(From Ella's Perspective)
"Is there a way to differentiate between humans and shifters?" I asked as we strolled down the forest.
"Well, they have a mark on their bodies. A mark of their wings on their back," he replied.
"They don't remain shirtless, right? Then there is no way I'm recognizing a shifter," I sighed. "By the way, are those wings useless? They seem to be so."
"They can't use the wings for flying, but their wings are toxic. If they somehow get in contact with your skin, you will die."
"Right away?"
"No. But you will suffer from excruciating pain for at least two hours before you see the last of this world," he said.
We had arrived to the forest's end. There was no one in the vicinity. It seemed as if we were far from civilization.
"Why is the place so deserted?" I asked as I took a glance around.
"No one dares to approach the woodland. They fear the Beast. After a five-minute walk from here, you'll start noticing people. I haven't sketched out the route to the castle from the market. You will find it out anyway," he said.
"Okay, goodbye then. I'll come back as soon as possible if I somehow manage to stay alive of course," I said.
He just nodded. He stayed there as I walked towards the locality. He most likely meant, according to his steps when he said five minutes. Because it took me at least ten minutes to see a man with a basket full of different types of bread.
Now I had to figure out how to become a Royal servant. I reached a market. It was very chaotic. I could hear people yelling at one another and bargaining as though it was a life or death scenario everywhere. Perhaps I appeared a little unusual in this place. At least, my skin was clean. However, practically all of them appeared to have emerged from the tomb and had gone ten days without showering.
I had a feeling that they were human. Leandro said that humans were used as servants and slaves here. Perhaps that was why they were in such a bad condition.
I walked around the whole place, listening to the conversations around me. "The king stated he'll take care of the food scarcity problem," I overheard a middle-aged man say to an older man while leaning on the little table placed in front of a pub.
"I don't believe anything the king says. There is a rumor that he betrayed his own brother. What's the guarantee that he's going to give us food?" the old man said dismissively.
"Rumors are rumors, Brandyn. I heard that the king's elder brother is sick. He is not capable of ruling. That's why the king took the throne," the man said.
"I still don't believe this. But there's no point in talking about the king. No matter what we say, no one is going to believe this. The king is the king. We need to do what he wants us to," the old man said. "I'm leaving now. My wife is unwell. She was taken by the king's father at the cost of two hundred silvers. The king was a bit hard on her, but the money is in my pocket, so that's not a problem. Now I need to take some medicine for her from the healer. The king's father might want her again. See you later then, Edrich."
"All right then. I got to go too. I need to find some slaves and servants for the king."
"What happened to the previous ones?" the old man asked.
The man let out a sigh and said, "What can I say? You know, old thing. A bit tough fucking and you know..."
I gulped. What the hell had I gotten myself into? However, there was no other option. If I wanted to get in the castle, I needed to take a risk.
The old man left. The other one got up and started walking. I quickly went to him, almost tripping over a chair, but still, I managed to control my balance.
"Hey, hey," I called out. "Edrich!"
The man gazed at me, his face flushed with surprise. "Who are you, girl? And how do you know my name?" he asked, his eyes darting up and down at me.
"Well, I heard you're looking for servants," I explained. "And I need work."
"I don't remember telling people around that I need servants," he said suspiciously.
"Well, I overheard you telling Brandyn," I explained. "I'm... Leora Edrei."
I did not think it would be a good idea to tell my real name. No one would be able to recognize me, of course. But I still did not want to use my real name. Rather, I said the first name that sprang to me. It was the girl's name who I had smacked in the school once.
"So, Leora, you want to be a servant? Or a slave?" he asked.
"Servant, of course," I said quickly.
"Come with me then. I need to make sure you are capable of being a servant first," he stated as he began walking.
"You mean the king won't choose the servant himself?" I asked, keeping up with him.
"Why would the king waste his time choosing servants? He trusts me. I choose servants and slaves for him," he replied with a slight hint of pride in his voice.
"Oh ok," I murmured quietly as I followed him.
He ushered me inside a little shack. The door was nearly shattered. If there was a heavy wind, I had a hunch that the door would be the first thing that would see the last day of its life.
It was a little hut with only one room. Inside, there was only one window. A table with several cracked spots stood in the middle, as well as three chairs. There were some papers on the table showing very horrible handwriting.
"Sit," he said, taking a seat.
I sat in a chair that, despite my little weight, made a cracking noise. I had to check twice to make sure it was not going to break.
"So, tell me about yourself and why you want this job," he said.
"Well, I'm very passionate about being able to feed myself," I said.
He laughed. "Well, you're quite entertaining. But that's not the response I'm looking for. Tell me about your family."
"I don't have anyone. My parents died before I was born. I mean, my dad died before I was born and my mom had to give birth to me. Then she died as well. I don't know how or what happened to them. A couple found me and raised me, but then they died as well. I don't know what happened to them. Now I need food. And for food, I need money. You know what I mean," I said.
"What's your name again?"
"Um..."
"What? You forgot your name?"
"Leora Edrei. Why would I forget my name? I'm just a bit nervous," I said laughing. I had almost forgotten the name I made for myself. It was going to be hard to respond hearing this name for sure.
"All right, Leora, let me make something clear to you. You want to be a servant, right?"
"Yes."
"Then you better want to cover that face of yours," he said.
"What do you mean?" I asked, surprised.
"Well, even then, it won't work. Are you certain you don't want to work as a slave?"
"Of course not. I want to be a maid and that's all," I said.
"Well, then, it's a problem," he remarked, scratching his chin. " If the king or the king's father sees you, there's a high possibility they'll want you to be their personal slave. Precisely saying, sex slave. You have... well, you are very tiny and slim, but perfect for... you know what I mean. You can't even let them down, or they will punish you. The decision is yours, girl."
"But I really need some money. What if I stay away from them? What if they can't see me? Can you manage that? Like can you give me a job where I don't have to face them?" I asked in a pleading tone. I was glad that I managed to do so without messing up.
"You look very innocent, girl. I don't want anything like that to happen to you. However, the world is a dangerous place, particularly for humans. We have nothing to do but listen to the shifters," he said in a sympathetic tone. "I'll try to give you work where you don't have to face them. But no one knows what will happen in the future. So you need to be careful."
"I will be, Edrich. Thank you so much. You really are a friend," I said.
"I'm not a good person, little girl. You just seem so innocent. I can't help but feel pity towards you. I just want to help you as much as I can. But the rest is up to destiny," he said.
"I know. And I appreciate your help."