It was a sunny afternoon the day I came to my aunt Amalthea's estate in Atlanburg. It would be an understatement to say I was tired. After a day and a half riding in a carriage through the stinking metropolis, the suburbs and out to the country house I was not in the best state. I stared up at the letters carved into the archway above the door: Murray Manor 13901. The word looming is overused somewhat universally but if ever there was a place made for the word, this was it. The stone manor looked like a castle and it's great thick walls did loom over me. Smartly arranged planters were an extension of the perfectly manicured lawn and the smart cobblestone lane leading to the house. The place oozed money.
That's why my father had sent me here supposedly. His sister was a world-class businesswoman and knew how to run a household, his exact words. It didn't seem to matter that the city-state of Atlanburg still used its undesirables as human chattel. I couldn't understand why father would send me to a place that violated every human rights agreement we held sacred. Yet here I was.
I had been waiting for some time and thought about knocking again when the door abruptly swung open. The woman inside was not my aunt but a thrall dressed in a dark maid's uniform. I tried not to stare at the tattoos on her neck.
"Um... Stara Murray, here to see the Lady Amalthea," I stated.
"Yes Lady Stara, right this way," she replied. Once inside I followed her bustling form down the hallway. The maid was about my age from the look of her with her shiny blonde hair tied up in a bun. After a few more turns we came to the Lady Amalthea's office.
"Thank you Jema, you may go.." The maid turned on her heel without having to be asked twice, leaving me alone with a woman I'd only met a couple times. Her face was as stern as I'd remembered it when I was a girl with her graying hair tied up tightly. She had a reputation for being hard and relentless. Her office certainly projected that at first glance. Everything was in perfect order among huge, intimidating polished shelves of mahogany. The only decorations were modernist sculptures of cold steel.
"Welcome to Murray Manor Stara. It's nice to see you again and how fares your father?"
"He's well Lady, thank you."
"Very good. I don't like to waste time so we'll start immediately. You are to accompany me on matters with Duke Harinn's people shortly but before we do there are some matters on which I must instruct you. Being from New Brunswick I believe you are not familiar with the ways of criminal justice here."
"On the contrary, Lady, I learned in school how people do their penance here," I replied, trying to keep my voice neutral.
"But you have never commanded a thrall with their true name, correct?"
"That is correct my lady." I didn't like where this was going.
"Jema, come here!" The maid came rushing back in.
"As you can see, Jema is in service to me. She is repaying a debt to society and I have been given her true name. As such, she will do anything I say quite literally."
Oh no.
"Jema, put your hands on the desk."
The young woman complied as if yanked forward by a pulley system and then pulled her hands away immediately.
"So you see if you want to keep a thrall somewhere you must specifically state so or they will not be made to comply. Let's have another example."
"Oh that won't be necess-..."
"Jema, do a handstand and hold position." I watched helplessly as she immediately sprung down onto her hands and stayed there. It was humiliating to watch let alone what the thrall must be feeling as her skirt fell down onto her torso, exposing her underwear. Mercifully her face was at least covered but mine was blushing in embarrassment and anger. Amalthea strode over to the woman and pinched her
hard
on the inner thigh, forcing a shriek from her.
"As you can see she will stay in this position until her muscles give out."
She stayed there for a few more nerve wracking moments on trembling muscles until the Lady called out to release her. When she stood up her face was neutral and she stared at the wall but her chest was heaving up and down from exertion..
"Dismissed Jema," Amalthea called out and the woman practically ran from the room.
"Your face says you do not approve but these are things you must learn while you live here."
"You could have just told me Lady Amalthea." My tone was icy but fear kept me in check..
"No child. You needed to see. Now I will give you one more instruction," her face was inches from mine and cold in a way that made me hold my tongue, "If you listen, you will hear the Duke's men arriving just now. They have come to talk business and brought with them a new thrall. A gift of good faith and possibly a spy. He is not to be trusted."
I looked out the window and indeed there was a carriage being emptied of men outside.
My aunt spoke low into my ear, making the hair at the back of my neck stand up, "You may not appreciate this now but you might if you need to defend yourself. I won't put my own relation in danger. His name is Arendi Cantus Aliatheni."
I couldn't stop myself from gasping. She'd said his full true name carefully, with the proper intonation. I felt the weight it carried.
"Yes, now you understand. I would never deign to test your morals," her voice dropped with sarcasm, "but when you need it you must say Arendi Cantus Aliatheni obey my commands immediately and completely until I release you. This will bind him to your will."
She grabbed my upper arm and twisted to make her point. "Repeat that phrase I have just told you word for word."
She had a hard look on her face and I didn't see what difference it would make to repeat them now where the poor man couldn't hear me. This name had been ripped from him by the oracle after he'd been sentenced for a crime and I didn't plan to participate in this barbarity.
"Arendi Cantus Aliatheni.. obey my commands immediately and completely until I release you."
"Good," she said calmy, releasing my arm, "they're coming now."
Indeed they came into the office a few moments later behind Jema, the duke's two emissaries dressed in fine clothibg and feathered hats. Another younger man with a shock of black hair, slightly too long was with them. I had never seen a thrall as marked as he was with tattoos winding their way down one half of his face and chest where it met a simple white shirt. The other half of him was unmarked. It was striking. Whoever had that done to him clearly had a flair for the dramatic. He kept his dark eyes pointed down, hidden under long sooty lashes but I had the feeling he was still aware of every movement around him. He made brief eye contact with me and inexplicably my face grew hot. I quickly looked down to the floor. He was the type of man who was not only handsome but pretty. It wasn't hard to guess what his duties at the Duke's castle were.
The duke's men were as arrogant as any who had come to father's court and introduced themselves in an embarrassingly grandiose manner. A certain type of small talk continued until one of the men, the one with a large blonde mustache, changed the subject.
"How rude of me, I haven't introduced the thrall yet." Cue the cruel laughter from the two men. "Let's get the two of you better acquainted and talk business."
"Very well," my aunt addressed me now, "Stara please leave us and get situated in your room."
I nodded to the duke's emmissaries and hurried out but I couldn't help staying outside the doorway for a moment. I heard them clearly from that short distance talking politics and finances.
"So I suppose we should take care of the transfer of goods then. Kneel. I trust you have his name?" I assumed it was the thrall who I heard kneel on the ground.
The Lady Amalthea spoke clearly then. "Arendi Cantus Aliatheni, obey my commands immediately and completely until you are released."
"Very good. Arendi Cantus Aliatheni, you are now released from my service." One of them said with a chuckle. It sounded like he was handing over an old book rather than a human being.
"Now that we are completed with that, I suggest we go sit down to supper if you gentlemen are not opposed."
"Not at all." I jumped a bit as I heard that and scurried down the hallway to get ahead of them. Finding another servant woman down the hall, this one with no tattoos, I asked and she was kind enough to lead me to my room where my bags had been taken.
After we arrived there I inquired as to her status in the house.
"I am here as a free woman my lady. A little over half of the men and women in service to the Lady Amalthea are the same. I wish there were even fewer thralls here if I'm being honest."
"Why is that ma'am if you don't mind me asking?"
The older woman smiled in a condescending manner. "You've really never been out of New Brunswick then. These people are criminals dearie, regardless of what those bleeding hearts in the papers might say they deserve what they get. They should lock them up or execute them instead of letting them be out among decent people. But I'm sure the Lady of the house will be vigilant about your safety."
"I see," I said, effectively dismissing her, "thank you for your help."
She bowed slightly and excused herself.
I thought about her words after she had left. She seemed ghoulish to me now but how much of what she said could be true? I wasn't naïve enough to think every criminal was harmless but the thought of having my free will stripped away made me queasy. I would have to wait and see.
