Working for the Duke of Barklan wasn’t a bad lot, really. The Duke was stern and intimidating, and his rage could be a terrifying thing to behold \u2013 especially around the full moon, when it could make for a great deal of work mending torn drapes or sheets or clothes, or in the worst cases, moving in new furniture. Everyone feared what that temper might do if it was ever turned against them.<\/p>\n
But the Duke had always<\/em> been careful to send his people away when something roused his ire. He was very careful about that.<\/p>\n And it wasn’t like he was angry all<\/em> the time. Not even every month. He was touchy<\/em> around the full moon, yes, everyone knew it \u2013 but the staff didn’t need to creep around and avoid him, even then. He was stern, and he was fearsome, but he was fair.<\/em> And the pay was good \u2013 Anastasia never had to worry about food or firewood for her family. Even when times were hard for everyone, the Duke paid attention to that; he never called for a feast in lean times, and Marianne said he’d once opened his own coffers to have food brought into the duchy during an especially<\/em> bad year.<\/p>\n Sometimes all of that could be easy to forget, when faced with his scant praise and his scowls, or when his bellows echoed in the halls and things were crashing around. After one such episode, Anastasia wondered if perhaps she shouldn’t seek a position somewhere else. Baron Gith’s house was nearer her family’s home, maybe he<\/em> had room for another maidservant. She could visit a little more often…<\/p>\n It was a chance encounter in the cellars that made the decision for her.<\/p>\n Anastasia didn’t go down there very often; her duties often took her to the kitchen, but not beyond that. It was left to someone else to fetch things for the cooks; she<\/em> tended to the food after<\/em> it was prepared, as a rule. But the Duke had called for new linens, and someone<\/em> needed to fetch more to keep the closet stocked.<\/p>\n At first she thought the dark form she passed by on the straw pallet was a dog \u2013 shaggy grey fur, pointed ears, a sturdy collar around its neck \u2013 but when it sat up to look at her, she saw that it had hands,<\/em> and proper arms, and wore a loincloth.<\/p>\n She lurched back a step, gasping in shock; and the wretch flattened its ears and looked away.<\/p>\n Instantly she regretted her response. None who’d seen the Duke around this time of month could fail to know what manner of man was before her now \u2013 and even if his temper was more violent, the Duke was unarguably still a man, even when the moon was full; it was just so surprising to see such a one here, and in a bondsman’s collar at that.<\/p>\n \u201cGoodness, you startled me,\u201d Anastasia confessed. \u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n Hesitantly, the figure looked up at her again for a moment, then cast his eyes down. \u201cYes, Miss. Sorry, Miss,\u201d he said, his voice gravelly, but far from the Duke’s fearsome growl. \u201cDo you need help carrying that?\u201d<\/p>\n She blinked. Bondsfolk offering<\/em> to help? Back home, they’d needed to be commanded, and that sternly, to do anything<\/em> more than they already did. And usually the wretches were too exhausted to do much of anything. \u201cThat would be welcome, thank you,\u201d she said automatically; and the man rose. Upright, he was a stocky fellow; his pelt was clean and neat, and his clothing, however simple and embarrassingly brief, much better-kept than the bondsfolk she’d known elsewhere. He took over her burden with ease.<\/p>\n Anxious in the silence, Anastasia said, \u201cIt must be horrible, being kept down here…\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOh, no,\u201d the man said. \u201cIt’s comforting. <\/em>Safe. Baron Gith had me chained in the yard around the full moon. I’ve heard of other places where just being a werewolf is enough to meet the headman. But here I can stay inside, and people talk<\/em> to me.\u201d<\/p>\n Anastasia missed a step. \u201cChained in the yard?<\/em>\u201d The Duke didn’t do that with his actual<\/em> dogs. \u201cWhat if it rained?\u201d<\/p>\n A shrug. \u201cI got a bit cleaner,\u201d the man said. \u201cHe didn’t want me upsetting the staff being seen indoors like this.\u201d<\/p>\n Suddenly she had her doubts about working for the Baron, convenient to her home or no. \u201cHow was he to his servants?\u201d Anastasia wondered.<\/p>\n The man hunched a little. \u201cNot my place to say, Miss,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n \u201cPlease,\u201d she urged. \u201cI need to know if he’s… easier to work for than the Duke.\u201d<\/p>\n There was a lengthy pause. Then, reluctantly, \u201cThe womenfolk didn’t like it. I’d hear them, sometimes, when the moon was out. In his bedchamber.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn his bedchamber?\u201d she repeated, aghast. \u201cAt night? With<\/em> him?\u201d<\/p>\n A glum nod. \u201cYes, Miss.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAnd if they refused him?\u201d Baron or no, surely the man had no right…!\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe’d say…\u201d The man thought a moment. \u201cHe’d say they were lucky to have a master who’d give them a few trinkets if they pleased him, Miss. He’d say others would just take it for granted that they were there for him.\u201d<\/p>\n Anastasia shuddered, pressing a hand to her lips. Loud he might be when something angered him, but the Duke had never treated his staff like that.<\/em> Suddenly, working for Baron Gith, or indeed anyone that wasn’t Duke Barklan, didn’t seem quite so appealing.<\/p>\n \u201cJust set those there,\u201d she instructed, indicating a table in the laundry. \u201cThank you, you’ve been quite helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n The wolf-man’s ears rose up somewhat, a smile touching the edges of his mouth, his golden eyes lighting. \u201cThank you, Miss,\u201d he said, and turned toward the backstairs.<\/p>\n Chained in the yard, indeed. Even the meanest prisoner got better treatment than that<\/em>. Anyone who could don a bondsman’s collar instead of being put on a chain gang \u2013 or locked up tight \u2013 deserved more dignity.<\/p>\n And here, she could be proud that her master gave<\/em> such dignity \u2013 even to the lowest of his people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Uncertain of how she feels about her employer, a maidservant comes upon someone that clarifies matters for her.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[84],"class_list":["post-352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-one-shot","tag-flash"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=352"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":353,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions\/353"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/furry-tales.net\/shurhaian\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}