Daniel jerked awake with a pounding ache in his head, reeling him down on to his bed as soon as he tried to get up. He shook his head and blinked a time, two times then three but his vision was still hazy. Damn that stupid scorch. He must have gotten drunk last night; never would he tried to steal his father's old drink again. Well, it was what he said last time.

His head still throbbed badly like he had gotten hit with a drum stick or rather a drum was played close to his head. He rubbed his temple with his knuckles, massaging them gently in the attempt to reduce the excruciating pain. He sniffed the air, a smell so disgusting attacked his nostrils, it smelt like a dead rat mixed with an expired can of vegetables.

"What is that awful smell," he squeezed his nose and turned his head to the other side into a creamy pillow.

"I believe that is you, young sir," a deep voice said.

Once again, Daniel jerked up for he never prepared for the voice that answered him. He thought he was alone. It was his room.

"Em... em" a throat was cleared.

Daniel snapped his head to the door. A man in his early sixty with strands of many grays in his hair stood at the foot of his bed carrying a silvery tray in his hands. His bow tie knotted tightly and his free hand found its way his back.

"What the bloody hell are you doing in my room?" he asked startled "It's what – six am?" he checked the clock on the nightstand which pointed its short finger at ten.

"It's ten sir," Riel corrected.

"I knew that," he lied. Taking hold of the clock he turned it face down on the table and got up forgetting he was hung over. "Good gracious heaven," he fell on the bed once again.

Riel watched him make unsuccessful attempts to get up and spoke in a bored tone when he fell this time landing hard on the floor. "I brought you some medicine and a glass of water for your aches." he put down the silvery tray on the bed and indeed it contained the pills and water he spoke of.

That slimy snake. He wanted to watch him suffer. He was sure of that and maybe he laughed in his mind when he tripped on his toe.

Daniel waited and waited, a second, two seconds, three seconds...ten seconds for the aged butler made no move to help him off the floor. "Riel?" he called out his name.

"You stink sir," he stood rigid as a stick in his position.

Did he really stink? He ran his nose on the bottom of his shirt. No that's not it. He smelt his underarm. No that's not it. He pried opened his shirt and smelt his chest. The putrid smell knocked him off. His nostrils was definitely infected now.

"I smell."

"Indeed sir."

"I wasn't wearing this shirt yesterday, was I?" Daniel questioned. Even though he was drunk, he knew the kind of shirt he wore. Why wouldn't he. It was a gift he'd gotten from his wife after they tied the knot at the altar. Even though he hated her now and threw most of her belonging in the trash where they belonged, he refused to throw two things away; the shirt because his name was written on it and his wedding ring worth five thousand dollars. He thought it might come in handy someday and now his bank account was declining, pawning the jewelry would not be such a bad idea. It could rent him an apartment before his parents came back.

"I believe sir your shirt lies in the trash outside."

"WHAT! That was...."

"You fell on your own vomit Sir," Riel cut him before he could proceed.

Disgusting he thought.

Now a feeling caused him to shiver where he sat, he felt like throwing up at the thought of falling into a goo from his own body- perhaps at Mr. Aman but unfortunately, he was towns away. That would have been hilarious, the look on his face when the yellowish, liquid splashes would be a scene to remember for a lifetime.

"Thank you for changing me," he thanked the butler. At least the old man helped him with something – maybe he wasn't that bad after all and he could understand why he wouldn't want to touch him twice, he smelt like a skunk.

"I didn't in fact change you sir," Daniel's ears perked up at the new information. "A young girl, of about nee height took care of your clothing." he raised his hand to his shoulders. "So unfortunate - that one. She said you two were together when I asked."

A girl?

He knew of no girl, no woman to say, he was confident he stayed away from the female spices, well except his step mother. Who was she?

"What did she look like?" he asked. Maybe a wee description of the said girl could jug up his memory - He begged the heavens, he didn't bring in a woman the previous night – how terrible would it be.

"Hair like the night, slim and her skin green like the grasses – painted perhaps- A beautiful one I dare to say."

Daniel almost laughed, the old fool, who did he think he was making a jest of him by describing the girl he dreamt about, the girl he wrote about, the girl that made him lose all he had? Good gracious, he even saw her yesterday on his balcony. He thought the dreams had stooped.

"It's not a shame to tell me you're a fan of mine – I'll gladly give you my autograph if you want," he scoffed hoisting himself slowly off the ground with a hand on the nightstand - carefully this time so that he wouldn't fall, embarrassing himself twice. His eyes turned a little, his vision a little hazy but he could make out clearly the state of his room; clean, and white just like how he liked it. It was his old room.

"I do not jest sir. A girl just like I described is in fact in this house as we speak, on the same balcony to be precise, mopping the vile mess you made."

Impossible. "I'll see for myself then," he made up his mind to see what the old fart spoke of. He swore, if the butler lied he would knock him off his heels, out of the house before his parents came back. It wasn't like he knew him from when he was little. His parents had no use for helpers then and neither did he.

Not long after, he, barreled out the room, into the hallway, down a staircase and then stepped into the living room.

His body turned cold, like a large bucket of icy water was thrown on it, drenching him all over. He couldn't believe it. It was she. He swayed a little, falling backwards down and down, large hands cupped his underarm raising him up to his feet.

"Are you alright sir?"

He paid no heed to Riel, his mind, body and eyes were all focused on the leafy green girl on the balcony on her knees, scrubbing with a rag where he thought, his mess laid.

It was her. The girl that hunted his dreams night after nights for – how long? Oh, he's lost count. He blinked once, twice and multiple times not trusting his eyes. It was truly her – Zyca was here. She was real.

Her face trickled from sweats as she scrubbed, he wanted to wipe it off, the thin sleeve that fell down her shoulder – he wanted to drag it up, her chest that bounced from the strength she used – he wanted to – Good heavens save him.

Men didn't lust after genies. Daniel didn't lust after women.

His back stood rigid, stiff as a board when their eyes met. Her yellow pupil caught his pure white one, then her green luscious lips spread into a thin smile. She raised her hand, waving at him. Hello? Goodbye? He wished dearly for the latter.

"Master!" she called out standing to her feet and she tugged closer to him.

No!

He retreated with his back until he crashes into another body.

"That's the girl sir,"

"Get her out – send her away" he said sternly flapping his hands in all places, still watching the approaching genie. "Impossible," he muttered to himself.

"But sir..."

He shook his head left and right and peeled away, staggering the same way he came balancing his body on the wall, and shut his door loudly with a bang, he bolted the locks. He was scared out of his wits.

****

She couldn't believe her new master ran away. She knew they were of different kind, but they were still alike in some way or the other but still it gave no reason for him to run like she had some kind of disease. Oh no! Had she done something wrong when she changed him the previous night? She changed his shirt and threw the soiled one in the trash- cleaned his dusty room and now she mopped his mess off the floor.

"Have I done something wrong?" Zyca questioned the butler "Did he not like the way I cleaned his room and dressed him for the night?" her eyebrows crinkled together in confusion. Not once had Master Kane complained of the way she did things, well apart from the way she cooked.

"He just seemed surprised to find a woman other than his mother in the same place as him," he answered walking to the balcony "I'm sure a day or two would be enough for him to be to your acquaintance."

She was sure she heard him yell, the old man should get her out or perchance she heard it wrong.

A clap of thundered resonated as Riel closed the windows, drawing down the curtains until the droplets of water falling from the sky on to the surface was muffled behind.

Zyca understood, she came unannounced but what she didn't get was why he didn't expect to find a woman at all in the same space. Did he hate women? She wanted to ask. "Does he-"

"You should wash off that paint off your skin," he cut her off. She took it as an initiative to ask no more. He might have not wanted her to know the secrets of her master because the way his gaze pierced her where she stood made her look the other way. "I'll show you the way – follow me."

"But what about –"

"I'll do it myself," he caught her off again signaling with his hand for her to follow after him as he disappeared at the corner. She swore, he could read her mind, how could he be so accurate in answering the questions she wanted to ask? Maybe the humans were that way. Confusing creatures.

The journey to Maiden chamber, as Riel called it when she asked where he was taking her - was indeed a stretchy one. The house was bigger than she could ever imagine, more of a castle than a house. It made the Aster's home seem like a child's toy house.

They passed an oil on board painting mounted on the wall of a couple entangled in each other arms on a couch with many pillows. Zyca couldn't help but stop for a short look. The sides of the painting was chipped at the edges like a rat had taken a bite out of it and the painting itself was spoiled as the color used was losing its luminosity.

Riel cleared his throat suddenly "This way miss..."

"Zyca. My name is Zyca Abram," she told him.

"Good to know," he said spotting a look of boredom across his face.

They continued down into a corridor, with her following behind, her legs scuffling on the tiled ground as she tried to keep up with his pace. They came to a stop at a door, the light above flickered giving a clear view of the crested design on its front – 'Maiden Chamber'

Riel pushed open the door and waited for her by the frame to step in. "This is will be your room for the time being."

She stepped inside and took in the interior. To her it felt more like a room for kings and queens rather than a place for mere servants like her. It was too much. "Wow," she whispered.

More oil paintings lined the walls in all corners although old like the one she saw earlier, but the way it was well arranged made it look presentable - couches and a window seat in all red gave the room a little bit of shine, a twin bed sat at the center with a stripped white and burgundy sheets draped on the mattress and the pillow pure white it almost blinded her eyes. It was beautiful and Zyca could not take her eyes of the beauty she was going to stay in for a year or less.

She could tell the room hadn't been used in years by the sudden dust which emanated from the sheets when she made an attempt to seat on the bed and the crisscross lined dust on the pillow when she took a closer look.

"Hasn't been used in years – the old servant's room," he confirmed. "Let me know if you need anything – I'm just a room away," he said, taking several steps in. He opened the curtains letting in light and the sound of rain droplets attacked at once." he stepped away to another door in the space similar to the one at the front and pried it open. "The bathroom. You will find toiletries you will need but let me tell you, they are old and dusty."

"I'll manage," she replied with a smile. She was sure it wouldn't be as bad as bathing with just water, anything soapy would do her some good and possible take out the stench off her body.

"A change of clothes in the wardrobe right here," he pointed to a large wooden compartment at the corner. "Although they are all in black and white, I'm sure they will be to your liking."

Riel cleared his throat, taking a step back "Please enjoy your stay."

"When can I get to see the master?" she inquired turning at the last minute catching him mid turn "I have to tell him something – urgently," she added.

"I'll let him know."

"Ok," she replied but the old butler had disappeared out of sight.

Zyca couldn't help but take another glance and shook her head, she had her work cut out for her. She trekked to the window and opened the shutter lined with moisture from the rain – sticking her hands out, she savored the view. The rain drops fell in her hands and she enjoyed the feel of it, how it beat her hands as it came down one after the other conjuring a sweet pattern upon her skin – thousands of liquid reflecting on her olive-green skin. Oh, how she loved it. The dark and cloudy sky reminded her of home. Oh, how she missed Colt and her sister, even the Aster's, they had grown on her.

"A year Allet," a year she would be with her sister again and hopefully this time she would get to play games with her, jumping in the grasses all day long that is if Master Kane would let them. She laughed at the thought.

She was glad she landed in the place she needed to be, imagine searching the whole world for her father and the crystal. It would be a mission impossible.

The pressure of the rain was beginning to lessen - she retreated her hands and closed up the shutter. Smiling to herself she walked to the wardrobe and picked up a pair of clothes and indeed they were all in black and white. She peeled off her soiled clothes and entered the bathroom and moved under the shower. She turned on the tap. Refreshing.

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