I should be sick, my stomach was a rock, but my hunger was still raging. The silent old woman had brought more, fruits, cheese, cured meats and smoked fish. I wanted no more, my teeth were pulsing, my mouth tired. The woman came to my side pointing at my mouth.
“No, I can’t…”
She shook her head pointing again, pushing past me grabbing a bottle from under the covers. Removing the cork she pushed the green glass into my hands.
I shook my head more, “I can’t…”
She shook her head, her eyes strict, wide. Both hands pushing the bottle toward me the mouth of the bottle pressing on my cheek as I turned my head away. It was a fruity smelling wine, apricots and something else. She kept pushing the bottle until I gave an exhausted sigh.
“Fine! Fine…” I grabbed the bottle and stared her down drinking from it.
My face softened, and I felt myself flush. It was delicious, sweet without a hint of tartness. So refreshing that the woman stole the bottle away. I looked and saw I drank near half the bottle in one sip, what was happening? The fire in my stomach cooled, the redness of my skin softened, my fingers no longer tingling.
“I’m sorry.” I wrapped my fingers together. “Does he do this for all his slaves?”
She shook her head.
“No? What about…” I pointed to my throat grabbing the flesh. “Will he?”
She shook her head again.
“He did that to you though… Right?”
She shook her head.
“Someone else did it? To all of you?”
She shook her head and stood up.
“Wait, don’t go.”
The woman placed the bottle on the dresser next to the vial and turned the hourglass over. She pointed to the small vile then at me. Was it time again already?
“I.. I can’t… it’s disgusting.”
The woman took the vile and removed the cork. The smell pulling her head away; it was putrid. My nose wrinkled, and I jumped seeing her send a drop into the wine bottle.
“No!” I caught myself, holding my hands close, my face blushing.
“Sorry… I’m sorry.”
The woman sealed the vial and coughed pointing to the wine bottle once more. I nodded softly, not getting up right away. She coughed again, my hands slamming onto the bed.
“Okay…”
I slowly pushed myself onto my knees and rolled out onto my feet. I hopped on one foot nearly stepping in a plate of cheese, and a knife. Catching myself on the dresser I sighed taking a deep breath, eyeing the bottle and the old woman.
She coughed again widening her eyes, pushing the wine bottle closer. With the vial sealed I smelled only the tang from the wine. I grabbed the neck of the bottle staring down the old woman. She never broke her glare.
“Okay…” I whispered.
I took a deep breath, holding my nose shut and sending back the tainted liquid. Still sweet, still enamoring. I felt my face flushing; the tingling returning to my fingers, prickling my toes. The fire had returned, my skin was reddening bright near luminous. Slamming the bottle down I wiped my face across my arm eyes bulging, pulsing.
“What is happening?!”
Her hand dabbed at her lips.
“Eat?! That’s it? Am I eating myself to death?!”
I looked down at the food, shaking my head slowly.
“And… and what if I don’t eat?”
My stomach turned over, I caught myself on the dresser my legs giving way. My vision went dark, the firelight vanished. I let myself fall onto the bed, bringing my legs to my chest, hugging myself tight. It hurt, the fire was relentless; the needles went from prickling to sheeting. My body was pulling itself apart, my insides turning on one another. I could hear my heart jumping through my chest, my bones feeling bruised.
The woman placed another bottle of wine down between my arms. A platter of fruits and cheese near my head. I ravaged every bit of food I could find. My hunger not falling. The fire so hot within made me feel empty inside. Countless platters, bottles and hours flew. The old woman never leaving me.
Every so often another came in to bring more, more wine, more food. I remembered four sips from the vial, but was unsure. I jumped hearing five rapid knocks on the side door. The old woman too jumped and tried lifting me from the bed. Three more woman swift and silent came in all pushing by bringing me up to my feet.
“Wha..? What’s going on?”
The women said nothing, two grabbing me by the arms while the older and another walked through the side doors in a hurry. With hands under my arms they tossed my hair back, clawing through it with their fingers.
“Oww!” I squealed, knots breaking away from my hair. “What are you doing?”
Again no response, the women pulling me now to follow them. I refused, tugging back.
“No!”
One on the right, young, had to be my age, she looked much healthier than I, her cheeks rosy and skin glistening, amber. She opened her mouth hissing, no words, no tongue. She pulled again; I tripping over a platter of fruit. The two reached down and took my hands in theirs and pulled me up and through the side door into a warm room.
The basins were lit and the table bare. I did not see my new… Master. We went past the seat, the cushions and across to the other side of the room through another open door, a darker room lit only by candles. Center of the room was a glistening brass tub. Walls thick, sitting on four lion’s feet. Steam was coming from the tub, the old woman and other younger one pouring buckets of hot water inside. The two released me and I walked over to the tub, inside I saw herbs and flowers floating within, the color of the water slightly milky.
The two surprised me from behind removing my clothing, stripping me to my bare necessities. I glanced down and saw my body, the heat I was feeling in my stomach, the fullness wasn’t there. I ran my hand down my stomach and tried pulling skin with my fingers; they slipped. I tried grabbing more skin, and it took. It was soft, no wrinkles or dryness. My color was changing, no longer the pale gray, but red, no, pinker.
I glanced up again when two more buckets poured into the tub, the water level over half full. One took a bucket from the room, the water not steaming like the others and poured it in. She stepped away and motioned her head to the tub. Another placed her hand on my back pushing me forward. I leaned over and ran my hand through the water, so hot, but welcoming.
The old woman came back with a stone, another with towels in her arms. They pushed again me, turning back to nod at the woman. My first toe inside felt nothing, my leg following shouting from an intense heat. I closed my eyes; the feeling filling my body, sending shivers up my back. I brought my other leg inside and lowered myself in, the smells of lavender, vanilla and honey greeting me.
The tub was hot, the tingling sensation dancing over my skin reaching up to my neck where I sat along the back of the tub. The old woman and the others knelt around me leaning me forward, the stone applied to my back, ripping at my skin. I grabbed my ankles, wincing at each pass of the stone along my back. Another grabbed my hair applying bacon fat to it and coming it through, pulling at tangles and my scalp.
When they finished with hair and back, they move onto my arms. They stood me up in the tub, the old woman rubbing the stone along my stomach and down to my legs.
“Ah!” I whimpered as they pulled hairs off my legs.
My hair lifted and pulled into a towel before tieing it up and placed atop of my scalp. They brought a clear bottle of rosemary and olive oil out and poured onto my shoulders before the women rubbed it into my skin. I winced again as a bundle of hair torn away, blood seeping into the water. When the old woman finished, they led me out of the standing upon a towel, more towels placed on my body, the hands pressing and patting.
They undid the towel over my head and pulled through my hair with an ivory comb, lengthening the strands to near my mid-back, pulling hair away at the same time. Each tug caused me to wince as they pulled hair out from my head. When they finished the old woman walked in front of me while the other three cleared the tub, bucket after bucket.
The old woman presented both hands up.
“Stop?”
She shook her head and pressed forward with her palms.
“Stay?”
She nodded and left me to assist the others. Each time they opened the door the breeze sent a chill down my spine, goosebumps crawling up my arms. I hugged my chest as the four women came back in. They tossed the oils and herbs into a bucket, gathered my towels leaving me naked until then they left me alone, standing there on a cool damp wooden floor.
It was a few minutes until the door opened once more, but this time it wasn’t either of the women. My new… Master walked through the door, the sun reflecting off the gold buttons and linen of his vest. Red eyes staring at me as if examining me. I hugged myself tighter, turning my eyes away.
“Look at yourself…” He said, his words stern. “Look!” He said again, not with anger, but excitement.
I slowly looked down and saw me, my skin no longer red, no longer wrinkled and thin.
“You’re not near as presentable as I would like… In time.” He walked closer, his shadow covering my feet. “In time you will do.”
He was then right before me, his presence somehow colder than the room. He raised a hand to my chin, lightly pulling my face up to his, but I kept my eyes on the floor.
“Look at me.” I didn’t. “Wrong my Grace, so terribly wrong.”
His two fingers along my chin released me running along my cheek and behind my head. His fingers weaved through my hair, I gulped. Quickly his hand grasped and pulled my hair back bringing me to look to the ceiling.
“This pain you’re feeling… It’s nothing to the hunger the Magisters leave you to bare. Nothing to the hunger you have felt today. But why? Why am I not hurting you worse than those things? Why am I feeding you, bathing you? Why have I put myself at risk killing your Magister?”
I didn’t respond.
“Like my Sin, Grace you have a purpose, a great purpose which I will train you for.”
“What purpose?” He tugged my hair, my eyes tearing up. “Mast.. Master.”
“No. First you will see what I am saving your from. You will see your sister perform.”