Miladda’s chambers were chilly and dark. Heavy curtains covered the narrow windows, except for one facing south. The direction Weiss had gone. Yellow evening light reflected from suspended dust motes and the floor. She longed to be in his presence again. To hear his voice, even from a distance. The terrible loneliness filled her as much as she did on the day he freed her. Only this time, she had purpose, direction. Essentially, she was the ruler of this land. She could only imagine the reaction other kingdoms, Dunni especially, would have when news of her ascension reached them.

"Captain," Miladda said as the Captain walked up behind her. She did not look in his direction, but sensed his approach. The Captain stopped when he was close enough to see she wasn’t looking directly at him.

"Yes," he said. Miladda turned her golden eyes on him. The chilly air in her room grew colder.

"Is it not customary to knock or otherwise announce yourself before entering another’s chambers?"

"It is," he said.

"His Majesty left no particular instruction on keeping you alive. Please bear that in mind the next time you approach me unannounced with your hand on a weapon," the Captain snatched his hand from his sword. Miladda continued to stare impassively at the man.

"I meant no…" He stammered.

"Your report, Captain," she said. He shifted uncomfortably.

"Warden’s Hold has been destroyed. The men you ordered to guard the site are in place and the remaining forces are garrisoned here at the keep."

"What of The Warden’s soldiers?"

"They are detained in camps in the flatlands outside the walls," he said.

"They are to be treated with respect and dignity while in captivity."

"But they are enemies!" The Captain protested.

"They were enemies. The Warden of Relornia is dead, and their loyalties with him. I am sure they harbor some animosity towards us, but the fact remains they are no longer part of an organized resistance," she said.

Captain Harwick face changed expressions a few times as he tried to work out a response.

"Perhaps I should assign someone else your duties," she said and let the threat hang.

His features sobered. He stood straight, and looked forward. "That will not be necessary, Mistress. I will see it done."

Miladda inclined her head toward him. He turned and left the room. Miladda watched him leave before turning back to stare out of the window. She had spent her life as a slave, and harbored a deep distrust for most humans. She spent the majority of her life as poorly treated property, and her assessment of humans was not favorable. They were capable of great things, and equally capable of great atrocities. This is so evident in their nature they even had a word for it. Hypocrisy.

Then there was Weiss. To nearly everyone he was a ruthless and driven warlord. He was intelligent and strategic, and had maneuvered his forces to conquer the forces of the Relornian Warden, his brother, Alessandro. That was puzzling to Miladda. During his entire campaign, she never heard Weiss utter a single negative word about his brother. He was complementary, even proud, at a tactic or maneuvers his brother made. At other times, he seemed deeply saddened when Alessandro’s name was mentioned. Miladda wanted to ask him what had happened between them, but she ultimately kept her curiosity in check. It did not matter to her if she knew or not. She owed Weiss her life. She would serve him until he tired of her presence. She did not need to know everything.

She sat on her soft bed and ran her hand across its lumpy surface. She never had a room of her own before. Once, when he first took her in, he found her sleeping with the horses in the stables.

"Miladda, why are you out here with the animals?" He asked.

"Majesty?"

"You shouldn’t be here," he said.

Miladda got up and was about to leave when he stopped her again.

"Where are you going?"

"I would find another place, so as not to disturb the animals," she said.

"You have a room in the castle, Miladda," he said.

"Chaela told me I was to stay out of the castle, Majesty."

"You are not a servant. You are free, and I say you have a place in the castle. He reached out and took her hand. Go inside now, and stop by the Servants Master and inform him that Chaela will sleep in the stables tonight."

Miladda enjoyed that memory. She lay back on her bed and closed her golden eyes, weary from spending the day in the sun. She enjoyed the comfort a few moments longer before forcing herself up.

She wasn’t sure what to do with the power and responsibility she suddenly found herself with. She wanted to drop everything and head south in pursuit of Weiss. But he depended on her, and she would rather die than disappoint him. She left the cool comfort of her room and headed down the long, enclosed staircase. She casually glanced in on the second floor as she descended. People, laughing and enjoying each other’s company in the main hall, stopped when they saw her. She continued on her way, followed by their nervous stares.

On the ground floor, soldiers and servants milled around guarding or serving as their duties required. Some few stopped and stared but quickly returned to their duties. Miladda glided across the great hall along-side the thirty foot long table. Kitchen servants hurriedly placed food platters and Miladda stopped to watch.

"What is this for?" Miladda asked a nervous young serving woman.

"The military leaders and their families," she said.

"Are you a slave?" Miladda asked. Memories of her servitude rushed back. The young woman backed away as Miladda’s eyes grew suddenly hard.

"Yes, Mistress." Miladda could not understand why Weiss freed her and still maintained servants.

"What is required of you?" She asked.

"I work in the kitchens, Mistress," the woman said.

Miladda tilted her head slightly to one side.

"Are you pleased with you situation?" Miladda asked.

"Yes, Mistress. His Majesty takes care of us. I never had my own bed until he took us in," Miladda was surprised at that. She could have guessed that Weiss despised slavery, but never looked beyond the kindness he had shown her.

"What is your name?"

"Shaela, Mistress."

"If you are ever mistreated, Shaela, let me know. I will handle them." Miladda made sure her voice was loud and charged with enough serious intent that everyone understood.

"Yes, Mistress."

"Miladda," Miladda said. She had some small idea of how Weiss’ discomfort when she called him Majesty.

"Yes, Miladda." The young girl smiled, pleased that someone else was taken an interest in her wellbeing.

Miladda crossed the great hall and went out through a small doorway into the courtyard. The night air was chillier here. Heat from the people and burning fireplaces warmed the inside of the keep. Miladda found the heat uncomfortable. She preferred the cool night air in the courtyard. She walked to the outer wall, stood by the closed gate, and looked up at the stars.

She pushed out with her will and thought about Weiss. She could not tell how far away he was or even if he could hear her thoughts. She concentrated on her emotions and tried to relay what was going on.

Miladda scanned the courtyard to make sure that the guards were in place and doing their job. The guards on the walls and the towers casually looked back at her and went back to their guard duties. She wasn’t sure she commanded their full respect, but she was sure that Weiss did and that would do for now.

Miladda considered the slaves in the keep. Even though she understood why Weiss kept slaves, it still bothered her on a personal level. She couldn’t grasp why they couldn’t be free. Were humans so incapable of taking care of themselves that they needed slaves? She was thankful for the protection that Weiss gave to them but with her new command, she could do more. She did not know how Weiss might react to her decision, or even if the people she freed could be successful and safe. They would be free and that was a start. Did Weiss not free her to make her own decisions and to stand up for what she believed in? How could she do any less?

Miladda stood and walked around the courtyard until chilly dew settled on her clothing. Her pale skin glowed with a blue hue in the moonlight as her body refreshed from many stressful hours in the sun. It was part of her nature to exist in the night, but she did so enjoy how world looked by the light of the day. Evenings especially.

Miladda lingered for a few moments more before heading back inside the keep. She wondered how the Captain would react when she made decisions in the capacity Weiss appointed to her. He would be even less agreeable once she gave him orders outside of the confines of her quarters, in front of his men. She wasn’t entirely sure she could trust him, and as far as she knew he could be off plotting against her at this moment. He was too much of an uncertainty to go unmonitored.

Miladda did not require sleep, but it had been a few days since he had taken rest. At some point, she lost track of time, and when she reentered the great Hall most everyone, save a few servants, had dispersed and found their own rooms in the keep. There was no sign of Shayla. Likely, she had finished her duties and retired to bed herself. Miladda appreciated the relative safety that the keep provided to its people. Before, she harbored no concern for any human or their safety.

During her time as a slave at the direction of her owners, more humans died at her hands than she could remember. She wasn’t sure if there was ever a time that Blood Hunters were not indentured, or if they lived in relative peace with the humans. All she knew was that every human she ever killed was at the direction of another human. But Weiss was human. At no time had he ever required or directed her to kill. She would have killed for him, without question, but it was no longer the reason for her existence. She was never sure why Weiss set her free, but she was glad for it.

No matter what people said or thought about Weiss, something in him despised injustice. He was naturally inclined to help people. It explains his ability to raise an army against Alessandro. But the sheer power that Alessandro had commanded made him very formidable and, Miladda was never sure that Weiss could defeat him. She never expressed these concerns, but the question was always there. In the end, Weiss had defeated his brother. That morning, as they approached Warden’s Hold, Weiss had instructed her to stay in the carriage and out of the morning sun. She could not tell if he was worried as his helmet hid his features. She could tell by the tone in his voice that he was both angry and nervous.

"But Majesty," she had said. "I could be of use to you inside during the battle."

"This is something that I must do myself, Miladda." Weiss said.

"He could have forces inside, Majesty."

"Alessandro’s forces will be the least of my concerns once I am inside the castle."

"Perhaps I should at least secure the courtyard, Majesty."

"That will not be necessary. Our forces are inside the walls. Stay here and be safe."

Miladda was not sure why she obeyed him that day. Frequently, he had said that she was not a servant, but free to do as she pleased. So many years of blind obedience sometimes affected her judgment. Even after twenty years, she found it hard to accept that she was independent.

Now that he left her in charge of everything, she realized just how ill prepared she was for the task. Her thoughts went back to the slaves once again. Maybe it was not her place to change their predicament. Weiss believed it was for their best interests. She wondered what they considered to be in their own best interest. Miladda made a note to consider this further. Human problems were complex, and she wasn’t sure she was qualified to solve everything tonight.

She heard footsteps on the stairs at the back of the hall. Several uniformed men in armor clambered down and fell into formation. Harwick followed and fell in behind them. There were ten of them including the captain, and each carefully readied their weapon.

Next Chapter: Chapter 5