Out For a Stroll

By Jonathan J. Snyder

It was when the maid assigned to watch him was not looking that Henry Patton had slipped away. She was not actually there to watch him as she had been told to be ready for his commands but Henry could only take so much attention. Being the Lord of Blue Blossom Estate had its perks but there was always a servant only a few steps away.

Henry had been on the patio with a cup of tea when the girl had been distracted by an argument between two harvesters over something that happened in the field. Seizing the opportunity, he quietly made his way down the path and towards the forest.

Of course, Henry wasn't an idiot. He had run into Burdak, the Head Maid of the Scullery Cohort, and let him know where he was actually going with a promise to only tell Maevin Maer, his Mistress, if she became desperate. The only thing Henry wasn't sure about was the wink that came with the promise. Maevin would never actually scold him but he had seen the distress in her eyes when she lost track of him.

Sucking in a deep breath and letting it slowly out, Henry basked in the sunlight and breeze that tugged at his blond hair and clothes. The gentle sweet scent of the Vevet grapes being carried with the distinct bite of the forest trees.

From his place on the path, he could make out the lake in the distance and even farther the walls. From what Chief Tox Utivin once explained that the main house set in about 2 square miles was on quite a few square miles and within the tall walls of the compound.

On the little hill towards the gates, he could make out the massive walls in the far distance that encompassed all four hundred and sixty five square miles.

Henry was not actually going to leave the compound and explore the rest of the land. Maevin would smile and put a security detail on him for the rest of his life.

The gravel of the vehicle path that head for the roundabout in front of the Estate crunched under his boot. Henry spotted a walking path going into the cultivated woods.

“I haven't been there yet,” Henry thought to himself and stepped off the manicured path.

Immediately the air changed from the bright, sunny spring too a cool, wet breeze with the heavy sent of wood and grass. In the distance, he could hear the loud splashing of the creek that fed into the river and lake on the property.

The sun filtered through the thick foliage giving the world a magic feel. The pollen in the air sparkling like fairy dust. The taller grass and fallen leaves dampened the sound of his feet.

Ahead, Henry spotted a wooden bridge arcing gracefully over the creek, illuminated by a large beam of sunlight.

It was the tinkle of a voice that made Henry realize that he was not alone.

The young woman sat at the edge of the bridge kicking her feet as she sung to herself. In her hand she appeared to be knitting though the tools she had in her dark slender fingers only resembled what his mother used to do in the vaguest sense.

The woman's skin was bronze, her hair tight black curls. She wore a golden cloth draped down her waist that covered her lower body like a loin cloth, like many of the women he had encountered her, she wore no top. The woman's ample curves uncovered and highlight by the lights playing patterns as the wind moved.

Freezing and not wanting to disturb her, he tried to step back when a red bird fluttered out of the bush. She looked up, startled, and then tried to relax.

“I'm so sorry,” Henry quickly raising his hands in a gesture of calm. He spoke with a heavy Xaltean accent. Henry had been working hard with Yil, a maid who he had covered for a month ago, when she could get away from her chores.

Maevin had mentioned that the heads could speak Earth English but the majority of the rest could not. He vowed to learn their language.

“Oh!” She said surprised. Probably realizing who he was. More than likely from his bad grammar.

“I didn't mean to disturb you.”

“You have not, my lord,” she continued quickly setting aside her project, standing to face him and giving a bow of respect. “I was just surprised to see you here.”

Running the words through his head, he continued hoping he was getting it right.

“I was just strolling about and enjoying the quiet.”

The woman giggled. She spoke, this time in a lightly accented English.

“I apologize for laughing, Lord. You told me that you were trying to find a tree to eat.”

The blush that got put on his face due to her form, deepened from the embarrassment.

“Oh,” Henry said running his hand through his blond hair in his own language. “I'm still struggling with some of the syntax.”

“You are doing well for how little time you have been here. I hope you don't mind me practicing my Terran.” She continued.

“I'm Henry, by the way.” Of course she knew that, especially as the smile widened on her beautiful lips.

“I am Huseta. Emissary maid of the 4th order to Dulcet Sands Estate. House Neema.”

Henry's eyes widened. “Oh! You're not from here? Not House Avernell?”

She shook her head making her curls bounce.

“My house is pledged to your High Baron and his illustrious House, she continued.

“Oh, cool.” That sounded stupid. Henry had to say something more intelligent.

“So, what brings you to Victory?”

“I am training for promotion to the 3rd order.”

“And you're an...emissary maid?”

Henry had not heard of that but only recently he had learned there were a lot more positions on the estate than he had been introduced too.

Huseta easily continued. “I am training to become a specialist in hospitality so that I may support diplomatic and social functions with other houses. I'm on a type of...exchange program? If that's the right word. Mistress Maer has me assigned working with Head Maid Abiva to learn the more subtle skills.”

Okay. That made sense. Having barely survived his own tekiasetel or “Benevolent War” with the other houses on the planet and in the sector. In the whirlwind that turned out to be a very dangerous dinner, he had seen very sophisticated men and women serving and being present for their lords and ladies. They had to be the emissary maids. The only ones that Henry Patton saw with that level of sophistication was Abiva, Nish, and Maevin herself.

Henry snapped back to reality when he realized he was just staring at her though his eyes were a lot lower than he had meant. His face got the reddest than it had ever been.

“Oh! I'm sorry! I'm not staring, I was—–”

“Deep in thought,” Huseta finished with a graceful smile. “I assumed nothing else. There is a lot to learn.”

Desperate for something else to distract, the young man gestured towards her project that she had cast aside.

“What are you working on? Knitting?”

The young woman glanced over to what he was referring to. “It is called ikushet'ma. It is a type of hand weaving to make tapestries and koveks.”

She gestured to the band around her waist where the cloth hung only inches from the ground.

“I thought that was a zizuut,” he asked.

“Zizuut is for inside and like an undergarment. They are shorter. This is actually the lower half of a tvekel.” Huseta explained then pointed towards her top that lay by her work. “A kovek are these.”

She gripped a piece of fabric that was a thin, long rectangle that came to a point at the end. It was covered with the swirl and dot patterns he had seen as tattoos.

“They represent tokens of affection or reward in many houses. This blue one here was gifted to me by my Head Maid for stepping in to a bad situation with House Rikin and soothing the situation. This pink one is a token of my lover back on Xaltea.”

“Ah. The Letters of Familiarity?” Henry asked trying to remember.

“Yes and no. I am not bonded to my house so I do not need one but this does tell others that I am spoken for of my own free will. We call it \'pursuing the ribbon'.”

“They look beautiful...the ribbons. I am not that creative,” Henry said with a sigh at the beautiful fabric. “but I never really got to do much with my hands. It looks difficult.”

“Oh! It is not once you get the feel. Here!”

Before the young man could think, Huseta stepped forward with a bubble of excitement breaking her calm and gently gripped his sleeve and tugged him to the edge of the bridge. He found himself seated beside her and the fabric thrust into his hands.

Immediately, the woman went into the explanation of how to move the silken thread, gently gripping his hands and moving it in a pattern. The golden fabric began to move and take form and for the first time in awhile, Henry lost all sense of time as he focused on trying to make his lines as clean and tight as the ones she had made.

“Oh, you are doing very well, honored lord,” Huseta exclaimed as he held up his inch of added length to the sparkling sunlight.

“You don't have to lie to me,” The human lord laughed. Her face flickered for a moment before she correctly guessed he was joking.

“For someone who just learned, it is very well done. I would never compare you to the master artisans of House Devenek,” the girl assured him with a gentle smile.

“Ishli'al,” Henry said in Xaltean to thank her.

“et-ishli'al,” she responded.

Huseta's eyes roamed over his shoulder and he saw her look shift. It was almost imperceptible but he had been around long enough to pick it up. He quickly turned to look down the way he came.

Down a few yards on the path, he could make her blue outfit in the shade where she stood, hand on one of the light poles he had failed to notice that illuminated the path. Her long black tresses moving gently in the win.

“Maevin!” Henry said scrambling up. She stepped forward with a smile on her face and he was not sure if it was genuine or forced.

“Burdak told me that you went for a walk,” Maevin said. “I see you found the river and some company.”

“I apologize to the Mistress if I have caused any offense,” Huseta quickly said beginning to lower her eyes but the hand that was raised just enough from around Maevin's waist to calm her stopped the girl in her tracks.

“You are fine, Privileged Huseta. I am glad you had the opportunity to speak with Lord Henry. I have watched you and I am content in the training you have received from Head Maid Abiva,”

“Thank you, Mistress,” Huseta responded with a curtsy. Henry had heard enough of the social pleasantries to follow along.

“This place if very beautiful, Maevin,” he said trying to remember enough to be as polite. “I do apologize for not letting you know that I was going to check it out. I hope that I did not burden you with anything.”

The tug of a smile at the corner of her beautiful mouth told Henry he was on the right path. He couldn't accuse her of worrying over him, even if it was true, as it would make her look weak in front of the junior, but he did not want to dismiss her as if she meant nothing to him.

“There have been no issues. I came to find you to see if you would like lunch,” Maevin continued. She looked over to Huseta. “You are free to return to your day, Privileged Huseta. Please do not allow me to waste your time.”

She again curtseyed knowing she was being dismissed. Henry turned to the girl and smiled genuinely at her.

“Thanks for showing me that, Huseta. It was really cool. Maybe I'll see you around and you can show me how it comes out?”

Her face blushed and she stammered, eyes darting between him and the powerful woman behind him.

“You honor me, Lord. I shall enjoy the company of your estate and will...greet you if I see you again if I do not intrude.”

With a wave again, he turned and took his place beside Maevin as they began to walk.

“Yes?” Maevin asked the amusement now genuine on his face since Huseta could not see her anymore.

“She seemed nervous with that last part? I was trying to be polite.”

“You did quite well, my master,” Maevin explained, the mirth in her voice.

“But?”

“You spoke to a citizen outside our house by her personal name with no title and then invited her specifically to be with you outside of the normal decorum for your position.”

“Oh my god, Did I proposition her?!?!” Henry panicked looking back and already seeing her form farther down the path moving on towards destinations unknown.

Maevin's tinkling laugh echoed around him as the approached the path that lead to the road and the two soldiers and a hover vehicle waiting.

“If you mean invite her to bed? Not directly but let's say that invitation was one very personal.”

Henry climbed into the hover car and immediately buried his head in his arms. Maevin sat across from him as the hover vehicle lifted slightly turned and made his way back to the house.

“She understood what you mean, Master Henry,” Maevin said in the silence between the two and a gentle touch to his arm. “Hence her response. She promised to greet you, which means say hi if she sees you. It's a good middle ground for the offer you made. She will make an excellent emissary when she is placed.”

“So, I didn't screw everything up?”

Maevin shook her head, her curls bouncing. Her face had taken on a smooth, serene appearance though the mirth was still in her eyes.

“Of course not. You have shown so much kindness, it is hard for anyone to think you as anything else. Your reputation has proceeded you.”

Henry raised his head to look at her. “What?”

“We actually have had a raise in request for transfers and people wishing for positions as they've heard of your kindness and respect. You feel safe which is extremely hard for many Xalteans to understand,” Maevin continued to explain as the estate grew closer. “We've even had a rise in tourism from Belentine and a few other cities to get a glimpse at the saintly human.”

“Oh, god. Is that what they call me?”

“Among other very flowery titles. The citizens have now taken it a badge of pride to be under the auspices of Blue Blossom Estate and her lord.”

Henry laid his head back and stared up out the sky light of the vehicle. He didn't know what emotion was worse. Embarrassment from hitting on a girl or being considered some sort of saint.

“Let's have lunch,” Maevin said and that was that.