Fearless as the Dawn
Page 6
Aleka turned on her heel, not even bothering to curtsy. As far as she was concerned, Lady Ghilian did not deserve her respect any longer.
~*~*~
Aleka had little that truly belonged to her. She refused to bring any of the clothes Lady Ghilian had dressed her up in for performances, and she wouldn't take the sheet music either. It had been a gift for her sixteenth birthday from the lady. Her violin, at least, was a gift from her extended family on Nareroc before she came to Glenbard.
She grabbed her mother's gods and goddess idols, putting them in the bottom of her bag. Like the one of Huiki, they were all old and chipped away. Halia only kept three for the gods she worshipped: Huiki, goddess of home and hearth; Lekyu, the god of healing; and Angroa, the goddess of luck and good fortune. Aleka scoffed to look at them. Healing and good fortune? Where were those when Halia suffered at the cruel hands of the Admiral? Where were Lekyu and Angroa as she bled out and died within the temple of a foreign goddess?
Tears formed, but Aleka sniffed them back. She wiped her nose with the back of her hand and then covered her face, ignoring her packing. Her heart ached, making Aleka feel like her chest would cave in from the pain. Her free hand shook. It was the first time in days she had a moment to herself, and the truth hit her like a sack of bricks. Falling to her knees on the cold stone floor, Aleka grabbed the side of the bed and sobbed. Halia was gone and not even the gods had been there for her.
The cool floor felt good against Aleka’s warm skin, offering comfort where the hollow words of everyone around her didn’t. Outside the bedroom door she heard the usual household commotion as the many servants of House Greyhome went about their duties. Did any of them hear Halia’s screams? Why didn’t anyone run to her aid? Aleka clutched at the bed, feeling her heart speed up. As far as Aleka was concerned, they all played a role in Halia’s death by not coming to help her.
An hour went by and Aleka stayed curled in a ball on the floor. Her tears dried, leaving crusty streaks down her face. She hurt all over, not just from the hard floor, but from the weight of the situation. She would go to the Admiral’s household and likely suffer the same fate as her mother.
Someone knocked at the door. “Aleka?” Sophie’s soft voice carried through the closed door. “Lady Ghilian wants to know if you’re done packing. She wants to see you upstairs.”
Aleka pulled herself up from the floor, dusted off her skirts, and straightened her hair. “Tell her I’m almost done.” The correct response would have been to just go with Sophie, but the old shrew could wait today.
Outside the door, she heard Sophie heave a sad sigh and then her boots clicked away on the stone floor. Not daring to push her luck too far, Aleka went back to grabbing the few belongings she and Halia had shared.
Aleka grabbed for her own goddess idol, a gift from Halia. It was made of soapstone, set in a pink hue, and depicted Iuhry, the two-faced goddess of chaos and balance, something Halia said surrounded Aleka. A wild child, out for mischief, and yet a studious pupil, put on earth to drive Halia to madness. Or so she liked to say.
Aleka smiled at the memory. Her mother would pinch her cheek and tell her she was born during a solar eclipse, a sign of Iuhry looking down on the world. "My little chaotic girl," Halia would laugh. "Born to set the world on its head."
The Iuhry idol sat heavily in Aleka’s hand. It was believed that the two parts of the goddess never co-existed. Iuhry may decide your life needed to be unbalanced and would remove your structure, making each day unpredictable and chaotic. Then she might tip the scale the other way, providing stability and certainty in each day lived. Aleka knew she was in a chaos phase now. Clutching the idol to her chest, she prayed that Iuhry would return balance to her life soon.
Next, she grabbed a small wooden box that held a few pieces of handcrafted jewelry Halia brought from the Nareroc Islands. Most were simple braided bracelets, bought cheap at the market, but Aleka was looking for a specific necklace; one she knew Halia kept safely tucked away in a small leather pouch at the bottom of the box. Feeling the smooth leather, Aleka grabbed it and dumped the contents into her hand.
A small polished bone charm hung off a leather cord, the whale bone carved into the shape of a crowned egret, the symbol of Queen Kunegunda. From childhood, Aleka loved nothing more than to hear stories of the warrior Queen of Nareroc who turned the invaders away from Cesernan. The legend stated that as Kunegunda of clan Lansa saw her people and family murdered by the royal navy of Cesernan, she decided to stand against them; refusing their advances on her islands, refusing to even give them an inch. Favored by the gods, the Queen drove them back, watering the island’s crops with their blood, so the stories went. As a gift, Halia purchased the whale bone egret charm for Aleka, to remind her of the strong people she came from.
The necklace, all jewelry really, was banned in the Greyhome house. No servants were allowed to wear adornments, save for marriage rings, if they could afford them. Aleka defiantly slipped the leather cord over her head now and didn’t bother to tuck the necklace under her dress. Lady Ghilian wasn’t her mistress anymore. She placed the rest of the jewelry box into her bag.
Next, she moved onto their clothing. Aleka put in her own dresses, those her mother had purchased, which consisted of two undyed ones aside from the one she wore. She chose to leave her mother's clothing behind, save for her mother's favorite dress. It was a simple, pale green dress, trimmed in silver thread and lace, but Halia loved it and Aleka couldn't bear to leave it for the Ghilians to donate to the almshouse.
Aleka pressed the dress against her face, able to pick out a spiced scent that reminded her of her mother. Halia loved to put dried spices in her clothing trunk. She changed out the leaves periodically so there was always an abundance of sweet-smelling odors. She closed her eyes, remembering the last time her mother hugged her in this dress.
Halia would grab and squeeze Aleka, giving her a playful shake, even after Aleka grew taller than her. She always carried the smells of the kitchen with her. Sometimes that meant spiced apples, curried fish, or Aleka's favorite, garlic biscuits. As Aleka held the dress to her face, she could almost feel Halia's warmth and strong arms around her.
Aleka sank to her knees again, crying softly into the fabric. As her sobs grew louder, she began dry heaving as she tried to suck in air. She felt like she had swallowed a rock and it sat heavily in her stomach. How could her mother be gone? How could Lady Ghilian sell her indentureship to the Admiral, knowing the history? Where was the justice in it all?
She curled up on the cold stone floor again, using the dress as a pillow. Her mother was gone. How many times had Aleka rolled her eyes at Halia or taken her mother's presence for granted? She always expected her mother to be there, and now she wasn't. Aleka felt utterly alone, with only a tattered old dress to cling to. After long moments passed of being curled into a ball on the floor, Aleka heard the soft click of boots on the floor outside.
“Your presence is demanded, Aleka,” Sophie said, her voice sounding sad through the door. “Don’t make it worse by stalling further.”
Aleka picked herself up off the floor, wiping away her tears. It would be obvious she had been crying, but she wouldn’t let the tears fall while in Lady Ghilian’s presence. She opened the door and Sophie stood by, biting her lip and rubbing her upper arms.
“I’m sorry, Aleka,” she said softly. “It’s not fair.”
Aleka didn’t say a word as she passed Sophie. She didn’t need the maid to tell her what was or wasn’t fair. She already knew.
Aleka was shown into Lady Ghilian’s solar by the butler, who refused to make eye contact with her. Only a few weeks ago she had counted these people as her friends, but now she was nothing but an orphaned pariah.
Lady Ghilian sat regally before the fireplace with her needlework in her lap. Aleka curtsied, but barely. Her ladyship’s eyes fell to the egret necklace briefly, but then focused on Aleka’s face. Aleka’s eyes burned from all the crying and she knew they must b
e red and bloodshot, but she stood tall under Lady Ghilian’s gaze.
“I have your final wages.” She reached onto the small table next to her and patted a cloth pouch.
“Is that all, my Lady?” Aleka asked. She kept her eyes glued to a spot on the wall above her head, not wanting to look at the woman who had denied her access to Halia in her dying moments.
“I also wanted to thank you for your service. You have much to learn, but you were always a welcome addition to our staff.”
Until I wasn’t, Aleka thought bitterly, her jaw clenching.
“You’ll be happy in Admiral Ghilian’s employ. Lady Deana Ghilian is a good mistress. I know your mother would be glad of this move.”
Aleka’s eyes snapped to Lady Ghilian’s. She knew that to speak her true thoughts was to court further disaster, but her hands clenched into fists at her sides as her eyes narrowed. How dare this woman presume to tell Aleka anything about how Halia would feel! How dare she think she was offering Aleka mercy and clemency by sending her into the den of a monster! Aleka continued to say nothing; just letting her glare speak for itself.
Lady Ghilian shifted uncomfortably in her chair. She, too, kept her eyes on Aleka, but it was obvious she would rather look anywhere else. Finally, she cleared her throat and rang a small hand bell near Aleka’s final pay.
“I wish you luck, Miss Akoni. Tomorrow you go on to great things.”
Chapter Six
Aleka woke well before dawn. No one else was awake yet, and given the unpleasantness of the day before, it was unlikely anyone would come to see her off. No one had paid her much heed since her mother’s death, anyway. She was little more than a pitiable lamb.
She grabbed her bag, slung it over her shoulder, and picked up her wooden violin case. It made no difference to her how they viewed her. Not one of the servants had sided with her, not even Sophie and Francis, people Aleka counted as friends. Friends, indeed. She curled her upper lip into a snarl as she stepped into the dark, cold kitchen. Even Taki and her friends at the Battered Traveler had cut her out. No one dared to believe the celebrated Admiral was capable of cruelty, or at least no one dared to believe it aloud. Yet they somehow believed Halia Akoni was capable of drinking herself into a rage.
Aleka opened the back door of the kitchen and stepped into the yard. The air had a crisp feel to it, but not enough to warrant a cloak or jacket. That was a bit of luck, since Aleka refused to take the hand-me-down coat from Lady Ghilian.
The gate guards to the grounds let Aleka pass without a word. They would already know she was leaving, but the fact that none would offer a stray comment or word of encouragement hurt. Tears stung her eyes, but she moved on with her head held high, letting the crowned egret around her neck give her strength. It was a gift from Halia to remind her to be strong and brave in the face of the worst, and this was certainly the worst Aleka could imagine.
She left the grounds and turned north to the farthest end of Golden Road. Nobles kept their townhouses there, and the Admiral was no exception.
“Aleka!” a voice called when she was well away from the magistrate’s grounds.
She turned to see Francis coming toward her at a rapid pace. She looked forward again and marched on.
Francis caught up to her, grabbing her by the shoulder and turning her to face him. “I meant to catch you at the gate, but you’d already passed through when I arrived.”
“What do you want?” Aleka shook him off.
“To see how you are,” he answered softly. “To say good-bye.”
Aleka laughed, the sound ringing in the air like a cold bell. “Go away, Francis. You and everyone else left me to flounder by myself against the might of House Greyhome.” She tried to move around Francis, but he caught her arm again.
“Do you really think we could side with you? Honestly?”
Deep down, Aleka understood what was happening. To side with her would equal the loss of a prestigious position. No one was fool enough to back her before the Lord and Lady, but even in private, no one approached her. That wound cut deep.
“You know what really happened, Francis.”
“He’s the finest admiral in Cesernan, Aleka. Even if Lord Fresch caught him in the act, no court would ever convict him.”
Aleka sniffed and wiped her nose with her sleeve. “She deserves better!” she said angrily. “They say I’m besmirching his good name, while not a care is given for hers; a poor indentured servant cook.”
Francis touched Aleka’s face tenderly, his hands warm and surprisingly smooth. “Halia didn’t fly into a rage, dear one. Everyone who knows her, knows this is true. But it does no good to denounce Admiral Ghilian.” Francis withdrew his hand and sighed. “We’d all lose our jobs and worse.”
Aleka slapped his hand away as he withdrew it. “Don’t touch me!” So much time flirting and kissing wasted on such a spineless fool, she thought ruefully. “Your job isn’t more precious than the life of my mother. You can replace a job!” Her voice rose to a near shriek.
Francis stepped back, exasperated. “Being dismissed for besmirching a magistrate’s family could forever ruin my chances of finding work in Glenbard again. You know this! Your mother would not hold with you acting like this.”
Aleka pushed Francis, hitting him in the chest with her bag. He put up his hands to defend himself, deflecting her blows as best he could.
“Don’t tell me how she would have wanted me to act! Because of the Admiral, she’s no longer here to tell me herself!”
Halia had often told Aleka not to speak ill of her betters, and it was the last thing she ever said to her daughter; however, she died at the hands of her betters. If one more person dared to tell Aleka who was her better, she thought she would explode into a thousand pieces. She felt like a flame was beginning to engulf her, and the angrier she got, the hotter it burned. Any who touched her would burn.
“Please stop this madness, Aleka,” Francis implored.
Aleka dropped her bag in the dirt and punched Francis in the shoulder. He staggered back a few steps against the force.
“I hate you!” she seethed. “And I hate everyone in that household! You call yourself my ‘friend’, but you’re nothing but false, cowardly trash!”
“You’re going to make this worse for yourself,” Francis pleaded, keeping a calm tone despite Aleka’s rage. “You’ll end up in the gutter if you’re not careful, indentureship or no.”
“I would rather crawl on my belly through the muck and filth than ever, EVER, peacefully serve the Admiral or House Greyhome again!” With those words hurled into the early morning, she picked up her bag and marched off, refusing to heed Francis as he called behind her. If she ever saw him again, it would be too soon.
~*~*~
Aleka arrived at the Admiral’s home, where she dallied on the walk-way with her things clutched close. Like many of the noble houses on Golden Road, this one was two stories of red brick with black painted shutters for the windows. They were closed for the moment, likely to be opened as the household awakened. There was a small carriage house around the back and a sizable yard where the cook kept a small garden.
Aleka headed up and around toward the back of the house. The kitchen door was whitewashed, but the wood held several scratches that uncovered the brown beneath. Aleka’s hand hovered by the door. If she ran now, would they find her? She looked at the leather band around her wrist, stitched with Greyhome’s sigil. It could be easily removed, but the threat of a stay in Redbank Prison hung heavily over her head. An inconvenient leather band wasn’t worth a stay there.
Sighing heavily into the cool morning air, she knocked on the door. A fire-haired man with arms as big as clubs opened the door and turned a critical eye to Aleka.
“Akoni, I presume,” he said, his voice coming out in a raspy grunt.
“I am to start my duties today.”
He stepped away from the door, allowing her to pass. “Name’s Bennet. I’m the cook; you’ll be assisting me.”
“You’ll find things aren’t so grand here as they are in the house of a magistrate. You’ll be in here most of your time; cleaning up, doing small tasks like peeling produce. When I deem you ready, you can move up to a full kitchen assistant.” He flashed Aleka a bracelet of leather on his own arm. “We’re all in this together, Akoni, so don’t think just because you came from a magistrate’s house and you’ve got a real education, it means you deserve more than the rest of us.”
“Of course not.” She held up her violin case. “Where might I put my things?”
Bennet grunted and motioned for her to follow him as he led her down a tight hallway to three closed doors. “We’ve only got a few servants here. I sleep in this room.” He rapped on the door to the farthest room. “Next door is the butler, Baxton, and across the hall,” he motioned to the only room across from his own, “you’ll share with Lady Deana Ghilian’s maid, Amelia. The carriage driver, Sean, sleeps out above the stables.”
“Is there a valet for the Admiral?”
“The Admiral brings his valet with him when he takes to the sea. You’ll find the Admiral is gone more than he is here.”
Small favors, Aleka thought. “I suppose Amelia is still asleep.”
“Shouldn’t be.” He banged on the maid’s door and then on the door of the butler. “Up then, it’s a new day!” he bellowed. “Go on in and stow your things. This morning you’ll watch me, and sometime after breakfast Lady Ghilian will summon you. Hop to, time’s wasting.”