He stood in the front hall of the mansion, eyes flitting around the room. He saw a young woman walking down the stairs. Her arms were full of dirty sheets and what looked like a green dress. No doubt it belonged to English's younger sister. She dropped the array of cloth on the shining floor and went on her way. Dirk rolled his eyes and walked over to the pile, picking it up. Leaving bedding and clothes on the ground was disgusting, even if it was dirty.

"Oh sir, I am so sorry! We just got a new maid," A girl with short red curls skidded in front of him, holding out her arms for the pile of cloth. "I am so sorry. It's unsanitary, I know but she isn't well versed in the life of a housekeeper. Now, if you'd please let me have those linens, I'll get them in the wash."

Dirk smiled and handed them to her. "It's fine, miss. She just dropped it without care and this dress looks expensive." He licked his lips and picked up the end of the dress, scrunching the fabric between his dirty hands. "Such fine fabric should be taken care of with delicacy."

"Right you are, sir." She laughed lightly. "The misses doesn't care for her clothes much. She's rather be wearing her brother's clothes than these stuffy dresses!"

He nodded, "I've never been a fan of dresses either, to be honest. They get in the way of more important things." He winked at the girl and she blushed darkly.

"Sir, I don't think the master would like hearing you use such...suggestive terms..." She stared at the ground, her face burning. She clamped her arms around the linens tighter. "What is your name? You don't sound like a royal or anyone of a high class society."

"It's because I'm not."

"Then who are you?"

"Dirk Strider, pirate and captain of the Derse Dreamer," He said, stepping away from the girl with a smirk.

Her mouth fell open in a silent scream and she took a step back, tripping backwards over the long linens. Dirk shot forward, catching her before she hit the glossy marble. She'd surely have died if he hasn't caught her in time.

"I didn't know I had such an effect on women."

She screamed and Dirk clamped a hand over her mouth. He sent her a glare as Equius came back into the main hall.

"Off of her, now," barked Equius, coming over to them. Dirk let go and got up, watching Equius help the girl up. "Nepeta, are you alright?"

She nodded shakily, "I-I think so..."

Equius kissed her forehead. "Go do your washing, lamb." He picked up the linens and then helped her up. "And tell that new maid to get her act together. We'll be having guests in a few days."

Nepeta nodded and smiled. She took the linens from Equius and turned on her heel, skipping away. Equius glared at Dirk who patted his arm.

"Hey, if I hadn't caught her, she would've died." He looked around the main hall again and sighed. "Aren't you supposed to get me fed and clothed?"

"I will not clothe you and I will not feed you," Equius quipped and grasped the back of Dirk's neck, steering him into a small hallway. "You are to meet your superior house servant and you will show her respect. Be kind and courteous to her. She does not take rudeness lightly."

Dirk nodded the best he could. It probably wasn't the best idea to talk. His senses screamed at him to get away from Equius but he ignored them. He wouldn't hurt him, would he?

Equius opened a door to a kitchen and ushered Dirk inside. "Jane, this is Dirk Strider. His is the master's newest personal slave. You know the drill."

A woman looked up from the tea she was stirring and smiled at them, "Thank you Equius, you may go." She shooed him away and Dirk was left standing in front of the door that he and Equius had come in through. He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, staring at Jane. "Sit down, love. Lets get you taken care of."

He sat down hesitantly across from her and she rolled her blue eyes. Her black curls were still pinned to her head on one side and Dirk let a small smile grace his lips. "Shouldn't you finish your hair first?" He asked, motioning to the pinned up curls.

She shook her head, the curls hitting her cheeks with the rapid movement. "My hair can wait, Jake cannot. He's terribly impatient," she giggled and pushed her cup of tea into Dirk's hands. "Drink up, love. It's probably all you're going to get the rest of the day."

"Thanks..." He muttered and sipped at it. It had an interesting taste to it. It was tart, yet sweet with just enough spice to warm him up. He drank a little more of it and smiled at Jane. "Wonderful tea, best I've ever had," Dirk complimented as Jane rummaged through the wooden cupboards above the counter.

"Oh please, I'm not half as good as my father was at making tea," Jane said sadly, still looking through the cupboards. She gave a cry of triumph and held up two small containers of a poultice. "How long were you in the sun for?" She asked, setting the jars in front of him. She cupped his face and brushed the tips of her fingers over his bloody face. "And these cuts on your face, when were these received?"

"Little over 6 hours in the sun and the cuts are fresh," He sipped at the tea, "is the burn bad?"

Jane looked at it and cringed. "Yes, your neck is lobster red..." She opened one jar and dipped her fingers in the green colored poultice. She began to slather it on the burnt skin which had scabbed over.

He hissed when Jane rubbed the cream over it. He slowly relaxed into her gentle hands rubbing his neck. They were quickly replaced by rags dipped in tea and plastered to his neck. She opened the second jar that held a thick cream colored poultice. Jane smeared it onto a cloth and dabbed it over the cut on his cheek. She continued this until the poultice had disappeared, leaving the skin around the cut, moist. She plucked a string from her ratty skirt and brought a needle from the rag tied around her waist. She thread the string through and began to stitch the larger cuts closed. Jake's rings had dug deep into his face. After she had finished and smeared more of the poultice over them, Dirk groaned and laid his head on the rickety table, body shaking slightly.

"You'll most likely have scars," Jane commented with a flick of her wrist. She collected the two jars and the cup of tea, depositing them on a counter with a sigh. "I suppose you're hungry."

"Starving."

"Well all I have are some pastries baking..." She trailed off and then gasped in realization. "I may have some dried meat in the cupboard." She started to undo the other half of her hair, the curls falling into her face as she set the clips down on the counter.

"Meat?" He said, shifting his gaze from the ground to Jane's face, "which cupboard?"

"The meat should be in the one above the fireplace."

He got up and opened the cupboard, pulling out the dried meat. He stuck a piece in his mouth and chewed it slowly, the rich juices tasting like heaven on his tongue. He sighed, eyes closing as he chewed the meat.

"Like it?" Jane giggled and opened a door leading to a garden.

"Yes. It's very rich," He opened up his eyes and walked over to Jane, tossing another piece of meat into his mouth. "Nice garden."

"Grab the basket on the table, would you?" She smiled and headed down the steps into the garden. Dirk plucked it off the table and followed her.

"What are we picking?" He set the basket at his feet and picked at a piece of meat that was caught in his molars.

"The tomatoes aren't ripe yet so I suppose we'll settle for an apple crumble tonight." She grabbed the basket and tugged Dirk along. "Do you know how to pick out a good apple, Dirk?"

"I have my moments. I've picked some pretty bad ones in my life," He replied, implying something that didn't have anything to do with apples.

"Oh?" She raised a black eyebrow and reached up, plucking a light green apple from a tree. "Are you one for bad decisions?"

"You could say that." He pulled a darker apple from the tree, biting into it. The crunch from it was loud and satisfying to his ears. "This is a good one," He said through a mouthful of mashed apple.

Jane held out her hand and he dropped the apple into her palm. She brought it to her mouth and took a bite, sighing at the rush of flavor that hit her palette. "You make a fantastic apple picker," She giggled, taking another bite.

"Thanks."

They continued to pick apples till the sun fell, both laughing and poking fun at each other. They fell into a routine, smiling and eating while they picked. It was easy to talk to Jane, tell her about why he was there. She gave sympathetic smiles and small gestures of care. She held his hand when he started to cry. He hadn't meant to but as old memories that he thought he'd lost, resurfaced, he became a sobbing mess.

He told her about his mother. She was charming lady with years of aristocracy under her belt. She held her head high even in the face of humiliation. He talked about his dead brother, who he had sworn to avenge. It's why he has wanted to become a pirate. He didn't say how either of them died because it hurt too much to talk about them.

Jane wiped away his tears. "Hush...it's okay," She whispered, pulling him into a hug. She rubbed his back and then patted it. "Let's go back inside before Jake has a fit."

Dirk stood up and helped Jane stand. He picked up the basket and followed Jane back into the kitchen. He set the basket on the table and Jane disappeared momentarily but came back holding a wad of cloth.

"Here you go," She said, handing Dirk the bundle of cloth.

"What is it?" He unraveled the clothing, eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"The clothes that you'll be wearing from now on," Jane smiled. "Jake is usually more conservative about how we are to dress but when it comes to his personal servants, he wants them as close to naked as possible."

Dirk sighed and nodded. The clothes were meant to humiliate. He removed his boots and pants, standing naked in front of her. He pulled the wad apart and put the white skirt like clothing over his hips. He clipped the brown sash together and tied it off. He picked up the gold jewelry and hung it around his neck, hissing at the way it felt against the cloth covered sunburn.

"There's a bracelet that you need to wear as well. It goes up on your arm." Jane held up the bracelet and Dirk took it, sliding it onto his wrist and then up his arm.

He faced Jane with a small smile. "How do I look?"

"I think he'd rather have you naked...here, put this on under the skirt," she giggled and handed him small pair of shorts. "It should keep everything from hanging down and getting in the way."

Dirk laughed and tugged the shorts on underneath the skirt. "Thank you."

The kitchen door opened and Jake walked in, eyeing Dirk. The blond glared at him and Jane gathered up his dirty clothes.

"Has he eaten yet?" Jake asked, picking an apple out of the basket and rolling it around in his hand.

"Not a full meal but yes he has," Jane replied, taking the apple away and returning it to the basket.

"Good. His brother and sis-"

"Cousin," Dirk corrected.

"Excuse me, brother and cousin will be joining you for supper, Jane. Be sure to prepare a good meal and send them off to bed with their work clothes," instructed the raven-haired girl.

She nodded and looked over at Dirk. "What about him?" She asked.

"Mister Strider is to follow me. He has work to do," Jake sniffed and trudged out of the kitchen.

Jane motioned for Dirk to follow after Jake and he jogged to catch up with the Commodore. His jewelry clinked together as he jogged. He walked a half step behind him. His gaze flicked from picture to picture on the walls, remembering where he was at. He felt a chill rack through his body and he narrowed his eyes. He'd been here before, in this house, walked these halls.

He stopped walking, staring up at a picture of the late queen, his mother. He touched the frame of the painting, frowning. Jake turned his body a quarter degree, staring at the blond.

"That's the late queen," He commented, walking over to the painting. "Such a beautiful lady, it's a shame she's dead."

"Know how she died?" He cocked his head to the side. He loved his mother dearly and he fought back the tears that wanted to spring forward.

Jake scoffed, "Come now Strider, even you would surely know how she passed."

"No, I don't actually," the blond sneered.

Jake sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know how she passed. I wasn't living in England when she died. I heard she was kidnapped and killed when the king wouldn't pay the ransom."

Dirk shook his head, smirking. "Yeah, I'm sure that's what he wants people to believe."

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind me," He waved the question off. "What do you want me to do?"

"Cleaning," said Jake.

"Cleaning?"

Jake smirked and wrapped an arm around Dirk's shoulders, steering him away from the painting. He let himself be led to the ballroom and turned in circles as Jake told him what to do.

"You will clean this entire room from top to bottom," Jake said, pressing his chest to Dirk's back. "You have three days to clean it. If you fail to clean it within those three days, you will be punished."

Dirk smirked and laid his head back, resting it on Jake's shoulder. He tilted to the left, his right arm coming up to grasp the back of Jake's neck, gently. "What kind of punishment? He whispered, lips brushing against the commodore's neck.

"Whatever I see fit..." Jake replied, his voice low. He gripped Dirk's hips tightly. "Get to work, Strider. Your time starts in a quarter hour. Buena suerte," chuckled Jake. He patted Dirk's naked chest and pulled away, walking towards the doors.

"What am I supposed to clean this room with?" Dirk questioned.

"Ask Jane," replied Jake, smirking, "And I suggest you hurry. You're wasting valuable prep time." He winked and left, walking down a long hall and turning right. His boots echoed as they tapped against the marble floors.

Dirk walked over to the window and ran his finger over the sill. He lifted the dirty finger up to his face and glared at it. This room hadn't been cleaned in years, by how filthy the window sills were. He sighed and headed out of the ballroom and back to the kitchen. He asked Jane for her assistance which she gladly gave. She instructed him where to fill up the buckets he would need and where he could find some rags to clean with.

Dirk filled up to large pails with water and some soap. He dropped the rags in the soapy water and walked back to the ballroom, carrying the buckets with him. When he returned to the room, he left the buckets there and went to fetch something to lie against the wall while he cleaned. He would have to reach all the way up to the ceiling to clean the highest part of the windows.

He left and came back, Equius helping him with the ladder. He thanked the larger male who nodded in reply.

As he was leaving he called over his shoulder, "A word of advice, Dirk. Take as few breaks as possible. It will be not only easier on your body but it will also give you more time." He grunted his thanks and Equius left.

Dirk sighed and dunked a rag in one of the two buckets, wringing it out. He headed up the ladder and began to clean. By the time he had finished the top half of the panes of glass on one side of the room, the sun had already set. He only chose to do half because it would take more time to do the full pane in one go. He leaned against the wood paneling and ran a hand through his hair. He dropped the rag into the bucket and let out a long, tired sigh.

"I'm impressed, Dirk," Jake said as he walked into the ballroom.

"Is it to your liking?" Dirk sneered, shutting his eyes.

Jake chuckled and placed his hands on his hips as he looked around the room. "It's still a bit...dusty," commented the brunet.

"I'm not done yet," retorted Dirk, pushing off the wall. His bare feet thumped softly against the floor as he walked over to the Englishman. "When I'm finished with this room, it will be spotless."

Jake grinned, "I'll hold you to your word."

He rolled his eyes and pushed past Jake, buckets in hand. He needed to dump the water and wash the rags out so that they weren't covered blackened dirt. Jake scoffed and followed him.

Dirk dumped the water out and filled it with cleaner water. He got more soap and cleaned the rags. Jake watched him work, frowning.

"Is something wrong, sir?" asked Dirk, dropping the now clean rag into one of the buckets filled with soapy water. The blond's amber eyes shifted to glare at the commodore.

He shook his head and touched the rags on Dirk's neck. "Go sit down at the table, I'll change those rags for you," said Jake, going to make a pot of tea.

Dirk sat begrudgingly at the table, picking dirt out from under his fingernails. He took the neck jewelry off and started to peel the bandages off, letting out a hiss as damaged skin was pulled away.

"Careful," Jake warned as the tea finished brewing. He dipped the rags in and let them soak as he got the plucked the jar that held the green poultice in it, from the cupboard. He rubbed into Dirk's skin and rung out the tea-soaked bandages. He placed them on Dirk's neck and put the jewelry back on. "I suggest you get back to work, Strider."

Dirk sighed and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He picked up his buckets and left the kitchen, returning to the ballroom where he worked in candlelight. He scrubbed the remaining dust of the already half finished windows and continued with the other half of the room. He scrubbed them clean for hours, only being disturbed once during the entire process by Jane, who was kind enough to bring him some supper and a slice of the apple crumble that she had baked. She kissed his cheek after he was done and went off to bed. He worked into the morning and collapsed on the dusty floor, staring up at the chandelier that he had to clean before he did the floors. He was exhausted but he was driven by a sole purpose to keep going. To prove that smug English bastard wrong.