The meal finished without more
than ten words spoken. Even Alisha was silent, able to feel the discomfort in
the room. It was a simple meal, only some bread and rabbit, but Tom imagined it
was more filling than he or Alisha had eaten in a while.
Esaria
stood. “I will excuse myself if you will let me.” She went back into a bedroom
and closed the door quietly.
Sarid
rolled his eyes. “You are going to make my father furious.” He smirked. “Though
I don’t mind you as much as him,” he said, walking over to Alisha. He lifted
her chin up, trying to catch her gaze. “Alisha. Such a pretty name. Very pretty
for a slave.”
Tom
growled. “Don’t touch her,” he said, standing and stepping closer.
Alisha
stared at Sarid, unable to move, frozen in fear.
“Oh?”
Sarid said, almost seeming happy Tom was so angry. “And you will do what? Can’t
hurt me unless you want to lose the job you’re obviously desperate for.” He put
his hand by his side. “A boy apprenticed to a seamstress. I imagine that will
go wonderfully when you are older, if the apprenticeship even goes through. My
father will probably stop it before it even starts,” he said coolly.
Tom
yanked Alisha away. He was enraged. It took so much effort not to plant his
fist right on the arrogant boy’s smirk. He was stuck again. Always stuck
between keeping his job and fighting the injustice. “I said, don’t touch her,”
he growled.
Sarid
nodded. “Oh, yes. Whatever you say, Thomas.” He bowed mockingly low. He
snickered. Suddenly, there was banging at the door. The smirk grew. “Why don’t
you get it?”
The
bedroom door swung open and Esaria came out in a hurry. “Tom, Alisha, upstairs.
Go. I will get it. Sarid… Please go to your room.”
Tom
bowed his head and pulled Alisha to the room, glad to get away from the boy.
Sarid stayed where he was, though. He crossed his arms and leaned against the
wall. Just as Tom stepped onto the last step, he glimpsed a large, drunk man
entering the house. Tom closed his eyes. No.
Please no.
Alisha sat on the bed, hugging
her knees. “I like her, Tom, but I don’t like him. At all,” she said quietly.
Tom
shook his head. “No, I don’t like him either.” He waited by the door,
listening. It was quiet right now. “But I did tell you I wouldn’t let anything
happen to you.” But there was a limit to what he could do… He just hoped Esaria
would be around to make sure her son didn’t get out of check. “It’ll be fine.”
Then
came yelling. As much as Tom could guess, it was the father. He grimaced and
closed his eyes. He ran a hand through his hair. It couldn’t end this soon, but
he knew it was best he didn’t interfere or try. Esaria sent them away, and he
had learned the hard way to stay far from a drunk in a bad mood. To stay away
from any drunk, truthfully. He sighed and glanced at Alisha, who was staring at
him.
“What’s
going on, Tom?”
Tom
had given up on lying to her. He would eventually end up lying about
everything. He couldn’t and wouldn’t change life. “We aren’t wanted. Esaria
hired us, but neither her son nor her husband thinks it’s a good idea. I might
be fired soon enough.”
Alisha
frowned. “And then we will have to go back to the other house? I like this
place better. It’s… livelier. Please don’t make us go back.”
“It’s
not my choice, Alisha.” Tom shrugged and sat on the other side of the bed. He
was tired of hearing the argument from downstairs.
She
stared at him. “But, you, you won’t ignore me again, will you, Tom? That is
your choice, isn’t it?” she asked hopefully.
Tom
grimaced. “I can’t be with you all the time. When Esaria has me work, you can’t
always come with me. I’m only trying to get you to your father. Don’t you miss
him?”
Alisha’s
eyes immediately began filling with tears. “I miss him awfully!” She hugged
Tom. “And my room and my slaves and my toys… Oh, Tom!” She cried into him.
“No!
I mean, Alisha!” Tom groaned and pushed her off him. “I will take you to him.
For now, I must stay and work. If not, I will be a slave forever. You will
never stop being royalty. It is in your blood. I have to work for everything I
get,” he said bitterly. She still knew nothing.
He just needed her to understand.
Alisha
wiped her tears. “But take me home soon. I need to get home.” She hugged herself
tightly.
“Yes,
I know,” he sighed. No one had to do whatever he said.
The
door opened, revealing Sarid. He frowned as he saw Alisha. He took her hand.
“What’s the matter, beautiful?”
Tom
pulled Sarid away. “What did I say about touching her?” he spat.
Sarid
ignored Tom. He brushed Alisha’s hair out of her face. “Listen, I can see Tommy
here isn’t taking care of you too well, but I know how to treat a lady.”
Alisha
trembled. “Please don’t touch me…”
“I
don’t bite.” Sarid whispered. He stroked her cheek, causing her to flinch. He
stood. “You both are to go downstairs and see my father. Sorry about this,
Alisha. But I could convince my father to let you both stay.”
“I’m
sure you did,” Tom growled and shoved Sarid away again, ignoring the pain it
caused himself. He swallowed. Why was everyone against him? Where was the old
captain now? Sarid rolled his eyes and left the room. Tom held his hand out to
Alisha. “Come on.”
Alisha
let him help her up. “Tom.”
“I
will do what I can, Alisha.”
“I can’t believe you got two of
them!” the man growled.
Esaria
closed her eyes. “I only expected one. I’m sorry.” She stepped closer to them.
Tom
stared at his feet, not daring to look up. Alisha was looking at Esaria,
frightened by the man. He was a fat man, but richly clothed. His thin, greying
hair was groomed well, though it was slightly askew from his evening at the
tavern. His face was red with anger. Sarid stood not far his father, appearing
smug. Yes, Tom could clearly see him arguing for he and Alisha to stay. Stay in
the gutters and the streets.
“They
are filthy! Look at them! The boy has no shoes and with his hair like that I
couldn’t even be sure he has eyes! Has he just been beaten? Unsurprising for
his kind. The girl, well, we might be able to sell her hair,” the man spat.
Alisha
gasped and grabbed her hair.
Sarid
frowned. “Come on, Father. Let the poor girl keep her hair.” He smiled at
Alisha.
“Please,
Ruvr. You have plenty to work in your shop. Let me have the boy. Please,”
Esaria begged.
Ruvr
turned on Esaria. “Because I have the real business! Your petty little thread
shack is nothing. I need the workers and you don’t. I am the man of this family
until I die, and then Sarid is. You listen to him and you listen to me.” His
hand shot out across her face and she recoiled.
Sarid’s
smirk only slightly faded at the action. Tom bristled at the sight.
“Please,”
Esaria whispered, shrinking from Ruvr.
The
man spat. “Fine. But do not ask me for money to pay them or more money for
thread.” He stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.
A
smile played on Sarid’s face. He took Alisha’s hand and kissed it. “Goodnight,
fair lady.”
Tom
growled at Sarid, but the older boy just ruffled Tom’s hair and retired to his
own room.
Esaria
sighed and collapsed on a chair, holding back tears. She felt the bruise on her
cheek. Alisha walked over to her, and the woman smiled weakly. “Goodnight,
Alisha. I apologize for my son and my husband’s actions. I hold no control over
them. And goodnight, Tom. You begin work tomorrow. We shall go to the office
first thing in the morning.”
Tom
bowed slightly and nodded. Her voice did not allow for arguing. He pulled
Alisha away and they went upstairs. As soon as she touched the bed, Alisha was
asleep. Tom laid out the blankets on the floor and lay down. He began to worry
about the job and getting Alisha to her father, but he was already asleep
before he managed to consider much.
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