I couldn't help but acknowledge the beauty of the vines along the walls. Moss grew at the bottom of the walls where the vines did not manage to hide. I was pushed ahead roughly by a jab to my sides from the guards. My stomach dropped further when I thought of the new life ahead of me. It was scary how I could be locked up for so many years then just sold to a random man to be my new master.
Deep within I knew I had to learn to be a slave better than the others if I wanted to live a peaceful life even as a slave and there was nothing, I would yearn for more at this point. I followed the direction in which my new master was going with the guards behind me making sure I didn't try to make a run for it, not that I even thought about it. My head spun thinking of all the possibilities of what would happen if I even tried to escape my fate.
My heart raced as we walked closer to the gigantic iron and oak doors that separated the outside from the inside. My legs started to shake as I took the steps behind my master. The door was opened to him before he was ten feet to it and a line of maid decorated both sides of the walkway with the uniforms immaculately in place as they bowed in respect to welcome their owner. I stopped in the middle of a stride thinking of how I would have to learn to bow to my new master and please him like these maids were trying so hard to do. My master stopped in the middle of the hallway and snapped his fingers one of the maids came running and stopped a few feet away from him and dropped to her knees waiting for her master's order.
His fingers snapped once more and I was pushed forward a bit until I was standing behind him. "Take her under your wing. I want no mistakes"
"Yes Master" the maid said with eyes on her feet as she spoke to him head bowed. He said nothing but just continued his stride into the mansion. He walked through a set of glass doors leading to what looked like the living room and took a seat in.
I stood still not knowing exactly what to do until the maid my master just spoke to turned to me and pulled me by my arm, not gently either and told me to come with her. I took a moment to decide if I should and she could tell the apprehension but didn't have time for me or anything. She dragged me along with her despite the fact that I let her know her claws were digging into my skin. I took a last glance at the direction my buyer went before we disappeared behind an old large oak door.
I followed the maid I was left to as she walked through the narrow gates of a smaller hallway. She pulled me along with her half dragging me along the way. I tried to get a look at everything as much as I could but the fear in me would not let off of my conscience and my voice as if it had been locked away refused to allow me use it.
The maid to whom I was entrusted seemed excited as she pulled me along with her but I couldn't begin to understand her excitement and with the rush of being dragged along, I noticed she was speaking but I could understand relatively nothing as she spoke too fast and animatedly for me to comprehend. Suddenly she came to a halt at the end of the hallway and pushed open the door for us to walk through, there I was led into another room but this one resembled a living quarters.
"So... what do you think?" she asked. I looked at her quizzically wondering what on earth she was referring to until realization hit her that I wasn't feeling the same excitement that she was feeling at that moment.
"Sorry, I tend to get overly excited. I'm Lily. It's nice to finally have another new face here after a while. I've never seen a Master bring in his own slave." she told me all in one breath. She was funny, I thought as I looked at her. Her head turned to the side as if waiting for me to say something then I realized she didn't know my name.
"I'm Rose''. I stated as simply as I could and I smiled, making a way to her face. then I began to wonder why she would be so happy in a place like this. I knew slaves were not meant to be happy in their masters homes so why was she so alive. Maybe it wouldn't be as bad as I thought. I could live through this predicament if it would mean I would be as happy as she is during my stay here. I allowed her to drag me along and show me the space that would be my home.
I took my time to glance around the room to familiarize myself with the space. It was a living space with the walls bare and mattresses against the walls with different bedding, each bed separated by a curtain. "So as you can see, this is our room and you'll be joining us here- there's one more bed unoccupied so that will be yours." Lily said to me moving her arms to show what she was trying to get me to understand and I nodded at her in response. We walked to the end of the row on the right side of the room, to locate the vacant bed with a small dresser standing next to it. "So this will be your space. There are twelve of us in this room. you'll be able to meet the others later though. they are currently working around the castle" Lily said as she took out extra bedding from another cabinet to place on my bed. She allowed me to sit for a bit before dragging me around the castle.
As we made our way towards the kitchen, Lily gave me more insight as to what my job as a slave was." I guess it's your first time having a master right?" she asked and I nodded positive." Well, it's not so bad I guess once you get used to it I mean. Master Alexander is my sixth master- I was bought from the slave market five years ago by master Nathan after my last master sold me off. But I'm happier here though, it's different from all the places I've been to" she stopped talking once the clanging of pots and pans became more prominent. We stepped into the kitchen which was busy. other slaves I fathom were running all over the place trying to get things done.A few stopped to acknowledge our presence but hurried along right after.
"As you can see everyone is anxious to get dinner ready for the masters and we can not afford to be late. It doesn't end well for us if we do. Everyone here stays in the kitchen; they don't work anywhere else. every slave has their duties outlined for them and a head maid to monitor everything."she said to me as we walked out of the busy kitchen. As she took me around showing me the various rooms and explained the dynamics of the duties and the slaves involved I got to know she was just to show me around but had to meet the slave master in charge of all the new slaves that were brought in.