Chapter 2: Personal Secrets

Adele looked up at the doors as she followed King Ky. Then back toward where her father had disappeared. God she hoped that someone killed him on the way back home. Some place she was never going to see again. What did it matter, that wasn’t a home. She was just holding it together inside.

She had no idea what she was in for here. What this King of the Mountain was capable of or how barbaric he would be. If he was going to use her and throw her to the wolves. Most accounts he was not the nicest person and could be brutal. Most were sure that he wasn’t human, but it wasn’t proven. Looking at him though she could see why. The man was strongly built, no push over. He clearly fought alongside his men, not hiding behind them.

Once they were closed in, she lowered her hood and glanced up toward the front of the main hall. The place was simple yet grand. Made of stone for the most part she bet that it took a very long time to carve the intricate work. She saw the throne room just off the hall and servants moving about and working. She hoped that her best case scenario. Just work in the keep the rest of her life.

They went down a hall and it was rather quiet here. She also noticed that there wasn’t a lot of light either, but she could see rather well. She didn’t ask where they were going. He didn’t speak to her until they came to a door that he pushed open and went in. She followed which he closed.

“Sit.” It was a command and she noted the coat rack and was rather quick unfastening the cloak. Hanging it she moved forward before he reached the desk that was there. She figured that dripping melting snow on the floor and chair was frowned upon. He was probably like her father and most in power. You did what you were told or you got hurt. She was here because she wasn’t a simpering dolt or groveled to her father. Don’t get her wrong, she didn’t go out of her way to piss him off. She was just caught many times doing things that did piss him off. She paid for it each time.

“I’m not a fool. You were most likely left here for your father to gather information. It would be a mistake to let you anywhere unchecked in this keep or even a higher status with the servants.” Her heart sank as he spoke. She just glanced up at him once. What he said was true. That’s what she would have thought. Well if he was going to make her a whore at least he was something to look at. He wasn’t some fat pompous old man. However his very aura was more than intimidating and he was clearly a fierce personality.

“I wasn’t left here as a plant Sire. That being said to save myself the pain of torture or something of the like. My father wouldn’t hesitate to ask me questions should he ever see me again. I would claim to be loyal to my family, as that is what is expected, but I am here. I do wish to keep my life.” She told him. She had been cast out, tossed away to an unknown fate. She was not feeling very loyal to her father.

“So you are easily bought.”

“No, but I know how to keep my mouth shut.” He would never know what it was like to be in her position. To be something that could be traded and seen as less. To fear what the men around you decided, your own father. He moved and looked down at her. She just stared forward and felt really tense. She could barely breathe when he took a hold of her chin and made her turn her head and look at him.

His grip was strong and tight but not painful. He stared at her and it felt kind of hypnotizing to be honest. He didn’t have a look about him but was clearly studying her. She really hoped she was passing. He let go of her and slowly looked her over where she sat. She did lower her gaze.

“Do you know how much others would pay for a woman like you?” She couldn’t help the swallow.

“I have a pretty good idea.” She said softly. She was a lady, young and beautiful. She wasn’t used, and there were plenty of men that would pay for her. She knew that with her dark hair and bright blue eyes it made her look exotic.

“You give me one reason, I don’t care how small it is, I'll sell you to the highest bidder. Understood?” She gave a nod. Though she wasn’t sure what that still meant for her. It was a relief when he spoke again. The silence was hard to take in her opinion. Just gave her time to think about horrible things.

“Recently my head lady passed who saw to the daily upkeep and record keeping of the staff. You are going to help with that, and you are going to work with my current stand in. She reports directly to me. So piss her off and I’ll take her word over yours.” Adele felt a bit of her fear subside a little.

“Have you ever done servant work?” He asked in a dry tone.

“I have cleaned, sewn and cooked before. I know how to record, keep and order working with shop keeps. But the volume that most servants do in their day, no I can’t pretend to know their strife or full work load physically and mentally.” She’d been punished multiple times as a child and made to work in the kitchens or clothing. Her father trying to show her where she could be if she didn’t stop trying to do things that were for men. Because expanding her knowledge of reading or math was such a crime.

“That is where I am going to put you. Better there to keep a watchful eye on you than in a bed with drunk men that might not pay attention.” She felt a bit of heat in her cheeks. If she was put there or in a brothel she was running for it. She didn’t care. She’d kill whoever she had to and run, live in the wild whatever.

“I’d appreciate servant work here in the keep most, even if I must answer to others. Thank you.” He stepped back and then moved around the desk. She tried not to breathe a sigh of relief thinking that she’d just escaped a terrible fate. She wasn’t sure that he or another higher in rank might use her still. She had to prepare herself for that though.

“Come in Jackie.” He called and she never heard anyone knock or approach. Yet the door opened and a woman came in. She had blonde hair and an athletic figure. Her hair was back. She wore a clean dress that was a simple color.

“You called?” She said giving a bow and Adele had no idea what she was talking about. Called? He hadn’t shouted, nor spoken to anyone until telling her to come in. That was strange. Did they have some sort of magic here? She glanced at his desk trying to figure out what the woman meant. How she’d been summoned.

“Yes, this is Adele. She is Lord Belex’s daughter. She is going to be living here for a while, but she is not here as a confidant or collaboration. She was left as payment, she is going to work with you and you are going to monitor her. If she goes anywhere she is not supposed to. Asks any questions that seem unreasonable. Speaks out of turn, or you feel you’d rather not work with her, then she will have a very short stay here.”

“Oh, ah. Yes, okay as you wish.” Jackie said with a smile. She seemed like a decent woman. No snideness yet, but they were in the presence of her king. Adele also was getting irritated at the clear ‘I will throw you to the dogs and watch them tear you apart’ attitude. You know what, she could damn well play. She was very capable of keeping it in rather well. Being a servant didn’t bother her as much as you’d think. That’s what she was her whole life to her older siblings.

“She will need a room.” Jackie gave a nod and looked at Adele.

“Do you have your things my Lady?”

“No, I was left with nothing and Adele is fine thank you.” Might as well get used to it. Jackie gave a nod.

“You are dismissed then. Jackie I want to talk to you later.” Jackie gave a nod and motioned for Adele to come with her. Adele gave a kind of curtsy to Ky before following Jackie out of the room taking her cloak with her.

Ky watched her go out the door and narrowed his gaze slightly. He wasn’t sure what to think about the woman. She clearly didn’t rile easily, but she was a damn good looking woman that was for sure. When he’d turned around and saw her without the cloak he definitely looked her over. She had a wealth of hair that had some soft spiraling to it at the ends. It was near the color of a raven’s wing. He’d been tempted to touch it, but vipers came in all shapes and sizes.

He moved back over to where she was sitting and stared at the chair for a moment and then leaned closer to it and inhaled. She smelled like apples, an appealing scent and there wasn’t any deceit in there. Honestly she really just looked like a person that had resigned themselves to fate. There was fire in her though, he saw it when he’d studied her. He’d have to watch her.

She was more than likely a cunning one. Which made her more attractive and the thought had crossed his mind about using her. However he’d rather watch her first and see just what motives were in her and then decide. He was sure that he wouldn’t have to wait long. One’s true colors always showed.

__Adele__

Adele figured she was going to be put through the ringer with the staff and this Jackie. She didn’t doubt that they would jump on the chance to treat a lady with disdain. Make her do horrible jobs. Which she was definitely exhausted the first few days, but honestly they weren’t as bad as she thought they were going to be. Jackie was rather decent. So that was a huge relief but she was still keeping her guard up.

Today Adele had helped Jackie get a handle on how to organize her papers. How the previous lady had been keeping them. Jackie could read but not well. So Adele told her that she would help her read better and learn a bit more math to help with it. Which Jackie had seemed rather excited about. If that kept the woman happy then she’d teach her and Adele didn’t see why they shouldn’t be able to do that.

Which as it led into the next day, several more approached her. It appeared Jackie did not keep her mouth shut. She had three of the women maids in her room the next few nights wanting to learn. Which Jackie was really the only one that could read. It seemed that her husband was also teaching her too.

He seemed to not mind an educated woman, and Jackie had been born to very low class. However when Adele asked questions the way that they answered was a bit off. She was wondering if they had different social customs and were just telling her what they thought was right to say. She said low class, but she had access to things it would seem no normal low class should. She honestly seemed more middle class to Adele.

“Just practice this. You have to know your letters before anything else. Just practice this over the next week and then we can do this again okay?” She told them because they all needed some sleep and tomorrow she had the day off. Her day of rest, which was the same as Jackie’s. She was going to sleep hard. She most certainly did too.

When she got up, Adele went down to the caves below the keep to the servant area to bathe and clean. She was surprised that the servants here had such things like soaps and hair salves. Seemed like the King didn’t keep his people in total poverty. She wasn’t exactly sure if they were staying in the keep or not either. The keep was massive. Again she was picking up that customs here weren’t the same. The class of a person seemed to have quite a bit of leeway, and there weren’t normal barriers between them. At least those working in the keep.

She got dressed and went back to her room after checking in with Jackie. She then went to her room and pulled out a book from her pillow and started reading. She was nearly done with it and enjoyed it. She’d found a library and had gone in there a couple times late at night. She was reading some philosophy at the moment and figured she’d need a few more seeing the knowledge up in the library seemed more than her own. She would teach herself whatever she could learn.

However it was getting dark now. She had finished her book and tucked it away. She pulled out a few clothing items and had found a pair of man’s trousers that she was fixing up for herself. They had been thrown but she was going to use them and after a short while of sewing she got up and slid them on below the dress she wore. Fit like a glove, she smiled and then grabbed the men’s shirt and left her room.

She listened and didn’t hear anyone so she moved and was quick on light feet to go out a servant entrance. Again, she didn’t see anyone. She stepped into an alcove and took off the dress leaving the tighter near corset on to help hold her better and tied her hair back and now dressed like a boy she jogged out into the area behind the castle.

She listened and not sensing any danger she took off at a fast jog near a run. It was cold, but if she kept this pace and her time short she’d be okay. She’d watched to see what rounds of guards looked like. Honestly it was rather sparse. Again not quite the norm, they didn’t seem worried about an attack. This place was odd.

Adele loved to run. She felt that she should be able to as a woman in case something happened and she needed to move fast. She leapt over a few boulders and ran the back wall, but stopped before where the guard posts were. She knew that on the outside there were roaming guards. She was inside so they wouldn’t see her. She moved back and sprinted this time. She sprinted back and forth along the back wall that had some over growth and decided to climb that as well. She found a good spot to practice pulling herself up. Which was hard but she managed. Adele knew this was a must. She was never going to let herself be at the mercy of another if she could train herself. She did it in secret of course, no one was going to allow a woman to do this.

She looked at her hands, she was dirty but she felt really good. This was one of those things that she got in trouble for. However she did not want to be some damsel in distress. She’d lived knowing that one day someone was going to come for her father. She wanted her best chance at survival. She jogged back up to the servant entrance and took off the shirt and slid the dress back on. She was quick to go back to her room. She planned on cleaning herself again so that she wasn’t super dirty tomorrow. As it was she’d probably be tired, but happy that she felt like she might get a few freedoms that no one realized. That she could continue to train herself in more ways than one.