Chapter 39: 39. Chapter

As my consciousness came back to my body, after a long sleep, I felt much better. Thanks to my force healing, almost every bit of weakness and discomfort left my body. I would even feel energetic, if the gnawing hunger that forcefully woke me even before the first sunlight appeared on the horizon wouldn't be so frustrating. I looked around the room, only to realize, that I was still in the queens quarters. Uhm... did I fall asleep in the middle of her monologue? I don't even need the mirialan boy to tell me that this probably counts as a dreadful mistake, or more like a direct imperial insult, it's better if I don't mention it to him, if he doesn't know already... Where is the queen? What was the queen's name, again, Miroj? No... Mira, too short... it was longer Mire-Mirak-Mirej wait; I got this, Miraj! Yeah, that was it; but I won't even try her other name. After all, slaves don't need last names, right?

I stood up and walked around the room a bit, only to find a fruit bowl, with a large quantity of different fruits. I picked up an apple, one orange, and to appease my curiosity, something that I had not the slightest idea what it actually was, or how I was supposed to eat it. While I walked around the room carefully, to not bump into anything, I also realized that the queen was actually sleeping in her bed. Yet I was currently much more interested in appeasing my appetite. Also, I had too many things to think over, to care about her right now. She can sleep all she wants; also the assassin droids were still in the room, so I thought it wiser to not go near her bed while she was asleep. Since I wasn't keen to add one more royal insult to the list of the already existing ones, just like "waking the queen by loudly munching fruits in the early hours of dawn," oh, that would be an immediate death sentence for sure. Therefore, I decided to step out onto the balcony and eat there. The first second I stepped out, one of the bodyguard droids scanned over my full body, with a blue light, which made me a bit jumpy. But after it finished its scan, it immediately proceeded to continue its patrol over the balcony.

The wind was blowing furiously at this hour; it must be some local phenomenon natural to this planet. Since there were no visible storm clouds anywhere, only the starry sky, with a touch of blue and a few slowly appearing orange and red colors beginning to rise on the horizon. I already ate the apple I brought, lazily throwing its inedible core off the balcony. I will catch a cold, if I don't do something about this cold... I looked around the balcony, and almost immediately spotted my outer robe that I placed down on a chair yesterday. Oh, thank the force for small mercies. I immediately pulled the cloak over my head, letting it naturally fall down and cover my freezing body. What a delight that was, this cloak was clearly created to block the harsh cold wind of this planet; while the other garments were only to keep me warm; they didn't protect me from the wind well. I was sitting in a comfortable chair next to the table while eating the other fruits. The last one was interesting; the taste was, weird. I thought about how to describe it, but the closest possible description would be a sinful child of a watermelon and a banana with a hint of pepper. It was far from enjoyable, but I ate it anyway since the fruit itself wasn't too big.

A familiar chuckle appeared behind me; I turned back a little, only to see the queen walk out onto the balcony with her usual overly graceful steps. She was giving me a long glance. Then I realized, that I was currently a slave, and her servant-bodyguard-handmaiden? This job description was certainly expecting way to much from a single person.

I hastily stood up and stepped aside to the table while bowing lightly towards the queen. Her cloudy expression immediately brightened after seeing me following the local etiquette she somehow managed to teach me yesterday before I fell asleep. I was surprised, but she actually took it seriously to teach me for the handmaiden duties.

She walked over to me while I pulled out the other chair for her, to sit down. She gave me that feline smile that was a unique characteristic to her race.

-You are not supposed to eat its peel.

She noted humorously. I nodded silently, while my face began to get warmer from the embarrassment.

-You look much better today; which is great, since you will have to work twice as much, as punishment to sleep over half of my intended lessons.

-I understand, mistress.

-Good, now bring me my cloak. I can't bear this cold air any longer.

I bowed lightly towards the queen, then turned around and walked back to the room to find her cloak. I picked one that seemed to be appropriate, from one of the three large wardrobes, and brought it over to her. I extended the cloak towards her, but she only showed me a raised brow. Oh, for god's sake, then I walked around her and draped the cloak over her shoulders myself. Then I stood aside again, waiting.

-I am satisfied with your ability to adapt; as a reward; I allow you to sit with me.

-Thank you, your highness.

I bowed slightly, which was more like a short nod with my head than a proper bow, and sat back to the place I was sitting before she came out to watch the dawn, probably. We sat there silently, enjoying the first warming rays of the waking sun. It was a peaceful moment, one that I was determined to treasure even against all odds and circumstances.

-I am very surprised, that you so easily accepted your fate. From a jedi, even from a fallen one, I was expecting a much more vehement and stubborn defiance.

-I am not a jedi, my queen... and I am not a masochist, either. You are holding onto all the cards, while I don't even know how much time I spent in the state of hybernation. Also, I am pretty tired of the constant shitstorm I have been experiencing since... well, that doesn't matter right now.

-I see, but please refrain from such vulgarities. I can almost feel the smell emitted from your words.

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I looked at her, surprised, is that even a thing? Maybe their race can actually trigger memories of scents by simple thinking about them. That sounds highly impractical. Well, it is only a sudden thought anyway. She was looking at me again, with a slightly annoyed expression.

-Oh, I mean, I will refrain from such words in the future.

-Good. From today, you will be my secret bodyguard, but you will share your handmaiden duties with other more experienced girls. They have already been notified of your newly elevated status as my new handmaiden. As my guard, you will also need a proper weapon; and since I am a woman of tradition, I decided to give you back your lightsaber.

She began to ring a small bell that was placed on the crystal table, and soon one of the droids brought here an intricate small silver case. She opened it and pushed it slightly towards my direction. I looked at her, trying to figure out if this was some kind of trap. She only smiled, and that was not reassuring at all. In the end I decided to take the box, as I picked up the weapon, looking it over carefully. I checked it through the force too; everything seemed to be in order.

-Thank you, mistress.

-Don't mention it; I paid for you with a large sum; therefore I don't plan to waste your potential. Oh, by the way, don't try to cut your collar with your lightsaber. It would be a waste of time, since it was created from beskar. Not long ago, I managed to buy a mandalorian, who knows how to work with beskar. We wanted to squeeze out of him how to work with it, but he refused to tell us, even after days of torture. Yet in the end, we achieved a compromise. We will let him live a mostly comfortable life, and he will create the things we wanted him to make from beskar. I am not an unreasonable person, you see, if he is willing to pay back the credits I paid for him, with his work. I will happily provide for his daily needs and even more. What you have to realize is that I always get what I want, one way or another. You are free to choose the path you want to walk.

I thought about that; honestly, there was no need for her sugar-coated threats here. I had already decided to stay; for now, it was as good of a place as any. Since I probably still had multiple warrants of captions on my head throughout the whole galaxy. Also, I had no money at hand. I don't even know where I am or when, so let's not rush into any decisions. At worst case scenario, what could happen? I die, that's nothing new. Also, I may not be overly familiar with the Zygerrian race, but I know for a fact that their average lifespam is around eighty years. At that time, I will get over puberty, again, but that is the worst case scenario... So for now the plan, is to get her trust in me, make her remove this damn collar; and since I have nothing better to do until then, I will stay and live here for a time. So why don't I try to force her with a mind trick? Because it only works on weak-willed subjects, and slaver queens are definitely not weak-willed...

I stood up, slowly walked over to the queen and kneeled down before her. She was looking down at me with an excited smirk.

-I will pledge to be your faithful bodyguard, if you accept two of my conditions.

-Continue, and we shall see.

-If I serve you well and earn your trust, you will change my collar into a standard version.

-... I see, your request is acceptable. What is the other one?

-If I save your life as your bodyguard, you will give me freedom, citizenship, and property on your land. I will still serve as your bodyguard at risky events, but as a free person and I expect fair remuneration.

-Hmm, interesting. Why would you want a property here. I would think that you would leave this disgusting world full of slavers as soon as possible; yet you wish to stay? Hmm, be it then. As the rightful Queen of Zygerria, I hereby accept your conditions. If you manage to indeed save my life, I will give you your freedom, but you will still be considered as my subject, especially with the granted citizenship, and you will have to answer your queen's call. You will be rewarded equally with the services you provide; but for now, you are still my slave; and with our little agreement in place, I expect complete obedience from you. My droids have captured every word of this conversation in a video and voice file. It will be saved on an electronic drive and placed in a safe. Now, I wish to hear your oath.

-I, Nizzal Grey, pledge my skills to you, to guard and serve you from the best of my abilities. Until my debt is paid, or you fail to fulfill my conditions.

-I accept your pledge of loyalty; Nizzal the Grey.

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