Handmaiden

Chapter 16

Saché and Governor Bibble slept in late the next morning, but their stomachs got the better of them. The two hadn't eaten in two days, and hadn't seen Tabine since then.

It had been a quiet afternoon after Alexei left, and a quiet night too. Saché and Governor Bibble were too worried about Tabine to speak. The atmosphere in the room was tense.

The wounds from Saché's encounter with Rune were healing nicely, but she knew they would scar. Tabine's salve was a huge help for the pain, but the wounds would scar since they had not been continually treated.

Saché breathed slowly, counting each breath. Yané had taught all of the girls tricks to manage their anxiety, and it was a huge help to Saché while in captivity. She tried to get some more sleep, but the sound of her stomach was obtrusive.

The door opened, and Saché willed herself not to move. Perhaps if they were there to take her away, they would leave her alone if she was asleep.

The figure shook her gently. "Saché! Saché, wake up!"

Saché jumped up, coming face-to-face with Tabine.

Tabine's face had a large cut across it, and there were tears in her eyes. One eye was black and puffy. Her servant wrappings were largely torn and gashes lined her arms and stomach. Her chest heaved large, uneven breaths. Tabine was shaking, and her hands were covered in blood. When she turned to the side, Saché saw a gaping wound on her torso.

"Tabine? Oh my god!! W-what happened to you?" Saché asked, gaping at her friend.

Governor Bibble, who had woken up because of the ruckus, raced over to Tabine. The servant girl swayed on her feet, and collapsed into the older man.

"You were right, Saché," Tabine said, reaching for Saché's hand with her non-bloodied hand. "You were right about Alexei."

Saché's brows furrowed. "What? Tabine, who did this to you?"

"F-federation," she whispered, her eyes darting around fearfully.

Governor Bibble ripped off another piece of his sleeve and held it onto Tabine's side.

Saché glanced at the side wound. It was oozing blood. Tabine was going to need medical attention. "Tabine, I'll go call for help."

"No!" Tabine hissed, pulling Saché toward her. Her dark eyes met Saché's with a desperate determination. "Listen. Alexei is... not Alexei. He just looks like him."

"Tabine, shhhh," Governor Bibble said, applying pressure to the young woman's wound. "Don't try to talk."

Saché's heart was racing. Alexei was not Alexei? What did she mean? "Who is he, Tabine? How do you know?"

Tabine grunted with sudden pain as Governor Bibble put more pressure on her wound. She moaned, then clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Why did the Federation do this to you, Tabine?"

Tabine shook her head, and her jaw was clenched with pain. Her cheeks were white.

A terrible thought fought its way into Saché's mind and sent waves of nausea through her stomach. No, it couldn't be.

"Why did they hurt you, Tabine?" Saché said, voice fighting to raise. "Tabine, tell me."

Governor Bibble wiped a bead of sweat off of Tabine's forehead. "She's burning up. Tabine, if we don't call for help, you are going to die."

Tabine sighed shakily. Her eyes were glazed over, almost as if she couldn't see. "Just let me stay here. I don't want to die with them. I want to die here, with the two of you. My friends..."