Silver Skeletons: Book 3 The Rose Tree Chronicles

Chapter Three: The Rose Tree

"A Slave must have written permission from its owner to obtain an apprenticeship or to participate in trade."

About an hour after Nadia was first summoned, she reentered Count Rallian's study with fresh, pitch-black hair and curtsied in front of her master's desk where he sat inscribing yet another letter. After a moment of silence, Nadia spoke up.

"I've dyed my hair like you asked me to, Master."

The count peered up from his scribbles. "Very good. Have a seat there."

He gestured to the same chair Nadia had previously sat in and she did as she was told. Behind the count, she spotted Rein in the window again where the curtains were now open. Rein stood to the side and listened in on the following conversation.

"I received a letter from Queen Ariana stating that the king has commissioned a search party for you," Count Rallian explained. "I had you dye your hair so that you do not match the description the searchers will receive. I have also had a new cuff made for you."

The count motioned for Alik to hold onto Nadia while Nazar removed her current cuff with a strange type of tool which could be best described as slightly resembling a set of pliers. Once he got the old cuff off, he replaced it with the new one.

"Your new name is Lila," the count continued in the meantime. "Everyone will call you Lila, you will introduce yourself as Lila, and you will respond to the name, Lila. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes, Master."

"Good. So, have you learned much from your peers about this new life to which you've been introduced?"

"Not much yet, Master."

"Well, it'll all come in good time. Meanwhile, there was something else I wanted to discuss with you." Count Rallian gestured for his servants to leave and only continued after the door had shut. "We all have a heritage; we are all of different ethnicities. For instance, my daughter is part specter, elf, human, and sylph. Garnet is half elf, half limoniad. Mauro is half oread and half basajaun. And so on and so on. So, my question for you is, what are you?"

"I'm part elf, part dryad, and part napaeae." Nadia suddenly found herself thankful to her irritating eight-legged governess back in the Obsidian Palace.

"Good job," Rein whispered.

"Really? So how old are you?" asked the count.

"Ten," Nadia answered like the miracle worker had told her to. "I'll be eleven in a month."

"And how can I be certain that you are any of what you say?"

Nadia shrugged. "I don't know, Master."

"I see. Well, Lila. I'll have you know that I've been reading up on sea creatures: naiads, water sprites, mermaids, sirens, hydriads, nereids, and so on. I am convinced that they exist. Not only that, but I am convinced that some of my slaves are sea people. In fact, I have already found three mermaids among them. That being said, if you're one of them, I would highly suggest you tell me now."

"You've found mermaids among your slaves, Master?" asked Nadia, genuinely perplexed. There were more of her kind living on land?

"Indeed, I have," the count answered. He sat back comfortably in his seat, happy to boast. "I've learned enough to know how to spot them from a mile away. So, would you like to confess to me now if you yourself are from the ocean?"

"I told you what I am, Master," Nadia replied innocently. "But I do think it's wonderful that you are so well-read on sea creatures."

"How am I to be sure you're not lying? I know you seafolk wish to keep your existence a secret, and you're doing a fine job of it since you're still universally categorized as a myth. However, I know better."