90 years After the Great Peace (AGP)
Vale had servants, not slaves. The Valean nobility were all to happy to point out that the backward practice of human ownership had been abolished in their homeland for centuries, and was a barbarity typical of other Kingdoms, not their own.
Of course, servants worked long, grueling hours for middling pay at best, but for Human workers it was a decent living and for Faunus it was as close to a fair wage as they could hope for. There were few other opportunities in a place like Vale for those at the bottom rung of the Kingdom and plenty of people in the slums who held nothing but contempt for those who licked their master's boots but who would be all too willing to take their place should a little lien be waved their way. That was incentive enough for most to bite their tongue and roll with the punches should their masters extend their working hours, delay their pay or occasionally forget the dividing line between peon and property.
As far as masters went, House Arc was a fine a choice as any. Descended from a long line of powerful warriors, the Arcs had been an integral part of the Kingdom's defense for hundreds of years, with all the power and wealth that came with that. Over the years their golden crest had maintained its luster, and the rents from their various holdings offered them a comfortable sort of wealth, the kind that barely grows but rarely falters. In a world where stagnation had become the norm, it was a comfortable place to be; might as well stagnant at the top.
Scurrying between the tapestries and portraits, the armor and regalia, was a small battalion of dozens of maids, cooks, artisans, gardeners, clerks and underlings who kept the Arc residence spick and span. Radian Hall was designed to be the family estate in Vale proper, an enduring sign of their political prominence to anyone uppity enough to challenge them, and since the ever ambitious Mason Arc had made the house their near exclusive residence, the nexus of his power brokering amongst the upper echelons of the Kingdom, it had to remain flawless and gleaming at all times.
Which was only half the reason Velvet had spent her entire day scrubbing every surface of the East Wing single handedly. The other reason was that the new matron was a bitter old slave driver desperate to prove she deserved her job. Her predecessor had felt neglected in her marriage and had been foolish enough to make a pass at the Lord of the house while the Lady was in earshot. Needless to say she had been disgraced and ejected from the home within the hour, and after a brief period of chaos, Lady Arc had found a more temperate, less comely replacement. Said replacement had made it her sworn mission to 'clean up the staff', which meant pushing everyone to the edge of their sanity and ejecting anyone young and pretty enough to cause future problems.
She really needn't have bothered, and her crusade would have proved far more fruitful in almost any other house in Vale. Philandering between Lords and their servants was a scandal so common that it barely warranted notice, and in most quarters it was taken as a given. In the more conservative dress rooms there may have been some tut-tutting whenever a maid servant would disappear after a few months with a swelling stomach and a peculiar sickness, but such gossip was quickly forgotten. In the most brazen of households it was tacitly accepted that a handful of the servants were to be hired for that expressed purpose, given some sinecure and a generous severance package whenever their beauty began to fade or the bastards became too politically inconvenient. House Winchester had dismissed three maids alone in the last few months, although which man of the House had done the deed was a question of deep interest to many of the less scrupulous members of the servant class.
House Arc, by contrast, was practically a paragon of virtue. Mason was a shameless flirt but devoted foremost to his family and second to power. He was quite faithful to his wife Isabelle, and rather satisfied with her if the eight children they had were anything to go by. Lady Arc had dismissed their last matron on the principle of the matter rather than any real suspicion of her husband, and considering that seven of the couples eight children were girls it was no surprise that the family had avoided a major sex scandal for the past few generations.
Never the less, Matron Beige had her mission and she would see it through until the end. After one dismissal and one indignant resignation she had turned her attention to Velvet. Velvet was far from vain, and rather plain by her own estimate, but she was also in her late teens and unattached and thus despite her status as less than human she was enough of a threat to warrant the attention of the matron. For weeks on end she had been kept being assigned tasks that took two or three people on a sane day and had been worked to the bone. At the best the matron hoped to either drive her to quit or degrade her quality of work to the point where she could be fired. At the least she kept a potentially troublesome wench too busy to cause any real damage.
Velvet's eyes watered from exhaustion, frustration and the blinding white sheen of the walls and floors of the building she had scrubbed raw, and it took all of her self control not to crumple into a ball as she made her way to the end of the hall way. She was surrounded by relics of the noble House Arc, spacious halls filling the edges of her vision and creeping in along with memories. She had seen these tributes so many times she could reliably measure her progress by them, each name going a bit further back in time as she neared the window near the East Garden. On the left of the corridor was a portrait of each patriarch, and on the right was a painting of their crowning achievement ' The Audacity of Silver... The Redemption of Roland... almost done...' she thought desperately.
" Lord Arc will rein her in sooner or later." Violet, another of the young servant girls had told her, attempting to commiserate in the break room. " He has to realize how having eye candy around softens up some of those old coots he has to suck up too, and he's the kind of man who'll play every card he has." The girl was probably right, but it was cold comfort that her torture would end was because a councilman may want to leer at her in the future.
Velvet collapsed at the end of the now immaculate hallway, next to the eldest painting of them all. Velvet had been enamored with the various paintings that littered the estate ever since she could remember, with their grandeur and glory and the stunning detail placed into recreating a defining picture of each Arc's history. She could get lost in them for hours, stolen glances into a world forever beyond her grasp. But the eldest work in the collection was different, just as visceral but far less pleasant. Looking at it always made her emotional and in her current state the sight of it would bring her to tears, so she assiduously averted her gaze. ' Arc I and the Subjugation of Faunus.'
Some 400 years prior, a hero had emerged from the common people of Vale and routed the coalition of animalistic tribes that had been nipping at the heels of the young Kingdom, luring them into battle and crushing them at the Battle of Aurora Creek. For this service, the that no other warrior could hope to accomplish , the Kingdom elevated him to the highest echelon of its nascent aristocracy, and all his descendants would bear his name.
The painting showed a triumphant Valean force collecting the weapons of a weary band of Faunus. The shining armor and vibrant green fabric of the conquering knights was contrasted with the torn and battered bodies of figures who were almost human, but not quite. Their traits varied, from a tail to an extra set of ears to horns, but every Faunus in the picture had the same broken spirit, the same slumped shoulders, and the same resigned face as they traded their spears for plows.
Arc's conquest of the Faunus was two fold. He had been bold and cunning enough to defeat them, and merciful enough to offer them a choice. Surrender and become serfs in his new fief, or be scattered into the wilderness where the hungry maws of the Grimm awaited them. Would they have made the same choice, she wondered, if they realized just how enduring their servitude would be? The dirty looks, the self loathing, the second class treatment by those willing to deal with them at all, and the soul crushing, tireless work, every single day for four centuries and counting. Or would they be won over by the sad fact that even this was generous compared to the treatment their cousins faced in other lands, more or less openly reduced to slaves?
Velvet's top ears brushed against the wall as she sighed, two long, brown rabbit like appendages that let her hear all the hateful whispers she could ever want, the single, indelible mark of her inhumanity. She was tired. So, so tired.
She looked out the window to see the freshly risen moon. She had spent all day making the East Wing immaculate, well after her shift was set to end.
Her eyes drifted to the painting on the other end of the wall. Rather than a frontal portrait of Arc I, it was a scene from behind depicting a blond swordsman staring off into the night, anonymous saved for two grooves carved into his shield by blade and fang that would become the Arc family crest. Facing off against a horde of Grimm of all shapes and sizes, a faceless example of what was expected of all who dared to call themselves Arc. Beneath the portrait was a simple inscription. Lux Aeterna Tenebris Secat. 'Light cuts through eternal darkness.'
The twin arcs on her uniform felt heavier than usual. Anyone who wore that mark was expected to keep fighting, no matter the struggle and no matter the odds. This was nothing. The faunus girl rose to her feet, resolve steeled and sorrow forgotten. Her ancestors had been in the fold for as long as there had been a House Arc. It would take more than some petty old harpy to force her out.
Velvet Scarlatina had been born into the Arc family just as much as the master's children, although she had a different role to fill. Her mother had clawed her way from the Faunus ghetto on the edge of the estate into a life in the family's service; her daughter had inherited the role. The corridors of Radian Hall were both foreign and familiar to her, ever present but never quite hers.
Velvet had almost nothing that was her own for as long as she had been alive. She had been conceived so her mother could become a wet nurse for the growing Arc brood when the lady of the house was occupied. Her early years had been spent in the service of the Arc children; entertaining them as an extra warm body for their games, a mannequin for their whimsy's, a scapegoat for their mischief and the butt of many of their jokes.
Never the less, she had been happy for a time. Children could be petty and cruel, but they were playful and not yet hardened by the prejudices of the world.
77 AGP
"Mama," Sapphire asked, " why does Velvet have bunny ears?"
Lady Arc paused for a moment, unused to her daughter's questions and wondering how to tell a three year old that her babysitter and playmate was a different species.
" Because Velvet is a Faunus, dear. That means she's almost human but that she also has an animal part."
Velvet stiffened but bit her tongue. At 5 years old, she knew what her Mistress had said was technically right, but being called 'almost human' felt deeply wrong to her. She had all the same parts as the other kids, she just had a little bit extra too. But she knew better than to back talk Lady Arc, mother had told her so." If she says the sky is green, you smile, and if she calls you a filthy mutt, you nod." Lady Arc had never said that, and she hoped she wouldn't, she really liked Lady Arc and she'd probably cry if she did and then the girls would tease her for crying too much like she always did and-
" But I want bunny ears too!" Sapphire whined, breaking Velvet's train of thought. " I would look so cute! Or maybe if I had kitty ears, I could be like a puma!"
Lady Isabelle sighed, before turning to the young Faunus. " Velvet, run along and find your mother. You're free for the rest of the day. Sapphire and I need to talk."
Velvet nodded sadly before leaving the room, knowing that her mistress was going to explain to her youngest daughter that a Faunus was the last thing anyone would ever want to be. She would never look at Velvet the same way and then it would be even harder trying to keep Sapphire out of trouble.
Velvet darted nervously down the hallways, stopping whenever she heard the tell tale sound of footsteps approaching. Free time during the day was strange to her, and she didn't want to get in anyone's way. Avoiding everyone for the rest of the day seemed to be a good plan. Velvet had nothing else to do. Her mother hated being bothered when she was working and she couldn't wander the estate alone without the staff members being mean to her. She was too tiny to do anything useful other than watch the children, and five of them were bigger than her.
Jaune and Sapphire were almost her age so all she could do was bring them with her to lessons and she could barely make them do that. Velvet never understood why they tried so hard to get out of going. Lessons were the only time she felt like she could do something well. She could read and write as well as the others, and she could count higher too. Books didn't take all the best toys first or order her to lose games, numbers didn't care if she was an animal, and the family tutor was one of the only human grown ups that didn't ignore her.
The Mistress was pregnant again, so maybe Velvet would be big enough to really help when the baby was born. A small smile grew on her face at the thought. The idea that someone might look up to her, listen to her, and even respect her was a novel delight.
It would be best to hide for the rest of the day. The grounds were big, so she could wander mostly alone until sundown, find mother and then head back to the servants quarters. Carefully listening for nearby voices, she skittered across the grass and crawled under a hedge. Midway through the she bumped into something and found herself staring into a pair of cobalt blue eyes.
"Jaune?" She said. He was supposed to be spending time with his older sisters today.
"Velvet?"
" What are you doing here?"
" Hiding." he said, covering her mouth with his small hand as footsteps approached. The pair reflexively pulled themselves deeper into the green wall, tiny bodies sliding through the small cracks.
" Jauney!" A voice called out playfully. "Where are you?! We have a surprise for you."
" Charlotte, you're only going to scare him off." The older blonde said. " Come out, Jaune. We won't do anything, we promise."
" But he'd look so cute!" Charlotte cackled, as the footsteps grew more and more distant.
Velvet's eyes questioningly met Jaune's.
" They tried to put me in a dress." He said. Velvet giggled.
" It's not funny!" He insisted petulantly. Velvet shook her head before motioning to leave the hedge, slightly disappointed that the hiding place had already been taken. Jaune grabbed her arm as she neared the edge.
" You can't go." He said desperately. " Fleur and Charlotte will find me."
"I'm your servant." Velvet said, lightly tugging against his grip. " Just tell me not to tell them where you are." Jaune shook his head.
" Not good enough." the little boy said firmly. " You're my sister's servant too, and if they ask you, you'll talk." Velvet would never pout in front of one of her employers, that would be unbecoming of her status. Still, she came pretty close as the four year old held her in place.
"So what do you want me to do?" She asked hesitantly. " Stay here all day?" That was her original plan... but he didn't need to know that.
" Just promise me you won't say anything." He said. Velvet looked at him in confusion.
" Does that... make a difference?" She asked shyly.
"Of course it does!" Jaune says. " You could disobey an order. I don't do what people tell me to all the time!" Velvet's eye twitched involuntarily. She was vividly aware of that fact. " But a promise is special. An Arc never goes back on their word." He said, gesturing to tiny crest emblazoned on Velvet's shoulder. " You're kind of an Arc so that goes for you too."
Velvet paused as Jaune stared at her hopefully, waiting for her reply. This wasn't an order, it was a request, like she was an equal... practically a member of the family...
" O-Okay." She stuttered out, flushing slightly. " I promise."
"Pinky swear?" The boy asked solemnly.
"Pinky swear."
The two joined fingers in an awkward ritual. " Are⦠we doing this right?" She asked.
" I think so."
Jaune relaxed against the bushes, relief coloring his features.
" Thanks." he said. " Don't get me wrong, I love my sisters, it's just... sometimes I don't quite fit in with them, you know."
" I..." Velvet mumbled. " I don't quite fit in either." She stared at her feet, not meeting the boy's eyes. " I was going to hide too."
Jaune looked at the older girl pensively before grinning. " If you need a place to hide, why don't you stay here? We can not fit in together!"
Alone... together? The boy seemed so...earnest when he said that. It was a stupid, silly, infectious idea, and Velvet couldn't help but grin as well. " What do you want to do?" Velvet asked, shifting nervously. Children didn't normally hide in the dark and do nothing together... did they?
The blond stood, pensive for a moment, before a manic glint entered his eye."Race you to the top!" Jaune shouted, leaping up and grabbing a branch as he began to scale the hedge.
"Wait!" Velvet said anxiously, trying to stop him. Within seconds, a sharp crack sounded as the 4 year old fell to the ground, somehow managing to find a branch too small to support his weight.
Velvet rushed over to the small blond, looking him over for injuries. Aside from a few scuffs and watery eyes he looked fine. Jaune glared petulantly at the broken twig in his hand while Velvet suppressed a giggle.
" Let's forget that happened." He said awkwardly. " Try again?" Velvet nodded happily and the two slowly began their ascent, careful to spot the best branches and helping each other all the way to the top.
And so for an afternoon the two were not master and servant, or human and faunus, they were merely two children playing with one another. By the time the sunset they had passed out in the shade beneath the bushes, where Sabrina, the eldest daughter of the Arcs, finally found them. The Arc sisters mercilessly teased and interrogated the pair, asking them what they were doing in the bushes for so long.
Velvet never told them anything.
