Chapter 1
My hand... outstretched for you. Fingers extended, trembling horribly... reaching... always reaching for you. Always seeming to be just an arm's length away. You were always too good for this life, that you were thrown into. I hope you escape. Do not surrender. Do not... let them break you.
I remember when I first met you. From afar of course. I was much too shy to ever introduce myself. But, I saw you. I saw your passion and courage. I could never have stood tall, the way you did that day. With an army of four thousand men, backing their Bull they call King. You stood with your hand outstretched, facing the Planum King. Not a tremble in your body, not a sway to your step. Guarding your family, your people, and your culture. You had shown so much strength, I had never seen before. I was so afraid for you and my stomach lurched when the King struck you. Your thin frame fell to the ground, clutching your youthful face. Your sister had rushed to your side, trying to shield you from the King's wrath. She was a radiant light in the cover of night. Her golden skin had a faint glow, and her brown hair was always adorned with intricate weaves that hung loosely down her back. She was the one who took it the hardest. She fought and fought her way to you. But in the end, you and I ended up here, and she stayed there.
I had always wondered what it would be like to have an older sister. Someone to love and protect me. Someone who would bend rivers and mountains to find me. To attempt to look for me at all would have been a wonderful feeling indeed. I do not fault anyone for not searching for me. My parents died when I was very young and I had lived in a Community Home for Children. No one really knew my face to recognize who the soldiers were taking that day. I am sure the Head Mistress didn't even notice I was missing. The soldiers had grabbed about a hundred Wood Elves in that Village Green. I do not believe there was any particular basis in who they chose. Then we were ushered through their ranks, all one hundred of us. The Planum King hand-picked you. Most-likely to punish you for your defiance.
Before I reached the line of soldiers, I was able to take one last look at our home; The Tropical Wood. Our beautifully, lush, green of our home and the absolute center of it all; The Elder Tree. It's magnificent trunk, that is the whole of our town, Kayhesh. It's intricate branches that hold our huts and house our people. Lastly, the bluish-green bioluminescent veins, that run from the roots all the way to the tip of the highest leaf. The soft glow had slightly lessened, from the giant, man-made gash at the base of the trunk. Was that... a mist... coming from the cut? No, of course not. I was pushed into the ranks of men and High Elves roughly, and did not see you for a while after.
We were brought into the Planum Nation, by wagon. Crossing that bridge was my fate being sealed. Planum was a dull and dry place. The heat made me uncomfortable and the grass yellow. It was a long ride, and we did not stop much. Our wagon was sealed and they only allowed us to step out for the bathroom once a day. I lost track of how many days we were on the road. By the time we made it to the Royal Palace, I was sore and exhausted. They lead us through the main gate, showing us to our quarters.
There was such a range in age from the folks they grabbed, that they sectioned us off. I was 28 at the time, but in Human years, I was 14 years old. You were 30, so 15 years old. I was taken with all the other girls, to the servants quarters. There were 12 of us. For the boys I am not sure because they split us up immediately. I had never found out where they were taken, you included. We were instructed to stay quiet and do what we were told. Which was simple chores; like dishes and scrubbing floors. All while being confined to the kitchen.
I later found where the rest of our folk were taken; The Royal Dungeon. Of course, none of us girls were allowed down there. They probably figured we would attempt an escape. One night, I overheard one of the more outspoken girls planning just that. Her parents were down there, and she was not going to stop until she was too. The other 10 girls sat on their rusted beds, listening intently. They all had a part to play in this. The one speaking, only 13 in Human years, was so brave that the other girls were inspired by her words. I was too, but they did not notice that I stayed behind in my bed. I pretended to sleep while 5 of the eldest girls slipped out. The night was eerily silent, making it hard to sleep.
The next morning we were pulled from our beds by soldiers, with a blade to our backs. Walking through the elegant halls, we hadn't been allowed before, I was dazed with wonder and fear. At the end of hall we took a left for the courtyard. Even the courtyard had little greenery, not even trees or-
There in the center of the courtyard, stood the Gallows. The other girls were horrified with what we saw. They covered their faces and began to sob. Soldiers were forced to hold our arms down, forcing us to watch. The girl... the brave one... had been strung up by her hands. Her feet dangled a foot from the scaffold. Not an inch of skin was to be seen because it was all carmine. I couldn't tell if it was just her blood leaking or if it was because there really wasn't any skin left. I never closed my eyes. I was too stunned, so I never moved to cover my face like the other girls. All I could do was watch, as the other 4 girls were tied to posts and whipped until the skin on their backs was torn and bloody. Each crack of the whip felt like time slowed. The sound each time... whip... whip... whip... I heard it over and over again. I still do sometimes. Once the sound stopped, time caught back up. A headache began to form behind my eyes and my vision blurred. The 4 girls were then untied and dragged, presumably to the dungeons. Their trails of blood led to 4 puddles that lay at the foot of each post. The fifth girl remained hanging there for a week after, to remind us what would happen if we tried to rebel again. Horror-struck, we were sent back to the kitchens, while breakfast was just being served.
For the next few weeks after, some of the girls would vomit at night, afraid of what their fates might be. I had too a few times, but I quickly realized that I had no control over my own fate. So I followed their rules and was evermore silent.
I had started as a scullery maid and since I stayed out of the way, nobody had taken an interest. I worked hard long hours from dawn till dusk; washing dishes, prepping food, sweeping and scrubbing the kitchen floor. After about 3 years I was promoted to a General Maid. No longer was I confined to the kitchen. It was wonderful to be out walking the halls, even though the last time I had been out was on that bloody day. The halls were extravagantly decorated with scarlet and purple banners, the Planum Nation colours. Golden frames hung upon cool walnut walls. The frames held portraits of what looked like the Royal family, as far back in the lineage as they knew.
It was a wonder something so beautiful could be associated with something so horrible. The King was a terrible man, one who had zero tolerance toward insubordination. Or so I had heard from the other maids. I actually never laid eyes on him for another 5 years after. I wasn't permitted in his spaces until then and encounters were few and far between.
During those first 5 years of being a General Maid, I was quiet and hard-working. I prided myself on being efficient and punctual. The others started to notice as well. The older women even started giving me more important tasks like; cleaning the silver. This was a very important because they only gave this task to those they trusted not to steal. I enjoyed this part of my day the most. I sat in the dining room away from the hustle and bustle of the Palace. It was the quiet part of my day when no one approached me. The other girls always tried to talk to me, but I never knew what to say so I stayed silent. I heard what they said about me though. "She's a mute", "She makes us look bad", "She thinks she's better than us". They had painted this picture of me, I had never seen before. But I was too afraid to slow or lessen my efforts, for I still remembered that girl hanging. Carmine dripping, slowly from her toes to the puddle. I would never forget her. So I continued working hard everyday and one day, in the eighth year of being in Planum, I saw you.
