20th of Fall, 517; evening
"You have failed at almost every task I've given you so far," Bryony said sternly, her arms crossed over her chest and her left foot tapping quickly. Her cheeks seemed to almost glow with anger and her voice quivered slightly. She let out a controlled exhale and pursed her lips. "I don't know if I've ever worked with someone so...useless," she hissed. "What am I supposed to do? You're invaluable because of your form, but--"
"That's enough, Bryony," another voice chimed in. Linnaeus was thankful for this; upsetting Bryony wasn't something she enjoyed doing. She still felt so grateful to her, for helping to pull her out of the Lake, and essentially giving her a place to live and work--even if it was technically as a slave.
Nestor Olcott sat calmly at his desk. His face was blank and devoid of any real expression--except, maybe there was the smallest amount of fascination somewhere deep behind his gaze?
"Sorry," Bryony said flatly and took a step back, letting her head hang lower than before, seemingly as a sign of respect for the man.
Nestor did have a quality about him that Linnaeus found incredibly unsettling. Something about him was off, although on the surface one could never tell. He seemed perfectly pleasant--charming, even--someone you could really trust. Of course, there were rumors constantly being spread between the servants throughout the estate and many of them revolved around Nestor and his "deeds" for the family.
The atmosphere of the room made Linnaeus sweat a little and she wanted nothing more than to leave.
"I'm really sorry," started Linnaeus. "I know I'm clumsy--I promise I'll get better, I just--"
"Stop talking," Nestor said calmly. Linnaeus' stomach filled with butterflies and she could feel her cheeks become warm with embarrassment. "Have you learned nothing?" Nestor adjusted his posture, sitting up even straighter than before, his voice growing in volume. "You have no power here. You have no choice, no right to speak unless you are first addressed. Do you understand me?"
Linnaeus was silent, and she could feel her eyes well with tears. "I--I understand," she said, trying her hardest not to choke on the words.
"I don't know that you really do understand, but you will--in time. We have all come to learn this basic truth. I have been lenient with you--I know that your arrival here in Ravok was violent and I grant that one must take time to adjust to this world, this life...this family.
"But you have had enough leniency, and now it is time for you act as is expected of you. You will no longer be a general servant for the family. You are being assigned to a single family member."
Linnaeus' blood ran cold.
She looked over to Bryony with a helpless expression, looking for consolation, looking for some sign that this wasn't true. But Bryony's own expression was blank and cold; she looked straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact with Linnaeus. She knew of other servants that were assigned to single family members, like Hwyn, and it seemed terrible. Being at the full disposal of another human being...
"You will be given to someone who I think will truly appreciate your...unique qualities--your otherworldly appearance and whatnot. She has seen you around the estate and has asked for you personally. Her last servant didn't last, but I'm sure you'll do just fine. Her name is Antoinette, and she is to be respected."
Nestor stood from his chair and brushed off his vest and took a final sip from a wine glass sitting on his desk, and gestured over to Bryony.
"Would you take this one to her new master?"
"Yes," Bryony said, walked over to Linnaeus and took her by the arm and led her--somewhat forcefully--out of Nestor Olcott's office. Linnaeus stumbled on her own feet and felt tears falling down her face.
"Oh Bryony, will I be okay?" She asked in a hushed tone.
"I don't know," she said plainly. "The last servant of Nettie's went missing, and she was very hard on her. You better shape up, girl." Once they had entered a hallway off to the side and no one was around, Bryony stopped suddenly and turned to face Linn. She put one hand on each of her shoulders. "You're going to be okay, Linnaeus," she said, her face softening into an expression that Linnaeus hadn't seen on Bryony before. "I promise that you can do this."
And with that, Bryony turned on her heel and continued to lead Linnaeus to her new master.
"You have failed at almost every task I've given you so far," Bryony said sternly, her arms crossed over her chest and her left foot tapping quickly. Her cheeks seemed to almost glow with anger and her voice quivered slightly. She let out a controlled exhale and pursed her lips. "I don't know if I've ever worked with someone so...useless," she hissed. "What am I supposed to do? You're invaluable because of your form, but--"
"That's enough, Bryony," another voice chimed in. Linnaeus was thankful for this; upsetting Bryony wasn't something she enjoyed doing. She still felt so grateful to her, for helping to pull her out of the Lake, and essentially giving her a place to live and work--even if it was technically as a slave.
Nestor Olcott sat calmly at his desk. His face was blank and devoid of any real expression--except, maybe there was the smallest amount of fascination somewhere deep behind his gaze?
"Sorry," Bryony said flatly and took a step back, letting her head hang lower than before, seemingly as a sign of respect for the man.
Nestor did have a quality about him that Linnaeus found incredibly unsettling. Something about him was off, although on the surface one could never tell. He seemed perfectly pleasant--charming, even--someone you could really trust. Of course, there were rumors constantly being spread between the servants throughout the estate and many of them revolved around Nestor and his "deeds" for the family.
The atmosphere of the room made Linnaeus sweat a little and she wanted nothing more than to leave.
"I'm really sorry," started Linnaeus. "I know I'm clumsy--I promise I'll get better, I just--"
"Stop talking," Nestor said calmly. Linnaeus' stomach filled with butterflies and she could feel her cheeks become warm with embarrassment. "Have you learned nothing?" Nestor adjusted his posture, sitting up even straighter than before, his voice growing in volume. "You have no power here. You have no choice, no right to speak unless you are first addressed. Do you understand me?"
Linnaeus was silent, and she could feel her eyes well with tears. "I--I understand," she said, trying her hardest not to choke on the words.
"I don't know that you really do understand, but you will--in time. We have all come to learn this basic truth. I have been lenient with you--I know that your arrival here in Ravok was violent and I grant that one must take time to adjust to this world, this life...this family.
"But you have had enough leniency, and now it is time for you act as is expected of you. You will no longer be a general servant for the family. You are being assigned to a single family member."
Linnaeus' blood ran cold.
She looked over to Bryony with a helpless expression, looking for consolation, looking for some sign that this wasn't true. But Bryony's own expression was blank and cold; she looked straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact with Linnaeus. She knew of other servants that were assigned to single family members, like Hwyn, and it seemed terrible. Being at the full disposal of another human being...
"You will be given to someone who I think will truly appreciate your...unique qualities--your otherworldly appearance and whatnot. She has seen you around the estate and has asked for you personally. Her last servant didn't last, but I'm sure you'll do just fine. Her name is Antoinette, and she is to be respected."
Nestor stood from his chair and brushed off his vest and took a final sip from a wine glass sitting on his desk, and gestured over to Bryony.
"Would you take this one to her new master?"
"Yes," Bryony said, walked over to Linnaeus and took her by the arm and led her--somewhat forcefully--out of Nestor Olcott's office. Linnaeus stumbled on her own feet and felt tears falling down her face.
"Oh Bryony, will I be okay?" She asked in a hushed tone.
"I don't know," she said plainly. "The last servant of Nettie's went missing, and she was very hard on her. You better shape up, girl." Once they had entered a hallway off to the side and no one was around, Bryony stopped suddenly and turned to face Linn. She put one hand on each of her shoulders. "You're going to be okay, Linnaeus," she said, her face softening into an expression that Linnaeus hadn't seen on Bryony before. "I promise that you can do this."
And with that, Bryony turned on her heel and continued to lead Linnaeus to her new master.