The Duke's Handmaid (Book 1 of the Ascendancy Trilogy)

by Caprice Hokstad

  Master Terzak tried to spark her interest with suggestive touches under her skirt. kee did not shrink away, but neither did she respond with purring or returned touching as she saw her band sisters do. Eventually he gave up and left her to voluminous work while he enjoyed the fawning of the others.

  Chapter 70

  Master Terzak came up with his own unique banding system. He gave all his slaves copper Unringed wrist and neck bands. They all had one copper ankle band, but also a steel Ringed ankle band. On the few occasions he brought a slave into town, he would lock her to his wagon by the steel band when he left her alone.

  kee discovered he had further plans for the Ringed bands in the future. Master Terzak never asked her if she could read. While Master Vahn’s orders compelled her to treat Master Terzak the same, Master Vahn never countermanded his order not to reveal her reading ability. That particular order had been given in his capacity as duke, a capacity he still retained. Her final resolution to the conflicting orders was to neither go out of her way to reveal it, nor to make attempts to hide it.

  Master Terzak left books, dishes, wine bottles, and parchments scattered everywhere. kee had not meant to pry into his affairs. She didn’t read the vast majority of the scrolls as she gathered them to find the furniture underneath in order to clean it. However, this particular parchment somehow caught her eye.

  It was with all his plans for the new tavern. Master intended to rent out private rooms where female slaves would be chained to the beds. A slave could not refuse her master, but could ownership be transferred for an hour? kee was disturbed by the implications, but had no idea what to do about it. She was afraid to ask Master Terzak and she never had opportunity to ask Duke Vahn even if she could have worked up the courage. She caught a glimpse of him a few times in Ny, but he never approached the wagon where she was chained.

  Overheard conversations suggested Master Terzak had all the finances he needed for his hedonistic pleasure tavern. Exactly why it was not opened, kee could never decipher. Master Vahn had discussed all but the most delicate matters of his private life with her. Master Terzak never talked to her beyond rudimentary household concerns. Perhaps he spoke more in bed. kee didn’t care enough to ask the others.

  Chapter 71

  Life had not been easy in Rebono Keep after Vahn parted with his female staff. Several weeks he mourned the loss of his glorious house. He finally buried his feelings in order to concentrate on winning back his wife and proving his undying devotion to her. He refrained from harping on the subject of his sacrifice. It would be worth it to restore harmony. Somehow, he had to make Saerula see that she had always been first in his heart.

  Saerula, however, continued to spurn his attempts at reconciliation. The nanny problem dominated many of the fights. Saerula finally relinquished childcare responsibility to Vahn in order to have him bear the brunt of work whenever a nanny quit. He loved spending time with his son and didn’t mind dirtying his hands.

  Problems arose, however, when he tried to leave Rebono Keep to tend to his duchy. Nanny after nanny walked out when left alone with Saerula. Though Vahn begged them to stay or at least offer reasons for their exodus, all he ever received was bewildered shaking of matronly heads and vague excuses.

  Most of the male servants turned out better than Vahn expected once he gave them some direction. Haxton Niles, (the former “Fish Lips”) seemed especially proficient. He was a much better servant than Jallor. The others earned a modicum of respect and Vahn discarded their private nicknames, but Jallor’s stuck. Vahn was careful not to say it aloud, but he couldn’t help thinking Majesty-Boy every time he saw Jallor. It forever baffled Vahn that Saerula didn’t see his incompetence.

  Six weeks after Terzak left with Vahn’s most prized possessions, Vahn caught sight of his cousin leading willow through Ny’s town square—on a leash. One of the gentle beauties he had honed to be the best in the land was dressed like a cheap harlot and chained like an animal. Vahn searched for evidence of mistreatment, so he had some legitimate reason to confront Terzak, but there was no indication of anything that grave. willow didn’t cower before Terzak or look uncomfortable in the clothes. Such treatment was common for slaves and far from illegal. Yet, Vahn was so disgusted he avoided Terzak as much as possible, and his former slaves completely. How on Byntar could he face them?

  Terzak was remiss in setting up the tavern he’d agreed to partner, but for Vahn to confront the marquis, he’d risk seeing one of his girls. He chose instead to send periodic missives to reiterate the agreement. Maybe later, when the wound was less fresh, he could clamp down. But weeks turned to months with no change in his attitude. Even if it cost him five thousand gold, he could not look upon little xassa and pretend he was satisfied to see her shackled to a wagon wearing that indecent skirt. Indeed, after six months, it was still all too sore a wound.

  Vahn had agreed to find more slaves like his girls, but he couldn’t go through with it. Nine young ladies were already too much. He advised Terzak by letter to pick and train his own slaves. Vahn couldn’t dwell on it lest his attentions to Saerula become sidetracked. At all costs, he had to prove her wrong.

  Chapter 72

  One evening, Master Terzak had six officers from his secret society as guests. kee wasn’t sure what the purpose of the society was, but she knew there were quite a lot of members who were as loyal to Master Terzak as Duke Vahn’s knights were to him. kee guessed these six were somehow high-ranking from the way her master seemed to hang on their words and insisted on more secrecy than usual. After the men had spent three hours locked in the cellar, they retired to the parlor and Master summoned her to serve.

  “Commander, why doesn’t that Elva slave of yours have any Number?” one of them asked as she performed the last of her serves.

  “kee’s not Elva and she doesn’t have a contract. She’s Freewill.” Master Terzak grabbed her hair and exposed a rounded ear. kee endured the forced display, trying to hide her humiliation. He released her with a grunted order to kneel. They all continued to talk like she wasn’t there.

  “Freewill, Commander? She could run away and claim you captured her illegally. She’d get you in trouble with the ITC.”

  “No, she was trained there. They have records.”

  “Why take chances? You have those flimsy copper bands on her. The only thing that stands between her freedom and your ownership is a single Ringed band on her ankle. She could hide that easily. You want to chance losing her?”

  “No, but putting a false Number on a Freewill would get me in the same kind of trouble as her claiming I captured her illegally.”

  “Not a Number, Commander. An Owner’s Mark. Assuming you plan to keep her, of course,” the underling sneered. He gave kee a look that made her feel sick to her stomach.

  “Oh, certainly. She’s my optimess,” Master said. kee managed a small smile.

  “Then you can’t risk not putting her under your lawful control. You never know when an Itzi might turn on you. She’s your property. Would you leave a horse untied outside your wall?”

  “Hmm. I guess you’re right. I’ll take her to the ITC next week.”

  “Next week?” The underling started to protest, but quickly shut his mouth. kee thought it was his wisest move yet.

  “I can’t do it any sooner. I don’t have the equipment or skill for tattooing,” Master Terzak said defensively. kee came close to blurting out she had no plans to run away, but before the temptation became great enough to overcome her training, someone else interrupted.

  “So just brand her. You do have branding irons for your animals, don’t you?”

  “Well, er, I...yes, of course. But are you sure I’m allowed to place a Mark on a Freewill? I haven’t read all the slave laws.”

  “If she wears the bands, she has no rights. She’s a slave like any other. It’s foolish not to Mark her.”

  “But how long will she need to recover? I need her working.” Master Terzak seemed reluctant to go through with it
.

  “Itzi don’t feel pain as we do,” the underling said. “It won’t hurt her any more than it hurt your horse. You shouldn’t lose any work from her at all.”

  Master Terzak contemplated while kee’s heart raced. “All right. I’ll do it tomorrow morning.”

  “Commander, she’s been sitting there listening. Just do it now and get it over with. You’ll sleep better.”

  “Right now?” All of his guests nodded and spurred him on as if the idea sounded greatly entertaining. The ache in kee’s stomach increased by the second.

  Master Terzak stood and whispered instructions to someone who ran off toward the barns. “marha, willow, fawna, and ria, I need you here,” Master yelled toward the slave quarters. The four eldest and strongest, kee realized.

  kee drew a deep breath and spoke with a tremor in her voice. “Master Terzak, kee respectfully requests that you remove your bands. kee will remain as your servant, without pay.”

  The room erupted in laughter. She berated herself for her stupidity. Master Terzak had made no such agreement as Duke Vahn had to grant freedom at her request. She’d accepted Terzak’s bands with the duke as a witness. She had no rights now and it was her own doing.

  Terzak’s rough hand encircled her wrist just below the copper band. He yanked her from her knees. “Sit,” he ordered as he threw her toward the armchair. She obeyed, rubbing her upper arms to combat the growing chill. The other girls arrived in the parlor.

  “willow and ria, I want you to hold kee’s ankles down. One of you at each leg. Keep her from kicking,” Master Terzak ordered.

  All four of them looked at kee with unreadable expressions. Were they thinking this was punishment for some infraction she’d committed and happy she was finally reaping something more serious than another reprimand or haphazard slap to the cheek?

  “marha and fawna, hold her right arm against the chair’s arm. One of you take her wrist above the band and the other take near the elbow. Leave her forearm exposed.”

  marha and fawna stared at kee. Trembling, kee turned her arm upright and held it on the chair arm for them, then gazed up with sad eyes.

  Master Terzak frowned when they didn’t move fast enough. “Now!” he yelled. The girls jumped. The guests laughed. marha and fawna evidently decided this was not a prudent time to test Master’s limits. They took their positions and clamped kee’s arm to the chair. Though kee was anxious and frightened, she remained passive, mentally repeating the mantra that justified submitting—“Treat Marquis Terzak as you would me.”

  When the errand-runner returned from the barns, he held a branding iron up for all to see. Several of the guests ooed and ahhed as if impressed. Three inches in diameter, it had two letter M’s stacked within a circle—and it looked to kee many times larger than the one Master Vahn had used to force lopi’s confession.

  Master Terzak nodded the courier toward the fireplace where he set the iron deep into the coals. With guests in the room, kee had been very conscientious about keeping the fire fueled and stoked. Her own vigilance would now be used against her. Several of the guests exchanged whispers of anticipation. kee squeezed her eyes shut and prayed for strength.

  All too soon, she heard Master Terzak’s boots thud dully on the floor as he crossed the room to the fireplace. kee kept her eyes closed but she could tell from the quiet ahs of the guests that the heated iron met with their approval. Taking deep breaths, she clenched her teeth and braced herself, hoping her sisters would obey and hold her well. She felt Master’s hand clamp her free arm to restrain it out of his way.

  Searing fire consumed her right forearm. She screamed and jolted uncontrollably as he held the scorching metal to her skin. He counted aloud to three, though kee imagined an eternity between each spoken milestone. The stench of burning flesh wafted to her nostrils. If she wasn’t in such excruciating pain, she might have been ill from the smell.

  When the number three echoed in her ears and the eternity after it seemed even longer than the previous two eternities, she opened her eyes. Master Terzak had already removed the iron. In her forearm was now a throbbing, burning scar in the shape of his MM emblem. Master grinned at it while his guests applauded.

  kee cried piteously despite her attempts to be brave. Master Terzak showed no sympathy or patience. He ordered her out of his presence. “Do not expect this to get you out of work tomorrow,” he warned.

  “Yes, Master Terzak,” she whimpered as she stumbled out. She was now as much a slave as the rest—more, actually. She was branded for life, yet none of the others had more than two years left in her contract.

  Chapter 73

  marha, like all the others, had assumed kee was Elva until that fateful day when the duchess screamed the truth to the whole house. Mistress Saerula made sense to lie to. She was prejudiced. But kee had hid her identity from band sisters and fellow Itzi so she could act superior. Well, she wasn’t so superior now. If kee hadn’t been such a blubbering fool, Master Vahn might have freed marha like he did timna. Just because kee wanted to go with this marquis didn’t mean everyone wanted it.

  After ruining all their chances at freedom, the new arrangement seemed poetic justice—the haughty optimess humiliated and harassed for their laziness. Terzak obviously knew nothing about owning slaves. If he ran his business dealings the same way he ran his house, it was no wonder he never got around to opening his fancy tavern.

  marha and the other girls never outright disobeyed their new master, nor did kee ever get punished, just yelled at. Yet, as gratifying as it was to have Terzak always putting kee down for their exploration of his limits, having kee do most of the work was even better. No one planned the silent blackmail, but it worked so well, certainly no one was going to stop it.

  The Owner’s Mark brand was not so satisfying. marha was surprised that leveling kee’s status felt so hollow. It must have been the method. Much as she resented kee, she hated having to help hurt her like that. Notwithstanding, once the hideous blister healed, they all slipped back into former habits. Only xassa ever tried to help kee, but not too often, as she spent most her time and energy trying to gain Master’s affection.

  By marha’s reckoning, the climate changed seven months after the move to Mors Manor. Master Terzak started seeing a new consort, Baroness Livronia. Fendrus Sector was too remote for all her visits to be mere happenstance. This was obviously a courtship.

  marha felt she had a chance competing for Terzak among the other slaves, but against a free noblewoman was another matter entirely. The baroness opened her eyes. She and her band sisters had been mere toys to Terzak—even the affection-starved and naïve little xassa, who had never begrudged sharing Master’s “love”.

  It was bad enough to discover how foolish she’d been to waste her virginity on Terzak, but this noblewoman who would become mistress wasn’t going to allow them all to slack off as they had been. Small consolation she wasn’t the harridan Mistress Saerula was.

  Early one evening, Master was entertaining Lord Daelin along with the baroness. kee was serving the baroness a goblet of wine when marha passed the room.

  Daelin gasped and nudged Terzak. “What was that beautiful creature?”

  “That’s marha. Would you like to examine her?”

  “If it’s not inconvenient.”

  “kee, go get marha,” Terzak ordered.

  “Yes, Master Terzak.” kee hurried to the kitchen and called, “marha, Master Terzak requested your presence. Please join him in the parlor.”

  “Oh lovely, he wants to rub my nose in the fact he has a lady,” she scoffed.

  “marha! You know better than to speak like that. Besides, his reason is irrelevant. He is Master—he calls; you come. And if you were smart, you’d try to be as respectful as possible and cut the first person.”

  “Oh, stow it, kee.”

  kee’s eyes grew wide. marha had never spoken so boldly outside of their quarters. kee stood there dumbfounded, probably wondering whether Master might forget his ow
n orders. It had happened before. marha crossed her arms over her chest and stood firm. kee finally turned and left. marha snuck behind her to watch.

  When kee returned to the parlor, she knelt at the threshold. “Master Terzak, may kee enter, please?”

  “Yes, kee, come back in. Where’s marha?”

  kee’s shoulders sank. “kee relayed your request, Master Terzak, but marha said—”

  “marha is here, Master,” marha interrupted. She stepped over kee’s knelt form. Since marha had been summoned, she didn’t have to request permission to enter, but it was rude to step over kee, especially since kee held a title over her. marha smiled to herself. She was nine years kee’s senior and though marha had no aspirations to optimess herself, she nevertheless resented having someone so young appointed over her.

  “Good. marha, this is Captain Daelin,” Terzak said, motioning to the man. “He is my highest officer. You will address him as Master and serve him, understood?”

  marha gave no reply.

  Terzak furrowed his brows, but controlled his tone. “Daelin, how about a drink?”

  marha narrowed her eyes. She knew what he meant by “address him as Master and serve him”, and it wasn’t just a drink. Now that Terzak had enjoyed her treasures, he intended to share her with his officers.