Born to be a slave.

37

It took some time for my heart to calm down. I finished my bath, dried my body and I was ready to put on a dress Edmund have placed next to me. It was dark, maybe more than my first outfit, almost in a shade of deep night. The fabric felt silky. It was much far better, than anything I have ever got my hands on - beautiful.

I tried it on, it fit perfectly. Gazing on my reflection in a mirror, it almost made me feel like a princess. A princess in a king's palace.

I was hesitant to go out of this room, to face Edmund. There was something about him, he have changed. I don't know, if it is my 'new' Master or it was only a rare expression. He left me very confused.

"Thea! Thea? Where are you?" Fiona whisper shouted behind a bathroom door. "Thea...... WOW!" She stopped, when she set eyes on me. "Thea! You look gorgeous!"

Fiona walked around me, while admiring my new outfit. 

"My Lord is going to spoil you." She grinned in full happiness.

"It feels so weird...." I shy away.

"Oh.... This is not, why I came. You have to see this! Follow me!"

"To see what?" Her sudden change of face expression made me curious.

"My Lordship! He came to me and asked about you, about the years he have been away and things you have been going through. Didn't you say anything to him?" Fiona talked in quiet voice, like telling me a biggest secret no one should hear.

"No...."

"Why? At least you could tell about Martha. She can't get away of beating you like an old, dusty carpet."

"I am sorry. I couldn't make myself...."

"Well..... At least he knows now. I told him everything. He.... he could have got it out of me anyway, even, if I was told to stay silent. Master looked pissed off......, angry.... more scarier, than I have ever seen him..."

"Did he go mad?" 

"No... Not like that. It was the lack of expression on his face, that made me shiver. Thea, he is not the same, naive boy he used to be. He had that.............. aura...... of a king."

The new observation from Fiona made me more wary of him now. 

"Come, he have gone to talk with Martha, we have to hear this." Fiona grabbed me by the hand and pulled me outside and further in to the house, supposedly, where Edmund should be. 

This felt so wrong. I didn't want to eavesdrop on my Master, his business. I stopped her.

"Fiona. I don't want to..." I looked for understanding in her eyes. "I don't want to see a person to be ..."

A scream shattered the walls, then another came from a room in front of me, as we both were standing in a wide open space near main door of this mansion. Painful and agonizing screams kept coming. The sound managed to shatter my heart. I stood frozen.

The noises got attention of other servants around and everybody, like flies attracted to honey, swarmed downstairs investigating. The only comfort was Fiona's hold on my hand. Staff whispered and craned their necks, like nosy hens.

After some time the noises stopped, the door creaked open and Edmund came outside. His hair was messy and the snow white sleeves of his shirt were casually folded up on his arms. A stick Martha had carried around was hold tight in his hand, I saw some faint, barely visible traces of blood on it. Edmund tossed it aside with such force, it snapped in half.

His eyes came up to me. It made me feel even worse, than I was just mere moments ago. Fiona was right. His aura... it was different, than when I interacted with him upstairs. In front of me stood a future king of Hadria, an image of a person, a title I have never faced before. 

"Disperse!" A word came out like a low growl, while he hold an eye contact with me. 

I felt a tear falling. My eyes stung. I was paralyzed. Fiona's hand managed to hold me on to reality and not make me faint. 

My Master strode away with determination, leaving all of us in shock.

"Oh my god! Did he just do it!" Fiona said quietly.

"Sorry, I need to go."

I rushed outside and I prayed that I will not run in to Edmund. I needed air and some time alone, somewhere, where nobody would think to look for me. I didn't care, if I get another beating from Martha or Edmund himself, for being away, without any notice. I felt so troubled...

I went through the arches away from the main part of the house. I have not been here long time, but today I wanted to see the gorgeous, fairy world like place again. A garden with a pond, fish, Pegasus fountain, tall and old trees and an old swing in a middle. I felt like swaying my troubled thoughts away. I neared the desired spot.

But for my surprise, the swing was already taken. Edmund sat in it and swayed just little bit. I could think of turning back, but my Master have noticed me, before I managed to think about my retreat. We looked at each in silence.

"Do you want to play hide and seek?" His voice was calm for my surprise. This was not what I expected him to say.

Edmund didn't wait for my reply. He petted a spot next to him, inviting me to sit down too.

I complied, but inside I felt my heart bubbling hard.

"Thea. You can trust me. I want you to know that..."

Where was he going with this?

"Why didn't you tell me anything about Martha, about everything, that happened to you?"

I looked away. I never considered my opinions and needs and voice an important thing.

"You shouldn't have done it to her..."

"Do you mean to Martha? She should have been aware, not to mess with my property. It is only fair, she gets her deserved punishment."

"But not like this, Edmund! No person deserves to be beaten up!" I looked hard him in the eye, but internally, I felt very afraid of his reaction to my sudden outburst.

"Did you want to see her public execution instead?"

My breath got caught in my throat.

"Also, did YOU deserve to be hit, Thea?"

I didn't know what to say anymore. Everything was so overwhelming, it made me almost cry.

"We wrote you a letter..."

"I know.... I mean... Fiona told me. I never received it.  And I have a guess you never got your dresses and candies."

"No..... ."

His hand took hold of mine. It was warm and big, but his move made me uncomfortable. I gently tried to slip it out of his grasp, but he tightened his fingers.

I felt his breath hit my cheek. He was so close to me all this time as we talked. 

"Thea! Look at me!"

Slowly I moved my eyes to face his pearly gaze.

"No one is going to hurt you again. I promise you that."