Chapter Forty-seven: OX STEW, MASHED POTATOES
Hey Clara,
In case you are wondering why I am sending this, I just returned from my little trip and I wish that you would join me for dinner at the grand diner. Guess what we would be having? Yeah, you guessed right, your favourite. It would give me so much joy to have dinner with you again. Please say yes. I am hoping to see you shortly.
Ryan.Original from NôvelDrama.Org.
“Oh God Ryan, he never does quit does he?”
An invitation from the Alpha King with the seal on his letter, this should be every girls joy. It should be my joy but this sure came with some baggage that I was not willing to face. As I walked down the stairs with my fingers crossed, I hoped that it would be just the two of us seated in a private space where we would share thoughts and laugh about old memories while eating what he thinks is my favourite.
Ox stew, mashed potatoes or what?
“I got this letter from the Alpha King,” I said, handing it over to one of the guards that guarded the doors of the grand diner. It was a place forbidden to all slaves or anyone seen as the low class. I had the slightest idea why he had chosen this place to have dinner with me. I don’t know if it was another means to show everyone that I was no longer a slave to him, but a guest as he had called me. The grand diner was a part of the manor that great men from far and wide met at whenever the Alpha King hosted the meetings. So it was a privilege not just for a slave but for me as a person.
“Yes, he is waiting for you.”
“Thank you,” I said and walked in to find Ryan already seated in a wide grin.
“The grand diner, really?” I approached with a smile.
“Yeah of course, you deserve everything. Hold on,” he said, and moved over as he pulled the chair out, “here you go my lady.”
“Thank you,” I settled in, “Wow this looks good. You weren’t kidding when you said it was my favourite.”
“You like?”
“I love. Ryan this is wonderful. You can be sweet you know, if you want to be.”
“I know, but only a few persons gets to see this side of me,” he smirked.
“What? So I should feel lucky now right?”
“Well you have said it all.”
“Oh, the arrogance never gets old,” I rolled my eyes.
Sitting there watching him in his finest robe sharing a drink was all that I wanted. It was just the peace that came with it that meant the most. No one dared to question us, not even a weird stare, an eerie gaze or side talks could bother us. When I thought about breath of fresh air, this was how it played in my head, a perfect scenario. I was finally living it but never thought in the wildest of dreams that it would be short-lived.
Patricia walked in on us, she might have heard about our dinner at the grand diner.
“Wow so this is true,” she scoffed.
“Patricia you are welcomed to join us,” Ryan announced.
“Ryan darling, I didn’t know you were back yet. I could have instructed the maids to prepare something and then I would have brought it directly to your chamber,” She said approaching us. She gave an eerie glance once she turned to me before facing Ryan again.
This is trouble.
“Have a seat Patricia I was planning on calling on a meeting with you.”
I took a sharp turn to Ryan as if he could read my thoughts by just staring at my eyes.
“Maybe you should come to my chambers after. It would be the perfect spot for the meeting,” she winked at him just immediately and I looked away. Just then, the unwanted feeling returned, the one I carried around as a slave. All that screamed in my head leave!
“No, Patricia there would not be any need for that. It’s good you met us here. Have a seat and grab a plate.”
“What? You must be kidding,” she chuckled.
“You heard me right Patricia.”
“No, Ryan I clearly didn’t. I mean you don’t expect me to seat here sharing the same table with a slave now, do you? Ryan sometimes I wonder if this is really you. You can never share a table with a slave but look at you now. Wining and dining with someone who has eaten the pigs food and drank from the dirty well.”
“I didn’t ask for a lecture Patricia. I asked that you sit down.”
“Sorry Ryan but I would do no such thing. I can’t possibly stoop so low. We can have our meeting somewhere else. I still think my chamber is a good idea perhaps we can make up for old times.”
“I said sit down Patricia!” Ryan roared inviting the attention of everyone to the diner including the guards situated outside. I turned sharply towards him. Patricia had a wide gaze as well. Clearly we both didn’t expect that. I could sense her heartbeat beating twice as fast as it was when she first walked in. She was scared and so she threw herself freely on the seat. Ryan waved at the guards and they exited the diner.
“Now that we have an understanding, I’ll go straight to it so we can return to our meal and you can as well go back to whatever it is that you were doing.”
She nodded.
“Clara here is not your slave or anyone else’s, so I am sorry she cannot be your personal maid. Yes, I heard about that. You should get someone else to fit into that position. In fact, do you know what think you should do? Appoint different maids that would work for her as long as she is here. How about that?”
“What?” Patricia and I echoed simultaneously.
“Yes, she would be appointed three maids to perform all her biddings. I do not want you or anyone else to be of any stress to her. Is that understood?”
“I have nothing to say to you Ryan other than to tell you how much of a disappointment you are to everyone here,” Patricia said slowly.
“Well, if that’s all you have to say then it is obvious that you have nothing to say so you can leave now. As you can see, you are interrupting something very important.”
“I still can’t believe you are eating with the same blood that murdered your parents. Your enemy!”
Oh shit, this just went sideways.
“Leave Patricia! Before the guards take you out.”
“Of course, my lord,” she said as she walked out in quick steps, I could hear the quiver in her voice.
“That was harsh,” I said as it was just us again.
“Eat up,” he said as he faced his meal.
“I have lost my appetite,” I pushed the plate aside.
—
“Beth! Oh my God I thought I’ll never see you again,” I hurried toward her as she and the other girls walked into my room.
“Clara!, sorry Lady Clara,” she chuckled.
“Beth the familiarity is not needed here.”
“I’m so sorry, I’m just very excited to see you again. Is this really you?”
“Flesh and blood.”
“When they said you had returned to the manor I didn’t believe it. But after the news came that three slaves are needed as personal maids for you, I opted to be chosen hoping that it would be you. And truly it is you.”
“I thought you have left the manor, perhaps been shipped away to somewhere else.”
“Well I guess I don’t fit to be shipped away. It’s so good to see you again.”
“Yeah, me too.”
We moved in for a hug that lasted a while.
“I’m so sorry that you had to lose your baby.”
“Yeah, it took me losing my baby to be here. But all the same this is a much better space than it was before.”
“I know right?”
“Now that I have been granted my freedom, perhaps I could talk Ryan into letting you go too.”
“What? No, I don’t think you should. I wouldn’t want to cause you any trouble.”
“Look, you aren’t asking this of me. I am doing it on my own accord. I have been a slave before so I know what it means to wake up everyday hoping that it would be better. I have gotten to this height so I must try to do something to help you out anyway that I can.”
“I understand, but being your personal maid is good enough for me you know. Many slaves will kill to be in this same room with you.”
“Well, I have made up my mind and I am going to talk to Ryan about you.”
“Clara,” she called out.
“Chill Beth and let me handle this. If it doesn’t work out, then we would know that I tried.”
“It is even more difficult to hold up to false hope.”
“I know Ryan. He would listen. Just relax and let me do this okay?”
“Alright, if you say so.”
“Okay, now who are these other ladies?” I pointed to the two ladies who stood close to the door.”
“The other slaves I was assigned to work with you with.”
“I don’t think I would be needing them,” I said.
“If you send them back, they would have to go back to the slave quarters.”
“What is your name?” I asked the first one.
“Mariam.”
“Mariam. And you,” I asked the other one.
“Laura.”
“Okay Mariam and Laura. I do not need an extra maid. I am better off by myself and I also have Beth here to support me.” I took a glance at Beth and then back at them, “but I would not be letting you guys off like that because if I do, you know what follows. Laura you would be working at the winery here in the manor while Marian, you would work in the kitchen.”
“Thank you very much Lady Clara.”
“Now you guys can go,” I said as they both walked out of the rooms.
“Wow, this really soothes you.” Beth teased.
“What?”
“Lady Clara?” She giggled.
“Yes, what can I do for you?” I acted along as we both laughed.
“Still feels like a dream.”
“Yeah, I know right?”
There was a loud thud at the door as we both turned towards it.
“Are you expecting anyone?”
“Not really,” I said walking towards it and in that instant, my heart froze as Patricia badged in.
“Patricia what are you doing here?” I asked. She walked around without saying a word looking with disgust as if she would find something that would confirm her suspicions. She walked up to Beth giving a stern look. Beth froze at her sight with her head bent avoiding any form of eye contact.
“Lady Patricia.”
“What are you still doing here? Leave!”
“I’m sorry,” Beth said, her voice shook in fear as she ran out leaving just the two of us in.
“What do you want Patricia? You just scared away my guest.”
“Guest? Or your fellow slave. I see that Ryan has given you the guts to speak to me without any iota of respect.”
“Well you bridged the respect line the very moment you badged into my room without knocking.”
“How dare you speak to me in that manner? I can have your head on a platter you know.”
I chuckled moving closer, I didn’t know what gave me such strength but I knew that I needed to tell her to her face everything that hung in my chest. She should have a piece of what she served others.
“It seems you didn’t hear Ryan right when he said that I am no longer a slave and so I can speak to whoever crosses my boundary without my permission which you have done right now. I am going to put you at a place if you keep on with this attitude of yours.”
“Hold on,” she looked around for a while with a chuckle, “am I the one you just spilled all those trash words to?”
“Did you see anyone else in the room Patricia? You think you are better than me or any other person out there that you act every time without sympathy, conscience or whatever little good attribute you must have locked up somewhere.”
“You have no fucking right to talk. To even look me in the eye while you speak. This is Ryan, all Ryan. Every time I ask myself what he sees in you. You aren’t even that pretty nor smart, you don’t have a perfect body. Then what the fuck does he see in you?”
She was right though, that’s one thing I have been asking myself for an answer. Do I really deserve sympathy from Ryan? But he was a good man that was why I had another opportunity to life and I knew no one, not even Patricia could be the judge of that.
“Ryan is a good man.”
“Oh I see, so that’s the reason why you think that your little charms can work on him?”
“There are no charms Patricia, the earlier you see that. The better for you.”
“You fucking bitch. I am going to put you in your place. Guards, seize her and make sure she doesn’t see light again.”
“I have always wondered why Ryan never loved you, now I see why.”
“How dare you?!” Patricia screamed as she threw her palm which landed heavily on my face.
I gasped. Holding my face as I tried to catch my breath. My vision was still a bit hazy but I could hear the footsteps of the guards surrounding me.
What had happened?
My face burned even as I struggled to see. I definitely didn’t see that coming.
“Leave her. I don’t need her services anymore,” I heard Patricia speak and then the door banging in it’s hinges. Soon, It was quiet again.