by Xenia Melzer
“That much I realized.”
Gweris regarded her latest charge with worry. Sira was the first slave Lord Sic had bought by himself, and it was important for Sic’s further development as a lord of the Valley that everything went smoothly. He was still terribly insecure about how to handle his slaves, and that he was now living with Lord Noran had only worsened the situation. Even though the slaves had been anxious to fulfill their tasks since Sic and Noran moved in together, they still lacked respect for their lord. Their sudden obedience stemmed from fear of Lord Noran, whose strictness was almost as legendary as that of Lord Renaldo.
Gweris had taken over the task of helping Sic after Lord Casto had asked her to, and she had managed to discipline them quite well, but true respect was something different. The main problem was not Sic’s own past as a slave, but his lack of rigor. He was gentleness personified and had never learned to impose his will. Gweris had hoped Lord Noran would influence him in a positive way, but instead of taking his lover as an example, Sic had left all business regarding the slaves to Noran. After she had watched for some time, Gweris had decided to put her foot down. Luckily, Lord Noran shared her worries, and so they had resolved that Sic had to learn how to behave like a true Emeris. The outcome of their efforts was this young woman who rarely went to the trouble of concealing her displeasure about being a slave. On the contrary, she seemed to be getting more recalcitrant with every passing day. The entire situation was undesirable, and Gweris already regretted the path she and Noran had chosen.
“Would you please pay attention? Lord Sic may be a lenient master, but that doesn’t mean you have to test his patience to the limit. If you go too far, you’ll have to answer to Lord Noran, and I do hope that even so foolish a creature as you would have figured out by now how incredibly stupid that is.”
Sira blanched in anger. She hated that Gweris was bossing her around, always trying to make her a model slave in the name of the precious Lord Sic, who was the most indifferent master she had ever met.
“I don’t have to listen to you!”
Gweris sighed. She was getting weary of Sira’s constant obstinacy, so her voice had a steely undertone.
“Yes, you do! And I’d advise you to listen closely. I’m responsible for you, and I’m fed up with listening to your whining and effrontery.”
“Are you trying to frighten me? You’re a mere slave yourself! You can’t threaten me!”
“She can.”
Both women spun around when they heard these words. Gweris immediately curtsied, but Sira could only stand there and gape with her mouth hanging open. The man standing in front of her was simply awesome. His wheat-blond hair was tied up in a ponytail, his mesmerizing blue eyes were piercing her, and his noble face showed the first signs of anger.
“Apparently this slave doesn’t know the simplest rules of courtesy, Gweris.”
Gweris rammed her elbow into Sira’s ribs.
“Please forgive me, Lord Casto. She’s new and inexperienced. I didn’t have the chance to show her all the lords in the Valley.”
“It’s fine, Gweris. I know you’re doing your best. This is the slave Sic has bought?”
“Unfortunately, yes.”
Hearing those two talk about her as if she were nothing but a puppy that had still to be trained made Sira seethe with anger.
“Stop talking as if I’m not even here! And just for the record, I would have preferred not to be bought by your precious Lord Sic. I’m nobody’s property.”
Panting, Sira stared at Gweris and Casto. The man looked back at her, his gaze drilling into her very being, sorting through her mind like a merchant would go through his goods and then throw away most of the bits with a certain disdain. Sira felt completely naked and humiliated by his stare, especially since she wasn’t able to read anything from him. Only one thing was for sure: angering this man was even dumber than defying Lord Noran. Casto radiated something she couldn’t name, danger paired with intransigence and spiced with a hint of sorrow that made shivers run down her spine. Sira was just about to bow to this intimidating man when he suddenly started to laugh. It was a mocking guffaw that made her tense up again.
“She sounds a little bit like me back in the day, don’t you think so, Gweris?”
The slave started laughing as well.
“She does, my lord.” Then Gweris turned serious. “But she’s not you, and if she goes on like this, Lord Sic will be troubled.”
The amusement vanished from Casto’s face. Again he sized Sira up.
“Gweris is right. I’m expecting you to show more effort from now on. It’s important for Sic.”
For a moment, Sira didn’t know what to say. She felt the anger inside her bubbling up like water in a cauldron, and she let it erupt.
“I couldn’t care less even if he grieved himself to death.”
Sira only needed a heartbeat to realize she had gone too far. Lord Casto’s eyes darkened like the sky before a storm, and his voice was steely. While one part of Sira froze in terror, another cheered her on into destruction. After all, what did she have to lose?
“That’s enough. You’re coming with me.”
Casto reached for Sira’s arm, and she felt all her reason drowning in anger and despair. Never again would she allow anybody to push her around or give her commands. Her hand shot upward and left three bloody welts on Lord Casto’s flawless skin.
The deed was followed by a breathless, bewildered silence that was finally broken by a furious roar. Sira was grabbed and flung away from Casto with brute force. She landed heavily on her back, her arm hurting as if it had been burned.
“How dare you?”
Sira stared into the face of a man who was even more regal than Casto. She had been in the Valley for only three days, but she already knew whom she was facing. In reality, the Angel of Death was even more intimidating than in all the stories she had heard about him. And his anger was aimed at her. His gaze didn’t allow so much as blinking on her part, and his voice sounded flat, as if he was restraining himself with all his might.
“Gweris, go and get Sic. Right now!”
“Yes, my lord.”
Gweris bowed and hurried to fulfill the Angel of Death’s command. He reached for Casto, who stepped forward into his arms. Renaldo tried to inspect the wound, but Casto shook him off.
“It’s just a scratch, Barbarian, nothing big.”
“This may be the case, but I’m not going to accept it—not even when it’s about Sic. Especially not when it’s about Sic. He has to learn how to deal with this kind of situation.”
Frozen in terror, Sira waited for her owner to appear. She didn’t have to be a seer to know she was in deep trouble now. What she had done was a capital offense that justified killing her, and the way Lord Renaldo was sizing her up didn’t bode well for her future.
Finally Gweris returned with Sic. The young Emeris looked from Renaldo to Casto and back to Sira with worry in his eyes.
“My lord. Casto. What has happened?”
Renaldo stared at him coldly.
“Your slave has shown improper behavior. She dared to raise her hand against my heart. I expect a fitting reaction from you. An offense like that must be punished severely.”
Sic blanched.
“I apologize for Sira’s behavior, my lord. Casto, I’m truly sorry. Please tell me how I can reimburse you for this incident.”
Casto’s stern features softened considerably and gave Sira some hope.
“It’s fine, Sic. She’s new, so I’m willing to let it slide.”
With a grateful smile, Sic bowed to Casto. Then he turned to Renaldo, whose face showed no sign of forgiving. Sira’s heart sank.
“I won’t let you get off so lightly. I demand that you punish this slave according to her crime.”
“My lord, please. Sira has come to the Valley only a few days ago. She has yet to learn the consequences of her actions and the rules governing our lives.”
“Ignorance doesn’t protect from
punishment. Besides, I haven’t gotten the impression that she would have acted differently if she had known who Casto is. Take care of this mess, Sic. It’s your responsibility.”
Renaldo grabbed Casto’s hand and led him away from the scene.
FOR A moment, absolute silence ruled while Sic stared into nothing. Then a determined line appeared on his lips and he held out his hand to Sira.
“Come.”
His tone was unrelenting, with a hint of resignation. Insecure, Sira got up and followed her owner back to his chambers. Nobody had to spell out to her that the lenience Sic had shown until now was coming to its end. Now that she had calmed down, she realized how incredibly stupid she had been. It was one thing to be obstinate against being a slave, and an entirely different one to challenge a man like Lord Renaldo, who was rumored to be a demigod in addition to being the most powerful and fearsome warlord on the continent. She had dug her own grave, and lowered her head in anticipation of her punishment. To her surprise, Sic didn’t beat her, but started talking in a monotone.
“Casto is my best friend. At a time when I deserved death for what I had done and hated myself to the bone, he reached out for me and bestowed the mercy of his forgiveness on me. Everything I am, I owe to him, and you just hurt and insulted this incredibly precious person.”
Sic paused, his gaze focused on something only he could see. Sira shuddered, for she hardly recognized the man standing in front of her. Normally Sic radiated innocence and friendliness, so much that he bordered on being a pushover. Sira had secretly labeled him as a harmless puppy, unable to do any damage. Now he seemed threatening and distant, no longer the Sic who had bought her but somebody else, somebody she shouldn’t mess with. It was as if he had taken off a mask, a thin veneer that hid something even more frightening than the Angel of Death was. That Sic himself was afraid of this other creature as well didn’t help at all.
“I chose you because I felt pity for you. You reminded me of myself, and I had the feeling I could pay back some of the good that happened to me by taking you. Apparently, you’re not keen on being saved.”
When Sira opened her mouth to answer, Sic raised his hand.
“I’m well aware of how undesirable it is to lead a life in slavery. But even the wish for freedom should be guided by some decency. If you can’t accept me as your master, fine. I’m not even asking for gratitude because I saved you from your owner, since I’m well aware that this was my own decision. What I do ask of you is some respect. Not as your master, but as a fellow human being who has done you a favor. I also don’t think the work you have to do is hard enough to merit complaint. You have consciously spurned my outstretched hand, yet I’m still willing to leave you a choice. You have till tomorrow to decide whether you want to serve me. Should you think you can do it, I’m going to punish you, and then we’ll forget about this whole incident. Should you feel you can’t give me the respect I do expect from you as your owner, then I won’t insist on you staying here and will return you to your former master. It’s your decision.”
With this ultimatum hanging in the air, Sic left his slave alone.
MEANWHILE, CASTO was glaring at Renaldo, who pretended to be unaware of his lover’s foul mood.
“Isn’t it a fine day? Too warm for the season, but definitely nice.”
A low growl escaped from Casto’s throat.
“Stop it, Barbarian. You know damn well that I’m not in the mood for chitchat.”
Renaldo sighed. He’d known Casto long enough to tell from his tone alone that this was going to be nasty. Unwilling to give in, Renaldo faced the storm.
“I am aware, Casto. And we’ve been through this before. Sic has to learn to embrace his new status, otherwise he’s useless to us. Even Daran is more of a lord than Sic, and he’s had less time to get used to it.”
“Daran is a completely different case and you know it! I’m talking about you ruining all our efforts just because you felt like making a point.”
“Hah, what efforts? Are you talking about the heroic deed of buying a slave with the aid of Noran? Or are you referring to Sic’s absolute inability to keep order among his servants? No matter how I look at it, he hasn’t made any progress at all. I’ve been very patient until now, but this woman has hurt you, and that is definitely his responsibility!”
“It was just a scratch, nothing near as bad as what you’ve done to me, and it healed almost immediately, so don’t even think about using this as an excuse for your irrational behavior. Sic is on the right path, but he needs time, not a pushy god who teases him whenever he feels like it.”
“You just mentioned the key word here, Casto. I’m his god. Of course he has to do whatever I want when I feel like it. Just like you. Just like everybody.”
Renaldo and Casto were standing so close, their noses were almost touching. Much to Renaldo’s dismay and secret thrill, Casto didn’t budge in the least. He neither lowered his gaze nor reined his tone in. Fearless in the face of absolute power, Casto still spoke his mind.
“Never! I may accept you as my lover, but I will never be your servant. And stop pushing Sic or I may contemplate leaving you again. Just to get my point across.”
Abruptly, Casto turned around and stormed off in the direction of the stables. Renaldo had to suppress the urge to run after him and beat him up. Nothing would come of it anyway.
2. DECISIONS
SIRA WAS trembling all over. When Sic had given her the ultimatum so relentlessly, she had realized for the first time that he, too, was a lord of the Valley and could act accordingly. That his words had also hit the mark didn’t make it better. Shuddering, Sira decided to get some fresh air to put her thoughts in order. Deep down she knew she had no choice, because there was no way she would ever return to her old life.
She wandered around aimlessly until she beheld a man cleaning a horse in the vicinity of the stables. The animal had its eyes closed and was clearly enjoying the caress. When she regarded the man more closely, Sira realized how handsome he was. His long black hair was hanging over his shoulder in a thick braid, and his finely sculpted upper body gleamed in the sun like polished bronze. He was wearing two golden bracers with emeralds on his arms, and another emerald was resting in the dent where his collarbones met, right under his chin. It was held by a thin golden necklace that was close enough to his throat to give the impression of a collar. The man was talking to the horse in a low drone Sira couldn’t understand, but she felt herself relaxing while watching the peaceful scene. Suddenly the man turned around and looked at her. He must have felt her stare at his back, yet he still smiled politely with only a hint of mockery. If he thought her behavior to be rude, he hid it well.
“Do you need something?”
Slowly, Sira approached. Her tumultuous emotions made her blurt out a question before her brain had the chance to filter the words.
“Are you a slave?”
Taken aback, the man dropped the brush he had been holding. After retrieving it, he smiled at Sira again, this time with open challenge. There was no doubting it, he was enjoying himself.
“You could call me that.”
Determined to get to the point without letting his attitude get to her, Sira pressed on.
“Do you like it?”
Now the man was grinning.
“Of course I like it. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I mean, look at me. When my owners found me, I was a luckless thief on his way to the gallows. Now I’m a splendidly dressed, well-fed, and deeply loved man. I’ll never be able to repay their generosity.”
Sira’s eyes widened. She had trouble believing his words. All the slaves she had met had been miserable.
“Are all slaves in the Valley like you?”
“Most certainly not. Most of them long for their freedom, but I’m not like them. I’m leading a good life and have no reason to complain. Are you asking me because of your master? Whom do you serve?”
“I belong to Lord Sic.”
; The young man stared at her in disbelief.
“And you’re dissatisfied? I dare say you’ve won big. There’s no lord in the Valley who’s gentler and kinder than Sic.”
“This may be the case.” Sira hesitated. “How long have you been here? Do you know Lord Sic well?”
“I’ve been living in the Valley for some years. Sic was already here when I came. Lord Noran bought him from a brutal drunkard when he was still a boy and made him his personal slave. He had to endure a lot before he rose to the rank of Emeris.”
“Lord Sic was a slave?” Sira couldn’t hide her surprise.
“You didn’t know? I’d thought this would be the first thing the other slaves told you.”
“No, they didn’t. But it explains a lot.”
“What did you do?” The young man’s voice was so casual and relaxed, Sira didn’t even think about not answering him.
“I have humiliated Lord Sic in front of the Angel of Death and a man named Lord Casto. He was very angry.”
The young man whistled.
“Sounds really bad. Be grateful that Noran doesn’t know of it, otherwise your skin would be in scraps by now.”
When she heard those words, Sira started feeling uneasy. Since she didn’t want to go back to her old master, she would have to endure the punishment Sic imposed on her. That the terrifying Lord Noran would have a say in it horrified her.
“When Lord Sic punishes somebody, how bad does it get?”
The young man shrugged.
“I don’t know. You’d be the first. As I said, he’s a very gentle man who forgives generously. Some time ago I made a mistake regarding him, but he relinquished punishing me even though I deserved it.”
“You forgot to mention that we made you bleed for it.”
The two men approaching them seemed highly amused. The smaller one, especially, looked as if he was going to burst with laughter at any minute. He extended his arm and the slave stepped forward to receive a kiss on his mouth. The other warrior stepped closer also, with a mocking glint in his eyes. After he had kissed the slave as well, he held up his index finger as if he wanted to scold the young man.
