Elysian ↠ Deimos

1.

She didn't manage to get enough sleep. It was days since the last time that she had properly slept. Her skin felt sticky and the atmosphere was too warm. Maybe a little too much for her liking. She was spread out over her bed, the light cotton sheets were sticking on her skin. She couldn't move, too paralyzed from Morpheus, but she felt the pillow digging her cheek. It was still dark in her room, she could sense it, even if she had her eyes closed.

It was awfully hot the last few weeks. During the night time things were different, cooler, maybe a gust of wind would enter her room from the balcony doors, if she left them open. But her father had made it quite clear to her, that it was dangerous now. Now that there was a war. The spartans were outside their walls, thieves and people from the poorer neighbourhoods could enter and harm them. She had to be careful.

She heard the door of her room open, the metal handle creak and a few steps going back and forth. She pretended to be asleep. Maybe she could earn some more moments of peace. The person opened the heavy wooden doors of the balcony and light flooded the room, illuminating its furniture and her face. She cringed from the sudden light hitting her face and tried to hide it in her pillows.

"Good day to you, my lady." a soft voice spoke.

It was Agathe. The woman who was only a few years older than her. She was always looking out for her and taking care of her. Even from the moment she was a kid. She was brought to the house with her family as slaves. They felt secure living there. The master was always kind and understanding to them, they had a roof under their heads and food to fill their bellies. They didn't really ask for more, neither they wanted. They felt gratitude towards their masters and trully cared for them.

"My lady, you have to get up, you're going to be late!" the girl said again only this time a little more decisively as she continued moving around, preparing everything her lady needed.

She let out a breath and started to get up. She placed both her hands on her face and starting rubbing it. Perhaps she could take the sleep away. When she stopped, she looked at Agathe and smiled sweetly at her. Even though Agathe was a slave, she never thought of her as someone lower than her. She was her friend, and she felt a little obliged for everything the girl was doing for her.

"Good day to you too, Agathe" she spoke her voice hiding a little tiredness.

She moved over the table where she had all of her cosmetics and jewellery. A small clay pot was put there with fresh water. She dipped her hands in it and then washed her face. Agathe handed her a cloth and dried off her face. Then she sat on the chair and took a moment to look outside from the open balcony doors. She smelled the jasmine flowers from the bush that had climbed over trellis of the balcony, covering it completely. The cicadas were singing already even if it was early in the moring. It was going to be a hot day.

"You should get dressed." Agathe brought her back from her daze. "What would you like to wear today? Yellow, blue, or perhaps green that matches your eyes?" the girl spoke enthousiastically as she brought before her all of the tunics she'd spoken about. "To be honest, I was thinking about a white one."

"A plain white one?" Agathe looked exasperated, but her lady looked at her, surprised. "I'm sorry, my lady, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, you're just saying your opinion." she smiled at her and squizzed her hands.

Agathe went over to the chest at the corner of the room and brought the fabric unfolding it.

She stood up and took off the light fabric she used when she slept. It was plain, however it was quite revealing, the tunic was almost see through, leaving little to imagination...