.

16

It was shining like a mirror. The black marble floor could not look much cleaner. I had spent half a day of cleaning it. Like other days, Edmund was busy studying and I was left alone for many hours.

When I got to know that he will be a King, my respect towards him grew even more. Not because of his status, but of how hard it must be on little boy's shoulders. From his birth, he has been prepared to become a King. Edmund was working hard someday to fulfill his role as a leader, that he hardly had spare time for himself, for his own personal needs, things he would like to do or how he would like to behave, appropriate to his true age. He acted like an adult, was thinking as an adult, but deep down I still saw a young boy in him. Behind his firm facade and that hard stare, he was young and innocent.

I noticed my outfit was wet in some places, as I had been crawling on my knees the whole time I was polishing the smooth stone. I will have to wash it in time I am not wearing it, probably late at night, so that for next morning I would have a presentable look. For Edmund everything needed to be perfect – clothes, the jobs have to be done well, the appearance had to be taken care of as well as proper behavior.

The only place left was under his bed. It was low, duvets and sheets were hanging over, so nothing could be seen under. As I lifted one side of the sheet, I noticed a thin layer of dust covering the surface of the floor. No one had lifted a finger to clean this place. I was laying on my stomach and swiped the dust with a damp cloth. It was quite dark and I was guided only by my touch. Just a few rays of sun managed to shed some tiny light until I noticed something odd in the far end, nearly at the wall, cluttered in balls of dust. It itself looked like a dust ball, but something was different there. I reached with my hand and touched it. It was hard and solid, like some type of metal. As I picked it up, another piece fell off of it. I was so intrigued, that I pulled myself out of under a bed along with my new found.

On closer look and in better lighting, it appeared to be two pieces of jewelry. I cleaned it carefully, taking great care of each part of its tiny details. They were earrings. A flower with tiny petals held a white stone and on end of it, a white pearl glowed in strong sun rays. It was made of gold and looked different than modern-day jewelry on most women. I was not an expert, but I could tell that. Maybe it had been laying here for very long time? Who it belonged to? Certainly not to Edmund.

I better go and ask it him myself. Before heading out, I dusted off my clothes, pulled his bedsheets straight and headed for a door leading out of his room. Just before I reached my exit, sunshine found its place on the precious items, as I tightly squeeze them between my fingers. It looked so pretty. I had never seen such beauty in an inanimate object, but here in my hands, it was. If it would be mine to keep, I would treasure this tiny miracle as my own life.

In fast and light steps I run towards Edmund's library to meet him and present my master with a find of the day.

Lost in thoughts I accidentally bumped into someone very hard, but not enough to fall over. My so guarded earrings slipped out of my fingers and with a tiny 'clang' dropped on the floor. They rolled down further down the hallway in front of a servant, but I couldn't remember who she was.

The adult woman looked down and then back at me. Behind, a person I bumped into, was mumbling some curse words, but my ears were deafened by blood rush of my excitement and the sudden shock of collision.

A servant in front of me picked up the earrings and examined them both.

"Where did you get hold of these, girl?"

I inhaled my breath deeply a few times. "I...I found them in Master's bedroom."

"Really?" she eyed me suspiciously. "In the young  Master's room? Why would he has such things in possession?"

She gave me another hard stare, like trying to squeeze out something else from me, then words I had said.

"You stole them, don't you?"