9 The Plan

"Here you go, Sir Saphrin." Said the elderly shopkeeper as she handed Saphrin her bag.

Saphrin took the bag and smiled as she handed the lady three pounds, "Thank you, madam."

"Please come again." The lady waved as Saphrin left the shop.

The lass quickly walked back to the Ferdim house in excitement as she thought about Caspery.

Meanwhile at the Ferdim house, Caspery was setting up the dining table for dinner.

"Hurry up, slave girl!" One of the servants yelled at her, "Dinner starts in half an hour and you haven't even brought the bread rolls out yet."

Caspery looked over at him, "I checked two minutes ago and the chef said they're still in the oven."

The servant shook his head, "That's not my problem."

During dinner, Lord Ferdim was telling everyone a story from his youth while Lady Ferdim kept ordering the servants to pour her more wine and Lutiera yawned in boredom as she poked at the food on her plate. Saphrin had a hard time keeping her eyes off of Caspery whenever she came out into the dinning room.

"So then I said, 'Your wife? I thought that was your sister!'" Lord Ferdim laughed as tiny pieces of chewed food began to fly out of his mouth, still full of food.

Saphrin peered over as Caspery brought in another basket of freshly baked dinner rolls. She noticed how Caspery stared at the bread as she placed it down onto the table. Saphrin could hear a light grumbling sound as Caspery quickly covered her abdomen with her forearms before quickly leaving heading back to the kitchen.

"Sir Saphrin?" A voice called from behind, causing Saphrin to jump a bit. She turned to see who it was and saw Hario standing right behind her, almost hovering over her.

"Oh I'm sorry, Sir Saphrin," he said with a cold stare, "I didn't mean to alarm you."

"It's fine," Saphrin sighed.

"Is everything alright?" He asked.

"Yes…," she thought for a moment, "Actually," she stood up, "I need to be excused."

"What?!" The Ferdims looked at her in shock.

"What's wrong, Sir Saphrin?" Lord Ferdim asked.

"I have…," Saphrin darted her eyes across the room for a second before responding, "Some errands to run tomorrow and I need to wake up early."

"Can't you stay for one more story?" The lord asked.

Saphrin shook her head, "I'm sorry, m'lord. I cannot."

"Oh alright," he sighed.

She looked at the basket, "May I take some for later?" She asked.

"Why?" Hario asked, raising an eyebrow.

Before the lass could respond, the lord spoke up, "As a midnight snack of course!" He grinned, revealing pieces of meat and broccoli stuck between his teeth.

Hario sighed, "Alright then."

Saphrin grabbed a handful of rolls before leaving the dining room.

Later that evening, Saphrin took her bag and crept downstairs to the servant quarters while being careful not to wake anyone up. The halls were dark and cold. The floors and walls were both made of concrete while the air smelled musty. Saphrin did not bring a lamp with her since she never struggled to find her way through the dark. She paid close attention to the labels on the doors as she searched for Caspery's room. All the doors had a small, wooden plank on them with the servant's name painted on it. All of them except for Hario's since his label was made from brass and his name was etched into the metal. Saphrin came across a door which did not have any labels on it. She stood in front of it and observed it for a moment.

*Could this be her room?* She thought, *Maybe I should knock to find out.* She reached her hand out to knock on the door but then stopped herself. What if this room belongs to someone else? What if it's just a storage closet?* She retracted her hand and continued to ponder while staring at the nameless door.

The door handle started to jiggle before the door slowly opened. Saphrin took a step back as the person stepped out of the room.

"Saphrin?" Caspery gasped quietly, "Where have you been? You were supposed to show up ten minutes ago." She asked.

Caspery was wearing a beige linen nightgown which reached all the way down to her ankles. She wasn't wearing shoes and didn't have her headscarf on. Saphrin noticed her sea green hair and how wavy it was. Her hair seemed to reach her shoulder blades and it shined a little from the light source in her room. Caspery's sparkly eyes looked a little more blue this time and her pointy ears were visible.

"Sorry, dear," Saphrin looked down as she brushed her fingers through her hair, "I had to make sure everyone upstairs was asleep first and then I had a hard time finding your room since I've never been down here before."

"I told you my door has my name on it," Caspery said as she pointed to her door. She then looked at it and realized there was nothing on it. "Huh? Where'd my sign go?" She looked around and saw a piece of paper on the floor right next to her door. She picked it up and it read 'Caspery'. She then sighed, "Sorry, Saphrin. I forgot it keeps falling off."

Saphrin chuckled, "It's alright, dear. May I come in?"

After Caspery let her in and closed the door, Saphrin looked around the room. Her bedroom walls were dull and dark grey. The room had a small dresser, a lamp, a twin sized bed and no windows. The sheets were cream white while the thin blanket and pillow were both a pale shade of grey.

"This is my room," Caspery smiled awkwardly, "I know it's not much but it's enough for me."

Saphrin frowned, "This room is so depressing. You don't even have any windows."

"I mean, all the servants live here in the basement so none of us have windows in our rooms."

"Yeah I noticed but this looks so strange compared to my room." Said Saphrin as she set the bag down on Caspery's bed.

"I guess you're right." Caspery sighed. She noticed the bag which quickly piqued her interest. "What's in the bag?" She asked as she sat down on her bed.

Saphrin picked up the bag and placed it on her lap as she sat down next to Caspery. She reached into the bag while looking at Caspery and pulled out a large brown quilt with golden hexagons on it.

"It's the quilt from the market!" Caspery gasped in excitement.

"Shh." Saphrin shushed her gently.

"Oh sorry," Caspery whispered, "It's the quilt from the market!" She whispered in excitement.

Saphrin smiled as she handed the quilt to the slave girl.

Caspery held it against her face and took a big whiff. "This smells so good! Reminds me of home."

"Do you like it?" Saphrin asked.

Caspery nodded, "I love it! Thank you so much!" She hugged Saphrin tightly as the lass hugged her back.

Right as the two women let go of one another, Caspery's stomach began to growl.

"Didn't have dinner?" Saphrin asked.

Caspery shook her head, "There was nothing left for me to eat."

"Huh?" The lass raised an eyebrow, "Don't you eat with the other servants?"

"No," Caspery sighed, "After the servants eat, the slaves are the last ones to have dinner. There usually isn't much left after all the servants have eaten."

"Oh dear." Saphrin frowned, "Well then," she reached into her bag again and pulled out a small pouch full of the bread rolls, "It's a good thing I brought these."

Caspery gasped, "For me?"

Saphrin nodded with a smile, "Yes, dear." She then handed the pouch to Caspery. The elf girl took the pouch and started munching on one of the rolls.

"You are too kind to me, Sir Saphrin." Said Caspery.

"Please, dear," Saphrin began, "You don't have to call me sir when we are together in private."

"Really?" Said the elf girl with a mouthful of bread, "What should I call you then?"

"Just Saphrin is fine, dear." Said the lass.

Caspery nodded, "Alright then, Saphrin." She smiled.

"Better," the lass observed Caspery for a moment before speaking again, "You know, it's strange. My father told me that slavery was abolished decades ago, yet, here you are."

Caspery swallowed her food and sighed, "Yes, I've heard the same thing which is why my mother and I came here," she looked down, "However, I later found out that those anti slave laws only apply to humans."

"That's terrible!" Said Saphrin as she clenched her fist.

Caspery nodded, "After we came here, my mother got very sick. She died a few days after we arrived. I was only twelve when it all happened. A man then approached me and told me he could help by offering me a great opportunity."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes. I was so eager and desperate after her death that I jumped right into it. Little did I know, it was all a trap." She lifted her head and motioned to the room, "So here I am now, working for many hours with no pay. Both the family and the help treat me like I am nothing."

"I'm so sorry, Caspery." Saphrin frowned.

"Thank you," Caspery sighed, "I wish I could be free," she looked at the lass, "Like you or Jero. I want to travel the world, see new places, and live by my own rules."

"Oh?" Said Saphrin, "Have you ever tried running away?"

"Well," Caspery began, "Many years ago, there was another elvish slave here. His name was Fiyo, an older man who was here for years. When I first started working here, he was very kind to me and protective over me. He made sure nobody tried to hurt me. He was my only friend."

"So what happened to him?" Saphrin asked curiously.

"One day, he told me about a plan he had to escape and asked me if I wanted to go with him. I was excited to leave this horrid place so I agreed. However, my excitement later became my demise. There was a maid who was close to my age and I used to consider her as my friend. Foolish, fourteen-year-old me thought I could trust her when I told her about Fiyo's escape plan. Little did I know that Hario had eyes and ears everywhere. One night, Fiyo and I decided to go through with our plan. However, Hario was waiting for us outside the house…"

*"You have two options," said Hario, "Either you two return to your rooms and we'll pretend this never happened or you two continue with your plan and I will be required to execute you." He spoke as he drew his sword.

Fiyo shook his head, "No! We're leaving." He said as he lifted up a long, metal plumbing tube, almost the same length as the butler's sword.

"Option two it is." Said Hario right before he swung his sword at Fiyo. The elvish man quickly blocked the butler's sword with his tube.

"Run!" Fiyo said to Caspery.

"But what about you?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"I'll be fine. Now just go!"

Caspery nodded as she turned around and ran towards the fence. Once she approached it, she began to climb to the top. She peered over and saw a large forest on the other side. Caspery hesitated to climb over the fence.

"I can't do this," she whispered to herself, "Not without him." She then climbed back down and ran back to Fiyo.

Sparks began to fly as Hario's sword collided with Fiyo's metal tube, scratching the surface of the tube and dulling the edges of the sword. At one point, Fiyo swung his tube so hard that he knocked the sword out of Hario's hands. He fell over as Fiyo got really close and pointed his tube at him.

"Give it up!" Said Fiyo.

"Fiyo, come on!" Said Caspery as she ran towards him.

"Huh?" He looked over at her, "Caspery!" He said angrily, "I told you to leave."

"But I can't leave you behind." Said the girl.

"Caspery," Fiyo sighed, "That's really sweet but I already told you that-" Before he could finish, Fiyo stopped talking and fell to the ground face first. Caspery was shocked when she saw a dagger in his back. She gasped as she looked over and saw Hario who was now up on his feet.

Hario pulled the dagger out of the man's back and wiped off the blood with his handkerchief before returning it to his inner coat pocket. Caspery fell to her knees as she began to weep.

"No," Caspery said as she got choked up. Tears rolled down her face as she placed her hands on Fiyo's warm carcass.

Hario looked down at the girl, "Let this be a lesson. Now go back inside and I won't tell anyone that you were involved in this." He demanded as he walked back into the house.*

"If I hadn't told anyone, Fiyo would still be alive today." Caspery sniffled.

Saphrin shook her head as she placed a hand on her shoulder, "None of that was your fault, Caspery. You were but a mere child and you didn't want to leave your only friend behind. Hario is the one who killed Fiyo, not you."

Caspery sighed, "You don't understand, Saphrin. I had stabbed Fiyo in the back long before Hario did." Tears began to roll down her face as she wept softly. Saphrin wrapped her arms around the elf and hugged her tightly.

"I'm so sorry, dear." Saphrin whispered as Caspery hugged her back.

After a few minutes, Saphrin slowly pulled away and took a handkerchief out from her pocket. She handed it to Capsery.

"Thank you." Caspery smiled weakly.

"You're welcome," Saphrin put her hand on her shoulder, "That gives me an idea."

"Oh yeah?" Said Caspery as she wiped her tears with the handkerchief, "For what?"

"An escape plan."

Caspery gasped, "But I just told you about what happened last time."

Saphrin nodded, "I know but this time will be different."

"How so?"

"Well now that you have me, I can help you run away and nobody will suspect anything."

"What makes you so sure, Saphrin?" Caspery asked.

"The Ferdims adore me and I have a great reputation." She smirked.

"I don't care much about the Ferdims," said Caspery as she handed the handkerchief back to the lass, "It's Hario that we need to worry about. Like I said, he has eyes and ears everywhere."

"Keep it," said Saphrin, "And yes, I am aware of his authority over the help."

"Well then what's your plan?" Asked Caspery as she put the handkerchief in her lap.

"What if I told the Ferdims that you were trying to escape? After that, I ask Lord Ferdim for permission to execute you."

"What?!" Caspery was shocked, "But I thought-"

Saphrin interrupted her, "Wait, there's more!" She continued, "Then I take you into the forest by ourselves with a bag of supplies and then I set you free."

"Huh?" Caspery thought for a moment, "That sounds interesting but where will I go after that?"

Saphrin smiled, "I'm glad you asked. When I first came here, Jero gave me a map of the land. There's a path we can take through the forest in order to leave the country."

"That sounds great and everything but I don't want to leave," Caspery sighed, "Not without you."

Saphrin gasped in flattery, "Why's that?"

"Because…" the elf girl looked down as she blushed a deep shade of pink, "I think… I think…"

Saphrin lifted Caspery's chin up to face her, "You think what, dear?" She whispered as she gazed into her sparkly periwinkle eyes.

"I…," Caspery sighed, "I have feelings for you, Saphrin."

The lass smirked, "I noticed."

"Then why'd you make me say it?" Caspery said angrily.

Saphrin chuckled, "Because I wanted you to say it aloud. Also," she put her hand on the bed right next to Caspery's thighs as she leaned in close, her lips only an inch away from Caspery's lips, "I think it's really cute when you say things like that."

The room was silent. Caspery could hear her own heartbeat as she gazed into Saphrin's dark green eyes.

"Really?" Caspery whispered.

Saphrin nodded, "Of course."

"Does this mean you also-"

"Yes," Saphrin interrupted, "I have feelings for you too, Caspery."

The two women looked at each other for a moment in silence before Saphrin spoke up again.

"Would you like a-"

"Yes," said Caspery, "I would like a kiss."

"What's the magic word?"

Caspery rolled her eyes, "Do I have to?"

Saphrin nodded, "You must."

Caspery sighed, "Alright. Please may I have a kiss?"

Saphrin chuckled, "Of course you may, love."

The two women leaned in as their lips touched each other. In that moment, Caspery felt like everything had suddenly stopped and Saphrin felt like all was right with the world. After a few seconds, the two women pulled their faces away from each other. Both of them had a big grin on their face.

"That was great," said Caspery.

"No," said Saphrin, "*You* were great."

Caspery blushed, "Oh you."

Saphrin laid down on the bed, "Mind if I stay here for the night?"

"That's not a good idea," said Caspery, "The other servants will start to talk if they see you leaving my room in the morning."

"Oh," Saphrin realized as she sat up, "You're right."

"Well," said Caspery, "Another great reason why we need to leave. Although, I'm still surprised that you're willing to come with me. I mean, what if the Ferdims send people out to look for you?"

Saphrin shrugged, "I guess I'll just have to change my identity again."

"Oh alright," Caspery then paused, "Wait a minute! Again?"