Worlds Apart Part 21
This was so hard to write! Mostly because work kept getting in the way plus I never knew until I wrote this that Neisk likes to make speeches! In the first story I wrote he is a man of fewer words. Anyway hope everyone likes it. Also if anyone is interested I have a few scenes from Leisa's PoV.
The door was partially open and for a moment Gorlyn stood looking in. His master was wearing thin silver rimmed glasses while he peered over several sheets of flowery stationary. Glasses were a good look for his master. They made him look just a few years older but in a good mature way. Gorlyn wondered what his master was reading. The flowery stationary suggested a woman. Perhaps it was a love letter.
A smile crept across his face as he tried to picture what kind of woman his master might prefer. He thought she should be a kind girl, maybe even a little shy, but not in the bedroom there she would be a seductive minx, and she would never nag him. She would be tall enough that they could dance with her having to wear shoes, she would be a very good dancer. Her bosom would be average, too big and you could get beamed hard in the head too small and well you might as well be a boy. Her hips would be the kind that other woman would say are good for bearing children.
Her legs would be the main attraction, long and slender with delicate ankles and darling soft feet that made her giggle when you tickled the soles. It was at that moment that he realized he was no longer picturing his master with this mystery woman but himself. Quickly he pushed the thoughts out of his head. What are you doing idiot! He thought to himself. If you are going to be wasting time standing in the door you should be observing your master! Look for clues to your master's mood! Did you forget there is a 'serious talk' waiting?! There is no possible way that could turn out good and here you are day dreaming instead of trying to figure out how much trouble you're in! Focus man!
“Are you waiting for permission to come inside?” His master's voice interrupted his own mental lecture. The tone of his master's voice was neutral but looking up the scowl on his face made him shiver.“I thought telling you to come back here after you were done implied permission.”
Gorlyn felt himself blush as he made a walk of shame to stand before his master's desk. All his instincts were screaming to throw himself on the ground in supplication, but past experience told him it would be a waste of time. His master would either tell him to get back up, or come over himself and kneel down in front of him with that heavy sigh that said 'this is such an inconvenience!' So he settled for keeping his head down and his hands at his side. He kept his muscles ready to drop to his knees should his master finally come to his senses and start putting him in his place. There was nothing but silence scrambling to come up with some way to break it Gorlyn remembered his master had asked him a question.
“No master, I wasn't waiting. I knew I should come right in but I was.....I mean...I...I didn't come in. I am sorry master.” Gorlyn knew he should have admitted he was day dreaming but that stupid part of him that liked to test his boundaries and made him a bad dev'sleuv reared it's ugly head. Would his master be able to see if he lied by omission?
“You were day dreaming I noticed.” His master grinned and Gorlyn felt his mouth go dry. “So who was she?”
“She master?” Gorlyn managed to get out through the desert that had become his mouth.
“The woman you were day dreaming about?” His master's grin turned into a smile. “You had that look in your eyes.”
“My eyes, master?” Damn his eyes! No one ever looked at his eyes! And how did you control how they looked? Further more how could his master tell what he was thinking by looking at them.
“Yes, you had that look on in your eyes that you always get when you're thinking about a woman.” His master's smile faded. “Never mind I should not pry. Please sit down.” As his master spoke an overstuffed reading chair moved from near a book shelf in the corner to come up right behind him.
“Yes, master.” Gorlyn willed his stupid face to stop blushing as he took a seat. His master slid a sheet of paper and a writing stick towards him.
“I want you to make a list of everything you need to care for yourself that requires my permission.” His master's voice was a mix of stern command and firm request. "For example: using the privy, sleeping, eating, etc.” With a scowl at the flowery sheets of paper, his master took up his own writing stick and paper and started to write something himself.
“Would you like me to write in Yndsian or Ghuryni, master?” Gorlyn asked and then wondered what he was thinking asking that. He didn't even know if he could write let alone if he could write in two different languages!
“Whichever you are most familiar with.” His master answered.
Well that was a relief if he could not do one then hopefully he could do the other. He picked up the stick, as far as he could remember the only books he had read where written in Ghuryni. It had not been hard for him to read them at all so he must have a good grasp of the spelling of the words. He would start with that language then.
Slowly he wrote out his first word with his heart pounding so hard he could feel it in the soles of his feet. He skipped over the first word his master had said and wrote out sleep. As he did an image of a book he had read once about the art of sleep deprivation appeared in his head. He examined the word in the image of the book and thought it looked just like the one he had written. Feeling more confident he continued the next one he wrote was eat. 'Privy' was going to be harder he did not recall ever having read the word so he tried to sound it out in his head, thinking of other words that had the same sounds and how they were spelled. Satisfied that he had done his best to spell the word properly he realized he was out of words his master had given him for examples.
Now he would not only have to think how to spell the words but come up with them himself. After a bit of thought he decided to just walk himself mentally through a typical day with Leisa and write down everything he had been forced to beg for. After that was done he pictured the same day only watched for things Leisa had done and considered if any of them had been vital to her health. He found a few that he thought were that he had never been allowed to do and added them as well.
Once he was finished he looked up from his paper to find he master watching him with smile. It was a smile he had not yet seen on his master before. Actually it was a smile he had not seen on anyone before and he had spied a lot of happy people out of the corner of his eye. He wondered what it meant.
“All done?” His master asked replacing the smile with the one he usually had.
“Yes, master.” Gorlyn answered lowering his eyes.
“Good now fold it in half and slide it over to me.” His master replied. Gorlyn did as instructed noticing as he did there was nothing but a writing stick on the desk now. His master's papers were gone.
“Since you asked I assume that you remember how to write in both languages. Does this also mean you remember how to read both?” His master asked picking up his writing stick.
“I have only read Ghuryni books in the last two years, master.” Gorlyn thought that was the best answer since he was not sure if he could still read Yndsian.
“I will give you a book to try later.” His master commented before he started to write on the folded half of Gorlyn's paper. Once finished he slid the paper back to Gorlyn. “Read that.”
“I hereby give my dev'sleuv Gorlyn permission to do for himself everything on this list. I trust in his judgment to do all things required to keep himself in good health and hygiene when appropriate. Neisk, Lord by birth, Mind Mage by the gift of the gods, Ambassador by the will of the Crown.” Gorlyn read out loud so as to prove to his master he was reading. He was equally surprised by how well he read the words as by the words themselves. His master hadn't even looked at the list and he was giving him permission do everything on it at his own will? At least that's what he thought it meant. “I don't understand master.”
“I have given you my written permission, and now I am giving verbal, to do everything on that list whenever you need to.” His master answered as he got up and walked over to squat down in front of Gorlyn so they were eye level.
“You seem to be concerned about what pleases me. I am basing this on how many times you start sentences with 'If it pleases you'. Well I am going to let you in on the secrets of my pleasure.” His master placed his hand on Gorlyn's chest. “It pleases me that your heart beats and that blood flows through you veins.” He moved his hand to another part of Gorlyn's torso. “It pleases me that your lungs fill with air at a natural rate so that air circulates through your body.”
Then his master moved his hand to Gorlyn's forehead. “It pleases me that you can think and are aware of your own body and it's needs and also of the world around you.” His hand moved down to rest just over his eyes. “It pleases me that you can see, that your vision is not impaired. I want to be able to show you beautiful things.” The hands separated and moved to the side of Gorlyn's head where they cupped each ear. “It pleases me that you can hear me talk to you and ear everything else around you. I want to fill your ears with music and laughter and other pleasant sounds.” One hand stayed cupping his ear and another one moved back in front of him and placed one finger on his lips. “It pleases me that you have a mouth and can eat food like a normal human being. It pleases me that you can share with me the joy of Finne's cooking. It pleases me to hear you speak. To know you can converse with me.” His master moved both hands to rest between his own thighs. “All those things please me but they can be lost if the needs of your body are not met. That is why I gave you permission because I want to make sure that I do not loose you or any part of you.” His master then stood up and leaned back against his desk. “Do you understand now?”
For a while Gorlyn was speechless. It was both a very familiar concept and a foreign one at the same time. Most of the time Gorlyn had simply used the phrase 'If it please you' as a formal way of asking permission. In his mind it had always been the same as 'If you would permit me.'
He had never really thought of it as 'would it bring you pleasure if I....' He supposed if he had asked Leisa permission to 'use the privy' The 'if it pleases you' could have been more like 'May I use the chamber pot or would it please you more to watch me squirm while I try to hold it and then beat and mock me when I finally loose control?'. In that case then he really was asking after her pleasure.
As he thought more about it he had never really thought about what gave others pleasure. If he had to he would guess it had always been pleasing to others that he be in good health so that they could inflict more pain on him. He always knew if he were too sick to survive a beating he would be of no use. It was for that reason alone the Leisa insisted he have regular visits with a healer.
No one had wanted him in good health so he could hear music, or look at beautiful things or converse. Those sounded like things nobles did. Or at least wealthy people who had nothing better to do with their time. No that wasn't really true he heard servants conversing all the time and they liked to play music in the evenings when most of them were not working. As for looking at beautiful things well....they found each other good looking enough to fool around in storage closets.
“Gorlyn? Are you still with me?” His master's voice light and full of humor interrupted Gorlyn's thoughts. How long had been thinking when he should have answered his master? And what answer should he give?
“You did not even look at the list master. That is what I did not understand.” Gorlyn answered which was true enough the rest of it he would need to think long and hard about before he was ready to commit to understanding it or not.
“Oh yes that.” His master was quiet for a while and Gorlyn tried to push all his thoughts away so he could concentrate on what his master had to say. “Well you see.... like I have told you we do not have slaves in Yndsie however I am not completely ignorant of slavery itself. Like Qia said it would be foolish to move to a country and not understand it's laws. Also I would make a poor diplomat if I could only go to slave free countries because I refuse to learn about slavery. Having said that I am afraid I know quite a lot about slavery in theory but not so much in practical hands on experience. That is where you are going to have to be my test subject for experimentation and my guide at times.” His master again paused and appeared to be gathering his thoughts. “One theory I read is that having a slave is like having a pet dog. The slave is completely dependent on you in the same way a dog is. I am not sure if you noticed but I do not have any pets. I am very busy and I do not really have the time to care for something that can not take care of it's basic needs. I am in luck in this case because my slave is far more intelligent then a dog and can take care of his basic needs. My money will provide food and water. My estate will provide a place to sleep, a place to groom and a place to....rid oneself of their body waste. I know many healers in this city who will come to my home if I call and will be happy to care for a sick or injured member of my household. It is up to you now Gorlyn to use those things as you need them. Does that make sense to you?”
“Yes, master.” Gorlyn answered quickly to make up for spacing out before. Not that he really needed the time to think this time. He had been doing so during his master's pauses. Over all it did not sound too strange he was use to being experimented on and with his master's permission behind him the thought of seeing to his own needs was very appealing. The only thing that worried him was being a guide. It sounded an awful lot like his master's previous order to point out mistakes. And the thought of doing that still made his stomach turn.
“Good then that is settled. I will expect you to eat when I do. If I am not here I will expect that you eat during one of the meal shifts for the servants. Since you have proven that you are capable of grooming me every morning I expect you can do that same for yourself. That means bathing and putting on a clean set of clothing every morning. Also there is no point in you staying awake while I sleep so you might as well sleep when I do. As for anything else that might be on that list I will leave it to your discretion as to when would be the best time to do those things. What does leave? Ah yes if you become sick or injured I expect you to tell me right away.” His master gave him a searching look and then smiled. “Any questions?”
“No master.” Gorlyn answered. It all made logical sense in his head but it felt so wrong on an emotional level and the buzzing in his head told him his kaspern agreed with his emotions. Well the stupid piece of metal would just have to get over it. These were his master's wishes and like them or not agree with them or not he would do as told. As soon as those thoughts swirled around his head the buzzing stopped. That was new. Before he could wonder what it meant the was a knock at the door. On instinct he leapt to his feet and moved over to the door opening it a crack.
A young man in servants livery gave him a startled look and then coughed to clear his throat. “Dinner is ready at his Lord's pleasure.” The servant spoke the barest tingle of a discomfort in his voice. Turning around Gorlyn faced his master and for an instant their eyes met. He thought he saw a twinkle in his master's eyes. Some how he thought that meant amusement.
“Dinner is ready, master.” Gorlyn spoke softly as he wondered if that was what his master meant by seeing things in people's eyes.
“Tell the servant at the door I will be in the dinning room shortly.” His master's face and voice betrayed no emotion but that twinkle was still there.
Gorlyn turned back to the door but the servant was gone. “He left before I could say anything master.”
“Oh well it was only a formality anyway.” His master replied. Gorlyn turned to watch him ignoring the impulse to lower his eyes, taking his chances his master wouldn't slap him for it. “Are you hungry, Gorlyn?”
“If....” Gorlyn stopped. After their conversation it seemed silly to continue that phrase. “Yes, master.” He finished.
“Good so am I.” His master stood up and crossed over to where Gorlyn was standing. Immediately his opened the door for his master and then followed him out of the room. The walked down one short hall and then turned into another one before entering a large room with an long table. The table was covered in fine linens with large flower arrangements in a row down the center. Around the table was twenty five chairs each one covered in silk. There was however only one place setting at the head of the table behind which stood four servants. “What a beautiful table.” His master spoke in Yndsian. He walked over to the servants. “Did you understand what I just said?” He asked them in Ghuryni.
They all answered “No, my lord.”
“Not a single one was lying so if we continue to speak in Yndsian, they will not be able to understand us.” His master spoke softly to him as he took his seat. “Now I suppose it would be bad for my reputation if I ordered another place setting be added and you dined with me.”
“That is correct, master.” Gorlyn answered it was not quite a question but perhaps this was what his master meant by being a guide. If it was it appeared it would be a lot easier then he thought. Merely affirm what his master had deduced on his own.
“Do I have any options where you can eat with me and it would not appear I am considering you an equal? His master asked trying to sound hopeful but already gearing himself up for a negative answer.
“I could kneel next to your chair, if it pleases you, and you could toss scraps of food on to the floor for me to eat, master.” Gorlyn suggested. It was something no one would consider for a dev'sleuv but he had seen visiting dignitaries feed their slaves that way. It would not seem strange for his master being a foreigner to treat him like a normal slave.
“Another reason I do not have a dog.” His master muttered. “Well I did get to share two out of three meals with you so I suppose I should not be greedy.” His master's eyes became unfocused for a moment as if he were lost in thought and then he nodded. “Go through the door to the left, Gorlyn that leads to the kitchen and you will be given food there. Try to eat as much as you can but if the food makes you feel ill do not force it down. Instead ask for something else.”
Gorlyn gave his master a very formal bow and then did as he was told. He pushed the door open and entered the kitchen determined to show his master that he could take care of himself.
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The door was partially open and for a moment Gorlyn stood looking in. His master was wearing thin silver rimmed glasses while he peered over several sheets of flowery stationary. Glasses were a good look for his master. They made him look just a few years older but in a good mature way. Gorlyn wondered what his master was reading. The flowery stationary suggested a woman. Perhaps it was a love letter.
A smile crept across his face as he tried to picture what kind of woman his master might prefer. He thought she should be a kind girl, maybe even a little shy, but not in the bedroom there she would be a seductive minx, and she would never nag him. She would be tall enough that they could dance with her having to wear shoes, she would be a very good dancer. Her bosom would be average, too big and you could get beamed hard in the head too small and well you might as well be a boy. Her hips would be the kind that other woman would say are good for bearing children.
Her legs would be the main attraction, long and slender with delicate ankles and darling soft feet that made her giggle when you tickled the soles. It was at that moment that he realized he was no longer picturing his master with this mystery woman but himself. Quickly he pushed the thoughts out of his head. What are you doing idiot! He thought to himself. If you are going to be wasting time standing in the door you should be observing your master! Look for clues to your master's mood! Did you forget there is a 'serious talk' waiting?! There is no possible way that could turn out good and here you are day dreaming instead of trying to figure out how much trouble you're in! Focus man!
“Are you waiting for permission to come inside?” His master's voice interrupted his own mental lecture. The tone of his master's voice was neutral but looking up the scowl on his face made him shiver.“I thought telling you to come back here after you were done implied permission.”
Gorlyn felt himself blush as he made a walk of shame to stand before his master's desk. All his instincts were screaming to throw himself on the ground in supplication, but past experience told him it would be a waste of time. His master would either tell him to get back up, or come over himself and kneel down in front of him with that heavy sigh that said 'this is such an inconvenience!' So he settled for keeping his head down and his hands at his side. He kept his muscles ready to drop to his knees should his master finally come to his senses and start putting him in his place. There was nothing but silence scrambling to come up with some way to break it Gorlyn remembered his master had asked him a question.
“No master, I wasn't waiting. I knew I should come right in but I was.....I mean...I...I didn't come in. I am sorry master.” Gorlyn knew he should have admitted he was day dreaming but that stupid part of him that liked to test his boundaries and made him a bad dev'sleuv reared it's ugly head. Would his master be able to see if he lied by omission?
“You were day dreaming I noticed.” His master grinned and Gorlyn felt his mouth go dry. “So who was she?”
“She master?” Gorlyn managed to get out through the desert that had become his mouth.
“The woman you were day dreaming about?” His master's grin turned into a smile. “You had that look in your eyes.”
“My eyes, master?” Damn his eyes! No one ever looked at his eyes! And how did you control how they looked? Further more how could his master tell what he was thinking by looking at them.
“Yes, you had that look on in your eyes that you always get when you're thinking about a woman.” His master's smile faded. “Never mind I should not pry. Please sit down.” As his master spoke an overstuffed reading chair moved from near a book shelf in the corner to come up right behind him.
“Yes, master.” Gorlyn willed his stupid face to stop blushing as he took a seat. His master slid a sheet of paper and a writing stick towards him.
“I want you to make a list of everything you need to care for yourself that requires my permission.” His master's voice was a mix of stern command and firm request. "For example: using the privy, sleeping, eating, etc.” With a scowl at the flowery sheets of paper, his master took up his own writing stick and paper and started to write something himself.
“Would you like me to write in Yndsian or Ghuryni, master?” Gorlyn asked and then wondered what he was thinking asking that. He didn't even know if he could write let alone if he could write in two different languages!
“Whichever you are most familiar with.” His master answered.
Well that was a relief if he could not do one then hopefully he could do the other. He picked up the stick, as far as he could remember the only books he had read where written in Ghuryni. It had not been hard for him to read them at all so he must have a good grasp of the spelling of the words. He would start with that language then.
Slowly he wrote out his first word with his heart pounding so hard he could feel it in the soles of his feet. He skipped over the first word his master had said and wrote out sleep. As he did an image of a book he had read once about the art of sleep deprivation appeared in his head. He examined the word in the image of the book and thought it looked just like the one he had written. Feeling more confident he continued the next one he wrote was eat. 'Privy' was going to be harder he did not recall ever having read the word so he tried to sound it out in his head, thinking of other words that had the same sounds and how they were spelled. Satisfied that he had done his best to spell the word properly he realized he was out of words his master had given him for examples.
Now he would not only have to think how to spell the words but come up with them himself. After a bit of thought he decided to just walk himself mentally through a typical day with Leisa and write down everything he had been forced to beg for. After that was done he pictured the same day only watched for things Leisa had done and considered if any of them had been vital to her health. He found a few that he thought were that he had never been allowed to do and added them as well.
Once he was finished he looked up from his paper to find he master watching him with smile. It was a smile he had not yet seen on his master before. Actually it was a smile he had not seen on anyone before and he had spied a lot of happy people out of the corner of his eye. He wondered what it meant.
“All done?” His master asked replacing the smile with the one he usually had.
“Yes, master.” Gorlyn answered lowering his eyes.
“Good now fold it in half and slide it over to me.” His master replied. Gorlyn did as instructed noticing as he did there was nothing but a writing stick on the desk now. His master's papers were gone.
“Since you asked I assume that you remember how to write in both languages. Does this also mean you remember how to read both?” His master asked picking up his writing stick.
“I have only read Ghuryni books in the last two years, master.” Gorlyn thought that was the best answer since he was not sure if he could still read Yndsian.
“I will give you a book to try later.” His master commented before he started to write on the folded half of Gorlyn's paper. Once finished he slid the paper back to Gorlyn. “Read that.”
“I hereby give my dev'sleuv Gorlyn permission to do for himself everything on this list. I trust in his judgment to do all things required to keep himself in good health and hygiene when appropriate. Neisk, Lord by birth, Mind Mage by the gift of the gods, Ambassador by the will of the Crown.” Gorlyn read out loud so as to prove to his master he was reading. He was equally surprised by how well he read the words as by the words themselves. His master hadn't even looked at the list and he was giving him permission do everything on it at his own will? At least that's what he thought it meant. “I don't understand master.”
“I have given you my written permission, and now I am giving verbal, to do everything on that list whenever you need to.” His master answered as he got up and walked over to squat down in front of Gorlyn so they were eye level.
“You seem to be concerned about what pleases me. I am basing this on how many times you start sentences with 'If it pleases you'. Well I am going to let you in on the secrets of my pleasure.” His master placed his hand on Gorlyn's chest. “It pleases me that your heart beats and that blood flows through you veins.” He moved his hand to another part of Gorlyn's torso. “It pleases me that your lungs fill with air at a natural rate so that air circulates through your body.”
Then his master moved his hand to Gorlyn's forehead. “It pleases me that you can think and are aware of your own body and it's needs and also of the world around you.” His hand moved down to rest just over his eyes. “It pleases me that you can see, that your vision is not impaired. I want to be able to show you beautiful things.” The hands separated and moved to the side of Gorlyn's head where they cupped each ear. “It pleases me that you can hear me talk to you and ear everything else around you. I want to fill your ears with music and laughter and other pleasant sounds.” One hand stayed cupping his ear and another one moved back in front of him and placed one finger on his lips. “It pleases me that you have a mouth and can eat food like a normal human being. It pleases me that you can share with me the joy of Finne's cooking. It pleases me to hear you speak. To know you can converse with me.” His master moved both hands to rest between his own thighs. “All those things please me but they can be lost if the needs of your body are not met. That is why I gave you permission because I want to make sure that I do not loose you or any part of you.” His master then stood up and leaned back against his desk. “Do you understand now?”
For a while Gorlyn was speechless. It was both a very familiar concept and a foreign one at the same time. Most of the time Gorlyn had simply used the phrase 'If it please you' as a formal way of asking permission. In his mind it had always been the same as 'If you would permit me.'
He had never really thought of it as 'would it bring you pleasure if I....' He supposed if he had asked Leisa permission to 'use the privy' The 'if it pleases you' could have been more like 'May I use the chamber pot or would it please you more to watch me squirm while I try to hold it and then beat and mock me when I finally loose control?'. In that case then he really was asking after her pleasure.
As he thought more about it he had never really thought about what gave others pleasure. If he had to he would guess it had always been pleasing to others that he be in good health so that they could inflict more pain on him. He always knew if he were too sick to survive a beating he would be of no use. It was for that reason alone the Leisa insisted he have regular visits with a healer.
No one had wanted him in good health so he could hear music, or look at beautiful things or converse. Those sounded like things nobles did. Or at least wealthy people who had nothing better to do with their time. No that wasn't really true he heard servants conversing all the time and they liked to play music in the evenings when most of them were not working. As for looking at beautiful things well....they found each other good looking enough to fool around in storage closets.
“Gorlyn? Are you still with me?” His master's voice light and full of humor interrupted Gorlyn's thoughts. How long had been thinking when he should have answered his master? And what answer should he give?
“You did not even look at the list master. That is what I did not understand.” Gorlyn answered which was true enough the rest of it he would need to think long and hard about before he was ready to commit to understanding it or not.
“Oh yes that.” His master was quiet for a while and Gorlyn tried to push all his thoughts away so he could concentrate on what his master had to say. “Well you see.... like I have told you we do not have slaves in Yndsie however I am not completely ignorant of slavery itself. Like Qia said it would be foolish to move to a country and not understand it's laws. Also I would make a poor diplomat if I could only go to slave free countries because I refuse to learn about slavery. Having said that I am afraid I know quite a lot about slavery in theory but not so much in practical hands on experience. That is where you are going to have to be my test subject for experimentation and my guide at times.” His master again paused and appeared to be gathering his thoughts. “One theory I read is that having a slave is like having a pet dog. The slave is completely dependent on you in the same way a dog is. I am not sure if you noticed but I do not have any pets. I am very busy and I do not really have the time to care for something that can not take care of it's basic needs. I am in luck in this case because my slave is far more intelligent then a dog and can take care of his basic needs. My money will provide food and water. My estate will provide a place to sleep, a place to groom and a place to....rid oneself of their body waste. I know many healers in this city who will come to my home if I call and will be happy to care for a sick or injured member of my household. It is up to you now Gorlyn to use those things as you need them. Does that make sense to you?”
“Yes, master.” Gorlyn answered quickly to make up for spacing out before. Not that he really needed the time to think this time. He had been doing so during his master's pauses. Over all it did not sound too strange he was use to being experimented on and with his master's permission behind him the thought of seeing to his own needs was very appealing. The only thing that worried him was being a guide. It sounded an awful lot like his master's previous order to point out mistakes. And the thought of doing that still made his stomach turn.
“Good then that is settled. I will expect you to eat when I do. If I am not here I will expect that you eat during one of the meal shifts for the servants. Since you have proven that you are capable of grooming me every morning I expect you can do that same for yourself. That means bathing and putting on a clean set of clothing every morning. Also there is no point in you staying awake while I sleep so you might as well sleep when I do. As for anything else that might be on that list I will leave it to your discretion as to when would be the best time to do those things. What does leave? Ah yes if you become sick or injured I expect you to tell me right away.” His master gave him a searching look and then smiled. “Any questions?”
“No master.” Gorlyn answered. It all made logical sense in his head but it felt so wrong on an emotional level and the buzzing in his head told him his kaspern agreed with his emotions. Well the stupid piece of metal would just have to get over it. These were his master's wishes and like them or not agree with them or not he would do as told. As soon as those thoughts swirled around his head the buzzing stopped. That was new. Before he could wonder what it meant the was a knock at the door. On instinct he leapt to his feet and moved over to the door opening it a crack.
A young man in servants livery gave him a startled look and then coughed to clear his throat. “Dinner is ready at his Lord's pleasure.” The servant spoke the barest tingle of a discomfort in his voice. Turning around Gorlyn faced his master and for an instant their eyes met. He thought he saw a twinkle in his master's eyes. Some how he thought that meant amusement.
“Dinner is ready, master.” Gorlyn spoke softly as he wondered if that was what his master meant by seeing things in people's eyes.
“Tell the servant at the door I will be in the dinning room shortly.” His master's face and voice betrayed no emotion but that twinkle was still there.
Gorlyn turned back to the door but the servant was gone. “He left before I could say anything master.”
“Oh well it was only a formality anyway.” His master replied. Gorlyn turned to watch him ignoring the impulse to lower his eyes, taking his chances his master wouldn't slap him for it. “Are you hungry, Gorlyn?”
“If....” Gorlyn stopped. After their conversation it seemed silly to continue that phrase. “Yes, master.” He finished.
“Good so am I.” His master stood up and crossed over to where Gorlyn was standing. Immediately his opened the door for his master and then followed him out of the room. The walked down one short hall and then turned into another one before entering a large room with an long table. The table was covered in fine linens with large flower arrangements in a row down the center. Around the table was twenty five chairs each one covered in silk. There was however only one place setting at the head of the table behind which stood four servants. “What a beautiful table.” His master spoke in Yndsian. He walked over to the servants. “Did you understand what I just said?” He asked them in Ghuryni.
They all answered “No, my lord.”
“Not a single one was lying so if we continue to speak in Yndsian, they will not be able to understand us.” His master spoke softly to him as he took his seat. “Now I suppose it would be bad for my reputation if I ordered another place setting be added and you dined with me.”
“That is correct, master.” Gorlyn answered it was not quite a question but perhaps this was what his master meant by being a guide. If it was it appeared it would be a lot easier then he thought. Merely affirm what his master had deduced on his own.
“Do I have any options where you can eat with me and it would not appear I am considering you an equal? His master asked trying to sound hopeful but already gearing himself up for a negative answer.
“I could kneel next to your chair, if it pleases you, and you could toss scraps of food on to the floor for me to eat, master.” Gorlyn suggested. It was something no one would consider for a dev'sleuv but he had seen visiting dignitaries feed their slaves that way. It would not seem strange for his master being a foreigner to treat him like a normal slave.
“Another reason I do not have a dog.” His master muttered. “Well I did get to share two out of three meals with you so I suppose I should not be greedy.” His master's eyes became unfocused for a moment as if he were lost in thought and then he nodded. “Go through the door to the left, Gorlyn that leads to the kitchen and you will be given food there. Try to eat as much as you can but if the food makes you feel ill do not force it down. Instead ask for something else.”
Gorlyn gave his master a very formal bow and then did as he was told. He pushed the door open and entered the kitchen determined to show his master that he could take care of himself.
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