The next morning I wake up to the sound of footsteps echoing through the hallway. Alden storms into the room, his face flushed with anger. "Get up, slave," he growls. "You're needed in the kitchen." I groan, rolling onto my side. My back aches from sleeping on the hard floor, and my stomach growls in protest. Alden yanks me roughly to my feet, his grip bruising my arm. "Now!" he snaps. "But, I though you said I was your pet. And that I didn't need to do that." I mutter back to him, "Well, it seems that I was wrong. You're nothing but a worthless slave who needs to be reminded of her place." He shoves me towards the door, his face twisted in disgust. "Please, master I'll do anything i'm sorry" tears filling my eyes. "Please can I stay as your pet?"He hesitates for a moment, his expression softening slightly. "Very well," he sighs. "You may stay as my pet... for now. But you'd better earn it, Duna." He lets go of my arm, allowing me to stumble to my feet. "And remember, one mistake and it's back to the cold floor and no food." His voice is still stern, but there's a hint of kindness there too. I nod, my heart swelling with relief. "Yes, master Alden." As we talk down the hall "Master, the other slaves are picking on me" I whisper back to him hoping he'd listen to my side of the story.He glances over his shoulder at me, a frown creasing his brow. "What do you mean?" he asks, his tone more concerned now. I take a deep breath, steeling myself for whatever reaction I might get. "They're always saying I'm Alden's pet and I don't belong here. They're making up stories about me trying to get attention from the masters, and they're being mean to me when no one's looking." I look down at the floor. "They lied to you, the other day." I mutter the last part, not quite sure if I want him to hear it or not. Alden stops in his tracks, turning to face me fully. His expression is a mixture of anger and hurt. "Is this true?" he asks, his voice low and dangerous. I nod, tears welling up in my eyes. "They're just jealous," he says, more to himself than to me. "They're jealous because I trusted you and they don't have that privilege." He pauses, taking a deep breath. "Come with me." He leads me down a quiet hallway, to a room that I've never been in before. It's sparsely furnished, with a small table and a few chairs. Alden closes the door behind us and locks it. "Sit down," he says, gesturing to one of the chairs. I do as he says, perching on the edge of the seat, unsure of what's happening. Alden takes a seat across from me and leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "I want you to tell me everything that's been going on," he says. "Everything they've said and done." I take a deep breath, gathering my courage, and begin to recount the events of the past few days. Alden listens intently, his expression growing more and more furious as I speak. When I'm finished, he sits back in his chair, his jaw clenched tight. "They will pay for this," he growls through gritted teeth. "I'll deal with them myself." He pauses, meeting my eyes. "But you need to be careful, Duna. They might try to get back at you for telling on them. Understood?" I nod, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "Good. Because from now on, you're not going to let anyone bully you like that. You're my pet, and I won't let anyone hurt you. Do you understand?" I nod again, "Can we still be friends?" I mutter hoping he hasn't ditched me already. He smiles at me, and for a moment, I forget about all the pain and suffering. "Of course we can," he says, reaching across the table to take my hand. "We're friends, remember?" His touch is gentle, reassuring, and for the first time in a long time, I feel safe. I tear up a bit. "Thank you Alden" "Don't mention it," he says, squeezing my hand. "Now, let's go back to the kitchen and see if they need any help. They probably have a lot of work to do after all that yelling they've been doing." He stands up, offering me a hand up as well. As we leave the room, I can't help but feel a sense of hope and belonging. As we return to the kitchen, the other slaves look up at us, their faces pale and guilty. Alden glares at them, and they quickly look away, busying themselves with their tasks. He leads me to the side, where I've been working before, and gives me a wink. "You just stay close to me, okay?" he whispers. I nod, feeling a surge of gratitude and love for him. "I will," I reply, smiling up at him."Alright so who broke the plate?" Alden pulls the other slaves from their work, questioning them about the broken plate. The other slaves all look at each other nervously, not wanting to rat each other out. Alden's eyes narrow, and he glares at them. "You're all in enough trouble as it is. You think I won't find out who did it?" He asks, his voice cold and dangerous. "Duna was just minding her own business when you all decided to start trouble." He pauses, his gaze flickering over to me before returning to the other slaves. "But since you're all too scared to tell the truth, I guess I'll have to take matters into my own hands." Alden turns to me "So, Duna who was it?" I glace at his eyes for a moment then dart my eyes back to the floor. "All three of them planned it" I point to the girl from yesterday "She broke it, then called you in"Alden's eyes widen, and he looks at me with surprise. "You remembered that?" He asks, impressed. "Yes, master Alden" I mutter back to him, keeping my head down. Alden turns back to the other slaves, his face hard as stone. "So," he says, his voice low and threatening. "It seems we have some confessions to make." He turns to the girl who started it all. "You," he says, pointing at her. "You were the one who broke the plate, right?" She hesitates for a moment before nodding. "Yes, master Alden." Alden nods, his expression unreadable. "And you," he says, turning to another slave. "You were the one who called me in, weren't you?" The slave swallows hard, nodding slowly. "Yes, master Alden." Alden turns to the last slave. "And you," he says, his voice dripping with contempt. "You stood by and let them drag you into this, didn't you?" The slave looks up at Alden, fear in her eyes. "Yes, master Alden." Alden takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Well," he says, "I suppose I have no choice but to deal with you all." He pauses, glancing at the other slaves before fixing his gaze on the three who have confessed. "You three will be spending the night in the stable, sleeping in the hay. And when you return tomorrow, you'll all have extra chores to make up for your foolishness." The three slaves exchange worried glances, but say nothing. Alden turns back to the rest of the kitchen slaves. "And as for the rest of you," he says, his voice softening slightly. "I expect better behavior from now on. Duna is my friend, and she deserves to be treated with respect." The other slaves nod, looking guilty and ashamed. "Now," Alden says, clapping his hands together. "Back to work, everyone." "Oh and if I catch anyone trying to set her up again, you'll be sorry"He glares at the other slaves as they return to their tasks. Alden leads me back to my workstation, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder. "You did good, Duna," he says with a smile. "You really did." I look up at him, feeling a mixture of relief and gratitude. "Thank you, master Alden." I whisper back, my voice barely audible over the clatter of pots and pans. He squeezes my shoulder gently before letting go, but I can feel his approval and protection radiating off of him. "Now, duna come with me" Alden says as he trails off toward the back of the kitchen. "What are we doing?" I ask, following him.He leads me back to his room, giving me the blanket back. "Here, you can have this back." He says, handing it to me. "Thanks, master Alden." I reply, taking it from him. "Duna, do you really enjoy sleeping on the floor or do you want your own bed?" I look up at him, surprised by his question. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor, but if you have an extra bed, I'd be grateful to sleep in it." "Why didn't you ask then?" he questions "I did, on the first day I got here you said no." I mutter back to him. "Well, I was wrong then." He says with a smile, "You can sleep in my bed tonight." He pats the spot next to him, inviting me to lie down. "Thank you, master Alden." I say, climbing into bed, grateful for the soft surface beneath me. He lies down beside me, spooning me from behind. "You deserve a good night's sleep, Duna." He whispers, his breath warm against my ear. "Would you like your own bed in my room duna?" He questions after a moment. "Yes, please I don't want bother you too much though, I've gotten used to sleeping the on the floor" "Don't worry about that" He says, his voice soft and comforting. "You're my friend, and I want you to be comfortable. I'll make sure you have everything you need."  

His words send a wave of warmth through me, and I lean into him, feeling safe and loved.

Suddenly, the door opens to reveal Alden's father standing the door way. He is a tall, imposing figure with a commanding presence that fills the room. His eyes scan over the two of them before fixing on Alden. "Ah, my son," he says, his voice deep and warm. "It's good to see you're taking care of your friend." He looks at Duna with a smile and nods. "You must be Duna." I keep my eyes down and don't reply, feeling intimidated by his presence. "Well, Duna," he continues, "I'm sure Alden has explained the rules around here. If you have any questions or need anything, don't hesitate to ask." He pauses for a moment, studying her face. "You seem like a smart girl. I'm sure you'll fit in just fine." I look up at him, hoping he'll understand that I'm not really a part of this world, that I'm just trying to survive. But his expression remains kind and understanding. He turns to Alden then, clapping him on the shoulder. "I'm glad to see you've taken a liking to her. She'll make a fine addition to our household." "So son how's it been I know it's late but I wanna catch up with you i'm finally free from work after" He pauses "A long while"I look at Alden, he looks at his father and then back at me, a small smile playing on his lips. "It's been good, father. Duna and I have been getting along quite well. She's been helping me with the horses and the garden." He glances at me again, his expression softening. "And she's taught me a few things about loyalty and friendship too." His father's face softens as well, and he nods slowly. "I'm glad to hear that, Alden. You know you can always come to me if you need anything." There's a brief silence as the three of us share a moment of understanding and connection. Finally, Alden's father clears his throat. "Well, I should be getting back to my duties. Alden, if you need anything, just give me a shout. And Duna," he says, turning to me, "take care of my son, won't you?" I nod, feeling a strange mix of gratitude and responsibility wash over me. "I will, Um," I pause for a moment realizing that I've never heard his name before "Phyllon" he responds to my unasked question "You can call me Phyllon." "Yes, Master Phyllon, I reply with a shy voice. They both leave the room, giving me some time to myself. As I lie in bed, I can't help but feel grateful for Alden and Phyllon. They may be my masters, but they've treated me with kindness and respect. And despite the circumstances, I've found a small measure of happiness here. 

As the sun rises the next morning, I wake up to find Alden standing at the foot of the bed. He's wearing a broad smile and holds a small, rolled-up blanket in his hands. "Good morning, Duna," he says cheerfully. "I have some good news for you. Phyllon has given you the okay to have your own bed in my room. So, would you like this one?" He extends the blanket toward me, revealing a small, cozy-looking mattress beneath. "Really?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, really." He replies with a grin. "And don't worry, I'll help you move your things over." His father's generosity leaves me speechless. I take the blanket gratefully, rolling it up and tucking it under my arm. "Thank you, master Alden," I manage to say between tears of joy. "You don't know how much this means to me."