Aria cleaned the vase for the fourth time that day. Working for the fae was exhausting, they spent their time putting up fake glamours and appearances to hide behind. She sighed. It was fair she supposed, for who else employed large numbers of human servants when they were looked down upon everywhere.
She glanced at the sky through the floor length windows. The sun had almost begun to set and the sky had little twinges if pinks and oranges. She would need to get home soon, mother would need her medicine and Eryn would need dinner.
She grabbed the bucket to head down to the servant's quarters. The kitchen was bustling as she entered, filled with steaming pots and pans. Gemma, the head cook stood at the center, yelling at servants as they prepared the evening meal.
"Aria, child." Gemma frowned as she turned to her. "you look thin dear, when last did you have a good meal?"
Aria smiled ruefully, "Mother needs the money more for her medicine but Iam sure to make dinner tonight."
"We'll have none of that! Here," she placed a basket in her hands. "you'll need this."
"Gemma, this is way too much!" The basket was filled to the brim with two loaves of bread, a hunk of cheese, a jar of jam and some meat all carefully covered with a cloth.
"I don't want you to get caught." She pleaded. The fae hoarded their property and taking even a single morsel was labeled as stealing and was severely punished. Gemma had been sneaking her little food for years but this was the first time she had given this much. If she got caught, she could lose her hand or worse, her life. Aria shuddered at the scene.
"Child," Gemma said as she held her shoulders. "it is hard to see a soul such as you suffer when there is much I could do to help. If I am caught, I would gladly forfeit my life. Run along now, use the servant's entrance so no one sees you."
Aria hugged Gemma and quickly went to change.
Folding her servant's uniform and placing it on the food covered the smell and reduced suspicion. She prayed to the gods that she left the manor alive. She used the servant's passages and hurried to the servant's entrance door behind the stairs in the Manor's great hall. Just as she was about to dash across the main hall, she heard a voice that made her blood run cold.
"Where do you think you're going with that?" Lady Silversmith sneered. The voice was coming from the great hall. Aria peeked through a small crack in the door to see that the entire Silversmith family had gathered and had surrounded someone.
"He thought to steal my gold and ruminite bracelet mother." A voice said.
Oh no... Stealing in noble families was highly punishable, even worse when human servants did it. The offender could have their arm caught off or worse, death.
She looked at the servant kneeling on the floor. It was Harver, the proud horse master's apprentice. Aria wrinkled her nose. Men like him liked to rape, bully and torture the maids and he got away with it because he was in a higher position in the manor. He was paid enough more than the common maids but it seemed he was stupid enough to steal and get caught.
"Please Master, I beg of you. I did it because my mother was dying and I could not afford her medicine." Harver sobbed on the floor.
"And you thought to steal my daughter's jewelry?" Lady Silversmith looked down at him in disgust.
"I beg of you My Lady," he shivered with tears running down his cheek. He looked small and pitiful, so unlike the proud man that usually terrorized the maids. Many servants still lurked around the hall but they kept their eyes downcast and didn't dare peek although Aria was positive that many were secretly watching .
"What shall we do with you, I wonder," Lady Aubrey, the teenage Silversmith daughter mused. "I know!" She clapped and jumped up and down grinning with glee. "Let's feed him to father's wolves!"
Aria shivered with dread. The fae were merciless with their judgement. Already she could see that Harver had peed himself and was shaking violently. His face had gone white in fear and his eyes were wide.
"I- I b- beg of you my Lady I did it for my mother!" He cried.
"Then your worthless mother should never have borne a thief." Lady Silversmith sneered. She nodded at a nearby guard.
Harver's eyes became even wider, if that was possible. Before he could speak, the guard grabbed both sides of his head with metal gloves and crushed it to bits. Brain matter, blood and bone flew in different directions and the body fell as blood pooled on the floor.
Aria gagged in horror. The servants in the hall all looked pale and scared. Harver was the most vile man in the world but he didn't deserve to die horribly.
"Clean up this mess," Lady Silversmith twisted her lips in disgust. "Humans dare to think they can live like the fae with such weak lifespans. They are all rats and should be in treated as the dirt they are."
"Filthy creatures. You all belong in dirt." Lady Aubrey said as she glared at the servants. "Get back to work all of you!" She snapped as she walked behind her mother.
Aria could hardly believe what happened. It was a widely known fact that anyone that dared steal from the fae would face bad consequences. What was it Harver had said? His mother needed medicine. She couldn't blame him for his actions as she had once contemplated doing the same for her own sick mother. She sighed as she picked up her basket and hurriedly left the manor.
She took the path through the woods that would take her to town. As she walked, she took in the environment. It was autumn and the leaves had already changed colour. At this pace, winter was only a few weeks away. There was the telltale bite of cold in the air and her breath was already clouding in the air.
She got to the town and rode the local carriage headed for Willowdale. The ride was over quickly and she gave the driver a coin as she thanked him and briskly made her way to the local market.
"Aria!" Old man Thorne greeted her with a smile as she came to his vegetable stand.
"Mister Thorne," She returned the smile. "How are you this day?"
"Sharp as my witt." Thorne laughed as he joked loudly. "How's Elara?"
Aria's face fell. Her mother, Elara had been doing well until a few weeks ago when she became I'll. She had gone to all physicians, including the fae who spat at her and gave her tonics for ridiculous prices. She paid off everything from her savings and gave her mother in good faith. Still, no matter how hard she tried, her condition worsened.
Elara had become thin and bedridden, barely keeping any food or water in her stomach for some time.
"She'll get better child." Thorne smiled sadly.
Aria thanked him and paid for some vegetables. As she hurried home, a storm began to build and it became very windy and cold. She made it into her small cottage just as the heavy downpour began.
"Aria!" Eryn, her ten year old brother hugged her. "Welcome home."
She smiled and ruffled his hair. "How was your day and how's mother."
"She's been tired. I managed to give her some water before she slept."
Aria hugged him. " That was thoughtful of you, thank you. Run along now, dinner will be ready soon." Eryn ran into the bedroom to sit at their mother's side.
She set about making dinner and by the time she had finished, both Eryn and her mother were fast asleep. She lad in the straw mattress next to them contemplating about her life until she fell asleep.