Vaaden Warriors 1: Rheul by Jessica Coulter Smith Page A
Authors: Jessica Coulter Smith
Tags: Sci-Fi
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think I would ever fall in love with a slave, it was hard not to feel something for them when you had to be their sole caretaker. And that was the one thing I wouldn't do.
"Bastian, I still don't think this is the right thing for me," I said.
"Rheul, we've been over this. If you don't take her, someone else will. At least you won't abuse her."
"How do you know?" I couldn't resist asking.
7
"You might not feel the same way about slaves as I do, but I know you would never deliberately hurt a woman. Besides, you've come to think of Enid as family, and you can't deny it.
There's no way you can think you haven't changed."
"I may have changed a little, but not enough to fall for one if that's what you're hoping." And I wasn't about to agree about Enid. There was no way I was going to say that I thought of a slave as family. If he thought I would admit to something like that, then Enid had him more whipped than I thought.
"You don't have to fall in love with your slave to care for her. You need someone in your life, Rheul. Someone you can care for, someone who will care for you in return. I think that owning a slave is a good way to make that happen."
"Or this whole thing could backfire and blow up in our faces. What if she hates being a slave and hates me for it?
Did you ever think of that?"
"If you're kind to her, she'll eventually come around. How could she not? You're not exactly ugly."
I laughed. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"May I say something?" Enid asked.
I motioned for her to continue.
"You were a little intimidating when I first met you, Rheul, but you grew on me. It didn't take me long to realize that you were kind, and it won't take your slave long to realize that either. Just be nice to her, and she'll come to trust you. That's the first step. You have to keep in mind that when we're brought here, we've been ripped from our homes and our lives. Some of us might not have had a nice life on Earth, but 8
others might have led wonderful lives and may not take kindly to be abducted. Either way, being a slave isn't easy.
How would you feel if your rights were suddenly taken away?
It's hard knowing that you're no longer free, that it doesn't matter what you want or what you feel. That the only thing that matters is whether or not your owner is happy."
I shook my head, thinking both of them were foolish.
Nothing good could come of this, of that I was certain. It didn't matter if the slave liked me or not. Having feelings for one was still out of the question. One day I would take a wife.
I didn't need emotional complications.
When a chime signaled the arrival of my future doom, I sighed and started to rise from my chair, but Bastian waved a hand at me to stay seated. It seemed that my new slave had arrived. I still couldn't believe that Bastian had purchased one for me. Typically, a warrior chose his own. But no, my brother had to defy convention and go against my wishes and buy one for me, knowing I wouldn't turn her away. To do so would mean Bastian would have to keep her, and that would have hurt Enid a great deal.
While he left to answer the door, I studied Enid. She was glowing with health and seemed immensely happy.
Pregnancy, and Bastian, definitely agreed with her. For one brief moment, I felt a pang of something. Regret? Jealousy?
But of what? Was it possible that I wanted what Bastian had?
A love match? No, that was ridiculous. I was far too practical for that. Besides, Vaadens didn't marry for love. We had arranged marriages so that both parties got something out of the deal, but love was never part of the bargain. I had yet to 9
meet a Vaaden male who loved his wife. My uncle seemed to care for my aunt on some level, but I wouldn't have called it love.
A moment later, Bastian entered the room with a petite woman with long, wavy black hair that hung down her back to her waist. She was even shorter than Enid, if that were possible, and I felt the sudden urge to protect
"Bastian, I still don't think this is the right thing for me," I said.
"Rheul, we've been over this. If you don't take her, someone else will. At least you won't abuse her."
"How do you know?" I couldn't resist asking.
7
"You might not feel the same way about slaves as I do, but I know you would never deliberately hurt a woman. Besides, you've come to think of Enid as family, and you can't deny it.
There's no way you can think you haven't changed."
"I may have changed a little, but not enough to fall for one if that's what you're hoping." And I wasn't about to agree about Enid. There was no way I was going to say that I thought of a slave as family. If he thought I would admit to something like that, then Enid had him more whipped than I thought.
"You don't have to fall in love with your slave to care for her. You need someone in your life, Rheul. Someone you can care for, someone who will care for you in return. I think that owning a slave is a good way to make that happen."
"Or this whole thing could backfire and blow up in our faces. What if she hates being a slave and hates me for it?
Did you ever think of that?"
"If you're kind to her, she'll eventually come around. How could she not? You're not exactly ugly."
I laughed. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"May I say something?" Enid asked.
I motioned for her to continue.
"You were a little intimidating when I first met you, Rheul, but you grew on me. It didn't take me long to realize that you were kind, and it won't take your slave long to realize that either. Just be nice to her, and she'll come to trust you. That's the first step. You have to keep in mind that when we're brought here, we've been ripped from our homes and our lives. Some of us might not have had a nice life on Earth, but 8
others might have led wonderful lives and may not take kindly to be abducted. Either way, being a slave isn't easy.
How would you feel if your rights were suddenly taken away?
It's hard knowing that you're no longer free, that it doesn't matter what you want or what you feel. That the only thing that matters is whether or not your owner is happy."
I shook my head, thinking both of them were foolish.
Nothing good could come of this, of that I was certain. It didn't matter if the slave liked me or not. Having feelings for one was still out of the question. One day I would take a wife.
I didn't need emotional complications.
When a chime signaled the arrival of my future doom, I sighed and started to rise from my chair, but Bastian waved a hand at me to stay seated. It seemed that my new slave had arrived. I still couldn't believe that Bastian had purchased one for me. Typically, a warrior chose his own. But no, my brother had to defy convention and go against my wishes and buy one for me, knowing I wouldn't turn her away. To do so would mean Bastian would have to keep her, and that would have hurt Enid a great deal.
While he left to answer the door, I studied Enid. She was glowing with health and seemed immensely happy.
Pregnancy, and Bastian, definitely agreed with her. For one brief moment, I felt a pang of something. Regret? Jealousy?
But of what? Was it possible that I wanted what Bastian had?
A love match? No, that was ridiculous. I was far too practical for that. Besides, Vaadens didn't marry for love. We had arranged marriages so that both parties got something out of the deal, but love was never part of the bargain. I had yet to 9
meet a Vaaden male who loved his wife. My uncle seemed to care for my aunt on some level, but I wouldn't have called it love.
A moment later, Bastian entered the room with a petite woman with long, wavy black hair that hung down her back to her waist. She was even shorter than Enid, if that were possible, and I felt the sudden urge to protect
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