Julio was not the Julio yesterday. They have identical names but they are different persons. No one knows him any longer, not even himself.
"Mister, I beg of you. My son is about to die of hunger." The woman embracing a scrawny lad pleads the man with a hat outside the cage. She grabbed the end of his sleeves which extends until his wrist.
"Silence, woman! Get your filthy hands off me!" he exclaimed as he shoves the woman's hand and distanced himself. "You were already given bread. Be satisfied with what is given to you."
"That was more than a week ago. We were never able to eat everyday even before." The woman embraced the sleeping lad tears running down her eyes. "My son has a frail body. At least let him eat."
The man ignored the woman's pleas. "Mister, I beg of you!" He walked away as people turned their eyes to the woman shouting. The woman wept more. The lass beside them ignored their noise while the rest of the people in the cage glanced at them. The people outside the cage continued their affairs and kept their distance as the pungent stench from the cage wafts in the air.
"Are you hungry?" The young woman beside me asked. She had never talked to me before. "I was able to took a bread from the other merchant." She takes the stolen bread from her pocket and breaks it into half giving the other half to me.
Is stealing just, then? I gobbled the bread with both hands but my stomach still feels hollow. I stared at her eating. As she finishes her share, she smiled at me. "I am Aristea Ingham. A month ago I was called Dame but you can call me Aris. What is your name?"
I kept staring at her.
"I was from Naida. It is two cities away from Robine of Ustav. My husband was a knight but he never came back. And, a rubble fell on my infant son." Is pity she wants? I do not seem to have it in my pockets.
"My Lady, these are the most brilliant slaves you could ever have with quality price." The merchant standing before the cage beside made all of us look. "The other merchants' slaves brings bad luck and is quite expensive." The woman in her promenade dress together with a man bringing a parasol turned to the merchant.
As I looked away, I heard the merchant say, "Here she goes, My Lady. I expect for your patronage." And, he went silent.
"Here are the potatoes, Mister." A man bringing a sack full of potatoes arrived before a stall. The man sitting before the vegetables took something from his pocket and hands it over to the potato man. "Should I be back tomorrow?"
"No. On the fourth day before the Nones." The potato man walked away saying, "The fourth it is."
"Did it suit to your liking?" A woman in a coat and bonnet asked the lass trying to fit in a peach dress. "Yes, I want it." That open wrapper with embroidered petticoat was something I wore a couple of weeks ago, and now another young lass has it. Pity to Julio.
The man with a hat returns. "I actually had known you long before." The young woman continued speaking to me. "I heard rumors of a young daughter of Baron Godfrey and upon seeing you I knew it. There was an occasion when I visited Duke Gerald's wife and overheard the Baron and the Duke speaking of how the Duke's son have taken interest in you."
I stared at her again. She continued, "It seemed that if Thaedora did not lose the war, you could have married his son on your coming of age." She smiled. " You looked more interested now."
A man coming out from a rail coach gaining the eyes of women around walked closer. On his upper chest was a crest. Behind him is another man having no crest. As the aide of the man with a hat noticed them, he whispered to him.
"My Lordship," the man took off his hat bowing before the man with a crest. "What could I do to be of service?"
"We are searching for an aide." The man behind the man with a crest responded.
"We have men and boys to fulfill that role," he gestured with his hand to the cage left of us. The men looked but their faces were dissatisfied. The man with a crest glanced to our cage. As his eyes passed me, they never wavered.
"Who is that?" He finally spoke.
"Oh, she is a noble, My Lordship. I suppose with how she appears and her nobility, she fetches the highest price among all." The man put his hat back. "However, for a lassie she will not be of much use for everything you need, My Lordship."
"An aide for labor is what we search," the man behind the man with a crest said.
The other merchant made his way before the men and took a bow. "If you would allow me to speak, My Lordship." He paused confirming his permission. "That lass will not only be useless but will also bring misfortune to your household. Indeed she looks different but she knows nothing of work."
"I see. Then, I will take no other slave but her," the man with a crest spoke.
The man with a hat took another step forward. "I will prepare for her to take out, My Lordship."
"Not so fast, Greg," the merchant gestures to stop him from going any further. He looked back to the men. "My Lordship, allow me to speak again. In Thaedoran culture, a person having red hair and red eyes is a curse which brings misfortune to everything surrounding it. Another thing, My Lordship, I am told that this lass is a daughter of a witch out of wedlock. She brings misfortune more than anything else."
"Tovar, stop meddling in my business." Greg gently pushes Tovar. "Why do not mind your own slaves and stop taking my clients away? You have been doing that since."
"I am trying to be concerned of His Lordship's affairs. Taking in that cursed child is the worst thing you could do for the nobility."
"Even so, I will take her." Greg and Tovar looked at the nobleman who cut in their fight. "How much will she cost?"
"Ten gold sterlings, My Lordship."
While the man behind the nobleman takes the money, Tovar frowned saying, "Was she not five sterlings yesterday?" The man hands the money to Greg.
"Take her out, Cuth." The young lad opened the cage and grabbed my arms. He cuffed my wrists with a rope and gave me to Greg. Greg grabbed the rope pulling me before the men. A plant of some sort surrounds a bird with opened wings was the first thing I saw as I stood before the man with a crest.
He turned around and said, "We shall go." The man behind him took the rope and followed. The man with a crest went inside the rail coach as the other man opened a lid behind.
"Get in." He pushed me to get inside a small compartment. As I stepped in, I crouched while he closed the lid. A moment later, seeing nothing but black, I feel a shake that hit my head on the lid. I heard metal creaking.
"What should we do with the lass, My Lordship Lothar?" The voice of the other man could be heard. "She will not be able to do much and it will take time for her to learn the work."
"That will be Belinda's job," Lothar responded. I tried to push the lid open, and with the strength I have, only a small line of light appeared beside me. The metal creaking grew louder now while the steps and voices of people blends into my ears.
All of a sudden, I feel another shake as I stopped hearing the creaking. The man with Lothar opens the lid as my eyes squint of the sudden light. "Get out." He grabbed the rope and I stepped out. I followed him behind and he abruptly stopped. "I shall bring her to the dirty kitchen, My Lordship Lothar." He turned left.
"Welcome back, My Lordship Lothar." Lothar walks into the vast doors with a bowing woman. The pillars were bigger than what I saw back in Father's manor and the walls had an intricate design I have never seen before. As turned to follow behind the man, strange trees formed a straight line and grasses grew beside the road.
Step by step my feet began to feel warmer on the cement. As I stepped on a stone, I fell and the man looked. "Stop looking at me with those eyes and get up." I stood with my hands and continued walking. While the heat made me feel warmer, his eyes shot me colder. He turned right at the corner of the manor. The trees and grasses seemed to continue still.
I felt my feet burning. "Walk faster. We are almost there." Did Julio ever think of dying? It seemed my family had their luck while mine was taken away.
Watching at the man's feet, his steps suddenly stopped. He opened a door and went in. Getting inside, my feet felt cold. "Is Belinda around?"
"I shall call her immediately, Sir Karl," a woman answered. Hurried steps slowly fade out and a moment later they come back. "Here she is, Sir Karl." There are now four steps in the room.
"What might it be, Sir Karl?" I heard another voice echo in the room.
As Karl pulls the rope, I stumble to his side. "Make her presentable enough to face His Lordship Lothar. Tell her what she needs to do and how to do them."
"Understood. Would that be all?" The huge woman seemed worthy of her voice.
"When she is ready, bring her in His Lordship's quarters." Karl turned to close the door and left.
"Berta, you mind this lass. I have to return to Her Ladyship Ottilia immediately." Belinda leaves the kitchen.
"Understood, Madam." The other woman stared at me. "You sit and wait after I finish this." She continued washing the dishes. I looked around and saw a wooden stool nearby. I walked to it. Putting my remaining strength on my hands, I took the seat.
Moments later I heard a loud bell ring. Berta wiped her hands on her apron as she finished. She stepped out of the room and came back with a plate of beef, pork, and bread putting them on the table. She freed the knots of the rope and put them in the trash. "Make yourself full." With my soiled hands, I took a bite from the bread and picked the beef on my other hand taking turns to gobble them. Berta places a glass of water at the side.
As I emptied the plate and the glass, I felt my hunger and thirst sated. "So, what is your name?" Berta asked. I wiped my hands on the rag I wore endlessly. "Alright. Come follow me, Lil Lassie." Bringing clothes, she walked out of the door.
I followed her and arrived in another kitchen but bigger and tidier. A man in white was serving something in a casserole and a woman is wiping the wide table in the midst. They glanced at me once but they seemed to be more concerned about their work.
We stepped out into another door leading to a corridor with navy wallpaper. A few moments later, Berta stopped and opened a door. I followed her in while she puts the clothes on a table. "Wash your body and throw that rag in the trash. That pail has hot water and the tub has cold one. The soap is on that depression beside. Use these garments afterwards. Once you finish, come back in the dirty kitchen." She leaves the room.
I took my first bath for two weeks. I used to miss baths on nights but I never missed it every morning. This bath is unlike I used to. Expectations are meant to stay within your mind. Did Julio ever felt his yesterday better than today? I never finished reading the book. I never knew how Julio and his life ended. I might have known what to do if I had finished it.
After I had my bath, I walked back to the dirty kitchen and found Berta mopping the floor. She glanced at me. "My, do you not look better. Wait for a moment." She continued her work.
I tried to make myself comfortable with the clothes stretching them out and failing. As strange as the plum bodice and waistcoat are on me, hand-me-downs are indeed better than rags.
Berta put the mop in a closet. "So, are you telling me your name now?"
I stared at her. "Talia Ashworth." It feels weird hearing my voice again.
"His Lordship Lothar wants you to start serving him by tomorrow. So, do me a favor and be good, alright?" She crouched meeting my gaze.
Berta told me what I needed to do as an aide. Afterward, she taught me how to do them. It seemed Karl had told her I was from the nobility. She also told me the rules I had to follow being in the household. I followed her for the rest of the day assisting with her chores.
As twilight came, she guided me to my quarters. "I placed another set of clothes in your closet. Do not hesitate to ask the other girls, if there is something else you did not know." I nodded. "Have a rest," she closed the door and I turned to my back.
Two bunk beds stood on each side of the wall while a wooden drawer with a lamp on top was in between. A young woman is sitting above the bed on the right combing her long hair, and a woman below her is drinking water. I walked to the bed across them. I slowly take the waistcoat and bodice off as I was told to before sleeping.
"Are you the new aide, lass?" The woman put the empty glass beside the lamp.
I looked at my bed finding a place where I could keep the clothes. I pitted them below my pillow. With my undergarments, I took my seat.
A few moments later, the young woman glanced at me. "She does not talk, it seems."
"I am Lossiana Midred and she is Raine Natel. What is your name?"
"Hey!" Raine exclaimed. "Do not go telling my name to some weird child, Lossie. I can introduce myself if I want to." As our eyes met, she looked away saying, "Eek, stop staring at me with those eyes of yours. You are creeping me out." She climbs down and leaves the room.
As I rolled into the hardwood facing the wall, I heard the woman speak. "Do not mind Raine. She is not used to have someone younger than her around."
The twentieth bell rang. The door creaked open. "Do not wander around any longer," a new voice spoke. "I just took a walk for a while," said Raine. The bed shook and someone lied above me. "Let us sleep, folks."
Silence. The twenty-first bell rang. The midnight bell rang. I was awake and could not sleep at all. I rose and left the quarters. I passed in the navy corridor and went out through the dirty kitchen. As I walked to where my feet would lead me, I saw a structure with a tower at the left of the manor.
I walked unto it feeling the cool wind touch my skin. As I arrived inside, it was dark but I was able to know where to go. Walking further, I came at the stairs and resumed. The stairs seemed to continue to the top of the tower. It was different from what I thought it should be.
Arriving at the top of the tower, I opened the door before me. The light was lit. There were shelves full of books and hundreds of scrolls scattered on the floor. I walked around touching the books. At the end of the shelves, I saw someone sitting by the huge desk.
I turned around. "What are you doing around here?" It was Lothar. I was about to return, though.
With no other choice, I faced him and spoke, "Walking."
"Walking in the unlikeliest place, I see. Did Belinda not tell you servants are forbidden to wander at sleeping time and in places you were not told to?" He closed the book he was reading.
"She did not." He stared waiting for me to speak more. "Berta did."
"Another thing, although you used to be a noble, do you not think you should greet me with respect?" He stood and inserted the book on the shelf. I stayed silent. "Why do you not answer?"
I sighed. "I was taught etiquette but you are the first noble I have ever spoken to." I wish he would not let me speak again.
"What is your name?"
"Talia."
"Daughter of?"
"Baron Godfrey Ashworth."
"Of?"
"Ghurein, Ustav." Escape is what I need most at this moment. I breathe in. "I shall take my leave."
With no time for me to take action, he responded, "Have I said you leave?" He faced me. "What are you doing here?" This time, his eyes were colder than Karl's this morning.
"The tower, resembled my home."
"I see. Never come back here again. Do not make me think of punishing you." Lothar put the scrolls on the table together. "You can leave."
I ran back to my quarters waiting for my eyes to close but it never did.