3 Who is She?

The house looked very similar to a chapel and the front had a large window that was about ten feet tall. The window contained green, red, and amber stained glass which formed an image of Plutus holding a cornucopia. These were the first things Saphrin noticed about the Ferdim house as she carried her bags towards the door. The front door was made from mahogany and was surrounded by more stained glass windows. Hario held the door open as Jero and the lass entered the building.

"Well," sighed Jero, "This is as far as I can take you." He said with a big smile.

Saphrin dropped her bags onto the white tile floor and turned to him with a pessimistic look on her face.

Jero frowned slightly, "Don't worry, my boy," he patted Saphrin on the shoulder, "I've known Lord Ferdim for years and I can assure you that he'll treat you no less than family!" He then hugged the lass tightly, as if she was Jero's child leaving for college.

Saphrin hugged him back very tightly and whispered demandingly, "You must visit me, at least during the holidays."

"Don't worry, lad. I'll make sure to visit you at least once every month." Jero chuckled as they let go of one another. The man looked at his pocket watch, "I must get going now," he took a few steps towards the door before turning to Saphrin one last time, "Take care, my boy!" He waved with glee before leaving the building.

Saphrin got a short house tour as Hario led the lass to her room. Once they arrived, the young lass plopped her bags onto the floor and looked around. Her room was fairly large with walls that were pastel indigo. It had a window that was about four feet tall and seven feet wide with lavender velvet curtains that reached the floor. The bed was queen sized with a Persian blue blanket and cloudy grey sheets. The pillows appeared to be freshly fluffed with sky blue cases. The embroidered bed frame, dresser and nightstand were all made from walnut. There was an antique, cherry wood door that led to a closet which was almost as big as a horse's stable.

Saphrin grinned at the room in slight amusement, "Such a fancy room for a mere servant."

Hario smirked, "You are no mere servant, Sir Saphrin," he took a couple of steps back towards the door, "You are the son of an honorable general and deserve to be treated as well as the family."

The lass looked down at her boots as her grin quickly faded away, "Ah of course," she said in a melancholy tone.

"Well let me know if you need anything," Hario turned to face the door, "Dinner is at six so don't be late." He said as he left the room and closed the door behind him.

After about an hour of unpacking, Saphrin plopped down onto the bed and let out a deep sigh. She fell back and rested her aching back against the soft mattress. There was a knock on the door which alerted her to sit up quickly. Saphrin opened the door to find a young servant woman in front of her.

The woman was wearing a tan dress with a beige apron and a beige headscarf. Her skin was a warm ivory color while her sparkly eyes were periwinkle blue, almost purple, which Saphrin focused on since she had never seen such vibrant colored eyes before. The woman's face was round and her skin looked soft compared to Saphrin's rough skin and kite-shaped face. The tall muscular lass observed this petite woman who looked to be around five foot four. She stared at this woman in awe while the young lady could barely make eye contact with her.

"Your indoor clothes, sir," she said shyly as she handed the lass a folded shirt and pants along with a pair of shoes.

Saphrin took the clothes and smiled, "Thank you, dear."

The woman looked to the side for a moment before responding, "Dinner is ready and Lord Ferdim wants you in the family dining room."

Saphrin nodded, "Tell him that I will be out in a few minutes."

"Yes, sir." Said the woman before turning around and leaving.

Saphrin then shut the door and closed the curtains before she began to change her attire. She slipped out of her gambeson, revealing the scars right below her pecs, before she put on a loose-fitting white linen shirt. The shirt had a folded collar and a string tied on the v neck. She changed out of her slacks and dirty boots before changing into a pair of high-waisted pecan trousers. Lastly, she put on a pair of black wool slippers.

Before leaving the room, she looked at the oval mirror on her wall and combed through her messy hair with his fingers. Her bangs rested on the sides of her face and reached her earlobes while the rest of her hair reached an inch below her lobes. She then closely examined her shirt in the mirror. She placed her hands right below her rib cage as she turned to the side in order to observe her pecs. She nodded to herself when she saw how flat and firm her pecs looked. She lifted her chin and rubbed her fingertips across her neck to feel the small cartilage on her larynx. The lump was no bigger than an almond. Saphrin then put her chin down and looked at herself in the mirror one last time before leaving the room for dinner.