Page 62 of Volunteer 4711

“You can meet her in the servants’ canteen. I know you made friends there, but not in the laundry room, please. I will allow you to meet your friends but do not do any work that I have deemed below you or enter those rooms.”

I agree, and then I watch him leave. I quickly dress in one of the new dresses my Commander ordered for me. I choose a maroon-colored one with a matching leather type belt. I don’t wear any of the jewelry but take my friend’s blue dress and go find her.

Not surprisingly, she’s in the laundry room as it’s the afternoon. I stand in the doorway, not wanting to break my Commander’s wishes.

“You’re not supposed to be here,” my friend says when she sees me, but she still runs up and touches my arm as good friends greet one another. I do the same to her.

“The Commander said I could come and return the dress,” I say.

“Let’s have some tea,” she suggests. “I don’t want you to get in trouble, and I want to hear everything.”

“And so do I,” I reply. “You said something as we entered the conference room before the wedding.”

“I did?” she asks as we order our tea.

“You said, ‘You knew he always loved me.’”

“Oh yes, I did say that,” she admits. “Because it’s true. Didn’t you know that? It’s been plain as day on his face for a while now. Don’t you like him? We all thought…” she trails off.

“You all thought what?” I ask. “Come on; please tell me. Remember, I’m not from here. I don’t understand everything.”

“We all thought that you loved him too.”

“Oh,” I say, a bit embarrassed.

“Two people can’t hide their feelings when we all live so closely with one another. When an energy shifts between people, everyone notices.”

“When did you notice this ‘energy shift?’”

“About a year ago, I can’t remember when exactly it was, but I saw him give you a look that gave me pause. Another one of his officers was admiring your language skills, and he had the look of a male in love. Other people mentioned other incidents.”

“I don’t remember that,” I say.

“Of course, you wouldn’t. I don’t even think you would have understood at the time. But we all knew,” she drew her hand around the empty canteen to indicate the servants.

“And me? When did you think I loved him?” I ask.

“From the moment he allowed you to take on all of your valet duties. We all noticed. You saw him as a male then.”

I took a sip of tea. “I think you might be right. It was all so gradual, I just….”

“You two have been the love story everyone on this ship, the fleet, and the Home Planet has been talking about for weeks.”

“What do you mean in the fleet and on the Home Planet?”

“Didn’t it occur to you why that other Water woman hated you and wanted bad things to happen to you?” my friend asks.

“I just thought she was a nasty person.”

“She wanted her commander to cherish her the way our commander cherishes you, and she knew that would never happen. Her commander isn’t that kind of male. So she wanted to ruin it for you by having you raped by a lesser male.”

“But he would have been put to death,” I say.

“Yes, and you would have been shamed, and then our Commander might have been forced to find another place for you.”

It sinks in now. Why he wanted me to know how to defend myself. “I couldn’t have even remained as his valet?” I ask for clarification.

“A woman who has been raped is seen as unlucky on ships.”

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