The Prince and the Slave: Book One

The Prince and the Slave Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven 

The next few weeks went past in a blur. Since his strange display that night, William had kept his distance, yet Abey noticed he was nearly always there, sometimes watching from a distance where he didn't think she could see.

Abey had quickly got used to her new routine, and the blisters on her wrists were all but gone, the signs of her old life of abuse fading away. William noticed how much happier she seemed. She was still nervous around Georgiana – who wouldn't be? - but she was completely relaxed in his company, and they had often awoken tired in the mornings after yesterday's conversations had run long into the night. 

It had been almost a month since Abey had arrived, and William had told her to meet him at the Castle Bridge that morning, and to forget about her normal duties.

“So what's so important you had to drag me away from my chores?” Abey asked the Prince with a grin as she ran up to meet him.

“Well, I promised I would take you into town, and now I'm fulfilling that promise” He said as he started to walk out of the gardens. “This is the first time you've left the Castle Grounds since you got here, isn't it?” He asked as she followed behind him.

“Yes” she answered excitedly “I can't wait to see it. Is it like every other town or is it different? Being so close to the Castle?”

William thought she looked like an excited puppy about to go on it's first outing, her brown eyes full of excitement and life. William laughed, “I'm not too sure, to be honest”. He noticed that instead of just trying to catch up, Abey was was purposely walking several steps behind him, he'd had to turn his head all the way around just to speak to her. He stopped where he was, just before the exit of the grounds and turned to face her. She had also stopped a few paces behind.

“Abey, what are you doing?”

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Why are you walking behind me?”

“Isn't that where I'm supposed to walk?” The confusion was clear on her face. “I was always told to stay behind my master. It wasn't my place to walk by their side.” She bowed her head at the memory of running to keep up with her previous owners, and the kicks she would receive if she got too close or too far.

“Nonsense!” William cried. “From now on you can walk where you like. And besides, it's very difficult to have to keep turning to talk to you. I can feel my neck start to ache!” He said with added melodrama.

“Oh no, and we wouldn't want that now, would we?” Abey laughed, borrowing one of the Prince's mischievous smiles. William just shook his head and laughed.

“Come on” he scolded fondly as they set off again. They had soon reached the town, and although it was more or less the same as every other, Abey was amazed to see how different an experience it was from the other times she been taken to town by her masters.

Usually, she would be struggling to keep up with her owner, who would occasionally bark an order at her. When they went to a stall she had to stand back with her head bowed, she wasn't allowed to look at the items being sold. Yet now, she was walking alongside the Prince, not behind him. Even though he had not worn his crown, the people knew exactly who he was, and they bowed to him, some even nodded respectfully to her!

“I hate it when people do that” William muttered.

“Do what?”

“Bow in the street like that. I wish they wouldn't”.

“How could you hate that?” Abey frowned at him.

“What?” William asked in confusion.

“People showing you respect. And you're not even forcing them. They're doing it because they want to” Abey had never known a time when someone had shown respect for her, but she had been forced to show it to others more times than she could possibly remember.