"Stop it, lass" Henry scolded while grabbing the bucket of feed from my hands.
I groaned. "Come on, just let me help. I feel bad sitting around while you two work," I complained as Timothy walked in carrying a bale of hay.
"You'll feel even worse if you fuck your ribs up more," he said, setting the hay in Lyria's stable.
Lyria, the pegasus I first met almost two weeks ago that had my doubting reality, huffed at me. I had a feeling she didn't like me much. I swear I could feel her glare boring into my back whenever I was in here.
"I'm fine now, they don't even hurt anymore." It was true. Ezra had started giving me a second vial of foul-smelling medicine since the second day I went to see him. The smell alone made me want to empty my stomach, but I couldn't deny how much it made my ribs feel better. I felt healthier now than I had in years. The three regular meals a day helped too. My boney frame had started to fill out again as my appetite grew. I had put enough meat on my bones again that I was starting to fear that I would turn into the fat girl I once was in my distant memory.
"Don't care, lass. You don't work till Lord Ezra says otherwise," Henry said.
"Shouldn't you be heading over there now anyway?" Timothy asked, grabbing sugar cubes to give to Lyria.
"Yeah," I said brushing my hands on my pants. "I was just waiting out Axel. I saw him earlier and wanted to avoid that encounter."
Timothy laughed. "Avoiding the sex demon?"
Sex demon, that was a far better fitting title for Axel than sex God. He may have a face and body that rivalled a god's, but the way he acted would make angels blush. I had been lucky enough to avoid the other three, Cassius, Zev, and Jaxon these past two weeks. I had a routine of eating breakfast, going to see Ezra, then accompanying Henry, Kai, or Timothy as they did their work. I spent most of the day in areas populated with other servants. They had no reason to run into me, especially considering their rooms were on the other end of the manor. And lucky for me, it seemed like Cassius had forgotten about me since I hadn't been summoned for the meeting I was warned about after I first awoke.
Despite that, Axel seemed to be going out of his way to run into me. He would be waiting at the top of the stairs at the same time each morning. He claimed it was to get to know his wife better, but all he wanted to know were answers to sexually charged questions as his lingering touches grew more daring. It has become such a regular routine that I stopped feeling fear at his words, but his touch did something to me. I couldn't think clearly when he touched my bare skin. My reaction made me panic more than the actual touch did.
The past few days I had been trying to avoid him and his filthy mind, there was only so much I could handle. Him talking about how a vagina was meant to be stretched and could even fit multiple cocks was my boiling point. Using a different set of stairs seemed like a smart idea to avoid him, but that was before I realized I had to pass by the other stairs to reach Ezra's workshop.
"He's not bein' inappropriate or anythin', is he?" Henry stopped and asked in concern.
I smiled gently. I wasn't used to the care that he'd been giving me. "No," I said shaking my head. "Just annoying."
The corner of his lips curved up. "Good." He grabbed a shove and turned away and entered Lyria's stale. "You best get goin', Ezra will be wonderin' where you are."
I sighed and looked over to the analog clock that hung over the tack room door. It was already half an hour past from when I would usually see him.
"I suppose," I mumbled under my breath.
"Don't worry, he's probably gone by now," Timothy said, ruffling my hair.
I batted his hand away with a huff. Smoothing my hair down, I headed for the exit. "If you're wrong, you owe me your toffee pudding," I said over my shoulder.
"Hey! Wait, I don't agree to these terms!"
I quietly laughed as I continued on like I didn't hear him. Hopefully, for both Timothy and me, he was right. Seeing as Axel only ever accompanied me on the walk to Ezra's door before going on his way, I guessed he wouldn't have enough time to wait around for me to show.
I looked down at my feet as I walked, avoiding the judgmental looks of others bustling down the hallways, busy completing their work. Besides Henry, Kai, and Timothy, most of the others hadn't shown any hint of wanting anything to do with me. I actually preferred that to those who did give me attention. Unlike those who sneered, glared or cowered at a distance at the sight of me, a few went out of their way to make my life worse.
Sometimes it was a cup of water being spilt over my shoulder, sometimes it was being shoved or tripped while passing. The worst was when they would decide to ruin the only chance late at night I got to bathe in private. The servants all shared a communal bath. It was a large natural bathing pool under the manor with some showers fixed to the rock walls of the cave-like area. The only time I could bathe in private was after everyone had gone to bed. I used to be able to relax in the warm waters as steam surrounded me, but they ruined it. Sometimes when I was settled in the water, they would barge in, sending me scrambling to get out and dressed. I stopped being able to relax and take my time, instead, I began rushing while keeping my eyes and ears open for any signs of others approaching.
I released a sigh of relief as I passed the stairs. No Axel to be found. I picked up my pace, no longer having a reason to drag my feet.
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to avoid me, little mouse, but you wouldn't do that to your dear husband, now would you?"
An embarring shriek of surprise left my lips as Axel's arm landed on my shoulders. I should have known it was too good to be true. Nothing ever happened in my favour.
"Of course not," I reply, trying and failing to remove his arm. "Why would I ever want to miss hearing about how important lube is?"
"Hmm, sorry to disappoint you, little mouse, but today's topic of conversation is restraints. We'll get to lube when I feel you're ready for the anal talk- actually maybe we should discuss lube. You can never be too wet, the wetter the better as they say."
"They?" I asked with a raised brow.
He waved his hand around aimlessly. "You know, they."
"Sure," I hummed.
He continued to tell me about the art of tying rope as we headed to Ezra's door. It surprised me how many different kinds of knots there were. It was also surprising how much he knew about tying up people.
"I could show you how fun knots can be if you let me," he said trailing a finger down my arm.
I shrugged him off of me as we reached the door. "No thank you, I'm good."
A hint of irritation crossed his face. He quickly covered it, replacing it with a smirk. "No worries, you'll crack soon."
He's turned and left down the hall. I couldn't help but notice his hands were trembling slightly. Now that I thought about it, he had dark circles under his eyes that weren't there the past few days and lacked the usual... charm he had. Maybe he was feeling under the weather. Or he was finally understanding the hints that were as subtle as an elephant that I wasn't interested.
Brushing aside thoughts of the sex maniac, I push open the door and walk in to find Ezra on the sliding ladder pulling a book from his bookshelf. I had stopped knocking after his insistence. I was reluctant to at first, feeling uncomfortable intruding. I quickly realized after interrupting him the first few times why it would be better not to knock. Apparently, some of the substances he worked with weren't the most stable and needed to be handled delicately. The sharp and sudden noise caused him to jump while deep in concentration and start a few fires.
Luckily his eyebrows grew back fairly quick.
"Nea! I was starting to think you weren't going to show this morning," he said as he descended.
I hide my smile at hearing him address me as Nea. He had started to after a few days. I liked it. It was stupid, but it made me feel special, like I was someone new. Someone who wasn't damaged.
"Nope," I said popping the 'p' as I hopped up onto the table. "Just got side-tracked on the way."
The daily visits had changed how I initially felt towards Ezra. He had proven that he was a kind, gentle, and caring man these last two weeks, nothing like his friends or the men I was used to. He was intelligent and loved to spend most of his time in his workshop surrounded by his books and experimenting. Sometimes he seemed too good to be real. Real or not, he had earned my trust for now. I was comfortable around him, even enjoyed our time together. He had been helping me learn more about this world, explaining the basics and answering any questions I had. I'd be lost without him and Henry.
"On a walk where the most interesting thing you come across is a four-foot-high painting of an orgy?"
I rolled my eyes. "Fine, it was more of a detour to the stables." Swinging my legs, I picked up a small, light purple, furry ball from the table. I ran my finger over it. It was soft and fluffy.
"I wouldn't touch that if I was you."
I looked up to see Ezra's face twisted in a grimace. I instantly dropped the furry ball like it was on fire.
"Why?" I asked, panicked. "Oh God, is it poisonous? Am I going to die?" You never knew with the things he kept in here.
I was about to jump off the table and scrub my hands raw, but Ezra's booming laughter stopped me. I looked toward him to find his face lit with amusement.
"No, not poisonous. I just didn't think you'd enjoy learning that you were fondling the testicle of a jackalope."
My face twists in disgust. "Ew, why wouldn't you warn me?" I jumped off the table and rushed to wash my hands.
"I just did."
"A little too late," I mumbled.
He chuckled. "Come on, let's check those ribs out."
I flicked the water off my hands and into the sink before wiping them dry on my pants. The cuts and scratches that littered my body had fully healed thanks to the salve that Ezra studiously applied during the first week. It was mind-boggling to witness such a fast recovery after becoming accustomed to how long it took my body to heal injuries after years of experience. All that was left was my ribs.
"Let me know if you feel any discomfort," he said as he lifted my shirt to expose my side. The bruising had faded away a few days ago.
He started prodding the area gently before pressing harder. His warm fingers and firm touch had me suppressing a shiver.
"Feel anything?" He asked.
I shook my head. "Like I said last time, I'm perfectly fine."
He continued to press further around the area. After not finding anything and receiving no indication of pain, he removed his hand and righted my shirt. Turning from me he walked over to the box that he stored the vile-smelling and tasting medicine and grabbed one.
"Everything seems good, but I want you to take one more just to be safe," he said handing it to me. Seeing the disgust on my face he continued, amusement in his eyes. "I'll give you some mint leaves to chew after to get rid of the taste."
I scoffed. "I'm pretty sure you give me those so you won't have to deal with the bad breath this liquid death provides."
He shrugged his shoulder. "Everything comes at a cost. Just be happy that it's just bad breath in exchange for healed bones."
"And nausea," I added as my mind lingered too long on his statement. I wonder what the cost of his help would be.
"That's what the mints for. That and, you know, the breath," he playfully smiled.
I reluctantly threw back the horrid medicine. Gagging, coughing, and making a face, I happily took the mint leaves from Ezra's outstretched hand. Shoving them into my mouth, I chewed them until they turned into tasteless mush. Spitting it out I turned to find Ezra with a sober expression.
"Nea," he sighed, leaning his hip against the table. "If it was up to me, you'd be treated like the part you are forced to play would be, but the others aren't so sold on the idea. Jax and Zec especially. They've been hounding Cassius and in turn me to make you work for your keep. I've been pushing off clearing you for work, but I can't any longer."
I smile at him, placing my hand on his arm. "No worries, Ez. I'm actually glad to be able to work. I've felt pretty useless just sitting around watching others do their part. Now Henry can't stop me from helping out."
He returned a weak smile. "It's not the work we have planned for you that I'm worried about." He reached out to ruck I lock of my hairs behind my ear. His fingers lingered as he trailed them down the strand before letting go. "Your status as my patient made it so Jax and Zev couldn't mess with you. Cassius told them to leave you be while you healed."
I looked at him with wide eyes. "When you say mess with me, what do you mean? Will they..." My words trailed off as memories flashed through my mind. I stepped back and a cold rush spread through my veins.
Ezra ruffled his own hair in frustration. "They'll probably make your work harder or pull their stupid pranks. I'm worried they'll take it too far since your a woman."
"Will they..." I trailed off again, not wanting to voice my fears.
"Hm?" He questioned looking at me. His brows furrowed as he finally took note of my odd state. "Will they, what, Nea?"
"W-well, I'm their w-wife, are they going to... Will they expect certain... 'wifely duties' from me?" I stutter out.
Ezra's eyes widen and he vehemently shook his head. "Gods, no! Like we said before, Nea, no one will force themselves on you in this house! You have no need to worry about that. The others can be bastards at times, but none of us are rapists."
I released a shaky breath as the pressure in my chest dissipated. "Thank you."
"No, Nea. You don't thank someone for not acting like a disgusting pig."
I gave him a tentative smile. You did if you lived the life I had.
"So," I cleared my throat. "What's my first task, boss man?" I question teasingly.
The amusement glint returned to his eyes. He glanced at the watch he wore on his wrist. "Cassius assigned most of your tasks. At 1:30 you're supposed to serve him, Axel, Jax, and Zev afternoon tea in the tea room." He walked over to his altered table and moved some papers around. Finding the one he wanted, he grabbed it and thrust it towards me. "This is a list of your tasks for each day. As you can notice it's split in half. The top half you have to do before you can have lunch. The bottom half needs to be completed before dinner and before you go to bed. There may be days where you'll be assigned other tasks as well, so it's subject to change."
I look over the list and notice that it was mostly hard labour or cleaning jobs. I cringed when I saw that I would need to clean all of their rooms daily aside from Cassius's. Today, aside from the tea that I need to serve them each day at 1:30 pm, the rest of my day was to be spent scrubbing and cleaning.
"You need to be up and starting your tasks by 7 am each morning. You can ignore morning chores for today, but I'm sure The others will check to see if you complete your afternoon ones."
By others, I assumed he meant Jax and Zev. It seemed they were keenly interested in making sure I didn't lazy about and mooch off them. I was fine with that. I had no problem pulling my weight.
"It's almost lunchtime, so you have a bit of time before afternoon tea needs to be served. You'll have to prepare the drinks and snacks, so after you enjoy your lunch you should head to the kitchen to get things sorted." He gave me a pitying look. "I don't go to afternoon tea since I'm usually up to my eyeballs in work so you won't be seeing me there, but be careful not to mess up. Jax and Zev especially won't let it slide if you do, but that being said, don't let them walk all over you," he sternly warned. "If they try anything, come tell me, okay?"
I nodded, not meaning it. Snitching always made things worse. If they tried anything, I wouldn't tell him. I was a big girl. I had already faced the devil and survived. I bet the terrible two were no match compared to him.
He sighed, rubbing his hand over his scruff-covered jaw. He must not have shaven recently. "Good luck, Nea. I have a feeling you're going to need it."
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