#Anonymous Testimonies ☾Drabbles☽

[ima-kil-joy]

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Send in a symbol and I’ll write a drabble of one of my muse’s memories: ↕ - a memory that may or may not have happened

This got long (like 1k words or so) so putting it under a cut 

With Maader taking a nap Kil was left with nothing more to do. She didn’t often have time to herself in the past two years she’d belonged to Maader but she was just bored. Sitting on the bottom steps that led to the stairs that led to the hall that led to Maader’s chambers, she pressed down on a bruise on her arm and watched the discoloration, wincing at how it felt. She was long since used to bruises and much worse things but she still didn’t really like them.

When she heard footsteps she tensed up, freezing perfectly still as though she could pretend that she somehow wasn’t there if she didn’t move. Fear pulsed through her because she recognized the sound of her master’s shoes.

She didn’t know the man well but Maader always said that he was scary and she was the most terrifying woman alive so Kil couldn’t even imagine how horrible her husband must have been to warrant her fear.

When she heard him stop, feeling him standing right there in front of her, she began to tremble, her shoulders shaking. What was he going to do to her? Had he just been waiting til she was without Maader’s protection? Was her pathetic life going to end so soon?

Kil didn’t know what death was like but she knew she wasn’t ready.

To her surprise he sat down beside her on the step and spoke to her, his soft voice just hardly more than a whisper. “Are you alright?”

She squeaked when he spoke, cowering and shielding her head. When she processed this question though, she slowly relaxed a little and sat up again, resting her hands on her lap. She slowly nodded, whispering hesitantly as though he might strike her if she spoke too loudly. “I’m okay.”

“Good…” he hesitated just a moment before he set a tray down next to her. “Are you hungry? Has she been feeding you enough? I made something for you to eat…”

She didn’t understand why he sounded nervous, she could detect that but she couldn’t comprehend it. To her it seemed he had all the power in the world, even more than Maader, so she said. He could do whatever he wanted, he could make her do whatever he wanted. Why was he speaking like that, softly, without the commanding tone she’d gotten used to?

She didn’t know what it was and it scared her considerably.

She briefly glanced to the tray, that was the nice food Maader usually ate, wasn’t it? Why was he offering her that? Would it hurt her somehow? Was this some kind of a cruel joke?

She quickly glanced down at the ground again. “Are you…is it an order to eat that?”

He nodded slowly. “It is if your hungry.”

Carefully picking up the tray and setting it on her lap, she slowly gripped the food with her hands and brought it to her mouth. She winced as she took a bite of it but nothing bad happened. The food didn’t hurt her. He didn’t strike her or take it away with cruel laughter.

She didn’t understand.

The food tasted good, and she really was starving, so she finished it quickly and guzzled down the water she’d been given with it greedily. Not knowing what to do once she was finished, she bowed at the waist. “Thank you, master…”

“Please don’t call me that, just Aurelius okay? Or you can call me Mr. or anything else that’s easier for you…”

She nodded then. “Okay.”

His expression was too soft when she glanced over at him, somehow incredibly frightening. She swallowed hard and stared at the floor again, her shoulders shaking.

“I’m sorry…I never heard your name…”

Why did he want to know that?

“It’s Kil…if you wanna call me that, sir…”

“Yes, I want to use your name.” He smiled softly, encouragingly, and she found herself peeking over again. For some reason this time his expression wasn’t quite so scary.

“I’m glad…thank you.”

“Do you have a family, Kil? Don’t you miss your home or friends or anything?”

She shook her head, answering honestly. “No I have nothing…I would have died if Lady Maader didn’t save me.”

“Oh…well, would you like a family? I know some very kind people I could help bring you too, they wouldn’t hurt you and you’d be able to eat your fill and play and grow up in peace…you wouldn’t have to wear a collar or be scared anymore…”

The whole thing was hard for her to imagine. She thought maybe she’d wanted a family once but lately she’d learned to stop wanting things.

“That sounds nice…”

“So what’d you say? Wanna go somewhere nice? We could leave right now in fact, we sort of have to…”

Shaking her head, she refused. “I’m sorry, sir, but Lady Maader says I have to stay.”

Suddenly, he lurched forward, seizing both her hands and leaning over. As she looked at him she could see the desperation, the fear behind his eyes. “Kil, please…come with me so she can’t hurt-”

“What is my darling husband doing at the bottom of the stairs, Hm?”

When they heard Maader’s voice from just behind them, Kil jumped and Aurelius stiffened. There was a tense silence in which Kil noticed his hands were shaking, and then he slowly stood and sighed, dusting off his robes. “Nothing at all, love. Did you sleep well?”

“Just fine.” Her voice was icy as she snatched Kil by the wrist and pulled her to her feet. “I certainly hope you weren’t planning on leaving? I would like to remind you that Kil belongs to me…”

“Of course I wasn’t, would I really do something like that? You know you can trust me to keep my word…”

“Good. Now I’m afraid we have work to do. Come, Kil, we’re leaving.”

Kil nodded and bowed respectfully, managing a tense smile. “Thanks for sitting with me, Mr. You say funny things…”

His expression softened again and he nodded. “You’re welcome, Kil, I-” He’d tried to reach out to pat her head but Maader had dragged her away already.

Kil just barely noticed him reaching out as she was ripped away, seeing the sad look behind his eyes as he slowly lowered his hand.

She really didn’t understand.