บท 62: Peeping Toms

"Huh?" The man lifted his head, rubbing his eyes "A girl? The baths are mixed, though," He pointed to a room. "Good luck little lady," He yawned and rested his head down again. I turned away from him, to meet many hungry eyes staring back at me, glinting in an evil light.

Guess I can't take a bath right now," I sighed and went back up to my room. Once it was a bit later, I went into the bath carrying my towel. I looked in to check that it was empty. Seeing that it was clear I stepped in closing the door behind me. I started slowly stripping and dropping my clothes to the white floor. I pulled off my gloves and underpants, leaving only my dress, eyepatch and weapon strap on.

"Do you all plan to watch me bathe too?" I said, no one answered. "Fine then," I wrapped the towel around me and meticulously peeled my dress off with the towel still on. I stepped into the hot water, a cloud of steam rising from it. I breathed out a sigh of comfort, feeling the water wash away all the stress that weighed upon me.

"Hey, she's bathing in her towel, what sense does that make?" I perked my ears up, listening to the not so discreet whispers of the peeping toms.

"Did she notice us? Was she talking to us before?" another man whispered.

"We can't see anything, what a waste. Should we just go down there?"

"Are you an idiot?"

"It's not like we would get in trouble for it,"

"Okay let's go,"

"Go where?" I asked standing behind them smiling. The two men looked back astonished, tripping on the ledge they were perched on and creating a loud splash as they fell into the water below. "Next time you want to peep, be a bit more discreet," I pulled them up from the water and tossed them out the bathroom. I went back to soaking and when I finished climbed out and went back to bed. I plopped onto the bed and drifted off to sleep.

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I kicked my feet back and forth while humming, enjoying the brush gliding through my hair. A soothing sensation ran through my skin and through my veins reaching every inch of my body calming it. I closed my eyes and relaxed my tensed my shoulders.

"Are you comfortable now?" My mother leaned over my shoulder and asked, her pendant around her neck grazing my cheek.

"Yes, thank you, mother," I smiled and looked at her. "Mother, your pendant is so pretty!" I poked it, a cool sensation flowing through my fingertip.

"Thank you," She smiled back to me and rubbed my head. Her unblemished skin that used to glow with beauty was becoming paler and paler with each passing day, her eyes sunk in and gnarly black circled drooped beneath them. Her jewelled blue eyes were losing their gloss and her sparkling silver hair was dry and full of split ends. She lost more and more weight, and it shrank her large bosom and the healthy fat coating her body disappeared, her bones visible under her pale skin, blue veins weaving underneath.

"Mother, you're losing weight again, shall I go steal a chicken from the kitchen?" I tilted my head, gripping a few strands of her hair in my hand, the coarse texture rubbing against my fingertips.

"No, this is normal, any food you get you should eat on your own, I'll eat the leftovers," She grabbed the hand holding her hair and squeezed it lightly.

"But-"

She interrupted me, "What sort of mother would I be if I didn't do this much for you," Someone bursts through the door of the hut we lived in interrupted our conversation.

"Indigo, the Clan Head wants you," A girl with dusty grey hair that fell to her shoulder and slanted silver eyes just like every single clan member but I, my hair was silver and my eyes blue. I looked to the ground, my body shivering in fear. I clutched my hair and yanked it as if I wanted to tear it from my skull.

"No, I'll go in her stead," My mother interjected.

"No, he wants Indigo,"

"Why can't I go!"

"A cheating whore has no say in the matter, so either I drag that bastard by the hair all the way there or she comes with me peacefully," The girl side-glanced us and sneered.

My mother bit her lip and mumbled something I couldn't hear, "If only I didn't have to save my power for Indigo, I would burn this place to the ground," I gripped my mother's sleeve.

"I'll go," I smiled at her.

"I'm sorry, I know that doesn't make this any better but-"

"It's fine, you need not apologize, I would do anything for you, mother, I love you," Little did I know that that day would be the true beginning of my nightmare.

"Don't dare bring her water or food again like last time or else she'll be punished, you don't want that do you?" the impatient girl interrupted our conversation and yanked me towards the door and brought me to the door of that 'demon'. "Kneel until the Clan Head calls you," after dropping those words she left.

I knelt in front of the door, rocks lodging themselves in my skin. Insults upon insults entered my ears and went out the other ear, I tried my best to ignore it all; I told myself I wouldn't let it get to my head, but it was never that easy.

"Ha, look, isn't that the trashy bastard?" Someone jeered.

"Yeah, who else here has such a disgraceful appearance?" The other laughed and mocked.

"The same appearance as her whore mother," they cackled in laughter together.

I knelt by the door for hours; the sun blazing into my back the entire time without a single drop of water, but I didn't dare to let my consciousness slip, not like last time, I didn't want to go through that and face that punishment again. I shivered despite the heat. The rocks embedded themselves into my knees, blood dripping onto the rough ground. Day turned to noon. Not a drop of water or food touched my tongue. I licked my chapped lips with my dry tongue to soothe the parched feel but to no avail.

"Come," One word fell from inside the room, just as I was about to let my consciousness fade. I wobbled to my feet, pins and needles rushing through my body. I took a deep breath to steady myself and walked into the room. It was a different setup from usual a giant water basin was in the centre of the room and an iron tub filled with blazing coal was next to it. The 'demon' was leaning on the water basin, staring at me with his emotionless silvery eyes. "Why are you standing there? Come closer," I listened to him and stumbled towards him, the heat of the coal hitting my face.

"I have a present for you, are you excited?" He asked, cupping my chin in his large palm and bringing it to his face.

"Yes, M'Lord," I answered with distant eyes.

"Good, I'm going to brand you today," My eyes shrunk, and I stared up at him with disbelief.

"M'lord..."

"That way it will be burned into you that I'm your master, how about it?"

"M'lord, please..." I pleaded.

"Bring her out," He turned away from me and said to one of his guards. The guards bowed and went to the back, and in their hands, they were dragging my mother. Her hands were tied behind her back and a cloth was stuck into her mouth. My eyes widened at the scene and I clenched my fist, my brittle nails digging into my skin.

"M'lord you promised you wouldn't drag my mother into this!" I looked to him and shouted; tremendous mistake. A hard palm fell on my cheek, smacking the air from my lungs and making my ears ring. I touched my cheek, a stinging sensation jolting through my face, tears of hatred and anger spilling from the corner of my eye.

"How dare you raise your voice!" He screamed, "I do what I want, do you hear me!? You're so foolish, did you know your mother also came to me and asked me the same thing? I didn't listen to either of you, did you know that while you were tormented by me, my guards raped your mother!" He threw his head back and roared with laughter, "Your foolish mother then begged me to keep it a secret from you, did you know what I said? I agreed I gave you both a sense of security only to do what? It's amazing how two people could be so dumb!" He laughed again. I stiffly turned my head to my mother, to see her face filled with regret, tears streaming down her face.

How could I have been so foolish? How did I not realize what was happening to her? I bit my lip, my teeth piercing the chapped flesh allowing blood to flow.

"It was so fun watching as both of you felt the other was safe to an extent, waiting for the perfect moment to tear it all down," He sighed and looked at me with a blissful expression. "Now, I'll have your mother watch you be branded, doesn't that sound fun?" He grinned, two dimples forming at the edges of his thin lips.