Chapter 57

Originally, I had thought to sneak Justin past the guards, avoiding the eyes of the absently attentive servants of the manor. I planned to get him to a safe location - my room.

Maybe it was because Justin had been gone for so long that I had forgotten his personality. Or maybe I assumed the amount of emotional trauma he suffered had left me with a completely different person.

Regardless, I was very wrong.

We hadn't even been close to the back doors when a guard caught sight of Justin and, instead of questioning him, grinned and shouted.

"Well if it isn't little Justin? Er- maybe not so little now are we?" He gave Justin a half-hug while patting his back.

"Harry!" Justin returned an equally excited smile to the guard, "Reckon I can beat you in one of those arm-wrestling matches now?" he teased.

"Oh, I would love to see little Justin get his ass handed to him again!" Then another guard, clearly neglecting his duties, barked out.

"You'll be next Tommy!" Justin sent an obscene gesture his way which he returned with a laugh.

He still looked tired, but there was that glint in his eye that was unique to him. A feature I loved about him.

From there, no matter how much I warned Justin to walk straight and not make eye contact with anyone, it was inevitable. He stood out and it wasn't in his nature to ignore people. Even if his life depended on it.

Maids would call out to him, some fluttering lashes and playfully flirting, others asking about his whereabouts which he skillfully answered with jokes that distracted them long enough for us to be out of range before they could continue. The footmen, once colleagues of Justin, would either run straight for the fist bump or a half hug or just make jokes about the "stranger" in the halls.

By the time we got to the servant quarters the whole manor was probably buzzing about his arrival. There was no way he would be safe anywhere in this house. It was too late for that to work. Just when I had given up my original plan I caught sight of someone who got the gears turning in my head, which formulated another plan.

Will, the healer of the hero's party, was, as usual, chatting with the maids. This time it was Marina. An older maid who was a rare returnee maid. She worked in the manor round about the time I was young and had made sure to let me know when she had returned as I hadn't recognized her.

I could tell the conversation they were having was serious. So serious I could spy flecks of anger occasionally spreading across Will's face, but I had so much going on that I couldn't have cared less.

"Will! I need your help!" I interrupted them abruptly.

Marina looked so startled to see me that, for a moment, I wondered if I had grown two heads. Will on the other hand looked furious to have been interrupted.

"What is it?" He demanded, giving me a pointed glare.

"I need you for a moment"-

"Another time child - I was finally going to get some good news after so much disappointment" he held a hand to shoo me away, and if I hadn't been so desperate I might've left, but I continued to insist. Rationality is damned.

"Please - I just need five minutes"-

"I am not at your beck and call! I have work to do child so wait until I am free" the coldness in his voice had my back stiffening and for a moment I could've sworn I saw a blue hue surrounding him, but it was gone in an instant.

It was at this moment, that Marina spoke up.

"That's her" she pointed to me, eyes looking at Will.

I looked to her, puzzled, and then to Will, who whipped his face to me and with a look of disbelief, followed by a condescending laugh, pointed at me.

"That girl is a slave, or so everyone here has said so", he let out an angry huff, " I have wasted my time here. The girl I'm looking for is by no means a slave!". I wasn't sure who he was looking for, but the idea of them being me seemed to insult him.

I might've felt hurt had I not experienced far worse.

"If you are done here"- Once again I was cut off, although this time by Marina.

"At the time of Diana's death, there was a law in place. It stated that children of deceased staff with no next of kin on hand would become slaves of the dukedom. It's been abolished recently, but that is why" She explained through gritted teeth.

I don't think I've heard my mother's mentioned so often within such a short period. I quickly put two and two together and realized that Will must have been helping Kendrick look for me.

Maybe Kendrick hadn't told him we had already met. It made sense since we had spoken just a half-hour ago.

Saying that, he would surely help his friend's child, right? Even if I had been abandoned.

"Will I could use..." I felt the words dry up in my throat as I looked at the quiet man.

His face had steeled over completely. But the bloodlust pouring from every inch of him fooled no one in the room. There was an overwhelming silence and only the sound of a whimpering maid in the distance was heard.

He seemed to be muttering to himself. I could have sworn the hair on his head was floating up. His gaze then rested on me.

"They made you a slave." His words were no question. Just an acknowledging statement.

I nodded and then quickly coming to my senses I reached and rested a hand on his shoulder. I had just hoped to grab his attention. That was all. But instead, I felt an invisible current journey through me. I could feel it in every inch of my body, flowing inside and out. With a gasp, I stepped away from him in fear.

Whatever had shot through me was gone. But it had left me feeling empty. And strangely hollow without it. I wanted to dwell on it, but Justin might just die at any second.

"Will I've already spoken to Kendrick about... that" I awkwardly spoke, rubbing the arm of the hand that touched his shoulder, "I need your help right now. I would like to speak with you... privately" I glanced at the audience that had gathered.

"You.. spoke with Kendrick?" He seemed surprised at that and then nodded to me. "Let's head to my quarters"

His quarters? That would take much too long!-

Before I could object I was blinded by a flash of light and found myself falling back into Justin who had cushioned the fall for me. I blinked as I stared at the high whitewashed ceiling that did not belong in the servant's quarters. The floor was no longer rotting wood, but a soft carpet.

I stared around the place, but before I could tell Justin I was having a stroke Will spoke up.

"I've just teleported you here. Please calm down" He extended a hand towards me to help me up. I found his shift in attitude unnerving, to say the least. Although I knew why he was acting differently. I still couldn't accept it and stood up myself alongside Justin.

"I can't believe that just happened" He let out a shaky breath.

"You could have warned us" I complained as I rubbed Justin's back. His face was a light sheen and a mellow shade of green.

"Sorry" the apology was genuine. None of his usual sass, "I just got a bit excited. Please take a seat" He gestured to the sofa that sat before a coffee table, which had mysteriously warm sweets in a tray, along with hot tea.

I decided to ignore the little details.

"I need you to protect Justin. He's on the blacklist bounty file and I need him to be safe while I try to get him off the register".

Will's eyes widened at that.

"The blacklist bounty? You won't be able to get his name off unless the instigator is of extremely high status" Will glanced to Justin, "What exactly did you do to get your name on that? Did you rape a princess?"

I flinched at his accusation, but it wasn't unacceptable. People on the list are usually those who commit heinous deeds against those of high status.

"It was my fault that he got his name on there" I answered since Justin was silent.

"That doesn't clarify anything. Rather it makes even vaguer. Did you influence someone to put his name on the file? And I am guessing since you hadn't expected it you plan on taking them out of it?"

"That was... perceptive" I had to take a deep breath after that. The feeling of utter self-loathing threatened to collapse on me.

"Do not blame yourself so strongly" He spoke up, probably noticing my feelings, "You have me and Kendrick now. You aren't alone anymore" He had touched my hand as he spoke, words conveying warmth that seeped into me.

But I couldn't help but recline at it.

"There's no need to have any... obligation towards me. You owe me nothing" I was worried I sounded ungrateful but in all honesty the fact that I had just met the man who had ruined my mother's life didn't exactly put me in a dapper mood.

"I do" He affirmed sternly, "I had left you here at a time when I should've been there for you. With my sister's passing, I had been left in a dark place and I hadn't been there for you as a family member should've been" He wiped away his eyes that began to become red.

I on the other hand found myself processing his words many times before I opened my mouth to ask what he meant.

"Your sister?"