A week later, she was walking through the city, making her way towards her
'friend's' home. The emperor had been thrown off by her words; he'd agreed,
and sent her away. She was allowed out, for only half the day. She'd risen
at dawn – not abnormal – and made her way out of the palace. The guards
hadn't stopped her and the fleeting hope to escape welled in her; but
Ozorne had assured her that she be watched until she entered her friend's
house. A guard would escort her back, so there was little hope for escape
from there.
But Farrah didn't mind; she had his trust, however limited. It was a good thing, she knew; but she shivered slightly, realizing that she had meant her words. Biting a shaking bottom lip, Farrah looked up as she came upon Lindhall Reed's home. She glanced around her, and reached up a quivering hand to knock at the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," she heard from inside. The port opened, and the tall mage stood there, looking down at the slave with an arched eyebrow. "Oh? And what are you doing here?" He'd seen her at the palace; most often heading towards the emperor's quarters.
"Master," she started meekly. "The grape...The grape longs to leave its vine."
Reed nodded, stepping to the side and allowing her in. It was a password that had been spread among those slaves seeking freedom. It was carefully guarded. He knew that this one had tried to escape before; she'd almost endangered everything, too. But she had kept quiet; she hadn't given him away. He closed the door quickly, and turned to look back at her. "Well," he said. "What is your name?"
"Nobility, I am a slave of the em-"she stopped as she glanced up at him. He had lifted an eyebrow and crossed his arms. She swallowed, and lifted her chin to look Lindhall in the eye. "My name is Farrah of Tortall, sir. I've come...I've come to seek your aid." She wasn't sure, but she thought a small smile flitted across his face.
"Well, in that case, please come and sit." He gestured inside, and Farrah walked in, a bit away from the door. She stopped quickly though, careful to keep it in sight.
"Please, I don't have too long, sir. I need help, soon."
Lindhall frowned slightly. "What could I do for you?"
Farrah played with the hem of her shirt, needling something to do with her hands. "I...I believe that I'm...." She sighed and looked down for a moment before meeting Reed's eyes again. "I'm pregnant, sir, and I need your help."
Lindhall arched an eyebrow. "Oh?" Was she carrying Ozorne's baby?
She bit her lip, looking down. "The emperor wants to destroy it." She looked up again, desperately. "Please, I can't let him kill it. But I don't have the Gift – there's nothing I can do. I had hoped...that you could help me, sire." Desperate eyes caught the scholar's, as she pleaded with him.
Reed, having sat down, rubbed his chin. There were several things he could do to aid the girl – there was a simple spell that would hide things from the eye – but it could be seen through. He could make a simulacrum for her, but it would not hold out for nine months. Then again... "Are you completely adverse to raising the baby in your womb?"
Farrah frowned lightly, not understanding
Lindhall sighed and started again. "Do you know what a surrogate mother is, Farrah of Tortall?" When she only blinked, Lindhall leaned forward. "The baby could be placed in the womb of another woman. She would raise the baby in her body; it would live, and none in the palace would be wiser to it. If I could find someone, would you agree?"
The slave paused, biting her lower lip for a moment. Did it really matter if it grew inside her, as long as it grew? She nodded quickly and moved forward quickly to clasp the mage's hand. "Thank you," she said softly. "Is it at all possible to do this now? I don't know...I don't think I'll be able to come back."
Reed paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. I could take the embryo now, and, figuratively speaking, 'put it on ice' until I could find someone trustworthy enough. Quickly, come; it may take a while, and I need to find the spell."
But Farrah didn't mind; she had his trust, however limited. It was a good thing, she knew; but she shivered slightly, realizing that she had meant her words. Biting a shaking bottom lip, Farrah looked up as she came upon Lindhall Reed's home. She glanced around her, and reached up a quivering hand to knock at the door.
"I'm coming, I'm coming," she heard from inside. The port opened, and the tall mage stood there, looking down at the slave with an arched eyebrow. "Oh? And what are you doing here?" He'd seen her at the palace; most often heading towards the emperor's quarters.
"Master," she started meekly. "The grape...The grape longs to leave its vine."
Reed nodded, stepping to the side and allowing her in. It was a password that had been spread among those slaves seeking freedom. It was carefully guarded. He knew that this one had tried to escape before; she'd almost endangered everything, too. But she had kept quiet; she hadn't given him away. He closed the door quickly, and turned to look back at her. "Well," he said. "What is your name?"
"Nobility, I am a slave of the em-"she stopped as she glanced up at him. He had lifted an eyebrow and crossed his arms. She swallowed, and lifted her chin to look Lindhall in the eye. "My name is Farrah of Tortall, sir. I've come...I've come to seek your aid." She wasn't sure, but she thought a small smile flitted across his face.
"Well, in that case, please come and sit." He gestured inside, and Farrah walked in, a bit away from the door. She stopped quickly though, careful to keep it in sight.
"Please, I don't have too long, sir. I need help, soon."
Lindhall frowned slightly. "What could I do for you?"
Farrah played with the hem of her shirt, needling something to do with her hands. "I...I believe that I'm...." She sighed and looked down for a moment before meeting Reed's eyes again. "I'm pregnant, sir, and I need your help."
Lindhall arched an eyebrow. "Oh?" Was she carrying Ozorne's baby?
She bit her lip, looking down. "The emperor wants to destroy it." She looked up again, desperately. "Please, I can't let him kill it. But I don't have the Gift – there's nothing I can do. I had hoped...that you could help me, sire." Desperate eyes caught the scholar's, as she pleaded with him.
Reed, having sat down, rubbed his chin. There were several things he could do to aid the girl – there was a simple spell that would hide things from the eye – but it could be seen through. He could make a simulacrum for her, but it would not hold out for nine months. Then again... "Are you completely adverse to raising the baby in your womb?"
Farrah frowned lightly, not understanding
Lindhall sighed and started again. "Do you know what a surrogate mother is, Farrah of Tortall?" When she only blinked, Lindhall leaned forward. "The baby could be placed in the womb of another woman. She would raise the baby in her body; it would live, and none in the palace would be wiser to it. If I could find someone, would you agree?"
The slave paused, biting her lower lip for a moment. Did it really matter if it grew inside her, as long as it grew? She nodded quickly and moved forward quickly to clasp the mage's hand. "Thank you," she said softly. "Is it at all possible to do this now? I don't know...I don't think I'll be able to come back."
Reed paused for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. I could take the embryo now, and, figuratively speaking, 'put it on ice' until I could find someone trustworthy enough. Quickly, come; it may take a while, and I need to find the spell."