Indigo

CRACK

I jolted awake. My eyes snapped open and my teeth elongated into sharp fangs as I jumped off the bed landing in a crouch. I looked around the room. The King, princess, and guards stood in front of me. Each guard stood defensively round the royals ready to strike. Slowly, I backed down realizing where I was. The guards seemed to relax a little, though their batons remained in their hands.

"You are to be Alexandria's servant." The King said as he stepped between the guards. "You are to follow all her commands. If you fail to meet them, you will be banished from the kingdom and hunted. If any harm comes to her because of your actions, you will be tortured and executed." A shiver raced through my body.

"Understand half-breed?"

"Yes, your majesty." I nodded and looked at my bare feet. There was a soft swish against the stone floor, accompanied with gentle clicks that moved towards me. A scent of rose filled my nose. When I lifted my head, I saw a light green skirt inches from my feet.

"Thank you, father. I'll handle this from here," she spoke, interrupting the silence. He nodded and left the room with a wicked grin. Once the door shut and the footsteps faded, she sighed. Her skirt spun and she sat on the floor. For a moment she stared at me. She adjusted her position and lifted her hand. I flinched away from her, slamming my shoulder into the bedframe. I waited for the pain of a smack.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she said quietly. I looked up at her face in shock. I had expected annoyance and disdain that the people and King had shown, yet all I saw was genuine worry in her eyes, "Are you alright?" Her voice was calm and incredibly kind. When I didn't answer she lifted her hand once more and reached towards me. She rested her hand on my cheek, wiping away the tears. Blinking, I reached up and wiped the rest of them off my face.

"Are you alright?" she asked again. I nodded.

"Yes, Princess," a small, but kind smile appeared on her face. She grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet.

"Why don't we take this to my room. We will have more privacy there." Once again, I nodded in agreement and she began tugging me towards the door. Before she stepped into the hallway she let go of my hand and rested her arms at her sides. She led me through the winding halls and up a few stairways ending at the door to her room. The entire way she pointed out various rooms and hallways and where they led, yet I could barely recall anything she said.

"Any questions?" she asked as we walked into her room.

"Uh…umm" I mumbled staring at my feet. Something touched my armed and I jumped in surprise. She giggled, causing me to shrink in the corner I found myself in.

"Oh no! No, no, sorry. I wasn't laughing at you," she began to explain, "The way you reacted just reminded me of a friend," Looking up at her, I saw her hand stretched out. She helped me up again and I took a second to look around her room. It was filled with red and gold colors, a white desk, a large bed covered in pillows and blanket, and more that I had yet to see. Everything I had ever wanted in one room.

"Come with me. Let's get you cleaned up." She pulled on my arm and guided me into the bathroom. A warm bath was prepared, and the Princess called a few servants to help clean the dirt from my body. They were gentle and kind. Two of them brought clothing close to my size and helped me get dressed. The clothing was soft and warm, much better than any I had owned before. They were black and covered every inch of my body except my feet, hands, tail, and head. I marveled at the clothing as I walked into the main room.

"How does that feel? Does everything fit alright?" I heard the Princess ask as she rose from her desk.

"Yes… yes, Princess. It's fine," I couldn't keep a smile from my face, "Thank you, Princess." She held up a finger.

"We need to go over a few things. First, while my father, mother, or anyone else is around you need to be a proper servant. When it's just me or any of our servants you can be as casual as you feel, alright?"

"How should I address you then?"

"Call me Alex or Alexandria." She held out her hand, "What should I call you?"

"In-Indigo," I shook her hand as she smiled brightly.

"It is wonderful to meet you, Indigo,"

"My pleasure Prin-… Alexandria." Her smile only seemed to grow. She sat me down and began teaching me about the rules of the palace and my chores. Much of the duties I was given were basic maintenance jobs such as cleaning Alexandria's room, laundry, organizing her closet, and setting up her bathroom each morning and afternoon. There only one that was more personal, intimate almost.

"I have… I have to help you get… get dressed?" I rubbed my neck as my ear flattened against my hair.

"Yes, but only with a few things that I can't get into myself." She paused and reached out to touch my arm, "It will be mostly outer clothing. Things like winter coats, lacing up loose dresses, and cloaks. There are very few pieces I will need help getting into and they normally require a few hands, so you won't be alone." I nodded, trying to shake the nervousness I felt from my mind. She continued to explain that I would accompany her to most events, if not all, and serve only her during said events.

Several hours later, after the sun had set, she brought me to the King's servant, explaining that he would show me where the servants' quarters were. She said goodnight and left to her room. I fiddled with my sleeves and followed the tall manservant to our quarters. He was silent except for the occasional instruction of where to turn and which stairs to climb. When we came to the bridge I stood hesitantly at the door. The other stopped a few feet away, turning towards me. He looked confused but concern soon filled his eyes as tears filled mine. Before I knew it, I was sobbing in front of him. I wrapped my arms around my stomach and backed into a wall. Panic filled my mind and I couldn't breathe. Everything was crashing down, closing in on me, every sound, every feeling. Slowly, I sunk to the floor. I hid my face in my arms and I tugged at my ears and hair. It seemed like hours later when hands touched mine.

I flinched away, yelping in fear. A quiet voice cut through the fear flooding my mind. It was calm and soothing. I looked in the direction of the voice to see the servant's emerald eyes. They seemed to be filled with understanding and pain. He continued to speak softly as he pulled at my arms, standing me up.

"It's going to be okay. I promise, In-… I promise you it'll be okay." He wiped away the tears on my face and walked me across the bridge. I followed him quietly as he led me to a small room. I sat on the bed drained from everything that had happened.