They deserve it all.

Chapter 11

The sun is falling once again, the night slowly approaching us.

We're both tired, our eyes barely keep open. The words and letters are dancing and we can't help but want to lay down and sleep until the sun stands high in the sky.

"How long does it take before that thing is done?" I ask, pointing lazily towards hourglass that is slowly fading away, like Larien, who is also slowly fading with each blink he takes.

"It ... it won't be properly done until midnight." He says with a delaying voice, realizing his spell timer is fading, and strengthening it as much as he can.

I look outside, the dark forest green night is almost here with the sun lowering each minute, but midnight will take a lot longer. The blue potion, the one that'll have us be awake for another day, just like we downed that exact potion yesterday though it's wearing off, almost has us pass out.

Only when the small light of the hourglass fades away completely, do I realize that maybe it's really enough, maybe it's time to just put the books down, to let the ingredients just lay on the table, to let the fire of the brewing potions out and to rest.

So I do. I put one of the blankets over Larien, making it completely cover him except for his head. I gently swipe his hair away, trying my best not to have him stir and let myself rest in the bed.

Then I close my eyes, the weighing feeling on my eyelids vanishes and I fall asleep within minutes.

I wake up to Larien still sleeping next to me, he looks too peaceful to disturb so I'm quietly tip toeing towards the kitchen. I begin to prepare breakfast, a simple one, just warm crispy bread with cheese and butter and jam, nothing too special.

When I'm done, I sit back at the table and look at everything that has been finished. This would have usually taken me weeks, but we're almost done and it's only been 3 days.

I continue while Larien sleeps, the last few books on etiquette and ranks are openly displayed on the table. I read the pages and simultaneously sit the way they explain me to do, talk the way they explain, laugh the way they explain ... but it doesn't feel right. None of this feels right. I used to be good at talking properly when needed, mending the words I need in sentences that are just right. I could sit properly and laugh properly before I went to the Human Lands. But in there I noticed no one cared about how you sat or laughed or the way your words swayed in your mouth, so, without much thought I stopped caring too, making all the practice fade away.

And the ranks have changed too, not a lot, but they changed. There is no longer a rank for families born with nothing, they are now the middle rank, they take control over the servants, which are created by a species that are made to love solitude and clean spaces. They are later on trained to work for families, which sell them to others, like Larien was sold to me. It's not amazing, it's actually really bad, but it's far better than using actual Anakian people born from wombs unlike these which were born from eggs without much conscience and feelings. They look similar to us, except for how they feel. They are made to obey, to listen and to love what they do. Only a few had feelings, until more had. So the price for those who don't care has increased, yet I got Larien for so expensive.

It goes like this: servants -> middle class -> working class -> nobles -> High nobles -> court members -> those who work besides the King, such as military or his staff -> Royalty.

"Why didn't you wake me!" I suddenly hear. "You made breakfast, have already eaten, you cleaned up and you let me sleep!"

"Calm down." I say as I put my book down, his voice is loud, too loud, and it makes me flinch as he scoots his chair back on the wooden floor. "If you want me to make you some breakfast too, I could, but you'd just have to ask, not scream."