I managed to offer her a warm smile. She was still practically a child, a few days shy of fourteen, forced by her adoptive parents to work from such a young age, just because her body bled early.
Farah laid out our duties, leaving me not only as Aegir’s servant but also short of the option to swap my duties with another servant. Ralfe, Tomas, Clara, and Nadya now had early shifts. Asking to swap with any of them would interfere with my early-morning routine with Cinnamon. Sabriela’s shift would have been perfect, but I could never request to swap with her. I would not let her anywhere near their sight.Hissight.
“Everyone understood?”
“Yes, Farah,” everyone except for me said in a monotonous tone.
“Delia, go help Ralfe and Tomas with laundry, then come back here to help Merti with dinner.” And so I did as I was told. I scrubbed and chopped until my hands went numb and my lower back turned stiff and sore. I even offered to wash the dishes. I managed to lose myself in the task, washing every glass and plate that Clara kept bringing my way.
“Delia!” Farah barked. “What are you still doing here? It’s two hours past sunset, and Lord Hailin has just asked what time we will be serving him dinner!”
“Sorry, I—I forgot.”
“You forgot!? You never forget anything, Delia. Now go fetch him dinner before steam starts coming out of my ears.”
Sure, I never forget anything—anything except for the tender years of my childhood. How fucking ironic.
But I only said, “I’m sorry,” and hurried to prepare a meal made of whatever it was I could find.
I rested the tray on my hip and let out a shuddery exhale before knocking. I found him sitting at his desk, assessing a parchment as if it were his nemesis. In front of him sat a glass of water. I could tell it was ice-cold from the condensation on its surface. And next to it, something silver. I quickly set up his table, then took hurried and silent steps towards the door, never looking his way.
I reached for the handle.
“Were you planning on slowly starving me to death, Cordelia?” Lord Aegir drawled.
Fear turned into anger, and I snapped at him, “Would you rather I do it quick? Perhaps an ice dagger to your throat.” His unmoved expression enraged me.
“Speaking of ice, you left these here,” he said, gesturing to the glass and the silver.
“You can keep them.”
“But they’re yours. My end of the bargain. You must take them.”
“I don’t want anything from you,” I murmured, before closing the door behind me.
CHAPTER 6
Come morning, I entered his room with a lowered head and hurried towards the dining table. From the corner of my eye, I could see him sitting at his desk, reading something. The plates from the day before, I noticed, were licked clean. He even ate the burned potatoes. When I was setting up his table, I did suspect that what I was serving him was surely not enough, and now, considering the sheer size of him, I was sure that last night his appetite lingered on. I wished that the thought didn’t bother me. On the contrary, I wished for it to please me, but it wasn’t just a night or two where I had slept on a growling stomach not to feel the slightest bit of guilt.
I replaced the empty plates with ones overflowing with fruit, bread, honey, and a variety of goat’s cheese. Then I rushed for the door, ignoring the ice-filled glass and silver coin, which were now displayed on the side table. I wished I had the courage to roll my eyes at him, but I didn’t. I didn’t even dare to meet his gaze.
“Good morning, Cordelia.” His voice alone almost startled me.
I wasn’t going to wish him a good day, but a quiet voice came out of me, and I replied somewhat reluctantly, “Good morning, Lord Hailin.”
And each day for the next few days was a repetition of “Good morning, Cordelia,” or “Good afternoon to you, too,” or “Goodnight, Lord Hailin.” The only thing that changed was the portion of food, which I gradually increased.
How can someone possibly eat that much?
Today, I was making his bed when he called my name. “Cordelia?”
“Yes, Lord Hailin.”
He stood. “Tomorrow is going to be a very long day for me.” I fluffed his pillow, awkwardly waiting for him to go on. “I need you to bring my breakfast at dawn as I will start my day early.”
I nodded. “I will let them know about your request. Good d—”
“You have to inform someone about slight changes in my breakfast schedule?” he asked, moving around the desk and taking a few steps towards me. I let go of the pillow and instinctively took just as many steps back, angling myself towards the door.
