His face quickly hardened as he looked her back into her eyes, making her break their gaze.
"Do not call me 'Master', I am Lord Rowan."
His almost playful comment from just a moment ago seemed unreal to Mariann now. Beside her walked a man with a cold demeanor once more.
She nodded, lowering her head again.
"What is your name?" He asked.
Her name? Not a single master she'd had so far had ever called his slaves by their name.
"Mariann," she answered this time watching her step.
"I like 'Troublemaker' better."
Although he seemed to be joking, Mariann couldn't detect an amused undertone.
"That's fine too."
The words slipped her mouth before she thought but to her surprise, her master wasn't angry with her. He cracked up shortly his shoulders shaking with every chuckle.
"Either way tell the stick boy to come to speak to me," he instructed her as he kept walking towards the buildings ahead of them.
Mariann nodded and stopped walking to wait for the other behind them.
Although not sure why he said 'stick boy', she assumed he meant Alec and not the grown man.
To her surprise, Alec wasn't afraid when she told him the new master wanted to speak to him.
He quickly caught up to Lord Rowan, leaving the others to follow their trail.
"What is your name, child?"
"Alec," he answered trying intensely to keep eye contact while also watching his step.
"And how young are you?"
Alec wasn't surprised by this question as he'd been asked before by his masters. Being too young or too old meant that you were weak and not as useful as the others.
"Eleven Winters," he paused, "I think."
Lord Rowan thought a moment before saying, "You do not look like a winter child."
This on the other hand surprised Alec. He had never thought of what he looked like to others.
Unsure of what to answer he stayed silent.
They were getting closer to the town and the Lord lectured Alec on how to call him "Lord" and not "Master".
One after the other he asked the slaves their names and told them the new rule until all four of them had understood.
Soon they arrived at the first buildings of the town, which now looked far bigger to Mariann than before.
The town was quite busy, even though it was close to being late. They walked past a blacksmith who'd just finished putting his forgery tools inside. A pair of children hurried through the streets on their way home presumably.
To the left and right of them, some houses were lit with candles, making the windows reflect light upon the well-trotted path they walked on.
YOU ARE READING
A LORD'S WEAKNESS
FantasyFear controlled her as she looked up at the tall Lord, focusing on his neck, not to look him in the eyes. "Let him rest for a moment," she asked pleadingly nodding towards Henry. The enslaved man wanted to argue that he wouldn't be causing trouble...
