Adam was not at his best when morning came. Arrival at the duke’s estate should have calmed him, but instead it simply brought more chaos to his mind. While traveling he had been busy at all times, and never had time to himself. If he was awake, Martin had him working on something, learning from someone, or fighting some creature. At the estate all he had done so far was bathe, get a haircut and clothes, eat, and sleep. Now in the morning he had nothing to do and no one to direct him. It gave him time to think, and that was something he had happily been avoiding. Thinking brought memories, and memories brought back the nightmares.

There were times in his life when Adam forgot that he was a child. He had been caring for the rest of the orphans for months on the street, and even longer in the cold halls of the orphanage. At times, that all made him feel as though he was an adult, something he definitely wasn’t. Over the past several months he had gained a lot of experience acting as an adult, but none of it helped him deal with his current situation. Slavery, a class, and the upcoming responsibility of caring for noble children were all new things he needed to adapt to, but now he had added even more. Likely, there was an easy way to handle his nightmares, he just didn’t know what it was, and he preferred not to think of them at all.

They had started after the fight in the forest. His nightmares weren’t of creeping horrors hidden in the dark, or even the normal rehash of the night he lost his parents. No, these nightmares were a replay of fights he had been in since Harold reappeared, except twisted. Instead of the normal goblins, wolves, and spiders, he was fighting those monsters with Harold’s face over and over again. There was a dark glee running throughout his dreams at repeatedly killing Harold, but each kill turned to torment as the mask fell away to reveal another of the children he knew. When he fell on the wolves in his first forest fight, it wasn’t their bones that he crushed and broke beneath his massive weight, but those of his fellow orphan gang members. The loud popping noise of a spider’s carapace being bear stomped was woven into a medley of dread with the screams of his kids providing the echoing counterpoint. Each night his dreams had turned him into a monster the equal of those he thought he had slain.

As he replayed those scenes in his head again and again, he curled further in on himself, attempting to hide from the horror that was being dredged up. He was saved from further ordeal by the pounding on the door, followed by Martin’s voice. “Get up, boy. Things to do, food to eat, people to meet. Ha! A rhyme, who knew I had it in me?”

Martin seemed significantly more cheerful than ever before. Adam had no idea the man’s mood should be attributed to the woman who had spent so much time blushing and smiling at the older man while helping them clean up and eat. Still, he was quite happy for the interruption, and allowed the man’s mood to infect him as best it could. Once more he would have people and work to fill the emptiness.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A short time later saw the two of them well fed, properly attired, and awaiting the duke and duchess’ call. Nervous over the impending meeting, Adam’s leg was bouncing rapidly. In an attempt to distract himself he asked, “Is there anything I should be aware of when meeting the duchess?”

Martin was secretly amused by the boy’s nervous energy. The duchess was a joy to interact with in his eyes. She always had a ready smile and a kind word for the men working on the estate. However, she was known to be a bit more difficult to deal with when it came to her children, so Adam may actually have some cause for concern. “Remember to be mindful of the proper address when speaking with her, and you should be fine.” Seeing the boy’s panicked look, he laughed. “Milady, Your Grace, and Duchess DeVille. As with the duke, she prefers milady when not in polite company.”

Adam immediately took to mumbling “milady” to himself over and over. He looked more like a man approaching execution rather than meeting his employer.

Eventually, a servant came and guided them to the duke’s office where both the duke and duchess were waiting. Adam was impressed seeing them sitting together on a small couch, perfectly framed in a beam of sunlight coming through the nearby windows. The couple looked like the personification of the Sun King and his wife to his eyes.

The duchess’ red-gold locks curled lightly around a delicate face set off perfectly with bright, clear blue eyes. Dressed in a flowing dress of gold accented with red, her tall, voluptuous figure presented the perfect feminie counterpoint to the more masculine duke. He was the dark to her light, with short, black hair, dark eyes, and a sharp goatee. Broad shoulders and narrow waist were emphasized by the red house coat over blue. He presented masculinity without appearing militant, while she was grace without fragility.

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For a brief time, he was entranced by the imagery that the two represented, but one of his skills twinged in his mind, breaking the spell. Mother Knows Best poked a tiny sliver of knowledge into his brain, informing him that the dukal pair were using some sort of glamor spell or skill on him. Irritation rose up within him briefly before he remembered his place. Not only was he of peasant stock, he was also a slave. Specifically their slave. If they wanted to practice their glamors on him, he had no recourse. Of more importance, if the only thing they used on him was a glamor he should be praising the heavens for the most benevolent masters around. He didn’t know much about slavery, but he knew there were far worse things they could have done.

Bowing, he echoed Martin, saying, “Milord. Milady.”

When he rose, he saw that the duchess had as well. He froze like a rabbit under a dragon’s gaze as she circled him. The woman from the night before had had him look at himself in a mirror after she cut his hair so he knew what the duchess was seeing.

He was of average height for his age, just a little on the skinny side. Light brown hair, cut short in a match of what he now realized was the duke’s own style. His eyes were the same brown of peasants everywhere, and his features were darkened by the sun. To put it as it was, he was a farm boy enslaved to a house of nobles as a babysitter. He knew he was out of place.

Walking through the beautiful building full of art and decorations he had no words for, he had felt like a monster in a crystalline cavern. Every move seemed to threaten to break something priceless. The servant who led them through the hallways had seemed to glide along, making him seem ungainly and awkward. Now confronted with the arbiters of his life, he felt more like the dirt beneath their feet than something of value.

Adam was still attempting to calm his shaking when the duchess returned to her seat. Her voice was soothing to his nerves when she spoke. “Yes, he will do nicely so long as his skills are appropriate. Obviously, he will need training. And you say he is an orphan?”

“That is what the boy, and his paperwork have told us, yes.”

“And his education?”

“Rather poor I believe. Martin, your thoughts?”

“Of course, milord. Basic education only. Reading, writing, simple math. Nothing but what I have taught him about classes. No understanding of the world, the gods, or history. In truth, I have no idea what they wasted eight years trying to teach him.”

“Hmm,” the duchess said. “Well, as he will be caring for the children anyways, I see no reason he cannot also work with the tutors. Maybe some of his knowledge skills will apply. Of course, until such time as his skills prove beneficial, I will maintain supervision of the children.”

“Martin says he is learning fast, and assures me that he can get him in fighting shape within a reasonable time frame. Until such time, Martin will be on hand to both train the boy, and protect the children.”

“Excellent. Martin, you are to introduce him to Abigail and Marcus at once. They will need to adjust to a new nanny, so the sooner they meet the better. Do tell us if there are problems.” She waved her hand in a fluttering motion, and Martin pulled the still stunned Adam from the room.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Five minutes and an uncertain number of hallways later, Martin knocked on another door before stepping aside. When it opened, the large door framed a much smaller version of the duchess. Golden locks set off large, brilliant, blue eyes, a button nose, and full lips. The child wore an elaborate dress of white, and a curious look. Martin smiled at the girl, then gestured to Adam saying, “Miss Abigail, I present to you your new nanny, Adam. Adam, Miss Abigail.”

Abigail turned to him and smiled a smile that lit up her whole face. It was as though the sun had risen inside her head and now shone forth from the deep blue lenses of her eyes, and the dazzling white teeth of her smile.

Adam truly had no response. As much as he tried to say something, he couldn’t open his mouth. The system assistance had activated the moment he laid eyes on Abigail, and its startup process seemed to cut off his ability to communicate. He tried to bow, raise his hand, smile, speak, anything, but nothing worked. Not that any of it would have made a bit of difference.

The brightly smiling girl cheerfully stabbed him in the leg.