Chapter Text
Vi stood next to Vander, shoulders squared, chin up, and eyes cast down.
They stood near the front of the gates, the first wave of the lower-class servants. The butchers, the gardeners, and the stable boys stood around her. The seasoned men stood in front of her, the only ones allowed to greet the carriages as they passed the gates, and the younger children stood behind her row—not to be seen by the high status family.
The Kirammans.
The newest family that was moving into the estate.
Another family Vi will be told she will serve for the rest of her life. The previous family were heretics to the council, usurped from their seats, and banished from Piltover. Vi didn’t care really, their son was arrogant, selfish and ugly. They only became a name for their inventions, the boy used to be one of them. But quickly forgot his place the moment he had a servant of his own. The greed for more power and riches easily corrupted the House Talis. And the council has no room for errors or haughty leadership.
So a new family moved in to gain ruling over this corner of Piltover. And since Lady Kiramman held a high seat on the council, things were about to become either worse or better, but never easier. Why would it ever be made easier for them? Vi knew where she stood, didn’t mean she had to enjoy it. Regardless, toiling away on the estate was leagues better than dying for people who would never know their names in a useless war..
Vi dug her hand into her pocket, her pants large and saggy on her small frame, perfect for hiding all sorts of snacks in them. She pulled out an apple and stole a greedy bite out of it. Sweet relief flooded into Vi’s mouth, satiating her parched tongue. It had been a long day waiting in the scorching heat while the Kirammans were taking their sweet ass-time.
Vander groaned so loudly next to her, he was standing tall behind the first line of servants, and Vi knew he wouldn’t be able to do anything without bringing attention to himself. The line of servants in front of them perfectly hid a young girl who was too hungry to wait to eat. After taking another huge bite, she bit off the skin carefully, leaving most of the juicy apple underneath. Vi then reached behind her and felt small hands quickly take it.
Good. The younger ones needed to eat as well. They were too young to understand the rules and expectations.
Vi couldn’t suppress a yawn when the band finally walked through the gates, the trumpets were loud and annoying, though the dumbs were cool at least. Several flag bearers followed the bad stoically holding the Kiramman crest of two crossing gold keys joined by asymmetric “K’s”. The lock and key holders of Piltover, very fitting indeed.
The first Carriage rode past, it was closed. The heir to the Kiramman House. Vi had never heard of him, so she tried not to care too much. The second carriage was open, and there were a few claps to greet the gentleman of the estate. Lastly, Lady Kiramman herself had forgone the carriage and rode in a majestic beast of a horse. Her posture was stiff and proper. What surprised Vi was when she turned to the line of servants and nodded her head.
Lady Kiramman acknowledging them?
A game was being played more like. She needed to gain their affection and loyalty. Vi spat on the ground when the lady passed them and this time Vander did elbow her hard. She took it without making a sound. Better than being a blind minion at her game.
Grounded .
Can Vi be grounded and yet still be able to do everything she was doing before? Because after raking up the leaves from the small gardens just inside the wooden fences reserved for the servant. Vi sat underneath the very tree that… that was her mother’s final resting place,njoying the shade her mother provided that day.
“I’m grounded again. I have to work on my day off. Vander wants to make an example out of me, He says he has to since people saw my behavior yesterday.”
Vi ran her hands over the dirt as though she were caressing her mother’s face. She could picture those soft eyes smiling down at her. Brushing a flower across her nose when she woke up. ‘Time to bloom, my little Violet. We have a long day ahead of us.’
But Vi felt as though she hadn’t ‘bloomed’ since that day. Since the last day she saw her.
“There’s a new family here. A Councilwoman and her heir.” Vi delicately lifted a handful of dirt and rubbed it into her pants. Vi liked to imagine she was taking a piece of her mother with her wherever she went.
“I wonder if he’s ugly like the one before him. I guess it won’t matter anyway. Vander said the heir is to be kept a secret until they’re old enough to know their conscriptions. Whatever that means, I don’t plan on fighting for their war.”
Vi stood and shook off the excess dirt, she needed to get back to her chores lest she get her ass beat..
Something to look forward to, if she wanted Lady Kiramman to know who she really was.
She grabbed her rake and headed down the servants path towards the estate. It was muddy, uneven, and unprotected from the summer heat. Vi nodded towards a little boy about to enter a small side entryway.
“Hey, little man.” The boy startled for a moment before relaxing. He was too young to be a servant, but Vi was younger when she began using those hallways to get to and from her ordered destinations.
Ekko was carrying a rather large crate of grain. He was clearly struggling, but Vi knew the rules and she never approached him. The guardsmen could be watching from anywhere. If a servant couldn’t manage on their own, they would be handled accordingly. Ekko was an orphan just as she was, though the craftsman took him in as Vander had to her. They had sort of grown up together, when Ekko had managed the courage to venture out with them.
Vi saluted Ekko as she walked by, he could only nod and disappeared into the dim servants hallway.
She kept walking, relieved by the shade the overpassing limbs provided her, but she knew Vander would be called to cut them down later today.
She followed the muddied pathway until she approached a black iron gate. Lower than the front gates, but tall enough to prevent anyone from hopping over. She adjusted the rake in her hands, to push the gate open. It was heavy, and old. Probably the oldest thing on this property. She wasn’t alive when this estate was built, she only knew that her mother was younger than Powder is now, when the first layers of foundation were constructed.
When House Talis’ ambitions overshadowed their true worth.
Vi turned to close the gate, and was rightfully startled by the sound of a girl yelping. She froze, not moving a muscle, hoping to blend into the rusted bars of the gate. The last time she heard a scream like that had not ended for her, she has the scar across her back to remind her not to meddle into someone else’s business.
Vi cursed under her breath when the gate became too heavy to hold against the natural fall of the hinges. And it closed with a loud clang.
She could hear rustling in the bushes near the sidewall of the estate. The maids' rooms were on this side. Vi briefly wondered if someone was being punished, or… Vi shook her head, and slowly turned around. Her eyes scanned the area just inside the gate, a small garden of various flower beds to the right of the red bricked pathway. Bushes lined the side of the estate, where Vi could hear some rustling of leaves.
She hesitantly stepped forward, looking up to see an open window. A maid was escaping, which only meant one thing…
Curious, Vi now walked forward, needing to get more visual information on this girl. She leaned her rake against one of the trees.
“Ouch.” the girl whispered.
Vi watched as the girl stood up, she grimaced, but looked unharmed. She was clearly not from around here. Ionian perhaps?
Her sharp features stood out immediately and now Vi was definitely intrigued. She wasn’t wearing the usual uniform the house maids wore. The large gardener attire was loose and baggy, as though she’d borrowed the clothes from someone else. Her hair wasn’t in the tight bun either but a loose ponytail.
Vi approached her, more than willing to help one of her own. “Lemme help ya.” She held out her hand.
The girl’s attention snapped up at the voice. Her blue eyes wide in surprise. “Um.”
Vi wiggled her fingers. “Hurry up now before someone hears you. I could walk you back if you want?”
The girl stared at her hand then up at her, confused. Then she looked over Vi’s clothes and the rake settled against the tree behind her. She looked at her own clothes, realization flooded her.
With a loud impatient sigh, Vi reached down and pulled her up by the arm. The girl yelped again, surprised by the movement. They stood nearly toe to toe, so Vi backed up a little and reached for her rake.
“Did you just escape out of the window?” Vi asked with a smile.
The girl shrugged at the question. “I have no desire to be locked up any longer.”
Vi was surprised by that. “That’s very risky with the new Lady around.”
The girl brushed her pants off before turning around to reach for her hat. “She’s not here.” She said while pulling on the straw hat to keep the sun out of her face.
Vi nodded. “Cool. Well I gotta head to the stables out front. If you slip out this gate, no one will see you.” She pointed to the one nearly hidden by the overgrown trees.
The girl seemed surprised by the information. “Do you hide around here often?”
“Only when I start trouble.”
“I see.” The girl answered quietly, seeming to think something over in her head.
Vi looked at the direction of the daylight and cursed under her breath. “Well, see ya ‘round. I gotta get to work.”
Vi threw her rake over her shoulder and began walking towards the front stables.
“Wait!”
Vi didn’t stop walking but turned around. “What? You coming?”
The girl stayed in the shadowed portion of the pathway. “What do I call you?”
“Vi.” before she could wait for whatever answer the girl was about to say. Vi turned and began running towards the stables, not one to listen to orders, but she was still grounded. So she had extra duties to finish today.
When Vi's arms felt as though they would fall off, the stablehand sent her home.
She dragged her rake behind her, too tired to lift it even one more time. It was nearly dark outside, letting her know she had raked horse shit all day without a break for a snack or lunch. The strict stablehand had barely paid her any mind. They always thought themselves above the other servants just because they cared for the horses that pulled the Kiramman’s carriages, they felt a slight step higher. More important than someone who would shovel shit of an animal all day long.
When Vi walked past the family window, she looked up and saw it was closed. The curtains pulled shut. She briefly wondered about the Ionian girl, if she was truly an indoor maid, a runaway, or a nobody at all.
Vi didn’t have the energy to care about it anyway. She struggled to pull the gate open, and when she finally did she pushed forward. Her rake was still dragging behind her.
Vander was waiting for her when she showed up. He quickly took the rake from her, and Vi’s arm may have disappeared from her body.
“There’s a bowl of stew for you on the table.” He said nothing else and began walking around the house where their shed was at.
He saw the exhaustion clear on her face. Vi would keep her place until the next time she decides to act up. Given how frequently she does it, it’ll most likely be in a few days. Vi ate her dinner slowly and drowsily, till feeling the pinch in her forearm whenever she brought a spoonful to her mouth. Powder sat in front of her eating her second bowl, reserved for her when Vi returned home.
She never wanted to eat a meal without her older sister.
After dinner Vi scrubbed down outside from a barrel, sticking her entire head in the cold water and wiped her face clean. Powder waited for her.
By the time Vi crawled on their small sleeping mat, she barely remembers Powder climbing over her, raising Vi’s tired arm to lay there in her embrace. She does remember pulling her sister closer. Vi still sees their mother in Powder some days, her soft eyes and caring smile.
It was curious though, that Vi dreamt of a new pair of eyes that night.
Vi didn’t want to carry a rake again for at least a month.
Fortunately she didn’t have to for the following few days. Vander sent her and Claggor to town to buy some feed for the chickens. Vi reached for a piece of fish from Jericho’s shop, laughing when Claggor watched her and did the same thing. She was being a terrible influence, she knew the boy looked up to her. She never knew why, but they all did, all the kids around the property seemed to gravitate towards her. Vi, this scrawny young girl who swears her bite is actually harder than her bark.
Every time Vi returned to the small garden, she was almost disappointed when she didn’t see the Ionian girl again. She didn’t like that her mind went to a dark place, but it was the sad reality of a servant's life.
On her next day off, Vi decided she would wait by the flower beds to see if the girl was gone for good, or if she had a way of sneaking in and out of the estate. She briefly thought about asking Ekko if he’d seen her inside, but the boy preferred to keep busy and mostly to himself, unless Powder was around. Then they’d talk quietly together.
Vi was glad she had sat where she did, or she would’ve missed the window quietly opening. The girl poked her head out and Vi smiled when she noticed a bench below the window. It made the girl’s escape easier, but now Vi wondered how the heck she was able to get away with it. Still dressed in her oversized slacks, the Ionian girl now wore a cloak, rugged and dirty. Nothing caught on the window sill as she carefully stepped outside one foot at a time.
Vi quickly got up wanting to meet her again.
Once safely on the ground, the girl brushed the dust off her pants. When she turned around she gasped quietly in surprise.
“Vi?”
Vi grinned, impressed by the girl’s feats. “How do you manage to get away with this? Do you do this everyday?”
The girl walked towards her, looking over her shoulder slightly. “Not everyday. And I’m sure my window would be gated shut if I were ever to be caught.”
Vi noticed the fancy way the girl spoke. It was proper and she pronounced the words differently than she did. Definitely a house maid. Most likely born and raised to be proper to serve the heir to the Kiramman’s. Vi suddenly felt bad for the poor girl. Must not be the rays of sunshine since she was escaping her duties to be outside with the more rugged servants.
“Do you have somewhere to be today?” the girl asked.
Vi shook her head. And then thought of something. “What’s your name?”
The girl bit her lip, her sharp eyes narrowed as she looked over Vi. Vi tensed up, preparing to square up. Did this girl want to fight? Vi was more than ready to throw down, pretty girl or not, Vi only asked for her name.
She relaxed a little, but shook her head.
“You don’t have a name?” Vi asked incredulously.
“I do.” There was a playful smile now. “Although, I’m afraid I won’t be able to reveal that to you. Just yet anyway.”
Vi frowned in confusion.
The girl giggled, expression full of mischief. “Come on! Follow me.”
She headed towards the gate and grunted with the effort to pull it open. She looked to check that Vi was following, which of course she was. Vi was more than ready to go wherever this girl ran off to, maybe she found a place Vi hadn’t yet.
She didn’t. She took Vi to all the boring places. Starting with the small shops that led the ways towards Zaun. Her eyes held so much excitement and curiosity Vi wondered if this girl had ever gotten out of a house at all. She approached a flower stand, dug into her pocket and pulled out a few coins. The vendor handed her a large bouquet of flowers. Vi wouldn’t lie, they were pretty and smelt nice.
“Oh, these are so lovely. I love all the different colors over here. Much different than back home.” She brought them closer to get another breath of the arrangement.
“Where was home?”
The girl opened her eyes, “Far from here.” she mumbled into the flowers. “Keep up now. There are places I would like to be before I’m expected to return ho—back at the estate.”
The girl carried on down all the shops. Digging her deep pockets to put out yet another coin. Vi never bothered to ask where she got it from. She had clearly robbed the estate and Vi wasn’t about to call her out on it when she might buy Vi her own desired snacks or trinkets to take home.
She squealed with delight when they approached a small bakery. “Oh heavens, these sugary aromas are an absolute delight.” She approached the pastry stand and once again she dug around her pockets pulling out some coins. “Would you like some?”
Some?
Not only one?
“Uh, hell yeah.” Vi couldn’t remember the last time she ate something that looked so pretty and bright. Curiosity was eating away at her as she waited impatiently for the Ionian girl to point at various treats.
Her stomach growled. It was about midday and they hadn't had a proper meal since they left the estate’s grounds. And as delicious as these colored breaded treats looked, Vi wanted to get something more fulfilling to eat.
The strange girl must’ve heard it. The woman handed the girl her bag of pastries and she faced Vi with a knowing smile. “I’ll let you choose where we dine for lunch.”
Vi could only think of one place she’d been desperately wanting to try. No sneaking cuts from behind the butcher. “Jericho’s?” She requested her new companion.
“The fish market?” She seemed to think it over, but motioned Vi to guide her there.
Oh, she did. Vi forced herself through the crowd of people. She was small enough. Vi would’ve looked behind her to see if her new friend was following, but she felt the familiar tug on the back of her shirt. Something Powder would do so she wouldn’t lose Vi in the flowing sea of travelers and locals.
Vi and the Ionian girl sat at the bar of Jericho’s.
When he placed their bowls in front of them, Vi was already eagerly digging into hers like an puppy finally being fed from her master. She could see the girl grimace at hers, but still picked up a piece and took a delicate bite. She looked pleasantly surprised.
“I should request this.” She whispered under her breath, and took a huge bite.
Vi had to roll her sleeves up so she could dig into her bowl, and shove large pieces of fish into her mouth. She scooped the melted butter and other flavors Jericho would experiment with. Vi shoved as much as she could in her mouth, enjoying the flavors and the experience with her new friend.
The Ionian was equally enjoying the food. Eating as much and as fast as Vi was. A race to the finish line.
When they finished the meal Vi caught the girl leaving a hefty tip of extra coins, smiling to herself.
After the girl took her all over the shops and the upper side of Zaun. Places Vi was more than familiar with, she led Vi towards a secluded area towards the estate. When Vi heard the buzzing sound she was about to turn around and run away. But the Ionian kept forward. Carrying the bouquet and the bag of sweets for them.
She led them toward a beehive. Why? Who knows. But Vi stayed a good ways behind her while she held up the flowers for the insects.
She was immediately surrounded.
But she giggled and laughed when the bees landed and walked over her.
Vi was curious but not that curious. Though when the girl sat on the grass and opened their bag of sweets, Vi was suddenly tempted to approach the girl.
She held out a blue pastry for Vi to grab. “This is blueberry flavored. I thought you might like this one.”
Vi had to physically look past the bees to take the treat from her friend. She carefully sniffed it before eventually taking a bite, Vi mind and world was swirling around the pastry. “What is this called?”
“A cupcake.” She answered proudly while taking a bite of her own bright pink treat.
A cupcake. Vi smiled widely while finishing her snack in one huge bite.
They had been laying on the grass for what felt like hours to Vi. Her stomach had never felt so full. She never had this feeling of contentment when eating food. She couldn’t wait to bring Powder all their leftover meals.
It was a lot.
Vi let out a shaky full breath, feeling the expanse of her stomach and body. Nothing else would fit inside her. At least, that’s what she thought. The girl turned on her side. And Vi felt her caress her nose.
“You have a lovely face.”
Vi frowned in confusion, not sure what to say to that. She has a servant's face. Easily picked out in a crowd. Whereas this girl had the subtle beauty of a monarch, reaching their hold on the public. Vi wouldn’t admit it until much later, but this girl had the fairer features. Those desired of the public. Her sharp features softened with youth, delicate blue eyes, and the way she carried herself was more proper than what Vi was used to.
Not as lovely as yours. She wanted to reply though her mouth remained shut and quiet. Vi never said a word.
And the girl seemed to expect silence, as she smiled to herself when Vi didn’t respond. A proud and eager energy erupted from within. As though she secretly won something
Vi walked her back to the window.
Unsure of what to do with herself, she stood by the tree while the girl hoisted herself up onto the window sill, pulling herself over the final barrier between the gardens and absolute freedom.
“Will I see you tomorrow?” Vi asked, as twilight meandered upon them. The girl stood at the window wearing a peculiar expression.
She then smiled brightly but shook her head. “Not tomorrow. But I’ll come to you when I can.”
Vi didn’t know what that meant, but she accepted it nonetheless. She had all the girl's belongings in her hands as well. The bouquet of flowers, and the bag of treats. Vi brought them home to her family. Her brothers and Powder were more than curious where she got her treats. But she kept her secret for now.
When she fell asleep that night, Vi dreamed of her new friend.