The Unblessed Child

Chapter Eight - Servant

Aardriyah spent the rest of the morning writing down the dreams over the past two weeks, ensuring each one was as detailed as she could remember in an attempt to distract herself from the upcoming departure. After several hours, a knock came on the door which caused Aardriyah to jump. She dragged herself from the pages and words of dreams from nights prior, and was now awoken to the current world and the small cave side room she found herself in.

"Who is it?" She called to the door, weary as to whether she should open it.

"Queen Iber" A strong male voice responded in a sarcastic tone, although it wasn't one that Aardriyah could recognise. She opened the door slowly and peered through her hazel eyes at the man standing in the curved door frame. He was ridiculously tall, easily standing a foot above Aardriyah and broad as a tree trunk. As he looked down at her, she noticed his eyes were framed by large eyebrows that presently expressed disappointment.

"Maiden Riyah, your uniform." He passed her a bundle of clothes neatly folded and bright in colour as if they had just been sewn.

"Thank you" Aardriyah said as she carefully took the clothes from him, noticing his hands were severely scarred with burn marks. As he realised her gaze was upon his hands, the man suddenly pulled them away from her sight and tucked them behind his back. He rose slightly on his heels before pronouncing,

"My name is Keelie Fand, Master of the Servants." Bowing his head slightly, Aardriyah noticed the collar around his neck, it wasn't red, green, yellow or blue, but instead - black.

"But how? You're unblessed?" Aardriyah spoke the words before she had a chance to censor herself, immediately regretting what she said she tried to recover -

"I just meant that usually, I thought, well considering how powerful some of the -"

"Are you assuming I am not powerful? Because I am unblessed?" He retorted, raising his eyebrows and glaring into her eyes.

"No - I mean I don't know; I don't think so?"

"Riyah, I have no idea why our princess needs an animal handler and I actually don't care. But if you want to survive the seas out there you will do two things." Aardriyah felt herself sinking back into her body, wishing she could just re-start this whole conversation.

"Firstly, I'm Master Keelie to you and you will only refer to me as that. Secondly, know that I might not be blessed, but I have more power in my little finger than you do in your entire body." He glared her up and down as the words came out like venom.

"Get ready to board, servant." With that, Master Keelie turned on his heels and walked away leaving Aardriyah alone in her shame and embarrassment.

Aardriyah shut the door tightly and with mouth still hanging wide open in shock, she stared at Kit who seemed to have been listening and paying attention to the whole conversation.

"What?!" she exclaimed in response to its judgemental stare.

After changing into the uniform, she noticed a small black leather-bound rope at the bottom of the pile, a navy collar with a silver tag reading, 'Kit'.

"Well even you get to dress up Master Kit!" She said to the small dog while placing the collar and lead around his head. She stood back to marvel at her work and simply said,

"I bet you have more power in your little paw than he does his entire hulking body." Kit barked in agreement.

Considering Aardriyah had little to pack she made her way with Kit in tow outside to the bustling kitchen. Grabbing a couple of pieces of bread, she poured herself a hot tea and sat at one of the communal tables. All the other servants and staff were deep in conversation and paid little attention to the newcomer in their midst. But she was used to being invisible, only noticed when someone needed a verbal punching bag. She noticed that everyone seemed to be sitting with those of the same skill, water blessed with water blessed, unblessed with unblessed, before realising she was sitting next to an earth blessed staff member and most likely in the wrong place. Rising from her chair, she went to leave when Master Keelie strode into the kitchen, a hush fell upon all those in the room without a single word even uttered from him. His eyes darted around, as if he were counting numbers, before he announced;