One week she had spent in this room. The only benefit was she spent little time in the servant’s chambers where the elf and dwarf slaves bickered and gossiped until sleep overtook them. Unfortunately, she hadn’t made much progress at all.
Princess Elanya required the contents of each chest be laid out so she could determine their fate. It only prolonged the process. It also made the process more painful. It would have been much better to clean the crates and chests off and let them be sent on to wherever old dusty chests went. As it were, the contents brought back memories for Celeste, since most were items scavenged from the wreckage of the war.
She picked up a dagger from the chest she had opened this morning. It, like many other’s she had found, was of fine dwarven cantrine, a beautiful metal found in the mountain of Rallinwar. The cantrine steel had a slight red hue and it was said that once formed, it never dulled. She knew this dagger; it had been her brother’s. Had she not seen the figurines in her uncle’s quarters, it would have been a surprise. Now each find angered her and the dagger was the third item she had pulled from the chest she recognized.
She laid the dagger on a table she had cleared off to display contents and reached into the chest for the next item. It was a small leaf pendant attached to a vine chain made of gold. She almost fell to her knees and her hands shook as she stared at the necklace she had lost when they fled Salinoth. Tarin had given it to her on their wedding day. There were no pockets on her burlap dress, so she stared at it through tears and wondered where to hide it.
“Oh my, Celeste, that is the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen.” Princess Elanya reached out and took it from her hands. “I will put this with my other jewelry. The dagger can go in the crate for Captain Malik, though he doesn’t seem to trust that red steel. Qa’Veck would appreciate those figurines. I will take those to him.”
Celeste took the dagger and placed it in a crate with the other weapons. She longed for the necklace, but that desire was a weakness she wasn’t going to show Princess Elanya. She wiped the tears from her eyes, gathered the figurines for her uncle and looked around for something to put them in.
“Come with me, Celeste.”
Without a word, she followed the princess into her chambers. The room was the same size as the other. A bed, large enough to swallow four people, was against the wall to her left. The princess had a table with a mirror behind it for when she did her hair each morning; a plush chair sat in front of it. On the far wall was the tub and fireplace. She looked at the tub with the same longing she had for the necklace. She refused to use the tub in the servant’s chambers; the water was slime-coated and cold.
Princess Elanya walked over to a massive wardrobe and opened one of the doors. She removed a stack of dresses and laid them side by side on the bed.
“What would you like me to do, Princess Elanya?”
“Hush.”
She held up a yellow dress, shook her head and tossed it in the direction of the wardrobe. She selected a blue dress and looked at it with a critical eye. There was a rap at the main door. The Princess said to enter, but she was so distracted that her voice barely carried beyond the room. Celeste went to the door and opened it.
A line of slaves entered, each carried a bucket of steaming water. They marched past her without so much as a nod and went to the Princess’s room. Celeste waited at the door until they had all left with empty buckets in hand. Princess Elanya stood at the doorway to her room with a green dress in her hands by the time Celeste closed the door.
“This should do,” she said with a smile on her face. “The skirt may still be a bit long, but otherwise it should fit. How long will it take you to shorten the skirt?”
Celeste shrugged her shoulders. “Not long, Princess Elanya.”
“We must work on your communication, Celeste. These four word sentences just won’t work. You know, if you were to call me Elanya; you could cut that down to just three words and then you wouldn’t be so worn by the end of the day.”
“What would you like me to do, Princess Elanya?”
Princess Elanya slumped into a chair and laid the dress on another. “Sit.”
Celeste thought to voice her preference, but the young girl looked pushed to the limit for the day, so she obeyed.
“Aunt Meribeth hosts a gathering this evening and you will be accompanying me to the Steed House. You will want to alter that dress to fit your frame. It looks about right. I wore it for my twelfth birthday, which was five years ago, so if we are lucky the nobles won’t notice. If they do, so be it. I do wish you would finish that room.”
Celeste looked at the dress and withheld a grin. A few hours without the feel of burlap against her skin was almost enough to make her dance.
“And really, Celeste, when was the last time you took a proper bath. No, don’t answer that. I have heard about the vats. You should bathe before you work on the dress. You are welcome to use my vanity and the items on it. Oh, I suppose I should instruct you to use them, as difficult as you are. Very well. Celeste, bathe and comb your hair at least.”
She wasn’t sure why the princess did this, but it wasn’t as good as it appeared. She was human, which meant there was an ulterior motive for such treatment of a slave. Regardless of the motive, she would take advantage of the much needed bath. She picked up the dress and went into Princess Elanya’s room. The bath invited her, but she held the dress against her and inspected the length. It was an almost perfect fit.
She laid the dress on the bed and held the hem up. A simple fold and few stitches here and there was all that was needed. She eyed the tub again.
“Show me,” Princess Elanya said.
Celeste looked at her and wondered what the princess meant.
Princess Elanya set a small wooden box on the bed and opened it. The box contained a pair of scissors, needles and several colors of thread. “Show me how much. I will do the rest while you bathe. No need to worry, Aunt Meribeth showed me how to do this long ago. Another of those annoying skills that she feels a proper lady needs to know. Though, I prefer the sword over a needle.”
Celeste wondered how she would be punished for this, though the princess had not punished her as of yet, except for her task of clearing the storage room. She folded the hem of the dress over to show her and noticed the stitch of the hem; it was Tarin’s stitch. Her hands shook and a tear rolled down her cheek. It was the first real confirmation of her husband’s presence she had since her arrival.
“Oh my,” Princess Elanya said. “Forgive me, Celeste. That did sound quite harsh. But, really, you needn’t be so sensitive around me.” She took Celeste by the chin and wiped the moisture from her cheek. “I want us to be friends.”
She pulled away from her master and went to the tub. Friendship between master and slave was an idealism that the Council of Fire sought. It was ridiculous and it was an ideal that gave the human’s the upper hand. If the princess sought friends, she needed to start with those of her own race. She shrugged out of her dress and stepped into the tub. The hot water turned her skin pink, but it was the best feeling she had encountered in weeks.
“We always buy these dresses from the same tailor. He is a good man, a little distracted at times, but the finest dresses in the city come from his shop.”
Celeste scrubbed away at her arms. The scent of lilacs filled her nostrils and reminded her of the visits to Mesa Tranq she made with her father when she was young. They always visited in the spring, when the lilacs were in full bloom. Sometimes the wind picked up fallen petals and pushed them into the air like a million snowflakes. She missed those days, and her father.
“The thing is,” Princess Elanya said, “I don’t like standing in his shop for hours to get fitted. Captain Malik won’t allow anyone into the shop while I’m there, so I know my presence costs the poor man customers.”
Celeste let the princess prattle on and on about dresses, while she stayed in the tub until the skin on her fingers wrinkled and the water cooled. When she d
id finally step out of the tub, the princess handed her a towel that was large enough to engulf a full grown man.
She sat at the vanity and found a brush. It took several minutes to work the tangles from her hair. In the mirror she saw Princess Elanya look up from her task from time to time to stare at her. She wondered why the princess stared. She had grown up with slaves around her, so it wasn’t like she had never seen one before. It was possible that she schemed on different ways to punish her. She tugged at a tangle until her eyes watered.
“So, I was thinking that if you ever finish that room, we could get what you need to make dresses for me. Of course, it wouldn’t be right to ask you to make my dresses while you are stuck wearing that thing that Qa’Veck provided you. It is just so silly some of the things he asks of you people. He says it keeps you in your place. Whatever that is supposed to mean.” Princess Elanya held up the dress and gestured for Celeste to stand. “Anyway, I have decided that when you make me a dress that you should make one for yourself. I suppose it would be best to buy the material from the tailor, since he will lose my business.”
Celeste’s heart quickened. If they had to get the material from the tailor that sold her this dress, then her chances of seeing Tarin increased. She could have the room finished in a few days and they could go to the tailor’s.
“So, the quiet one does smile.”
Princess Elanya helped her into the dress while she was lost in the thoughts of her husband. She didn’t care if the princess saw her smile. Let her think it was her gift of a dress that caused it. Once she and Tarin were reunited, she would leave the city and return to the mountains.
The gathering was larger than Celeste had imagined. She lost count of the attendees, all dressed in riches. Princess Elanya dismissed her to a room to the side of the main hall in the Steed House with instructions to watch her in case she was needed. She leaned against the door frame and watched the Princess interact with her family.
“The grumpy one across from Princess Elanya is Jaron Senith,” said a brown-haired elf as she walked up to Celeste’s side. “To his left is Nathan Burne. The empty seat belongs to his wife.”
“My name is Celeste.”
“I know. I was there when King Eldric purchased you. I am Kyndra, the King’s attendant.”
“Slave you mean.”
“Of course she means slave,” another elf said and approached the pair. Her eyes were as dark as her crow black hair. “I am Breena. Be careful with what Kyndra says; she actually likes her master.”
“The King is good to me.” Kyndra’s face was red with embarrassment. “Where are you hiding Mrs. Burne?”
“The lady is anxious to leave. Too far from the sea for too long. She left me here to follow Master Burne to the ship when he is done sucking the King’s toes.”
Kyndra turned her attention back to Celeste, who watched Princess Elanya. “You don’t have to watch her every move; I doubt she calls for you. Besides, if you aren’t watching she won’t bother. The girl is much nicer than you give her credit for.”
Celeste looked at her in curiously.
“Oh please,” Breena said. “We have been at their dinner table every night since you arrived and those people talk like we aren’t there. Princess Elanya is very frustrated that you remain distant. The girl was in tears the other evening over something you said or did.”
“Prince Aeldon suggested a good beating,” Kyndra said. “My King agreed.”
“But the Princess forbid it,” Breena interrupted. “You know the goals of the Council, Celeste. You should take advantage of her desire for friendship. At least fake it. For the good of the Council, of course.”
“Who knows, you may even find that you like her,” Kyndra said.
Breena shook her head. “Really, Kyndra. What is it that the king does to you to make you so enamored? Don’t human’s get too old for such things?”
Kyndra’s face turned bright red and she started to respond, instead she stomped away.
“I don’t intend to be around long enough to befriend her,” Celeste said.
“You should keep those thoughts to yourself.” Breena looked around and gave Celeste a serious look. “The Council forbids leaving until the Drums echo through the valley. Such actions could jeopardize all we have worked for. You are new here, so I will pretend as though I never heard you utter those words. You have a chance to pull the most powerful female in the land to our side. I suggest you take advantage of that.”