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That first part, for the record, is the prologue, thus why it is short. This will be longer. ^_^ However, I'll be adding to it as I go, rather then writing it in one long sitting. As a note, they use the medieval measurement of hands in this story. One hand is about four-and-three-quarters inches, so Daniel is about five foot nine, Mori five foot six, Alice five foot eight, and Mrs. Cartier five foot nine as well. I'll add heights as people come in.

Standing outside the door was the local sheriff and several of his men. Both were dressed in tunics, shirts, and leggings dyed the colors of their lord, dark blue with silver trims, though there were also pale steel armor plates over their chests, shoulders, arms, and legs for protection. The guardsmen wore their helms, simple with no visor or other decorations, the steel coming down over their ears and necks, even as their waterproofed blue wool capes draped over their shoulders, making it difficult to see the swords at each of their waists. Their belts, boots, sword sheaths, and the straps holding the armor in place were all well-cared-for black leather.

The sheriff himself had a few variations to the uniform. His armor was more thorough, a knight's outfit, with only his cape as color. The sword at his side was much easier to see, a handsome broadsword with few embellishments. The helm, with its almost ridiculous blue plume, was tucked under his arm rather then on his head. He wasn't a large man, only about fourteen-and-a-half hands tall, but he was fit and carried himself lightly on the balls of his feet. Much like Alice, the sun had tanned his skin, though his was even darker than hers, though not quite matching the chocolate brown curls on his head that he kept cropped fairly short. Narrowed, dark eyes looked out over strong features, the lines around his eyes and face from laughter more than frowning.

"Well, Daniel? Did he say what he needed to?" Mrs. Cartier asked from behind the astounded Dione.

The sheriff nodded, scowling at the slave trader. "We heard, and the presence of the girl is only further evidence. However, we lost his mage pal. He saw the horses, still saddled, and put two and two together. Thankfully, he didn't clue the rest of the gang into his realization. We have all the workers and the other slaves. Most have the basic marks, easy to remove now that they aren't up for being sold anymore. Only one or two need to be given to mages for extensive spell removal." Daniel, the sheriff, took the gold bag from the man, opening it and taking out a coin inside. "Didn't notice the king's face was backwards, did ya? We confiscated several gold pieces from a counterfeiter a few months ago, and we use the coins in busts now. Take him." Instantly, two of the men came forward and grabbed the former slave trader, putting iron shackles around his wrists. Dione cursed them all as he was led away, leaving only the two women, Daniel, and one of his guards.

Mrs. Cartier sat down with a sigh. "I'm so glad this is over. I hate the idea of those girls being sold to old men who aren't worth what little hair they have left, but actually acting interested..." the woman said with a shudder. Looking up, she asked Daniel, "Will you take this girl with you now?'

"Of course, Lily. Thank you, again, for helping us," Daniel said with a gentle smile, signalling his remaining guard to lead the girl away, "We couldn't have done this without you."

"Um... Sir?" Alice, Mrs. Cartier, and Daniel turned to the guard, who was standing in front of the half-demon girl who had backed herself into a corner, watching him carefully.

Rolling his eyes, Daniel scolded the man, "You have to talk to her, son. Here." Walking over and moving the guardsman back, he looked the girl in the eye. "Now listen here-Mori, wasn't it?-and trust me. No one here or where you are going is a danger to you. You'll be free soon, without a mark on you to show what you have gone through your whole life. Now, come along." The sheriff reached to grab her arm and tug her along.

It was like the force of a rampaging bull hit him, shoving him backwards. Stumbling, he stared at the girl who was glowering at him. "Sir Daniel?" Alice asked in concern. "Is everything alright?" The sheriff held up his hand, indicating he wanted silence. Once more, he stepped forward and reached for her, only to have himself thrown back twice as far. Now both the women and the remaining guard were on their feet, staring at the half-demon girl who was glaring at their friend.

"What's your problem?" he demanded of her, this time not bothering to step forward.

She rolled her eyes and touched the black collar on her neck before pointing to the bag of gold fake coins in his hands. After it repeated several times, Mrs. Cartier spoke up, "Oh! Of course, the Master Spell!" Both guards turned to look at her as she looked depressed. "It's the spell that binds her to her master's home or within a small radius of the master him or herself. Once gold has passed from the trader to the new owner, the spell activates. If she leaves the property, it will choke her till I'm within her range again."

Rubbing the back of his neck, Daniel sighed and said ruefully, "I forgot all about that... Alright, here's the plan. Our mages will most likely separate the girls into groups, so many girls per mage, to undo the markings. Once one of them is free, I'll send them this way. For now, she'll have to stay here. Sorry, Lily."

"It's alright, Daniel," Mrs. Cartier assured him gently. "We can get her cleaned up, and find her a better set of clothes."

"A few meals wouldn't hurt her either..." Alice added dryly. "Dione didn't feed his slaves well, I'd guess." Nodding, Daniel slid his helm on, nodding good-bye to the three women, and took his leave.

Standing up, Mrs. Cartier looked out the window. "It's gotten late. I'll go close down the tavern and send the guests to their rooms. Alice, would you take some measurements of Mori? We can draw from the spares for now, and I'll have Sara over here by tomorrow afternoon to have something better made up. Which of the messenger boys had today off?"

"Khris's youngest son, Wes," Alice answered as she left the room for a moment, returning with a measuring rope, a strong cord with large knots tied every hand and smaller knots lining in between each one. "I'll fetch him as I go draw a bath for the girl. Would you like me to turn down a bed in the servants' rooms?"

"No. Eleanor left last week, her bed is empty. Mori has the training, and you could use a few days of being just the cook and head housekeeper, without the added role of lady's maid."

Nodding, Alice waited till her mistress had left the room to close the tavern before she pulled a small, strong crate over. "Step up," she ordered the girl gently. With her normal silence, the half-demon gathered her skirt out of her way and stepped up on top of the crate. Once she was up, Alice started by wrapping the cord around the girl's waist. "Five and three-fifths..." she muttered, moving to the desk in the room and writing down the measurement on a piece of parchment with a charcoal pencil. Holding the rope vertical, she measured the girl's height, "Thirteen and four-fifths. Now, hold up your arms." Mori did so, and the woman measured her arm length, then wrapped the cord around her bust, finding it to be seven and three-fifths, and her hips to be eight hands. Once satisified with the measurements, Alice set down the rope on the desk by the parchment. "Well, you're lucky. You aren't too badly off for your height, just a little skinny. Can you show me how old you are some how?"

Mori raised her hands, holding up one finger, only to lower it and raise all five, plus one finger on the other hand. Guessing, Alice asked softly, "Sixteen?" When the half-demon nodded, the servant nodded in return. "Then you are right where you should be. Give it a few years with actual meals, and you'll be just fine. I'll be right back, I'm going to go draw you a warm bath and find some different clothing for you. Stay here, alright?" Stepping down off the crate, the teenage girl sat down on it elegantly, her legs sweeping to one side to make it easier. The blonde woman smiled at her, then walked out the door Mori had come through.

Alice had one of her night girls begin the bath, even as she found Wes and sent him off to Sara Tailor with Mrs. Cartier's message. The spare clothing was kept in trunks in the storage area, sorted by size. It was easy enough to find what the former slave would need, though the head housekeeper avoided colors for now, keeping everything in the black and white color family. Placing them in the bathing room, she left to return to Mori. The girl was still sitting on the crate, patiently waiting. When Alice beckoned, she stood up and followed the older woman with her silent grace, even her footsteps difficult to hear.

Once in the bathing room, Mori slipped behind the changing screen without encouragement. The skirt and the corset top came over the edge of the screen, the slippers being put out of the screen carefully. Any undergarments left were put in the basket kept there, and she stepped out from behind the screen in the cotton robe. Alice stepped out while the girl slid into the water, washing her body of the grime collected there from being in the wagon and on the road. Only when Alice had thought it had been long enough did she step in to help the girl wash the thick set of tresses. Once it had been washed and untangled by Alice's gentle hands, Mori let the other woman help her dry off and let herself be tugged back up on a dressing stand.

A set of white underskirts was pulled over her still damp head, a simple corset following it. The blonde woman tugged the cords with experience, leaving them loose enough the girl could breath while still serving the purpose the corset was made for. Once the first skirt and the shirt were on, both white, Alice picked up the actual dress, one made of black wool. Once it was over her head, Mori tugged the flared sleeves of the shirt straight, finding that the cuffs actually buttoned tightly around her wrists, making the sleeves bell-shaped as was the current fashion, as Alice buttoned up the back of the dress. The bodice of the dress hid all of the shirt but the sleeves, the neckline a modest V, while fitting her torso tightly. At her hips, the skirt flared out over her hips, parting in the front to reveal the white of the first skirt. In the back, rather than the latest fashionable bustle, the skirt folded slightly so that fell smoothly without the fabric coming short at the bottom, a tastefully large bow at her waist, the fabric white and pleated perfectly.

Mori was about to step down when Alice stopped her, holding a new pair of black slippers, these in much better shape then her previous pair. She helped the teenage girl slip them on before letting her step down. The head of the housekeepers led the girl to a chair in front of a mirror. "With this being a tavern, our hair has to be kept back so it won't fall into someone's food," she explained. "I'll pull it back this time, but from then on you'll have to pin it up, so watch what I do." With that, she set to work at taming the wavy hair as it continued to dry. First, it was pulled back into a ponytail, not at the base of her neck but not at the crown of her head either. Then Alice wound it gently around the hairtie, pinning it into place, though not as tightly as she pinned her own. Once it was in place, she placed two bleached ivory combs into the base to keep it in place as well as for decoration, the ends left showing carved into simple flowers.

The two women stood once Mori's hair was in place, and the two of them walked down the hallway, up two flights of stairs, then down another hall to the very end, where Mrs. Cartier's rooms were kept. Inside, Mrs. Cartier was sitting at her desk, writing a letter as the small boy, Wes, stood nearby. A pale boy with dark hair and brown eyes, he often reminded people of an eager to please puppy. While they finished their business and Alice waited, Mori took in the room. It was elegant and simple, decorated in scarlet, cream, gold, and red-tinted wood. In one corner, a wardrobe stood, a dressing stand set up in front of three mirrors not far away. A doorway, kept partial hidden by a privacy screen, was next, with the vanity not away. A large bay window lined the wall opposite the door, the bed set up on a platform against the remaining wall. The desk was set up in a corner neatly, on the same wall as the wardrobe and the door Alice and Mori had just come through.

Wes took the sealed letter Mrs. Cartier gave him and scurried past the two other women. Sighing, the inn's owner stood and approached the two. "Well. Your skin really is gray," she said in amusment. "I thought perhaps it was the dirt making it that tone, but it is truly the pigment. Hm." Mori flushed slightly. Much like other parts of her skin, it took on a darker gray tone rather than pink or red. "Now, now... No need to be embarressed. I've given some thought to our situation, and have a question for you. Where will you go when your marks are removed?"

The half-demon shrugged, obviously not sure.

"As I thought, from what Dione told us of your history." Taking the girl's hands in her own, Lily Cartier said, "I can offer you a job, taking food and board out of your wages so you can just stay here. I lost my own personal maid to our Lord Vash's new bride, the noblewoman offering her more gold than I could ever afford to compete with. With the guests and the locals who come here, all the girls currently working for me are needed in the kitchen as cooks, servers, and maids for the rest of the house. None of the local girls have the training. I'm in a bind, Mori, one that you are the easiest solution for. What do you say? Will you stay on as my lady's maid? I can even pay you for the time kept here by that spell. Consider your board till Sir Daniel's mage comes and the clothes I'll arrange for tomorrow your first pay check."

The half-demon tilted her head to the side, then nodded her head in agreement.

"Wonderful! Alice, would you fetch a nightgown for Mori and take it to the adjoining room? We'll stock the wardrobe for her and make the bed with the basics, but she can decorate herself once she gets next month's wages. As for you, my dear, help me change for the night. It has been a long day, so I'll wait and bath tomorrow morning..." Mrs. Cartier turned and walked towards the dressing stand as the two servants hurried to do as she asked.