Three women who I don't recognize enter the room and walk to a door on the left side of the wall. My master clears his throat, and without even sparing me a glance, he gets up from his seat on the sofa. His long legs carry him through the door in no time at all, and it closes behind him as if he hadn't just been right beside me, hadn't just made my whole world tremble, only moments ago.
My eyes follow him as he vanishes before me, every ounce of warmth I had felt has now fled my body. The only thing I'm left with is the chill of separation. What is this? Why do I have such a feeling of loneliness now? An hour ago, I wanted to be left alone and now, I feel like a small child in need of a reassuring embrace. It doesn't make sense to me how someone so cold, a man I resent so much, can make me feel such yearning, upon their departure. I should be glad that he's gone.
Still, the sight of his back to me, as he left me there, all alone, saddens me. I wrap my arms around my chest and hold myself tightly while I wait for instructions. In this vast new place, I have no idea where to go, even if I want to get away. I sit in isolation for a while, watching the television to pass the time. The door I had previously entered the room through clicks open, and thankfully, three familiar faces appear.
"Elise.", I call to her, allowing my voice to show clear signs of distress.
Coming to stand in front of me, she wraps a robe around me, and gently pulls my shoulders until I stand to face her. In the same way that I'm confused about my feelings towards this new master of mine, I'm also unsure how I can both feel like Elise is a total stranger, and a dear friend, all at once. I want to lean on someone, but I don't want to feel so vulnerable. Can I trust Elise?
"I know, Euroah, I know. Let's go take a bath. You'll feel much better.", she says, attempting to comfort me.
I nod my head in agreement, and she leads me toward the door she came in through, never letting go of my shoulders. Before we exit, I glance back one more time. I know he's not there, but perhaps my heart wishes that I could see my master standing by the sofa, at least acknowledging my departure. At least then, I could delude myself into thinking that he doesn't simply see me as an object for his amusement.
Outside the door, Benny stands guard, like a statue. Anna and the other woman, I haven't formally met yet, lead the way, and Benny follows us down the hall, to another door. Anna pushes it open and steps inside, followed by the other lady in blue. Elise nudges me forward with a reassuring squeeze of my shoulder, and the two of us walk in together. Benny pulls the door closed behind us, remaining outside, once again, as I take in my new surroundings.
The large room is so bright and white that it's almost blinding! A bed, bigger than any bed I've ever seen, hugs a wall on the right. It's frame is made of shimmering gold. White, linen curtains hang from its bars above. The duvet, sheets, and pillows are all white as well, minus one pillow with intricate gold embroidery stitched onto it . A white fur rug lay on the floor, and protrudes from the foot of the bed, where a gold bench, donning white cushions atop it.
There are white nightstands on either side of the bed, one holding a clock, the other, some kind of beautiful vase with a nozzle at the top, which blows out a pleasantly scented steam. It's a bit like a tea pot, only it smells of lavender. Further to the right is a white dressing table with a large round mirror, encased in gold. Three golden knobs embellish the three little drawers, and under the table sits a cushion-topped stool that matches the bench at the end of the bed.
On top of the dressing table is a tray, boasting some very expensive looking bottles, made of frosted glass. They're marked with white and gold labels that I dare not take the time to read at the moment. There's so much more to this room to explore. The tray also holds little glass dishes filled with cotton swabs and puffs. Stunning doesn't begin to describe the decor of this room, seemingly designed for a royal. Certainly, a princess must live here. Perhaps it belongs to Master's mother. Or maybe he has a wife... I don't know what family relationships look like for city dwellers.
The thought of that pains me. With my feet still planted in the same place on the floor, I turn my head to inspect the space on the left side of the room. There's a small shelf with some books, a lamp, and a comfy looking white leather armchair with golden feet. Another smaller, round fur rug sits tucked just under the feet of the chair. On one side of that is a writing desk with a chair, and what seems like a smaller version of my master's television. A door, slightly ajar, lies on the wall behind it.
Roughly four feet after the door on the left of the room, another wall intersects the left wall, and closes off the large open space, but a beautiful, round arch opens it right back up in the center. Through the arch, I can see windows that reach all the way from the floor, up to the ceiling, and a white sofa that faces the wall on the left. I can't see anything else past that without going through the archway. I'm frozen in awe, and all I can do is turn to Elise for answers.
"What kind of room are we in now?", I ask.
"Well, Miss, Euroah, this is going to be your quarters for the time being.", Elise replies, spreading her arms out wide and boasting an excited smile.
"My what?", I exclaim, in disbelief!
She just said this is my quarters! But I'm a slave! How can this be my room? This simply can't be right. Do all of the servants of Inspiria live in such opulence? I know this place is enormous, but there are hundreds of servants and staff here. There's simply no way that each and every one of them could be granted sleeping quarters as extravagant as this. I don't even want to know how much a room like this costs to furnish! The thought itself is dizzying.
"That's right, Mr. Velucia had it prepared for you while you were playing sleeping maiden on us."
"Is your room like this too?", I question her.
"Heavens, of course not! We're servants. Those of us with families live in our own houses. And those of us who choose to live in the manor stay downstairs, in the servants' quarters. We each have our own room to sleep in, but we share restrooms and common areas. It's nothing compared to this setup.", she teases, lightly tapping my shoulder, and letting out a chuckle.
"I see."
I don't want to make her feel uncomfortable by continuing to question her about what makes us so different. In the end, we both serve the master, but it appears that a slave is a slave, and a servant is a servant. Servants are paid while slaves are not, and slaves are given fancy rooms while servants are not. Servants have a choice and slaves do not. I can't make sense of any of it, nor do i understand my role here, but I'll leave it at that for now.
"But why aren't there any colors?", I ponder aloud.
"Now, that is something I can't answer. From my understanding, Mr. Velucia asked for everything here to remain white, with the exception of any metal being gold. I'm sure the designer didn't have it easy, but he always works his magic somehow."
"That's a strange request.", I assert.
"It is a strange request indeed. But he also requested that we get you ready for bed! Let's go, Missy!", she demands, guiding me to the door on the left of the room.
This room has the same color scheme of white with gold embellishments, but instead of wood floors, it's all polished stone. In the center of the room sits a large marble tub with four pillars surrounding it. White, organza drapes hang from the ceiling between each pair of pillars, and four sets of stone steps lie in between them, climbing up the tub. It seems more like a swimming pool than a bathing tub, but it's clearly suited for a place like Inspiria.
Delicate looking soaps and bottles line the edge of one side, next to the faucet. A basket of purple and blue flower petals, with sage colored stems, sits on the opposite side of them. This is just so much to take in. Am I in a present day home, or did I step through a portal to an ancient palace, in a distant land? Along the left side of the wall are white cabinets with a sink in the middle. Above them, a giant mirror lines the wall, from one end of the countertop to the other. The fixtures on the sink are gold, but the shape of the faucet makes it appear as though the water comes out like a little waterfall.
Golden fixtures all around compliment the white and gold filigree wallpaper. Little dashes of sparkle, here and there, twinkle in the light like crystals. It's a truly spectacular sight to behold. If I weren't here to witness this with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe that such a room exists. Past the cabinets there is a door and a small arch, leading to some kind of dressing room, but before I can get a good look at what's there, Elise gives my arm a tug.
"Bath time!"