"Sir.. Are you well?" The other asked as he sat there in his chair. "Yes I'm fine.. why do you ask?" Stepping forward slowly fidgeting with their index finger on each paw while their ears lowered down. "Sir.. You have not eaten since you came home.." Turning his head once more to the other, opening his eyes to the maid. Her uniform was cushioning against her curves as her fur would be clean and pulled back into a bun on top of her head. Her tail laying limp to the ground as her body language was one thing he could tell she was worried or perhaps sad. Gripping the armrests of his chair and lifting himself up to his feet.
"Has it been long? The time was taken from me." His tail sliding off his lap soon as he stood up, picked itself up behind him swaying slowly side to side in a calm motion. "I thought everyone was with their loved ones or to their own homes today?.. Go home, I won't keep you here this day." Listening to him as her ears perked up in surprise, but a soft smile would grow on her muzzle. "Sir?! Yes.. Um yes sir! Thank you sir!" Shaking his head gently with a smile on the side of his muzzle as he watched her tail and body in a more joyous motion. Bowing her head to him, "But sir your food is getting cold.."
Reaching out his paw placing it upon her shoulder for a moment, her head lifting up hesitantly. His paw soon letting go, "Go ahead and leave, I will be fine.." Nodding her head quickly and stood back up her smile hadn't left her muzzle as she excitedly turned around making her way out of the room. It wasn't long before the front door had been opened and closed behind her. He stood in the room for a moment to himself then made his way to the window. Hearing the door close, his eyes watched as her body would jump around in the snow covered ground playfully running to the front gates. "That's right.. go have yourself a good time.. Smile be joyful."
A smile that was in the corner of his muzzle had stretched across. It wasn't only for a moment before he moved away from the window closing the door of the room behind him. The hallways were quiet like they had never been so for a long time. He could hear his own footsteps tapping against the wooden floor. "It has been so long since we have been alone hasn't it?" reaching out his left paw touching the wallpaper as he walked down the hallway to the staircase. Slowly stepping down the stairs taking off his socks that covered his feet. Feeling the soft grip of the carpet underneath his pads.
His ears would flatted to his head, reaching the bottom of the stairs. Looking around as his eyes would gleam in the light before walking towards the dining room. Opening up the door finding a long table, a cover went all down the table covering it from side to side. A single plate and bowl sat at the end of the table alone. His smile slowly began to fade "Indeed alone.." He said to himself aloud, while walking to the chair at the end of the table. Stopping at the end chair for a moment noticing the food was still warm, pulling out his chair and sat down.
His claws came out cutting into his food using his claws as forks and knives to feed himself. Only to grab a spoon to sip the soup that was prepared for him. After his meal, taking the plate and bowl to the kitchen along with the spoon. Cleaning the dishes himself then drying off his paws, taking a stroll around inside of his home. Closing his eyes only to listen to the wind blowing against the outer walls of his home. The windows shaking lightly at the passing blows of the wind, small particles of snow had drifted in only to dissolve into the warm air. His arms reached around to his back holding paw in paw as he walked taking in the scents of those that passed through only hours and moments ago.
He could just imagine what they would say to him as he passed by, but their voices would blur into one. "Good evening sir.. Can I get you something sir? What will you have me do sir?" stopping in the middle of the living room at the bottom of the stairs near the front door. His eyes opened up once more to gaze out of the window at the falling fresh snow. "Snow, my beauty.. My mistress of the cold, so white and pure you look up in the air. Down upon the ground you lay waiting and covering the land with your beauty creating destroying along with your body. How you hug us all in your cold warmth, wanting nothing but to love and show us beauty.. But we are all blinded by the rough edges you have the cold and freezing temperatures you keep us at. Your kisses take our breath away, your warm hugs freeze out bodies and your love is endless keeping us forever young within your loving embrace"
A tear rolling down his cheek its warmth slowly moving down his cheek to the bottom of his chin only to drip down. Memories of times past out in the snow wit his loved one's friends and family were only made up in his head of things and times that could have happened but never did. Turning from the window putting on a coat stepping out onto the porch feeling the chill of the snow under his pads. Walking out into the snow covered porch, grabbing the shovel near the door and began scooping the snow and tossing it into the air. The snow flew up and parted back into snowflakes shining and dancing in the wind.
Flowing back down to the ground away from the porch, working upon the porch and closing the screen door to the porch helping to keep the snow from entering. He turned around walking back inside to warm his pads. Making his way upstairs and sat down on the small chair in the hallway leaning back against the wall and closed his eyes. "My dear.. what else can I do? I miss you so much.." Opening up his eyes only to see a portrait of him and a female next to him in a warm embrace. "It is just us two once more.. in our home how times have changed my love.. these ol' bones can not keep up with many of those that help around here."
His fur was partially grayed as his eyes were dimmed from the way they once were. Reaching out his paw to the portrait with a slight frown wanting to touch her soft fur once more, hear her voice calling out to him. "My love.. we will be together someday I promise." pulling his paw away standing back up heading to his bedroom undressing and getting ready for bed he crawled under the blankets and closed his eyes humming a soft melody to help him sleep. The night growing dark, as he lay in bed before long all was quiet as he slept in the bed.
A moment of breath escaped his mouth before his movement stopped from his chest. His life was no more in that instant, his aches and pains were all gone. His spirit soon reunited along side his beloved holding her in his arms once more for all eternity. Morning would come as the help all gathered around the bed of their passed lord. Their heads lowered down in respect, each one of them had tears rolling down their cheeks. He was a good master to them, boss and a friend. Reaching down one touched his muzzle, "Sir.. Rest well.. We will look after you now as you have looked after us. We will miss you and love you as a father.. Older brother.. A companion."
Another reached out as they all would do the same touching his blanket and his body in different spots. A soft voice came from the crowd. "Remember when you stood up for me my lord.. nobody had ever done that before.. I never got to thank you for doing that.. protecting me from those that wished harm upon me... why did you have to leave before I got to say thank you.." another spoke as they all seemed to have a situation of him coming to their aid about some sort of thing or another.
One didn't speak as all she did was look down at him she had been with him for the longest than any of the others, all she could do was have her eyes water and let the tears roll down her cheeks. One reason she couldn't speak was she was a mute, but they all knew her story with him. When she was young, she had been made into a sex slave tortured and raped repeatedly by multiple people. Since she was mute she could never scream for help or for someone to help her. One day he had heard about her so he went for a visit, but found her chained up bound to the wall. Her body shaking and shivering crying from those that had used her for the years she never could get back.
His eyes widened looking at how young she was, enraging a fire inside of himself, her eyes opened up flinching and curling up against the wall seeing him only as a shadow on the floor. Her head slowly looking up her eyes watery with tears, as his eyes connected with hers seeing the fear, worry in her eyes. Walking over to her taking off his coat and wrapped it over her body she whimpered lowering her body more to the ground.. Soon a few of those that held claim to her came in which he began to fight them over the treatment and condition of her.
Which turned physical she stayed curled up under his coat, hiding her face not wanting to witness what was being done. Sniffing his scent and holding it close to her as she could, before he laid down on the ground getting beaten until he could barely move. She was taken away and moved to a different place, it wasn't a few years later until she had escaped from her captures. Then began working in a saloon doing what she only knew how to do, when he came through the doors. He was known in the saloon by both the ladies, with the townsfolk. He had worked off an on with many of the townsfolk or had helped once or twice before.
Meeting the new girl he would stare at her knowing she looked familiar. After a few times coming in, both him and the other girls were teaching her how to spell, read so that why she could communicate with them easier. One day her eyes were in tears as he wrapped her body in his coat. She wrote down to him about how long ago he had been the one to try and help her. After reading the note he smiled softly and began holding her close not long after he took her into his home and gave her so much love and care she needed, but never one did he have her in his bed for anything other than to hold during thunderstorms, when she had flashback's in the form of nightmares.
All she do now was stare at his lifeless body tears rolling down her cheeks.
