FIC -Taken from the People's Palace - The Child
Title: Taken from the People's Palace - The Child
Author: kaytstarr
Characters: D'Harans
Word count: 1533
Warnings: some mention of child abuse
Rating: T
Summary: After Lord Rahl's death, like many other D'Harans, her husband had gone to the People's Palace to see what he could find. What he brought home would change their lives forever.
“A bundle of grubby old rags? You were supposed to be getting something of worth from the People’s Palace.” scolded the woman.
“Lock the door and close the curtains, quickly now.”
Something in the tone of her husband’s voice stops her from chiding him further and instead does as he bid. The man gently placed the bundle on the floor and carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a child, a girl, she had matted hair, a dirty face and wore a ragged dress, she looked about seven years old.
“Why have you brought home a street urchin? We cannot afford to feed another mouth.” His wife still sounded cross.
Her husband looked around as if someone might be watching. “She didn’t come from the streets, I found her in the Palace, she belonged to them!”
“You mean, oh the poor child. Well the first thing she needs is food, she looks half starved.” The woman looked down at the girl.
“Are you hungry child?”
The girl said nothing but cautiously nodded. The woman took her by the hand and led her into the kitchen. Then the man lifted the girl onto a chair at the kitchen table and cleaned her hands with a damp cloth while the woman produced bread, cheese, a slice of meat pie and a cup of milk. The girl looked wide eyed at the food, but didn’t move.
The woman smiled encouragingly at the girl “It’s alright, you can eat it.”
The girl ate ravenously, not only because she was hungry, but as if she would not be allowed to eat again. While the girl ate, the wife drew her husband back into the living room.
“What if they come looking for her? We can’t let them take her. I won’t let them, not again.”
The man put his arms around his wife. “It’s alright everyone was gone, I saw Nathan while I was there at the Palace, he had spoken to another man who had seen them all leave, the guards, the generals, the servants and the Mord’Sith, all gone, no one is coming back for her.”
“But what about her real parents, they must be worried sick wondering if she is alright?”
“We will make her comfortable, then ask her what she remembers about her home and tomorrow I will start looking for her family and until we find them we will keep her safe.”
The woman nodded in agreement. “The next thing she needs is a bath, I had already heated some water and brought the tub in as I thought you would want a bath when you got back. If you fill the tub I will find her some clean clothes, then I can bath her while you cut some more wood for the fire.”
The couple were about to set to their tasks when they heard a noise in the kitchen. Upon investigation, they found the girl scrubbing the floor. The woman knelt down and gently took the scrubbing brush from the girl’s hands. “What are you doing child?”
“I have to work to pay you back for the food I ate.”
“Who told you that?” asked the man.
“The mistresses say so, I have to work to earn my food, my clothes and to sleep in a bed.”
The woman took one look at the girl’s ragged clothes and gave a snort of derision. “Well you don’t have to work here, you are our guest in this house. Come, sit with us we would like to ask you a few questions”
All three of them sat around the kitchen table and the man began to question the girl. “What is your name child?”
“I don’t have a name.”
“But everyone has a name.” said the man.
“I don’t get a name until I have earned my leathers.”
“Your leathers?”
“My uniform. If I work really hard and I obey the mistresses, one day I can be like them.” The girl smiled and looked cheerful at the idea. The woman paled and gripped her husband’s hand. Her husband continued.
“They, the mistresses have gone away, can you remember where you lived before you lived at the Palace?”
“I lived at the orphanage.”
“Did you have a name at the orphanage?”
“No they would just point and say you.”
“What about before the orphanage, where are your mother and father, or the rest of your family?”
“Haven’t got any family, the people at the orphanage said I was a bastard and nobody wanted me.”
The woman put her hand to her mouth and looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Her husband patted her gently on the arm then continued questioning the girl.
“So how did you get to live at the People’s Palace?”
“One day, at the orphanage, they made all the girls line up and two of the mistresses inspected us and picked out the ones they wanted. They said we were very special and if we worked really hard and did everything they said, we could be just like them.”
“And then they forced you to go with them to the People’s Palace.” said the woman.
The girl looked surprised. “Oh no, the mistresses said we could stay at the orphanage if we wanted, but I didn’t like it there, so I went with them.”
“You went with them?” The woman looked stunned.
“That’s enough questions for now.” said the man, quickly changing the subject. “Let’s get that bath sorted out.”
-------------------------------
Later, when the man returned with the firewood, he found his wife sitting on the doorstep weeping.
“My love, whatever is the matter?” he sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
“Her body, when I started to bathe her, it’s covered in scars and bruises. They’ve been beating her. Oh, what if they did the same thing to...”
“Hush my love,” he held her tight, “don’t think of it.”
“I can’t help it, I can’t stop thinking that she must have gone through the same thing.”
“She’s dead, our daughter is dead.”
“But she’s not really dead is she? Our Sarah is out there somewhere.”
“No, look at me.” He gently held her face between his hands. “Sarah died and she’s not coming back to us.”
“But..”
“No, she died, say it.”
The woman paused, she knew the truth, they both knew the truth, but resigned herself to the same phrase that all parents who had lost their daughters to the Mord’Sith used.
“Our daughter is dead.”
The man nodded and moved his hands to her shoulders. “Our Sarah is dead, but this little girl needs our help.”
They went back inside the house together. While the man emptied then removed the tin bath, his wife sat by the fire and gently combed the knots out of the girls hair. By the time the woman had finished her hair was nearly dry and the girl gave a yawn.
The woman smiled. “I think it’s time for you to go to bed.”
They led the girl to a bedroom where she immediately lay on the floor at the base of the bed.
“No not there.” The woman helped her up. “This bed is for you.”
The girl looked confused. “But where do you sleep?”
“We will sleep in another room, this room is for you.”
The girl looked around the room in wonder, the room was small and plainly furnished it contained a single bed, a chair and a chest of drawers. On the bed sat a rag doll, the girl walked over to the doll and gently touched the hem of its dress. The woman picked up the doll and offered it to the girl.
“Would you like to hold her, her name is Mitsy, she’s very lonely and has been waiting for someone to play with for a long time.”
The girl took the doll. “I’ve never had a doll before.” She looked around the room again. “Who does this room belong to?”
“It belonged to another little girl, she..she doesn’t live here anymore.”
“What happened to her?”
There was a pause and the man answered. “She went away.”
“She died.” said the woman. “No more questions now, it’s time for you to go to sleep.” She helped the girl into bed, tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. “Goodnight ............., I don’t know what to call you, are you sure you don’t remember your name?”
The girl shook her head.
The man said “Why don’t you have a sleep and in the morning you can think of a name that you like and we will call you that.”
The couple turned to leave the room when the girl asked.
“What was the name of the girl who lived here before, the one that died?”
“Her name was Sarah.” Said the woman.
“Sarah, I like that name, can I be called Sarah?
The woman hesitated for a moment before replying. “Of course you can.”
The couple watched as the girl held her doll and snuggled into her new bed, she said “Goodnight” then closed her eyes.
In unison they replied. “Goodnight Sarah.”
Author: kaytstarr
Characters: D'Harans
Word count: 1533
Warnings: some mention of child abuse
Rating: T
Summary: After Lord Rahl's death, like many other D'Harans, her husband had gone to the People's Palace to see what he could find. What he brought home would change their lives forever.
“A bundle of grubby old rags? You were supposed to be getting something of worth from the People’s Palace.” scolded the woman.
“Lock the door and close the curtains, quickly now.”
Something in the tone of her husband’s voice stops her from chiding him further and instead does as he bid. The man gently placed the bundle on the floor and carefully unwrapped it. Inside was a child, a girl, she had matted hair, a dirty face and wore a ragged dress, she looked about seven years old.
“Why have you brought home a street urchin? We cannot afford to feed another mouth.” His wife still sounded cross.
Her husband looked around as if someone might be watching. “She didn’t come from the streets, I found her in the Palace, she belonged to them!”
“You mean, oh the poor child. Well the first thing she needs is food, she looks half starved.” The woman looked down at the girl.
“Are you hungry child?”
The girl said nothing but cautiously nodded. The woman took her by the hand and led her into the kitchen. Then the man lifted the girl onto a chair at the kitchen table and cleaned her hands with a damp cloth while the woman produced bread, cheese, a slice of meat pie and a cup of milk. The girl looked wide eyed at the food, but didn’t move.
The woman smiled encouragingly at the girl “It’s alright, you can eat it.”
The girl ate ravenously, not only because she was hungry, but as if she would not be allowed to eat again. While the girl ate, the wife drew her husband back into the living room.
“What if they come looking for her? We can’t let them take her. I won’t let them, not again.”
The man put his arms around his wife. “It’s alright everyone was gone, I saw Nathan while I was there at the Palace, he had spoken to another man who had seen them all leave, the guards, the generals, the servants and the Mord’Sith, all gone, no one is coming back for her.”
“But what about her real parents, they must be worried sick wondering if she is alright?”
“We will make her comfortable, then ask her what she remembers about her home and tomorrow I will start looking for her family and until we find them we will keep her safe.”
The woman nodded in agreement. “The next thing she needs is a bath, I had already heated some water and brought the tub in as I thought you would want a bath when you got back. If you fill the tub I will find her some clean clothes, then I can bath her while you cut some more wood for the fire.”
The couple were about to set to their tasks when they heard a noise in the kitchen. Upon investigation, they found the girl scrubbing the floor. The woman knelt down and gently took the scrubbing brush from the girl’s hands. “What are you doing child?”
“I have to work to pay you back for the food I ate.”
“Who told you that?” asked the man.
“The mistresses say so, I have to work to earn my food, my clothes and to sleep in a bed.”
The woman took one look at the girl’s ragged clothes and gave a snort of derision. “Well you don’t have to work here, you are our guest in this house. Come, sit with us we would like to ask you a few questions”
All three of them sat around the kitchen table and the man began to question the girl. “What is your name child?”
“I don’t have a name.”
“But everyone has a name.” said the man.
“I don’t get a name until I have earned my leathers.”
“Your leathers?”
“My uniform. If I work really hard and I obey the mistresses, one day I can be like them.” The girl smiled and looked cheerful at the idea. The woman paled and gripped her husband’s hand. Her husband continued.
“They, the mistresses have gone away, can you remember where you lived before you lived at the Palace?”
“I lived at the orphanage.”
“Did you have a name at the orphanage?”
“No they would just point and say you.”
“What about before the orphanage, where are your mother and father, or the rest of your family?”
“Haven’t got any family, the people at the orphanage said I was a bastard and nobody wanted me.”
The woman put her hand to her mouth and looked as if she were about to burst into tears. Her husband patted her gently on the arm then continued questioning the girl.
“So how did you get to live at the People’s Palace?”
“One day, at the orphanage, they made all the girls line up and two of the mistresses inspected us and picked out the ones they wanted. They said we were very special and if we worked really hard and did everything they said, we could be just like them.”
“And then they forced you to go with them to the People’s Palace.” said the woman.
The girl looked surprised. “Oh no, the mistresses said we could stay at the orphanage if we wanted, but I didn’t like it there, so I went with them.”
“You went with them?” The woman looked stunned.
“That’s enough questions for now.” said the man, quickly changing the subject. “Let’s get that bath sorted out.”
-------------------------------
Later, when the man returned with the firewood, he found his wife sitting on the doorstep weeping.
“My love, whatever is the matter?” he sat down next to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
“Her body, when I started to bathe her, it’s covered in scars and bruises. They’ve been beating her. Oh, what if they did the same thing to...”
“Hush my love,” he held her tight, “don’t think of it.”
“I can’t help it, I can’t stop thinking that she must have gone through the same thing.”
“She’s dead, our daughter is dead.”
“But she’s not really dead is she? Our Sarah is out there somewhere.”
“No, look at me.” He gently held her face between his hands. “Sarah died and she’s not coming back to us.”
“But..”
“No, she died, say it.”
The woman paused, she knew the truth, they both knew the truth, but resigned herself to the same phrase that all parents who had lost their daughters to the Mord’Sith used.
“Our daughter is dead.”
The man nodded and moved his hands to her shoulders. “Our Sarah is dead, but this little girl needs our help.”
They went back inside the house together. While the man emptied then removed the tin bath, his wife sat by the fire and gently combed the knots out of the girls hair. By the time the woman had finished her hair was nearly dry and the girl gave a yawn.
The woman smiled. “I think it’s time for you to go to bed.”
They led the girl to a bedroom where she immediately lay on the floor at the base of the bed.
“No not there.” The woman helped her up. “This bed is for you.”
The girl looked confused. “But where do you sleep?”
“We will sleep in another room, this room is for you.”
The girl looked around the room in wonder, the room was small and plainly furnished it contained a single bed, a chair and a chest of drawers. On the bed sat a rag doll, the girl walked over to the doll and gently touched the hem of its dress. The woman picked up the doll and offered it to the girl.
“Would you like to hold her, her name is Mitsy, she’s very lonely and has been waiting for someone to play with for a long time.”
The girl took the doll. “I’ve never had a doll before.” She looked around the room again. “Who does this room belong to?”
“It belonged to another little girl, she..she doesn’t live here anymore.”
“What happened to her?”
There was a pause and the man answered. “She went away.”
“She died.” said the woman. “No more questions now, it’s time for you to go to sleep.” She helped the girl into bed, tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead. “Goodnight ............., I don’t know what to call you, are you sure you don’t remember your name?”
The girl shook her head.
The man said “Why don’t you have a sleep and in the morning you can think of a name that you like and we will call you that.”
The couple turned to leave the room when the girl asked.
“What was the name of the girl who lived here before, the one that died?”
“Her name was Sarah.” Said the woman.
“Sarah, I like that name, can I be called Sarah?
The woman hesitated for a moment before replying. “Of course you can.”
The couple watched as the girl held her doll and snuggled into her new bed, she said “Goodnight” then closed her eyes.
In unison they replied. “Goodnight Sarah.”