NOVEL NEXT Chapter One Hundred and Six Milith’s New Servants
Milith slipped out of the sheets. The sun played over her bare skin, as her clothing formed back around her. It was a neat spell, and she was quite happy to have learned it. Made getting dressed so much easier and it cost nearly nothing to cast. Less than a tenth of a point. So there was no reason not to use it.
Nearby another knock rapped on the door and she called, “You may come in.”
A moment later the tall priest slipped into the room, a pair of collared beastkin behind him. One of them was a child, the other a young woman. She looked to be in her late teens or early twenties. Barely old enough to have had a child and yet she was clearly expecting a second as her belly was swollen with child. She wasn’t ready to pop yet, but she was far enough along to show, even if she was wearing proper clothing, but she wasn’t. Just a thin top and a torn skirt. Milith turned to him.
He smiled wryly, “I know it’s not much. Best I could find on short notice, these two are a pair of debt slaves. It’s technically the husband's debt, but the bastard ran out. Leaving these two behind to pay for it. Good thing for them, it’s Nathaniel who holds the debt and he gave them to me. I figure they would clean up nice and a princess’s attendant is paid well. They will be free in a few weeks, what do you think?”
“I guess, but the kid? How old is she? Five?”
The girl beamed, “I’m seven!”
He sighed, “Six actually.”
“But my birthday is only a few days away, then I will be a big girl!”
He turned to her, “Maybe a little training will be needed.”
Milith smiled, “Oh? Your birthday is coming up? So is mine.”
The girl smiled, “That’s wonderful! We can have a party together!”
Milith giggled, “Sure, I guess. Just, I don’t think the day is the same, just close.
“That’s fine, we will do it on your day. I have something in mind for my day anyway, so that would just work out better.”
The tall priest chuckled, “I guess she likes you.” he sighed, “Anyway I have an extra to go deal with. I’ll be back in the evening to continue our lessons. Before I go, would you like anything to eat?”
She turned, thought for a moment. Milith had eaten recently, well a week ago, but that was still recent. Her kind spent months between meals usually. Often with only light meals if any between them. “Perhaps something light? A soup perhaps?”
He smiled, “Easily milady. It will be here soon, I’ll tell the staff.”
With that he left and the young girl shifted her stance, “So um what are we going to do?”
Milith glanced at the balcony, “I was thinking of sunbathing. Perhaps you two can tell me about yourselves, while I am enjoying the sun?”
The girl nodded and the trio went out to the balcony. It had a view of the city, with its towering white stone structures and distant walls. Beyond them a vast swath of farmland filled her sight. It was a nice view, but she wasn’t here for it. Finding a nice sunchair, Milith settled into it and the girl chose a spot nearby. Her mother stayed silent and stood by the door.
Milith frowned, “So um, miss, have anything to say about yourself?”
The woman yawned, “Not really, the priest was not wrong with what happened.”
“Mommy doesn’t talk much these days. It’s fine,” then the girl turned to Mom, “Get us some water.”
Mom nodded and walked off. Milith blinked, that was a little odd. She filed that away and lay back in the chair. Enjoying the sun's rays, she was tempted to just strip. Being naked in the sun was a popular way to sunbathe. Not to mention this was technically her real breakfast. She was about to say something when the girl asked her, “So what day is your birthday?”
“Three weeks from now,” she replied.
The girl smiled, “Oh that’s perfect. Mine is next week. Ah right we haven’t introduced ourselves, I’m Xiri, you are?”
“Milith of Clan Countryman daughter of Supreme Protector Ariala and a Princess of the Solean Empire. Afraid I don’t have many titles though. My mother hasn’t given me many chances to distinguish myself.”
“Your mother sounds like a pain.”
Milith giggled, “I guess she is. She’s why I am here and I was so close to celebrating my big five hundred too.”
The girl blinked, “Five hundred? You’re old!”
She giggled, “I wish, I’m not even an adult where I come from. At least not for a few more days anyway.”
The girl smiled and soon the two were chatting. Not long after she got her breakfast and she mostly lost track of time. The girl was pretty fun and energetic. Her mother on the other hand was quiet, calm and often just did whatever she was asked. Making it rather easy to forget she was there. Milith did notice that the girl tended to boss her mother around. Sometimes she wished she could, but her mother never would have let that fly
As the sun was starting to weaken, Milith stretched. “It seems we’ve spent the whole morning. Might be time to go in?”
Xiri looked up and paled, “AH! I’m late! I need to leave.”
Milith frowned, “Late for what?”
“The ta... um I don’t really have time to explain. Mother, why don’t you tell her about it?” said Xiri as she ran off. That was weird.
“So? Where is she going?”
The woman shrugged, “I don’t really know. She often disappears without telling me. Sometimes for a couple of days.”
Milith, seeing flags, said, “And you let her?”
She smiled, “Of course, she is my daughter, I have to let her do what she wants.”
Milith frowned, “Do you not find it suspicious?”
She shook her head, “No, should I?”
“Mind if I go see what she is doing?”
The woman didn’t object and Milith slipped out of the room. Following little Xiri wasn’t too hard, as she vanished from view. Unlike some of her relatives, she didn’t have an integrated cloaking device, but the principles of cloaking were simple. It was beyond easy to vanish if she wanted to. There was the whole issue of mana use though, cloaking wasn’t cheap. Thankfully Xiri wasn’t hard to follow as she weaved through what were clearly servant corridors.
Milith had no doubt she was going to some kind of meeting and her mother seemed to have been brainwashed. Raising all sorts of red flags. Separating a child from the parents was usually done for something nefarious. While she didn’t know Xiri for long, what she did know painted her as a prime victim for all sorts of predators. Something Milith was worried about and she wanted to protect that smile. Children were cute and precious afterall. For a moment she understood her own mother, but she wished her mother would let her just spread her wings. Surely there was a better way than smothering her?
A moment later, Xiri reached a heavy wooden door in the basement and knocked twice. A female voice responded, “Xiri? That you sweetie? Do come in.”
Milith felt a bit of relief, suddenly half the issues she was worried about were gone. For a moment she considered heading back now, but instead, she moved closer. Let herself listen.
“Sorry I am late,” said Xiri, “I...”
“Don’t be, I’m just glad to see you. How are you doing? Those church asses treating you alright?”
Xiri giggled, “Well enough, the priest in charge of me seems nice.” She paused and then in a voice that was beaming said, “He assigned me to a princess today, she seems nice but get this! She looks only a couple of years older than me, but she said her five hundredth birthday is just a few weeks from now.”
The other one chuckled, “Five hundred you say? Well some species live a long time. Was she any fun?”
“Lots! I had a lot of fun chatting with her. We spent the day on the balcony in her room.”
“Well I’m glad they are treating you right. Otherwise I’d make them regret it. Now we haven’t spoken in a few days, so let's catch up for a bit.”
“Sure!”
There was the sound of furniture being moved and then Xiri started energetically describing her last couple of days. Milith was feeling like it might have been nothing. Sure she could have made a telepathic scan to be sure, but she knew some races could sense that. Not to mention it was considered rather rude. Then again so was eavesdropping.
Then Xiri asked, “So how have you been?”
“Well, enough. I don’t think the priests like me all that much, they act like I will eat their babies or something.”
Xiri giggled, “Oh that must be awkward. At least you managed to get a room here. I don’t know what I would have done if we had to say goodbye.”
“Yeah well, it wasn’t easy. Thankfully high Priest Darious had something in my skillset to fix.”
“Oh? What was it?”
“His Sister is expecting a child, only there have been some... complications. She also lost her last one, a son that Darious was looking forward to doting on and he doesn’t want a repeat of last time. I’m now her personal nurse, she’s doing well. Just not sure if I should tell him that she is expecting a pair of twin girls. The locals don’t seem to care for us as much as sons.”
Xiri sighed, “I know.”
“Honestly this whole place is a real rotten mess. It would be nice if we could just breed out all the boys.”
“Isn’t that a little much? My handler seems nice.”
“Yes I know they aren’t all bad, but most of the ones here are. Worse, they teach their sons to be poor characters. It just feeds a bad cycle and I didn’t say kill, just breed them out. In other words, I mean that they only end up with girls and nothing else. Less and less boys get born and soon it will only be girls.”
Xiri was silent for a moment, “I guess that would be nice.”
Milith frowned and then walked off. It seemed things weren’t as bad as she thought. Just a couple of friends meeting. Although the one seemed to have an issue with men and the local church. Not that she blamed them, from what she knew so far these people weren’t the most progressive. Little did she realize she had missed something.