The Lord was briefed by his head general as they ate dinner and only one attendant, a male servant, stood beside him. The general thought it was wise, seeing as he seemed to be having woman issues lately. The general spoke only what he needed to say, and ate almost as quickly as he spoke. The soldiers were deployed all over the easternmost border, because the people there were the most rebellious. There was a mountain range that separated the other continent, with passes only accessible in the spring, but they thought that since they lived in the plains, that they could wait out winter, and gain allies later. They were wrong, the general explained precisely.
The last thing he wanted to do was be in this man's presence any longer than he had to. His aura gave the general chills. He felt as if he would be killed on the spot for a single mistake. However, the general showed no outward fear to the untrained eye. To the servants, it looked as if he were just getting a quick report before he was off to do the next task given.
In reality, their Lord saw through the façade and any other day, he would have been amused that this burly, war veteran was intimidated so. The random servant stood near the general, afraid to be near their master. This also vexed Lord Thetas somewhat. Fear or not, they were duty-bound to be at his call. He said nothing of this, but his general sensed his growing hostility.
"My Lord, that is the report from today. I will take my leave if it pleases you." He said with a curt bow. He waved his hand, and the general was swiftly out of his presence.
He was now alone with only the male servant, who now had no other choice but to stand near his master. He silently prayed to the Ten, all Ten, one at a time. He had never served the Master before, and the other girl was busy shining shoes. He practically shook like a leaf near Master Thetas, which caught his attention. This was not something he would punish. He liked that he was feared, it was just that at the moment, he was annoyed. His gaze fell on the poor man, and he shook more.
"Servant." Said Lord Thetas.
"Yes, Master?" He stuttered with trembling hands. He didn't want to die and have his body dragged to the basement. It was darker than the dungeons, and no one knew what he did with them…. especially the ones that were dragged screaming alive.
"Fetch me a jug of young wine, and you may take your leave as well." He said flatly, cutting into his beef. The man practically ran down the hall, nearly tripping over Samira, who was done shining shoes and now sweeping the hall. He took 3 strides before halting and turning around. That was the girl that served him at the party, but she was filthy now and smelled of shoe polish. Her hair was wet and stinky, and her dress had a few more tatters than he remembered. If he asked her to do it in that state, he would behead them both.
He shivered and quickly delivered the wine to his Master, even pouring the first glass for him with shaking hands. He dared not spill a single drop, and ran to the kitchen with his heart beating out his chest. He glared at the head maid, Penti, and sat on a stool to catch his breath.
"Next time Master needs service, send the damn slave he likes so much instead of having her too filthy to do so!" He complained, getting a chuckle from her. The old woman shook her head.
"Then I suppose you want to scrape all the horse and dog droppings off the Lord's riding shoes, polish every pair, and then sweep afterward, then mop the floor then the stairs with soap and scented oils? Mind you if it isn't ready before the Master comes down the hall you might get whipped for being lazy." She said with a smirk.
The man was dumbfounded. That was at least the job of three maids, not one. He didn't question her, for fear of similar treatment. A little fear for an hour or so is better than working ragged all day. He was given some water to drink and he took it, gulping it down, while feeling a bit sorry for the new girl.
The Master, with his wine finished, wiped his mouth and proceeded to go to his study. He heard the most enchanting hum of some temptress, that lured him from his intentions. The hall smelled clean, but there was still the faintest lingering of horse droppings, as whoever was cleaning wasn't finished. It was rare that they weren't done before he finished his meal, but he could see they had gotten his hall done, and they must have been scrubbing the stairs. He was satisfied with this, as, in his study, all he would smell would be cleaner. Whoever was singing is what had his attention, not his ire.
He liked the song; it was sorrowful but beguiling. It sounded like a siren luring a sailor to his doom, and if this woman looked as good as she sounded, she would be the death of him. He straightened his robes on himself, almost as if he were about to court a noble unknowingly. He didn't realize that he had glided across the lemon and strawberry scented hall to the middle of the stairs. He thought he would see women working, not just one maid. She was filthy, and her hands looked like they would blister at any moment.
It was the slave. There was suddenly a lump in his throat. He could not speak; he had no words. She didn't see him. She was kneeling on the floor, scrubbing the stairs clean as she was told. There was fear in her heart to finish before the master got done with dinner, but there was just no way she could do everything at once. She had needed help, so she had done everything for his hall and study, then did the stairs that led down into the courtyard. No slave was to enter the Master's bed area in the opposite direction; that was only for his personal attendants.
The hair on the back of her neck stood up, and she suddenly began to feel as if she were watched. She stopped humming and froze in place, knowing there was only one person that could possibly hold an aura so dominant. She slowly looked up, trembling, ready to beg for mercy, but no one was there. She let out a sigh, she must have imagined it, she thought. Little did she know, that her Master, the Lord of the northern region of Hemlock as well as the eastern plains of Sunflower, could not talk to a slave. He locked himself in his study unable to comprehend this as well. Was he going mad? Were all the curses thrown upon him after years of killing, suddenly working? Why did he want to kill whoever was giving the slave…work a slave would do?
He sat in his study until late into the night. He could get no work done whenever he saw that woman. Whenever he thought about her. Even her name was too much….
"Samira." He mumbled, looking at his empty glass. He had not eaten or drank since dinner, not even his special wine in the wooden cask on the table. By now it had to be midnight. He got up, perhaps a ride would help him? He saw his riding boots shined to perfection. He could almost see his face in them. He put them on, as well as a thicker riding cloak. It would be cold tonight, and Metas wouldn't be ready. He decided he would do it himself, and ride some of his stress away.
Samira shivered in the straw. It seemed Jim had left some out extra for her, but it wasn't enough with her dress still slightly damp. All the scrubbing had made her too tired to think about trying to find somewhere better, and she probably would get no rest, as the head maid would probably hit her again. Penti had taken a liking to making everything her fault… so the last thing on her mind was going inside. Better to be cold and hungry than to be beaten, cold, and hungry, she thought.
She shook whenever the bitter wind whipped her body, and her teeth chattered. She was feeling sleepy, but she knew this was the kind you were warned of. This was the kind you might not wake up from, and there would be no one there who gave a damn.
She wondered did her parents and other sisters worry… even though they never came back to save her, she understood why. She was a bit bitter about it, but there was nothing that they could do as poor as her family was. She shed a single tear, seeing that it was starting to flurry. It wasn't cold enough for the snow to stick, but it did create icy mud. No one was out except the guards, who dared not go near the steed of the Master. They thought it was suicide for the girl to be out here alone, so close to something Master would surely be livid over, but they figured it wasn't their problem what a filthy slave did.