It's a Slaves' World - Chapter 6

*** A HUGE thank you to those that came back to reading after my surprise break from writing. I was flooded with possible names when I asked and am thrilled with the one that was chosen. I do think know that I have been writing with it that the name fits perfectly. Thank you so much. Since no one here in Winnipeg knows that I write, the support and encouragement that you all offer keeps me going.***

Aiden’s POV

"What the hell do you mean gone?" The slaves scattered at my thunderous roar. Terror radiated from every pore on the slave I had cornered beside my now overturned breakfast table. Turning round to Valencia who was standing stunned with her back pressed against the wall. Good to see that this damn woman isn’t completely clueless, she can feel fear. I bit back a smile at the sight of her discomfort. Pulling myself to my full 6’2" height, I leaned towards my cowering aunt with firsts held firmly at my side. I would never hit a woman, but she doesn’t know that.

"I … I …" Fumbling along the wall, Valencia backed herself into a corner. I saw anger flash across her eyes. I don’t think this proud woman has ever been cornered before. With a last ditch attempt to save her pride, she pulled herself up to a still rather impressive figure considering the visible trembling. "That wretched girl doesn’t deserve you! I shipped her off again. This time she will never come back." I took a step back from the violent creature I had cornered. She looked poised to scratch my eyes out if I tried to get any closer to her.

"That slave was not yours to get rid of." I took a few deep breaths, trying to keep my temper at a low boil. "It is none of your business which slaves I keep in MY house." This damn woman needs to learn her place. "And further more…" A thought caught on the tip of my brain interrupting my train of thought. This time? Doesn’t deserve me? "Why does this slave not ‘deserve me’?" Pushing my temper back down I focused on evaluating Valencias words. With a glance at the woman cowering against the wall I turned away, leaving her behind without a backwards glance. Cook has been here longer then I have been alive, she must know something about this mysterious slave girl.

…
I sat waiting on a stool in the kitchen as cook finished issuing instructions before she would allow me to distract from her chaotic organizing. Cook half raised me and since my parents died years ago she has been a life saver. She is so much considered family that I forget at times that she is a slave and doesn’t even really have a name, but I have called her Cook since childhood and always with the utter most affection. I watched her give a final shove to one of the new slaves before she returned to me with a tender smile on her face. "Aiden, I am yours for about a half hour." With a gentle hand on my arm she ushered me out of the kitchen into her private office. Not decorated at all, the white walls were clean and barren and only a desk and two chairs occupied the space. We sat down across from each other, a serious look on her face. I had told her that I had something important to discuss and as always she was all business. "What is bothering you?"

How do I ask her this without sounding like I lost my mind? "Umm…" Ok just ask her. She of all people won’t judge you. "Do you recall that new slave girl? The one that dumped soup a week or so ago?"

Not a great description but still Cook nodded her acknowledgement. "I was the one that showed her around on her first day here."

"What do you know about her?"

A confused look crossed her face as she contemplated my words. "Not to be rude at all but may I ask why you are concerned? By all means I will answer but I am just wondering if there is anything more specific you are looking for in the way of information." Fair enough. I guess She could probably tell me lost that will be completely useless information to me.

"I want to know how old she is and where she was born to start." Slaves always have a paper trail behind them so maybe I can find out what manors she worked at and maybe figure out where she may have came in contact with my dear Kiara.

Opening the drawer of her desk she pulled out a small stack of paper in a neat file folder. Spreading the contents out across her desk we both started picking though the wrinkled and folded papers. We found papers dating back to when she was 7 years old, but nothing earlier. "Sometimes documents get lost." Cook tried to sound like she believed that’s what happened, but we both knew that there was something strange about the missing papers.

"14 years of perfectly kept paperwork and nothing at all before that." I stared at the paper from 14 years ago stating her arrival at a tiny manor about 4 days away. Vague mentions of rebellious behavior that didn’t last very long under the strict owners whip. Tossing the paper onto the desk, I leaned back in my chair. This isn’t helping, I was half expecting the answer to written down in black and white somewhere in her records.

"Look at this. They included pictures of her from her first day." Tight lipped she handed the image to me. Hesitating at the look on Cooks face, I looked down at the picture in my hand. A rather sad looking little girl with a bruised cheek and tangled brown hair stood there frowning fiercely out from the paper. Green eyes burning out from under her tangled mass of hair. If looks could kill this girl could manage it. "This little devil doesn’t seem to know her place." A cursory glance up at Cook told me that she was hinting at something.

"Which is really strange considering that being 7 years old in this picture she is acting like that was her first day." A raised eye brow from Cook, I knew she was hinting at something. An exasperated sigh and Cook pushed the picture closer to my face. "Look closely." I looked over the ragged girl again. She still has the same proud eyes. "She looks so familiar."

"Well of course she does!" Shaking my head at Cook. The poor old lady is finally losing her mind. "She was here up till yesterday." I pushed the picture back towards Cook.

Placing her hand firmly over mine she pushes it and the picture back to me. "It is Kiara." I stared at her as her words sunk in. Kiara? I stared blankly at Cook, running back through my memories. A picture formed in my mind of that famous day that I announced to my parents and hers that I had asked her to marry me. She had her long brown hair loose about her shoulders and her green eyes made me smile every time I saw them. That had been only a week before she disappeared. My parents assumed that she had drowned in the lake or maybe fallen into a gully river. Her parents grieved that she had been kidnapped for ransom, but when no word of her made it back to our household they slowly started to accept that she was probably dead. Only I had continued to deny the possibility that she was gone. She was simply missing. For the next 10 years before my parents’ death I continued to hope despite my parents continued protests and pressure to find a potential wife.

Blinking away the memories, I look at Cook again. She sat there smiling at me like this idea was supposed make me happy. I shook my head firmly, "She is dead." Cooks ever kind eyes opened in shock at my easy dismissal. "She has been dead for 14 years." People don’t come back from the dead.

Dismayed Cook took my hand in hers. "She is alive." Her gentle hand touched my cheek in the most motherly gesture possible. "I raised you two together remember. If I don’t remember what she looked like then who would?"

"Then why are you only suggesting this now?" I had a death grip on her hand, hoping against all logic that this was true. "Why did you not say anything before?"

"Aiden. It has been 14 years. I wasn’t looking for her before." She let go of my hand to scoop up all the papers on her desk. "It never crossed my mind that she would ever be found let alone show up on our step as a slave. This picture and that all too familiar stubborn look was all it took for the idea to occur. Then the fact that all the paperwork starts at the perfect time…" She placed everything back into the folder and handed it to me. "You should steal her away from Valencia and bring her down here for me to see again." A broad smile on her face left no doubt that to her this was Kiara.

"I can’t." Standing up from my chair I clenched my fists against the sudden urge to express my anger at the wall. "Valencia knew who she was." Cooks smile wavered slightly but remained hopeful. "She sent her somewhere."

Cooks smile slowly vanished as she considered what I was saying. "Sent her somewhere? Like to pick something up in town?" The idea perked her back up again.

Why do I have to be the one to dash Cooks hopes? "Valencia knew who she was and sent her away somewhere in hopes that I wouldn’t figure out who she is. Valencia is the one that made her disappear 14 years ago." Cook hid none of her furry and shock from her face but remained still in her seat.

In a smooth and graceful movement Cook rose from her chair and came to my side. Resting a hand on my arm, the pain in her eyes made me weak in the knees. "Bring her back." It wasn’t even a question or a request. With a curt nod I turned to leave. "Aiden." I looked over my shoulder at the intimidating unofficial head of my household. "I am assuming it would be reasonable to presume that Valencia will be leaving very soon." The threatening tone in her voice made it very clear that Cook had no intention to continue listening to Valencia’s usually spectacular demands.

"I do believe that she will be leaving tonight. It’s a long trip home so it is probably best to get an early start. You wouldn’t mind helping her pack would you?"

The slow smile that spread across her lips screamed trouble, "I would be more than happy to help in any way possible."