ANDREW BLACK

Chapter 1

Levison Dalte

"Gavin do not just stand there looking lost," He called to his servant boy, a young boy of 15, his father unable to provide for him, sold him as means to meet ends meet, well that was how he had said it. The servant boy becoming alert at his name turned his attention to his master.

"Yes, sir!" He shouted a little too loudly for Levi's ears, he hoped they did not bleed all the while the boy was in his employ. Shaking his head in an attempt to minimize the ringing sound he spoke to his servant the irritation at the boy's slight unintentional accident evident in his voice.

"I do not pay you to be useless," Levi began quite harshly, Gavin being used to the quick and frequent change in his master's emotions seemed unaffected by this sudden rudeness.

"Ohh definitely not sir," Gavin stated hurriedly so as not to offend his master any further.

"So why is that you are standing in my chamber without work to busy yourself with? Have my shoes been polished?" the boy nodded at this. "The horses fed?" he nodded again "The sheets changed?" Levi asked turning slightly to his neatly made bed, he already knew the answer to this, but the boy nodded nonetheless, his lips twitching ever so slightly upward.

"I can see you are diligent in your chores," Levi began causing the servant boy's lips to twitch upwards completely. It was rare he received praise from his master. "Do not look so delighted at this. It is what I pay you for," Levi said with a roll of his eyes. "I have no use for you now. Do find something to do with yourself, you certainly were not born to be useless," Levi said and Gavin's smile increased so much that his teeth were on the display, though his master may have indirectly insulted him in the last statement, he was still stuck on the praise his master had given him earlier.

"I can see you are diligent in your chores," his master had said.

He beamed at his master as Levi said, "Do not just stand there again looking like that, to be honest, it makes me slightly uncomfortable." Gavin drew his lips to a straight line, but he could still feel his lips twitching upwards. "Go on now, again you were not born to be useless," the master drawled out.

"Yes, sir! Definitely not sir!" Gavin shouted in his overly loud voice as he quickly exited the room eager to tell his friends of his master's appraisal.

Levi sighed as his servant boy left his room, he wondered what he was smiling about, but he discarded the thought as the boy having a problem with the muscles of his lips. Just as he was about to lie on his bed and shut out the stress of the world, his servant boy poked his head through the door.

"May I come in sir?" he asked his head hanging by the side of the door.

"Your head is already in, may as well allow the rest of your body, it'd seem rather odd if we had just your head floating in and the remains of your body remained outside," his master commented sarcastically.

"Th-thank you, sir," the boy said not really understanding his master's sarcasm and why the master would think his head could float. His face molded with confusion for a while as he tried to understand his master's words. He had always wanted his master to like him and now that his master had given him an appraisal he hoped for more of such.

"Could you not find something to busy yourself with?" Levi asked and without awaiting a reply he continued. "If you really are without anything to occupy yourself with there is plenty of room for new employees in my work," he continued causing Gavin's face to pale.

"N-no th-thank y-you," Gavin stuttered truly frightened.

"It is only humor Gavin, you look as though you've seen a ghost." The stunned boy gave no response to it. " I believe there is a reason for this disturbance..." he began, prompting the boy to speak.