Ka’ woke up in a startle, the phantom pain from his branding still vivid from his dream.

  “Good morning. Do you remember what you have to do today?” Mnai’?t, his hand hovering briefly above Ka’ from waking him before letting it fall back to his side.

  Mnai’?t noticed Ka’Tehmn had a habit of pressing his hand to his chest whenever he seemed overwhelmed. While he had never experienced the language branding, he knew those who had, and they often refused to say anything.

  “Morning Mnai’?t,” Ka’ said between breaths. “I think I do… I’m on firewood for the kitchen, feeding the animals, then doing laundry for the girls before the first meal, right?”

  Mnai’?t nodded. He reminded Ka’ of the important points for each task: don’t keep the kitchen waiting, don’t overfeed the animals, and don’t enter the girl’s rooms. Then he left, quickly moving to start his own tasks.

  Ka’ watched him go, then stretched, his back cracking from the strange reed-and-grass bed. The sandals the owner had bought him yesterday rested neatly by the door. Ka’ stared at them for a while as the lingering memories of his dream slowly faded away.

  He thought about taking them and running. Sneaking away and fleeing into the city – there were enough ways to earn food, or steal it, that he wouldn’t starve if he tried.

  He could take it all and run, change that horrid name, and live free – away from everything.

  Then he shook his head and stepped into his sandals.

  Heading towards the space behind the main building, he grabbed several small logs of wood and carried them towards the kitchen’s rear entrance. The logs had already been split when the large stock was resupplied, so the work wasn’t as hard as he expected. However, by the time he had finished, his arms felt stiff and ached.

  He remembered the head chef’s strict warning about never entering the kitchen, so he only knocked when he was done, signalling to anyone inside that he was there. After a few moments, one of the kitchen workers opened the door, glanced at the small pile, and apathetically told him they would need at least double the amount.

  Once enough logs had been brought over to satisfy the worker, Ka’ returned to the servant’s building along the rear wall of the compound. A hole had been cut into the front stairs leading to the roof, where the animals' feed had been stored in large clay pots - some even taller than him.

  He used the wooden stool and the nearby bowl to reach inside, scooping out a portion of grains and the leftover vegetables the kitchen had discarded last night. The food’s heavy, sour scent had him hurry towards the corner where the animals were kept.

  A few small goats were penned in the corner for milk, and a chicken coop leaned against the servant building’s wall. Ka’ opened the wooden gate and tossed the feed over the floor.

  As soon as they heard the gate open, a few dozen pairs of eyes had emerged to observe him, but the small creatures only dashed once the feed cluttered across the floor. Hearing the sound of the birds clucking, the goats shuffled out of their sheltered den, their high-pitched cries dispelling the last of his peace.

  He lifted the chicken coop’s roof and carefully placed the eggs into the large bowl. The owner had explained how to stack them so they wouldn’t break on the walk to the kitchen; however, there were more than he was comfortable carrying, so he took one batch to the side door and returned for the rest.

  Although the kitchen worker was unhappy at the delay, he was pleased to see there were extra eggs that day, thanking Ka’ as he urged him to hurry.

  After delivering the second bowl, he was handed several clay pots for the goat’s milk. The goats, used to the routine, caused little issue beyond knocking him over when he crouched to milk one.

  This is not as easy as Mnai’?t made it seem.

  Ka’ opened the gate to let the goats and chickens wander the garden, then followed the shaded path along the right wall connecting the front and back of the property. This was the only route, as the left side had been walled off to separate the beer and rear gardens.

  As he arrived at the front, he turned the corner to see the last servant arriving with two members of the security team.

  “Hiya Ka’, how ya doin’?”

  The servant waved as he walked over. Like Ka’ and Mnai’?t, he wore a simple brown kilt tied with a string around his waist; unlike them, his long hair was tied into a ponytail, and silk gloves covered his hands.

  What was his name again?

  “Good morning…”

  “Bvai’H?mn. But you can just call me Hem for short. The boys do, on account of I hum more than I sing.”

  Ka’Tehmn’s eyebrows furrowed. Mnai’?t had made it clear the temple frowned on shortening names.

  “I’m guessing Mnai’?t gave you his names-are-sacred speech?” Hem chuckled.

  “Don’t worry about it. Beyond a few zealots like him, most aren’t as strict about the temple’s suggestions. You’re from the outer country, right? How are you doing?”

  Hem’s casual tone reminded Ka’ how much he still had to learn about this place. They stood in silence for a few seconds before Ka’ finally responded.

  What is he thinking by telling me this?

  “He did… Hem.”

  Hem’s smile widened at the choice of words.

  The pair spoke as they crossed into the main hall. Hem seemed relaxed—easier to talk to about casual topics than Mnai’?t.

  Stepping through the large oak doors, Ka’ was once again awed by the hall’s scale and design. The stone path gave way to wooden boards inside, softening the space.

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

  To the left, dozens of chairless, round wooden tables of varying sizes were scattered for standing patrons. To the right, the spiral staircase rose from the front corner, while the bar stretched along the back wall, guarding the kitchen.

  Above the bar loomed the owner’s office. A long window was shuttered with wooden doors, opened only when he wished to gaze below.

  Hem wished Ka’ a good day and turned left to clean the tables and set up the private rooms in the left wing. As he walked away, Ka’ noticed the strange hitch in his steps, as if avoiding putting weight on his right leg, before turning to retrace last night’s path up the spiral stairs to the girls’ rooms.

  At the top of the stairs, he looked down the long corridor toward the ladder leading to the roof at the end. Moments from the previous night flashed by as the urge to run away appeared again.

  Step one: knock on the head girl’s room, work down the corridor to the ladder.

  Step two: bring the bed sheets to the roof to be hung, beaten, and cleaned.

  Step three: return them and hope they don’t get mixed up.

  Ka’ ran through the instructions again — how to clean the sheets, and how to avoid damaging the silks that were far more valuable than the reed mat and grass he slept on.

  Focusing on the steps, he turned towards the largest room at the front of the corridor, the part of the wing that extended beyond the front of the building. His hands started to sweat as he knocked on the plain wooden door and waited.

  As soon as the door opened Ka’ was met with the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Long autumn hair cascaded over her left shoulder and down past her hips as she brushed it with a jewelled comb. Her warm golden-brown skin tone gleamed flawlessly. She smiled as her piercing green eyes studied him curiously beneath deep purple eyeliner.

  A melodic sound emerged as she opened her bright red lips to speak.

  “You must be our newest servant. If you behave, I may let you call me by my name; until then, it will be head girl only. Is that understood?”

  Ka’ noticed a sharp glint flash through her eyes as she spoke, lingering only for a moment before returning to their usual sparkle.

  Is she trying to say she’s above me? Not that she’d be wrong, she’s not a debt slave.

  “Perfectly understood, head girl,” Ka replied, bowing slightly. He noticed the corner of her lips curl at his actions before glancing past her into the room.

  Several shelves and cabinets sparkled with jewellery, fine wines, and expensive gifts. From a hook in the middle of the ceiling hung a large empty cage. Someone mentioned she had a pet yesterday, but he couldn’t see it.

  “Wait here, I’ll bring my sheets.”

  She turned back into the room, her hands still brushing her hair, as Ka’ saw the open back of her dress, blushing at the body covered in lipstick and kiss marks.

  Once he held the silk sheets, he realised the bed he had was even worse than he had originally thought. The soft fabric seemed to melt into his hands as he was momentarily lost in the scented fragrance.

  Feeling the head girl’s gaze on him, he quickly bowed and wished her a good day before turning to leave.

  The head girl continued to comb her hair as Ka’ knocked on the next door. This time, a dark-skinned woman opened the door, stunning Ka’ for a different reason.

  “?a’?’ra! Put your clothes on!”

  Ka’ froze, speechless as the woman giggled at the head girl’s shouting. She slowly lifted her arm to wave in reply, the many bangles and bracelets covering her from shoulder to wrist rattling loudly as she did so.

  “Morning, grumpy. Morning, new guy. Wait here, I’ll get my sheets for you.”

  The naked woman swayed back into the room with a deliberate poise that made Ka’s chest tighten and let him hear his heartbeat. When she bent to gather the folded sheets, her movements were slow and teasing—impossible not to notice.

  Don’t look. Nothing good will happen if you look.

  When she straightened and turned to face him, her expression instantly dropped into a frown as she noticed him looking down the corridor and not at her.

  Furious, she stormed up to him and thrust the sheets into his chest, glaring into his eyes at his obvious surprise. His heart pounded harder as she came close enough for him to smell the lingering oils she had used the previous night.

  Danger!

  “Miss ?a’?’ra, what are you doing?” a woman’s voice called from further down the corridor.

  The head girl smirked as she watched the matron approach them. Meeting the older woman’s gaze, ?a’?’ra squared her shoulders and pushed her chest out as she began to argue fiercely.

  Is this what the owner meant when he said to be careful of the girls' pranks? Please tell me they aren’t all this crazy…

  Ka’ quickly slipped away from the arguing women, careful not to get caught between whatever hatred they clearly shared. As he knocked on the next door, he caught the head girl still combing her hair, enjoying the morning’s spectacle.

  The rest of the girls were far more respectful, though he suspected the matron’s loud threats about starving the exhibitionist had influenced them. Once he had all the sheets, he made his way toward the ladder, briefly glancing at the owner’s door as he passed. He had to set the sheets down to open the hatch above, but climbing the ladder was easier than expected.

  On the roof of the right wing, he began hanging the sheets over the already-set clothing line to air. A half-barrel of scented water from yesterday’s cleaning caught his eye, and he soaked the sheets after striking them with a wooden linen beater.

  The sound of the beater striking the fabric made memories resurface, forcing him to break out in cold shivers. A creeping chill settled under his spine as he clenched his jaw and crouched down. After blocking everything out and steadying himself, he continued, focusing on anything but the dull ache in his tongue.

  By the time he finished soaking the last sheet, the first was already dry. He carefully folded the head girl’s sheet, deciding to return hers first before delivering the others. Judging by the curl of her lips, that seemed to please the woman.

  Note to self: the head girl likes to be treated as if she holds a superior position.

  Is that why she only accepts clients who buy her luxury wines?

  Ka’ let his thoughts drift as he worked, using the monotony of the task to escape his memories and try to understand each girl's personality.

  He also swore never to enter ?a’?’ra’s room unless it was an emergency; he had no doubt the woman wouldn’t let him leave peacefully—especially after witnessing her screaming and boasting to the matron about being desired by anyone. That had clearly gotten her in trouble.

  Once the last of the girls had received their bedding, he made his way to the main hall, heading toward the bar along the back wall. On arrival, he spotted the other two servants chatting, both turning when they noticed him.

  “Good morning, Ka’Tehmn.”

  “Hiya Ka’, how were the screaming women?”

  Mnai’?t shot Hem a disapproving glance before returning a friendly smile to Ka’Tehmn.

  “It was… okay. I think I understand why the owner warned me about their pranks.”

  “Hehe. Yeah, we all heard. ?a’?’ra has quite the fiery personality,” Hem laughed.

  “I don’t doubt that. I was surprised she started a fight with the matron, though. They seem to hate each other.”

  “Yeah, that’s because-”

  “Wait. Don’t-”

  Mnai’?t tried to interrupt Hem from spilling one of the house’s biggest secrets.

  “-She sleeps with the owner whenever he’s upset,” Hem said casually. “It infuriates the matron that her own husband calls another woman to satisfy him. Guess age makes some things less desirable, the girls all being young and all.”

  Ka’ stared at Hem, stunned, as Mnai’?t buried his face in his hand.

  Maybe it’s not just the girls I should be worried about.

  The idea of escaping returned to Ka’Tehmn’s mind, far more persuasive than before.