All I Need ✔️

Chapter 46

This chapter contains references to sexual assault. Reader discretion is advised.

*7 years ago*

"Green" Iku said.

"Akiri," Safania responded in Iradian.

"Good Safania, very good," Iku told her proudly, his smile making his wrinkle lines even more prominent. 

Safania would never be audacious enough to ask how old her master was, even though he certainly wouldn't mind. But if she had to guess, she would have picked somewhere in his 70s. Safania, on the other hand, had just turned 12 a few months ago. Yet despite their age gap, Iku was her best friend.

Iku was the father of one of the commanders in the Eir invasion...she and her aunt Azeri had been a gift from the commander to his father. Fortunately for Safania and Azeri, Iku wasn't cruel like his son.

"Iku, if I may ask a question?" Safania asked hesitantly in Eirlin. Most slaves would get beaten for referring to their masters by name, but Iku preferred it.

"Of course, my dear."

"Why are you teaching me Iradian? I'm just a slave."

Iku smiled. "You're not just anything dear. You're Safania, a child of Eir. And you should be proud of that."

"But Eir was destroyed," Safania said sadly.

"I know," Iku said, a dark expression crossing his face. "Which was a terrible sin. But the Emperor...Let's just say that all the power in the world still wouldn't be enough for him."

Safania lowered her eyes. "It's a crime to speak ill of the emperor," she said softly.

"You're not going to tell on me, are you?" Iku asked, his eyebrows raised in amusement.

Safania raised her eyes again. "No," she said with a small smile.

Iku smiled back. "Good."

"Safania?" her aunt called, walking into the house.

"Azeri, today I learned colors!" Safania said happily. "Iku still won't teach me how to curse though."

"Well, thank you for that," Azeri said to Iku. He smiled at her. 

"Safania, I came to get you for bed. You don't want to be walking around the grounds after dark," Azeri told her.

"Your aunt is right," Iku said. "We'll do weather words tomorrow."

"And curses?" Safania asked hopefully.

"Let's wait until you can use complete sentences. Then we'll revisit the issue," Iku said with an amused look on his face.

Safania and Azeri walked back to their quarters - a small shack on the corner of the property.  Safania stripped off her daytime dress and began to put on her nightgown.

"Wait," her aunt called.

"What?" Safania asked, turning to face her aunt.

"Turn around."

Safania felt her aunt's hand touch her back gently. "What is it?" she asked, confused. When she didn't get a response, she turned back around to find her aunt staring at her, horrified.

Azeri still didn't say anything, but Safania could see her thinking quickly. "We have to go back to Iku," she said finally.

"But it's after dark. You said we shouldn't..."