Ebony gave him a small, sad smile. "No, I wasn't. I was rescued from a pleasure house. I would have died in that place if it hadn't been for Romulus."
She didn't mention Calvin or Lily. That was their own story to tell should they want too. It was not for her to tell. She glanced back at the other children before focusing her attention back in the young boy in front of me.
"I was beaten and starved and every part of my body had been used and abused by them. I doubt I would have lived much longer had I stayed there. Then Romulus came one night and rescued everyone that wanted to leave. And now here I am."
"Prince Romulus." Carth corrected quietly. He gave her a look to remind her that to the kids, he was royalty, and they needed that structure to remember the grace extended to them.
He also knew full well the complicated situation between the Prince and Lady Ebony. And that fact that she would likely ignore him.
He was also aware that Lady Ebony was doing her best to relate to Teben. By the time she'd been rescued, she'd had power within the brothel, which was not a position the small boy had been in. But in order to win him over, she'd need to tell him she'd been where he was, regardless of if it was true or not.
Teben, on the other hand, just looked at her for a long time, without saying anything. He finally looked up at Carth and tugged at his arm.
"Can I bring Carth in with me?"
The soldier glanced at Lady Ebony again, clearly asking her permission with this look.
Ebony ignored Carth correcting her. This wasn't a conversation with A B and C. It was A and B. And she was doing her best to reassure the child. The best way she found for that was familiarization. Using too many formalities might scare him off. She wanted the children to feel welcome. She wouldn't force any of them to call her 'Lady.'
She didn't rush the child. She could the wheels turning in his head. The young boy had been through so much, she wouldn't force him. If he decided he wanted to go back to palace, she would let him with the promise from Carth he would be safe. She just waited patiently until his mind had been made up.
"Of course he can, my love. Let me show you to your room and I'll have my doctor come and see to that leg of yours. She has magic fingers, I swear. She can make anyone feel better."
If only they knew she truly was magic.
At the mention of the word 'magic', Teben stiffened, his eyes widening. He stepped back from her, immediately hiding behind Carth.
"No." The first firm word he'd said yet that didn't have a question mark in it. "No magic."
Carth rested a hand on his head gently. "She doesn't mean actual magic, Teben. They're just going to tend your wound."
The boy didn't budge.
Uriah stepped forward from where he'd been quietly watching all of this go down. "If I may… Teben?"
The boy looked up at him, a slight tremble expressing itself along his body.
"Maybe you'd like to stay outside for now, instead of going inside at all. I'm going to take the horses and cart to the stable, would you like to come with me?"
Teben looked up at Carth for permission, pointedly not looking at Ebony. Carth smiled at him. "Uriah is a dear friend, you can trust him."
Teben watched him for a moment longer, before looking at Uriah for a long while. He eventually let go of Carth's arm and hobbled over to Uriah, who gently picked up the skin-and-bones 12 year old and carried him with him as they headed off to the stable.
Carth sighed as he went. He glanced back at Lady Ebony.
"You can disrespect me as much as you like, you can disrespect The Prince as much as you dare, but whatever you do, listen to me now as I tell you where we found Teben."
He swallowed hard, the scene playing over in his mind. "He was in a pleasure den, but a very specific pleasure den. You'll find those wounds hard to heal because many of them are so old. Best we can tell, he was kidnapped by a group of Venian magic-users looking to take revenge on the Haradrim. How torturing one child for most of his life was full revenge in their minds, I don't know, but Teben has only ever known slavery and torture. Many of the wounds are repeats of old ones, and if you look closely, many of them are magic inflicted." He glanced at her, the look in his eyes careful. "I don't know if you were planning on healing the boy in some way with magic. I'm not asking and I don't want to know. But… don't. It hurts him and he fears it more than death itself. You'll note he's got some interesting scars from attempts to kill himself. They kept him alive with magic and continued to torture him. He's a broken mind and a shattered heart and if you want him to trust you, don't mention magic in his presence."
He looked off in the direction Uriah had taken the boy. "To most of the country, the Venians are the victims, the Haradrim the oppressors, and the sorcerors in particular are the persecuted. But to that poor kid…" He glanced back at her, his expression sympathetic. "Well, to him, you look how the Prince first looked to you. Like a representative of a murderous race of people intent on making his life a living hell."
Ebony pursed her lips as she watched Teben and Uriah walk off. It hadn't been her intention to scare the boy. She hadn't known he would have such a strong reaction to the word 'magic.' Abd while she still had every intention of her healer looking over him, she would have to be more careful about it.
She listened quietly to Carth's words, only looking at where Teben and Uriah had walk away too. She was quiet for a good moment before she settled her gaze on Carth. "I have not disrespected you or the prince here today, unless you are insinuating me not using his title as disrespect. I think we both know he doesn't like formalities. It's better these children feel welcome than being forced in another household where they have to uphold formalities. As for the boy, I can only imagine so much of what he went through. My time in a brothel was not all rainbows and unicorns. I may have gained a position of power at the end but it did not come easily. Remember that I understand hardship and torture just as well. My doctor has skilled hands. She is good at what she does. She isn't a healer. She doesn't have magic." She very much did have magic. "I did not mean to insinuate it or scare him. I just don't want him to be afraid when she takes a look at how wounds. Perhaps she might be able to provide some comfort to the wounds. A balm or a tonic. She is well versed in herbs and their healing properties." She clasped her hands behind her back. "I'll make sure I find a calm and loving home for him. Someone who has patience and tenderness. I would never place him in a home that would cause him harm. I wouldn't for any of them. They deserve to be loved and cared for."
Carth smiled at her. There was no point in arguing things, and certainly not on the front steps of her own home.
He would just have to hope she didn't mess this up.
"I know you'll do your best." he said evenly. "The other kids come from slightly more benevolent situations. Mostly workhouses and indentured servitude. No consistent beatings that we've noted, anyway. Just a bit underfed. They'll trust easier and get picked up by families easier, so that's good." He looked up as Uriah came back around the corner, Teben hobbling next to him.
"And it helps that you've got Uriah around. Man could put a gundabad at ease."
The knight in question was supporting most of the boy's weight, and Teben was skip-stepping to keep up. He didn't seem pained though.
"Carth! There's a Wulf in the stables named Lorcan and he's huge!" His young voice seemed excited for the first time, though he immediately calmed back down when he noted Lady Ebony's gaze.
Carth smiled at him. "I believe that's Lady Ebony's mount. You should ask her about him sometime."
Uriah knelt next to the boy. "I'm going to head inside, would you like to come with?"
"Only if-"
"I'll be right there, Teben." Carth said gently. The boy looked at him, then at Uriah, then at Lady Ebony, before nodding slowly.
Ebony nodded her head at Carth but refrained from speaking as she saw Uriah and Teben walking back towards them. She smiled as she heard the boy talking about her Wulf excitedly. Perhaps she would take him for a ride someday, when he was more comfortable around her.
She nodded at Carth, letting him know he was welcome for as long as he would like. "Woukd you like a tour Teben? Uriah and I can show you around the estate where you'll be staying for a little while."
Calvin and Lily would have already shown the other children around. She had a feeling Teben was much more comfortable with the two guards than her children. It was alright. It was take time. She could be patient.
Teben nodded slowly. Carth patted his shoulder, and Uriah slowly let the boy bear his own weight. He stepped up the stairs, his limp offset by a determined feature in his step, like he was squaring his shoulders for whatever came next.
Carth gave Lady Ebony a return nod and a small smile, before following the boy up the stairs.
Uriah watched them go for a moment. "Interesting case, this poor kid. Did Carth tell you what's wrong with him?"
He offered her an arm to escort her up the stairs, ever the gentleman.
Ebony nodded at Uriah. "Yes. But its not my story to tell, if he hadn't told you anything. It'll take time for him to trust us and likely even longer to find him a home. I see him being with us for a longer time than the others. I'll have a talk with Calvin and Lily later about him."
She wasn't sure if she would be able to find a good home for him or that it wouldn't take months. Not many people had the patience or wants to care for a disabled child. She would contact her merchant to see if there was anything to assist the boy up the stairs that were in the works. There were no bedrooms downstairs and she didn't want him to hurt himself trying to climb up and down them.
She took Uriah's arm and walked into her estate. They caught up to Teben and Carth. "We'll start with the kitchens. You can grab a bite to eat if any if you are hungry."
Uriah shook his head just slightly. "I need to know if I'm going to help him adjust. I have no intention of triggering this child because a desire to protect his privacy kept me from knowing his triggers."
He noted her watching the boy. "If we can figure out what's wrong with his leg, we may be able to get him a brace of some sort that'll help all of that."
They caught up easily with the limping child, who shook his head at Lady Ebony's offer.
"Not hungry."
Carth touched his shoulder gently. "I'll eat with you."
Teben glanced up at him, before nodding slowly, and when they got to the kitchens, he waited till Carth had been served and had started to eat, before taking any of the offered food.
"Magic, Uriah, magic." Ebony pursed her lips. Once more. She hated that her own people, her own kind, would do this to a child. She hoped they suffered. She hoped Romulus made them hurt for what they did to him. "I'll have Elsaria take a look at him, see if there's anything she could do to help lessen the pain. Hear her recommendation for him."
Elsaria. Her healer. That no one knew of accept her and four other people. Everyone else thought she was a skilled doctor. She grew up in an apothecary and was well knowledgeable in herbs. That was all anyone needed to know.
"You can have whatever you would like Teben. Just don't eat too much your stomach hurts." She understood food being used as a punishment and a reward. She knew what it was like to be starved and to be fearful around food. She hoped with time she could coax him out of his fear.
Uriah froze for just a second, before continuing in his stride. "Well. That's both terrifying and comforting. Terrifying for the poor kid, but comforting in the sense that he'll be safe here from that." He nodded at her statement about Elsaria. "I'm sure she can help him. She's very good."
Teben had eventually settled on fruit. Apples, grapes, and a sweet pear he seemed to particularly enjoy. He ate quickly, as if he were afraid the food would be taken from him if he didn't finish it in a hurry. He was up and ready to go around the same time Carth finished his food, despite starting much later on his meal.
Ebony noted how quickly he ate and how much he seemed to like the pear. She murmured with one of her kitchen staff for her to go to the market and buy some more pears for the boy. She passed her some coin discreetly, telling her get as many pears as she could with the money.
"Now that you've eaten, let show you around." She walked slowly so that Teben could keep up with them. She didn't want him to feel like he had to run to keep up with them.
She showed him the dining room, the ballroom, the different studies including her own, the larger library. There was a private one upstairs with the other bedrooms but this one was available to everyone at the estate.
Teben kept up, not showing any strain. Whether it was a forced effort to try to hide his fragility, or just some innate toughness, wasn't clear.
The huge table in the dining room fascinated him. He kept running his hand over the long, handcarved wood grained top, marvelling at how smooth it was.
The ballroom absolutely terrified him, for no clear reason. They stepped through the doors into the wide open space, with it's beautiful decor, and he froze up, his face locking down and his eyes going wide. Carth felt his sudden fear and suggested they move on.
The library was interesting, though he looked ashamed as he murmered to Carth that he couldn't read anyway. He'd calmed down as soon as they'd left the ballroom.
He kept glancing at Uriah and Lady Ebony the whole time, watching their movements with curiosity and suspicion.
Ebony over heard the boy say he couldn't read. It was no problem. She could hire tutors to help him read, or she or her children could help teach him. "We have some great children's books in here," she announced to Teben. "Some of the staff's children come with their parents to work and they like to sit in here and read. I think we have a few picture books."
She walked into the library and rummaged around for a moment before she pulled out a few books. They were small and thin, filled with mostly pictures. There were a couple words in a few of them but she hoped he would ask her or the kids what they said. She handed them over to him. "Here you go. You can keep these as long as you want them."
Teben looked at her funny for a long moment, not moving to take the books.
"I'm not a child though."
Uriah's heart went out to him then, more than it already had. He'd been forced to be something else for so long, he no longer recognized people's kindness as what it was. Treating a kid like a kid.
Ebony's heart hurt. He was. He was very much a child. Just one who was forced to do things that were much to old for him.
She knelt on the grown in front of him, the wood uncomfortable on her knees. She wasn't sure how she was going to get up but that could be saved for later. "Oh love, you are still a child. I know this world has been harsh and cruel to you and you have had to do things no child or adult for that matter, should ever have to do. And for that, I am so sorry. You are still so young. And your childhood has been ripped away from you. Enjoy this, while you still can. Read children's books, play as a knight saving the city, get into trouble and cause mischief. Be young while you still are. So take these books," she gently took his hand and put the books in them. "Read them, look at them, the pictures will tell the story. And if you want more, I will order more for you. If want me to read to you, I will read to you. If you want to play with the other children, go play with them. We have lots of activities that you can do."
Teben flinched away from her touch, though he took the books. He stared at her like she smelled sour to him, before looking up at Carth.
"I told you they were going to treat me like a little kid." He very carefully and respectfully put the books down, not even bothering to look at the brightly colored pages with their happiness and sweet morals.
Carth moved to try to correct him, but Uriah held up a hand. "Wait a second."
Teben looked up at him. Uriah didn't kneel, though he did offer Lady Ebony an arm up.
"How do you want us to treat you, Teben?"
The kid looked him dead in the eyes. "Stop pretending you know me, for one." His tone was quiet, his voice trembling slightly, like he expected to get slapped for speaking up. "Stop trying to make me have a childhood, for another thing."
He turned towards Lady Ebony. "Were you really rescued from something bad?" It wasn't disbelief, more like he wanted clarification.
Ebony sighed as she took Uriah's arm, thankfully he helped her up. Patience. She needed to have patience. He had only just been rescued. It would take time, lots of time. She needed a drink. Her hands had started shake, either from withdrawals or hunger. It was bad but it would likely worsen as time went on. However, this wasn't the time for a drink.
She walked to one of the small couches in the library, signaling for Teben to take a seat should he wish too. This wasn't a story she wanted to verbalize, especially not to a child, but here they were.
"I had a happy childhood. I had loving parents, albeit busy one ls. I had lots of siblings to play with and older brothers that would pick on me. I was Venian nobility. I had everything I ever wanted. I had the best tutors and the best dresses. Everything a child would want. Then the Harad's came. They overthrew the royal family and murdered almost everyone belinging to a noble house that wasn't loyal to them. I was nine. I heard my mother and father, my brothers and sisters die. I thought I would be next. I was terrified. The only reason I escaped was because of my maid. I don't know who possed as me nor do I want to know. All I knew was that I had to run. And I did. I ran as fast as my legs would carry me. I ran for hours until I finally collapsed. I was sure it was the end. I was sure I was going to die. But I didn't. I was found by Madame Rosette." She looked away, gazing out of an open window. Her foot had begun to tap. She didn't like talking about these things. "It was alright at first. I wasn't expected to pleasure anyone yet. I just had to do my chores and I would be fed and kept. But you see, I had come from nobility. I wasn't used to this. I talked back, I had an attitude. I was punished. It wasn't the worst at first. Maybe a backhand or two or no supper. But as time went on, it got worse. I would be locked in a small room, completely blacked out for days, or at least I think it was days. I would be starved. There was a time I was caught eating a pastry in the kitchen and the Madame made me eat until I threw up, and then I had to eat that as well until I kept it down. When I had my first bleeding, it was time for me to be put to work. Real work. I refused and caused harm to a patron. I was taken to that little room and whipped until I passed out, and then long after that. I almost died. I still have the scars on my back. I was raped more times than I remember. I've been beaten by patrons, the Madame, her goonies. I've almost died more times than I can recount. And I'm my last few years its true, I learned. I learned how to play the game. I learned how to put myself in a position of power. I learned to protect myself and others. So while my last couple of years there were not so bad. I endured and I survived everything to get there. Twelve years. I was there for twelve years, Teben. I'm barely Twenty-one. I think people forget that. They see me, see how old and mature I act, and assume I'm much older. It's because I've seen things no one should ever see or go through. It aged me greatly. My childhood was ripped away from me. I will never get to have my childhood. I'll never know what it's like finish school. I'll never know what it's like to have childhood crushes. I'll never know what its like to get my juvenile heart broken. You have a chance Teben.you are still so young. You still have a chance to be a child. And you have been through terrible things and experienced terrible things. And you will always remember that. But don't miss out on this opportunity. I don't want you to grow old and resentful you never had a chance to just be young. Don't be like me, Teben."
Uriah kept his face neutral, watching the kid. Knowing some of her background was helpful in putting together several of the pieces he'd been missing in his psychological profile of her. Now many things made more sense.
For Carth, this was nothing new. The soldiers who were part of the Prince's inner circle had seen similar and worse situations many times over the years. He also kept his eyes on the kid, not wanting to embarrass Lady Ebony with his sympathetic expressions.
For Teben though… his little face hardened. The gaunt features of his malnourished face locked down as her story progressed. When she finished, he just sat there for a long while.
And when he did finally speak, his voice was quiet.
"So then why are you trying to make me go back, when you of all people know that's not possible?"
"You'll never get the years back that you lost, Teben. It's not possible. Nothing you do will ever make up for the years lost and that piece of innocence gone. But you can live now. You can live the best of your abilities. You have a chance to act your age. To have fun and learn and discover what it means to be Teben. Ask Lily and Calvin. They came from the same brothel as I did. And while their time there was not as bad as when I was there age," Evony was the reason behind them having a better time there, "they still experienced horrible things. And now here they are. They're in school getting the best education. Lily had the best dresses and the best tutors and she's learning how to dance. Calvin has caught up in all of his studies, he's shadowing me to eventually take over as lord. And they still both have time to go outside and play. Whether they're playing ball or pretend. Or they're inside and they're colors or playing the piano so terribly everyone's ears bleed. They're still learning to enjoy their youth. And that's what I want for you, Teben, to find joy in your youth while you still have it."
Uriah didn't comment on what Lady Ebony was trying to sell the kid, but he did think it was a bit disingenuous to try to convince Teben that Calvin colored and played pretend outside. Or Lily, for that matter.
Carth was more focused on Teben's reaction. The boy was… perceptive, to say the least. Had shown himself to be oddly aware for a 12 year old. And that wasn't lost on the soldier.
Teben looked at her again, just watching. Here was this woman, in all her finery, from a noble background, who'd had some rough years, but clearly knew life outside of suffering. Teben had nothing to compare to. His entire life had been nothing but torture and misery at the hands of the Venian people. And here was yet another Venian, trying to turn him into some kind of toy who loved bright books and loud toys and playing pretend outside. Teben was nobody's toy. He had been his entire life, and he never would be again, no matter how much this woman tried to make him one. She wanted him to pretend he was a happy kid in her care, when he knew that she had no real wishes for his happiness. She was Venian, and Venians hated the Haradrim.
So no matter what she promised, Teben knew better than to believe a single word of it.
"I'm not a plaything for you to give a pretend childhood to." he said evenly, quietly, drawing back from her, fully expecting his honesty to get him hit. She definitely seemed the type to get her way or lash out, Teben had learned to recognize them long ago.
Ebony watched him for a long time before she answered. She studied the child in front of her. She tapped her fingers against the arm of the sofa. "If you were my plaything, Teben, I would have sent my staff to spread rumors on town about what a wonderful person I am for taking in such a child. I'd parade you around for everyone to see what a good person I am. Luckily for you, I'm not a good person so I have no intentions of parading you around. Uriah will show you to your rooms so that you may refresh yourself for dinner. The estate is yours to do as you please with, though I ask you don't wonder outside or destroy anything. I have some business to attend to so I will see you for dinner. If you have any questions, ask Calvin or Lily."
She stood and clapsed her hands behind her back to hide how badly they were shaking. A drink. She needed a drink. But she didn't want this child's first impression of her as a drunkard. And she did have things that needed ger attending too. There was always something for her to do. It never stopped.
It was days like this that she almost wished for a spouse to share the burden. But she would not chain herself to a marriage nor let any man try to control her. A man would want things she simply could not provide.
Teben watched her go. He relaxed as she went, realizing he'd survived this encounter. Though dinner promised to be an interesting affair. All her finger tapping had made him want to hide. It spoke to a need for release, and usually that release came in the form of pain.
She did parade her kids around, in telling him exactly how much they loved being hers and living the life she'd given them. So he wasn't sure why she was denying that.
Her admission that she wasn't a good person was no surprise to him, and the fact that she would so readily say it meant she was alright with being a bad individual, and that was nervewracking. He'd need to protect the other, smaller kids from her.
Uriah nodded at her, hoping she wouldn't wind up drinking before supper. It had come to him earlier that she was likely replacing an addiction to sex with an addiction to alcohol, as a result of her background, and that had been… an interesting realization.
It also explained some of Lear's statements to him, about her 'needs'.
Carth followed them as Uriah lead the boy up to his room. He would stay with Teben and try to iron out exactly why the boy didn't trust Ebony so much.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Ebony found the bottle of wine she kept hidden between book shelves and quickly uncorked it. She took several large gulps, her shaking hands causing wine to dribble on her person but she paid no mind to that. She collapsed against the wall and waited for her shaking to stop.
In the dark corner of the library, she pulled her knees to her chest and rested her cheek on them, taking a swig of her wine every so often. She focused on her breathing. She felt the wine slowly soothe her body and calm her trembling. She felt her mind soften and senses blur. It was too much. She was drinking too much. But he…he brought out these memories. Memories swirling in her head, making it hurt, making her ache. She took another drink and just like that, over half the bottle was gone.
She felt like a child hiding in her closet when someone upset her. All she wanted to do was curl up in the darkness and waste away. She didn't want to be there. She couldn't do it. She couldn't be the person everyone expected her to be. She had to do this to give Calvin and Lily a good life. The moment he turned of age, she would hand it over to him and step back. Take enough money live comfortably somewhere no one would ever bother her. She wanted to be alone. She wanted peace and quiet and to be alone.
