tigress;chapter five

ember

Ember was confused when the carriage traveled through the capital and towards the barrier of the royal palace. She wanted to inquire about their destination but she thought it was best to keep quiet. If they wanted to kill or harm her she wanted to remain aware and on her toes. Despite her body's wishes, she was on edge, Ember was unsure what they were going to do with her, and remaining observant was her best option.

Occasionally they would stop to relieve themselves, let the horses rest, and feed but Ember would remain tied up the entire time. Her wrists and ankles were swollen and bruised. They couldn't care less about her comfort and treated her as if she were a criminal. In her mind, she did not do anything wrong so her treatment did not make sense.

Granted Axel did maim one of the soldiers and they left him for dead, but it was all in the name of survival. From her perspective it was inevitable. They were, and still are a threat to her safety.

However, they had not attempted to hurt her since she was skeptical of the situation and did not know what to expect. The anticipation fed more into her fears than anything else. A million thoughts were scattering in her head. She had so much to think about and had been disconnected from civilization for so long.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

The overbearing smell of smoke alerted Ember to the man seated across from her. The knight took notice of her discomfort from the cigar Angus was smoking.

"It seems she is not a fan of your little cigar, Angus."

To which Lord Angus looked at Ember and scrunched up his nose in disgust. He inhaled another puff and let it out before responding,

"Does it look like I give a fuck if the little bitch is uncomfortable?"

Ember appeared shocked that he would call her something so derogatory, but it was to be expected that he did not have any respect for her in the first place, given everything that happened. She could not say that she had any respect for him either irregardless of his position. 

The next chance Ember got to look outside the carriage they were slowing down. They stopped in an area that was designated for arriving carriages. Ember tried to hide her astonishment as she gazed at the palace's enormous figure. The beige stone walls were perfectly aligned with no flaws in sight.

"Never seen a palace before have you, doll?" The dark skin knight inquired.

Ember tried to keep herself calm and ignore his question despite the queasy feeling. She was going to stay quiet and resilient. Answering the murderous royal's questions would not help her case at all. Especially one that would steal a glance at her every chance he got. He was revolting.

She did not have to ignore him for long because the coachman would arrive at the side to open the door. Angus threw his cigar on the ground and crushed it with his freshly polished boots before stepping away. Next, the knight exited and signaled for the squires to help move Ember out. Her nightgown was still a bloody mess and her hair was disheveled and matted due to the constant yanking. Disgust was an understatement to how she looked and felt. The squires still grabbed her and attempted to make her stand up straight. Ember gasped as she felt the ropes binding her hands and legs fall to the ground.

There was an opportunistic and impulsive thought that ran through her mind to make a run for it. But the rationality within her forced her to examine her surroundings. The squires were still armed and appeared ready to de-escalate any situation that Ember was looking to start. From her peripheral vision, she could see a larger-than-average group that was focused on Angus.

Where could I possibly run with a fractured leg and burnt hands? She thought to herself.

There was a group of individuals dressed in white that had their heads down as the king walked towards the entrance of the palace to address the woman wearing maroon. Presumably someone of high rank.

"Start the process for making her a royal slave." He declared to her.

Her voice was completely voided of emotion, "Yes, Lord Angus." She nodded and directed the rest of the individuals' attention to Ember.

Angus then turned around to address his royal knight who was not that far behind him.

"Derek, she is your responsibility now since you are so interested in her. Anything goes wrong and I will be the one dealing with you."

Derek seemed irritated at the sudden accountability, but had no choice but to agree to it. He knew his little doll was going to prove more troublesome than most but he had a plan for her.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

When Ember awoke she frantically jumped out of her sleep to assess her condition. It did not feel as though any time had elapsed. Her previously soiled nightgown had been replaced with a longer grey gown that reached her ankles. Her left leg had been tightly wrapped with linen. Her hands were covered with gauze and slight blood stains were leaking through the layers.

Within her environment, she discovered was still in the infirmary, but it was later in the day as a single candle illuminated the room and the barred window showed the darkness peaking through. Ember jumped as the door to the infirmary unexpectedly opened, the lady in maroon entered and the royal medic from earlier entered.

The woman in maroon was a tall middle-aged woman with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. Her mood appeared to radiate confidence and authority. She appeared slightly bothered at Ember's current state.

"Splendid, the girl is awake." She announced. She grabbed a chair and sat down facing Ember.

"You are to refer to me as Mrs. Zora, earlier you might have thought that you were of such a status to not answer to those above you. I am here to remind you of your current status and role within this palace." She cautioned.

"As previously declared by Lord Angus, you are a royal slave nothing more. The only reason you are receiving care of this degree is due to your injuries." She mentioned signaling to Ember's left leg.

"When anyone of a higher status asks you of anything, you do as told. Do you understand?"

Ember began to nod in response but was thrown eye daggers as Mrs. Zora continued,

"That includes answering questions with a verbal response."

With a conquered sigh, Ember uttered, "Yes Mrs. Zora, I understand."

Zora appeared pleased with her response as she stood up to leave. Directing her attention to the royal medic, she informed the older woman that Ember was to be discharged immediately to the slave quarters before exiting.

"What is your name deary?" The older woman prodded as she grabbed Ember's hands to replace the gauze. The silence the woman was met with did not faze her. 

"I think it is the least you could tell me in exchange for helping with your wounds." She inclined with a wide grin on her face.

Ember pondered on the question before answering, "Emory, my name is Emory."

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Afterwards the older woman introduced herself as Karla, she assisted Ember to her new dwelling in the slave quarters. It was below the primary floors of the palace and was heavily guarded and restricted. Further corroborating Kora's statements about status. 

Ember felt slightly guilty about lying about her name but she did not know if she could trust these people and it was easier to lead them on a trail of lies. 

Once the two arrived at a rusted door, Karla was careful not to step too close to the door of Ember's new room. She gave her slight smile before opening the door. The room was pitiful, there were two bunk beds, a desk with a candle, and a wardrobe. Ember was bewildered to meet two girls. A brunette with short hair was resting on her side on the lower bunk and a redhead was nose-deep in a book on the upper level. Neither paid much attention to her arrival. They were probably annoyed at the sound of the creaky door.

Before Ember could question her situation, Karla had shut the door and scattered off,  Ember was left alone with the two young women. She attempted to settle herself on the lower bed of the second bunk but was interrupted.

"You sleep on the top, Ruth sleeps on the bottom." The redhead cautioned looking down on Ember.

She attempted to reprimand the statement, "My leg is-"

"You sleep on the top bunk." Her tone was harsher this time when she spoke.

She continued looking down at Ember to make sure she understood before going back to her book.

Ember was sure she had eyes and could see the linen wrapped around her legs. She was also positive that 'Ruth' was not currently present. There was a single rusty ladder used to get to the top bunk. The young woman eyed the ladder in frustration, yet another tiresome battle. She was in no position to be climbing anything, her entire body was weakened. She carefully wrapped her fingers on the rail of the ladder and applied all the pressure on her right leg.

Suddenly the door to the room opened once more, and a tall, slim Asian woman entered. She had long glossy raven hair and light yellow fawn skin that was free of blemishes and imperfections. By the way, she was looking at the bunk, it was an obvious observation that she was Ruth.

Her eyes narrowed at Ember, first taking note of her wrapped leg and then her appearance. It was intriguing to see someone of her complexion and hair color. But Ruth refused to let that curiosity show. Instead opting to interrogate her.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" Her voice was crisp yet feathery.

Despite the burning sensation in her hands, Ember continued climbing choosing to avoid Ruth together. She already had to look out for Zora. Everyone was asking too many questions for her liking. Who she was and where she came from was none of their concern, the less they knew about her the better. What were they going to do with that information?

"Leave her alone Ruth, she has been through enough." The brunette who was previously resting implied.

"Do you know why she is here?"

"No, but it is obvious you are not getting anything out of her tonight."

As provoked as Ruth was, she knew that Liz was right. It did not negate the fact that Ruth did not like being left in the dark about anything, especially information regarding someone that she was in living quarters with. No one had lived in the bunk above her in years so the feeling was foreign.

Powering through the pain and discomfort, Ember reached the top bunk and immediately fell asleep.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

It was going to take Ember some time to get used to the life of a royal slave. They were expected to be up and working before the sun went up. Everyone was to eat breakfast, sometimes lunch, and dinner together. The reasoning behind it was that it was more convenient and required less energy.

Work amongst the royal slaves was usually divided into two sections. The first is outdoor and stable work. These individuals were tasked with caring for the carriages, horses, garden, and everything in between. Their work was the most tiring since they were outside for the majority of the day. The second section was responsible for palace chores including cooking, cleaning, and assisting the royal workers as needed. Ember was originally assigned to the first section but due to her injuries, they temporarily placed her in the second section, in the kitchen to be specific.

While she was grateful to not have exhausting labor, the gratefulness would soon be smashed when she saw that Ruth was one of the people she would have to work with today. Considering the events that transpired earlier in the morning, she was determined to avoid her at all costs. Ruth reeked of an instigator.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Ember was awoken by the never-ending shuffling below her. It couldn't have been that long since she fell asleep. Especially since the candle that was lit had not burned completely. Ruth and the other two girls were getting ready for the day it seems. They looked to be almost done, and Ember wondered at what point they were going to wake her.

She threw her feet over the side of the bed to get on the ladder.

"Here let me help you." A lively Ruth offered with her hand extending out.

Ember was skeptical but she would take any help she could get. Once on the ground, Ember was surprised to hear an apology.

"I believe we got off on the wrong foot, there hasn't been a new person here in a while. My name is Ruth and yours?" She gave her a wide smile.

Though Ruth's character was suspicious, Ember did not feel the reason to create more problems by ignoring her, it did not work so well the day prior.

"Emory." 

"And where are you from Emory?"

"I don't want to talk about that right now..." 

Ruth appeared taken aback by the response, fully expecting Emory to be more open. Ruth did not dwell on it for long. She just needed to warm up to her more to get more information out of her.

"Hopefully soon you will feel more comfortable!" Ruth's nearly black eyes lit up at the statement, hoping it would be enough to persuade her however Ember already knew she could not trust her. Her sudden optimism was troubling. Did Ruth think Ember was that foolish to fall for her mind games.

"Yeah, hopefully..." Ember turned away from Ruth to find the ladies' room.

Unbeknownst to Ember as she was attempting to style her hair in the bathroom, Ruth was lurking in the shadows watching as Ember used water to comb out her tangles. She followed her under the disguise of wanting to ''figuring her out'. As if there was much to comprehend.

Her hair texture was interesting but the color was even more striking. Judging by the way the other women in the bathroom stared at her hair it was a shared thought. She felt like Emory was trying to flaunt herself, to get attention and sympathy. And it was working to an extent. Many of the royal slaves verbally expressed concern for her condition. Ember would brush off the concerns and reassure them that she was fine. At the moment Ruth had no concrete evidence against her she knew for a fact that she was not a fan of Emory. She was going to figure out what she was hiding, starting with who she was.

Guilty people always had something to hide. And it appears like Emory is guilty of  a plethora of things. 

What are you guilty of Emory? Ruth thought to herself.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

This morning the royal workers had planned an exquisite menu for the members of the council and important guest. Ember was tasked with preparing the breakfast broth with potatoes, bacon and garlic. She couldn't help but eavesdrop as she overheard the members of the second section. They were extreme gossipers, according to them the king invited someone of status to discuss pertaining to war. It was a big deal because the Dante Empire had not welcomed any visitors since lord Angus inherited the position. While she did not say anything aloud, Ember was starting to create a timeline in her head of what she thinks transpired.

The last time Ember was in the capital was for her eleventh birthday which was a year and a few months before everything went up in flames. And that was a few years ago. At this point in time she could not really put a number on it. She found comfort living in her little cottage with Axel.

God, Axel

She had not thought about Axel in so long probably for this exact reason. She was so worried about what happened to her feline. She never saw the squires take him out the back of the carriage and she has not heard anything about him. She was sure a sizable tiger (a white one at that) would stir up some conversation. Her mind slowly started to drift towards the extreme possibility that they killed Axel.

She was only brought out of her thought provoking trance when she felt a sharp cut on her index finger.

"Fuck!" Ember muttered and dropped the knife to assess her finger.

"You just cannot refrain from hurting yourself can you?" A flat masculine voice questioned. Ember turned around to face the man. 

Judging by his attire, he was at least a knight? Whatever his rank was, he was too important to be wandering in the kitchen. And surely he was too high of a rank to be directing himself to Ember. Captivated by his aura, the first thing that she focused on were his sage green eyes and dark stubble on his careful defined chin. One of the royal workers present agreed with her internal proposition.

"Joesph you should not be in here right now! We are on a strict schedule and breakfast is supposed to be starting in-"

He shrugged and completely disregarded the worker off before grabbing an apple from the hanging fruit net. He took a bite before before acknowledging them.

"None of which involves me, but why is the woman with injured hands preparing anything?"

Ember was confused by his inquiry of her condition. She was clearly a slave trying to do her job in fear of her own life.

The worker was on edge when answering, "Mrs. Zora stated that she is to work immediately."

"I think letting someone with bloody hands prepare meals for an important guest is a concern. Don't you?"

Joesph raised an eyebrow to prove that he was deliberate in his question. The absence of an reply from the worker told him everything he needed to know. He motioned for Ember to follow him out of the kitchen. She was hesitant but placed the knife down gently before following him. 

On the way out the door Ember caught Ruth's evil eye as she aggressively stirred the breakfast broth Ember was preparing. Why was she so bothered? None of the royal workers were concerned about Ember's hands and preparing the food so why was the knight?

Joseph was silent for the entire walk, opting to eat his fresh apple. He moved at a slower pace to make sure Ember could keep up with him. He did not say anything to her until they were in the middle of an empty corridor with a single double door.

"If anyone asks say that you are reading up on some history to better acquaint yourself in the palace."

Ember's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at the statement. Where were they and what was she going to do for the rest of the day?

"I feel like this is a place you can stay out of trouble in for a few hours, no?" He turned to face her with a smirk.

"Okay?" She agreed with wariness in her voice.

"Unless you would rather go back to the kitchen?" He contemplated.

"NO! I can stay out of trouble here, wherever here is..." Her voice fanned out in a questioning tone towards the end.

Joseph did not answer her question directly, he felt confident enough leaving her alone. She was noticeably new and was having trouble adjusting. On a later day he would have to figure out who she was and where she came from because she was not the typical slave the palace forcefully occupied.

He opened the door and Ember's eyes shot up with excitement seeing the full library. Everything was stacked to the brim.

"So you can read." He stated.

She replied with a muffled agreement and a nod.

"It would have been a waste of time if you couldn't. Read to your hearts content...?" He trailed off hoping that she would tell him her name.

"Emory." She absentmindedly replied. Expressing more interest in the books on the shelves, intrigued by the titles and genres.

"And I'm-"

"Joseph, I heard earlier."

"Well it can be Joey for you." He smiled seeing the way she turned around to avoid eye contact with him. He was fascinated by the way she spoke and carried herself although he was still curious about her background. Joey wanted to know all there was to her. He would look into where she came from another time, hopefully the next time they cross each other will be under better circumstances. Specifically less time constrained. However he had more pressing matters that required his attention, first being the incredibly boring breakfast he was expected to attend with Lord Angus. He was already late and was going to be berated regardless. 

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

"YOU BITCH!" Ruth snapped as she pushed Ember onto the ground.

The hot gravel aggravated the burns on her hands. As a result she hissed and tried to apply pressure on her legs. She screamed out in pain at her left leg that was still fractured.

It was only half an hour past noon, and the second section royal slaves were in the midst of their lunch.

"I was nice enough to you and helped you and then you run away with Joey?!" Ruth was a screaming mess and would have went on a tirade if not for the internal battle she was undergoing.

Under normal circumstances Ember would not take the disrespect and maltreatment at all but she was temporarily crippled. Even so she did not know why Ruth was so angry about Joey relieving her from the second section duties. If she was trying to be nice and help her it would not affect her if she was able to take it easy for a few days. Ember knew that Ruth could not be trusted and this was a personal testimony.

As sympathetic as some of the royal workers and slaves acted earlier, no one wanted to step in and stop Ruth from berating the young woman. Just silent bystanders.

"Ruth that's enough, she did not do anything to you." The red head from their room stepped in and roughly grabbed Ruth's arm.

"Why Sofia? Are you siding with her? She is probably a dirty rebel like you."

Sofia did not take lightly to crude comment at all.

"And why does that matter? You are under the impression that you are better than me, except we are both living and working as royal slaves under the same shitty sovereign." She condemned with a strong frown on her face.

Ruth was momentarily speechless and loosened her grip on Ember,  it was all the time Liz needed to swoop under and grab Ember. She hurriedly pulled the young woman up and directed her to a pillar that faced away from the dining area. To the others it looked like they wandered off within the basement. Ember was appalled that either woman would stand up for her considering that they were so uninterested the night before. If it was true that Sofia was a potential rebel why is she within the palace?

Not long after Liz sat Ember down, Sofia followed. Liz made sure to give Ember a dirty look letting her know that it was in her best interest to stay. Sofia was provoked but had a lot of explaining to do, it was as if she could sense Ember's flood of questions.

"First off let us get the elephant out of the room..." She trailed off.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

Liz and Sofia looked at Ember with curiosity as she soaked in all the information they gave her. She tried to ask questions as they went on, but she would be scolded and told to let them finish. Ember was furious after learning what happened to the country she previously adored. Her people were prisoners in their own country and matters were only going to get worse.

The only thing she found amusing was that the reason they made her sleep on the top bunk was because Ruth was scared of heights. A woman as ludicrous as Ruth feared being a few feet off the ground.

Although now more than ever she wanted to avenge her father and find her mother and sister. Based on what Liz was saying there is a possibility that they are still alive. Either as a royal slave, worker, or by the small chance they were just regular citizens within the capital. But the first step in all of this was to find Axel. 

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

sorry that i went MIA for so long. i was kind of unmotivated and decided to work on other projects (you can read them soon). i am determined to actually finish this book regardless of how many breaks I take. 

hope you guys enjoy the update, im gonna post the next chapter soon !

as always tysm for the votes, comments, adds to reading lists, etc. it means a lot to me <3