Peace Offering

His reply about her getting round brought a snort from the blue woman and she shook her head. "Not a chance." Isa was very aware of her health and exercised regularly. "You know I've been doing partial patrols? I can't make it the whole way yet, but I'm getting there." Yeah, she was often out on her own. The woman could rightly leave at any time and yet she chose to remain here, a slave, under the thumb of the tyrant beside her.

Something about her comment made the man almost choke on his food. He questioned her asking if she had expected differently and Isa answered honestly. "Yes." Slavery was not unknown to the woman. Her family had servants whereas others of her culture owned slaves. It had never been something that her family took part in. Any who came into their care were freed. That bred loyalty. One could never fully trust a slave, but one could trust a slave turned friend.

"You've labeled me as a slave. Where I come from, slaves aren't treated kindly. They're disposable. They have no rights. Sometimes they're barely fed. Kept under the watchful eye of their masters. They can be used and abused as anyone of higher status pleases." Isa took up a section of the peeled orange and placed it in her mouth, chewing and swallowing before she spoke again. "So yes, as a slave, I expected much worse treatment."

"Isa"