Chapter Seventy-Three

Ellie and Elvin walked slowly to the dining hall, arms linked and heads huddled together conspiratorially. They ignored most of the merfolk they passed, again unbothered by their gawking and scandalized stares. It wasn’t until they had rounded the final corner that Ellie stopped and acknowledged anyone – it would have been very difficult for anyone to ignore the two small children that came shuffling down the hallway.

One, a young girl, carried a heavy bucket of soapy water. The other, a boy that appeared to be younger than the girl, carried an armful of different cloths and towels. The girl wore a very tattered, very stained white linen dress, while the boy wore nothing but a pair of brown woolen pants. However, it wasn’t just the fact that they were poorly dressed children that caught Ellie’s attention.

These children clearly didn’t belong here – they weren’t merfolk at all. Though they walked on two legs like she and Elvin did, it was apparent that their legs bent at a slightly different angle. Their hooved feet made a soft clip clopping sound as they struggled down the hall. The young boy was covered in a dark brown fur that covered him from head to toe, while the little girl was covered in a lighter shade of brown. Though they stood upright and had hands like hers, their heads were that of a cow and a bull, with the boy having just the faintest bumps where his horns were going to come in.

*Minotaurs*! Ellie thought excitedly. She opened her mouth to say something to them but felt Elvin gently nudge her side. She shot him a confused glance and tensed when she saw the angry look on his face. She looked back at the children and frowned, realizing what he meant.

These children – children who appeared to be younger than Rayanna – were slaves. Now that she’d had a moment to study them, she realized how mistreated they had been. The boy trailed behind his sister, almost as though he were trying to hide himself. She, on the other hand, seemed to position herself between her younger brother and them as if protecting him.

Ellie stifled a gasp as they passed, her heart aching. The young girl’s dress covered most of her back, but there were still visible signs of both past and current whippings etched there. Clumps of her fur were missing, replaced by the angry red welts of scars and the still oozing wounds of a current lashing. Both of their fur was matted in several spots, and the more she studied their faces, the more she could see their cheekbones protruding over their short fur.

“You two! What are you doing here?” a nasally voice screeched from the end of the hall. Everyone jumped, and the young girl accidentally spilled some of her water. “You useless…” A woman strode up to them, a long, thin cane pole in her hand. She raised it without warning and smacked the girl across the back, eliciting a sharp yelp of pain. “Look at the mess you’ve made!” she snarled angrily. She raised the cane pole to strike the girl again but was suddenly shoved to the ground.

“Oh, you stupid, *stupid* woman,” Elvin muttered exasperatedly. He watched as Ellie slammed her foot onto the woman's wrist and pushed down, hard.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Ellie demanded. The woman spat on her foot and Elvin moved to subdue her. Ellie held out her arm to stop him and ground her foot on the woman’s wrist until the loud sound of bones crunching could be heard. “Answer me!” she roared. Elvin smirked as the woman balked beneath her.

“I’m teaching this cow a lesson,” the woman hissed. “Slaves are not permitted to use the main halls.”

“Slaves? These are *children*," Ellie whispered darkly. The woman snorted, amused.

"They are not children! They are abominations! They should be thankful for --" Her sudden scream broke her sentence. Elvin placed a calming hand on Ellie's shoulder, trying to coax her to release the clump of hair she now clutched. He wouldn't have cared, but he didn't want her to scare the children, and with the angle the woman was now bent in...

“It’s alright, miss,” the young girl spoke up softly. “We are bound to serve the royal family of the Pale Seas… We have no one willing to claim us, so we must work for our board and food.” The girl’s voice was deep and smooth, full of sadness. Ellie looked between the two children and sighed. She removed her foot from the woman’s wrist and released her hair.

"...Elvin?" He chuckled and nodded his head.

“How much is the crown wanting for the pair?” he asked, amused. The woman laughed coldly and climbed to her feet, cradling her swollen wrist.

“Far too much for you or the half breed,” she sneered. Fin’s hand was around her throat in an instant.

“When did he get here?” Ellie whispered as Fin slammed her against the wall.

“He’s been with us the entire time. Surely you didn’t think Avery would be alright with giving you only one escort,” Elvin laughed. Ellie rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Fin.

“Watch your tongue, *cretin*. This is the crown Prince Avery’s betrothed you speak to. If you disrespect her again, I’ll slice you from nose to navel.” He let the tip of his sword rest on her stomach before withdrawing it and letting go of her neck. The woman collapsed in a heap on the floor, gasping for breath.

“My apologies. I’ll see to it that the children are delivered to his majesty’s quarters immediately. No pay will be necessary, as my way of apologizing.” She rose shakily to her feet and gave Ellie a low bow. Then, without another word, she scurried back the way she came.

“You didn’t have to do that, miss,” the girl whispered softly.

Ellie knelt and placed her hands on the girl’s shoulders.

“I have lived through the same kind of pain. I will not stand by and let it happen again. You’re safe now.” The girl gave her a teary nod pulled her brother to her. She winced as he hugged her, and Ellie frowned.

“Elvin,” she began again.

“Worry not, Miss Ellie. I’ll have breakfast delivered to your room again, with plenty to share. Xyla will be waiting with some medical supplies.”

Ellie gave him a soft smile. She and Elvin both looped their arms with the children and began leading them back to her room as Fin disappeared into the shadows. The group walked in silence, only the occasional *drip drip drip* echoing down the hall.

Author Note:

Hi all. My planned schedule from here on out is Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The goal is to have the chapters uploaded by 10pm EST, but I'm a bit late today. I had the nerves burned in my back this morning, so my day has been kind of off. I've already got most of 74 ready, though, so it should be up on Thursday. Thank you for your patience! See you soon!