Nadine Book 4

45. 1 Gold Bar

The next day, Thora helps me design the dress. It's a very basic floor length black gown. It's sleeveless and strapless. I'm going to pair it with a small red apron, red gloves that go up to nearly the boob height, and a red cloak that has a hood on it. Next we do the necklace. It's a simple black chain with a fake red stone hanging down.

We go to Dipak's office when we're done. Dipak is talking and Frode is writing fast.

"I got the public building area in the village marked off. The park, school, and library are going in it."

"Servant to see the queen."

"That's different."

Tre stands up. "Yea, that's odd." He comes over by me. "Enter."

A servant comes in, and she's shaking. I recognize her from Nayel castle. "I'm sorry. I didn't know there would be a meeting." She tries to run for it.

Tre yells, "STOP!"

She freezes solid.

She looks like she could pee at any time. "What is your name?"

"I.. Iris."

I smile. "Iris, what can I help you with?"

"It's not only me. There's a few of us. We would like to grow our hair."

"You like long hair?"

"Yes we do."

"Why is it short now?"

"The other... castle. The one we were at. They said some of us had prettier hair than the princess. We were forced to cut our hair off constantly. We were banned from ever having hair longer than the tops of our ears. If we forgot they would beat us and shave it."

I try to absorb that. "Are there other servants who have been banned from things as well?"

"Quite a few for hair. Some were told they were to pretty to be near the king. They are banned to guest areas and the dungeons. The servants who have nice skin are forced to work outside. They are banned from working inside. There are others, but I can't think of them."

"A servant to pretty to be near the king?"

"They would..." She breaks down sobbing and holds her lower stomach.

Mary jumps up and wraps her in her arms.

Tre rubs his eyes. "Who would beat you for forgetting your hair?"

"All the men at the table. And the queen. The princess loved to beat us with metal bars for any reason."

"Iris don't leave yet. But you are free to grow your hair as long as you want. As long as it is taken care of, the choice is yours."

She starts sobbing so hard she nearly falls over. "Thank you."

"Also, if any man ever forces himself on you in my castle, you come to me. I don't care who it is. I will deal with it personally."

She hits her knees. "Thank you my queen."

Mary pulls her back up and holds her. "It's ok."

"I'll be in your old office lifting bans, all day." I turn to walk out.

"No wait. I want to hear these too. Everyone go work on your projects."

Everyone leaves except Tre, Tye, and Dipak.

Mary takes Iris in the hallway.

"These servants were obviously raped and beaten by men and one monster princess." I rub my eyes and they nod at me. "They may have trouble speaking around you. Or telling what they have been banned for, things like that. It may be hard for them with you in here."

Tye shakes his head. "They need to trust us. They need to know we're here to protect them too. They'll never get over those fears of us if they don't see us at all."

"Sweetheart, if someone is unable to talk with us in here, we will go outside. But they need to try. They need to start somewhere."

I put 2 couches facing each other with the table in the middle. Then I put a chair facing into the table at both ends of the couches.

"Guard summon all the servants who came from the Nayel castle to the hallway. I want to see them 1 at a time."

"Actually put them in the sitting room. That's to many people in the hallway."

"Dipak, you sit on that couch with your back to the door. Tre and Tye, you 2 sit in the chairs. I want the couch facing the door. Servant, bring me 8 pitchers of juice, 42 cups, 42 little plates, 100 little cakes, and a huge bowl of mixed fruit. Dipak scoot this way. I want the closest available seat to the door to be beside you."

"Why?"

"I want to see how they walk around you. I want to see if they are to scared to sit by you. I want to see if they go out of their way to sit by me. If the stories are true, we will be able to tell by how they sit down. Tye put your foot on the table. Servants, I need one of you to stay. Everyone that comes in, you will hand a cup of juice and plate with 2 little cakes and some fruit on it."

"Of course."

"Thank you and starting with me. I want some too."

The guard comes in. "There are 40 in the sitting room."

"1 at a time please. When 1 gets done, the next can come in. And make sure the door is shut when one of them is in here please."

The first one comes in, and gives me a shy smile. She steps in my box of furniture. She see's Tye's foot blocking the path to me. Walks in front of Dipak and skips the seat by him. Crosses in front of Tre. Then me. She finally sits right beside me on the couch.

"Thank you for stopping in. We want to meet our new servants. One second, and I'll get you some cake."

She's so stunned.

"Have you never had cake? It's my favorite dessert."

She shakes her head.

"Try it. And I think the dining room always has some if you want more." I shrug my shoulders at her. "They may run out sometimes. I don't know for sure."

She takes a little bite and cries.

"What's wrong?"

"I've never had juice either."

Dipak sits up. "How long were you a servant at Nayel castle?"

"200 years."

"Things were pretty rough for you over there?"

"It was bad."

"In 200 years, what's the worst thing you've seen or been through?" I take a drink of my juice.

"I seen a servant quartered because she was raped. The queen would kill anyone she suspected. But the king was a monster. They both were."

"Did rape happen a lot?"

"Nearly everyone."

"I can't take back the past for you all. I wish I could. But in my castle, you are safe. If you ever have a problem with anyone, you come to me or one of my boys. We'll sort it out. What I am actually calling the meetings for is we figured out that servants have weird bans on them. Some aren't able to grow hair, or work indoors, things like that. I want to check for bans on everyone and get them released. Do you have any bans on you?"

"Not on me. No." She wants to say something else, but she doesn't.

"I am available if something comes up. Let one of the boys or Mary know if you want to see me. Thank you for coming on such short notice. And don't forget the dining room does have more cake and juice. Don't forget to eat there please. 3 times a day."

She hugs me. "Thank you."

It goes the exact same way for the next 5.

Then the 6th one comes in.

She holds her head high and smiles at me. Then she sits beside Dipak. The servant gives her a cup and plate of the goodies.

"Thank you. This cake is very good."

Tre's eyebrows pop up. "Our pleasure."

I smile at her. "Tell us about yourself. You look young."

"I'll come of age in 2 years. I'm not super young."

Dipak gets very confused. "She's not an adult? Summon Miculai."

I give him a dirty look. "I'll ask quickly then, do you have any bans placed on you? I heard of some odd ones like growing hair or being stuck outside. Anything at all?"

"Just s*x. That's all."

"What?"

"I'm banned from sex."

"Why?"

"I'm a virgin."

I put an eyebrow up. "I need more than this."

Dipak says very slowly. "Why?"

"When I come of age, the king will sell me to the man I will lose my virginity too. Then I will be happy forever."

I spit my juice so far I hit Dipak with it. "Sorry."

"I had the same reaction. I just didn't have anything in my mouth."

I wipe my mouth off. "You are banned from s*x, so the king can get more money out of you?"

"Correct."

"What about work?"

"You mean servant stuff?"

"Yes."

"I don't do that. I have to stay clean and care for my skin every day."

Tre rubs his eyes. "How many young virgins are here now?"

"I think 2. When I first got here, there were 20. I think he was searching for a new set of young ones. We're the last 2."

"And you are waiting for us to sell you?"

"Correct."

"And you want to be sold?"

"Yes, the man that buys me will love me forever."

Tre spits juice across the table and the servant drops a plate.

Dipak blinks a couple of times. "No more juice. Everyone sit it down."

I nod. "How did the king and his advisors treat you?"

"Like a little girl. Sometimes they would kiss my girl parts. But they would never put anything in there. They said that was for the man that bought me."

My eyebrows are stuck up. "How much would the man buy you for?"

"1 gold bar."

I puke everywhere. "OH MY GOD. ALL THOSE GOLD BARS TRE."

Tre jumps up. "GUARD GET MICULAI, MARY, AND OMAR IN HERE." He pulls me in the hallway and yells again. "SERVANTS. CLEAN UP THE KINGS OFFICE."

Daddy is walking down the hallway.

"We have underage girls as servants."

"That's not good at all." He takes off for Dipak's office much faster.