Amber feel asleep that night as soon as she came into the room. Literally,
she was so weak that she colapsed on the floor the moment she opened the
door. Alex was already in the chamber at the time so she helped Amber to
her bed once she saw Ray walk in behind her.
" Another hard day, Amber?" Alex asked.
Amber was on the verge of tears. " I just want to leave! This place is horrible. They don't treat anybody with repect! There cruel and they beat people just because there weak and need to take a break Then those fiends (bosses) go and strike fear into everybody's hearts and then the servants won't tell anybody else what happened to them. It's pretty serious sometimes too! I'm so scared. I wanna go home, i just wanna go home...." Her voice trailed off.
Alex was allowing Amber to rest her head on her knees so she could cry. Unlike Alex, it didn't pain her to see other people get hurt.
/{/ Well maybe just a little bit. \}\ Alex thought in the back of her mind.
Amber had evenutally cried herself to sleep and Alex stood up, placing Amber's head carefully on her dress which worked as a fine pillow. Alex wiped off her upper thigh and her knees. They were covered in Amber's warm helpless tears. Ray was still mad at her for not telling him what had happened to her, but his spirit had lifted when he saw Alex holding Amber and allowing her to cry.
" That was very kind of you. So far of what I've known of you, you are nothing more or less then some cold heartless bitch. But it looks like you proved me wrong." Ray whispered across the room at Alex.
Alex shock her head. " Well it just goes to show you that you can't judge a book by it's cover."
Ray smiled at her and Alex' eyes light up at a flashback.
~*Flashback*~
Kai grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. Alex glared at him but soon it faded. He was smiling at her, not the 'your in big trouble' smile but a bright one.
" Nice shot Moren. Couldn't have done it better myself." He congratulated her.
Alex was taken back then she smirked. " Like you couldn't have done it at all. Your too weak. tala's stronger then you and I knocked him out. Which reminds me, are you going to get him help or can i just leave him there to bleed?"
Kai snickered. " Somebody will notice him still there or he will come around evenutaly. We can leave him there. Come, we have much work to do."
Alex blinked at him and he pushed her forwards. She was confused. Kai was complementing her and leaving his 'partener' there to bleed? There was something wrong here! He had something planned out to do to her. Alex could feel it.
But no punishment of any kind came during the rest of the day. Alex did as she was told because Kai was being gentil with her. (I really mean gentil) Alex was doing her final job for the day before supper when Tala walked into the court room with a bag of ice on his head. The cloth had went from a baige to a limp red.
Kai turned to Alex and yelled at her. " Hurry up and finish the job then leave."
Alex continued her job and picked up the pace. Why would he change his mood so fast like that? Talk about a major case of mood-swings! The truth never even toke a hint in her mind.
~*End Flashback*~
" Hey Ray?" She asked silently.
" Hmm?" Came his sleepy reply.
Alex trembled a bit then asked her question. " Does Kai not like something about Oliver or Tala?"
Ray sat up and stared at her. " Why would you want to know that?"
" Deepending on your answer, I'll tell you why." Alex shock her head.
" Well ok, Kai and Oliver never got along from day one, I don't know why because I wasn't here when it happened-" He was cut off.
" When IT happened? What's the 'it' ?"
Ray shock his head. " I don't know, I really don't think anybody does. Anyways So like I said Kai and Oliver have never liked each other, but Tala on the other hand...the only reason I could think of is that when King Johnny choose Kai to be head gaurd and not Tala, Tala threatened him that if he didn't keep up with his job, he would report it to the king and Kai would be out of work."
Alex smirked. " So what your saying is Kai just wants a good reputation and to do so he has to keep his job? What a self-centered little-"
" Not at all Alex." Ray cut it. " You see, Kai has a family, and he needs to keep his job in order to help with taxes and to feed them. Tala on the other hand fits your description perfectly. He is self-centered."
Alex looked shocked. " He has a family?"
Ray nodded. " A wife and two kids."
" What are there names?" Alex asked curiously. " Wouldn't his wife be worried that he might be abusing there children. I mean look at the guy, he's abusive!"
Ray shock his head again. " Well I've never seen his good side before, but if he still has his wife and kids, i take it he's not."
Alex repeated her first question. " And there names are?"
" His wife's name is Salima and his kids are, well there both boys, but i can't remember there names. Sorry." He replied trying hard to remember.
Alex chuckled. " Don't hurt yourself now. If you can't remember them then don't worry about it."
Ray now looked at her in curiousity. " Can I ask why you wanted to know now?"
Alex nodded. She told him what had happened after she stormed out of the kitchen. When she finished, Ray was simply nodding his head.
" Yeah the reason wouldn't be because of mood swings. It's that threat that Tala gave him. If he being gentil to you, then why to hell did you ask if Salima would be scared if he abused there children?" Ray asked.
Alex shock her head. " I told you that depending on your answer, I would tell you why I wanted to know. That was just a set up thing in case you didn't give a piece of information I didn't need."
" Ahh ok I get it. Well you don't want to be late tommorow, so I suggest you get some sleep." Ray said as he laid his head back down on his sheet.
Alex followed suit. " Good-night Ray, and thanks for the info."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alex was up before sun-rise that mourning and she was in the court room before sunrise, like she was asked. When she got there, Kai was sitting on the chair at the far end of the table. When she cleared her throat to get his attention, he looked up.
Kai smiled at her. " Good mourning Alex, did you sleep well?"
There he was being gentil again. Alex toke in the words that Ray had told her and smiled back.
" Had a very good sleep, thanks for asking."
Kai looked shocked. " I thought you didn't like me?"
" I didn't, but I found out the reason you were abusive towards me, and I totally understand." She pointed out.
Kai dropped his mug and bent down to rechrive it. " I have no idea what your talking about."
Alex ran over to him and picked up his mug before he could get to it. She set it on the table for him and she stared at him.
" You know exactly what I'm talking about. Ray told me that you have a family to take care of."
Kai turned pale. " Umm...who told you that...Kon?"
Alex nodded. " He had heard it from somebody else and he told me."
A smile light up his skin and his eyes began to sparkle. Then suddenly he frowned. " You won't...you know...tell anybody else right?"
Alex nodded. If Kai was going to be nice to her, then she knew she had to show some respect back.
" But you can go for it and beat me when Tala is around. I don't really care. I've been beaten at home and such so it really doesn't bug me much. Your strengh i almost equal to that of my father. there for I've grow used to it. But Tala on the other hand..." her voice trailed off.
Kai stood up and placed a hand of her shoulder. " Tala is strong but from the fight you've put up, I'd say your stronger. Tala even told me that. He says he's never had a harder time pinning somebody down before." A smile creeped across his face and laughter rang in his voice.
Alex chuckled. " Ya well I;m sorry that I hit you and all, but you do realize that if I stop, that Tala will suspect something, right?"
Kai frowned then he looked ashamed. " Umm...speaking of sorry...I'm extremely sorry for what I let Tala do to you."
Alex fliched and she spoke up, with a smile on her face and she tried to get one on his.
" Well as long as you don't ever mention it again, then I completly accept your apolagie."
Just then Tala walked in and Kai toke his hand of her shoulder. When Tala turned around and saw Alex there, he looked disappointed.
" Your on time. Such a pity." He smirked at her.
Alex's smiled faded and she growled under her breath. " What's the matter Tala? Can't get yourself a girl, so you gotta pick on me?"
Tala frowned and placed his hands on his hips. " I resent that."
Alex smirked at him. " I hoped that you would."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Yes but father-" Prince Max tried to explain.
" Silence. She is a servant, nothing more or less. She does not deserve anymore privlages then the others." King Johnny shouted at him.
Prince Max stayed calm. " But father, it's just clothes. She perferes to wear the uniform of the male servants. For her it will be more comfortable, if she is comfortable then she will surely work harder. "
King Johnny went silent. After a few minutes he spoke again, breaking the eire silence between them.
" Very well, if you can find something to die red, then she may wear it. As long as she promises to work harder then she already is. Understand?"
Prince Max's face light up with a bright smile. " Very well father, very well."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Work faster Amber, we haven't all day, the summer games start in a few days." Roxin snapped at her as she noticed Amber's lack of particapation.
Amber nodded and picked up her pace again. She was hauling a fork of hay from one side of the arena to the other with two other servants, one girl, one boy. It was tough work but Amber didn't want anymore whippings, her number had went from to 3 to 8 in just two days.
" Let's go boys, those boulders don't move themselves you know!" Roxin cried and left Amber to her work.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Kon and Granger, Your late again!" Oliver cried.
Ray and Tyson lowered there heads to make it look like they were ashamed of what they did.
" You boys, picked a fine time to be late. Summer games starts in a few days and as the cooks, we have one of the most things to do. Your punishment for today will have nothing to do with the kitchen, you will go and help Lord Tala, Bryan and Kai." He winced a bit of anger when he mentioned Kai's name. " They will be training the gaurds today and they will need somemore helpers, according to Lord Tala. You will be helping fetch things for there training. Report to the knights court room for your stations. Now move."
Ray and Tyson nodded and they left towards the court room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Let's go. You call that throw? Use your shoulder more!" Bryan yelled at the training gaurds.
They were currently training with spears and they were trying to hit a large target that was hanging apove them from a set of rusty chains.
Alex shock her head. " Pathetic."
Bryan glared at her and snapped at her. " I'd like to see you train them better."
Alex nodded. " So would I."
" Watch what your saying Alex, you don't want to get Lord Bryan upset, he has a nasty temper. Worse then mine." Tala warned her.
Alex snorted. " You don't have a temper." She pushed his nose towards his face and walked away towards Lord Bryan.
" What do you want, I'm busy!" Bryan snapped at her and then looked to watch his training group.
" Just had a thought and I wanted to tell it to you. Your men can hit that target fine. But there targets will be moving. No respecting idiot will be standing still. They need a live target." Alex smirked.
Lord Bryan smirked as well and looked at her. " Live target? Not a bad idea. Now were are we going to get one?" His eyes resting apon her.
Alex smirk deepened. " I'll volenteer. But don't think that I'm letting your gaurds inpail me with there spears. I'll be catching them before they hit me. Will that work?"
Lord Bryan nodded. " Stop." He called to the training men.
They fell silent and turned to face Bryan. " We will me trying something new, something that we have never tried before. You will now one at a time take turns trying to hit a live target."
There was muttering in the group of men. Just then Ray and Tyson were lead into the training grounds by Kai and they stopped when they heard Bryan say Live target.
" Live? What will they use?" Tyson asked curiously.
Kai shock his head and Ray spoke up. " A deer maybe, but how would they catch one with out harming it?"
Lord Bryan smirked and pointed to Alex then motioned for her to take her place under the swinging target.
" You will try to hit Alex and she will determine if you are doing it right, if your doing it right she will catch it, if you did something wrong, she will dodge it. Do you understand?"
Alex nodded and the men yelled. " Sir yes Sir!"
They turned towards Alex and they listened for further instrucktion by Alex.
Alex spoke up loudly for all to hear. " Ok then, we will start from my right and work our way down the line. So you start."
She pointed at the man on her far right and he toke aim. Alex got in her ready position as Ray, Tyson and Kai watched in horror.
" Another hard day, Amber?" Alex asked.
Amber was on the verge of tears. " I just want to leave! This place is horrible. They don't treat anybody with repect! There cruel and they beat people just because there weak and need to take a break Then those fiends (bosses) go and strike fear into everybody's hearts and then the servants won't tell anybody else what happened to them. It's pretty serious sometimes too! I'm so scared. I wanna go home, i just wanna go home...." Her voice trailed off.
Alex was allowing Amber to rest her head on her knees so she could cry. Unlike Alex, it didn't pain her to see other people get hurt.
/{/ Well maybe just a little bit. \}\ Alex thought in the back of her mind.
Amber had evenutally cried herself to sleep and Alex stood up, placing Amber's head carefully on her dress which worked as a fine pillow. Alex wiped off her upper thigh and her knees. They were covered in Amber's warm helpless tears. Ray was still mad at her for not telling him what had happened to her, but his spirit had lifted when he saw Alex holding Amber and allowing her to cry.
" That was very kind of you. So far of what I've known of you, you are nothing more or less then some cold heartless bitch. But it looks like you proved me wrong." Ray whispered across the room at Alex.
Alex shock her head. " Well it just goes to show you that you can't judge a book by it's cover."
Ray smiled at her and Alex' eyes light up at a flashback.
~*Flashback*~
Kai grabbed her by the shoulder and spun her around. Alex glared at him but soon it faded. He was smiling at her, not the 'your in big trouble' smile but a bright one.
" Nice shot Moren. Couldn't have done it better myself." He congratulated her.
Alex was taken back then she smirked. " Like you couldn't have done it at all. Your too weak. tala's stronger then you and I knocked him out. Which reminds me, are you going to get him help or can i just leave him there to bleed?"
Kai snickered. " Somebody will notice him still there or he will come around evenutaly. We can leave him there. Come, we have much work to do."
Alex blinked at him and he pushed her forwards. She was confused. Kai was complementing her and leaving his 'partener' there to bleed? There was something wrong here! He had something planned out to do to her. Alex could feel it.
But no punishment of any kind came during the rest of the day. Alex did as she was told because Kai was being gentil with her. (I really mean gentil) Alex was doing her final job for the day before supper when Tala walked into the court room with a bag of ice on his head. The cloth had went from a baige to a limp red.
Kai turned to Alex and yelled at her. " Hurry up and finish the job then leave."
Alex continued her job and picked up the pace. Why would he change his mood so fast like that? Talk about a major case of mood-swings! The truth never even toke a hint in her mind.
~*End Flashback*~
" Hey Ray?" She asked silently.
" Hmm?" Came his sleepy reply.
Alex trembled a bit then asked her question. " Does Kai not like something about Oliver or Tala?"
Ray sat up and stared at her. " Why would you want to know that?"
" Deepending on your answer, I'll tell you why." Alex shock her head.
" Well ok, Kai and Oliver never got along from day one, I don't know why because I wasn't here when it happened-" He was cut off.
" When IT happened? What's the 'it' ?"
Ray shock his head. " I don't know, I really don't think anybody does. Anyways So like I said Kai and Oliver have never liked each other, but Tala on the other hand...the only reason I could think of is that when King Johnny choose Kai to be head gaurd and not Tala, Tala threatened him that if he didn't keep up with his job, he would report it to the king and Kai would be out of work."
Alex smirked. " So what your saying is Kai just wants a good reputation and to do so he has to keep his job? What a self-centered little-"
" Not at all Alex." Ray cut it. " You see, Kai has a family, and he needs to keep his job in order to help with taxes and to feed them. Tala on the other hand fits your description perfectly. He is self-centered."
Alex looked shocked. " He has a family?"
Ray nodded. " A wife and two kids."
" What are there names?" Alex asked curiously. " Wouldn't his wife be worried that he might be abusing there children. I mean look at the guy, he's abusive!"
Ray shock his head again. " Well I've never seen his good side before, but if he still has his wife and kids, i take it he's not."
Alex repeated her first question. " And there names are?"
" His wife's name is Salima and his kids are, well there both boys, but i can't remember there names. Sorry." He replied trying hard to remember.
Alex chuckled. " Don't hurt yourself now. If you can't remember them then don't worry about it."
Ray now looked at her in curiousity. " Can I ask why you wanted to know now?"
Alex nodded. She told him what had happened after she stormed out of the kitchen. When she finished, Ray was simply nodding his head.
" Yeah the reason wouldn't be because of mood swings. It's that threat that Tala gave him. If he being gentil to you, then why to hell did you ask if Salima would be scared if he abused there children?" Ray asked.
Alex shock her head. " I told you that depending on your answer, I would tell you why I wanted to know. That was just a set up thing in case you didn't give a piece of information I didn't need."
" Ahh ok I get it. Well you don't want to be late tommorow, so I suggest you get some sleep." Ray said as he laid his head back down on his sheet.
Alex followed suit. " Good-night Ray, and thanks for the info."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Alex was up before sun-rise that mourning and she was in the court room before sunrise, like she was asked. When she got there, Kai was sitting on the chair at the far end of the table. When she cleared her throat to get his attention, he looked up.
Kai smiled at her. " Good mourning Alex, did you sleep well?"
There he was being gentil again. Alex toke in the words that Ray had told her and smiled back.
" Had a very good sleep, thanks for asking."
Kai looked shocked. " I thought you didn't like me?"
" I didn't, but I found out the reason you were abusive towards me, and I totally understand." She pointed out.
Kai dropped his mug and bent down to rechrive it. " I have no idea what your talking about."
Alex ran over to him and picked up his mug before he could get to it. She set it on the table for him and she stared at him.
" You know exactly what I'm talking about. Ray told me that you have a family to take care of."
Kai turned pale. " Umm...who told you that...Kon?"
Alex nodded. " He had heard it from somebody else and he told me."
A smile light up his skin and his eyes began to sparkle. Then suddenly he frowned. " You won't...you know...tell anybody else right?"
Alex nodded. If Kai was going to be nice to her, then she knew she had to show some respect back.
" But you can go for it and beat me when Tala is around. I don't really care. I've been beaten at home and such so it really doesn't bug me much. Your strengh i almost equal to that of my father. there for I've grow used to it. But Tala on the other hand..." her voice trailed off.
Kai stood up and placed a hand of her shoulder. " Tala is strong but from the fight you've put up, I'd say your stronger. Tala even told me that. He says he's never had a harder time pinning somebody down before." A smile creeped across his face and laughter rang in his voice.
Alex chuckled. " Ya well I;m sorry that I hit you and all, but you do realize that if I stop, that Tala will suspect something, right?"
Kai frowned then he looked ashamed. " Umm...speaking of sorry...I'm extremely sorry for what I let Tala do to you."
Alex fliched and she spoke up, with a smile on her face and she tried to get one on his.
" Well as long as you don't ever mention it again, then I completly accept your apolagie."
Just then Tala walked in and Kai toke his hand of her shoulder. When Tala turned around and saw Alex there, he looked disappointed.
" Your on time. Such a pity." He smirked at her.
Alex's smiled faded and she growled under her breath. " What's the matter Tala? Can't get yourself a girl, so you gotta pick on me?"
Tala frowned and placed his hands on his hips. " I resent that."
Alex smirked at him. " I hoped that you would."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Yes but father-" Prince Max tried to explain.
" Silence. She is a servant, nothing more or less. She does not deserve anymore privlages then the others." King Johnny shouted at him.
Prince Max stayed calm. " But father, it's just clothes. She perferes to wear the uniform of the male servants. For her it will be more comfortable, if she is comfortable then she will surely work harder. "
King Johnny went silent. After a few minutes he spoke again, breaking the eire silence between them.
" Very well, if you can find something to die red, then she may wear it. As long as she promises to work harder then she already is. Understand?"
Prince Max's face light up with a bright smile. " Very well father, very well."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Work faster Amber, we haven't all day, the summer games start in a few days." Roxin snapped at her as she noticed Amber's lack of particapation.
Amber nodded and picked up her pace again. She was hauling a fork of hay from one side of the arena to the other with two other servants, one girl, one boy. It was tough work but Amber didn't want anymore whippings, her number had went from to 3 to 8 in just two days.
" Let's go boys, those boulders don't move themselves you know!" Roxin cried and left Amber to her work.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Kon and Granger, Your late again!" Oliver cried.
Ray and Tyson lowered there heads to make it look like they were ashamed of what they did.
" You boys, picked a fine time to be late. Summer games starts in a few days and as the cooks, we have one of the most things to do. Your punishment for today will have nothing to do with the kitchen, you will go and help Lord Tala, Bryan and Kai." He winced a bit of anger when he mentioned Kai's name. " They will be training the gaurds today and they will need somemore helpers, according to Lord Tala. You will be helping fetch things for there training. Report to the knights court room for your stations. Now move."
Ray and Tyson nodded and they left towards the court room.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
" Let's go. You call that throw? Use your shoulder more!" Bryan yelled at the training gaurds.
They were currently training with spears and they were trying to hit a large target that was hanging apove them from a set of rusty chains.
Alex shock her head. " Pathetic."
Bryan glared at her and snapped at her. " I'd like to see you train them better."
Alex nodded. " So would I."
" Watch what your saying Alex, you don't want to get Lord Bryan upset, he has a nasty temper. Worse then mine." Tala warned her.
Alex snorted. " You don't have a temper." She pushed his nose towards his face and walked away towards Lord Bryan.
" What do you want, I'm busy!" Bryan snapped at her and then looked to watch his training group.
" Just had a thought and I wanted to tell it to you. Your men can hit that target fine. But there targets will be moving. No respecting idiot will be standing still. They need a live target." Alex smirked.
Lord Bryan smirked as well and looked at her. " Live target? Not a bad idea. Now were are we going to get one?" His eyes resting apon her.
Alex smirk deepened. " I'll volenteer. But don't think that I'm letting your gaurds inpail me with there spears. I'll be catching them before they hit me. Will that work?"
Lord Bryan nodded. " Stop." He called to the training men.
They fell silent and turned to face Bryan. " We will me trying something new, something that we have never tried before. You will now one at a time take turns trying to hit a live target."
There was muttering in the group of men. Just then Ray and Tyson were lead into the training grounds by Kai and they stopped when they heard Bryan say Live target.
" Live? What will they use?" Tyson asked curiously.
Kai shock his head and Ray spoke up. " A deer maybe, but how would they catch one with out harming it?"
Lord Bryan smirked and pointed to Alex then motioned for her to take her place under the swinging target.
" You will try to hit Alex and she will determine if you are doing it right, if your doing it right she will catch it, if you did something wrong, she will dodge it. Do you understand?"
Alex nodded and the men yelled. " Sir yes Sir!"
They turned towards Alex and they listened for further instrucktion by Alex.
Alex spoke up loudly for all to hear. " Ok then, we will start from my right and work our way down the line. So you start."
She pointed at the man on her far right and he toke aim. Alex got in her ready position as Ray, Tyson and Kai watched in horror.
