After Humanity

Chapter Forty-Seven

When last we left Magnus and Alice in the past they were finally beginning to trust each other a bit more ( well at least Alice was finally starting to trust. hehe I think its more clear that Magnus has trusted her since the moment she saved his life;-)). But might we be able to find out a bit more about how thier working relationship began?....

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30 Years Earlier ~

Magnus

It was the routine that developed between them. Magnus would wake to find breakfast already prepared for him, Alice having risen well before dawn to complete his meal in spite of his assurances that he did not require such care.

Each day, he would go to his work and the human would busy herself around his home, keeping the main house far cleaner than his sibla maid ever had. On occasion he would spot her around the estate, wandering more freely now that she had forgone the crutches. Every night he would return to the house to join her for dinner. But when he tried to engage her in conversation he could still sense her reluctance in opening up. Slowly he began to coax details of her arrest from her lips.

The story she told was chilling.

"There was no light in the cell," she explained. "The chains around my neck, legs, and arms were never removed. Every day they would grant me three cups of brackish water along with some thin soup with a piece of stale bread in the morning and evening."

Magnus was horrified at her treatment. No wonder she had become so ill. They had practically starved her to death.

"Truly I believed every morning that it would be the last. That whatever protection your words had granted me would run its course and they would see me truly tortured for my crimes. When they finally led me from my prison that last day I was certain the time had come."

He was filled with anger to hear so. Why had such cruelty been necessary? Magnus felt his fists clench in spite of himself.

"You did not deserve such treatment," he said with frustration. But Alice met his gaze, her expression unfeeling.

"I murdered my master and his entire family," she said, her voice entirely devoid of emotion.

Magnus didn't answer, looking away and turning back to his meal as he tried to ignore the chill he felt travel along his spine. It was the truth. She had murdered a sibla man in cold blood. She had aided in the death of many more. Somehow he had almost forgotten the fact. The rest of their meal continued in silence.

The next night she did not show at the table for dinner, nor the next. As it had been since her recovery, a sumptuous meal was waiting for him when he retuned from his work, but Alice was nowhere in sight. Though she had never been particularly talkative at their meals together, Magnus found himself missing her company terribly, and he worried what he might have done to drive her away.

Was she afraid that her admission to the crimes she'd committed had changed his opinion of her? He knew what she'd done. He'd watched her do it. But those acts did nothing to alter the care he felt towards the woman. Alice had had reason to kill her master, he was certain of it. Moreover, in doing so she had spared his life. He wanted her to understand his gratitude for that fact. For Alice to fully accept that as long as he lived she would be safe under his roof. But it seemed she would not come to him again.

It was a full week before Magnus finally worked up the courage and decided to approach the human woman to truly speak with her.

"Alice" Magnus said, as he knocked on the door to the guest room. "Might I come in?"