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“Someone else can buy it out,” she offers, but it’s not new information to either of us.
“You know that I barely got this one. That’s probably why they stuck me with Mosar. No one was looking for an Indenture then and more humans have come to Milthar since. I’m stuck with him.”
I curl into myself, the reality of my situation hitting me too hard. But Nova reaches out, rubbing my arm reassuringly.
“That’s not true. My old master might need some new Indentureds. I can’t keep working the tavern by myself. He needs more girls, and you would be great at it. I could try and talk to him about it? He’s actually reasonable.”
While the prospects of what she is suggesting is promising, my thoughts snag on one word. I sit up, cocking my head as I run the sentence through my mind again. “What do you mean ‘old master’?” My eyes track across Nova’s face, looking for what I must be missing. “You have three years left in your contract.”
A grin tugs at her lips – something I didn’t expect – and her hand comes up to rest on her stomach. I hadn’t noticed before, but her figure is a little fuller. Her hips are rounder, her breasts fuller, and if I’m not mistaken, there’s a small bump pressing against her stomach. It’s hardly noticeable behind the bar, but now that she’s rubbing small circles over the area, I’m almost certain that her stomach is more rounded.
Nova leans in close, excitement sparking in her eyes. “I was released from my contract.”
I blink slowly, unable to process that. I was always told that there was one way to earn freedom here on Milthar – fulfill an Indentured contract. But Nova’s expression and words spark my curiosity.
“How?”
Her eyes dart to the side and she holds up a finger to tell me to wait one moment. She takes a few mugs from the minotaur that walked up, and I fight against the irritation bubbling in me. This is her job after all.
I wait patiently as she fills their orders, and a few more, dying to know what it is that gave her her freedom. But when she comes back, despite my drawn conclusions, I am still surprised to hear her say, “I’m pregnant.”
She looks absolutely giddy and I’m stuck between happiness for her and confusion. Is that good, to be a slave with a baby on the way? And what does that have to do with the contract?
“Congratulations,” I say, but the words come out strained.
Her lips quirk up to the side, much less of a smile, but I can see the understanding in her eyes. “You know that minotaurs have a very low birth rate.” I nod. Most races on Protheka do, but with their long lifespans, it isn’t too much of an issue. Besides, minotaur-human pairings are more common here, which has helped toward the issue. “Apparently, an Indenture who is carrying a minotaur baby is given their freedom.”
That makes me sit up straighter. I hadn’t heard of this, but I suppose it’s not a thing that’s well advertised. Otherwise there would be pregnant women everywhere. Or maybe it’s just something that Mosar has kept from me.
“If you’re pregnant, you can just be set free?” I murmur in wonderment.
Nova shrugs. “I guess. When I went to the healer last week, I brought the father along with me. The healer told us then and had us fill out the paperwork.” She gestures around her. “I still work the bar, of course, but now I am a regular employee.”
For a moment, I just let her words wash over me. I thought my only option was to somehow survive another five years of Mosar’s treatment – something I’m not sure my body will make it through. But…now I might have another chance.
Hope fills me, and I straighten, leaning in toward Nova. “What if, instead of being Indentured to the Tavern, I work alongside you?”
Doubt colors Nova’s expression. “Kyra, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“What? Me working at the Tavern?”
She shakes her head. “No. I can see the idea forming in your head. I didn’t know it was a law when I got pregnant, and while I was very happy to find out, it’s not a reason to bring a child into this world.”
“Come on, Nova. It’s a great plan. I could save myself and get out! I could be free to build myself a life, and…” I gulp hard, surprised at the emotion threatening to overwhelm me. “I would like to have a family of my own.”
I’ve never had one before.
I don’t say that out loud, of course. I haven’t really told Nova about where I came from, but truthfully, I’ve been an orphan all my life. To the orcs, I was a body to fulfill their needs, not someone to care for. I don’t even know what happened to the people who brought me to life. They could have been killed, eaten, or just gave me up. I’m not sure.
But the thought of finally having my own family, someone to love and cherish, fills me to the brim with longing and I know this is what I want to do. Get my freedom and build a real life – one with happiness and love instead of fear and sorrow.
“I still don’t think that’s a good idea. For one, where are you even going to find a minotaur to help you? Don’t you think that you might get shackled to someone just as bad as Mosar?”
I chuckle, shaking my head. “I don’t have to stay with him. He won’t even have to know. I just need a good lay and to get pregnant. He can have his fun and go on, none the wiser. No harm, no foul, don’t you think?”
Nova crosses her arms, giving me a skeptical look. “And where are you going to find a minotaur like that? Most minotaurs are protective over what is theirs, you know.”
I swivel around, the idea already taking root. My eyes scan the crowded room of rough minotaur men, ones that aren’t looking for responsibilities or obligations. They’re loud and crass and I bet I could get one to fuck me on this bar if I so wanted. And they wouldn’t want much to do with me afterward – just as I want.
