The Servant Queen

Double Personalities: Blue and Violet

POV: Ani

Maisie toured me around the falling-apart house. They were many pictures of Maisie and Oliver in the hallways. They didn't look that similar when they were younger. Oliver had brown hair, and she still had blonde hair.

I needed to find an opening to leave. I suppose I could just run for it, but somehow that wouldn't feel right. Maisie stopped in front of the house's Servants' Quarters. She stayed there for a few seconds. I looked over her shoulder to see why she wouldn't move.

Her mouth was slightly open.

"Oliver!" she suddenly cried out. "Why did you bring the nobleman in here? We have better rooms!"

Walter lay in a hay-made bed still unconscious while Oliver finished wrapping him up with clean bandages. In this room, the floor was entirely made out of manure-smelling dirt, and there weren't any windows.

"The bullets... are all out." He held a metal tray with bullets, medical instruments, and alcohol. He stood up and sighed quietly, completely ignoring her.

He looked at me without an expression. "Are you happy...?"

His voice was monotonous and lacked his enthusiasm earlier. I nodded slowly.

"Oliver, why here?" Maisie walked toward him.

He held up his hand to signal her to stop coming closer.

She stopped halfway. "Answer me, please."

"Maisie, go to bed."

"No. I won't."

He glared at her causing her to take a step back. I realized his eyes were different from when he first spoke to me outside of the house. They weren't violet, but grayish blue like Maisie's. "I think you didn't hear me earlier or now. Go to bed, Maisie. You're going to get sick."

This is what Maisie meant when she said her brother had a double personality. His out-going loud, strangely excitable self disappeared and this... different personality popped up.

"Oliver. I'm old enough to make my own decisions! I'm not going to bed until you tell me why you're keeping this man in the worst room here!" she yelled.

"If you won't follow my directions, I'll tell Father of your disobedience." His hair fell over one of his eyes.

"S-Stupid Oliver," she whispered.

Maisie turned around and stormed off past me. His eyes slowly diverted from her to me. I stood there all alone with him, nervous.

"Close the door," he said, with a monotonous voice.

I closed it.

"I presume that you already understand that keeping Mr. Green here is for the best. Is that right?"

I stared at Walter then at Oliver. I couldn't read him. I agreed, but I didn't understand why he'd say that unless he knows about Walter being a bandit.

"My father is out with both of our family servants and with the Countryside Guards dealing with a bandit incident a couple hours back. When he does come back though, he won't check the Servants' Quarters since its beneath him to do so. But that also means..."

He walked up to me until we were nearly face to face, and said quietly, "...he won't find out that a bandit is being harbored in his house"-his mouth suddenly twisted into a wide smile. I was startled as his eyes flickered to the color violet. He laughed loudly and backed up-"It's so strange to find out that a famous Central City nobleman, Walter Green, as one of the two bandits in that incident! I respect him a lot. No. RespectED. Aha!"

Oliver pulled open a drawer of a worn out desk beside me forcibly. Bullets rolled around in it. "You, come here and compare these two bullets! It's one of the proofs!"

I glanced at the ones in the desk.

"Closer!" He placed his hand on the back of my head and shoved it down closer to the bullets. I looked at the bloody bullet on the metal tray on his hand and the ones in the desk. They had the same small word engraved on it. Towers.

He chuckled loudly. I understood now. The cloaked servant was own by the Towers.

"Towers. Haha yes, it's this household's name. Listen... During the bandit incident, the older servant of this household went to find the Servant Wagon because our new female servant didn't get delivered on time. I'm so proud of him! The Guards, who arrived here to receive my father, told us that our servant killed one of the bandits with a bullet right through the forehead. It was a clean shot too! And now!? Now, I find out that he almost got this one too!" He laughed again with glee. "Guess who taught him... Me! It's so ironic. He used to be so afraid of killing people!"

He closed his mouth and trembled excitedly.

"If I knew this, why did I save Walter Green? You're thinking that aren't you? Right? Why save a bandit?!" He picked up a scalpel and observed it and placed it back.

I didn't want to be in the room with him any longer. I liked his blue-eyed personality more.

"I'm not a killer. Don't get me wrong. If a servant comes here to request for something, I'll gladly help out because that type of thing just never happens! Servants never ask for anything. Especially if that servant has nothing to gain but everything to lose." He smiled at me with a pause of silence. "Ooh! Oho. I forgot to mention this! Surprise! You probably didn't know you're suppose to be delivered here, did you, female servant?"

What?

"Coincidences! I love coincidences! I just love, love, love coincidences!" He raised his hands above his head, forgetting that he held a metal tray with medical instruments. Everything fell to the ground with a clatter. "Oops. Hehe."

My eyes widened. He grabbed my wrist and observed it.

"Yup. A 5-6-0-1."

It wasn't suppose to end up this way...

"We were suppose to receive a female servant with a 5601 code on her wrist. And that's you! Hey. Why won't you tell me why you separated from the other servants and tried to save this fool of a man...Wait! Don't tell me. You want to help him because he offered you something! Riches? Money? Freedom maybe?"

I shook my head, frustrated.

"You're doing his out of good-will? No. That can't be right. Humans are selfish, greedy creatures whether they realize it or not."

I stared at him and made a slight nod.

"Bad girl. Bad, bad, bad girl. You ruined your perfect escape! You were trying to escape from servitude, weren't you? That's why you aren't with the other servants. Your foolish kindness is dragging you down and even you regret it. If you want to do something, give your 100%. I'm 100% right now. I'm doing whatever I want. I'm acting however I want! Father can't go against me if I'm a 100%."

"Ah, shut up. So loud..." said a voice behind us. We both looked at Walter. He groaned as he sat up.

"It's good to be alive," he said with a weak smile.

A/N: I initially planned Oliver to fall in love with Ani at first sight. But, Oliver would be too simple that way. Besides, I don't believe in love at first sight. I believe that everyone has their own standards already in their heads whether or not they're conscious of it.

(= c =)