Shackles Of The Past

Chapter 8

She lay in the dark

and knew everything.

~Lan McEwan

***

"Move! Move! Keep those hands dirty!" barked a guard with pinched face, short nose and scholarly demeanor. There was a refinement in his motions and a kind of expression that proved his stern taste.

The day without sunlight made it quite difficult. From afar, one could see the creepiness on the other part of the castle. Not even a single ray of sunlight basked the tower. It remained hidden in darkness. And the birds kept its company by roaming around; croaking loudly that sometimes startled the slaves.

As time flew by, the slaves weren't spared from their tasks. All they heard was, "Faster! Faster! Work like slaves!" at their every turn. The guard stood with his lash at his back as he inspected the works done by the slaves.

Throughout, Medusa had tried diffusing a plan with the little information she had gathered. But it wasn't enough. At least, not yet. With the information she got through reading minds, she came to realize the upcoming celebration was a perfect timing.

"That's not the way to handle that. You would end up drilling the ground instead," Esther spoke, raking the dry leaves that untidy the garden. With her movements fluid and neat, she smiled at Medusa.

But the latter didn’t return it. To her, no one even existed.

The next minute, Medusa got it right. No, perfect was the word.

Esther was speechless. “Where did you learn how to… tend to gardens like this?” she asked, amazed. But the cold aura seeped through Medusa and froze her to silence. “Did you have gardens?”

Gardens? Medusa thought. And she felt cold again. All she remembered having was grave.

‘Death.’ Medyse responded. ‘And death. They caused our death. She. Them.’ She added.

Medusa’s attention was slightly detached. But she regained her senses within few seconds.

But Esther was still persistent. “I did, though. Small and portable, not as wide as this,” she explained. “But it was beautiful. My father taught me how to tend to them when I was little. Who did you learn how to tend gardens from?”

Medusa paused.

When she didn’t gauge anything from the girl’s expression, she shifted the conversation. "Can we be friends? Like I said, my name is Esther."

As usual, Medusa ignored her, facing her work.

"I mean no harm, Medusa. I just want us to be friends."

Silence.

"We can start by-"

Medusa walked away, leaving Esther swallowing her words. Esther smiled faintly, her reaction being quite expected.

.

It wasn't until around four in the afternoon that the girls finished cleaning the gardens and other chores before striding to the stable. Medusa and Esther had identical chores, one relating to being assigned to the stable as part of their domestic work. The air reeked of hay and damp earth upon their arrival.

Feeding the horses had not been easy for Medusa. It either neighs as a sound to push her away, or it wiggles its tail, flapping her skin with it.

Medusa feeling frustrated, she grabbed some hays and forced it to its mouth but it pushed her roughly to the ground.

Medusa's eyes changed to black, and at this point, her frustration led her towards anger. She wanted to end the horse. But Esther's laughter distracted her.

Esther laughed, blocking her from moving further. "Easy there," she chuckled in amusement. Medusa didn't have that time to ponder what was funny but she wanted this horse dead.

"Maybe I'm not the one who finds a cold and silent girl quite pleasing." She laughed. Medusa glared at her, but she shrugged. "What? The horse here can testify,"

Esther caressed the horse's mane gently and it neighed in response. "Like this, gently. Good boy," The horse heads down, seemingly disinterested in their situation, their surrounding with its boring eyes that seemed to mock Medusa.

And she glared again.

Medusa walked out in silence approaching another horse. But it was the same result. She gave up, finding her comfort at the grass stool at the corner leaving Esther handling the horses.

As time flew by, Esther dropped her body on the stool in exhaustion.

They both sat in silence, listening to the quietness of the surrounding.

"About the other day…" It was Esther who broke the silence. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I don't even mean to talk about this but you must know something. Your powers are too strong and it is dangerous to use them recklessly. I know why you are here, Medusa, and I can help you." She spoke in one go.

Medusa looked at her, her blue eyes reflecting her darkness without a word.

"If you let me-”

"What is going on here?"

Startled by the hoarse voice, Esther's eyes widened in shock as she nervously reached her feet immediately. Medusa stood up as well with a straight face.

When she asked again, a noticeable pause ensued between Esther and Medusa. "W-we, um… Just the horses," Esther stuttered. She silently prayed they wouldn't get into any trouble. Not that they weren't.

Her response didn't seem appealing to woman as she kept looking around with an ugly expression. She approached them and said, “While seated?” she pondered, not looking pleased.

Esther didn’t answer.

“It seems my instructions earlier seeped through your ears, and avoided your brains,” she scolded. “Get back to work.” And she ordered.

Esther quickly turned away, rushing to grab the hays. But Medusa didn’t. And the keeper turned to face her, annoyance in those irises.

“Didn’t you hear what I just said,” she snapped at her. “How long have you been…” However, she paused after a sense of recognition washed through her the longer her eyes stared at Medusa's.

Her jaw dropped in dread. The realization hit her hard that she stood fixed on the spot, trembling on the susceptible ground she stood.

Drilled in dry emotions, her guts clenched at the thought she prevented years ago. "H-how… is this possible?" her voice trembled at her last words and the silence that followed was deafening.

Meanwhile, Medusa could feel the ground in her mind erupting; the door retrieving and pulling with sounds that caused her eardrums to tighten. Then the collective memories of her inner soul's past washed her head like a swarm of water splashed on an already wet sea.

'You must do this. Your family lives depend on you,' as the memories kept flowing like lava, leaving her body in the past, her eyes douched blankly at the conversation.

She sauntered forward as she listened to the faint distant voices ahead, to a spot where her master faced a young girl that looked exactly like… could it be… the keeper. The keeper?

'I'm afraid, I can't. I can't do it. What more would become of me?' came the heaviness laced in Medyse’s voice.

Medusa stood watching them.

'Then do you want your poor mother to suffer, your father die in loneliness, and your innocent sister used as a tool for pleasure each passing day, Medyse?'

At her words, Medyse breath hung in suspense at that thought and she bit her lips to prevent her tears. 'What do I do, Aelin? When I think of it, I get lost. I can't do anything. I can't even…' her voice cracked in raw emotions as Aelin embraced her.

'Shh…' Aelin comforted, patting her back while she sobbed. 'You know what to do Medusa. It's always for the best.'

Her master pulled away from her; her face dulled. It was the first time Medusa saw that look on her face. In the past, she looked vulnerable, helpless and scared to wit.

'How would I lose my virginity for foolishness?' The tears kept pouring without her knowledge but that didn't stop her from pouring her emotions. 'I will shame my family. I will shame God.'

'The family you talk about will be gone if you don't do what's necessary.' Aelin reminded.

'I can't… I can't do it. My virginity will remain for my mate.' She shook her head in finality. 'I wouldn't.'

'If you don't do it, just remember the blood of those innocent people is on you. You will be the cause of their death. No one but you.'

***