Geminus

Chapter Three - All Things Rusty

Once I was alone again I took a pair of the underwear and pulled them on under my dress. I began to plait my mid back length hair, There wasn't much I could do with it, other than plait and twist it. Perhaps it would be enough. Perhaps they wouldn't notice that it had never been cut, a relative tell tale sign of an underground dweller. I didn't care either way. I was certain now that as soon as I'd returned from dinner I would plot my escape.

A short while later Thomas returned, this time with a young woman, I recognized her as a under-grounder almost instantly. She wore the tell tale wrist bracelet we were all forced to wear, although her hair was cut short now.

“Mae here is going to apply so make up and see to that birds nest. You're from the same place. I thought you might like that Imogen.” He smiled as he walked to the door. “I will be right out side.”

Thomas left the room and I sighed with relief. I couldn't figure him out yet.

“Thomas is harmless. I promise, he makes this place bearable” Mae spoke softly as she placed a small cloth bag on the bed.

“Are you a...”

“A slave? Yes. I got of lightly I guess. Being a royal 'servant' as they call us is better than being the 'slave' of one of the drunkards in the pub. You may need a license, but none of those men bother listening to the laws.” Mae removed the plait from my hair and began to brush the long auburn strands.

“They took my bracelet” I whispered, palming the spot where my identity had once been. I wasn't sure when it had been taken.

“I noticed. It's no worry though. Thomas says you are to be treated like a twin.” Mae inquired, she whispered so low that even I could barely hear her.

“They injected me with something. I've changed somehow. They need to keep a close eye on me. I am their genetic property” I replied, matching her volume level.

Mae stopped brushing and took a step back. Her eyes widened and she gasped audibly.

“10 others before you received that serum Imogen. They all died miserable deaths.” her eyes watered, as did mine.

“I know” I replied sullenly, again depressed about the members we'd lost. Their lives cut short at 18. All for a serum to make these already genetically superior people even more powerful.

Mae cut my hair until it was just below my shoulder blades. She put it up in a bun, then finished preparing me for dinner. When she left Thomas walked in and motioned for me to follow.

“Lets make our way to the dining hall shall we”

I nodded, scared that if I opened my mouth, the words that would fall out would be far from good. I walked a little behind Thomas on the way to the dining hall. I studied my surroundings as we walked, looking for possible escape routes but there was nothing. I was going to dread scaling the wall. But I'd do it.

“After you” Thomas said as he opened the large oak door. I walked inside. The room was larger than the entire lunch hall in the underground. It held three tables, although two were considerably smaller than the main one. It was set up for a feast, there were 12 place settings. I gulped with nervousness. A few moments later the room had filled up, but the main seats were still empty. I knew we were waiting on the King, Queen and their son and daughter.

I was surprised when they walked in. The king looked kinder than his wife, and younger too. They walked across the floor hand in hand closely followed by their son and daughter. The son looked much like his father. He was tall, with dark brown hair that fell in soft curls around his face. He was an attractive man, but then all of the twins seemed to have this beauty about them. His sister was equally as gorgeous, but they couldn't look more far apart if they'd tried. She was much shorter, and curvier, her long blond hair flowed down her back.