"Achoo!!!"
Lucon got startled a bit upon hearing Siegtyr's sneeze that seemingly came out of nowhere while both of them are heading their way to the Augustus estate.
"Are you feeling well, Lord Siegtyr?" Lucon asked with concern in his tone.
"It's fine. Must be the change of environment perhaps. Who knows?" Siegtyr wiped his nose and waved his hand in dismissal. While on their trek, Siegtyr asked about the estate's whereabouts for the sake of some conversation, despite already most likely knowing where it is thanks to the bird's eye view from above that was granted to him by his trusty raven friend, Thyra. But Siegtyr still needed to be sure if it's the correct estate that the raven has been looking for. "So, are we almost there? Or are we going to keep on walking any longer?"
"Rest assured, our trip won't take too long anymore." Lucon smiled at him. After around five more minutes, the truth of the young nobleman��s words came to light as the two of them finally arrived in front of the huge estate of the Augustus.
"Here we are, Lord Siegtyr, the Augustus estate." Lucon presented the place while standing in front of the huge black gate of the house.
"It's… big." Siegtyr could not help but be amazed by the scale of a three-story house, no matter how ridiculously unnecessary it seemed maybe for his standards. And he thought that his family longhouse back at home was already luxurious enough, but comparing this behemoth size of a house to his own is similar to the analogy of diamond and stone. Siegtyr would be lying if he'll be saying that he's not even a bit interested in what's inside and how the nobility of the Empire live their everyday lives. Of course, he already saw this estate in advance thanks to Thyra's perception, but to see it in person and close is absolutely different compared to merely glimpsing from the small eyes of a raven.
"Impressive, isn't?" Lucon chuckled at the understandable reaction of the Northman. "It's even grander inside, but not as grand as the White palace, however. Still, it is the home to one of the richest and respected families of the Empire, so don't act all too surprise by the glamor."
"It's going to be hard not to." Siegtyr grinned in anticipation as Lucon gestured for him to follow and enter. "And I'm going to be living here? Huh, I got to commend you Imperials once more."
Lucon simply smiled at the compliment while both of them climbed the stairs going to the door entrance of the house. From this point onward, Siegtyr opted to remain quiet while observing the beautiful surroundings that were presented to him. The estate garden exhibited an exquisite yet natural feel and was filled with an assortment of flowers that add to the beautiful ambiance of the whole exteriors. In the middle of the courtyard is a white fountain where water flowed continuously. It reminded Siegtyr of the various waterfalls that he got to visit back at Northland in the forests. When both of them eventually arrived at the door, Lucon opened it for him and they went inside.
Lucon only spoke nothing but the truth as the interiors of the estate is definitely grand. Just like the White Palace, a red carpet is also presented right in front of them, leading to a stair where a certain blonde middle-aged nobleman is waiting for them above.
"Ah, welcome, welcome!!" Said nobleman begun descending downstairs and greeted the duo with extreme enthusiasm and offered a handshake. "To finally meet the son of my friend Ulf, it's absolutely a pleasure."
"Duke Triverius, if I'm not mistaken." Siegtyr smiled respectfully at the older man and accepted the gesture.
"In the flesh, young lord," Triverius smirked in the friendliest way.
"My father spoke about you, how you treated him and his men kindly despite being a prisoner in your army. As his eldest son, I am in your debt for sparing him.�� Siegtyr said with supreme gratitude. He loved his father like any son would and to lose him is very much unthinkable for Siegtyr, even if it's in times of warfare where dying in the battlefield with a weapon on your hand is the greatest honor that any Northman would achieve. Dying like that is good and all, but Siegtyr pretty much preferred his loved ones alive and well, and not even the Gods can sway his emotions about such a sensitive matter.
"Yes, Ulf displayed splendid valor that I only saw in few. My treatment to him is very much deserving." Triverius responded with his arms crossed. "I apologize if I was absent in the assembly. The Emperor requested that I welcome you here instead. Anyway, enough about your father for now. You must be exhausted from your long journey and we'll talk later sometime at dinner. Lucon, see to it that our friend here is accommodated to the highest standards."
"Yes, your grace." Lucon bowed his head to his uncle. He then called a maid who was on standby.
The maid, a pretty young maiden answered the call of one of her noble masters. As someone of low social status and in compliance with her job description, she was obliged to perform as she was instructed to.
"Lord Siegtyr, this will be your personal maid starting today. Introduce yourself, lass." Lucon ordered the maid.
"Yes, my lord." The maid nodded and turned her full attention to Siegtyr. She then bowed down in a curtsy style with both hands at her long skirt. "Well met, Lord Siegtyr. My name is Theresa, your personal maid. I will be in charge of your well-being overall during your stay here. I am yours to command if you'll have me."
"Yes, well met to you too, Theresa." Siegtyr nodded to acknowledge the maid. "I'll leave you in my care then."
Theresa then gestured for Siegtyr to follow her as both of them left the two noblemen of Augustus to their own devices.
While going to the bath area, Siegtyr's curiosity was piqued about Theresa's profession, and decided to ask her. "A maid. So, you are somewhat of a slave, then?"
"In a sense," Theresa answered with a passive look. She seemed to take no offense to the derogatory term and acted professionally. She understood Siegtyr's lack of knowledge and decided to educate him about it. "We maids answer to the behest of our masters, but the difference is that we are being paid for our services and have more freedom compared to slaves. Servant is the more appropriate term, my lord."
"I see." Siegtyr rubbed his chin in understanding and interest. "It seems that I have a lot to learn if I am to stay here with you Imperials."
Perhaps Siegtyr should suggest to his father that they should employ maids within their ranks instead? Slaves are free labor, yes, but the tension of going against one's will is constantly present in them and there's always a risk of revolt if slaves get too desperate in achieving their freedom. At least with paid servants, all parties are benefited, and the servants would be more willing to work. Of course, there is always the threat of pain or death to motivate slaves, but Siegtyr felt that freedom should be equally distributed to all, no matter how humble their origins are.
That, and there's somewhat of a mysterious charm behind the uniform that the maid is currently wearing. Siegtyr can't quite grasp it, but he cannot help but be slightly captivated by this so-called maid uniforms. Imagining his childhood friend from the shield maidens wearing such cute clothing brought himself a nod of deep approval.
'Speaking of which, I wonder how Gyda is doing?' Siegtyr thought of his said friend. 'She must be furious when I left the very day without even telling her.'
"We are here, my lord." Theresa interrupted Siegtyr's thoughts when they arrived at a huge door. She then opened the door for her new master. They both found themselves at the dressing room where Theresa instructed Siegtyr to stripped of his armor and clothing and leave them at the cupboard so they can be washed thoroughly by the other servants.
"If there's nothing else, I must beg my leave." Theresa humbly said. "I'll be at the entrance on standby to guard your privacy. After the bath, you are to wear this robe and I'll accompany you to your new room where I'll personally be cutting your hair and shaving that beard.
Siegtyr merely nodded and allowed Theresa to do so. He has been itching to take a nice relaxing bath and preferred doing so alone in the comfort of privacy. Not that he minded any company though. If Siegtyr is being completely honest to himself, it would be actually nice if Theresa would join him, but he'll spare the maid of such demanding and perverted command. He may be a Viking warrior who naturally bedded his few share of women due to his status of being the son of an Earl, but all of them are with consent and most are simply onetime affairs with no special attachment. Siegtyr had a gut feeling that ordering his new maid would only spark some negative response out of her. Additionally, his father Ulf also told him that most Imperial women, especially from the nobility, are known for being quite conservative and won't just expose their state of being unclothed with the exception of their close family members, spouses, or lovers.