Another Day

Chapter 14

Tyger, Tyger

Rei closed the door to Tala's room. Eddie had simply put the redhead to bed, stating that apart from a light headache the young master would be fine. Soft snores could be heard through the door. Eddie had been puzzled though; it was most unusual for Lady Sarah to call him up for something as small as this. She should have recognised the situation and put her child to bed on her own; she loved to care for her son and daughter that way, and she still tucked Adria in at night. And she wasn't the only one acting strange; Tala had hardly ever touched alcohol before. "Everyone is acting weird today," he had said with a shake of his head.

Now Rei stood with his hand still on the handle and listened to the other slave's fading steps. 'Kai is turning us all on our heads and he doesn't even know it.' He turned to look at the door to his own room, but decided against going in; Kai was probably sleeping, and if he wasn't then what would Rei say to him? 'Hey, Kai, I feel horrible for not defending you yesterday, can I kiss you again?' Rei resisted the urge to hit his head on the door; it would probably wake up Tala. 'Me and my big brain.'

The kitchen was silent. For once there was no one there. Rei stood indecisive at first, but the house seemed suddenly cold to him and so he went outside. Tyson and Max were doing the last of the feather-sweeping in the sunlight. Everyone had wanted to help Steve and Ian, who were going to have to replant most of the garden. The two gardeners were over by the wall, cleaning up the torn ivy. Some of the birds had managed to get to the top of the wall, but they had been caught and brought back inside. Judy was sitting with Adria on a bench. Everyone was quiet, apart from the odd word to help the work along. Rei went over to the women on the bench. Since he came here he had found a good friend in Adria. She was the sweetest child one could imagine.

"Hey, angel! You want to go see if we can ride one of the horses?" Rei called.

Adria jumped off the bench and ran over to him, "That would be great!" She looked to Judy for permission, and the woman nodded. Together they set out for the stable.

They didn't see anyone in there at first. "Maybe Enrique is inside," Adria said.

They both jumped at the sudden voice that spoke up from the shadows, "I'm over here." Suddenly, and seemingly out of nowhere, the blonde had popped up. He had been sitting beside Carry, inside the stall.

"Enrique, we didn't see you," Rei said.

"Sorry," Enrique answered, "This happens all the time when I sit in here."

Adria hurried over to the stall, and reached out to pet Carry. She laughed at Rei's confusion, "This place is great for playing hide and seek. You can see everyone who is coming in, but they can't see you, and Carry never gives you away."

Rei leaned on the wall, shaking his head in amusement, but then his hand hit an odd angle; a hole! Rei turned around and studied it, "So this is where the key was kept. Ian told me it was in here somewhere." The little door was open. The key was not there. Steve must have it still.

Enrique came over, "Wow. Right under my nose! But then this corner is always laid in shadow." They stared at it. "You think he'll be ok?" Enrique asked after a moment.

Rei sighed, "On the outside, yes, on the inside…I can't tell." Why did everyone ask him that anyway? Why not just ask Kai? 'Because they all feel guilty and they are afraid of what he will answer.' His mind wasn't cooperating with him today.

Adria looked sad as well. "I don't think Kai meant to be mean." She sounded so hopeful.

Rei lifted her up into the air, she was heavy, she was ten years old after all, but he didn't mind. "I am certain he didn't mean to," he assured her.

Hours later, Rei entered his room silently. Kai was lying with his face to the wall, away from Rei. Even in the darkness he could see that the bandages were coloured red. The feline tiptoed over to Kai and made sure that he was asleep. His face was peaceful now, and he seemed young and innocent without his usual serious expression.

The feline had stayed outside with Enrique and Adria for as long as he could, but in the end he had been forced to face the plain, white door to his room. Today had begun terribly fast and then ended equally slow. It seemed forever since the staff had been forced to endure Kai's punishment and yet Rei remembered it so vividly. 'You really didn't do it, did you?' He thought, and let his fingers touch the other boy's blue tresses before he turned to his own bed. Tomorrow would see things right. At least he hoped so.

*~*~*

Rei buttoned up his shirt and cast one last look at the sleeping Kai before heading out. He had woken up to the ringing of bells, and realised that it wasn't a part of his dream after all, and that Danielle wanted to see him. Kai had remained fast asleep, the lucky idiot.

The corridor was empty. It was still early, but the rest of the family would soon be waking and calling for their breakfast. Rei suspected that Tylia was already busy in the kitchen downstairs, and Boris had been gone when Rei passed his bed. The man was always awake way before everyone else, but whether he actually had anything specific to do in these early hours Rei didn't know. Judy would be up soon too. It really wasn't fair; the personal servants had to get up at all sorts of horrible times just because their masters were morning persons. Rei was not a morning person.

The door to Danielle's room was very plain. Who could have guessed what dangers hid behind the light brown wood? He took a deep breath, knocked, and entered when he was called. Danielle was sitting in front of her mirror, which was attached to a small desk with drawers on both sides. In front of her lay several brushes and hairpins and other necessary items. "Took you long enough," she said impatiently. Rei didn't answer. He was used to her moods by now.

He took up the hardest brush and began fixing her hair. He had managed to make her abandon her project of tampering with his pride and joy, and felt a bit safer now. She had long, brown hair, which shone as he brushed out all the tangles. She chatted happily while he combed her tresses, first with the hard brush and then with a softer one. He didn't really listen before his ears caught some interesting words.

"It is really too bad that the dinner had to be cancelled. It would have been a perfect opportunity to show of my new dress, but I guess I can wait for the party." She was leaning her head on her hands, and looking at herself in the mirror, admiringly. He had to smile at her.

Rei put down the brush and began to braid her hair. "What party?" He asked.

She turned, and looked at him, making him loose his hold on her hair. Now he had to begin anew, but she didn't notice, "You don't know? Every year the McGregors hold a big party, and we are always invited. It is a few weeks from now. There will be lots of people coming, all sorts of fine families, and you will have to come with me of course; many people bring their servants along." Rei tied off the braid with a white band that fit her dress. She dressed herself, and would never let him sit by her bath, which he was more than happy about.

"Oh," was all he answered.

A little while later Rei was downstairs, having just finished his breakfast. Danielle hadn't wanted hers on the bed today, so he didn't have to serve her. Before he could slip off somewhere though, Tylia grabbed a hold of him, "Rei, could you do me a favour?" He nodded; sure he could. The cook handed him a tray with a white cloth over. It smelled faintly of newly baked bread, "Could you take this up to Kai? He hasn't been allowed out of bed yet, poor thing."

Rei took the tray. He walked up the stairs with some difficulty, before heading for the door to his own room, but then a voice spoke up behind him, "Where are you going with that tray?"

Rei turned in surprise when he recognised Carlos voice. "What do you care, Carlos?"

The other boy was coming down from the third floor, looking his usual smug self, and Rei couldn't help but shiver at the open malice that shone in his eyes. 'Something is seriously wrong with that guy,' he thought. Carlos walked slowly over to the feline, who felt suddenly vulnerable with both hands busy holding the tray.

"Well? Where are you going?"

Rei remembered Kai's reaction to Carlos earlier, and went for a lie, "It's for Danielle."

But the other boy just laughed, "She is eating with the family today. You are bringing that to the little criminal, aren't you?"

The feline's eyes narrowed, "He isn't a criminal, Carlos."

The black haired boy began to circle Rei slowly, "Isn't he? So you don't think he let out the birds just to get even with Tala?"

Rei was surprised; what was Tala's name doing alone in that sentence? "No, I don't," he answered. A sudden cloud of anger shadowed Carlos' face and before Rei could stop him he hit the tray hard from beneath, making it fly out of Rei's hands and spill onto the carpet.

"What did you do that for?" Rei shouted, but the other boy just laughed again before walking away. The feline stood behind, looking down at the ruined food.

He jumped a mile when a new voice came from behind him, "What is going on here?" Rei turned around and found Lady Sarah standing there, looking curious. She seemed to be back to her old self.

He hurried to apologise, "I am sorry, my Lady. I…tripped."

She smiled with something like...was that relief? "Don't worry. We'll get it cleaned up and you can get another tray." Of course, by "we" she meant him and the servant that she would call for. Antonio came from the kitchen with a new tray, and set about cleaning up the old while Rei completed his original task.

Before he could enter his room, however, Lady Sarah called for him, "Come by the painting room afterwards, alright?"

He nodded, and slipped into his own room before anyone else could interrupt him. As he closed the door he realised that she had had to see what Carlos had done, but she hadn't said anything about it, or called on Rei for his lie. That was odd.

Kai was sitting up in the bed, seemingly just about to put on his shirt, when Rei came in. The injured boy looked up in surprise, clearly not wishing to be found awake like this. Rei put the tray on the nightstand between their beds, "You weren't planning on going out, were you?"

Kai looked at the shirt, "So what if I did?"

Rei wasn't bothered by the angry tone; Kai had every right in the world to be angry and the feline knew that it wasn't truly directed at him. "You are still weak, and there is no way Judy would allow you to be outside yet. You would be ushered right back to bed," he said.

The word 'weak' seemed to sting especially for the blue haired boy, "I don't care. I want to go outside, and you can't stop me."

Rei smiled at the almost sullen tone in Kai's voice, "Tala could stop you. And Steve would just put you under one arm and carry you back upstairs. Why don't you eat your breakfast, you mule. You have no idea how much trouble I went through to get it to you."

Kai gave him a curious look, but picked up a slice of bread and the butterknife. Rei smiled at him, and since he felt a bit daring he pressed a quick kiss to Kai's cheek before he left. If he had looked back he would have seen Kai sitting very still on the bed, with wide eyes and a forgotten slice of bread in his hand.

*~*~*

The painting room's walls and ceiling were white. There was a long table along one wall, and many colourful paintings were propped there. A low chair stood in front of an easel with a half finished painting of a vase of flowers. The vase stood on another low table. Lady Sarah was studying the vase when he entered, but she turned to greet him, "Hello, Rei."

He gave her a small bow, "You wanted to see me, my Lady."

She nodded, "Yes, I did. Why don't you sit down over there for a while? I will soon be done here, and then we can talk."

Rei went over to a three-legged stool and sat down, watching her quietly. She painted for a while and he had to admire the ease in which she captured the image of the vase. He could never have done it after her, he knew that. After a while she put the brush down. Then she turned to Rei and gestured for him to follow.

They left the painting room and walked down the hall. The library was empty, and Lady Sarah told him to take a seat in one of the chairs. She sat down on the couch. The library seemed to be the place to sit down and chat, and Rei guessed that this was where the guests were entertained as well. The seat was much softer than he was used to, and he looked longingly at the floor, but didn't dare to go against her.

He watched the lady and waited for her to open the conversation. She seemed to be looking for the right words. "You have been here with us for more than a week now, Rei. Are you happy here?"

The question took him aback, but he answered truthfully, "Yes, my Lady. I can't say that I am not."

She nodded in understanding. "You don't miss your home, then?"

Rei grimaced, "I do, but I've found new friends here, and security."

She smiled, "What about my daughter? Are you happy with her?"

Now what to answer? He had to be careful, "She is alright. We get along just fine."

Lady Sarah looked knowingly at him, "You don't need to hold back, Rei. I invited you to speak your mind."

Still he hesitated, for no matter what she said he still was a servant, and there were always things one couldn't say in that position. "Well," he began, "she if a bit different."

Lady Sarah tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear, "What do you mean?"

"She is…" Rei realised that he was going to have to say the truth, there was no apparent way around it, "You are a very kind person and Mr. Ivanov is a strict, but just man, but Lady Danielle doesn't seem to have inherited any of those qualities. She is a spoiled brat." There, he had said it.

It was her turn to make a move, but Lady Sarah didn't seem angry; she was smiling in recognition, "I know that my daughter can be horrible at times, and she has been spoiled, that is for sure, but you must also remember that she is only twelve years old and has a lot to learn about manners. We were hoping you would have a good influence on her, and I think you have."

Rei wondered if she really meant it or if she was just trying to disarm him, "Thank you, my Lady."

She continued, "In truth, I think she chooses to act spoiled, even when she isn't inclined to by her nature, and you will find that she has a sense of justice in her. It just needs a good opportunity to blossom." The last thing she said before giving Rei permission to leave was, "I also wanted to thank you for helping my son yesterday. I know I seemed ungrateful, but I do appreciate your effort."

He bowed again, "You had had a stressful day, my Lady. Think nothing of it."

Rei went outside. He needed some fresh air and a bright sun to cheer him up. The air was fresh enough, and it was a bright day although the sun was hidden behind large white clouds. Rei walked around the house. The west side of the house was where the birds and the stables were located, and the east side wasn't much used it seemed, but now Rei headed there, simply to stretch his legs. As he turned the corner he saw Tala, and stopped. The redhead was playing with his large, shaggy dog. He tossed a stick and the canine fetched it. As he brought it back Tala awarded him enthusiastically; talking to him and running his hands through his long fur. He tossed the stick again, and for a horrifying moment Rei imagined Kai fetching sticks at Tala's command.

Suddenly Tala looked his way, and an uncomfortable expression spread on his face, but then he squared his shoulders and waved Rei over. The slave approached him carefully, not liking the dog very much. It seemed quite harmless at a distance, but he, just like Kai, associated dogs with cops and didn't have many pleasant memories about them. Tala either didn't notice or didn't care; he just tossed the stick again and watched the dog happily bound after it.

They stood in silence for a moment, but finally the master spoke, "I…wanted to thank you, Rei…for yesterday." He might have said, "For getting me to bed." But that would have been a bit too humiliating. It wasn't a slave's place to question his master, but that didn't mean they couldn't disapprove.

Rei tried to brush it off, but Tala continued, "No, really, thanks. And…well. I remember, you see…pretty much all of it, and…I know I said some things to you, that perhaps I shouldn't have said." He made a halting progress, but Rei was patient, and waited for Tala to find his courage. Rei couldn't remember the redhead saying anything offensive to him, so what was bothering him so?

"I hope…" Tala closed his eyes for a moment and blurted out, "I hope you haven't told Kai what I told you about him yesterday." The slave needed a few moments to get over the shock. So that was it. Tala turned to him fully and grabbed his jacket, "You didn't tell him? Did you?"

Rei hurried to assure him, "Of course I didn't. It wasn't my place to." Not to mention that he would rather that Kai didn't know how Tala felt about him.

Tala let go with a sigh of relief. "I can't let him hear that. It's not that I didn't mean it, but…I've got a girlfriend now." He looked anxiously at Rei, fearing a negative reaction.

The feline raised an eyebrow, "When did you get a girlfriend, sir?"

Tala smiled a little, "Her name is Erica. She is wonderful. We've been together for quite long, but she lives sort of far off and we have been wondering whether to break it off because of that. The last week I have been waiting for a letter from her, making the final decision, but she wanted to stay with me, and I am glad for that. I think I love her."

Rei nodded in understanding, but there was still one problem, "I wonder how Kai will feel about that."

Tala shrugged, "It will hardly affect him. He won't care." It was the same as always; Rei saw only how Kai cared about Tala, while Tala saw only how Kai was attracted to Rei. The feline didn't say anything more about it.

He and Tala hadn't really gotten to know each other before the fourth day after the new slaves arrived at the Ivanov mansion. They had met in the hall, and Tala had asked if Rei would walk with him. They talked and found that they had a lot in common. Like an interest in Kai. Rei tried to suppress the flutter of hope that made his stomach tickle. The way was clear now, no more Tala to block his way. 'Oh, don't think like that! Kai doesn't even notice me anyway.'

The dog returned with the stick, and he went over to Rei and sniffed his hand curiously. Rei jumped back in fright and Tala laughed, "You don't like dogs, Rei?"

The slave shook his head, "They bite."

The redhead bent down and petted the animal, "Assler doesn't bite unless I tell him to. Don't worry." The two boys stayed out in the garden for a while, and Tala tried to help Rei get over his fear of canines. The sky darkened slowly, and eventually rain began to fall. It was lunch time by then, so Rei and Tala went inside, leaving the bad weather behind. A strong wind began to blow over the garden.