Rena sat up briefly wiping the sweat from her brow, and glanced at the sun. She was sixteen, she wore a crude chest wrap and skirt and grass sandals. Her hair was cut short, to an equal length all around her head. She was darkly tanned, with green eyes, and her muscles were well toned from years of manual labor.
"Dren, it's lunch time." She said to the young man next her. He looked up from his work, then glanced at the sun. He was sixteen as well, instead of a skirt, he wore knee length pants, no shirt and grass sandals. His dark hair was cropped close to his head, and he was well toned as well from many long days in the fields.
"You sure Rena?" Dren asked.
As soon as the last word left his mouth, a shell horn sounded from the end of the field. Dren grimaced and glanced at Rena, "I should have known better than to question you. How do you always know what time it is?"
Rena grinned while she stood and stretched her back. "I don't know, I just know."
Rena waited for Dren to stand and stretch the knots out of his muscles, then they slowly walked to end the of the rows where a small group was starting to form around the feeding area.
A soldier in light armor stood up and starting reading from a piece of paper that looked well used.
"Come!" the soldier cried, "Come and enjoy the bounty of the empire. Her royal majesty Inasha bestows this gift of nutrition on you, her slaves." With this the soldier waved his hand at the table before him, as if revealing for the first time, the steaming bowls of food placed there. "Her love and care for you knows no bounds, each day you labor for her glorious treasury, is another day closer to full citizenship! Another day closer to paradise! All praise her, all praise the Empress Inasha, the goddess incarnate, here to bless us with her presence." With this last statement, the soldier rolled the paper up, and placed it in a bone tube at his waist. He then knelt to one knee and placed a closed fist to his head. Without a sound, the others that had gathered, all dressed similarly to Rena and Dren knelt on both knees, then leaned forward on and pressed their faces to the ground. The solder looked to the sky, his eyes watering, a slight tremor in his voice.
"Goddess Inasha, thank you for your eternal blessing and presence. We, your humble servants, thank you for your gifts, though not worthy of your notice, we revel in the thought of you. We find light in the dark, we find peace in the storm. May you live forever."
The people on their knees suddenly cried out, "Goddess hear our pleas!" then everyone started to stand, and queue to the table holding the food. The soldier waited slightly longer, sniffing slightly as he rose.
Dren leaned into Rena, "I swear footman Goldiari cries whenever he does that."
Rena grinned, but leaned closer to Dren, "Shh, be quiet. Goldiari is mostly harmless as long you he thinks you love the empress as much as he does. Just be thankful it isn't footman Brutaliar, that bastard hates just to hate."
Rena stood straight and looked ahead as footman Goldiari scowled and walked by.
The queue progressed quickly, practice from many years of receiving their meals in this manner. As the last person got their bowl of rice, vegetables and some small pieces of meat, everyone gathered underneath the large shade trees and began to eat.Satisfied that all was in order, footman Goldiari took his larger share of meat, vegetables and rice, and sat separate from the rest, concentrating on his food.
Today was the last day of their work week. As the footmen always say, the empress, in her eternal wisdom and mercy has granted her people an entire day of rest and leisure to consider her glory, and to enjoy her gifts.
