My childhood in the slum was a living hell. There was not a day that I won't be given a single wound or bruise if I don't steal or find any food in the marketplace commanded to me. I'll be tossed and kicked around by large ugly men whom I identified then as all my boss and masters. One of them almost raped me when I turned 12. I was saved by a kind old man that time.
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Using his cane, he stick its end in the right eye of the man who had touched me. The blood splurted through my dirty white cloth and bruised face. Before I could react, a scream of excruciating pain made by the large ugly man that I don't know the name surrounded the dark street. I could see the dark and calm eye of the old man looking at me because of the lamp on the door of the hostel.
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My whole body is shaking, and I asked myself if I should run. I terrifyingly look down because I couldn't look him in the eye. More than that, I feel seen and dirty.
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"Stand up, child." The old man commanded.
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All my life, i was told to obey, and that's the only thing I could do that time. He signed me to follow him.
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"I won't do anything that would harm you, you don't need to fear me." His voice is authoritative, but that's the same voice that had saved me from the large man whom we're hearing and still screaming at the background. Shaking, I followed him. I didn't dare to look back, the scene of his eye being attacked and stabbed with a cane was painted in my head.
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The leftover blood in the end of the cane fades away as it tips the ground. As we reached the end of the street, I saw a golden carriage. The old man said to step in. I asked him where was he going to take me.
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"In my home."
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"W...Why?"
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"Because this place is too unmerciful for a child like you."
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I didn't ask no more. My longing thirst for being away from this place is all it takes for me to step in the golden carriage. As we step in, the old man gave me his coat. He told me to wrapped it around me.
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Being inside the carriage, I was ashamed of myself. With my torn clothes, filthy appearance, and bad smell, i might as well deserve to be somewhere except here.
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The whole ride was filled with silence. The old man fell asleep crossing his arms. All I could do was watch the road as we pass by outside the window, with amazement and unknown feeling in my heart.
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That old man happened to be an antique shop owner in Percualiana, our neighbouring town and the capital where the Persuavia Empire palace lies. He's a wealthy man, owing up a mansion, land, and building structures. He took me in and fed me and give me a decent education and a little tasks as a child. Later in working under his command I've learned his name, he's Sir Everett, and how great old man he is. I'm not the only life he saved, there was many of us. He has saved children from the harshness of life took them under his roof. Some had gone to be a politician, an entrepreneur, and a Baroness.
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When I turned 14, the kingdom's knights returned from the war. That's when I met the Dame, Blanche, Sir Everett's daughter. The servants was in uproar general cleaning the mansion before she arrived.
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On the day of her arrival, we were lined up to greet her. She was a hyper and kind soul, looking at each of us and greeted us eye to eye. When her eyes land upon me, she stopped.
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"I've never seen you here before," She sprouted. My heart thumped hard as I looked down.
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"Don't bother the child, Blanche." I heard Sir Everette spoke. My hands started to shake.
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"Father, I'm just amazed! She's the youngest child I've seen around here ever since! Is she 10 years old?!"
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I wanted to shrink that time. I stayed looking down. My development was annoyingly slow due to my poor nutrition before Sir Everett found me, but I'm progressing over the past two years. I can tell myself that I have grown at least an inch. But still, it's embarrassing to be seen as '10' because of my poor height.
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"I-I'm 14 years old," I spoke.
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Silence cornered me.
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"W...What?"
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Sir Everett pushed the Dame in the mansion before she could even asked about me for a second time. The other maids and servants comforted me, saying that I'll immediately grow according to my height and they'll take care of me. At that time, i was eager to do anything to grow.
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In the summer of that year, I've seen the Dame in and out of the mansion because she constantly need to do her duty as a knight after the war.
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I was only tasked to attend my school classes on the building nearby the mansion and do some of the house chores like wiping the window and the tiled floor.
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One day, I was told to get along with the maid to bring a basket of lunch for the Dame, she was in the training ground near the palace, where I haven't been before.
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My eyes were constantly narrowing as we passed by the headquarters. There were full of armoured and tall knights all the way to the training ground.
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"This is where the knights and dames stays, Severine." The maid told me.
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"Everything is gray up to the walls, have they run out of a paint?" I said, holding a basket.
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She laughed. "They have not."
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I don't know why she laughed, and it made me wonder even more.
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As we entered the the training ground, I have gone overwhelmed. Especially when I saw how Dame Blanche sparr with the other knight. I was mesmerized about how she swing her sword, how she's perfect in every position in sparring she made, and how she sparkled with joy.
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She's beautiful.
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I forgot to breathe. Only when the spar ended I had the moment to realize that I needed the air.
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I could feel it. I could feel what every knight has felt when the spar ended. It was such a good fight, and Dame Blanche is a great swordsman.
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As the Dame approach us, I couldn't help but spout the words I can't hold back.
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"You are spectacular,"
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The Dame stopped and stared at me for a second as she laughed.
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"So you've watched us, little kid?"
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I shyly nodded. "I-I like the way you swing the sword and the way your hair flow with the wind. The way you fight is breath-taking...and scary at the same time."
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"I've never heard you spoke that long, little kid. Thank you for your compliment."
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She laughed once again, and it's like a melody in my ears.
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After the maid and I delivered the lunch, we immediately leave the training ground. As we were walking through the mansion, she asked me.
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"Do you admire Sir Everett's daughter?"
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I nodded like a fool.
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The maid smiled at me. "So do all of us, Severine."
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That night when I went to my bed and stared at the ceiling of the room, my mind only revolved in one thought.
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I wanted to be like her.
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