“Carol, if you’re done being a hero, go finish cleaning. You have a job to do, this no time to become involved with something that doesn’t concern you.”
The gathered crowd quickly dispersed as if nothing happened. Looking at the slave on the ground, the head maid turned to angry man and said, “He’s supposed to be useful. If you continue like this, the most he’ll be able to accomplish is eating liquid foods. Get him fixed up.”
“Yes, Madam,” the angry man said meekly, and he and another man dragged the slave away.
“Carol, you told me you’ve done maid work before?” The head maid asked Amethyst.
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Then you should know better. No matter what you see, you pretend you didn’t and shut your mouth. Don’t get involved. That’s the best option for a servant who does not want to be punished.”
“But to hit someone like that?” Amethyst couldn’t let such cruelty slide.
The head maid sighed. “Slaves are required to be disciplined so that they don’t disobey orders. The beatings will end soon, once he has been trained, so don’t concern yourself about it. They won’t kill him, we’re already short staffed. Is this the first time you’ve seen a slave.”
“Yes.” Amethyst hoped it would be the last. She did not approve on how they were treated.
“Not all slaves were slaves to begin with,” the head maid explained. “Most slaves were once from noble families. It’s rare that one becomes a slave nowadays. They would have to had committed treason against the Empress.”
“So that man committed treason?” Amethyst asked.
“Possibly. We aren’t given details of a slave’s past. Most slaves, when they are first forced to work, still try to keep their noble attitudes and think they deserve special treatment. So, we need to get that attitude out of their system. The best option has always been beatings, and after three or four days they become completely passive. This slave will follow orders soon and then the beatings will stop, so there is nothing to worry about. You need to get back to work now.”
The head maid was right, this shouldn’t be anything that concerns Amethyst. But she couldn’t let a man be beaten for no reason except to make him a faithful slave. And there was something in his eyes that seemed so familiar. What was it about the ashen-haired man that bothered her so?
***
After she had finished work, Amethyst picked up Erina from the temple. Stopping by the café before returning to Pauline’s, she picked up some food for Erina and Pauline’s dinner.
When they made it home, Amethyst instructed Erina to wash her hand as she went to check on Pauline. The fever was almost gone and the colour was starting to return to Pauline’s face.
“How do you feel?” Amethyst asked her friend.
“Much better. Did you have a hard day?” Pauline asked.
“Yes. But I was lacking exercise, so it was good,” Amethyst replied. Even though Amethyst had emphasized that it was a joke, Pauline still looked apologetic that Amethyst was going through this for her.
“Pauline, even though your fever is down, you should rest a few more days.”
“No! I’m better!” Pauline insisted.
“What if you faint again? Rest some more to make sure it’s out of your system.”
“But…” Pauline tried to continue to protest.
“I told you I’m fine in the job. You need to get better so you can earn a lot of money and spend it at my café.” Amethyst smile mischievously. “I need to maintain my best and only customer.”
“Thank you for being so good to me, Carol.”
“I’ll bring you some food. You should eat when you take your medicine. And then get some more sleep. I’ll look after Erina.”
Pauline smiled weakly at Amethyst, as Amethyst left to prepare the dinner. Now that Pauline was starting to get better, Amethyst started worrying about the ashen-haired man. He had so many injuries and no one seemed to want to help him or treat him with any kindness. If only there was something she could do?
After dinner and the cleaning had been completed, Amethyst put Erina to bed then collapsed on her own. Since she used muscles she didn’t even know she had, her body was exhausted and she fell asleep instantly.
“Auntie.” Erina’s voice was penetrating her subconscious. “Auntie!”
Amethyst didn’t want to be pulled from her dream, but the shaking of her body caused her eyes to eventually open. Erina stood at her bedside with tears in her eyes. She had obviously been woken by Amethyst mumbling in her sleep. Amethyst sat up and hugged Erina close to her.
“Auntie? Are you ok?” the child sobbed.
“I’m sorry. It was only a dream,” Amethyst said, comforting Erina. She wiped away the tears from the girl’s eyes. There was still darkness beyond the window, so she took Erina back to her bedroom and made her lie back down.
She then started singing a lullaby that she remembered from her old life. “Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop, when the wind blows…”
“Auntie?” Erina interrupted, in a sleepy voice.
“Yes, dear?”
Erina took her hand out from beneath the blanket and place it on Amethyst’s hand. “Let the nightmares disappear and only have happy dreams,” Erina whispered as if she was casting a spell.
Amethyst cried and laughed at the same time, placing her forehead against the girl’s. “Thank you,” she whispered, as Erina fell back into the depths of sleep.
***
Before heading to the Veolense mansion, Amethyst decided to stop by her house. She sat Erina down at a table with a glass of cherry juice.
“Erina, I’m going to get changed so wait here for a few minutes.”
“Ok.” Erina happily drank the cherry juice as Amethyst went upstairs to change into something more comfortable.
The head maid didn’t seem to like that she was working on behalf of Pauline. Amethyst didn’t know what she would say when Amethyst came to work for Pauline again. Heading back downstairs, she packed a bag with food items for lunch. Once ready, she took Erina’s hand and they headed off to the temple.
“Carol, if you’re done being a hero, go finish cleaning. You have a job to do, this no time to become involved with something that doesn’t concern you.”
The gathered crowd quickly dispersed as if nothing happened. Looking at the slave on the ground, the head maid turned to angry man and said, “He’s supposed to be useful. If you continue like this, the most he’ll be able to accomplish is eating liquid foods. Get him fixed up.”
“Yes, Madam,” the angry man said meekly, and he and another man dragged the slave away.
“Carol, you told me you’ve done maid work before?” The head maid asked Amethyst.
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Then you should know better. No matter what you see, you pretend you didn’t and shut your mouth. Don’t get involved. That’s the best option for a servant who does not want to be punished.”
“But to hit someone like that?” Amethyst couldn’t let such cruelty slide.
The head maid sighed. “Slaves are required to be disciplined so that they don’t disobey orders. The beatings will end soon, once he has been trained, so don’t concern yourself about it. They won’t kill him, we’re already short staffed. Is this the first time you’ve seen a slave.”
“Yes.” Amethyst hoped it would be the last. She did not approve on how they were treated.
“Not all slaves were slaves to begin with,” the head maid explained. “Most slaves were once from noble families. It’s rare that one becomes a slave nowadays. They would have to had committed treason against the Empress.”
“So that man committed treason?” Amethyst asked.
“Possibly. We aren’t given details of a slave’s past. Most slaves, when they are first forced to work, still try to keep their noble attitudes and think they deserve special treatment. So, we need to get that attitude out of their system. The best option has always been beatings, and after three or four days they become completely passive. This slave will follow orders soon and then the beatings will stop, so there is nothing to worry about. You need to get back to work now.”
The head maid was right, this shouldn’t be anything that concerns Amethyst. But she couldn’t let a man be beaten for no reason except to make him a faithful slave. And there was something in his eyes that seemed so familiar. What was it about the ashen-haired man that bothered her so?
***
After she had finished work, Amethyst picked up Erina from the temple. Stopping by the café before returning to Pauline’s, she picked up some food for Erina and Pauline’s dinner.
When they made it home, Amethyst instructed Erina to wash her hand as she went to check on Pauline. The fever was almost gone and the colour was starting to return to Pauline’s face.
“How do you feel?” Amethyst asked her friend.
“Much better. Did you have a hard day?” Pauline asked.
“Yes. But I was lacking exercise, so it was good,” Amethyst replied. Even though Amethyst had emphasized that it was a joke, Pauline still looked apologetic that Amethyst was going through this for her.
“Pauline, even though your fever is down, you should rest a few more days.”
“No! I’m better!” Pauline insisted.
“What if you faint again? Rest some more to make sure it’s out of your system.”
“But…” Pauline tried to continue to protest.
“I told you I’m fine in the job. You need to get better so you can earn a lot of money and spend it at my café.” Amethyst smile mischievously. “I need to maintain my best and only customer.”
“Thank you for being so good to me, Carol.”
“I’ll bring you some food. You should eat when you take your medicine. And then get some more sleep. I’ll look after Erina.”
Pauline smiled weakly at Amethyst, as Amethyst left to prepare the dinner. Now that Pauline was starting to get better, Amethyst started worrying about the ashen-haired man. He had so many injuries and no one seemed to want to help him or treat him with any kindness. If only there was something she could do?
After dinner and the cleaning had been completed, Amethyst put Erina to bed then collapsed on her own. Since she used muscles she didn’t even know she had, her body was exhausted and she fell asleep instantly.
“Auntie.” Erina’s voice was penetrating her subconscious. “Auntie!”
Amethyst didn’t want to be pulled from her dream, but the shaking of her body caused her eyes to eventually open. Erina stood at her bedside with tears in her eyes. She had obviously been woken by Amethyst mumbling in her sleep. Amethyst sat up and hugged Erina close to her.
“Auntie? Are you ok?” the child sobbed.
“I’m sorry. It was only a dream,” Amethyst said, comforting Erina. She wiped away the tears from the girl’s eyes. There was still darkness beyond the window, so she took Erina back to her bedroom and made her lie back down.
She then started singing a lullaby that she remembered from her old life. “Rock-a-bye baby, in the treetop, when the wind blows…”
“Auntie?” Erina interrupted, in a sleepy voice.
“Yes, dear?”
Erina took her hand out from beneath the blanket and place it on Amethyst’s hand. “Let the nightmares disappear and only have happy dreams,” Erina whispered as if she was casting a spell.
Amethyst cried and laughed at the same time, placing her forehead against the girl’s. “Thank you,” she whispered, as Erina fell back into the depths of sleep.
***
Before heading to the Veolense mansion, Amethyst decided to stop by her house. She sat Erina down at a table with a glass of cherry juice.
“Erina, I’m going to get changed so wait here for a few minutes.”
“Ok.” Erina happily drank the cherry juice as Amethyst went upstairs to change into something more comfortable.
The head maid didn’t seem to like that she was working on behalf of Pauline. Amethyst didn’t know what she would say when Amethyst came to work for Pauline again. Heading back downstairs, she packed a bag with food items for lunch. Once ready, she took Erina’s hand and they headed off to the temple.
