“I agree,” Desmond said. “I revoked Felix’s title. He is no longer the overseer. If I were to make you my new overseer, do you know men that you could trust to be your field hands? Do you think that you could make the necessary changes needed to reestablish the unity and hard work that the workers had before?”
Thomas stared at Desmond in surprise and then smiled with confidence. “I know I could, Your Highness.”
Desmond nodded. “I give you a trial period of two weeks. I know that is short, but I want to see a definite change in my people. I want to see that their downtrodden spirits are brightened considerably.”
“I understand, Prince Desmond. I won’t let you down.”
Desmond stood and gestured to the door. “I believe you Thomas. Liam will escort you back to the fields to make the announcement and keep things under control as you proceed with your changes.”
“Thank you, Prince Desmond,” Thomas said elated.
. . .
Briahnna stood immediately when Thomas exited the study. She had been waiting in the sitting room with Liam wondering what the prince would do with her. She recognized Thomas immediately. He was one of the field hands who worked alongside the slaves in the fields. He was a kind man, and she saw him almost every day because he always tried to find ways to be around Gabriela. He was sweet on her.
He looked reenergized, and when he saw her he embraced her.
“Ahnna!” he smiled. “You’re okay?”
Briahnna couldn’t help but smile at him. “I’m fine, Thomas. You look happy.”
Thomas nodded and looked at Liam. “Thank you.”
Liam nodded, looked behind Thomas at Briahnna, and winked. “Are you ready Thomas?”
Thomas grinned. “More than.”
“Well then,” Liam said, “let us go.”
“Wait!” Briahnna stopped them before they left her. “You’re just going to leave me here?”
Liam’s eyebrow shot up. “Looks like it,” he said, turned with Thomas on his heel, and left the room.
Briahnna stood looking after them in dismay then she looked at the guard by the study door. He acted like she didn’t exist and stared straight ahead.
“You may enter.” She heard from the study.
She was suddenly more than a nervous wreck. She wanted to run. She wanted Liam to retrieve her and take her with him and Thomas. She wanted to be anywhere but here. Taking a deep breath, Briahnna threw her shoulders back and entered the study. “Were you speaking to me, Prince Desmond?” she asked with a deep curtsy.
Desmond watched her perform the curtsy of a lady, this dirty worker who considered herself a slave. He coughed, remembering himself, and took a deep breath. “Oh! By the Southern Mountains,” he exclaimed, covering his nose and mouth. “They could have at least bathed you before bringing you to me! No doubt, a joke played by the infamous Liam. Whew!” He scrunched his eyes. “Keep the door open please.”
Briahnna’s mouth hung open, her blush deep. She wanted to hide in a hole. This man was absolutely horrible.
Desmond looked at her face and shook his head. “No need to take offense to the truth, Princess.”
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped.
“Then don’t act like one.”
She ground her teeth together. “I just don’t think it necessary to throw something that one has the inability to change in one’s face.”
Desmond glared at her. “As I said, Princess, I meant no offense.”
Briahnna stepped forward. “You did not say that.”
Desmond’s eyes widened. “You forget yourself, slave.”
Briahnna went rigid, and she looked down at the floor.
Desmond regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. He took a deep breath and wanted to hit something.
“I asked you here for a reason,” he said through his teeth.
“You didn’t ask, you summoned,” she shot out before she could stop herself. Briahnna clamped her mouth shut at the look on Desmond’s face.
“Who are you?” he demanded.
“You know very well,” she said with her head still down.
He shook his head. “No, I don’t. For all I know, you could be a spy.”
Briahnna looked up and gave him a defiant look. “Then send me back to the dungeons.”
“Maybe I should!” he yelled at her. Her eyes were blazing again, and he realized that he couldn’t help but stare into them. Shaking his head he looked down. He had stood up in his rage and was out of breath. Slowly sitting down he concentrated on calming down.
“I thought I would show you a small amount of mercy and give you a choice,” he said at last.
“A choice?” Briahnna repeated.
“The dungeon would be an excellent way to keep a watchful eye on you, but my sister is in need of a lady’s maid,” he said as he shuffled through some paper on the desk. “And since you have no trouble telling me how I should behave and speak, you shouldn’t have trouble telling her. After all, she is just as stubborn and insolent as you.”
Briahnna’s eyes shot up. “Your sister’s lady’s maid?”
“Another excellent way to keep a watchful eye on you…through my sister.” He smiled ruefully at her. “Somehow you know how to be a lady. She is twelve and cannot keep a lady’s maid.” His smile widened. “She is wild and unruly. It is your choice.”
Desmond stood slowly and limped, cane in hand, past Briahnna to the study door. “Markus, please bring Marta to me,” he said, turning around to find Briahnna staring at his cane with wide eyes. He looked away for a brief second and tightened his jaw. “Something wrong, Princess?”
Briahnna looked automatically at the floor and cleared her throat. “I haven’t answered you yet.”
“Fine!” Desmond snapped. “Then I’ll bring him back and you can spend your days in your prison cell.”
“No!” Briahnna stepped forward. “I didn’t mean that. I’m just shocked.”
“Don’t be,” he said. “Like I said, she can’t seem to keep a lady’s maid, so it’s really not much of a privilege.” He snorted. “More of a punishment.”
Briahnna watched him limp back to the desk. He thought she wouldn’t be able to handle it. She frowned at him. “I accept your offer.”
“Good.”
Desmond looked behind Briahnna and she turned to see Markus with a woman at his side.
“Marta,” Desmond said. “This is Ahnna. She is to be Atira’s new lady’s maid. Please have a bath drawn for her, show her where her new room is, and what her new duties are to be. He shooed them away with a wave of his hand. “Leave. I have things to do.”
Briahnna followed Marta out of the study. Marta turned to her and smiled. “I’m Marta, the head housekeeper.”
Briahnna smiled back and brightened a little. “Ahnna,” she said, stretching out her hand.
Marta took it in both of her hands and patted it kindly. “I’m so glad you’ve been taken out of those dreadful fields.” She shook her head. “I’ve heard that the work has been excruciating and unbearable ever since Prince Desmond and King Estrod went to the warfront.”
Briahnna closed her eyes. “My friend and her mother are still out there.”
Marta squeezed her hand again. “Don’t you worry now that Prince Desmond is up and around again it’ll get better for them. Come. Your room is connected with Princess Atira’s room.”
Marta showed her to her room and went behind a divider. Briahnna followed and saw a bath that was elevated with some sort of stone workings under it. As Briahnna was examining the stone under the bath, Marta turned and pumped water from the spigot that ran into the bath. Briahnna gasped. She had never seen anything like it. When they took baths in Mageia, a water magik was in charge of water duties within the palace. They usually summoned the water with their magic then one of the maids who was also a fire magik heated it up. Marta obviously didn’t have any such abilities. After she pumped a little water into the bath she knelt down and opened a sm
all door in the slab of stone underneath. Grabbing firewood that was neatly stacked by the bath, Marta built a small fire to heat the water. After the fire was built, she began pumping water into the bath again.
Briahnna knelt down and examined the stone under the bath and noticed a pipe that ran from the stone to the ceiling. “Amazing,” she said.
Marta smiled. “I take it that when you were brought here you had to live in the horrible shelter that was built for new workers.”
“Yes,” Briahnna said, standing quickly. She had forgotten herself once again.
Marta shook her head. “It wasn’t like that before you came. Didn’t you notice that most of the workers have their own homes?”
Briahnna nodded.
Marta pumped the rest of the water in. “That should do it. When the water is to your liking, close the vent on the door of the fireplace under the bath, like this.” She slid a small handle sideways and then clicked a lock that sealed the door. “After you’ve closed the vent,” she continued as she stood, “then slide this closed also. It will prevent the air from getting to the fire and smother it so that the fire dies. After you’ve taken your bath and dressed, slide the pipe vent open again so that the smoke can filter out. If you don’t then the next time you open the door you’ll get soot and dust blown into your face,” she said, grinning.
“Okay,” Briahnna said.
Marta dusted off her clothes and turned to leave the room. “I’ll be back shortly with some dresses about your size. Put the one you are wearing in the basket and I’ll have it burned.”
Briahnna snorted and then sighed, looking down at her dress sadly. This was the last thing she had from home.
Chapter 28
Briahnna listened to Marta’s instructions about her duties as she was led to Princess Atira. Apparently the twelve-year-old princess could not keep a lady’s maid. Why? Marta kept telling her how sweet the Princess was. About how fiercely loyal and giving she was.
They entered a large circular room that had ropes hanging from the ceiling and poles that reached from one level to the next. She thought the poles were holding up the three balconies that surrounded the room. But men climbed and slid down them to get from level to level. There were also walls that connected the levels. Jutting out from the walls were jagged, round stone-looking objects. And in the center of the room was one large pillar. Except the pillar had the same objects protruding out of it that the men used to climb up and down. More men were running around the topmost level. She watched one run around then leap to a rope and swing to the stone-jutted pillar.
Briahnna’s mouth hung open at the oddity of such a room. Then her eyes found another wall at the farthest end of the room where loads of foreign weaponry hung. This was a training facility.
“This is amazing!” Briahnna said in awe.
“Yes,” Marta said, searching the big room.
“Why are we here?” Briahnna asked.
“Here she goes!” yelled a man from the third level. “Don’t lose your hold this time, Princess!”
Briahnna looked up and saw a small girl careening through the air toward one of the ropes. She gasped when the girl grasped the rope only to let go when the rope swung her toward the stone pillar. After the girl grabbed onto a stone with one hand, she found footholds and grinned widely at the balcony from where she’d just jumped.
“Oh,” Briahnna said with wild eyes.
Marta laughed. “Exactly.”
The Princess climbed down the stone pillar with ease and precision, jumping to the ground when she was only five feet away. Not only was she precise, she was fast. Briahnna finally clamped her mouth shut.
“Desmond!” the Princess exclaimed looking behind Briahnna.
Briahnna groaned inwardly. Why was Prince Desmond here? She slowly turned to look at his cruel face but saw a crooked grin and a twinkle in his eye upon seeing his younger sister.
Desmond was a couple of inches taller than Briahnna. However, he had a hard look about him that made her feel so much smaller. The first time she saw him she would have never called him handsome. But seeing him now, when he watched his sister, she couldn’t look away. He would never be beautiful like Jerrick. He was rugged, his face chiseled. Was he near his thirties? Maybe a bit younger?
She finally noticed that he was looking at her. She blushed and looked away quickly.
The Princess looked from Briahnna to Desmond and asked, “Are you here to start training, Des?”
Desmond clenched his jaw. “No,” he said abruptly.
The Princess looked at the ground, frustrated. “If you started training, you could get back into shape. Rebuild what you have lost–”
“Enough!” Desmond snapped. Regaining his composure, he exhaled and said, “I’m here to introduce you to your new lady’s maid, Atira.”
Princess Atira groaned. “I don’t need a lady’s maid!” she said, glaring at Briahnna.
“You do,” Desmond said. “Unless you enjoy Enielle’s constant companionship.”
“You think this ‘lady’s maid’ will be any better?” she asked sarcastically.
“My name is Ahnna,” Briahnna said, stepping toward Atira.
Desmond grinned slightly and nodded his head. “I do.”
“Then you’re an idiot!” Atira turned to the nearest stone-jutted wall and climbed it quickly. She made her way to the third level and swung herself onto it.
Desmond looked at Briahnna and shrugged. “She’s all yours, Princess.” With cane in hand, he turned and limped from the facility.
Marta patted Briahnna’s arm. “Once you get to know her, you’ll love her,” she said, turning away and leaving.
Looking around the large facility, Briahnna noticed that most of the men who had been training looked at her with large grins on their faces. She ground her teeth together, squared her shoulders, and walked to the nearest climbing wall. She looked down at her skirt. This was a mistake. Taking the bottom she hiked up the hem to just above her knees, and tightened it into a knot. Amid catcalls and whistles, she began to climb, realizing that she might not be able to reach the top. Princess Atira made it looked so much easier…Briahnna’s arms were shaking, and she could barely hold on when she finally reached the top level. But she heard the applauding and cheering of the men surrounding her, so she felt somewhat satisfied. She didn’t have that feeling long, however, because she wasn’t sure if she could hold on much longer. And because of her lack of nutrition and obvious weight-loss from the past months, she wasn’t sure if she would be able to catch herself with her magic if she fell. At least the drop from this wall to the level below her wasn’t too far.
She took a deep breath and looked up to see Princess Atira sneering down at her. “You’re not using your legs enough,” she said.
Briahnna placed her forehead on the wall and slowly released the air she was holding. “I don’t think I can hold on much longer. How am I supposed to pull myself over the ledge?”
Atira rolled her eyes and pointed down to the wall. “Place your foot there.”
Briahnna did as told. Then Atira told her where to hold. Following Atira’s instructions, Briahnna used her leg strength to hoist herself over the edge and onto the third balcony. She rolled to the wall and exhaled in relief, lying on her back and looking up at the ceiling. “I think I’m afraid of heights,” she said, breathing hard. She looked at Atira, who squatted on the balls of her feet, eyebrows raised as she stared down at Briahnna.
“That wasn’t very smart,” Atira said. “Inexperienced climbers should never climb without a rope, harness, and someone on belay.”
Briahnna sat up and leaned against the wall. “Belay?”
“Rope holder,” answered Atira.
Briahnna watched men run around them. The third-level balcony of the facility was some sort of running balcony. They ran in circles around the training room.
“Why do they keep running?” she asked.
Atira snorted. “You’re kidding, right?”
Briahnna shook her head.
“The longer they run, the more endurance they have,” Princess Atira answered, scrutinizing Briahnna.
Briahnna leaned her head against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to slow her heart rate. She was still out of breath. “Makes sense.”
Atira grinned when Briahnna looked at her again. “Do you want to see how high you climbed?” she asked. “It looks a lot higher from up here than it does from down there.”
Briahnna glared at the little brat, knowing that Atira was just making fun of her. She crawled to the edge of the balcony and stuck her head over. Atira followed her, and Briahnna backed away, laughing a bit hysterically as she did.
Atira gave her a strange look and Briahnna said, “How am I ever going to get back down?”
Princess Atira nodded and smiled slightly. She stood up, walked to Briahnna and sat down beside her. “We’ll figure it out,” she said.
. . .
Desmond couldn’t get the image out of his head. He had hidden himself around the corner of his training facility and tried to listen to what Ahnna was going to do about his sister. When he heard the catcalls and whistles, he couldn’t contain himself and returned to find the crazy woman scaling the wall awkwardly to Atira. He almost called to her to stop, but she was slowly increasing her ascent. He didn’t want to distract her and make her fall. When she finally reached the top he saw his sister’s head peek over the balcony as she began directing Ahnna to safety.
She did it. Ahnna caught Princess Atira’s attention.
. . .
“Do you feel like you can do it now?” Atira asked Ahnna.
“Already?” Ahnna screeched.
“The longer we stay up here, the longer you will have to think about it,” Atira answered.
“Then distract me.”
“My brother’s stupid,” Atira said, looking at her hands.
Spirit (Legend of the Dragons Book 1) Page 17
