“I am surprised you chose that one.” My father continued. “Either of the other two young men would have been more suitable. They were much comelier and strongly built. This one will take much time before he is of any true use to you.”
“Any true use? What exactly do you think I wish to use him for?”
My father sighed heavily. “I rather not know.”
“I didn’t choose at all, Father. You know that. He offered himself and his people were too willing to accept it. His own father gave no fight on his behalf.” My mind continuously went to that day when he sacrificed himself to save the other men. His people’s behavior was strange. Only one of them even wept for him. The others almost seemed relieved that he gave himself up, as if it was no loss at all to them. Again and again I replayed the scene, trying to reconcile it to no avail.
“It was a pitiful sight.” Sebastian confirmed without being prompted. Sebastian had served as our intermediary the day of the sentencing, speaking to the criminals on our behalf. He was also the one who led the group that captured the men as they attempted to recover grain from seemingly unprotected storehouses, just outside our walls. The very sight of Sebastian was enough to evoke fear in the men. He towered near seven feet with long white locks down his back with a face which rarely wrinkled into a resemblance of a smile. “I’ve never seen such a thing. The elder men gave not even one word of protest, though it would have been kind for one of them to offer the remaining years of their lives to spare the young man.”
My father sat back in his chair. “Perhaps there is something wrong with the man.”
“There is nothing wrong with him.” I said defensively. I had suspected that for whatever reason, Isaac was considered the one of least consequence. At first, I thought the same as my father, that Isaac was ill or mad. Yet, after six months in his presence, I doubted he was either. I sent word to my guards that watch over his village to find out about the man, though they proved to know no information of interest. For whatever reason the man was kept hidden from us, but I was certain he was not mad. Mad men could rarely learn to be obedient. Nor are they able to show such sacrifice as Isaac did when he volunteered himself on behalf of his men. He displayed such tempered boldness when he asked us to provide the men food before they left. No, he was no madman.
He wasn’t as physically attractive as the other two young men who were with him at the time, yet there was something alluring about Isaac. His eyes were drawing with a mingle of yellow and red, like specks of burning embers. Eyes which he used to stare at me for too long and too often. The man thought he was subtle, but when my head was down while I ate the evening meal, I could feel his eyes on me. When I raised my head, he would quickly avert them. Even as I slept, in the darkness I knew he stared at me before he retired. I assumed he was trying to determine if I was a woman he could trust. Just as I was still determining that of him.
It was pity that drove me to give him a position in my service. I knew it put him in a compromising place. Men fought over positions in my service almost as much as they fought over the position as my husband. The fact that I had given the place to a criminal, angered them, but for reasons I wouldn’t reveal to them, I couldn’t keep him in a slave house. I couldn’t keep him in a cell. I wanted him in my service. I wanted him with me. It was where he was meant to be.
“Is his training progressing well?”
“Dante is certainly working him hard. Isaac has new bruises every day.” Dante had already received a warning from me for I suspected he used Isaac more for sport than for actual training. Yet, foolishly I had not made the time to observe the practice on my own or send someone to do it on my behalf.
“It is good for him to be worked hard. The boy seems too soft. Too pampered. He will need to toughen his skin to justify staying in your presence.” My father looked deep in thought before he smiled slightly. “Your mother would not have approved.”
“Of what?” I said with more sharpness than I intended as Sebastian cleared his throat uncomfortably. My mother was a topic I would rather not discuss with my father. The mention of her almost always ended in an argument between us and my people knew better than to ever mention her in my presence. It had been over 10 years since she passed, and I wished for her memory to rest and not be tainted by the scandal my father brought upon her the latter years of her life.
“You taking a male slave in your service.” My father pressed on. “Keeping him in your bedchambers. Your mother never wished for you to carry slaves.”
“Mother had her own reasons for detesting slaves in our household.” My father looked at me, first in hurt then in anger.
“You will watch your words.”
“What is the harm of me keeping a male slave? I am unmarried and if I so choose to marry, I would not keep Isaac in my bedchamber anymore. I would never want my husband to even fear impropriety given our family’s history with slaves. I would not want him to carry the same look of hurt and betrayal as mother did until the day she died—"
“Enough!” My father stood quickly and bore down over me. “I do not need to ask forgiveness from you for my infidelity. My God, it was 17 years ago, Kiatra! You hold more judgement than God himself! Will you never move away from it—"
“How can I move away from it when you still keep that woman and her daughter in our household? Mother’s household!”
“Leave Sabrina out of this. She is your sister. She is my daughter. She is innocent—"
“She is her mother’s daughter. Conniving, selfish and a threat to us—"
“—She has done nothing to deserve your wrath! As for her mother, in respect for your mother, after her passing I did not take that woman as my wife—”
“That doesn’t keep her away from your bed—"
My father’s blow against my face was hard. The blow wasn’t quite unexpected as I had bated him, yet it was enough for Sebastian to break his composure and gasp in surprise. My head whipped to the right so quickly and painfully for a moment I thought my neck was sprained. I kept my head turned, catching my breath.
“Why are you like this?” My father’s words were so choked with emotion it almost moved me. “Some days I see glimpses of my sweet girl. Others, you are so callous and cruel. Your mother has been gone for 10 years. What do you wish from me?”
What did I wish from him? It was unreasonable for me to expect him to keep away from women after my mother passed. Perhaps I should consider it as reverence for my mother that he did not take a second wife and only kept his mistress. Yet, everything my father did toward the woman and her daughter festered feelings of betrayal in me.
I was too young to understand what it meant when it was discovered that my mother’s slave, Rose, carried my father’s child. How long the infidelity had lasted before the child was conceived, I didn’t know. Yet, I remember my mother receiving the news. I remember Mara taking me out of the room, but not far enough before I heard my mother’s cries. I was young but I noticed how the relationship changed between my mother and father after that day. The only time I remember her and father together again after that was when they held court. But by night, he would retreat to his private chambers, and she to hers. The woman changed after my father’s infidelity. She wasn’t able to fight the betrayal or battle the grief, as hard as she tried. She struggled with it for years as I watched until finally, she submitted to it. Her physical and mental health declined until she became a woman I no longer recognized.
“Kiatra.” My father put a hand through my hair and turned my head to look at him. He stared down at me with his ebony eyes, speckled with gray, and said nothing for a long moment. “You are my heir. You are my firstborn. No one can question that. As the daughter of my mistress, Sabrina has no inheritance and after I pass, she and her mother will be dependent on your kindness. I plead to you to extend that kindness. Leave them be. They are no threat to you. Your jealousy is unwarranted— “
“Jealousy.” I seethed. My father had the right and the power to find
comfortable accommodations for his pregnant mistress, but he chose to keep her in the same walls as my mother and me. When Sabrina was born, Mara was the one who took me to see her.
This is your sister, Sabrina. She said simply.
Sister? But how—
She is your father’s daughter. That is all you need to know. She is your blood.
I had little contact after that with Sabrina or her mother until my mother past seven years later. Then my father made great efforts for us to spend time together. Mara would never let me be alone with them. It was for the best. It became clear Rose filled her daughter with false ambitions behind closed doors.
One day I will be Chieftess. Sabrina had told me at seven years of age.
That’s impossible. I am father’s firstborn.
One day I will be Chieftess. The girl repeated. My mother said you will not get in our way.
After that day, my contact was limited with Sabrina. What Mara had said to my father concerning it, I was not to know though he took her words seriously enough to not force me to spend time in Sabrina and Rose’s presence anymore. Yet, he gave them too much freedom. Shortly after my mother passed, my father continued to seek comfort in the arms of Sabrina’s mother. I knew the woman grieved not bearing anymore children. Perhaps she thought a son would soften my father’s heart in taking her as his wife and challenging my claim as Chieftess. The fact that he had not made her his wife did not go unnoticed by mother or daughter. They spoke sweetly to our faces, but every word dripped more of venom than honey.
When Rose came to the Fortress as a slave to pay off her parents’ debts, my mother took pity on her. She learned the girl had ambitions to be a healer and allowed her to study herbs and medicines to excel in this practice. Rose convinced my father after mother passed to allow her to open a shop of healing where she prescribed herbal medicines for ailments. Yet, I knew the woman had other motives. She had no interest in healing. She picked and chose who she wished to help and trained her daughter to do the same. They showed great favor and kindness to those who they thought would give them power and allegiance if a time would come where they could contest my reign. I was certain of it though I had no concrete proof.
It was fruitless to say anything of slander against them. My father would not believe it. So many times, he acted like a disillusioned fool. He would never understand that it was not jealousy that motivated my dislike for my sister or her mother. It was fear.
“Enough. I don’t want to speak anymore of this.” He sat back down in his chair. Unfortunately, at that moment, the door to the main hall opened.
The guard who watched the entrance bowed before us. “Your sister wishes to speak to you, my lady. She says the matter is urgent.”
“Let her in.” My father answered on my behalf.
Sabrina entered and walked toward us with no urgency, in spite of what she told the guard. She reached for my father’s hand as she knelt before us, placing her forehead against it.
“Father. Dearest sister. Forgive me for this intrusion.”
“What is it darling?” My father said softly as Sabrina lifted her head and turned her eyes toward me.
“A young boy came to me today saying that I was needed on the training fields. A slave was injured. Your slave.”
“What happened to him?” I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral. Sabrina paused a moment in careful consideration of me before speaking again.
“It seems he was badly beaten. He had no consciousness when I came to him. My mother and I started to treat him right there on the field when he fortunately awoke. He pushed me away from him and insisted he was fine and started his way back to your chambers. I am afraid he is not fine. He had abrasions on several parts of his body and his face. He walked unevenly. I am uncertain if he faced any trauma to his head. He needs further inspection. I come to you, thinking you can command him to let us treat him. If of course, he is of any value to you?” She rose an eyebrow as her face showed curiosity. Though I knew she wasn’t curious at all. She knew he was of value to me otherwise she would not have bothered with him.
“How kind of you to show concern for my slave.” I said suspiciously as I rose from my seat. “He went toward my chambers?”
“Yes, sister.”
“Who was the young boy who came to you?”
“Andal.”
I looked toward the guard at the entrance of the hall. “Summon him for me. Perhaps he knows what happened.” I made motion to leave but Sabrina remained like a statue. “Anything else?” She smiled and shook her head. Why was she enjoying this exchange? I turned to my father. “May I—”
“Yes. Go see to him. Take your sister with you. She can be of assistance if he is truly injured.” I gritted my teeth but motioned for Sabrina to follow me toward my chambers.
The main chamber was empty when we entered. One pot was knocked over leading to the bathing chambers indicating where he went. Yet, when we entered the bathing chamber it was also empty. “Where is he?” I snapped at Sabrina.
“I swore he entered here—” Sabrina started in genuine confusion as something dark in the water caught my eye. Without thought, I jumped into the bath with my full dress. I latched my arms around Isaac’s waist as I brought his head out from under. Isaac coughed as water spat out of his mouth. He breathed deeply and hoarsely. Sabrina came around the edge of the bathing pool to help me lift him up. He was fully clothed in his training garments. He continued to cough as my hand came sharply across his face. Anger mixed with relief overcame me as I started to berate him.
“What were you thinking? Did you wish to drown yourself?”
“What? No! I—I just stumbled.” He started, looking around him in confusion. His right eye went wide in surprise in seeing Sabrina, as the left one stayed closed. It was welted shut. His lips were purpling, and his tunic was stained with blood. I reached my hands out and pulled his tunic off his body. As Sabrina said, there were abrasions all over him. Blue and black welts, as well as a few open wounds were evident down his chest and abdomen.
“It is alright, you can tell us what happened.” Sabrina said in a voice more alluring than soothing. She reached out to push a strand of matted hair off of his forehead as if there was a familiarity between them.
He inched away from her reach and tried to sit up, grimacing at the effort. He hesitated before speaking to me.
“The fault is mine. Forgive me, mistress. I did poorly in training today. Dante was disappointed. The punishment was just.” He averted his eye from mine as if not wishing to continue.
“What happened to him?” Mara exclaimed as she walked into the bathing chambers and knelt by Isaac’s side.
“You will allow Mara to address your wounds. Do not struggle, do you understand?” I said tersely.
“Mara?” Sabrina exclaimed. “My mother and I are better suited—"
“For what? Your potions and herbs will have no use here. His wounds need mending. We will call a true physician if needed. Thank you for reporting to me. You have done enough. Go.” Sabrina’s eyes flashed in rage.
“I wouldn’t take such a haughty tone sister. If it wasn’t for my warning your slave would be dead—"
“Don’t think I am a fool Sabrina. You have no interest in my slave’s well-being. If you did, you would have reported to me days ago if you suspected ill treatment.” Sabrina’s eyes went wide in surprise at the accusation. “What? You thought I didn’t know how you’ve been going to his trainings, walking him home and meeting him at the stables? Trying to persuade him to take the midday meal with you? Surely in all these intimate encounters you could have suspected abuse? I don’t know what you wish to achieve but leave him alone. He is not your concern.”
Sabrina looked down at Isaac in betrayal, who turned his head away from her. In truth, the man had told me nothing. I had my sister watched and a guard reported to me how she spent her time, but there was no benefit in telling her that.
“Leave here, Sabrina.” The woman shot Isaac on
e last look before departing.
As I began to stand, Isaac grabbed my wrist.
“Mistress—” He started and seemed to stumble with his words
“We will speak later on your deception.” I said evenly as I stood and left the chambers. I had Dante to contend with.
Chapter 6
“My lady.” Andal, the twelve-year-old boy who had witnessed Isaac’s beating knelt before me outside my chamber as he bowed his dark mass of curls to me. I motioned for him to follow me out of the Fortress and toward the training grounds as my guards followed behind.
“Tell me what happened to my slave?”
“Yes, my lady.” The boy said boldly. “It is no secret I am sure to you that there can only be one culprit for this. Dante abused your slave.” The boy’s composure seemed to run out with that declaration as the rest of his words came out in a rush. “My friends and I were taking our midday meal where the elder men sparred. Yet every day it is the same. There are moments when they all stop and watch Dante beat your slave. He finds joy in your slave’s pain. And as the other men laugh, Dante seems to prolong the abuse. But today my lady, when Dante turned his back to gloat to his comrades your slave got one good hit on him! Right in the calf.” The boy clasped his right calf to demonstrate the impact. “I’ve never seen Dante so angry! He beat your slave out of consciousness and left him. We tried to help him wake, my lady! Me and my friends! We tried to wake him! When we couldn’t, we summoned your sister.”
“My sister didn’t witness the beating?”
Andal shook his head emphatically. “Sometimes I see your sister at the training grounds but not today. Your sister has been very kind to your slave. She was very concerned with Dante’s treatment of him and has told Dante more than once to treat him fairly. But she was not on the training grounds when the beating occurred.” A feeling to vomit rose to my throat. I could not ignore my responsibility in this matter. Dante gave the abuse, but I had allowed it. I sent Isaac into his hands. I had suspected the abuse but did not further investigate.
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