The Consort
Chapter 2: Preparation

"What are you going to do?" Vera asks, her voice soft.

I hear the door close behind her but I remain still, pretending to be asleep. If I don't get up then I don't have to leave today. Simple as that.

Vera's shoes squeak as she walks towards me, and seconds later I hear a creak and feel the mattress dip as she sits on the edge of my bed.

"I don't know what I'm going to do without you and John," she continues. "It's always been the three of us."

Giving up the charade, I open my eyes and peek up at her. Her curly brown hair is thrown up in a messy bun, and deep bags have appeared under her eyes overnight. She looks about as bad as I feel.

I sigh, not knowing what to say. "Well, I'm glad that at least one of us gets to stay here. John and I will be okay." I assure her.

Pushing the thin sheet off my body, I throw my legs over the edge of the bed and pull myself up into a sitting position.

"Help me pack?" I ask.

I'm sure Vera has loads of chores to do today, but I'd like to spend some time with her before leaving. I said all of my goodbyes yesterday during dinner, and am hoping that if I stay in my room all day I can avoid having to go through that all again.

Vera gives me a sad smile. "Of course."

The next couple of hours are spent packing and reminiscing on all the great times we'd had over the years. From running around the castle gardens as young children to becoming teens gossiping about who was having sex. We were lucky in that we weren't expected to start working until we were ten, and therefore got to spend a lot of our childhood exploring and having fun.

"Do you remember when John and Sara started hooking up? We would have to cover for him and tell his mom that he was asked to go help out in the gardens." Vera asks, choking on her laughter.

I chuckle at the memory. I doubt his mom believed us for even one second, especially given that we couldn't stop giggling while speaking to her.

"And remember when she caught them?" I snort. "She made all of us sleep out with the horses for lying to her!"

Vera and I laugh together, continuing to share good memories in an attempt to take our mind off the matter at hand. It makes the time go by quickly, and before I know it it's time to head outside to the main gate.

I take one last look at my bedroom, tears bubbling up in my eyes at the knowledge that this will be the last time I am ever here again. The area is just large enough to hold a twin bed and small chest of drawers, but is the only space that was ever really mine.

"Twenty-four years of existence and all we have to show for it is one sad burlap sack." Vera laughs, sarcasm heavy in her tone.

I glance down at my sack, a loud snort escaping my throat. I quickly throw my hands over my mouth to cover it, the motion causing Vera to laugh harder. Seconds later we are both hunched over with our hands holding our sides as we laugh maniacally.

As expected, it doesn't take long for the laughter to turn into loud, fat sobs. I pull Vera into a hug, burying my face into her curly brown hair and wrapping my arms as tightly as I can around her waist. She does the same to me.

"I'm going to miss you so much." I murmur into her neck.

She sniffles, "Promise you'll write to me?"

"Of course!" I answer, both of us knowing it's a lie. The cost of sending mail is much too expensive for a human, and it will take me years to replace enough money to write to her. By then we will have moved on from one another, and will have more important needs for that money.

Pulling away, I hold her shoulders in my hands to take one last look at her. I fear that the sight of her red-rimmed eyes and tear-stained cheeks will be the image of her that I carry with me for the rest of my life.

I release her shoulders and reach down, grabbing my burlap sack and throwing it over my shoulder. No words are spoken as we leave my bedroom and walk through the servant's quarters, heading to the side exit that leads to the front gate. Before separating for the last time, I turn and give her a small nod, not having the strength to say goodbye once more.

Vera gives me a watery smile, before turning and heading back inside. I watch her retreat until the door closes behind her. Even then I don't look away. My eyes sweep the length of the castle, committing the image to memory.

It's hard to believe that this is the last time I'll ever see this place again. I've spent my entire life here, and with the snap of a finger it's all being removed.

Not wanting to dwell any longer, I turn and head to the small group standing around by the gate. King Richard wasn't kidding when he said only a few servants were leaving. Only sixteen of us are waiting outside, John included.

I can't help but wonder why King Heloix needed more humans. Usually slaves are encouraged to reproduce with one another, often having four or five children, and those children grow up to replace their parents. That, in theory, should eliminate the need to trade us back and forth.

Maybe King Heloix is killing his slaves at a rate faster than they can populate. My body shivers at the thought. While I hope that the rumors of his cruelty are just that, rumors, a larger part of me knows that it is likely true.

"Hey," John's voice breaks me out of my thoughts. "Sit next to me on the bus?" He asks.

I nod, remaining silent. John seems to be feeling the same way, as he doesn't try to strike up any conversation. We stand next to one another quietly with our sacks thrown over our shoulders and deep bags under our eyes.

The bus is heard before it's seen. The squeak of the wheels and loud popping of the exhaust signals to us all that the time has come. Most people keep their heads down as it approaches, but their hands rise to their faces every couple of seconds to wipe away stray tears. I notice the girl from the kitchens yesterday, and while she still looks excited, her wide, jumpy eyes tell a story of fear.

Seconds later the large yellow bus comes trudging around the corner. Apparently, long ago, vehicles like this used to take human children to school. John's mother told me once that her great-grandmother had gone to school five days a week on a bus like this, and that her family had their own house and vehicles. She used to love telling us grand stories about what life was like before the Beasts came.

At that time, and even now, it's hard to visualize.

As the bus comes to a halt everybody picks up their sacks and lines up in front of the double doors. With a loud whine, the doors are pushed open, revealing an annoyed-looking Beast sitting in the driver's seat.

"Get in and sit down." He commands, giving us a quick once over. Disgust is evident on his face, but I pay it no mind.

We quickly obey, scurrying up the steps and sitting down in the first available seat. I replace a spot near the middle, and John sits down in the aisle seat next to me.

I drop my sack down at my feet and readjust, trying to get comfortable on the hard cushion.

"Do you know how long the ride is going to be?" I ask John.

I turn and watch as he struggles to loosen the seat belt, his thick fingers unable to pull out enough slack to buckle himself in. Reaching over, I swat his hands aside to help him, before turning and doing the same for myself.

Once we are situated, John lets out a loud sigh. "Not sure, but I've heard it's long."

Turns out 'long' was an accurate statement. We sit for hours in total silence as the bus moves us along. Occasionally a quiet whisper breaks out or a throat is cleared, but otherwise the bus is pretty quiet.

I stare out the window the entire time. Most of the ride consists of long, empty stretches of land, but occasionally we will pass an old abandoned human town or small Beast village. I pay most attention to the old towns, imagining what life must have been like before the Beasts came. I envision them full of bustling life and jam-packed with people of all ranks.

By the time we arrive at Ziad the sky has long since gotten dark and the streets are almost completely cleared out. The city is large, much larger than King Richard's, and the Beasts on the street look at us with mild fascination. Most humans work in castles or homes of the wealthy, so it's not often that a common Beast will lay eyes on one of us.

I watch as a young Beast, probably around the age of 5 or 6, tugs on his mom's shorts and points at the bus. His mom ignores us, grabbing his arm and moving him behind her so he's out of our view. I can't help but frown as I watch the interaction. Do they dislike us so much that young children are prohibited from even seeing our faces?

Slowly, the buildings become larger and less frequent, with giant plots of land surrounding each home. My body leans to the left as we make a sharp turn to the right and begin heading up a rocky path.

On my left I can see the main road we just exited from, and the front gates of the castle just ahead. We must have turned to go through a small servant's entrance instead of the main one. I can't help but fidget with my hands and adjust my dress every 5 seconds as I watch the castle getting larger and larger.

Turning to my right, I glance at John. He is looking past me out the window, also watching us approach our new home. Sensing me looking at him out of the corner of his eye, he turns to meet my gaze, his face blank.

"You ready?" I ask, "We are almost there."

The bus jolts to a stop as the words leave my mouth. The driver doesn't hesitate to open the double doors in the front and demand our immediate exit.

One by one we each grab our items and leave the bus. My mouth falls open as I fully take in the large castle for the first time. I thought that King Richard's was large, but it's nothing compared to this. King Heloix must have hundreds of slaves working here.

"Okay everybody, listen up!" A loud, feminine voice yells. My head snaps forward, spotting a tall human woman standing about twenty feet in front of us.

She continues, "Line up single file. Women in the front and men in the back. Keep your heads down and do not speak. We are to head inside where you will be informed of the castle rules, and then I will show you where you will sleep and what your jobs are."

The woman turns and begins walking up the path to the small entrance. Caught off guard by her abruptness, we all fumble to grab our belongings and adjust our lineup. I rush up to the front, not wanting to get caught behind, and slip in the middle of the small line of women.

I'm awestruck the second we step foot into the castle. The hallway we walk down is long, and each room we pass by is grand, the walls covered in artwork and filled with dark, sleek furniture. We pass maybe six rooms before being led down another corridor. The wall lights are kept dim, giving the hallways an eerie feel.

Eventually, the hallway opens up to a large entryway. Presumably the main hall where the Beasts enter and exit. The woman, who still hasn't told us her name, has us line up against the far right wall to wait.

I take a peek at the women on my left and right, but neither return my glance. Their heads are kept down, eyes locked in on the floor in front of them. We wait like this for a while, the room so silent you could hear a pin drop.

After an hour or so I feel myself starting to get antsy. My lack of sleep last night and the stress of the day is quickly catching up to me, making my eyelids droop. At one point I even catch myself holding back a yawn. I quietly shift back and forth on the balls of my feet, trying my best not to make a noise.

At the sound of loud boots stomping, I tense up and straighten my back. Two men enter the room from the far left hallway, moving forward until they are directly in front of us. The man in front looks to be in his late thirties, grays taking over most of his hair and sideburns. He wears a tailored suit that hugs his strong frame, and walks with the confidence of a King.

Behind him is a younger man who looks to maybe be in his late twenties. He stands tall, a couple of inches above his older counterpart, and wears a mean scowl on his face.

The older man clears his throat. "I am Axis, Second to King Heloix. We will inform you today of the rules you are expected to follow. Any disobedience moving forward will be met with immediate punishment."

The man steps aside, making room for King Heloix to step forward. I'm honestly shocked that he is the Second, while the younger man is King. From what I've heard, most Kings come into their title when they are much older.

I can't imagine the horrific things that King Heloix has done to earn himself such a reputation so quickly. I hold back a shudder even thinking about it.

The King glances around the room, hardly paying any attention to us. Up close he is quite terrifying. Despite the full suit he wears, you can easily make out his powerful frame. Beasts in general are much stronger than humans, but he looks large for even a Beast. I look up from his body and take in his face. He has a sharp jawline, which leads to thick lips and dark, wavy hair. His eyes are dark too, almost looking black in the lighting. If he wasn't such an awful person he would probably be pretty attractive.

When it is clear that King Heloix is not going to speak, the Second continues. "While things may have been relaxed at Richard's, that is not how we operate here. We have rules, and they are expected to be followed."