Our First Fall (Melizabeth)

5. The Start of a Divide

Lady Graelle had assigned me as hostess today. My main job is to anticipate the needs of those in the lady chambers. We had a dozen visitors, all young men returned from the war looking for a woman to join with and start a family. The only time I came to these things is if I am assigned it and Lady Graelle made sure it was me and Jelamet. The two of us have been accountabilibuddies for years. That was our term, the true term is a companion, as leaving the compound as a single lady without one was frowned upon.

I looked over the room. We held socials a couple times a week so this room is set up with two-people tables, couches and occasionally activities if the hosts put something together. Today it was just snacks and I hid here behind the food table as the attendees glide around. I chose emerald green for our table cloths and Jelamet made flower arrangements for the centerpieces. We'd cleaned the night before but it hadn't taken much as per usual a social meant talking to one another. Not much to clean up from with that.

The ladies that lived here usually all attended and today is no different as the females outnumbered the available men. It seemed so easy for a guy to walk through and get the attention of the girl he picked from the bunch. Sheer boredom was my explanation to why anyone would agree to talk with the guys one-on-one. Jelamet's theory was 'freedom at any cost' and I always giggled when she would mock a bombshell big busted woman meeting with a frail, old widowed man.

Where I hadn't had any interest in men, Jelamet had another reason for disdaining the socials. Her heart was already taken. We paired well as escort-companions as we didn't bother with these events. Of course, her man was already paired and had a child but she insisted their love would always be. That she would stay a sister-in-waiting until it was his hand that asked for hers. She never shared too much about their relationship, but he did stop by Charity's Home to visit her.

That's where Jelamet spent her hours, helping the orphans of our clan. As her partner, I accompanied her most days but others joined for something to do from time to time. I always thought it weird that a married man would take his breaks to see her but they never touch so I figured she was his friend... that maybe he didn't know how she felt.

No one touched the tea cakes or drank our fruit water. I heard a man ask one of my fellow sisters-in-waiting if I had made the cakes. I had, and once the word spread, they avoided the snack table. Which made it a perfect place for me to stand while Jelamet thought it hilarious and went about asking each table if they wanted a plate brought to them. She enjoyed making me uncomfortable as inevitably, anyone asked would look at me for a quick glance before refusing her 'kind offer'.

Here, under Lady Graelle's watch, every man kept to their own side of the table. The women didn't approach, they were only to be asked to sit or to talk. Seeing it now, I flushed at just how inappropriate I had acted with Meliodas. I'd used my body to block his shots to the hoop during that game, against his bare chest. I burned hot as I thought of intentionally flying over him so he'd see my... panties.

The first time he'd spotted them, he'd fallen to his knees. In awe? I'd never brought a man to his knees before and I felt... something.

If that happened here I'd be on cleaning duty for months. Once, long ago, Ms. Mabel had grabbed a man's hand over the table and she's been assigned the prayer room ever since, fifty plus years of the duty. The angel man had chosen another goddess to pair with, one with propriety, they had warned. It was a cautionary tale as Ms. Mabel was a bitter elder who took reciting the prayers with a strict hand and often demanded recitations if even a word was off from the tradition phrases.

Most ladies here didn't want to risk their chance to get out from under the heavy thumb of the over-ladies. I abide by most rules, doing my duty and escorting with Jelamet wherever we went. Of course, I had my vices of sneaking out to the abandoned theater. Even before I knew Meliodas, it was my safe space. To get away from all the structure. All the expectations of being the daughter of the supreme deity. To be me and relax without any eyes following my every move.