Disclaimer: Don't own them, like many, and if I did I would be rich and have many people adoring me.
Notes: Okay, just so you know, I'm sure if I tried really hard I could come up with some wonderful names that are Egyptian and might even coincide with the characters, but I can't bring myself to for 2 reasons. A.} Lazinessitis. B.} People would get very confused. So just pretend they have Egyptian names... Now, I want no flames from those who object to any form of slavery and other such controversial subjects since this is a different country, time, and culture. And I have nothing against Jewish people, some of my better friends are Jewish; this is just the way the story is evolving... Some of the discrepencies in the culture are intentional, and some are accidental, but most are meant to be there. Forgive me. Any who can pick which aren't intentional get mental extra credit. I think reviewing would be a very nice thing for you to do.
Dedication: This is for TopaZ, InterNutter, and Eileen. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. You should go read InterNutter and Eileen's stuff!! ^_^
Kurt hated the trips to the slave markets. Everytime he went, a new one ended up trailing behind him, dreading, always dreading. Little did the meek little Jews know how much their new owner dreaded just that; owning another human disquieted the odd noble of the indigo fur and the cat eyes. Luckily, Kurt's friend already knew who he wanted to buy and a price had already been agreed upon, so he would not be forced to stare depravity in the face for much longer. Yet, just as his dark friend gathered his newest acquisition, the shining gold orbs fell upon the form of a dirty slavegirl with the most astonishing honey colored eyes; eyes that never stopped moving; eyes that would never be broken and could never be fully tamed. Next to the girl stood one of Kurt's most hated and despised enemies- the Upper Noble, Lance.
Suddenly knowing he MUST have this slave girl, Kurt brought his friend back to his side. His eyes flashed electric and urgent as he swiftly explained his predicament. He wanted that slave girl, but were he to ask the uppity snob of a noble, the price would quadruple; or, if worst came to worst, Lance just wouldn't sell her to him. The friend {who will continue to remain nameless because I refuse to give him a name} readily agreed, overjoyed with Kurt's apparent turnabout. And so it was that the friend came back later leading the short, Jewish slavegirl back to his other purchase of the day and the demon-like noble who would be buying her next.
"My dear friend! How much would you like for her?" Quite seriously, his odd, tridactyl hands reached into his belt pouch. When the other man made no reply, his head jerked up. "You don't plan on keeping her, do you?" At this the other Egyptian grinned and handed the girl over.
"Of course not, my friend. I just wanted to see how you would respond. None have truly interested you until now. Besides, I prefer mine slightly cleaner. And, by the way, she's yours, no charge. Shall we head to our homes? There should be something good my slaves are cooking..." He looked slyly over to see whether Kurt would be able to resist the pull of a pretty, new girl or the temptation of the legendary cooks that resided and cooked comfortably at his best friend's estate. The smile broadened even more as Kurt quietly replied.
"Actually, my cooks were plainning something for me tonight and I hate disappointing them." Artfully displaying his gleaming fangs, the noble led his entourage and the new girl to his relatively small mansion. Once inside, he called to his hed houseslave, a thin, balding man with patchy skin, yet whose intelligence rather bedazzled all of Kurt's cohorts, even the despised Lance. With the old man came his assistant; where the head houseslave reminded one of a rather awkward, ugly bird, his assistant put one in mind of a graceful, prancing mare- not quite beautiful, but incapable of of being ugly. Both walked about with an air of competence and the knowledge that, while Kurt rather reluctantly ruled them, they were the ones who ruled his household.
When Hatsha saw the girl looking about curiously, her tongue clucked disapprovingly. Looking first to Himself for permission, she speedily gathered the filthy bundle of rags and limbs together, hustling out of the room. "Come dear, ol' Hatsha will get you cleaned up and presentable for Himself in no time." Both the old and young men chuckled heartily at the woman's manner. When even the echoes died away, Lai {pronounced L I} turned to the hulking form beside him. "Ye did well when ye brought her to me. Like a daughter she's been." A twinkly lit up the old slave's eyes. "An' speakin' of daughters, when will Himself be getting married to someone's daughter and bringing me some children to manage?"
Kurt laughed as he shook his head. "You never stop, do you? Do you know of any you'd recommend? Any you and Hatsha find 'worthy' of being Herself?" At the downtrodden look, Kurt nodded. "Exactly, but I'm fine. Now, what is this surprise the cooks have for me?" Throwing tradition to the winds, the two friends put their arms about the others' shoulders and walked to the tiny dininghall, conversing comfortably.
~Meanwhile...~
Her face no longer grimed over in dirt and weeks old sweat, the girl had a surprisingly sweet face which she now lifted up to the kind woman assisting her at that point. "Hatsha? What have I been brought here for? What am I to be?" When the assistant head slave looked sharply at her, she speedily continued. "If I must, I can make excellent food, though it is tiring, and I am able to find the sweetest, best fruit when none can. Just, please don't make me do any thing that some of the other slaves must do."
Feeling rather scandalized, the older woman seized the girl by the chin, wrenching her face up so they could look each other in the eye. "Now listen here! I've taken a sort of liking to you, but I won't have any who live in this household insulting Himself! I don't know your name yet, but I saw those bruises you tried to hide. You'll do well here as long as you don't get on the bad side of any of these three people: Lai, the head houseslave; Hatsha, the assistant head houseslave," the stocky woman's ebony eyes pierced fiercely into the girl's, "and, of course, Himself. One day you'll have to watch out for Herself, too, but for now there are just three. And now that you are clean and ready to be dressed, I will ask your name."
She obediently pulled the soft, clean tunic over her head as her voice seemed to come from nowhere. "My parents' favorite goddess was Bastet and so they decided to call me Kitty. They had planned on changing it to Kat when I became older, but we were captured. {I know this probably wouldn't have happened quite like this, but it's necessary to the story.} And now I'm here. What will I do while I am here, though?" Hatsha gently pushed Kitty onto a large cushion and began brushing her smooth chestnut colored hair into a semblance of order. Soon a growing pile of rocks, brambles,and the odd clump. As the pile became larger, so did the eyes of Hatsha AND Kitty.
"What did that man do to you before Himself finally got you? I've never seen anyone with so much junk in their hair in my entire life. But, to answer your question... I'm not sure where Lai will put you until he's had a chance to talk with you and find out what you're good at and what you can do. I have a feeling he'll put you with the cook and her helpers. I doubt you'll be put outside to work with those who are used to harder work." Kitty's head jerked up as she protested loudly. "Surely Lance didn't put you to work outside with the rougher slaves?" Nothing answered her, and that was answer enough. "Oh, you poor thing! I can't believe the way some of those nobles treat their slaves. There! All done. Now we need to go eat. Today you will be eating with Himself, Lai, and I. Tomorrow will be dealt with tomorrow. Do you think you're ready?" Her honeyed eyes wide with anxiety, Kitty nodded.
* * *
"Here she is, Kurt. I will place her, with Hatsha's assistance, after dinner has been eaten. Ye are becoming thin again an' we all know how difficult that is for one with your metabolism." Smiling broadly, the ugly man clapped his hands, signaling the entrance of the servers carrying platters covered in food. "As ye requested, some extra food has been prepared so that..." He had to pause as his assistant quietly whispered the girl's name in his ear. "Kitty would be able to eat well an' not have a bad impression of your household. If ye felt that ye couldn't respect the home ye now have, then how would ye be able to be even slightly happy here?" Her face displayed an immense amount of increduality. Lai chuckled at her expression. "Yes, those who live here are happy. Ask any of the slaves. They are slaves only in name and they know it. That is one of the reasons why Lance, your former owner, despises Himself so much." After speaking so much, the old man's eyes crinkled happily as he settled himself to his meal and silence.
Oddly enough, the noble seemed most uncomfortable with the term of respect that his servants had chosen to endow him with. For some reason, that comforted Kitty as she sat in her seat next to the kind woman who had helped her prepare for dinner. The sight of his fur turning a muted shade of dark purple as he blushed from the adoration those who lived with him showered upon him unerringly brought a feeling her tortured mind couldn't quite handle. And so she shied violently from even the hope that, one day, happiness could be found in any form. Any shattering that occurred within the next few weeks or months might be that which broke her spirit, and Kitty could not stand even the thought that her life would be dimmed.
"Sir, why do they call you Himself? I mean, I thought I heard Lai call you Kurt, but aren't you our owner? Shouldn't we call you Master or something?" {a/n: yes, I know I just said that she would hate to lose her spirit, but the only way to keep it in her eyes is to appear meek and such. Bear with me here. ^_^} Throughout the hall gasps of increduallity and even outrage could be heard as her question was passed to the lower tables; apparentally {the first one who can tell me why this word might have significance gets the next chapter a day early if you leave your e-mail} her tone and the question itself were far too unnecessary to even be recognized as more than a slip-up of the ignorant new girl, though those who had uttered angrily felt strongly how others should treat him who gave them a home and kindness. Noting the amount of hostility her questions had generated, Kitty quailed.
Until she was saved by the 'Master' himself. "No, Kitty, I refuse to allow them to call me Master and they refuse to call me just Kurt, other than Lai and only because he very well can't call me Himself to my face, and so I suppose Himself isn't such a bad name." Baring his fangs playfully at those throughout the dining hall to show he didn't appreciate the reception the new slave was receiving, he continued. "I believe I myself will place you, Kitty. I am in need of someone to keep me company, and the others can't always just stop whatever they're doing to accompany me when I wish for one other than one of my few friends to be there. Unless you object, I would like you to be my companion when you aren't needed in the kitchens. Hatsha mentioned that you mentioned being good with food..." Smiling bashfully, he too turned to his food. "Now eat!"
Thoroughly shocked, the only thing Kitty was capable of doing was eat, so eat she did. Foods too rich passed her lips and in quantities far too large, yet, she didn't stop until she had tried everything that the servers of the day brought before her. Like those at the head of the table, the emaciated girl felt no great urge to talk as dinner wore on and her stomach grew steadily fuller and more achy. Instead she glanced about with hungry eyes at her new home's dining hall, noting the old hangings of an odd richness that was unplace-able. The dishes, too, were dinted every now and then, though very few, but the beauty of their golden surfaces could not be disputed. Taking in everything, she soon came to many conclusions; her new owner was well-loved because he actually cared for his slaves and tooks good care of them, unlike some of the higher nobles. Which brought her to her next deduction that he was one of the lesser nobles who had old money that would be forgotten, should they allow it. Kurt would allow it, if only for some peace, Kitty immediately heard herself thinking. He seemed the type to enjoy being lost in autonomy when he chose, only to come bouncing out when most convenient.
Far too soon for those who were finally getting Kitty to speak, dinner ended and the girl was taken to her new quarters where she would be questioned intensely by both Lai and Hatsha. All who lived in the estate knew also that the two who ran the household were overly protective of the blue-furred man who could take argueably good care of himself. They merely wished to alleviate the pain he went through knowing that he was responsible for so many people, and that if he did anything, ANYTHING! The Pharoah found unsatisfactory or unsuitable than all of his possessions would be taken and placed in the care of the Pharoah or the person he favored most at the moment. Luckily, Kurt knew to stay away from dangerous situations and so his irrepressable spirit and hyperactive nature had to be slightly contained behind his manor walls. And, speaking of the manor, the teller of this tale will return to the subject at hand; Kitty's interrigation by the hands of Lai and Hatsha.
The walls shone an eery shade of shifting blues and yellows as the candlelight flickered about, happy little flames, daring each other to leave their protective sconces. For a moment, Kitty felt disquieted by the movement, and then, suddenly she felt herself easing into the room, felt it molding itself to her. Almost like her touch with food, the room became delicious to her and comfortable at last, the brunette relaxed. "This room is beautiful. But, why am I to be in here? I am merely a slave. No slave is given quarters this indulgent!" For a split second, Kitty felt anger surge as she imagined the kind faces of the two head slaves laughing cruelly at her presumptions. And then she felt ashamed to feel such anger.
"Dear, only when Himself has very important guests are we requested to sleep in the slave quarters, and only because he doesn't want us to be taken away. This room is yours. It's a strange thing about this house, when someone enters the room that is meant to be theirs, the room kinda changes a little, though never a lot cause then the room isn't meant to be theirs. It makes itself known to you, and you know that, for a little while you're actually 'sposed to be here." The horse-ish face of the slave smiled benevolently down at her, gesturing towards the large bed. "That's why none of the rooms are much larger or smaller than the others, though the one the Master of the house chooses always seems biggest, no matter which it is. Now, Lai and I need to ask you a few questions about yourself so we can know you a little better."
The old man limped forward, gently looking into the honey colored eyes the new slave had raised for him. "Ahhh. Now I see why he noticed ye. That allus was his favorite color. An' his favorite food as well. Never would he have his bread wi'out some honey to sweeten it. Me an' Hatsha, we don't let him have honey much any more, for he goes and gets terribly energetic. But, don't let that worry ye, none. Himself won't bother ye unless ye ask him to bother ye. Now, why was that Lance tryin' to sell ye? Ye seem rather to be quite the girl he'd like." Bobbing his head apologetically, he snagged a chair and sat down looking pained.
"My old Master despised my ability to get the other slaves to hate him. It wasn't hard; all I had to do was tell them of the beatings he gave me when his food wasn't quite perfect or the fruit I picked had been ripe yesterday and over-ripe today. After that they just remembered the beatings they were given and got angry too. Plus, I wasn't slave enough to work to please him no matter what. I actually wanted to be allowed to love and such things. If I feel like I should work for this Kurt who now owns me, then I will. If not, then I will be beaten." Her voice shook and her head had gradually risen as she spoke, reminding the two slaves of how they must once have stood openly before they too had been captured. Yet, they had been bought immediately by the demon-noble, though not at the same time.
"Ye were saying nothing of the kind when we talked earlier, dear. If I remember correctly, you were almost begging not to be given such a job, not preparing for open defiance; though, you know by now you won't be beaten here. I don't mind if you talk such to me, but if you talk in such a way with Himself, then you'd best be ready for a harder job than he's chosen for you. He may just be a man, though he doesn't look like one, and he may have his faults, but Kurt is a kind man and a capable one as well. He deserves you respect and eventually, we hope he'll deserve your love in your eyes. We don't mean passionate love, we mean the kind of familial love that is part of life here. Now, I have a question or two for you before we allow you to go to bed... Are you capable of loving a man who looks like a beast? And, if so, are you willing to go through hardship for whomever you do end up loving? Good-night, dear. I hope you sleep well. And, tomorrow I suggest you not eat quite so much or else you will quickly become ill and then the other nobles will begin to think Himself careless and heartless as well." A quick caress of Kitty's cheek to show that she would be taken care of and Hatsha left, assisting a limping Lai across the floor.
"Good-night, Miss. Thank you for helping me." Exhausted, Kitty stumbled to the bed, stopping long enough only to shed the soft tunic and replace it with a sily, night robe of the same shifting colors as the walls, though slightly darker. Bumbling around, quite like a drunken merchant, she pulled herself onto the bed, ignoring the pain of overindulgence. Tomorrow she wouldn't eat too much, and tomorrow she would think over what Hatsha had so calmly asked of her. Two simple questions, how easy shall it be. And then the slight girl had fallen asleep, oblivious to the others throughout the estate, whispering excitably about the new girl that Himself hoped to win over. By the dawn of the morning, all lips would be sealed, but until then, happy murmurs ran rampant over the house.
* * *
Placing his muscular arms about his friend and slave of many years, Kurt bid Lai a good night spent in slumber. "Did she pass your test, my friend? I believe she will be a great addition once she becomes used to the way life is here." Knowing he was treading on rocky ground by making presumptions, the blue man looked sharply at the frailer one.
"I believe ye are correct, Kurt. Once she has become accustomed to the way our lives are run, she will be a wonderful addition; and quite a beautiful one as well." His eyes crinkled as he smiled. "I know ye won't force her, and I insist that ye get to know her very well before ye do something like try to show her how wonderful an acrobat ye are. That sorta thing would captivate any girl, but I'm taking a liking to her like I did with Hatsha. Be kind to her, Kurt. Now, ye need sleep as much as I do, so let's go to our beds. Good-night, Himself. Sleep well." Nodding to the young man, he wearily limped the short way to his room, an earthy brown shade that often changed places with a deep green, sometimes even mingling. Smiling haphazardly, Kurt began the long walk to his room and his bed.
Well you guys, what'd you think of my first chapter? I hope it was okay, cause I've been working surprisingly hard on this. And now I'm gonna put it out, even if people are too lazy to review for me. I'll tell you what. If you put in ONE person in your review, I might make it the unnamed friend and that way some interaction can take place. I also need some priests/priestesses... But, I can't use too many. The author's bribe is still in place, and I hope this chapter was long enough. It took me about a week to write it... Oh well. Have a wonderous day! Oh yeah!! I completely stole the whole Himself thing from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books, so, here's credit to a wonderful author!!
~The Alciontae Shadow~
Notes: Okay, just so you know, I'm sure if I tried really hard I could come up with some wonderful names that are Egyptian and might even coincide with the characters, but I can't bring myself to for 2 reasons. A.} Lazinessitis. B.} People would get very confused. So just pretend they have Egyptian names... Now, I want no flames from those who object to any form of slavery and other such controversial subjects since this is a different country, time, and culture. And I have nothing against Jewish people, some of my better friends are Jewish; this is just the way the story is evolving... Some of the discrepencies in the culture are intentional, and some are accidental, but most are meant to be there. Forgive me. Any who can pick which aren't intentional get mental extra credit. I think reviewing would be a very nice thing for you to do.
Dedication: This is for TopaZ, InterNutter, and Eileen. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing. You should go read InterNutter and Eileen's stuff!! ^_^
Kurt hated the trips to the slave markets. Everytime he went, a new one ended up trailing behind him, dreading, always dreading. Little did the meek little Jews know how much their new owner dreaded just that; owning another human disquieted the odd noble of the indigo fur and the cat eyes. Luckily, Kurt's friend already knew who he wanted to buy and a price had already been agreed upon, so he would not be forced to stare depravity in the face for much longer. Yet, just as his dark friend gathered his newest acquisition, the shining gold orbs fell upon the form of a dirty slavegirl with the most astonishing honey colored eyes; eyes that never stopped moving; eyes that would never be broken and could never be fully tamed. Next to the girl stood one of Kurt's most hated and despised enemies- the Upper Noble, Lance.
Suddenly knowing he MUST have this slave girl, Kurt brought his friend back to his side. His eyes flashed electric and urgent as he swiftly explained his predicament. He wanted that slave girl, but were he to ask the uppity snob of a noble, the price would quadruple; or, if worst came to worst, Lance just wouldn't sell her to him. The friend {who will continue to remain nameless because I refuse to give him a name} readily agreed, overjoyed with Kurt's apparent turnabout. And so it was that the friend came back later leading the short, Jewish slavegirl back to his other purchase of the day and the demon-like noble who would be buying her next.
"My dear friend! How much would you like for her?" Quite seriously, his odd, tridactyl hands reached into his belt pouch. When the other man made no reply, his head jerked up. "You don't plan on keeping her, do you?" At this the other Egyptian grinned and handed the girl over.
"Of course not, my friend. I just wanted to see how you would respond. None have truly interested you until now. Besides, I prefer mine slightly cleaner. And, by the way, she's yours, no charge. Shall we head to our homes? There should be something good my slaves are cooking..." He looked slyly over to see whether Kurt would be able to resist the pull of a pretty, new girl or the temptation of the legendary cooks that resided and cooked comfortably at his best friend's estate. The smile broadened even more as Kurt quietly replied.
"Actually, my cooks were plainning something for me tonight and I hate disappointing them." Artfully displaying his gleaming fangs, the noble led his entourage and the new girl to his relatively small mansion. Once inside, he called to his hed houseslave, a thin, balding man with patchy skin, yet whose intelligence rather bedazzled all of Kurt's cohorts, even the despised Lance. With the old man came his assistant; where the head houseslave reminded one of a rather awkward, ugly bird, his assistant put one in mind of a graceful, prancing mare- not quite beautiful, but incapable of of being ugly. Both walked about with an air of competence and the knowledge that, while Kurt rather reluctantly ruled them, they were the ones who ruled his household.
When Hatsha saw the girl looking about curiously, her tongue clucked disapprovingly. Looking first to Himself for permission, she speedily gathered the filthy bundle of rags and limbs together, hustling out of the room. "Come dear, ol' Hatsha will get you cleaned up and presentable for Himself in no time." Both the old and young men chuckled heartily at the woman's manner. When even the echoes died away, Lai {pronounced L I} turned to the hulking form beside him. "Ye did well when ye brought her to me. Like a daughter she's been." A twinkly lit up the old slave's eyes. "An' speakin' of daughters, when will Himself be getting married to someone's daughter and bringing me some children to manage?"
Kurt laughed as he shook his head. "You never stop, do you? Do you know of any you'd recommend? Any you and Hatsha find 'worthy' of being Herself?" At the downtrodden look, Kurt nodded. "Exactly, but I'm fine. Now, what is this surprise the cooks have for me?" Throwing tradition to the winds, the two friends put their arms about the others' shoulders and walked to the tiny dininghall, conversing comfortably.
~Meanwhile...~
Her face no longer grimed over in dirt and weeks old sweat, the girl had a surprisingly sweet face which she now lifted up to the kind woman assisting her at that point. "Hatsha? What have I been brought here for? What am I to be?" When the assistant head slave looked sharply at her, she speedily continued. "If I must, I can make excellent food, though it is tiring, and I am able to find the sweetest, best fruit when none can. Just, please don't make me do any thing that some of the other slaves must do."
Feeling rather scandalized, the older woman seized the girl by the chin, wrenching her face up so they could look each other in the eye. "Now listen here! I've taken a sort of liking to you, but I won't have any who live in this household insulting Himself! I don't know your name yet, but I saw those bruises you tried to hide. You'll do well here as long as you don't get on the bad side of any of these three people: Lai, the head houseslave; Hatsha, the assistant head houseslave," the stocky woman's ebony eyes pierced fiercely into the girl's, "and, of course, Himself. One day you'll have to watch out for Herself, too, but for now there are just three. And now that you are clean and ready to be dressed, I will ask your name."
She obediently pulled the soft, clean tunic over her head as her voice seemed to come from nowhere. "My parents' favorite goddess was Bastet and so they decided to call me Kitty. They had planned on changing it to Kat when I became older, but we were captured. {I know this probably wouldn't have happened quite like this, but it's necessary to the story.} And now I'm here. What will I do while I am here, though?" Hatsha gently pushed Kitty onto a large cushion and began brushing her smooth chestnut colored hair into a semblance of order. Soon a growing pile of rocks, brambles,and the odd clump. As the pile became larger, so did the eyes of Hatsha AND Kitty.
"What did that man do to you before Himself finally got you? I've never seen anyone with so much junk in their hair in my entire life. But, to answer your question... I'm not sure where Lai will put you until he's had a chance to talk with you and find out what you're good at and what you can do. I have a feeling he'll put you with the cook and her helpers. I doubt you'll be put outside to work with those who are used to harder work." Kitty's head jerked up as she protested loudly. "Surely Lance didn't put you to work outside with the rougher slaves?" Nothing answered her, and that was answer enough. "Oh, you poor thing! I can't believe the way some of those nobles treat their slaves. There! All done. Now we need to go eat. Today you will be eating with Himself, Lai, and I. Tomorrow will be dealt with tomorrow. Do you think you're ready?" Her honeyed eyes wide with anxiety, Kitty nodded.
* * *
"Here she is, Kurt. I will place her, with Hatsha's assistance, after dinner has been eaten. Ye are becoming thin again an' we all know how difficult that is for one with your metabolism." Smiling broadly, the ugly man clapped his hands, signaling the entrance of the servers carrying platters covered in food. "As ye requested, some extra food has been prepared so that..." He had to pause as his assistant quietly whispered the girl's name in his ear. "Kitty would be able to eat well an' not have a bad impression of your household. If ye felt that ye couldn't respect the home ye now have, then how would ye be able to be even slightly happy here?" Her face displayed an immense amount of increduality. Lai chuckled at her expression. "Yes, those who live here are happy. Ask any of the slaves. They are slaves only in name and they know it. That is one of the reasons why Lance, your former owner, despises Himself so much." After speaking so much, the old man's eyes crinkled happily as he settled himself to his meal and silence.
Oddly enough, the noble seemed most uncomfortable with the term of respect that his servants had chosen to endow him with. For some reason, that comforted Kitty as she sat in her seat next to the kind woman who had helped her prepare for dinner. The sight of his fur turning a muted shade of dark purple as he blushed from the adoration those who lived with him showered upon him unerringly brought a feeling her tortured mind couldn't quite handle. And so she shied violently from even the hope that, one day, happiness could be found in any form. Any shattering that occurred within the next few weeks or months might be that which broke her spirit, and Kitty could not stand even the thought that her life would be dimmed.
"Sir, why do they call you Himself? I mean, I thought I heard Lai call you Kurt, but aren't you our owner? Shouldn't we call you Master or something?" {a/n: yes, I know I just said that she would hate to lose her spirit, but the only way to keep it in her eyes is to appear meek and such. Bear with me here. ^_^} Throughout the hall gasps of increduallity and even outrage could be heard as her question was passed to the lower tables; apparentally {the first one who can tell me why this word might have significance gets the next chapter a day early if you leave your e-mail} her tone and the question itself were far too unnecessary to even be recognized as more than a slip-up of the ignorant new girl, though those who had uttered angrily felt strongly how others should treat him who gave them a home and kindness. Noting the amount of hostility her questions had generated, Kitty quailed.
Until she was saved by the 'Master' himself. "No, Kitty, I refuse to allow them to call me Master and they refuse to call me just Kurt, other than Lai and only because he very well can't call me Himself to my face, and so I suppose Himself isn't such a bad name." Baring his fangs playfully at those throughout the dining hall to show he didn't appreciate the reception the new slave was receiving, he continued. "I believe I myself will place you, Kitty. I am in need of someone to keep me company, and the others can't always just stop whatever they're doing to accompany me when I wish for one other than one of my few friends to be there. Unless you object, I would like you to be my companion when you aren't needed in the kitchens. Hatsha mentioned that you mentioned being good with food..." Smiling bashfully, he too turned to his food. "Now eat!"
Thoroughly shocked, the only thing Kitty was capable of doing was eat, so eat she did. Foods too rich passed her lips and in quantities far too large, yet, she didn't stop until she had tried everything that the servers of the day brought before her. Like those at the head of the table, the emaciated girl felt no great urge to talk as dinner wore on and her stomach grew steadily fuller and more achy. Instead she glanced about with hungry eyes at her new home's dining hall, noting the old hangings of an odd richness that was unplace-able. The dishes, too, were dinted every now and then, though very few, but the beauty of their golden surfaces could not be disputed. Taking in everything, she soon came to many conclusions; her new owner was well-loved because he actually cared for his slaves and tooks good care of them, unlike some of the higher nobles. Which brought her to her next deduction that he was one of the lesser nobles who had old money that would be forgotten, should they allow it. Kurt would allow it, if only for some peace, Kitty immediately heard herself thinking. He seemed the type to enjoy being lost in autonomy when he chose, only to come bouncing out when most convenient.
Far too soon for those who were finally getting Kitty to speak, dinner ended and the girl was taken to her new quarters where she would be questioned intensely by both Lai and Hatsha. All who lived in the estate knew also that the two who ran the household were overly protective of the blue-furred man who could take argueably good care of himself. They merely wished to alleviate the pain he went through knowing that he was responsible for so many people, and that if he did anything, ANYTHING! The Pharoah found unsatisfactory or unsuitable than all of his possessions would be taken and placed in the care of the Pharoah or the person he favored most at the moment. Luckily, Kurt knew to stay away from dangerous situations and so his irrepressable spirit and hyperactive nature had to be slightly contained behind his manor walls. And, speaking of the manor, the teller of this tale will return to the subject at hand; Kitty's interrigation by the hands of Lai and Hatsha.
The walls shone an eery shade of shifting blues and yellows as the candlelight flickered about, happy little flames, daring each other to leave their protective sconces. For a moment, Kitty felt disquieted by the movement, and then, suddenly she felt herself easing into the room, felt it molding itself to her. Almost like her touch with food, the room became delicious to her and comfortable at last, the brunette relaxed. "This room is beautiful. But, why am I to be in here? I am merely a slave. No slave is given quarters this indulgent!" For a split second, Kitty felt anger surge as she imagined the kind faces of the two head slaves laughing cruelly at her presumptions. And then she felt ashamed to feel such anger.
"Dear, only when Himself has very important guests are we requested to sleep in the slave quarters, and only because he doesn't want us to be taken away. This room is yours. It's a strange thing about this house, when someone enters the room that is meant to be theirs, the room kinda changes a little, though never a lot cause then the room isn't meant to be theirs. It makes itself known to you, and you know that, for a little while you're actually 'sposed to be here." The horse-ish face of the slave smiled benevolently down at her, gesturing towards the large bed. "That's why none of the rooms are much larger or smaller than the others, though the one the Master of the house chooses always seems biggest, no matter which it is. Now, Lai and I need to ask you a few questions about yourself so we can know you a little better."
The old man limped forward, gently looking into the honey colored eyes the new slave had raised for him. "Ahhh. Now I see why he noticed ye. That allus was his favorite color. An' his favorite food as well. Never would he have his bread wi'out some honey to sweeten it. Me an' Hatsha, we don't let him have honey much any more, for he goes and gets terribly energetic. But, don't let that worry ye, none. Himself won't bother ye unless ye ask him to bother ye. Now, why was that Lance tryin' to sell ye? Ye seem rather to be quite the girl he'd like." Bobbing his head apologetically, he snagged a chair and sat down looking pained.
"My old Master despised my ability to get the other slaves to hate him. It wasn't hard; all I had to do was tell them of the beatings he gave me when his food wasn't quite perfect or the fruit I picked had been ripe yesterday and over-ripe today. After that they just remembered the beatings they were given and got angry too. Plus, I wasn't slave enough to work to please him no matter what. I actually wanted to be allowed to love and such things. If I feel like I should work for this Kurt who now owns me, then I will. If not, then I will be beaten." Her voice shook and her head had gradually risen as she spoke, reminding the two slaves of how they must once have stood openly before they too had been captured. Yet, they had been bought immediately by the demon-noble, though not at the same time.
"Ye were saying nothing of the kind when we talked earlier, dear. If I remember correctly, you were almost begging not to be given such a job, not preparing for open defiance; though, you know by now you won't be beaten here. I don't mind if you talk such to me, but if you talk in such a way with Himself, then you'd best be ready for a harder job than he's chosen for you. He may just be a man, though he doesn't look like one, and he may have his faults, but Kurt is a kind man and a capable one as well. He deserves you respect and eventually, we hope he'll deserve your love in your eyes. We don't mean passionate love, we mean the kind of familial love that is part of life here. Now, I have a question or two for you before we allow you to go to bed... Are you capable of loving a man who looks like a beast? And, if so, are you willing to go through hardship for whomever you do end up loving? Good-night, dear. I hope you sleep well. And, tomorrow I suggest you not eat quite so much or else you will quickly become ill and then the other nobles will begin to think Himself careless and heartless as well." A quick caress of Kitty's cheek to show that she would be taken care of and Hatsha left, assisting a limping Lai across the floor.
"Good-night, Miss. Thank you for helping me." Exhausted, Kitty stumbled to the bed, stopping long enough only to shed the soft tunic and replace it with a sily, night robe of the same shifting colors as the walls, though slightly darker. Bumbling around, quite like a drunken merchant, she pulled herself onto the bed, ignoring the pain of overindulgence. Tomorrow she wouldn't eat too much, and tomorrow she would think over what Hatsha had so calmly asked of her. Two simple questions, how easy shall it be. And then the slight girl had fallen asleep, oblivious to the others throughout the estate, whispering excitably about the new girl that Himself hoped to win over. By the dawn of the morning, all lips would be sealed, but until then, happy murmurs ran rampant over the house.
* * *
Placing his muscular arms about his friend and slave of many years, Kurt bid Lai a good night spent in slumber. "Did she pass your test, my friend? I believe she will be a great addition once she becomes used to the way life is here." Knowing he was treading on rocky ground by making presumptions, the blue man looked sharply at the frailer one.
"I believe ye are correct, Kurt. Once she has become accustomed to the way our lives are run, she will be a wonderful addition; and quite a beautiful one as well." His eyes crinkled as he smiled. "I know ye won't force her, and I insist that ye get to know her very well before ye do something like try to show her how wonderful an acrobat ye are. That sorta thing would captivate any girl, but I'm taking a liking to her like I did with Hatsha. Be kind to her, Kurt. Now, ye need sleep as much as I do, so let's go to our beds. Good-night, Himself. Sleep well." Nodding to the young man, he wearily limped the short way to his room, an earthy brown shade that often changed places with a deep green, sometimes even mingling. Smiling haphazardly, Kurt began the long walk to his room and his bed.
Well you guys, what'd you think of my first chapter? I hope it was okay, cause I've been working surprisingly hard on this. And now I'm gonna put it out, even if people are too lazy to review for me. I'll tell you what. If you put in ONE person in your review, I might make it the unnamed friend and that way some interaction can take place. I also need some priests/priestesses... But, I can't use too many. The author's bribe is still in place, and I hope this chapter was long enough. It took me about a week to write it... Oh well. Have a wonderous day! Oh yeah!! I completely stole the whole Himself thing from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books, so, here's credit to a wonderful author!!
~The Alciontae Shadow~