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The melody of the birds singing outside the manor woke Valentine slowly up from her deep slumber.
The brown skinned woman took her time stretching before she opened her eyes, looking around her.
The bed she had slept on was truly magical.
It sucked out all her worries and stress, leaving her to actually feel rested for once in a while. That was before there was knocking heard on the door.
"Miss? Are you awake?"
Valentine thought for a second if she should pretend to be asleep.
But, it was too late.
The door opened, revealing a grinning Nita. She walked in the room, opening the humongous blinds that were covering the large bedroom windows. The sight was truly magical.
But, as soon as Nita opened the windows, letting the fresh air in the room; a couple of maids came bustling in.
"Miss," one called out to Valentine's attention.
Valentine turned to the maid, raising a eyebrow in question as she held the bedsheets to her body.
"Your bath is ready."
The pregnant woman didn't let her to be told that twice. She immediately shoved the warm sheets off of her body, turning her body around so she could get out of bed.
"Oh my, let me help." Three maids immediately came forward, shoving each other out of the way as they walked towards the pregnant Valentine.
"It's fine it's fine," Valentine giggled.
"This much I can do myself."
She walked with the maids bustling busy around her as she got guided to the bathroom chambers. The maids opened the chambers door, revealing the most elegant bathroom Valentine had ever seen. It was so breathtaking she wasn't sure if it was real.
The walls were decorated with many statutes and renaissance arts. Valentine whirled around, taking the chambers in. It was like it were straight from a fairytale. Behind the pillars there was an actually space filled with only greenery. The smell of fresh and sweet flowers invaded Valentine's nose.
"Are those real?" She gushed to the maids, already on the move.
"Yes, Miss," one of the maids hid a giggle with her hand, following Valentine.
"We dry them fresh so it intensifies the smell when you take a bath."
"Can I take a bath with them?" Valentine's eyes grew wide in excitement, looking around once again to see the garden full with lavender, roses, jasmine and gardenia. She bet there were even more but she didn't had the time to carefully look at them all.
The maids lead Valentine back to the enormous bathtub. It stood in the middle of the chambers.
"So does the family come here to take a bath?" Valentine let her curiosity win as she asked the question that kept biting her. "Together?"
The maids giggled once more, helping Valentine out of her clothes. The pregnant woman was feeling rather insecure, feeling vulnerable in front of the clothes maids.
"No, this is sir River's bathroom chamber," one of the maids answered before leading Valentine to the water.
"What scent would you like to bath with today?"
"Uhm... Jasmine, please."
Valentine couldn't help but felt out of place and uncomfortable as the maids began scrubbing and washing her body for her. One maid even worked on her hair, or better yet, helping to tame her long and wild, strawberry blonde hair.
"Ouch, that– ow, please stop," Valentine cried out, closing her eyes tightly as she felt the maid combing through another knot.
"I almost got it, miss."
"Sofia."
The door to the bathroom chambers opened.
Valentine turned around. In the back of her head she had almost thought Tyler had still come for her.
But, it was another maid. A dark skinned maid who wore her hair in a fro. Her dark skin glistened in the light that reflected in the room, almost portraying her as an angel.
She wore an maid uniform just as the rest of the maids Valentine had seen.
"The head maid is searching for you." She looked down on Valentine before shifting her gaze back to the maid who was combing Valentine's hair. She had stopped though, to listen. The maid cursed silently under her breath before standing up, passing the comb to another maid that was scrubbing Valentine's legs before she left
"A-actually," Valentine got out, stopping the other maid dead in her tracks.
She was feeling rather nervous to ask, but she needed to.
"You, you look like you can do my hair, without it being that I leave this room with like three strands standing on my head," Valentine laughed, even though she was serious. The dark skinned maid chuckled in return.
"I can definitely do that, Miss. If you allow me, I have this hair conditioner that makes knots disappear as you comb through them; so it doesn't cause you pain at all."
"Where have you been all my life?" Valentine questioned out loud. "What's your name again?"
"It's Elizabeth, " Elizabeth, the maid answered.
"Thank you, Elizabeth."
It was not long before Elizabeth had returned with the conditioner in her hands. She carefully got to work on Valentine's hair. The other maids had left, having done their jobs and went on to further their other tasks of the day.
Like Elizabeth had told her, Valentine didn't felt the pain of the knots. It was truly a bliss for the woman.
"Miss, I have a question. "
Valentine hummed softly, her eyes closed as she enjoyed her scalp being massaged. She never had gotten this treatment.
"Your hair.." Elizabeth started. "Is this your real hair color?" She weaved her hands through Valentine's long curls, playing with the strawberry blonde curls.
"Yes, it is," Valentine answered. She had gotten quite used to people questioning it.
As a young child she had hated her hair every single day. At the orphanage where she lived, she had gotten bullied for it, even at school. But then, she just learned to accept herself the way she was made. She couldn't help it if she was another color than someone else. It's not as if she decided to look like that. So, she embraced herself the way she was.
"I've never seen such a beautiful color." Elizabeth commented, still in awe. "I wish I had your hair color instead of this dark brown hair I have. It feels rather... boring."
Valentine turned abruptly to Elizabeth. The maid had her hands still in the air, playing with Valentines hair before. "I like your hair color, too! " Valentine started. "It looks so gorgeous on you. You make it gorgeous. It's not boring. But, if you think it is. Why not dye it to what you want to?" Valentine quirked an eyebrow, waiting for an answer.
"Because I would feel more special if it were a natural color, like you."
The pregnant lady shook her head. "Tsk tsk tsk, if you think like that, you'll never be satisfied with yourself. If I looked like you, I would love myself every day, every minute, every second."
Valentine looked around the chambers, asking herself why the hell River had given up this life to literally fight for his money. He had money here by the looks of it, maids, a goddamn bathroom chambers that look like the Greek Gods bathed themselves in it.
"Can you pass me a towel please?" Valentine asked Elizabeth who had her mouth open, dark blush appearing on her skin. She nodded rapidly.
The maid wrapped Valentine up in towels. A big one for her body, and one for her hair to dry in.
"I'm telling you this because I really like you.." the maid started, avoiding eye contact as she looked around.
"But, they have locked River up in the basement."
Valentine's eyes widened. "What? Why?!" Her voice echoed through the chambers.
"They came back this morning. Master Eden had ordered the guards to take sir River to the basement so he can undergo punishment." Sadness clouded Elizabeth's face.
"..Can I go see him?" Valentine asked, nibbling on her bottom lip.
"Eden doesn't allow any visitors at the moment. But around midnight is when they take a shift change which will allow you five minutes with him," the maid scrunched her face, hoping it wouldn't get her in trouble by telling Valentine.
"Thank you, really," Valentine drew her lower lip between her teeth in deep thought. She hoped despite River being there, that he wasn't hurt anywhere. He saved her. From pain, misery and death. Hell, even herself.
And, she wanted to do the same for him. Even though it might be the last thing she'll ever do.
River was worth saving.