Disclaimer: I don't own the Tamora Pierce characters
Warning: A very undetailed character rape and beating is mentioned in this chapter and may be mentioned in others. If you don't like this, please don't read this anymore. I don't want to upset anyone.
Chapter 4 Messaundra
Three days after her mother's visit, Daine still wasn't any better. She was holding out in her room refusing to eat or do anything. She kept scaring away any slave that dared to enter. None wanted to be picked as her personal slave. Ozorne was getting more and more upset with her also. Generally the two could be heard on the other side of the palace. No one dared to come near her, especially when he was around.
Someone however had to take Daine's food to her and it ended up being a new person every day because of the way she treated them whenever they came into her room. The unlucky slave today ended up being Messaundra, a girl barely one year older than Daine. Messaundra wasn't too happy with this, but since she was a slave she had no choice.
On her way to the room, she kept remembering all the things the other slaves were saying that happened to them. The way she threw things at them, yelled at them, had rodents attack them. The worst , so she heard, was when she just sat there and stared at them with a burning hatred in her eyes. The others said that they felt a chill all the way to their bones. The others only came out with scratches at the most, but the ones she stared at came out fearing for their lives.
Thinking of all the horrible things that could happen to her, Messaundra entered the feared Lady Josephine's room calling out, "Nobility...nobility, will you be eating today? Nobility, are you here?"
Looking around, she didn't see anyone. She thought that this was strange since no one had ever seen her leave the room. She decided to look around in the privy and the private gardens. She wasn't there. Messaundra decided to just wait for the Lady to return since she'd probably get in trouble if she didn't.
She didn't have to wait long, for five minutes later Daine entered red faced and ranting to her self. She kept talking about some jerk and how he thought he could just order her to do anything he wanted. She was just about to continue saying something else when she finally noticed Messaundra.
"What do you want?! What are you doing in my room?!"
"I-I was just seeing if you wanted anything to eat, Nobility." Messaundra replied in a small voice.
"How many times do I have to say that I don't want to eat until you people get it? No, I don't want to eat! But I do want you to stop calling me nobility!!" Daine yelled.
"Yes, of course, Nobility." Messaundra replied.
"I said don't call me that!"
Before Daine could say something else or Messaundra make a reply, Ozorne entered. He did not look happy. Neither did Lady Josephine, now that Messaundra looked at her. She thought they must be having a lover's spat. A lot of couples start getting into a lot of arguments once they were engaged, she figured. Ozorne took one look at her and ordered her out, which of course she obeyed.
She didn't actually leave, though. She decided to stay and watch since she didn't have anything else to do at the moment. Or, in actuality, didn't want anything else to do. They always gave her the hardest stuff to do in the kitchens and laundry areas so that she was the only one to get whipped when the work wasn't done. What she saw, though, made her wish that she had gone back to the kitchens.
She saw the two get into a really big argument. Something about her not giving him what he deserved and her saying he deserved nothing and least of all that. There was a lot of other stuff that was mentioned but she only understood tidbits of it since they were so loud. There was something about a kidnapping and the ruining of a life, but that's about all she really understood.
None of that, though, was what made her wish she had left. No, it was when he first hit Lady Josephine that she truly felt like she should leave, but she had the feeling she should stay and watch. And watch she did as they fought ferociously with each each other. She watched as the Lady started to lose the battle. And she watched in horror as the Emperor raped his future Emperess, despite all her screaming, and attempts at biting and scratching.
As Ozorne got up to leave with a smile on his face, Messaundra ran down the hallway. She knew that she couldn't just leave the the poor lady like that, beaten and bruised, but she also knew that she'd be dead and unable to help the Lady if she were caught. She ran as fast as she could and barely made it out of sight before he exited the room.
As she was running, she decided to make a stop at the medicine area for two reasons. One she had to get some medicine to the Lady because she doubted she wanted very many people to know about what was happening. The other was for three very powerful charms that she would have to steal.
Once she had gotten the stuff she returned right away to Lady Josephine's room. When Messaundra got back to the room, she found the Lady laying in her bed, crying. Messaundra set all her stuff down and went over to Lady Josephine. The Lady said nothing as Messaundra pulled into her lap to soothe her.
When she finally quit crying, Messaundra got up and handed her the medicine. "What's this?" Josephine asked.
"Its some stuff for the pain and some for healing, Nobility." Messaundra replied.
"I thought I told you to quit calling me that," Lady Josephine said quietly, taking the medicine and instantly feeling a little better. "What's your name?"
"Mine, Nobility?" Messundra asked, surprised.
"Yes, yours," Josephine replied before making a face and repling, "And would you please stop calling me that?"
"My name is Messaundra, Lady Josephine."
"Ugh, don't call me that either!!"
"Why don't you want to be called by you name...mistress?" Messaundra asked.
"Because its not my name, Messaundra my..."
"Messa."
"What?"
"Call me Messa. I don't really like Messaundra."
"Okay. Anyway, as I was saying, my name is Veralidaine Sarrasri. But you can just call me Daine."
"That I will do just as soon as I draw you a nice, hot bath." Messa said matter of factly. Upon seeing Daine's odd look she explained, "It will do some good for the pain you feel ... on the inside. Plus I bet you want to wash off the blood and it'll just feel good.
During her bath, Daine told Messa her whole story, from the beginning in Galla to Tortall to Carthak. After that bath Daine really did feel much better, but really wanted some sleep. Before she left, Messa gave Daine two of the three charms explaining, "The one is a very powerful antipregnacy charm that can't be seen by any but the wearer and the other is one that allows you to know when someone is listening. See its clear at the moment and that means no one is. I have one, too" With that she got up to leave.
"Wait Messa, would you like to be my personal...servant?" Daine asked uncertainly.
"Yes!! Of course," Messa replied eagerly, "I'll move into the adjoining room right away." And with that she left Daine to her sleep. From that day forth they were more that just master/servant, they were friends.
A/N: I hope everyone has/had a happy fourth of July. I would also like to thank the follow for their reviews and suggestions:
Wake-Robin
mepb
DestinyHunter
The Emperess Magelet
Warning: A very undetailed character rape and beating is mentioned in this chapter and may be mentioned in others. If you don't like this, please don't read this anymore. I don't want to upset anyone.
Chapter 4 Messaundra
Three days after her mother's visit, Daine still wasn't any better. She was holding out in her room refusing to eat or do anything. She kept scaring away any slave that dared to enter. None wanted to be picked as her personal slave. Ozorne was getting more and more upset with her also. Generally the two could be heard on the other side of the palace. No one dared to come near her, especially when he was around.
Someone however had to take Daine's food to her and it ended up being a new person every day because of the way she treated them whenever they came into her room. The unlucky slave today ended up being Messaundra, a girl barely one year older than Daine. Messaundra wasn't too happy with this, but since she was a slave she had no choice.
On her way to the room, she kept remembering all the things the other slaves were saying that happened to them. The way she threw things at them, yelled at them, had rodents attack them. The worst , so she heard, was when she just sat there and stared at them with a burning hatred in her eyes. The others said that they felt a chill all the way to their bones. The others only came out with scratches at the most, but the ones she stared at came out fearing for their lives.
Thinking of all the horrible things that could happen to her, Messaundra entered the feared Lady Josephine's room calling out, "Nobility...nobility, will you be eating today? Nobility, are you here?"
Looking around, she didn't see anyone. She thought that this was strange since no one had ever seen her leave the room. She decided to look around in the privy and the private gardens. She wasn't there. Messaundra decided to just wait for the Lady to return since she'd probably get in trouble if she didn't.
She didn't have to wait long, for five minutes later Daine entered red faced and ranting to her self. She kept talking about some jerk and how he thought he could just order her to do anything he wanted. She was just about to continue saying something else when she finally noticed Messaundra.
"What do you want?! What are you doing in my room?!"
"I-I was just seeing if you wanted anything to eat, Nobility." Messaundra replied in a small voice.
"How many times do I have to say that I don't want to eat until you people get it? No, I don't want to eat! But I do want you to stop calling me nobility!!" Daine yelled.
"Yes, of course, Nobility." Messaundra replied.
"I said don't call me that!"
Before Daine could say something else or Messaundra make a reply, Ozorne entered. He did not look happy. Neither did Lady Josephine, now that Messaundra looked at her. She thought they must be having a lover's spat. A lot of couples start getting into a lot of arguments once they were engaged, she figured. Ozorne took one look at her and ordered her out, which of course she obeyed.
She didn't actually leave, though. She decided to stay and watch since she didn't have anything else to do at the moment. Or, in actuality, didn't want anything else to do. They always gave her the hardest stuff to do in the kitchens and laundry areas so that she was the only one to get whipped when the work wasn't done. What she saw, though, made her wish that she had gone back to the kitchens.
She saw the two get into a really big argument. Something about her not giving him what he deserved and her saying he deserved nothing and least of all that. There was a lot of other stuff that was mentioned but she only understood tidbits of it since they were so loud. There was something about a kidnapping and the ruining of a life, but that's about all she really understood.
None of that, though, was what made her wish she had left. No, it was when he first hit Lady Josephine that she truly felt like she should leave, but she had the feeling she should stay and watch. And watch she did as they fought ferociously with each each other. She watched as the Lady started to lose the battle. And she watched in horror as the Emperor raped his future Emperess, despite all her screaming, and attempts at biting and scratching.
As Ozorne got up to leave with a smile on his face, Messaundra ran down the hallway. She knew that she couldn't just leave the the poor lady like that, beaten and bruised, but she also knew that she'd be dead and unable to help the Lady if she were caught. She ran as fast as she could and barely made it out of sight before he exited the room.
As she was running, she decided to make a stop at the medicine area for two reasons. One she had to get some medicine to the Lady because she doubted she wanted very many people to know about what was happening. The other was for three very powerful charms that she would have to steal.
Once she had gotten the stuff she returned right away to Lady Josephine's room. When Messaundra got back to the room, she found the Lady laying in her bed, crying. Messaundra set all her stuff down and went over to Lady Josephine. The Lady said nothing as Messaundra pulled into her lap to soothe her.
When she finally quit crying, Messaundra got up and handed her the medicine. "What's this?" Josephine asked.
"Its some stuff for the pain and some for healing, Nobility." Messaundra replied.
"I thought I told you to quit calling me that," Lady Josephine said quietly, taking the medicine and instantly feeling a little better. "What's your name?"
"Mine, Nobility?" Messundra asked, surprised.
"Yes, yours," Josephine replied before making a face and repling, "And would you please stop calling me that?"
"My name is Messaundra, Lady Josephine."
"Ugh, don't call me that either!!"
"Why don't you want to be called by you name...mistress?" Messaundra asked.
"Because its not my name, Messaundra my..."
"Messa."
"What?"
"Call me Messa. I don't really like Messaundra."
"Okay. Anyway, as I was saying, my name is Veralidaine Sarrasri. But you can just call me Daine."
"That I will do just as soon as I draw you a nice, hot bath." Messa said matter of factly. Upon seeing Daine's odd look she explained, "It will do some good for the pain you feel ... on the inside. Plus I bet you want to wash off the blood and it'll just feel good.
During her bath, Daine told Messa her whole story, from the beginning in Galla to Tortall to Carthak. After that bath Daine really did feel much better, but really wanted some sleep. Before she left, Messa gave Daine two of the three charms explaining, "The one is a very powerful antipregnacy charm that can't be seen by any but the wearer and the other is one that allows you to know when someone is listening. See its clear at the moment and that means no one is. I have one, too" With that she got up to leave.
"Wait Messa, would you like to be my personal...servant?" Daine asked uncertainly.
"Yes!! Of course," Messa replied eagerly, "I'll move into the adjoining room right away." And with that she left Daine to her sleep. From that day forth they were more that just master/servant, they were friends.
A/N: I hope everyone has/had a happy fourth of July. I would also like to thank the follow for their reviews and suggestions:
Wake-Robin
mepb
DestinyHunter
The Emperess Magelet