The Greek Princess

Chapter XLV

Chapter XLV

Ariadne

Bread. The warm scent reached my nostrils and gently pulled me from my sleep. I yawned and stretched on my mat, hitting something soft. I glanced over to see Lycus sound asleep right beside me on his own mat. He stirred when I accidentally hit him, but didn't wake.
I drew my gaze over to the kitchen area to see Vania bending over something. She didn't turn around, but I'm pretty sure she knew I was awake.

"Come, let him rest," Vania beckoned me to her side. I stiffly stood, my body aching, and made my way over to her, my gaze apprehensive.
"So... what are you doing?"

Vania barely even spared me a glance, intent on grinding something in her bowl. She pressed down on the stone handle, her wrinkled hands straining.

"Do you want me to..."

She raised an eyebrow, pausing in her work to look at me. "I'm not incapable, child," she chided me. My cheeks flushed and I avoided her gaze.

"I'm sorry--"

Vania chuckled, telling me this was her idea of a joke. My lips pursed, I turned to go back to my mat, but Vania stopped me. "Now now, don't take it so hard, princess."

My gaze fell on hers with wide eyes. She knew? But... but how? I took a step back, almost knocking into a low table near the floor. I glanced back in hopes of Lycus being awake, but he was still zoned out.

"Calm down, I'm not going to tell your secret to anyone. Besides, I'm an old crow, who would listen to me?" Vania cackled. "But I must say, your story is quite incredible. Princess turned slave? Not something you hear about every day."

"Did Lycus tell you?" I asked, still not fully trusting her.

"Yes, last night. You must have been pretty tired." Vania turned back to what she was doing. I stayed where I was, content with the amount of space between us.

"Yes."

"And I'm sure you don't feel too wonderful either," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Well, yes," I answered, wondering where she was going with this.

"Lycus told me all you've been through. Including the little incident with his master," Vania explained, hearing the confusion in my voice. "I'm sure it opened your eyes."

"Yes," I started, "It was horrible. I can't believe such things are common!" Finally, someone who seemed to understand how crazy this all seemed.

"Well, I'm sorry to say this, dear, but that isn't the worst thing slaves sometimes go through." Vania's statement cut right through me, down to my core. She said it so plainly, so calmly.

"What do you mean?" I didn't know what else to say; I didn't quite understand her.

Vania turned around and shuffled past me before stopping by Lycus, who was asleep on his side, facing the hearth. She bent down and gently grasped the neck of his tunic before pulling it down.

I gasped, horror coating my throat and face. The few inches of skin that Vania revealed were covered in long, criss crossed scars, layer upon layer of them. There were so many that I knew they covered his whole back. He had been hiding a lot more about himself than I was aware. And I felt ashamed of all the things I thought about him, all the anger and frustration I had felt toward him; it was wrong. He had been through so much, so much more than I could have ever imagined.

Update two! Now read on for the third update :)

Ariadne - Ithildae