It’s too dark for me to see exactly what happened but the manor reeks of blood. Somehow, I keep the soup down between the smell and the rocking. I peak out the curtain curious if we are getting close to our final destination.
I’m carried to what was the Young Lord’s private training ground. It’s centered around a large dirt field. At one end of the field was a covered stone patio, originally meant for meditation. Now it’s been turned into some sort of makeshift throne room.
Half the white awning is flapping in the wind behind Jun while he sits in a fancy chair. The sheer curtains used to close off the space for meditation are half open, framing him. Torches have been lit behind him, illuminating everything but his face.
The tile beneath his feet has fresh blood spilled all over it and there is some poor servant on his hands and knees making every effort to mop it up.
Jun is talking to a man I recognize as the head butler. He says, “Let’s make this transition simple. Any servants who want to leave can leave. Any who want to stay will receive a bonus equivalent to their annual salary once this manor is put back in order. Also, any who try to defy us will be killed on the spot. Any questions?”
The butler grovels while making intense eye contact with the blood stained tile saying, “No my Lord. You are most generous my Lord – “
Jun cuts him off with a wave of his hand. “You are dismissed.” The butler runs back into the main house.
Luan is off to the side patching up the arm of another member of Jun’s squad. This one looks like Jun’s mini me. Same hairstyle, same sword, even his clothes look like what Jun was wearing when he left. The only differences I see are that he looks younger and has less muscle mass. He must be Ming if he’s the squad’s other swordsman.
My palanquin is brought up next to the throne. Jun stands and personally carries me to a lounge chair covered in cushions, which has been positioned a bit to the side behind the throne. He quietly asks, “How are you feeling?”
“Honestly, better than I expected.” He also looks better than I expected. Most of the blood has been washed off his face and he’s wearing a fresh robe.
With a smile, he says, “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day.”
As he arranges the pillows to prop me up, I ask, “Are you hurt?”
He chuckles and says, “It will take more than a cowardly Lord’s mercenaries to stop me. Don’t worry, none of this blood is mine.” After he makes sure I’m situated, the smile vanishes to be replaced by an icy expression.
Once Jun is seated back on his chair, Tai reappears with a few maids in tow. These might be some of the ones who dressed me earlier, but they’ve cleaned up. He gestures them to stand next to me. They bow in greeting and stand out of the way, but still in my field of view. Tai nods at me in satisfaction before racing off to another task.
After Luan finishes stitching up the other swordsman, he comes over and offers me a vial of something for the pain. I take it without hesitation.
Jun sorts through people as the sun comes up. Luan and Ming flank his throne. Then Tai and the last squad member escort various victims, I mean defendants, to be tried.
The process is simple, and I have a disturbingly good view. Someone gets dragged up in chains or by knife point. Luan asks them, “Do you agree that our Prince, Liang Jun, the Sword of Jubilant Light, the fourth disciple of the Celestial Sword of the South, Lord of White Fang and the true heir to the Golden Bamboo Palace, had the right of vengeance when the former Lord White Fang broke the laws of hospitality?”
There was surprisingly little variation in people’s response. A few of the better dressed men tried to argue quoting statutes and verse. Then Ming would cut off their heads in one smooth stroke. Their corpses were piled at the far end of the training field.
Most took a good look at the blood and weapons and decided to live. They would immediately start praising Jun and swearing fealty. These people were tied up and put to the side of the training field.
Some of the hot heads started cussing Jun out and Ming removed their heads from their shoulders before they could finish speaking.
It’s still morning when the squad finishes sorting through the people of the manor. Most of them were loyal to the paychecks the former Lord provided and seemed to accept that there would be a new signature on them.
With the morning light, more and more people are shown into the courtyard. First they gather in clumps along a broad brick walkway that lines the training field, careful not to step into the bloody mud of the field. Though the walkway is broad enough for four men to comfortably walk next to each other, people are soon packed like sardines among the practice dummies and trying to not press into racks of spears.
They know something went down and that their attendance is being politely requested by the guy who took down a fortress in an afternoon with five people. Many look disheveled, as if they are still wearing their clothes from yesterday.
A few might be minor nobles, but most appear to be important tradesmen, farmers, and mercenaries who happened to be in town yesterday. All wearing their badges of office or family crests, trying to gather as much legitimacy as possible as if that would deter Jun’s blade.
Jun tells his squad, “It’s time.”
They drag the former Lord and his only heir from inside the manor into the center of the field. They are chained and gagged. Tai forces them to kneel.
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When Jun stands, the whole space quiets and all you can hear is the wind bringing the scent of blood and death with it. He walks toward them like he has all the time in the world.
The squad members leave the field and come stand by my chair as if I’m an important person to the proceedings. I look around at what everyone else is doing like a tourist and find I’m the only one doing so. Everyone else has their eyes locked on Jun’s strides.
The heir who is responsible for throwing me in the dungeon and beating me up has tears streaking down the dirt on his face. When Jun stands in front of them, he starts sobbing and begging for mercy. It reminds me of how I begged.
Jun ignores him and instead speaks to the crowd. “I came here as a peaceful guest. We exchanged gifts. I even ate at his table. But then this coward drugged me. He tried to kill me and present my head to my cousin. My brothers and I fought back. Now you are here to bear witness to what happens to my enemies.”
The heir starts begging and crying louder. Jun looks straight at me, like he can see through my veil. He draws his sword and beheads him in a single powerful stroke, swift enough to make a guillotine envious.
When his head hits the sand, I feel something inside me snap into place. The disruption caused by having both the soul of a maid and the soul of a flight attendant cease. The maid’s need for vengeance satisfied.
Jun walks to the former lord next. He is silent with downcast eyes and accepts his fate with dignity. It’s another clean strike.
Jun wipes down the sword and sheaths it. Then he takes a few steps away from the bodies towards the crowd. “I am an honorable man, unlike your former lord. I will not attack my guests. Those under my protection have nothing to fear from me. But I want everyone here clear about what happens when someone betrays me.”
He takes the time to look around at each person present, as if he could memorize their faces. “Going forward, I intend to protect my people, and I mean all my people including guests and women. I will not permit any under me to act with dishonor towards the weak. If I so much as hear of a maid being forced, my sword will take care of him.”
I feel like that comment is somehow directed to me. He continues, “I know that this is a rapid change for many of you and that change can be confusing. So, we will take the time to clarify your personal motivations today.”
He waves a hand, and Tai brings forward one of the people he spared earlier. They are generously allowed to walk under their own power, but they are still forced to kneel at Jun’s feet.
Jun goes and publicly negotiates for each one’s release. Many of them are local patriarchs or important merchants. One by one, he basically takes various family members hostage or demands the loans and supplies he needs to wage war against his cousins.
I watch the man who rescued me from hell press the eldest sons of families into his army and demand they lend him their heirloom swords and magical tools. All while claiming that now their success and his success are aligned.
Even with his positive spin on in, terror is still the theme of the morning. All in attendance agree quickly without protest. Their loved one’s bonds are cut, but they aren’t permitted to leave until their family returns with their part of the bargain.
It’s impressive that his power is such that not a single person left alive dares to say a negative word let alone raise a sword.
I spend the time he’s negotiating sorting out my mental self. I think the soul of Lin the maid faded when her dying wish was fulfilled. What’s left is just little old me, Ellen. The only feelings left of Lin are some whisps of triumph and delight at watching a grown man beg and then lose his head. I also have two lifetimes worth of memories, though I don’t think those are worth much.
Between the mass executions and the threats, I think I’m holding up okay, which means utter silence and promptly pretending it didn’t add to the continuous stream of trauma that this world seems to have in store for me.
Servants come and go offering me food and drink. I wave it off, because I’m really too injured to feed myself. Not a single servant recognizes me. It could be the veil, the bruising, or the fact that Jun’s calling me Lady Ellen. And according to Lin’s memories, Ladies might as well be a separate species from maids.
At some point I fall asleep and when I wake up the sun is high in the sky. Looking around, I find Luan’s suspicious gaze watching me. I wave back.
Jun notices I’m awake and walks back over. He pulls his throne over to sit down next to me. “How are you feeling after all that?”
“Better, whatever Luan has been giving me has helped.” My voice sounds much better than it did this morning. All the rasp is gone.
“I assume you must be tired.”
I yawn in response and he nods in understanding. He tells the maids, “Go make up a proper room for her. Whatever is best suited to a Lady.”
They rush off. I try to swing my legs over the edge of the chair and Luan rush over shouting, “Don’t you dare move. There is no way in hell you are ruining all my work. Down.”
I flop back down into the lounger. “I was just preparing myself to move to a bed.”
Jun says, “Don’t worry about that. I’ll take you.”
“You can’t take me everywhere until the casts come off. I don’t want to burden you.” He scoops me up into his arms like I weigh nothing.
“You’re no burden. In fact, you could probably use some fattening up. There has to be a couple of strong maids around here to help you when I’m not around. I’ll have them sent to you later.” I sigh a bit dramatically, which causes Jun to chuckle. Luan is all business watching us like a hawk as we head into the manor. Tai also follows us inside.
I can feel all the staff’s eyes on us watching the belligerent warlord personally carry a woman about. When I was a maid, finding out the identity of such a woman was an essential survival skill. I mentally wish them luck, because I’m still not sure how I fit into this hostile takeover.
The head butler appears to personally lead us to Lady White Fang’s room. Many things are missing from the room like all the rugs and a few pieces of furniture. But someone lit incense to cover up the smell of whatever massacre happened in here and all sorts of new décor is being carried in.
The head butler says, “I apologize that the suite is not yet perfect for the Lady, but I promise that everything will be finished by this evening. However, the bedroom is ready.”
The butler waits outside the doorway, but Luan and Tai follow us in closing the door behind them. Once again, Jun carefully sets me down on the bed and expertly arranges the pillows. Then he turns to his men.
They are staring expectantly, but I think I can leave this to Jun to take care of. Luan loses the staring contest first and spits out, “Can you now explain who she is?”
Tai puts his hands on his hip. Jun says, “I already told you. This is Lady Ellen. Did you forget?”
Luan retorts, “No, we didn’t forget.”
Jun continues in a bored voice, “She saved my life, and I am returning the favor. She is not someone you need to worry about. As opposed to the White Fang medical staff that are probably running off with the store room as we speak.”
Luan swears under his breath and runs out the door. Jun turns to Tai and says, “Do you have anything to add, or will you just trust me on this?”
He gives a sigh of frustration. Jun continues, “How about you focus on something important like getting into the safe?”
He rolls his eyes but heads out the door. The maids hovering outside the door take this as their signal to enter with a tray of food.
Jun takes the tray and dismisses them. We are careful about not removing my veil before the door is closed. Once it’s off, it feels like I can finally relax.
Jun doesn’t say anything as he helps me eat a slightly thicker soup. As he tucks me in, I feel the most relaxed I have since coming to this world.