Chapitre 33: Chapter 32 : Friendship starts under tables.
058 was a bit surprised by her mistress's approval of whatever she had in mind. She'd been with Reli since she was 8 and they'd been inseparable ever since.
Since Reli was surrounded by men, the fought of a female companion was happily accepted by her family. Though she was fascinated with the actors and musicians that would come to perform for the solders, she couldn't be caught.
Servants were not expected to be seen unless necessary and for an eight year old, it was unnecessary but 058 didn't care, she usually hid under the tables covered in delicious food after she was done serving to watch the performance.
She felt she'd avoided being caught but Reli popped out of nowhere one day under her usual table with a broad smile. 058 nearly mistook her for a boy with her short brown hair.
She nearly screamed but Reli covered her mouth, telling her to be quiet. Then she smiled, though she'd lost three teeth, the smile was playful just like Reli.
Soon they became friends but 058 was a bit shocked when she found out Reli was the daughter of the Commander. She could still remember the way she held unto her neck as if it could be removed from her body at any time.
But then she'd met Reli's mother, Maria Sopins. She was the daughter of a scholar and a master tactician. Reli looked exactly like her mother down to the carefree playful smile that was always on her lips.
She was happy her daughter had finally been able to make friends with a fellow girl and soon she was appointed as Reli's personal maid.
058 was like family since Reli considered her as family. They would often get into mischief together, scaring the horses or putting oil on the weapons so they could never grab it or covering the training ground in wax.
Life was fun despite the constant battles the Commander had to fight. Lady Maria usually did spy work when she wasn't working and would bring back different gems to decorate her daughter's weapons when she got back.
It was their little secret, since the men never knew and would never allow her to leave. Then she'd given Reli that butterfly hairpin she so adored. It was her coming of age present...and her mother's last gift to her.
As 058 looked down at her wrist, she forced herself to stay in a good mood. Lady Maria had given her a vine like bracelet. It wasn't as colorful as Reli's hairpin but had different shades of green and small crystals that looked like water drops.
Then when the Commander had gone to stop a horde of demon cattle heading towards one of their cities in the North. But Lady Maria felt something was off and realized that her husband and his troops were walking into a trap.
Reli was already asleep since it was late into the night but 058 was with Lady Maria. She'd learnt how to read from this woman and loved watching her work.
But she'd recently learned a new piece of music and was playing the flute for her lady. 058 could never understand why her Lady's face had become pale as if the messenger of death had sent her an obituary.
Then she ran out of her tent commanding 058 to stay with Reli and keep her from finding out she had left. So as instructed, she did as she was told but she wished she hadn't.
The next morning, they'd gone to the barrack entrance to welcome them back but they all looked sad and mournful. Reli must have noticed something amiss first and suddenly screamed at the top of her lungs.
058 was even more confused as she tried to lift Reli who had collapsed on the floor and pulling at her hair. Then she became pale, Commander Sopins was carrying Lady Maria in his arms...that wasn't strange.
But Lady Maria wasn't laughing and the Commander wasn't smiling. Then she looked closer and saw dozens of arrow wounds on her body and gasped.
Lady Maria was dead. 058 was shocked numb and they held the mourning ceremony for a month instead of two weeks but nothing was the same again.
Lady Maria had taken a piece of their souls when she died but Reli seemed completely drained. She wasn't smiling, wasn't laughing; She was just robotic and performed things unenthusiastically.
But after a year, she was slowly getting closer to her former self, going hunting with her brothers, sparring with the men and collecting weapons again. Six months later, they'd decided to surprise her father for his birthday.
So they went to the Northern Borders, along with her two elder brothers and younger brother. But 058 wished they hadn't [ I should have stopped her ]
They'd gotten to the barracks before their father and Reli was tasked with stalling her father while the rest set up the surprise. But Commander wasn't alone, Eros was laughing with him. He was dressed in a black military uniform with red embellishments. He rode a black stallion gracefully.
058 thought he came out of a story book but he'd simply bewitched Reli. Then she decided to marry him, 058 along with the rest of the family disagreed. But Reli was as stubborn as her mother and got her way.
But not without hitting sour spots and blaming them for her mother's death. 058 had come along with her mistress according to Commander's request and she couldn't just leave Reli on her own in the capital.
At first it seemed alright and Eros seemed to actually like her mistress but that was just the calm before the storm. She could remember seeing Eros's bored and uninterested look when she'd come to drop refreshments in the bed chamber.
Then they'd had a fight, bigger than the constant squabbles and then Eros suddenly stopped coming. 058 knew he wouldn't be coming back anytime soon but she couldn't tell Reli that.
But then she'd say her mind and argue with Reli constantly about her pitiful obsession with Eros. Even a fool could tell just how unfavoured her mistress was but Reli was worse than a fool and in constant denial about her situation.
She'd smiled less and less the past year just like after she lost her mother. Then 058 heard clapping and realized she was in a daze. Reli had an excited playful smile on her face " Well, get to it 058. Its freezing ".
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone