Beginning Anew

"Are you sure you don't want me to stay with you today?" Marrok asked Rieka the next morning as she ushered him out the door. "I can cancel my plans for the day and stay if you need me."

"I'll be fine," she said, reassuring him for the umpteenth time that morning. "You can't keep putting off your responsibilities to take care of me."

"But you are one of my responsibilities," he pressed.

"It's about time I take responsibility for myself again," she said with a frown. She'd been acting so unlike herself, wallowing in her own self pity. That wasn't her way. She needed to make the best of things as she had done before.

Marrok looked down at her face, burning it into his memory. He'd longed for her smile, her laugh, her touch most of his life. She was destined to be his. But since she had arrived, she'd lost that ferocity and spark that had attracted him from the start. He wouldn't deny that he was overjoyed to have her cling to him, but he was no fool. She'd clung to him for support as her world fell apart. All because of him and his people.

He sighed in defeat. "All right. I'll go." He placed his hands on both her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. "But if you need me at any time, call for me. I'll come to you no matter what I'm doing or where I am."

Rieka patted his hands and smiled again. "I told you I'll be fine. Now go. I'm sure you have a lot of work to do."

Hesitantly, he left the room, pausing once at the door to give her one last smile, then was gone. She sighed the moment he was gone. Even though she'd resolved to start her life again in Marrok's palace, she had no idea where to begin. All she knew of her role as a Faemne was to birth an heir. That wasn't something she was quite ready for yet. So what was she supposed to do the rest of the time?

"Your bath is ready, Madam," said one of the maids that had hovered around her for the last week.

"Very well," she said in submission. The maid stood in her place, staring. No doubt she hadn't expected that answer from her. "Can you show me to the bath?"

"O-of course, Madam," the maid stammered, and quickly ushered her into an adjoining room. Smooth polished marble felt cool beneath her feet as she entered the washroom. A large marble tub nearly triple the size of the water basins she'd used in the village stood in the center of the room. Three gleaming steps led to the large tub where she could see white rose petals drifting along the water's surface. "I've prepared a rose bath for you today, Madam. I hope that is to your liking."

"Th-thank you," she stammered feeling much too homely for such a grand bath. She'd never bathed in perfumed water before. Her baths in the village had consisted of whatever water she could fetch from the well and heat up after her mother went to bed. She'd forbidden Rieka from using the same bath water as her.

Rieka shook her head, and the memories of her former life, away. None of that mattered anymore. Slowly, she slipped into the warm, perfumed waters and sighed with pleasure. It was heavenly. As she sunk deeper into the warm water, she could almost feel the anxiety and sadness melt away from her body. How could she have refused this earlier? If she'd only known how wonderful the bath was, maybe she wouldn't have acted the way she said.

"Allow me to wash your back, Madam," the voice said, already washing her back with an impossible soft sponge. Rieka thought about protesting, but decided it wasn't worth the effort.

She sat there silently for a moment as the maid washed her back. Then, she finally mustered up enough courage to ask, "What is your name?"

"My name is Amora, Madam," the maid answered nonchalantly.

"Amora..." she whispered. She'd have to remember that. "Amora?"

"Yes, Madam?"

"I---I'm sorry. For the way I...you know. For the way I behaved last week," she mumbled, bringing her knees to her chest and resting her cheek against them. "I embarrassed myself and Marrok with my behavior."

"There is no reason for you to apologize to a maid, Madam." Amora replied.

"But I do!" she protested. "I made things difficult for everyone!"

"Madam, you are the Faemne of Lord Marrok. You are important to the staff, the nobles, the kingdom, but most of all, Lord Marrok. We will serve you in any way so long as Lord Marrok wills it. Regardless if you make it easy or difficult for us, we will still serve you. It is part of our pride as a servant of the Udolf."

Rieka didn't respond. This world was so different from the one she had come from. She'd never seen a servant so loyal to their leader. Even back in her village, people tried to get ahead in any way they could and would betray anyone they needed to. Backroom deals were a normal part of her society. She was a victim of one of these deals, sold to the wolf god. Sold to Marrok. She shook her head. No, she wasn't sold to Marrok. She had been saved by him. She needed to remember that. If he hadn't fought on her behalf, she would be with the dark grey wolf, Skoll, who still haunted her dreams. She needed to repay him in any way she could by being the best Faemne she could be without having to bear his child. But just what was she supposed to do?

"Amora?" she called as the maid helped her out of the tub and wrapped her in a towel. "Do you know what I am supposed to do as a Faemne?"

"Birth the child of Lord Marrok," she said matter-of-factly.

"Besides that!" Rieka huffed. "What am I supposed to do when Marrok isn't around?"

Amora paused and thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. There hasn't been a Faemne in the Liekos House since the Faemne who birthed Lord Marrok and that was long before my time her."

"Isn't there someone I could ask? I feel silly sitting around doing nothing all day."

Amora thought again as she styled Rieka's hair, her hands expertly weaving a long plait from her red hair. When she was done, she led her to the wardrobe and helped her into a golden day dress. As she finished lacing the corset, she spoke at last. "If anyone were to know about the Faemne of Liekos House, it would be the head housekeeper Mistress Accalia. She's been serving the family since the previous Udolf ascended to power."

"Can you take me to her?" Rieka asked, eagerly.

Amora sighed. "I can, but I cannot promise she will be forthcoming to you."

"Why?" Rieka asked.

"Because," Amora said with a frown, "Mistress Accalia hates the Faemne."