The carriage jolted and creaked beneath me as we left the tumbling chaos of town behind. People grew rare—not a soul in sight—only towering trees whispering in the breeze and the faint chirp of crickets filling the air. The scent of earth and pine replaced the heavy stench of smoke and decay.
After a long, tense ride, we pulled up before a rusted iron gate. But beyond that unassuming barrier lay a grand villa—majestic stone walls draped in ivy, gleaming fountains dancing before statues that seemed almost alive under the morning sun.
The gate swung open, and we passed through ranks of alert guards and silent servants in starched uniforms. None glanced at me, save for a flicker of practiced disinterest.
The carriage stopped at the grand entrance. I did not look up in awe. This place was not for impressing me—it was for holding me. My new master had said nothing yet, given me no reason to flee or fight... and that puzzled me more than anything.
The butler, Vrim, motioned silently for me to follow them inside.
A maid appeared—a girl named Emily—with soft hands and nervous eyes. She took me to the servants' washroom—separate from the men's quarters, surprisingly clean and orderly. The walls smelled faintly of lavender and fresh linen, a stark contrast to the foul darkness I had left behind.
Emily showed me the sparse essentials: buckets of water, soap, a wooden washbasin, and a cracked mirror resting on a worn desk. I cut her off politely, "I know how to wash, thank you." She flushed under my steady gaze but nodded, stepping back quietly. "Let me know when you're ready—the master requests your presence."
Left alone, I peeled away the grime of the last week—the mud, the sweat, the ash of cruelty. The water stung where bruises were fresh, but I scrubbed until my skin tingled with cold cleanliness. I donned a simple brown dress—plain but decent-looking—its flowing fabric soft against my skin.
Looking into the small broken mirror, I found a girl staring back. Fourteen years old, battered but whole. Her eyes were mine—sharp, green, and dangerous—but her face bore no scars from my past life. She was the body fate had given me to survive.
I called Emily back, who entered with alarm at my transformed appearance. "Seeing as you're ready, I'll take you to our master."
We crossed a nearly empty hallway—silent except for distant footsteps and hushed murmurs. "You'd think a place this large would have fifty servants bustling about," I thought sourly.
At last, we stopped before giant double doors. "Master, Miss Valerie is here," Emily announced.
A gruff voice called, "Come in."
I stepped inside to a spacious study lined with countless books, their spines faded but solid. In the center, a massive mahogany desk bore scattered papers. Behind it sat my owner—an older man with wire-rimmed glasses perched low on his nose, sipping tea with practiced calm. The butler, Vrim, stood quietly to one side.
Their eyes rose slowly to meet mine but quickly flickered away, as though deciding how to greet an anomaly.
"This must be a thing for your house," I murmured, mocking the silence with an old-world jest. "Take a picture—it'll last longer."
A faint smile twitched at the corners of the man's mouth, a flicker of amusement in his aged eyes.
Clearing his throat, Vrim broke the quiet, "Shall we start over? I am Eryndor, lord of this villa. This is my butler, Vrim. And you are...?"
"I am Valerie," I replied smoothly, "pleased to make your acquaintance, Lord Eryndor, and you, Sir Vrim."
"And if I may ask, why did you buy me?" My voice was steady, eyes locked onto his with unbroken challenge.
"What makes you think I have a reason?" Eryndor countered quietly.
"You expect me to believe you bought me just to clean me up and look me over like a fancy door? From what I know, slaves aren't given names or treated with such care. No, my lord... you're far stranger than any buyer I have heard of. Creepy, even."
The room grew still again before Eryndor chuckled softly. "You are not like the others, Valerie. We don't deal in the ordinary here. You, at least, come from a different breed."
"I know," I said with a smirk. "You can't find my kind in any market. Maybe today is my lucky day."
"Lucky indeed," he agreed, gesturing toward a chair. "Sit. Let's discuss why you are really here. When you are ready, I am all ears." valerie said with a faint smile.