Two maidservants sat on a floor covered with a brown rug, one held a towel and the other a soap which she used to wash her master's feet. One thing was common between the young girls, they didn't dare to lift their heads up, not even for a fleeting second.
They'd heard stories, not one who had seen his face lived to tell the tale. Servants in other noble houses would do anything to meet their masters so they could curry favors, but it wasn't the same with the people in the Scourge's house. Nobody wanted to meet with him, afraid it might be their last.
Once the girls were done, they grabbed their things without raising their faces and quickly bolted through the door.
"She doesn't remember?" Rhane stood up from the chair, now shirtless with grey pants hanging loosely around his waist.
Kali raised her finger, "Correction, she remembers but not your face. For now," the young woman replied, kicking her feet in the air.
Rhane walked over to a bench and sat down facing the ceiling, then slowly he moved up without holding anything. His midriff muscles tensed and rippled beneath his skin, revealing the hardened sinews of his belly with every motion, like the subtle flexing of well-tempered steel.
"When are you going to send her away?" Kali continued despite Rhane's soft grunt. "You've played enough, I think it's time you return and focus."
Rhane pushed his hands behind his head and moved up again. This time he grabbed a towel from the side, using it to dab his face.
"You said you were curious about her, now you've seen her. Not like she's different from the many women who have warmed your bed." Kali hung up her leg on the couch, with her hand holding up her face.
Rhane glanced at the young woman, his eyes lazily scanning her face before he dropped the towel on the bench and stood up.
"Wait, you think she's different?" Kali gasped, "I hate moments like these! When people like you lose focus, Rhane. Don't tell me you're feeling something for her!" Raising her hand up, the young woman turned around.
"Imagine what she will think when she gets to find out you've not only been lying to her but also been toying with her. Don't make the situation harder than it already seems. Just discard her already, I beg of you. Please."
Rummaging through his closet, Rhane picked up one of his shirts. "You've been the only one jumping to conclusions. I haven't said a word."
"You don't need to!" Kali exclaimed, "I know what happens when you lose focus. We have a lot of enemies, and if they find out you have eyes on her...you're only making her a target."
Rhane finally picked a shirt. Draping it over his shoulder, he slowly put in the button.
"Do what you have to do, I'll send her away when I think it's necessary."
Kali stood up from the couch. She stared at Rhane for a moment. "Have you heard any news from the people searching for mother?"
Rhane's eyes narrowed, his irises constricting almost like slits. The muscle on his forearm tensed with anger.
"I see," Kali nodded, as if she had gotten all she needed. "I'll make sure to watch her so well," walking towards the door, she turned.
"I'll always protect what we built, brother. It's from our blood, dignity, and tears. Remember that," Kali opened the door and left, making her way back to Jenna's room.
When she got there, Jenna wasn't in the room. The young woman went outside, and just as she had suspected, Jenna was sitting near the pond, her concentration on the tiny fishes.
"I knew I'd find you here." Kali waved with a bright smile that moved her ears up. "I, too, also love to spend my time around the pond...or in the forest."
Jenna stood up, now dressed in brown tight trousers with knee-high boots and a light brown shirt. She packed her hair into a ponytail. "The fishes, do they ever grow past this size?"
"If they do, we kill it," Kali replied nonchalantly. Noticing the horror on Jenna's face, she chuckled. "I was joking, and I don't really know. Never seen them grow past that."
Jenna hummed, "They look really beautiful," she muttered to herself. When she turned to look at the girl, she said, "About what I said earlier...spending the night—"
"I remember!" Kali interrupted, grabbing Jenna's hand. "Your servant...I heard you're looking for his family. I remember who he is."
Jenna jumped up, her heart racing with speed. "You do? You know where Rhane's family is?"
Kali nodded, "I've heard his name somewhere while on the road. He thinks of you as his master, right?"
"Yes," Jenna replied. It was hard to believe, but a man like Rhane actually bowed to her. "He does everything I want."
Kali pressed her lips, looking around the place. "I don't know if I should tell you this, but..."
"Tell me," Jenna pleaded with concern. She really wanted to send Rhane back to his real family. "I want to help him."
Kali's lips curled into a small smile that disappeared quickly. "If you want to help him, then you need to do something from his past...I heard of a Rhane whose mother used to treat him like a dog."
"A dog? Why would a mother do that?" This time Jenna's look of concern was replaced with a frown.
Kali bit her lips, feigning a look of sadness. "He always calls any woman he sees 'master' and—"
"But Rhane only calls me master," Jenna interjected, not appreciating the young woman's choice of words.
Kali nodded, "It's only a matter of time. So because of that...his mother always tried to control him by putting him on a leash. He would run away and claim to lose his memory."
Jenna twitched her lips, shaking her head slowly. "You're joking, right? It doesn't add up."
"This is why I didn't want to tell you, but I clearly remember the name Rhane." Kali remarked, folding her arms across her chest. She dipped her hand inside her pocket and placed a leash and a whip into Jenna's hand.
"You won't know if you don't try. If he is truly the same Rhane...why don't you find out yourself? Except you have been lying about looking for his family. You don't wish to actually help"
Jenna glanced at the leash. She didn't want to treat anyone like a dog. "But..."
"Just once. And if he is not the same Rhane, apologize and let it go. You're his master, he should forgive you."
Jenna hesitated, but the young woman squeezed the leash and whip into her hands.
"Imagine if his mother is looking for him, and you refuse to help." Kali added a parchment of instructions. "Just say a few of these and be tough, it's simple."
Jenna didn't like the idea. She was trying to think. If Rhane was actually the same person, then he would go back to his mother. But the thought of sending him back to where he was treated like a dog, it broke Jenna's heart.
"I'll um...I'll give it a thought," Jenna replied, finally seeing that the young woman wasn't going to back down. She took the things from her and made her way back to her room.
When Kali turned, she saw Rhane watching them through one of the windows.
"Let's see if you'll still want her after she treats you as mother did us." Kali said with a smirk, as if Rhane could hear her. "I have to save us both, brother."