Count On Me (Don't Tear Me Down)

Yang watched at the strange young woman curled up on her bed and went to sleep. What was even going on? She didn't understand. Why would the duke give her a literal slave? It was outlawed in her country, but apparently not here... How nasty. Sun made it seem like women were treated better here, but they could still take slaves? She didn't understand... How could they treat women better yet have people as property? Yes, this young woman was a Faunus, but that didn't make her any less worthy and worthwhile than the other people around. Johnathan came back with some salve and went to say something but Yang held her finger up to her lips and shook her head. Johnathan was the only man she knew she could tell to do something without there being consequences. Yeah, it was pretty nasty. The girl had said that she hadn't slept much at all for days or had any food or anything like that... It was probably best to just let her rest. She saw Johnathan sigh but h e nodded and put the salve on a table. "What should we do now, my lady?" he asked as quietly as he could. She saw one of Sienna's ears flick and she winced a bit. She wasn't trying to wake her up, but with as sensitive as her hearing had to be… "I'm...not sure... I got a nice little nap earlier. For now, let's let her rest and recuperate. Maybe we can explore the castle a bit?" Johnathan nodded and they left the room. It was...strange. She was so used to being locked up in her room all times of the day unless she was in lessons or at meal with her family. Aside from Johnathan and her father, all men were kept away from her. Her servants were all women. Her virginity was all that mattered to her father. It was still strange to think that Sun hadn't just taken her as soon as they'd more or less been alone. For some reason...she did trust him. He was nothing like the men she knew in Efrana. They were all pigs that definitely would have assaulted her if given the chance... If a man claimed a girl in such a way, she would be married off to him. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Johnathan was always at her side, watching and waiting to see if the men did anything to attempt to claim her. She'd been groped a few times before but that was it... She was lucky to have gotten off so light. She knew girls that went onto the balcony, were raped, then married off to her rapist within three days. Sun...really didn't seem like that at all. She didn't understand how he could be so different but… She picked up her skirts and started walking, Johnathan behind her. The servants paid her no heed as she walked around, almost as if she were invisible. Strange. So absolutely strange. How could somebody not notice an actual princess? But maybe it was because they were busy... That was probably it. Why pay any attention to a foreigner when they had things to be focused on? Eventually, she found her way out to a courtyard and sat on a bench, looking around nervously. So far, none of the men had attempted to hassle her... Then again, Johnathan would've skewered them through had they attempted anything. Her virginity would be given to her husband and nobody else. Johnathan would make sure that she was never touched by a man other than himself or her betrothed and his father. It was still so strange to not be stopped and just...allowed to wander like she was. She wasn't really used to any sort of freedom. The sun felt really nice and she could smell the early spring flowers starting to pop up. She rarely felt the sun on her skin. Granted it wasn't like she had any skin to show other than her face and hands but...it still felt nice on what little bit was exposed. She held her hands out in the sun's rays and smiled, taking in the warmth of the early spring sun. She'd really never even been allowed to sit in a courtyard like this. She'd seen them and asked what they were called, but due to wanting to keep her safe even from servants, her father never simply allowed her to sit in them. It was really nice… She looked over to the side when she heard a couple voices. They sounded familiar. Oh. Sun and Weiss. They entered the courtyard and almost didn't notice her until Sun looked over and waved. "Heya Yang! What's up? Mind if we join you?" She glanced at the bench. It was plenty large enough for the three of them... Still, she swallowed, feeling the anxiety rise. She wasn't really allowed to say no to her future husband... He said he wanted to hear her voice but that didn't make it any easier to actually speak up when it came down to it. "Um. I guess." Her voice was tiny. She wasn't used to using it unless speaking idly with other ladies about manners, who they'd marry, needlework, and other such things, only things ladies were allowed to talk about. She didn't even know how to read or write… Sun took Weiss' hand and helped her step over the gravel and sat her down next to Yang. Yang felt a little uncomfortable with somebody so close, but it wasn't like it was a huge bench. Weiss smiled warmly and brilliantly, almost like the sun. "Hi!" "Hi." Yang looked down, squeezing her hands in her lap. She really didn't know how to interact with people outside of her small circle of approved female peers. Weiss was warm and energetic while Sun was... She wasn't entirely sure yet. He seemed warm and kind. He was definitely unlike any of the men she'd met back home that she'd danced with. She didn't know how to quantify or describe him. "So what's up with you, Yang?" Sun asked. His voice was quiet and she saw his tail curling in her peripheral vision. "I know it's only been a couple hours since we last talked but..." "Did you hear? Your father gave me a slave." She frowned. "I didn't know slavery was legal here..." Sun looked taken aback and sighed. "It's technically not allowed here. But the nobility gonna do what the nobility gonna do... I unfortunately know men with decently sized harems of girls stolen from other nations and local tribes." The reality sent ice through Yang's veins. Would she end up one of a harem for Sun? But then again, he seemed disgusted by it... If he was against it, wouldn't he show it? He seemed genuinely shocked... "It's just one of those things that, unfortunately, while illegal, people turn their gaze away from. If it isn't impacting them, they don't care. Thankfully, as far as I know, my father doesn't have any women like that..." He growled which made Yang tense. She couldn't blame him for being angry... If it was illegal then... That did make some level of sense. "I have Johnathan... I don't know why he thought I needed someone else." "Well, Efrana is mostly women serving women, right? Maybe that's why. I'll admit, I don't know much about your culture. If I'd been told when my parents had started arranging this, I would've looked into Efrana's culture more. But since I only learned pretty much the day you arrived..." He shook his head. She nodded. "I'm rarely allowed to interact with men... Johnathan is an exception. He's my voice. Or, well, he should be..." She still felt wrong to talk for herself. She was so used to going through a middleman. Noble girls had one male servant that spoke for them and that they spoke through. She generally wasn't allowed to engage herself. This was all very, very strange to her. To speak directly to her betrothed before the wedding... She was still surprised he hadn't done anything to hurt her yet. "You don't gotta rely on him here. Our women are generally pretty equal to men. Why can't you interact with men?" He seemed genuinely curious. She squeezed her hands in her lap. "I'm...just supposed to be a wife and mother. That's it. I don't even know how to read and write..." It was strictly forbidden for Efranan women to learn to read and write. Only areas befitting of a lady were the things they were allowed to learn. Needlework, sewing, manners, perhaps music or art. That was all a woman was allowed to learn. She'd had her lessons on manners since she'd been a child. They were absolutely drilled into her at this point. She was breaking them already, but she felt like she had to try to adapt to the local culture somehow... This wasn't Efrana anymore. "I mean I don't either, at least not land-dwelling languages. What's wrong with that?" She looked over at Weiss who smiled at her warmly. "Mermaids don't have a lot of use for reading and writing of land-dwelling languages. Honestly, we barely have any need for reading and writing in general... And there are so many different languages between mermaids there's no standard for anything." "Well... It's a big deal on land. It means communication and being able to think to some degree... I've never held a book in my life..." Yang admitted. It felt awful to admit all of this to a foreigner, but she didn't know what else to do. Sun was interested in her culture. She was strictly forbidden from reading and writing. If she did, there would be consequences. "I mean I could teach you," Sun suggested. Yang tensed and her eyes went wide. "Uh, did I say something wrong?" "It's punishable by death to teach a woman to read or write in Efrana. Not even my mother knows how to." She did not want that for him… She saw his tail curl. "Well... Good thing we're not in Efrana then, huh?" He grinned. She frowned. She supposed that was a good point. They weren't in Efrana... And it wasn't likely she'd ever go back home either. If she did and he went with her, then yes, he would be put to death. But considering she was his betrothed, she was never to return home or see her family again. That just wasn't how marriage worked in Efrana. The woman never returned home. "I suppose... But what good would it do me?" "I mean...you could read books to help pass time if nothing else. That and if you take over the dukedom with me, you'll need to be literate to help keep up with all of the little intricacies." She frowned. He expected her to be able to rule with her? She was supposed to just be a pretty little bauble and produce babies for him. She felt wrong even being out of her room... The doors were locked from the outside so she couldn't leave unless someone purposely let her out. She couldn't open the door from inside. Her door here didn't even have a lock. "Guess you weren't expecting me to say that, huh?" His tone was a little uncertain. She shook her head. "I'm...really just supposed to produce as many heirs as possible. My mother was pregnant before she even got married because of how my father treated her. I have thirteen siblings." Both Sun and Weiss exchanged glances and he shook his head. "Nah. I'm not gonna go knocking you up at every turn. If mine and Weiss' charade doesn't stop the wedding from going through, then you and I will have to have kids at some point. But not until into the future. I'm not gonna have kids when I'm still seventeen, eighteen. That's just madness in my books. And getting you pregnant before the marriage? Hell naw." That...went against everything she'd been told. "Your body, your choice." That made her stare at him a little blankly. Yeah, that definitely went against everything she'd been told all her life. She was supposed to just put her head down and accept whatever treatment her husband tossed her way. And he was supposed to be violent toward her. She could barely wrap her mind around it. "Are...you sure about that? Because if you want me..." She bowed her head. She was supposed to just take what he threw at her. There was supposed to be no in between. She was just supposed to be his god little breeding mare and nothing else. She was still shocked he hadn't laid a hand on her at all yet... Aside from helping her up the ladder. "Nope. I only want you if you consent to everything of your own volition. Not because you were conditioned to. Not because it's what you expect. I can't imagine taking a woman against her will." He looked at Weiss for some reason and she gave a small shrug. Something had clearly happened between them but it wasn't really her place to question it. He was her future husband, if this went through. Though he really didn't want it... She was surprised by all of this. She never expected a man to say she wanted her only if she did... But where did consent come in for this? It didn't make any sense to her. "Where...does consent come in with all of this?" "Are you familiar with the term rape?" "Vaguely... I heard some foreign nobles talk about it and I think I understand it in theory..." "Rape is sex without consent. That's where all of this comes in. If you consent, then it means you want it. If you don't, that makes it rape. And I am not willing to rape somebody." He sounded absolutely resolute about it. It felt about as honest as a person could be. She was still surprised... She hadn't really applied the ida of rape to herself...or her mother...or any of her sisters or anything like that. For her, it was just some sort of nebulous term but, now that she thought about it... She frowned. "So what I expect from home is rape? A good wife is just...supposed to accept her husband's pleasure whenever he wants her." Sun visibly shuddered. "Oh gods. Yeah. That is a hundred percent rape, Yang. I'm not going to do that to you. At all. If I get to know you and we actually want it...then sure. But against your will and forcefully? Never." He shuddered again. That definitely seemed completely honest. The look in his eyes was that of true disgust. He clearly didn't want to do that to her. She should probably just expect manipulation of some sort, but she couldn't for some reason. He seemed much too genuine about it. What...What made him so different from the men of Efrana? She didn't understand... Why would he be disgusted by it but the men back home didn't even seem to comprehend it was a thing... They took their wives and forced them to have children whenever they wanted. Most families were incredibly large in Efrana, usually at least six children, oftentimes over ten. She didn't know a family where there was only one child like here with Sun… "I see..." Still... It would take her time to not expect that of him. He did legitimately seem to not want to do that. "If it does go through...what about our wedding night?" She frowned. Consummation... He would need to take her virginity for it to be seen as a viable marriage. At least by Efranan standards. "Again... Only if you want it. Not gonna put that on you unless you want it." "The contract will be voided if we don't consummate." "We'll...talk about it when we get there then, I guess. I still don't wanna take you against your will." He was pretty vehement about all of this. It was so strange to hear a man be against taking his bride without force. She wasn't sure what would happen if they voided the contract though. She could easily be passed to another then, if her virginity was still intact. But she would probably be brought back home, then immediately married to a Efranan man. And, well, she knew what to expect with that… She nodded a bit. Thankfully, there were a few months until they needed to get married. She wasn't sure what she hoped for. He seemed legitimately kind and caring and didn't want to take her against her will. Again, she ought to see manipulation there, but his vehemence really seemed to speak otherwise. She had no idea what to make of any of this really. "Um. Anyway... Do you think you'd like to do something together, Yang?" Weiss asked. The suddenness made her start a little, but she looked at Weiss. The mermaid smiled at her warmly and a bit shyly. "Um. I suppose. What did you have in mind?" "I'm...not really sure! I don't know what land dwellers do!" She chuckled a bit, obviously amused. "Tea might be a good way to get to know each other. Though... Someone will need to stand guard outside the door. I can't leave Weiss alone. My parents will take whatever chance to kill her they can get." Sun's tail curled a bit and Yang nodded slightly. With what Sun had said earlier, that made sense... "Would you ladies be terribly offended if I sat outside the door?" "No, I don't mind," Weiss said. "I don't think Johnathan would do anything if someone attempted to do something..." Yang confessed. He was her protector, certainly, but against her future in-laws, assuming this went through? That would leave a bad mark on Efrana. Her parents would hear about it and probably remove Johnathan from her service. The Duke would likely insert someone from his own staff into her life which she wasn't sure she wanted... She had enough of her life controlled back in Efrana. It was beyond strange to have this sort of freedom. To leave her room! It was scandalous in and of itself. She'd never been allowed to just sit outside and enjoy the sunlight and warmth like this. It felt...really, really nice. And to smell the flowers... All she'd ever seen before was the world of the castle and sometimes got to see outside the windows. Her room was strictly indoors without any access to the outside world. Fear of any attempt to take her virginity was seen as a major threat because it was the only worth a woman had in Efrana. "What's tea?" Weiss asked. Yang stared at her. She...really was relatively sheltered. "It's a beverage made by steeping plant leaves in hot water," Sun explained. "Oh, interesting! I didn't know anything like that was possible." Weiss smiled at Yang. "Do you have a favorite tea?" "My favorite has dried apple and pear pieces in it... Sometimes we'll get teas with dried orange peel pieces. It's very good," Yang said. Of course, that was pretty luxurious tea, considering how far away the dried orange peels had to come from. This land wasn't tropical either, so she doubted they had the same sort of tea here. Plus, Efrana was an inland nation... The cost of such teas were exorbitantly high due to needing to be shipped in, then taken over land. She wondered if they were any cheaper here. "We get all sorts of exotic teas in here. so maybe you'll find something you like, Yang." Sun smiled at her and she nodded. She couldn't help but offer a tiny one in return. Despite the duke obviously not being a very good person, Sun seemed to have turned out pretty all right... She felt like she could trust him despite how short a time she'd known him. He was warm, kind, and seemed fairly genuine. She really couldn't sense a bad bone in his body. Then again, she could be wrong... She very much could be. But she wanted to trust him. "Maybe." That was all she could think to say right now. Maybe she would, maybe she wouldn't... But if they had a wide variety, she hoped they'd find something she'd like. She hadn't been able to bring anything much with her. Definitely not any sort of tea. Clothes, Johnathan, and that was it. She missed her teas and having tea time with her sisters and mother... Maybe tea time with Weiss would help bridge that void. She wasn't sure, though... She hadn't ever talked to Weiss one on one and she was very...naive, at least when it came to land-dwelling matters. "Anyway, think you'd like to start learning to read?" Sun asked. The sudden change in topic made her blink and she looked at him. "You know you'll be put to death if Efrana ever learns about this right?" "I hate to say it like this, but you'll never be going back most likely. You know that, right?" Yang bowed her head and sighed at Sun's words. She knew. Yes, did she ever know... She'd seen a couple younger sisters leave and never come back. She knew she would never see them again. She would likely never go back to Efrana... But that wasn't necessarily a bad thing with how Sun was. "Unfortunately yes..." She sighed, wrapping her arms around herself. She really didn't want to admit it but...she ha`to. She knew it. She would never see her homeland again. She still couldn't help but worry about Sun, though... If i was ever found out that he taught her to read and write, he'd be put to death. Though... She frowned. "I wonder if Sienna knows how to read and write." She was technically a slave. She had no idea what the nation's stance on slaves being able to communicate would be. "Do you know her background?" Sun's tail curled a bit. She shook her head. "No. She basically came in and we let her eat, then let her sleep." She didn't feel like pushing the young woman too hard, considering she'd been obviously dehydrated and starved for so long. It just felt...so very wrong to try to push information out of her. She wasn't sure how Sienna would handle interacting with Sun. She really just wanted to let Sienna sleep but, if she was going to be serving her, then it probably would be prudent to let Sienna know how to read and write as well. Though she knew most people in kingdoms didn't have much education beyond what was required for their jobs. "That's...entirely fair. For now, though, how about we start teaching you? I have some books in my room." Yang felt the blood drain from her face. Going into his room? But then again... She looked at Weiss. It wasn't like she'd be alone. But...she could easily be held down and be overpowered even by a mermaid most likely. She'd never been trained in any sort of combat ability or martial process. She was completely defenseless. She wasn't even a mage... she was completely at other people's percy. "Ah, right... Well, how about we go to the library then? I can also start teaching Weiss." Sun grinned and Yang nodded a bit. He stood and offered a hand to both of them and pulled them up. He wrapped an arm around Weiss' waist, holding her close, though he didn't drop Yang's hand. "You wanna keep holding or...?" "I'll follow." She wasn't supposed to walk beside a man unless it was Johnathan. She dropped Sun's hand and got into step behind him, following him through the castle until they reached a large set of double doors. He pushed them open and revealed a massive collection of books. Yang's eyes widened. To her, it looked like all of the knowledge in the world. She hadn't even been allowed to see the inside of her family's library. She knew books existed but...not on this scale. Would she truly be able to read one day...? She... There were really no words for her. The trio (well, quartet if one counted Johnathan following in silence) made their way through the library to a small, secluded corner. "All right, here's the children's section," Sun said. Then he shifted a bit. "NOt to insult you; it's just...this part of the library has the necessary learning materials." Yang nodded and they sat down at a table while Sun picked out some books. There were already quills and inkwells on the table along with parchment. With that done, Sun began running them through some basic exercises to get them used to holding a quill as well as drawing basic shapes. For Yang, it felt incredibly awkward to hold something like this. It was a level of fine motor skill she hadn't developed aside from needle work. She wasn't at all used to this sort of thing but...it did kind of feel nice. "Hey, you." Sun looked at Johnathan who tilted his head. "Do you know how to read and write?" Johnathan shook his head and Sun sighed. "Well that sucks... Was gonna ask if you could help Yang with her lessons. Well, just keep practicing basic forms on your own, Yang. We can meet here after lunch each day to practice. And bring Sienna with you!" He grinned broadly, tail curling a bit. "For now, though, it's been a couple hours. Should be getting close to dinner. Eat in your room would be my advice." Yang nodded and stood up, following Johnathan back to her room. By this point, Sienna was sitting up on the bed, though her legs were crossed and her eyes were closed. She breathed slowly and steadily, seeming to be absorbed in whatever she was doing. Yang didn't want to interrupt her, but she opened her eyes a couple of moments after they entered the room. "Oh hello." Yang frowned. "Did we wake you or anything...?" Sienna shook her head. "Just meditating. I should probably still be asleep, but...I need to get used to being asleep at night instead of during the day. Normally, I'd just be waking up around now but..." She frowned, obviously banishing the thought. "Anyway, no, you didn't wake me or anything." "Meditating?" "Uh, clearing my mind, introspection, that sorta stuff." After a pause, she spoke again. "You're completely unfamiliar with the concept, aren't you?" Yang gave a small, embarrassed nod. She really didn't know much about the outside world. This was really the first time she'd ever left home...and it was to get married. Because it only made sense that she would... "Well, we can talk about it more at a later time. I'm...still kinda hungry." She rubbed the back of her neck. Yang looked at Johnathan who bowed and excused himself, leaving the two young women alone. Yang went over to the bedside table and picked up the small jar of salve. "Did you use any of this...?" The burns on Sienna's wrists were pretty bad and she didn't want her to suffer unnecessarily... It felt wrong to deny someone medical treatment when they were obviously suffering like that. "A bit, yeah. It's not as good as the healing salves I'm used to from home." She frowned. "I'm not sure where I could get them without gathering the herbs myself. It'll work though. I don't have much room to complain, considering." "Um... Would you like to learn to read and write?" She had unintentionally kind of made that decision for Sienna without consulting her. That was a bad idea... She couldn't believe she'd done that. Bad, bad Yang. Making such decisions for other people. She shouldn't have done that. Sienna blinked before her ears went down and her shoulders raised. "What use does a slave have for reading and writing?" she asked bitterly. Yeah, she couldn't really blame her but...if she could one day free Sienna, she absolutely would. But that might have to wait until she had the power to do so which would mean marrying Sun. She doubted she had any sort of authority right now, being a foreign princess in a strange land. "I hope I can free you one day. And if that happens, reading and writing will be invaluable. I...don't know how to read or write either. That's why I'm asking. Sun is teaching me." That made Sienna blink and her ears came up. "I see... Well, you do have a point, I suppose. I guess it couldn't hurt. I'll join you in your lessons then." Yang breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad. It would feel a little less lonely with Sienna there... They were both essentially trapped. Neither of them wanted to be there. They were there against their wills. Nobody had asked them what they wanted or taken their feelings into consideration. She really didn't like it. She couldn't believe that she had a slave but she wouldn't treat her poorly... She knew all too well what it was like to be treated poorly and isolated in one room. "All right then. I can teach you what little bit Sun taught me today." She grabbed the papers Sun had given her, along with the blank parchment. They moved over to the table where they could sit together. Oddly, Sienna seemed to pick up on the basic forms pretty quickly and her hand looked neat. "Are you sure you don't know how to read or write?" Sienna nodded. "I know people carry messages with them that others wrote, but I've never held a quill in my life. Well. Not unless you count my divination feathers." A frown flickered on her face for a moment before passing. "Anyway, no. Never held a quill before, never held a book, or anything like that before." Maybe Sienna was just...smart and picked up on things quickly. That didn't seem out of the realm of possibility. It was about then that Johnathan came in with a tray of food, one smaller portion and one heaping portion. He placed it on the table and they started to eat. Sienna's hand was quick, neat, and polite despite what little Yang knew of her background. A savage? Hardly. She was polite, kind, and responsible from what little Yang had interacted with her. She felt terrible for essentially owning a person but...what else was there to do? The duke might treat Yang terribly if she didn't take her on and only gods knew what Sienna would go through if Yang refused to take her. They finished eating and practiced forms for the rest of the evening until Sienna frowned. "Where should I sleep? I'm used to just having a bedroll and being on the ground. You let me sleep on your bed earlier but..." "I'm not going to have you sleep on the floor." Yang paused. "I suppose you can sleep with me until we figure something else out." Sienna nodded a bit. "Well, all right..." They got ready for bed and settled down. Sienna put an arm around Yang and pulled her close. Yang snuggled into it, missing her mother something fierce. A few tears leaked down her eyes and Sienna wiped them away. She was a truly kind person... Not just some savage that would be ruthless or steal resources... How the duke thought any of that was beyond her.