"Jacob, tell me about Ana at school. How many friends does she have, what are they like?" Damon calls Jacob to his study after school that day.
"Ana doesn't have friends. Most of the kids know that you are her guardian and stay away from her. The ones that are jealous are the ones that want to cause her problems. The other kids have been warned by the jealous kids."
"How can they be jealous? They are nine and ten years old for heaven's sake." Damon is upset on Ana's behalf.
Jacob gives Damon a half smile, "The ones that are jealous have crushes on you. It's hilarious how they sigh over you. Ana doesn't laugh though, she shakes her head and stays away from them. Also, it's very apparent that you spoil Ana. The clothes you buy her are top name brand. Everything she has screams money. That is enough for some to be jealous of her right there."
"What about you, Jacob? Are you her friend?" Damon asks looking thoughtfully at the young boy in front of him through his steepled fingers.
"No, sir. I am her body guard, you didn't require me to be her friend as well." Yet, even as he says it he admires Ana's strength.
"So that's all she is to you, an assignment?" Damon hides his feelings and Jacob has a feeling of impending doom.
Miserable he nods his head.
"I see." That's all Damon says dismissing the young man from his presence.
"Sir?" Jackson says coming in before Damon.
"I find myself in a situation that I don't know how to handle. Ana, doesn't have any friends, not even Jacob is her friend. She's lonely, your family is all that she has to alleviate this. So what can I do to make this better?" Damon asks sounding lost.
"I know sir, she's told me this before, but she's begged me to not say anything to you. Has something happened to her? She seems more withdrawn than she was before and she hardly ever comes over any more."
"The day she was bullied at school she found out that some of the maids were slaves. She hardly even speaks to me anymore, or even be near me." She finally allowed the doors to be opened between the rooms but she still refuses to go to him when she has nightmares. Her screams are what wakes him and he goes into her room to hold her while she sleeps.
"She didn't know sir?" Jackson asks amazed.
"No, it came as quite a shock to her."
"I don't know sir. My door is always open, but since she's stopped coming there isn't much I can do. She talks about one of the maids as being nice to her. Perhaps you could have her assigned to Miss Ana as a personal maid?"
"Which maid, do you know?" Damon asks sitting up straight. Perhaps this will help Ana not be so distant from him and be more comfortable in his home.
"I believe she said the maid's name is Gemma? But I could be wrong." Jackson says apologetically as Damon slumps down.
"Thank you Jackson. Perhaps you could invite Ana to go over to your house and play with your kids and give your wife a break?" Damon says in dismissal.
Jackson smiles as he thanks Damon and leaves.
Damon broods over what Jackson said. Gemma is a slave. He sighs and calls Calum and asks him to send Ana in if she didn't go to Jackson's or when she comes back. Calum said that she did go and that he would send her in when she gets back.
Damon gets back to work as he waits. About an hour later Ana comes in, "You wanted to see me, sir?" That's something else Damon dislikes, Ana putting distance between them by being so formal.
"I want your opinion, Ana. I thought about giving Gemma to you as your personal maid. What do you think about that?"
"Can I buy her from you?" Ana asks in response.
"Ana, I thought you didn't believe in slaves?" Damon knows she doesn't that's why he's so shocked. He calls Calum and has him send in Gemma.
"I don't," Ana's voice is hard and flat.
"Then why do you want to buy her?" Damon asks confused. Just then there is a knock on the door and Gemma enters.
"Master Calum says that you wanted to see me sir?" Gemma comes in nervously. Damon never calls for the maids unless he's angry. She can't think of anything that she's done to earn his displeasure.
"Yes, thank you for coming." Damon turns his attention from the nervous maid back to his furious ward.
"I want to free her." Ana states flatly, a bit defiantly.
"I see," Damon turns from his ward to the maid.
"How much is still owed on your debt Gemma?" Damon demands of her.
Gemma looks at him wide eyed, not sure if she should be fearing him or hoping that something she's dreamed about could happen.
"Seventy-five thousand sir," Gemma replies nervously.
That amount catches Damon by surprise. "How long have you been with us?"
"Four years sir."
"How old are you?"
"Fourteen sir," Gemma replies.
"My father must have gotten you at an exceptional price," Damon muses. "So you came to us at ten years of age, I assume you were a virgin at that time?"
"No and yes sir."
"No and yes?" Damon asks with one eyebrow raised in question.
"I was eight when your father bought me. Yes, I was a virgin at the time."
"When did that status change?"
"On the way here, he had his driver stop at a motel and well..." she trails off looking at Ana.
Damon only then becomes once more aware that his ward was still in the room. He hadn't wanted her to hear just what a slave's life was like. "How is it then that you've only been here four years?"
"When I was ten your father loaned me to another man. Apparently I was a loan repayment or something along those lines. At the end of the two year period I was returned. Shortly after that was when your father died and you took over." She had heard rumors that Damon was responsible for his father's death, but she doesn't want to say that.
Damon looks back to his ward. "Well Ana?"
Ana looks back at him challengingly, "Well, sir?"
Damon controls his anger, but it is with difficulty. "No. Is your homework done?"
At Ana's head shake he sends her out to do her homework. Ana stalks out of the room and slams the heavy door behind her. Damon winces at the anger put forth in that.
Gemma stands nervous once more, she wants nothing more than to leave but doesn't dare do so until she is dismissed.
"Gemma, what would you do if you were free?"
Gemma looks down. She hasn't even dared think about her freedom. It takes a long time for slaves to earn money to pay off their debts and gain freedom. It will be years yet before hers is paid off.
"I don't know, sir. I was taken from my home. I think my mother was paid for me, so there is nowhere for me to go. I don't have an education, so I wouldn't be able to get a job." All true, but that doesn't mean that Gemma doesn't want to be free.
Damon gets up from his seat and comes to her. "You don't look fourteen, Gemma. Strip."
Gemma does immediately. Not doing so would result in whipping or other punishments. She's had enough pain, she doesn't want anymore.
"You haven't been whipped before," Damon says running a finger over the unblemished skin of her back. She can't hold back a shiver his touch brings her.
"Do I repulse you?"
"No, sir," Gemma says in a soft, but scared voice.
"Service me and I'll reduce your debt to fifty thousand." Damon says, her body has made him hard.
Gemma isn't going to say no to reducing her debt by so much. She quickly gets on her knees and undoes his pants. When she's done she makes herself swallow. She keeps her head down as Damon pulls up his clothing.
"Stand up, Gemma. I have heard that some of my men prefer you. Are you as talented in other areas as well?"
"I don't know sir. I just have no wish to be punished." Gemma has heard that Damon can tell when he's being lied to and goes harshly on those that do.
"Tell me, Gemma, if I were to offer you a job as a servant here, living quarters included, and school tutoring after your duties for the day are over, would you take the offer?"
"I would have to be free to accept such a job. What would my duties include, sir?" Gemma asks still not looking at Damon.
"That would be a given, Gemma. Your duties would be whatever Ana assigned you. You would be her personal servant." Damon replies to her unasked and asked question.
"How would that be possible sir? Even with the reduction you just gave me, it will take me years to pay off my debt." Gemma goes from hope to despair just that quick. She would very much like to be Ana's personal servant.
Damon again runs his finger down her skin, "If you entertain me, I'll free you and give you a job as a servant with all the benefits that the servants receive."
"You are giving me choice?" Gemma asks breathlessly, his touch making her blood burn.
"Yes, I won't force you." Indeed Damon doesn't use the slaves, he doesn't like being with those that have no choice.
"Then yes, I accept," Gemma says and that's the last thing that is said as Damon starts kissing her.
"You are very talented, Gemma. When you're ready I'll have Calum escort you back to your quarters and give you your new uniform. I'll have a servants apartment readied for you. Tomorrow you'll take off. I'll have Calum take you shopping both for personal items and things for your apartment." Damon says getting redressed.
"I have no money," Gemma says softly getting dressed. Damon said that she was talented but he's by far the best that she's ever been with.
Damon waits for her to look up after getting dressed. "You've earned yourself a bonus. Don't argue with me." Gemma looks at him with fear. There was no way that she would argue with him, he might change his mind and make her a slave again and have her punished.
Damon nods his head once and pulls out his phone. "Calum, come to my study."
Calum is there shortly. Damon gestures to Gemma, "She is no longer a slave, Calum. Escort her to her room and get her a new uniform. Find some decent clothes that are not a uniform. She is to have the rest of the day off. Have an apartment in the servants quarters readied, she'll be moving into it tomorrow. She'll have the day off tomorrow then be assigned as Ana's personal maid. I want you to take her shopping tomorrow for clothes and other personal items as well as things for her new apartment."
"How much is she allowed to spend?" Is all Calum says.
"Buy her whatever she wants." Calum nods as he gently grabs Gemma's arm to escort her from the room.
"Gemma report here the day after tomorrow when Ana gets home from school." Damon orders her as she leaves.
"Yes, sir," Gemma manages to get out as the door closes behind her.