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Once they were out of the temple doors and climbing into the back of the wagon watching as the wagon driver passed five silver coins on to one of the priestesses who eagerly snatched them into her hands. Before they knew it the waggon was moving and they were staring as the only home they ever knew faded into the distance. Clover held her brother and sisters hands huddling close to them for warmth as specks of snow fell on them, her eyes drifting shut….

 It was bright, too bright for winter, there was green and colour everywhere, and hushed voices that filled the warm air. Clover stood finding she was laid back on the grass, her feet were bare, her toes wiggling grass between her feet. She looked down at herself, a fine white nightgown she had never seen before hung loose on her body, swaying with the wind, reaching down to her ankles. The fabric was soft and clean, it took a moment for her to realise the transparency of the gown, she picked up the skirts loving the feel of it in her hands. She hardly cared that her body was displayed for all to view. But the space was empty, and Clover took delight in her surroundings, flowers grew wherever she stepped, her hair flowed around her, like a waterfall of red and orange. She was in a clearing surrounded by woods that seemed to be as ancient as time, giants in their own right. A peaceful brook ran through the clearing, the water was cool on her feet as Clover stepped into the rocky bed of the stream, her skirt helms dipping into the water. 

A sound interrupted her calm, snapping of twigs, and the soft crunch of boots on grass. Clover’s spun round, her breath caught. She gazed at a god of a man, at least that's what she thought, he was tall, well sculptured, tanned brown skin, luscious dark hair, his eyes a deep humming green, that align with nature and the earth. His features were unclear, a fog clouding her eyes as she stared. He smiled, it was charming and enchanting, capturing her soul immediately. She did not know when, but he soon stood inches in front of her, pulling her out from the brook, and close to his chest. Clover's heartbeat sped up. She felt at home in his arms, better yet when he tipped her chin up to look at his clouded face, his head leaning down to meet hers, their forehead resting on one another's, he breathed her in. his lips caressing her cheeks, and eyelids. He trailed kisses along her face, landing perfectly with tenderness and loving need for her. Then he kissed her, kissing her with a hunger that should have frightened Clover, but all she wanted was more, his tongue plunged into her mouth, his hands groping wherever he could. When he finally released Clover she could only say one thing. 

“Who are you?” 

he smiled, and just like breeze carries the leaves, he was gone, Clover turned, her eyes searching for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. Instead a woman stood there, she was regal and beautiful beyond words. Her skin was the shade of a chestnut, it was smooth and perfect, her lips plump and red like an apple, her hair, flowed like water, golden for a short second, then black the next, shimmering in all the colours, her eyes were Golden, as golden as Clovers, her nose was straight, and was decorated with a golden bulls ring, her arms jangled with chimes, covered in bracelets full of precious gems and pearls, her feet were bare, beneath the flowing of the red silk dress, stitching with gold patterns throughout. 

The woman held Clover's cheek tenderly, she smiled, and Clover was compelled to call her mother. She was the most familiar thing to her, as if she always had known this woman. She kissed Clover's forehead, and with an ethereal grin, poked Clover's nose, sending her falling backwards into the brook.

Clover woke with a start, her head leaned on her brother's shoulder, she had not realised she had fallen asleep, she looked up to the front of the wagon seeing they were stuck in a jam, a cart was positioned in the middle of the road, the ice strangely encompassing the wheels making it impossible to move. 

“Move you bastard!” the waggon driver yelled, “For fuck sake!” he screamed, deciding to get off the wagon seat and storm to the man's cart that Clover then noticed was a tumbrel. There were men, women and children inside, huddled together against the bars. They looked sullen and vacant. 

Clover tried not to think of where they were to be taken. She felt as if she was a small girl again, holding back terrified tears. The memory of being taken to the yard outside the great palace walls flooded her mind, the cold, lifeless faces decorating the tall fencing spikes. Left ever watching out over the city of Valka. The head priestess had made Clover, Aster and Basil watch the wall till the daily execution was to begin. Gazing as a boy not much older than the triplets themselves was brought to the chopping block, the city guard standing beside the kneeling boy, louding proclaiming his crime. Magic. The head priestesses' eyes did not waver as the axe came down, nor as the guards replaced one of the rotting heads with the boys. She made the three stand there in the small crowd watching as each magician was set to death, and as they walked back to the temple, the priestess quietly warned that that could be their fate and that none could stop it. 

The three siblings watched as the two men joined in a heated argument, both unaware of a woman within the tumbrel with a bundle wrapped in her arms, the woman was crying, yet she made no sound, each step she took left a print of frost in her wake. Trying not to be noticed she laid the bundle down on hardened mud out the cart, her arms just long enough to reach.

The voices of the men hurled around them as they watch the woman creep back into the huddle of bodies, “...i swear to the goddess i will break every fucking bone in your body mate!” 

“Ha!” The other man laughed, “I'd love to see you try,” they circled one another for a few minutes. Till finally they broke away swearing and mumbling under their breaths. The man eventually managed to free the wheel from the frost, all the while not noticing the buddle by his feet. Nevertheless he made his way onward, allowing Clovers wagon to move. Passing the wrapped fabrics, Clover all too suddenly saw a small face peeking out from the cloth. She made a move to get up, but Aster grabbed her arm strongly, her nails pinching into her skin. She held on till they completely passed the abandoned baby. Clover turned her face away, willing herself to forget to hope that maybe someone will take the baby and be none the wiser about its origins. 

Clover tried to occupy her mind with thought of the grand palace, pretty and luxury of all that she will see. The high lords and ladys adorned with glittering jewels and metals. Everything the lower city, the slums of Valka were not. They arrived a few long minutes later at the palace gates, There were yells for a moment till the gates opened where they were taken to a small courtyard outside the servants entrance, it only just made Clover realise those huge metal gates were the servant gates, her heart sinking knowing how far she was from the luxury of the upper palace. When she was small she would pretend to be a high lady of a manor, treating all the children and her siblings like her servants, and whenever she could she would race to the highstreet in the upper city where the elite would shop, gazing whimsically into the windows at all the gowns and clothes she could not afford and the toys she wished she could play with, enough to say that it was no mystery why none of the other children wished to play with her. 

The wagon driver shouted for them to get off, jumping onto the ice covered dirt of the courtyard quickly. The driver looked back with a huff, Aster frowned, pulling Clover closer to her, “Asshole,” she muttered, “he could’ve told us nicely,” 

“He looked as if he would murder his family for a piece of cheese, I doubt he’d ask us nicely,” Basil states in his usual monotone voice. 

“Still it wouldn’t hurt,” she grumbled, “fuck i’m freezing i feel like my toes are gonna fall off.”

“You must be Aster, Basil and Clover.” a woman spoke, making all three jump at the sudden invading voice. She was a tall imposing woman with jet black hair and an oval shaped face. Her features were stern, all well groomed to be perfect. Her gown, a deep blood red, modest with no details of finery, but the three knew her gown had to be expensive.

“This way please, we were expecting you earlier.” She strived towards the entrance giving the siblings no moment for introductions. They rushed after her quickly. 

“I shan't be one to hold any of your hands during your time here, if you are asked to do something you do it, no excuses. You’ll be expected to work from dawn to dusk, you will have a twenty minute break every mid-day, and five minutes each morning. If you are late or lacking you will be punished or sacked by me or the steward. I will give you two minutes to change into your uniforms and to settle, after that you will follow me into the kitchens where you will immediately begin work. Have I made myself clear?" She snaps rounding to face the three bewildered siblings who were still trying to process all she had said, not at all paying attention to where they were being led. 

“Yes?” Aster answers though not confidently, 

“Good, here are your rooms,” she gestures with her hands to two doors, waiting with wide eyes for for them to step into the rooms, when they do closing the door, Clover and Aster find a mildly nice two bed bedroom, with two maid uniforms laying on top, grey in colour with faded navy blue aprons. 

“Wow,” Clover gasped, “we have this to ourselves,” she grins, 

“Thank the goddess, I would murder someone if i had to share a room with thirteen boys again.” Aster grumbled darkly at the memory, shuddering at the recall of the snoring and farting. 

“We can have privacy,” Clover gushed, “and look!” she squeals, “we have a bedside draw,” 

Aster snorted, “I doubt we’ll ever have much to put in there.” 

“As soon as we get our wages, I'm going to buy all sorts of things from the market.” 

“That won’t be for months, remember? We need to pay off the money they spent on us,” 

Clover groaned throwing back her head, “i can’t believe we have to work,” 

“It’s no different from the temple,” Aster spoke reasonably to her sister, “only now it’s not for a bunch of old priestesses but for high lords and ladies.”

Clover sighs at her sister's words, “will life never be fun.” 

“No, now put your uniform on, we can’t get in trouble on the first day.” 

“Yes ma’am,” Clover muttered quietly to herself. She held her arms up as if expecting someone to undress her, which something did, and quickly lifted her maids dress into thin air and placed it over her head. Aster groaned, “what?” Clover asked innocently. 

Aster frowned, “you know what?” 

“No one else is here,” 

“Doesn't give you reason to do it,” she huffed then looked up around the room, “and you’re not helping her impulse to use our gifts, if you keep helping her, she won’t learn.” Aster to the very air itself.

“Oh so I'm not allowed to get dressed faster than normal, but you're allowed to talk to the wind, because that definitely won’t tip people off,” she grumbled. But dimly stopped the invisible force dressing her. 

Aster rapidly changed into her dress, which was loose fitting and long, being too tight and too large in odd places. She ignored Clover making her way out finding Basil dressed in a simple white shirt and trousers with a cap on, they had no time to ask their brother about his room as the woman nodded approvingly at him but then stopped looking at Aster and Clover closely. 

“Your hair,” she begins, for a moment lost in thought as she stares carelessly, it was as if she were hypnotised. She shakes her head gaining her composure again, “you’ll need to cover it, you’ll get too much attention and then no one will be getting their work done,” she goes away for a moment coming back seconds later with two blue scarves, “tie this on your heads,” she instructs. Clover and Aster do as she says and soon enough they’re heading to the kitchens where the first of many long and tiring days begin…