# 14 The Rain Tribe Cassandra? SheslowlyawoketothesoundofNeborasvoice.Theservantwascrouchingdownnexttoherbythebedside.
Itspastdinnertime.Doyouwanttoeatsomething? Cassandrafrownedandslowlysatup,holdingthebedsheetstocoverhernakedbody.Shelookedaround,thefurcloakwasneatlyfoldedandlaidatthefootofthebedandseveralcandleswerelit,illuminatingtheroominthepitchblackevening.Hewasgone.
Isitverylate? No,butthenightfallsearlyhere.HisHighnesslefttwohoursago,saidNebora.
Whereto? ProbablytoseetheArmyofTheEast.Heusuallygoes toseehismenassoonashegetshere.
Cassandrablushed,shewasobviouslythereasonhehadntgonerightawaythistime.Neboraclearedherthroat,abitembarrassedforafewseconds.Lookingdown,hercheekswerealreadyred,andshewhispered.
I…Iwantedtoapologize.Youknow,about…earlier.Iwasabitchto you.Ajealousbitch,andI…realizedI…Well,thatitwasstupid.Imsorry.
Itwasobviousshewassincereandembarrassed.Cassandrasmiledgently.
Apologyaccepted.Tobefair,Icantreallyblameyou.Iamaslave,andalsoina…weirdposition.
Aslavewhoworeareddress.Thinkingaboutit,Cassandrawasstillnaked.Shelooked aroundforherdress,butitwasnowheretobeseen.Whenshelookedunderthesheets,Neboraunderstoodandhandedheranew,whitedress.
Yourdresswas…um,soiled,so wetookittoclean,sorry.Idont thinkwehaveanyotherreddresses.Youcanwearthatnightgownfornow,Iguess.Itsmine.
Oh…thanks.
Cassandrafeltabitflustered.Howmanytimeshadshechangedclothestoday?Shetook thenightgownfromNebora.Thekneelength dresswassimpleandwhite,knittedinathickerfabricthanwhatshewasusedto,butitwasagreeablywarmconsideringthecoldhere.

Yourewelcome.ButyoushouldreallyaskHisHighnessformoreclothes.Youcanthaveonlyoneoutfit,itllbeapaintowasheveryday.
IdontknowifIm inapositionto… Neborarolledhereyesandgotup,speakingbeforeCassandrafinishedhersentence.
Youreaconcubine.Trustme,eventheservantsherehavearoundtenoutfitstochangeinto.Dontbringuptheslavething,heobviouslydoesntgiveadamnaboutthat.HisHighnessisveryrich,sojustaskforit! Cassandranoddedasshethoughtaboutit.Indeed,shecouldntwalkaroundnakedor borrowNeborasclothesallthetime.Asshestartedtobraidhermessyhair,Neboratookastepback,showingheralittleplate fulloffood.
Oh,areyouhungry?Ibroughtthisupjustincase.Everyoneelsealreadyate,butIfiguredyoumighthavebeentoo…busytogetabite.HisHighnessatebeforeleaving,butyouwerestillasleep.
Thanks… Indeed,afterallthatintenseactivity,shewashungry.Itwasstillsonewtoher,tobeabletoeatwithoutbeggingorhavingtohide.Instead,shecouldenjoyplatesfulloffreshfood,justforher.CassandrastartedeatingsomeofthelittlepiecesofcheeseandfruitasNeborajoinedher,sittingonthefloornexttothebed.
Howmanyservantsarethere? TheressixofusintheCastle,plustwomoreforthestables.
Thatsit?askedCassandra,surprised.
FromthesizeoftheCastle,shehadthoughttherewould beatleastahundredpeoplehere!Neborashrugged.
Well,youveseenhowitis.Everythingisprettymuchempty,andthereisonlythePrincetotakecareof,so… What?Whatabouthisentourageorotherconcubines? Neboraalmostchokedonthecubeofcheeseshewaseating,andturnedtoCassandrawithsurprised eyes.
Whatareyoutalkingabout?Youretheonlyone! Cassandrawasspeechless.Theonlyone?ShehadfiguredaPrincelikehimwouldhaveatleastadozenconcubines!Maybeevenawife…Afterall,wasnt oneofthePrincesinfamousforhavingaharemofovertwohundred?But,tothinkamanliketheWarGodactuallyhadnone… Well,to behonest,itsnotlikeyoure thefirstone.
.
Whatdoyoumean? Neborasmirked.
TheEmperorandtwoofhisbrothershavetriedofferinghimconcubinesbefore.ButHisHighnessdidntlikethem.Hekilled them.Well,tobe precise,hekilledthree andhisdragonkilledtheothers.

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Cassandrastood,completelyspeechless.Heactually daredtokillsomeonesentbytheEmperorhimself?Whatkindofmanwoulddothat!Wasshejustluckytohavesurviveduntilnow?Shewasntsent byanyonefromtheImperialFamilythough.CassandrasuddenlyrememberedShareenswordstokeepherselfalive.Didthatmeanshe actuallysuspectedKairencouldkillheraswell?Thatwasreallytoofrighteningtothinkabout.
Dontworry,saidNebora.Idontthinkyoureanythinglikethosewomen,youknow.Actually,twoofthemeventriedtokill him.
What? Well,some saytheywent crazy,butalotofpeoplethinktheyhadorderstokilltheWarGod.ItsnotliketheImperialFamilyisa verywarmhousehold,you know.EveryoneknowssomeofthePrincesarejustdyingtotake theGoldenThrone.
Cassandrahadnoticedthattoo,atthebanquetandthearena.Itwasobviousthesiblings,PrincesandPrincesses,didntlike eachothermuch.Somedidntevenbotherto hide their hatredfor oneanother.Therivalryhadbeenjustbarelycontained,probablybecause oftheEmperorspresence… Anyways,allthatisquitefarfromus.Ifanythinghappens,itwillmostlikelybeattheCapital.Nothinghappensaroundhere,sighedNebora.
Wouldyougivemeatour? Cassandrassuddenquestionseemed tosurpriseher.Shehesitated,eatingsomegrapeswhileCassandragrabbedthefurcloak.
Now? HisHighnesswontbebackforthenight,willhe? No,heusuallyleavesforafewdays whenhegoestoseehismen…Imjustsaying,itsprettyboringouthere.
Ijustfeellikeseeingmoreofthe Castle,andIveslept toomuchalready.
Shewasntreallylying,butCassandrasrealreasonwasthatsheactuallyfeltprettyuncomfortable and aloneinthegiganticbed.Nebora sittingonthefloornexttohermadeherfeelabitawkward,too.
Neborawasshocked.
Whatdoyoumean? Mytribelivedto thesouthofthisEmpire,nearthe Riverlands.Wewereoneofmanytribeswhocoexistedtheretogether,inaterritory betweenthe DragonEmpireandtheEasternRepublic.Weknewawarwasgoingon betweenthem,butwewerelivinginaverydifficultarea.Itwasmostly dominatedby swamps andheavyrain.We neverthought we wouldgetinvolvedin the conflict.
Nebora frowned.
What happened? IwasonlynineyearsoldbackthensoIdontknowallthedetails,butatsome point,someonesuspected thetribeswere smugglingweapons andinformationtothe otherside.OurChiefwascapturedandtortured…Hecouldntsaywhathedidntknow,andwaskilled.Afterthat,theydecideditwouldbebetterto justwipeusall out.Tothem,wewerea namelesstribeofsavages,arisktheydidntwanttotake.Itwasover in onenight.

Neborawasspeechless.Itwasdishearteningtothinkawholepopulationhad beenkilled overaconflicttheyhadnthadanypartin.Yet,Cassandrawasquitecalmas she spoke.It wasasifshewasjusttellingatale.Butitwasntatale;it was herstory.
Shesighedandtookanothersip.
Howdidyousurvi ve? Theydidntactuallykill everyone…Theykilledalloftheadultsandmostoftheboys.Therestoftheboys,andtheyounggirlsundertwelve,weresoldtoslave merchants.IwasbroughttothisEmpireandsoldtomyfirstMasterafewdaysafter.
Shedidntaskanythingelse.Neborawasreflectingonhowshehadactedearlier,thatchildishtantrumofhers.Aboutherbeingaslave?Ifshehadbeenunlucky,shecouldhaveendeduplikeCassandra.Losingherwholefamilyandthenbeingsoldlikemerchandise.Yet,shehadbeentheimmatureone,whileayoungwomanwhohadalreadyexperiencedsomuchtragedywassocalmandcollectedinfrontofher.Howcouldshebesorecklessandimmaturegiventheharshworldtheylivein? Suddenly,a screamresonatedthroughthekitchenasayounggirlinanightgowncamerunningin,straightintoNeborasa
rms.
Aspider!Thereisaspiderinmyroomagain! Again?Didyoucleanyourroomthisweek,Bina? Idid,Idefinitelydid! Thegirl,wholookednoolderthanfourteenor fifteen,wasalmostcrying,completelypanicked.ShehidherfaceinNeboraschest,tightlygrippingontoherarmlikeasafetyblanket.
Sheisveryscaredofspiders,explainedNeborawithasigh.Wealwaysgetafewaroundthistimeofyear… Whereisherroom?Cassandra asked whilegettingup.
Neborafrownedasshewatched Cassandralookthroughthe trashfromthat morning.
Thefirstoneontheleft…Whatareyoudoing? Cassandrahadgatheredsomefruitpeels,andshowedthemtoNebora.Theywereallcitruspeels.
Spidershatethese.If yourubit againstyourdoorsandwindowstheywontcomein.
Really? Bina hadturnedherhead,hearinganewperson,andlookedatCassandra.Shewasstunnedbytheyounggirlseyes.Onewasbrown,theother wasblue,butthegirlwasonlyfocusedonthecitrus peelsinCassandrashands.
Yes.I usethistrick allthetimesoInevergetanyspiders.Youcankeepsomechestnutsinyourroomtoo;thatalsoworkswell.
Alright,letsgotestthattheoryandchaseoutthateightleggedmonster whilewereatit,sighed Nebora,gettingup.Andafterthat,everyonetobed.Imtired!