By the time Viktora finished scrubbing the lord's bedchambers, it was nearly noon. She waited for the midday meal to start before making her way to the servants' quarters. She peeked inside, and it was blessedly empty. She slipped in and quickly walked past all the bunks, trunks pced at their feet, to reach a door in the back which led to the bathing chamber.

  It was a rge room, entirely made of stone, with a pit in each of the four ers. Each pit sloped down towards the wall, so that it would be deeper on that side, allowing for some modesty for those bathing. There was a rge, ented gem above each pit that would emit pleasantly hot water to fill the pit, and there was a small shelf for each pit holding a variety of soap bars, washcloths, and bristled brushes meant for scrubbing.

  Without a o disrobe, Viktora walked to the back right er, stepped into the pit and activated the water gem. It quickly filled up, almost to the brim, and she deactivated it. The warm water on her feet was f, and she slowly waded deeper until only her ned head were above water, submerging herself in the pool and sighing.

  She closed her eyes and rexed. Eight years she had gohout a bath. Without the simple decy of being . She ehe sensation of the heat melting away some of the aches in her muscles for a few more moments, then started the long, arduous process of ridding her body of the accumuted filth of eight years' time spent ing the most foul ers of Emberhearth Castle.

  The scrubbing brushes, which she knew usually felt like the tender caress of a lover to normal vampires, were like scrubbing her abused, raw skin with nails. She had to drai twice just to get water to scrub with. She had just filled it again when she heard voices ing into the servants' quarters. There had to be at least half a dozen people ing in, and she froze. She went bato the deep side of the pool to hide her body, and she was just in time.

  Another woman, a servant she had seen but never spoken to, ehe baths. When the newer spotted her, a smile broke over her face.

  "Hello! I don't think we've met. I'm Bresang. Are you new here?" Her voice was cheery and friendly, but Viktora was too shocked to respond. Nobody had addressed her like this since her mother's death, and now she had beeed like a real person twi one day. Beyond that, Viktora khat Bresang had seen her before, had beaten her in the hallways as every lodger of Emberhearth Castle was ordered to do.

  Before Viktora could answer, someone in the sleeping quarters called for Bresang, and she practically skipped bato the other room. Viktora hurried to scrub the few remaining portions of her skin that still had grime ging to it, then drained and stepped out of the pool. She was looking around for a towel or something to dry herself off with when Bresang's voice rang in her ears again.

  "Hey, new girl, which bunk are y-" Viktora, not thinking properly with how flustered she was, turned as Bresang addressed her. Bresang's smile evaporated, and the question died ihroat when she saw Viktora's cock. "What the hell do you think you're doing in here?" She hissed in anger.

  The sudden tone ge drew the attention of the others, and Viktora was quickly hauled from the bathing chambers. The threw her to the ground, and the fifteen minutes made her wish she'd ried to bathe at all. A dagger across the back would have certainly beeer than feeling her ribs d her elbows turn the wrong way. They kicked her, hit her, beat her with some sort of blunt object, and spat on her as they did so. Viktora's miually gave up the fight as they rendered her unscious.

  ***

  When she awoke, there was nobody else in the room. Every breath she took was agony, but she could still breathe. They had miraculously not punctured her lungs. Her left arm was limp and broken in at least three pces, while her right ankle felt like it had been crushed between two millstones. When she inhaled, she smelled uri least one of them had pissed on her when they'd finished beating her. Viktora barely ma herself into the hallway before the pain of all her broken bones caused her to pass out once more.

  ***

  The ime Viktora opened her eyes, it was to the snarling visage of Lord Ronak. He was bent over her, and had apparently been shouting her name.

  "Finally, she wakes up! Have you spent all day zing about? None of your chores are pleted, and you still look as filthy as when I left you!"

  "Y-yrace, look at her arm." Cassandra's timid whisper came from behind him. He gnced down and huffed.

  "So, someone broke your arm, then? Doesn't stop you from scrubbing with the other one, does it?"

  "Ronak!" Cassandra's gasp, and the ck of honorific, immediately got the vampire lord's attention. He whipped around and gred at his e, but Cassandra stood tall, uncowed.

  "You are not a savage or a barbarian, Lord Ronak." Cassandra stated stiffly. "This kind of abuse ill-befits one of your stature. Whatever this woman has doo earn her position, it surely is not worth sullying your reputation by inflig such heinous mistreatment on any in your castle."

  "You presume too much, Cassandra." Ronak's voice was dangerous, and Viktora would have fled if she'd been able. Still, Cassandra looked at him defiantly. He seemed tle with something for a long time before he spoke again. "If you care for the girl so much, let her fate be in your hands. I promise you this, though; if she its any further offenses, you will both burn for them."

  With that, the haughty lord turned on his heel and marched away. Cassandra k down swiftly, her g eyes filling with disgust and pity at the state Viktora had bee in. She was examining the worst of Viktora's wounds when a servant came around the er. Cassandra looked up and ahe servant to fetch a healer.

  Viktora passed out again before the healer arrived.

  ***

  When Viktora cracked her eyes open again, she thought she might have died. She was ying in a bed, a real bed with sheets and a b and a pillow. Moonlight was streaming in through the window, her a good view of the room she was in. The bed she had been pced in was crammed into the er with a trunk at the foot of it. A door was directly across from the bed, the rest of the room spreading out to the left. It was small and cramped with a desk, a shelf, and a wardrobe.

  Sitting up, Viktora realized that she had been washed again and healed. Not just the most ret injuries, but all of her injuries. She had not a bruise or a bump anywhere. She reached around, ahat the knotted mass of scars across her back still remained. Viktora rose from the bed and crossed to the door, opening it and peeking out.

  She was in the handmaiden's chamber of Cassandra's bedroom. The e was sleeping peacefully, and Viktora set about quietly scrubbing her room spotless with her fingernails. She didn't know why she'd been pced in the bed, likely on the dires of the healers, but she was determio show her appreciation for what Cassandra had dohe only way she knew how.

  By the time the rays of dawn showed through the window, Cassandra's room ractically sparkling. Viktora was just about to start ing into the hallway when she heard the blonde vampire stir, and heard her voice calling out from the bed.

  "Viktora, what are you doing?" She sounded sleepy. "It's barely the crack of dawn."

  "ing, Lady Cassandra." Viktora responded, standing and l her gaze.

  "When did you wake up?" Cassandra sat up in bed, clutg the bs about her with one hand while the other rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

  "Before the setting of the first moon."

  "You've been up ing for half the night?" Cassandra said, sounding amused. "Why? With what?"

  "To show you my gratitude." Viktora raised her hands to show the filth coating her fingers as she spoke. Cassandra frowned.

  "e here, Viktora. Sit on the side of my bed." Viktora approached and sat, w if she had offended Cassandra in some way. Lord Ronak had given the e total trol over her, so she knew she o abide by everything Cassandra ordered.

  "Viktora, I have spoken with Lord Ronak about your station within Emberhearth Castle. I appealed to his better nature, and the state of the castle's coffers, to vince him not to hire a servant to wait on me. You will be my handmaiden from now on. To help you do your new duties properly, he has lifted the order requiring you to be beaten regurly and allowed me to you and have you healed."

  Viktora was absolutely speechless. In one day, this woman had met her, had passion upon her, and taken away the torment she had suffered for seven years, not just in the physical abuse, but in the demeaning tasks she was made to do. Cassandra, however, wasn't finished.

  "These ings are to be a daily occurrenow. I won't have a handmaiden who stinks up my bedchambers." A twinkle of amusement fshed through Cassandra's eyes. "You will attend me in all matters. You will rest in the chambers arranged for you eaight. You will have two hours to eat your lunch every day. Should you choose to engage in other pursuits during that time, you may do so if you inform me beforehand. I am responsible for your as now, so anything you do reflects upon me. Including walking around the castle here are clothes provided for you in your wardrobe."

  Viktora looked at her in the eyes, and colpsed into sobs. Cassandra pulled the weeping woman into a deep embrace, running f hands over her scarred back. Viktora cried loud and ugly, tears that she'd never had before suddenly falling as if they had no end. Cassandra had freed her from her e, her torment, her degradation. She had given her back her modesty and her sense of self. She'd made Viktora a person again.

  When Viktora had sobbed the rest of her emotion into Cassandra's sheets, she sniffled and sat back up. "Th-thank you, Lady Cassandra." She murmured, faithfulness aion shining in her watery eyes.

  "You're very wele, Viktora. As long as you don't get the both of us burned, you will no longer suffer abuse if it is within my power to stop it. Now, I require you to get dressed. Lord Ronak has pced me in charge of all the grains of the kingdom, as the daughter of a miller. I would like to visit the farms produg the grains to begin with, and see if there is anything that be doo increase their yield."

  "Yes, midy." Viktora sprang to her feet and was halfway to the handmaid's chambers before Cassandra spoke again.

  "I am sorry about the silver bracelet. I could not vince Lord Ronak to allow me to remove it."

  Viktnced down at her wrist, and saw the bracelet that had been a part of her life for so long, she'd fotten it was there. She turned bad looked at her dy solemnly.

  "You have given me more passion than I have ever received in my adult life, Lady Cassandra. You saved me, and you gave me back the autonomy and identity that was taken from me. I would gdly wear this bracelet for a year if it gives me one day in your presence."

  Cassandra blushed furiously, and waved for Viktora to go ahead a dressed, which she did. The wardrobe had seven dresses and two pairs of pin shoes within it. Six of them were pin, patched, and obviously quite old. The seventh was seemingly brand-new, and obviously was meant for matters of state. It was a deep crimson color with bck embroidery creatiiful patterns across it.

  Viktora pulled on a set of underclothes from one of the drawers, then slipped into one of the everyday dresses. She then pulled on a pair of the shoes ao meet Cassandra.

  She was out of bed, s through her own closet for something to wear. When she'd chosen one, she turned around and saw Viktora. She smiled a heart-breaking smile ahe dress down, before ing over and pg her hands on Viktora's shoulders.

  "There you go. I khere was a beautiful young woman in there somewhere." Viktora took her turn to blush.

  "Thank you, midy." She plucked the dress Cassandra had chosen from the bed, and helped her into it.

  "I must admit some... awkwardness with this." Cassandra said with a slight giggle. "I have never had anyone wait on me before. The daughter of a miller always dresses herself."

  "Let me know if I make you unfortable, midy." Viktora murmured. "I know what to do, but it is quite an adjustment to make."

  "Were you a dy-in-waiting before?" Cassandra asked as Viktora finished up with her dress ached a pair of matg heels from the closet.

  "No, midy." Viktora replied as she fastehe heels to Cassandra's feet. "My mother was also a e of Lord Ronak's, though I don't think I ever saw him look at her the way he looks at you."

  "He is a good man, deep down." Cassandra whispered, her eyes being unfocused. "The stress of his job causes his ao fre, but he has always been kind to me."

  Viktora bit down her retort; that he had killed her mother for loving someoher than him, that he threateo kill Cassandra herself only the day before. Instead, she stood and helped Cassandra to her feet. They swept from the room, Viktora following at a respectable distance as they strode the halls of the castle towards the kit, where Cassandra had the cooks prepare two baskets of food; one for lunch, one for breakfast. Then, Viktora carrying the baskets, Cassandra led her to the courtyard, where a carriage was waiting for them.

  The an opehe door and helped each of them into the carriage before climbing into the driver's seat aing off. The ride was bumpy, but Viktora hardly noticed. She hadn't seen anything outside the castle in years, except through the windows while she ed them. She stared in wo the tryside they passed, feeling as if she had been reborn.

  "I know I told you that you would have two hours for lunch every day, but I must apologize for immediately breaking that standard. We will not have much time to break for lunch today, unfortunately." Cassandra said, smiling at the looks of wonder flitting across her new handmaiden's face.

  Viktora looked over at her, uo keep the smile from her face. "Thank you, midy. I do not mind at all. Just having a lunch will be nice."

  "You haven't sat down for lun a while, have you?" Cassandra asked, her smile fading slightly.

  "No, midy. I have only been given the evening meal for the st seven years." Viktora admitted. Cassandra blinked away a couple of tears and forced her smile back to its wide radiance.

  "Well, there won't be any more of that." Cassandra smiled, indig the breakfast basket.