#400
my special piece for 400 :) i hope you enjoy
special thanks to @honeycollectswhump for her research on how much silver is worth
content: fantasy whump, magical whump, human (elf) trafficking whump, nonhuman whumpee, elf whumpee, lady whumpee, lady whumper, conditioned whumpee, implied minor whump, emotional whump, manipulation
Duchess followed Mistress across the winding corridors, her soft, barefoot taps on the pristine flooring barely audible when compared to Mistress' high-heels. She was dressed in a gown, not a super expensive one, but one that would accentuate her features to potential buyers. She was nothing but meat here. Nothing but decoration. Nothing but household help. Whatever the buyer wanted, Duchess would be.
When Mistress gave her that name, she didn't yet know she would turn out to be a subpar companion. Mistress had high hopes for her, and Duchess beat herself up every day for disappointing her. Her starting bid would be 300 pieces of silver. A substantial amount perhaps, if you considered living expenses, food, etc. But a meagre amount when purchasing a slave.
They soon arrived backstage, and Mistress unclipped Duchess' leash from her collar. It was a simple leather collar, signalling to everyone and everything that Duchess was not a very⦠royal companion after all.
"Go on," Mistress said, and as usual, Duchess couldn't really read her emotions. She wasn't very good with those things ā another thing to lower her worth. A good slave should be able to read her master or mistress' emotions well, to adjust their behaviour accordingly. Duchess couldn't do that.
Still, she expected⦠something. Some sort of sadness that they were parting ways? Mistress had been her trainer all throughout her time in the mother house, and Duchess had developed affection for her. Maybe more than was healthy. Was it that outrageous to hope that Mistress would've developed some affection for her in return?
Even anger she could've dealt with. Duchess had made Mistress mad many more times than she could've counted. But she wasn't mad now. She wasn't hissing her words like a venomous serpent, she certainly wasn't yelling. She was simply⦠practical. One last order from Mistress before someone would buy her and be her new owner.
So Duchess did what she was trained to do: she obeyed.
She stepped out onto the stage, immediately blinded by the harsh lights. She stepped on the hem of her floor-length dress, and managed to trip over herself, landing on all fours on the stage's wooden floor with a thump. She felt her face heat up with shame. She wasn't only bringing shame to herself, but to Mistress as well.
She didn't expect it from an audience of high-standing members of society, most of whom she imagined as stuck-up, but there were some giggles. Maybe this was good? Maybe she was endearing herself to them? Maybe they'd pay more for a clumsy, ditzy companion?
Duchess swallowed and quickly got back onto her feet, facing the crowd. She dusted off her dress and straightened her back, giving the audience her best smile despite the humiliation. Her pointy ears were constantly moving, picking up every little sound, and she heard some murmurs in the crowd.
"ā¦cuteā¦"
"ā¦uselessā¦"
"ā¦prettyā¦"
She was all of those things, for sure. Mistress made sure she was all done-up and pretty for the auction. Duchess felt a little more at ease, knowing that at least some people in the audience were bound to bid.
"Our next slave to be sold is Duchess," the auctioneer said, his voice magically amplified. "The starting price is 3000 pieces of silver!"
Duchess turned to him, whispering sharply, lest she be blamed for the misunderstanding. "300," she said. "It's 300."
The auctioneer looked at her, then looked back at the paper in front of him. "Oh," he said. It was clear he judged Duchess very differently now. "My apologies. The starting price is 300 pieces of silver!"
More murmurs in the crowd. People wondering if she was defective.
"A pure-blooded female elf, only 42 years of age, with delicious blood and a basic understanding of magic as well!" the auctioneer went on, trying to make her sound better than she really was. Duchess wanted to believe it. That she was better. But the leather collar around her neck was a testament to her low value.
"300," someone shouted, and Duchess relaxed a little. It may not be a lot of money, but any money going to Mistress was better than nothing.
"320!"
"330!"
The price kept going up. Duchess was beginning to feel hopeful. Maybe she wouldn't be useless, maybe she would make Mistress proud, maybe, maybeā
"400!"
The room fell silent.
Duchess' smile fell a little.
Was that⦠it? Was that the end of the bidding? Was 400 pieces of silver for her really that outrageous that nobody even uttered a word in response? Even the auctioneer seemed a little shocked before he went on.
"400 once!"
Please.
"Twice!"
Just a little more.
"Sold! Please come backstage to collect your new slave, ma'am."
Duchess couldn't help it. She hung her head in defeat and embarrassment, knowing Mistress would at most get 200 pieces of silver from this bid. She had tried so, so hard to be good, to live up to her name, to be a good companion, a good slave, a good servant. And she had failed. She walked off the stage and found Mistress standing near the stairs.
"400 is not bad," Mistress said, and yet again, Duchess didn't know whether she was trying to console her, herself, or both. She clipped the leash back to her collar and led her to a small room, where her new owner was waiting.
"Good evening," Duchess said with a little curtsy. "My nameā You already know my name."
"Duchess, was it?" The woman stood up. She looked strict. She walked over and hooked a finger under Duchess' chin, tilting her head up, then to the side, and the other side. "400⦠It's a steal. Just what makes you so undesirable?"
"I am not very good at most things," Duchess admitted. "I'm sorry."
There was no point in pretending anymore, or trying to play up her talents. She had already been bought.
"You two will have a lot of time to get acquainted," Mistress cut in, indirectly urging the woman to pay the price and get Duchess out of the room.
"Of course," she said easily. "Hollow, give her the money."
Hollow ā a spirit, no doubt from the way they suddenly just materialised out of thin air behind the woman ā grabbed a heavy looking bag and dragged it over to Mistress. Mistress counted the money, weighed each piece on her scale, and when she was satisfied, grabbed the bag like it weighed nothing and left the room without saying goodbye. Duchess really, really wanted to say goodbye.
"My name is Amelia," the woman introduced herself. She gently unclipped the leash from Duchess' collar and gave it to Hollow, who grabbed it and slunk back into the shadows, invisible. "Tell me, Duchess⦠What earned you the name?"
"I was taken in very early in life, miss. And as an elf, Mistress thought I would grow up to be a very good companion slave. Mistress isn't wrong about many things. I was unfortunately one of them."
Miss Amelia smiled. "You talk very poorly of yourself. Hollow was like that when I first took them in. But you'll learn soon enough that the auction house's definition of 'good' isn't always the standard at other places."
"I would love for you to be satisfied with your purchase, miss," Duchess said sincerely. "I'm justā¦"
Suddenly, the emotions of the auction caught up with her. The embarrassment of having tripped on stage, the shame of having to correct the auctioneer, the grief of having to part with Mistress⦠She just teared up. She tried to quickly wipe them away before Miss Amelia noticed, but of course, standing so close as they were, there was no way to hide it.
"There, there," Miss Amelia said. "Hollow, give me a handkerchief."
Hollow materialised again to hand it to her, and Duchess wondered just how many things Hollow had on hand. Miss Amelia gently dabbed her tears away, smiling warmly.
"How about we go home, and I'll see just how bad of a companion slave you are?"
"Miss doesn't believe me," Duchess concluded. Miss Amelia's smile didn't falter. She didn't even scold her for speaking her mind like that, or accusing her of things like this.
"I don't. Come, let's get you situated."
ā
Duchess was walking through the enormous kitchen, snagging a muffin here, a cupcake there. Miss Amelia's good servants certainly understood their work, and they performed appropriately. Miss Amelia was expecting company today, and Duchess was already in her dress, feeling like a princess. Or, well, a duchess.
When she tried to take another cupcake, one of the servants smacked her hand away.
"Those are for Sir Dorian," she chided.
"I know, I just⦠Isn't it okay to taste-test?"
Duchess got along well with the servants, and this one eventually relented as well.
"Fine. Just don't get frosting all over your lips."
Duchess giddily took another cupcake and hurried out of the kitchen, into the parlour. Miss Amelia was sitting in her armchair, idly conversing with one of her friends on the phone. Duchess, not wanting to disturb her, approached Hollow instead. She had gotten really good at spotting them, even when they were hiding.
"Hollow, do you think Miss Amelia will allow me to speak with the guests?"
Hollow materialised, their cover having been blown anyway. They shrugged.
"I really want to. I've heard there are going to be elves coming! Well, maybe they won't appreciate me giving their entire species a bad name by being such a lousy companion⦠Maybe they wouldn't want to talk to me at all."
Hollow didn't reply. They never did. Sometimes, Duchess wondered whether they were even capable of speech. But they didn't really need words ā their expression said it all.
"You're right. Miss Amelia never demeaned me, and she even gave me this beautiful collar. If they think I'm bad representation, they're simply wrong. Just because some elves are slaves, that doesn't mean the stuck-up royals get to be allā¦" She trailed off. Miss Amelia had put the phone down. "Miss Amelia!" she beamed, leaving Hollow and going to be with her mistress. "I taste-tested the cupcakes. I'm sure your guests will love them."
"Thank you, Duchess," she said with a smile. "I can always count on you."
Duchess giggled a little. Miss Amelia always knew what to say to lift her spirits. Just like Hollow. Just like the other servants. Life at Miss Amelia's house almost made her forget about Mistress.
"Is everything alright?" she asked, and Duchess realised she must've let her emotions show. She didn't like to feel nostalgic. It felt like a guilty pleasure. When life was so good here, why did her mind still wonder back to the mother house?
"Yes, miss. I'm sorry, miss."
"Nobody did anything to hurt you, did they?"
"Oh, no! Not at all! Everyone has been very kind, as always."
"Then is there a problem with your attire? You don't feel confident in it?"
"No, it's beautiful. I'm sure miss' friends will marvel at it."
"Then what is it, Duchess?"
There was no way she could lie to Miss Amelia. Not only because she could always tell, but because she couldn't handle it emotionally. Miss Amelia had been so good to her, it would've been severely unfair.
"I⦠I still⦠miss Mistress sometimes," she admitted quietly.
"Oh," Miss Amelia said softly. "I see."
"But not because miss hasn't been kind to me! I've gotten everything I could've ever dreamed of here! I would never dare be ungrateful, I don't know why my stupid, no-good mind wandersā"
"It's okay, Duchess," she said placatingly. "Duchess, do you mind stepping out for a brief moment? I have to make a call."
"Oh. No, of course, I'll be going, then."
Miss Amelia had never just sent her away after admitting to her feelings like that. It was a little strange, but she didn't have the right to question her owner. She went back to the kitchen, chatting with the staff a little until the guests arrived. Then, she walked back into the parlour.
She heard impressed murmurs from everywhere around her. Some were complimenting her complexion, some her hair, some her dress, and some the collar adorned with gems that Miss Amelia had given her right upon arriving home, in place of the leather one. Duchess felt like she was shining.
And although she could count the guests and make the conclusion that everyone had already arrived, there was a ring from the direction of the door.
"Duchess, could you get that for me?" Miss Amelia called. Duchess pointed a finger at her own chest in question. Miss Amelia nodded with a smile.
Duchess walked over to the front door and opened. And on the other side, there stoodā¦
"Mistress!" Duchess squealed.
Mistress even gave her one of her rare smiles. "Hello, Duchess."
Duchess looked around, like she expected this to be a prank, an illusion, someone playing a cruel trick on her. "Mistress, it's really you?"
"Amelia called and asked if I wanted to drop by," she explained. "And I would never say no to such an invitation."
"Did you⦠Did you come for Miss Amelia, or becauseā¦" She didn't dare finish the sentence. She didn't dare be so presumptuous.
Mistress reached out, and Duchess flinched a little ā but all she did was place a hand on the top of her head. Not ruffling her carefully arranged hair, but just petting a little. "Of course I came to see you."
Duchess lit up. "Have you ever been to Miss Amelia's house before?" she asked excitedly. "I could show you around! And Hollow could come as well! Mistress, I have so much to tell you!"
That was the beginning of a very fun afternoon, where Mistress was kind, all other guests might as well have disappeared to Duchess, and she just talked and talked and talked and Mistress listened.
And at the end of the afternoon, when it was time to say goodbye, Duchess didn't dare go in for a hug. In all her years spent at the mother house, she had never hugged Mistress. But to her surprise, Mistress embraced her by the door.
"You are doing very well, Duchess," she whispered. "I'm proud of you."
Tears immediately sprung to Duchess' eyes. "You⦠You are? Even though I was⦠so⦠cheap?"
"It is clear that we have all undervalued you." She pulled away and smiled at her. "Good girl, Duchess."
Duchess gave her a teary smile. "Thank you, Mistress. Thank you so much."
Duchess felt a hand on her shoulder, and when she looked, it was Miss Amelia. "Duchess, would you mind fetching me a glass of water? I'm parched. I'll see her out."
"Of course!" Duchess said, almost tripping over her pretty dress as she ran to complete the order.
And when she came back, clearly quicker than expected, she caught sight of Miss Amelia handing a bag of⦠money to Mistress. She froze. Had this all been⦠a play? Had this really all been a trick?
The glass almost slipped from her hand. Miss Amelia turned and realised she was there, and her face fell. "Oh," she breathed. "You were⦠very quick."
Tears slipped down Duchess' cheeks. She forced a smile anyway. "Your water, miss."
Mistress put the bag away, not really knowing what to say or how to react. That was rare. "Well, I don't suppose I have to keep up the act, then," she said awkwardly.
"No," Duchess said before Miss Amelia could've said a word. Bad servant, cutting off her mistress. "Thank you for coming, Mistress. I hope it was worth it."
With that, she shoved the glass of water into Miss Amelia's hand, and ran off.
Useless.
Useless.
Useless.















