Chapter Nineteen – Teresa

The next thing I knew there was a knock on the door.

I was still naked.

The water was cloudy enough at this point that nothing was really visible. That did absolutely nothing to stop the sudden jolt of panic as I realized that I’d lost track of time and someone was here. It probably wasn’t the Faerie – they were knocking – but that didn’t make much of a difference. I flailed in a sad attempt at turning to face the door, while simultaneously trying to keep everything important under the rim of the tub.

Predictably, some water splashed out. It hit the wall and ran down in filthy streaks that would be more at home on a building next to a muddy road. Gross.

The knock came again before I’d managed to settle into my new position and sort out exactly how my knees should work to keep my head at the right height. This time the door creaked open a few inches, the sound sending the same panicked jolt through me again before it stopped and I realized that nobody had barged in. The edge of the door had to be almost six inches thick – that just seemed ridiculous.

Opening it made sense after seeing that, though; it would be hard to hear anything through the door.

“Ma’am? Are you awake?”

It was a woman’s voice. Soft and almost definitely Human, since there were no odd reverberations. No weird weight or presence to the words, either, and none of the other qualities I’d started to associate with the Fae. Nonthreatening in almost every way.

That didn’t stop me from flinching and covering myself with an arm, even with water and a door in the way. My stomach was still trying to untie itself from a knot but answering was probably the best idea.

“Y – yes.”

It was amazing how unsteady that single word was.

“Oh, good! Are you ready for me yet?”

“Ready?” I swallowed hard and gripped the edge of the tub with the hand that wasn’t across my chest until my knuckles turned from the red of flesh soaking in hot water to the pale white of bloodless skin. “Uh, I’m in the bath. Can…”

“Perfect!”

She cut me off and the door swung wide open. I made a noise I couldn’t really describe and ducked down until my eyes were just barely level with the edge.

“I’m glad I caught you now; I’ve got some oils that will be just wonderful for your skin and hair.”

The woman that stepped in looked almost normal. Maybe a bit old fashioned, at worst. She was wearing a grey dress that was cinched at the waist with a leather cord and her arms were full of various bars, bottles, and things I couldn’t really see from here. She stopped next to the table and started dumping them down, turning in the process.

From this side, I could see that her silver-streaked brown hair was tied back into a complex bun. My heart hadn’t slowed down from the surprise yet when she left and came back with a second armload of supplies. It was still pounding in my throat hard enough that I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get words out if I tried. So I just watched her carrying things.

Her face was a lot like my boarding school’s headmistress, though with fewer wrinkles and no moles.

She was humming something under her breath as she worked, acting like this was totally normal and she wasn’t in the same room as a naked stranger in some literal fairytale tree. As if this was just another day for her. She went out a third time and came back with a covered dish and a jug that she sat on the other end of the table.

I managed to shove the anxiety and fear at having her this close down enough that my voice was steadier when I said, “Um – I meant not to come in? Because, uh, I’m naked?”

There was a loud, long laugh as she draped the fluffiest towel I’d ever seen across the top of the stool.

“Ma’am, I’ve raised six daughters and worked in this House for longer than I even remember. Trust me; whatever you’ve got there, I’ve seen it and worse. You’ve had a rough time I hear, so just relax and let me help.”

“But…”

“No butts Ma’am, unless it’s yours rolling over in that tub so we can get started. That damned ash outside the House is a devil-and-a-half to get out of hair, so just leave that to me and get yourself all scrubbed up. Master Fearghal will be by soon enough for your measurements; he’ll be much nicer if you’re presentable and we don’t make him wait.”

She glanced at the water and wrinkled her nose.

“Might want to drain some of that and refill it, Ma’am. We don’t have time for the House to purify it all up here and we don’t want that gunk getting stuck to you again.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The water was starting to cool down and would be a lot nicer if I refilled it with something warmer. Plus it was pretty gross looking and I could feel some slime at the bottom that had probably come off of me. On the other hand, I’d be completely uncovered if I drained it far enough to make a difference and then the water would be sort of clear even after I refilled it.

Would not doing it be enough to upset him again?

She must’ve seen something on my face because her smile shrank.

“I’ll be over here while you do it, Ma’am. Just let me know when you’re ready.”

She moved the towel and then sat down on the stool and started sorting through what she’d brought in. After a few seconds of watching her I turned over again and made up my mind. It took effort to pull out the plug. Once I did, it drained fast. It was a lot quieter than I expected – there wasn’t even a rush of bubbles. Just a tangible suction as the water sluiced down to wherever it was going.

The cold air wasn’t quite as welcome as the water dropped under my shoulders. I started shivering by the time it was down to my propped-up knees and decided that, since all the sludge at the bottom was gone, it would be good enough once it was refilled. I pulled out the hot water tab again before I jammed the plug back into place. What poured out burned when it got close to me. So long as it wasn’t splashing straight onto my knees I could bear it, though.

The pain was grounding, in a way. And cleansing – if I was doing what that Faerie wanted, it should hurt.

The woman’s voice chimed in again as the tub refilled. Almost, but not quite, melancholic.

“You shouldn’t keep thinking about whatever hurts you have, Ma’am. Misery brings nothing worth dwelling on, believe you me. Whatever they are, whatever brought you here? It can’t keep you down. You’re an Aufrey, Ma’am; perseverance and poise are in your blood.”

I’d started tuning her out at first – what did she know, right? She lived or worked here or whatever and acted like everything was ok after what had happened? Why should I listen? – but then I heard that last bit and snapped around to look at her. Nothing splashed out this time when I flipped over, though the water sprayed across my back for a few seconds and I almost screamed. I was biting my tongue once I sank back under the surface.

She still had that small smile on her face. But now it looked sad.

I couldn’t bring myself to keep that brief flash of anger I’d had at her going.

“You know who I am?”

“Not specifically, no. But you Aufreys are hard to mistake.” She winked and chuckled, “Well, that’s true. Really. It isn’t why though – Master Fearghal told me. Told everyone, in truth; your grandfather was quite a big name around here.”

“Did – did you know him?”

The pain of losing him flared up again and the words caught in my throat.

“Not closely, Ma’am. I’m sorry. I met him, once. He came through here rather often. I even saw your mother come through. His visits were always the talk of the House and well, us servants do love our gossip.”

She picked up the pitcher, a few vials, and a white bar of what was probably soap and started walking over.

“I can tell you more while we work, but you should probably turn over and scooch a bit. I’ll need some space to deal with all of this. Did you roll around on that cursed forest floor?”

The wolf holding me down flashed up in my mind again and I screwed my eyes shut. I scalded my hands trying to slot the stopper back into the tap without looking. The burn drowned out the phantom pain in my shoulder. Once I opened them again, I relaxed. Just a little. The water was cloudy enough that I felt sort of ok with her being this close. Especially if she could tell me anything about this side of Grandpa’s life.

Or about – about Mom.

I couldn’t stop myself from pulling away when she touched me, hunching forward and out of reach. Even though her hand was warm and calloused, I couldn’t feel anything but the smooth, cold, rigid fingers of the invisible ones. The shaking flared up, sending the water rippling. My throat closed and tears suddenly started flowing again.

I didn’t scream. But it was close.

“This is because of the Masters, isn’t it?”

I didn’t answer. Hearing her say it like that – imagining calling the Faeries that myself – made me sick. I heard the scrape of wood on wood and then the sound of her settling down onto the stool next to me. She didn’t try to touch me.

“I guess you didn’t choose to come here, then. It – there’s nothing I can do to change that, Ma’am. You’re here and that’s that. You must’ve seen the poorer sides of our hosts, and I know there’s a bushel and a half of them. It must feel like you’re drowning in all of this, right? That the world’s ending and that maybe dying would be better than suffering through it all? I’ve seen it so many times, Ma’am. I promise you; things will get better.”

My nails dug into my arms again, the pain dulled by the heat. I wouldn’t…

She wasn’t wrong though. I would rather die than let it happen again. Rather go back into the Woods and run until they eventually let something kill me.

“Getting through this – it’ll be hard on you. That can’t be helped, but I swear that there is good in this House, and it’s not just in us servants. Master Fearghal and his cabal have claimed you and they are rather exacting, but all you have to do is follow their orders. Meet their standards. Be someone that they can show off as a status symbol and your life will be better. They aren’t cruel for cruelty’s sake – there are some here that are. It’s a dreadful thing, really – so you’re better off than some young things I see come in. I’ll help you figure out what they want and how to meet their standards. I know it’ll be hard after whatever they did – but really, it won’t happen again. Not so long as you play along.”

When I sat in silence during her pause, she sighed.

“You’re physically safe if I remember it right. That deal your grandfather made should guarantee that much, and somehow, he bound an entire Court to it. He must have cared to go that far. I don’t know how you were taken despite it, but just know that they can’t properly hurt or kill you. Any pain, anything they do – the only way it can touch you is if you let it. If they go too far while I’m here, I’ll stop it. I might just be a servant, but the House has taken a liking to me. The Masters won’t second-guess me lightly.”

Somehow, I doubted that. Faeries couldn’t lie, or at least that’s what everything said. There was nothing about the people they took having the same restrictions. For all I knew she could just be wrong. It wouldn’t be right to assume the worst, though. She was probably just misguided or making stuff up to soothe me.

“You don’t believe me on any of this, do you? I don’t blame you, really. I do think that you’ll see what I mean if you just look. That’s more than enough doom and gloom now, though!” She clapped her hands, the sharp sound jolting me out of my brooding. “I promised to tell you more about your grandfather, and you’ve got to get to scrubbing. You don’t have to talk unless you’re ready to, Ma’am, but could you nod when you’re ready for me to start with your hair?”