Chapter Text
Nervously glancing around, you seem to notice the state of this town. Beggers on the street, shops in various states of distress, illegal trades happening where soldiers are patrolling. How can someone live in this dump. How can your little boy be sold to work in this shit filled country.
Oh, poor Tobias. How can your father sell you to that pompous hairdresser. How can a man be so cruel to give his only child away for some measly silvers? How did I ever find it in my heart to marry that big oaf.
Having just arrived in London, you can't say you're pleased at the conditions. Dressed in this raggedy outfit just so you can appear more masculine to save you the trouble of being robbed or possibly even abducted. The sun, having set a while ago, hasn't helped your predicament of finding somewhere to rest for the night.
Your stomach growled, alerting the feline asleep in your bag. Felix peeked out of the flaps and meowed causing you to smile at the black beauty fondly. You scratched his head and looked around for an inn as your legs grew tiresome.
"Would you have any s-spare change, kind sir? Any amount would help, I-I haven't eaten in days." You looked beside you to see a strange young beggar looking at you pleadingly. Sighing you reached into your pockets and pulled out two silvers and placed it into the palm of her hands.
"Oh, thank you, thank you so much! I will never forget this kindness!" The blonde smiled at you and started to walk away as you called out to her.
"Excuse me ma'am. Would you happen to know if there is an inn nearby?" You said struggling to maintain a deep voice. The beggar who has not heard you, scurried off quickly around a corner. Defeated, you kept walking until you found an empty alley and decided that would be your home for tonight. Eyes furrowing in disgust at the little critters crawling around, you reluctantly sat on the ground and tried to get some rest before the search for your son continues.
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"DON'T YOU DARE WALK AWAY FROM ME CHRISTOPH. WHERE IS TOBIAS." You screamed at your husband as he walked to your shared bedroom. Tears flowing down your eyes as you quickly followed him.
"Where did you send our boy off to." Christoph halted in his steps and sighed. He walked towards you and hugged you close.
"Es tut mir leid liebling, but we need the money. You know how my business haven't been doing well. And besides, Toby is going to be the apprentice for one of the best barbers in all of Europe. He will be alright." Christoph held you close as you sobbed.
Your husband. He has gone too far.
You roughly pushed him away from you and pointed an accusing finger at him. Anger clouding your sadness as you looked at Christoph.
"I have let you go for too many things. I have let you use me, hit me, yell at me, order me around, manipulate me. I have let you talk sweet words to me, praying you would be better for our family, I have trusted your fucking words for too long." Your voice shook with rage as you looked at that man. "Fuck, I should have listened to my parents all those years ago when they said you weren't a man to grow old with. But I argued with them, I disagreed with them, I left just to be with you because I believed in you." Grabbing onto his collar, you pulled Christoph down to your face, glowering at him. "But you crossed the fucking line. You crossed the line when you yelled at Toby for not being up to your standards, for hitting MY son like he is nothing but a punching bag. And now you sell him? YOU SELL HIM OFF TO THIS SHITTY MAN FOR SOME SILVER YOU'RE GOING TO USE FOR THAT MISTRESS OF YOURS?!" Christoph's eyes widened at the mention of his affair, thinking you were just too oblivious to notice. He was quick to deny but you cut him off. "Oh yes, I knew. I always knew. I didn't say anything because I love you. I loved you. I am a foolish girl with big dreams. But this has been a nightmare." You finished as you spat in his face and pushed him away and enraging Christoph. He yanked you towards him about to give you a lesson for yelling at him but halted. He looked down as he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen.
You stabbed him. You twisted the sharp metal in his abdomen as he sputtered out blood. He fell down in shock while coughing up more blood. You stood over him with a solemn look before leaving the room and locking it up behind you.
I killed him. I'm free. I will find Toby and tell him his father won't ever harm him again. Not while I'm around.
~-~-~-~-
You stirred awake to the feel of rain falling onto your face causing you to quickly get up and collect your bag and coat. You called out for Felix but the cat is nowhere to be found. Panicking you walked up and down the alleyway yelling his name before going into the streets frantically searching for him. With tears clouding your vision you continued to search for the cat.
You already lost everything, you aren't about to lose your best friend too.
"Hey! Boy that's soaked, your cat's here." You whipped your head around to see a lady covered in flour and holding a rolling pin looking at you with a bored expression standing outside of a shop. Quickly walking up to the lady she stepped aside to let you go past her and there you saw Felix sleeping comfortably on a table. You rushed over to the cat and picked him up and squashing him into a hug.
"Oh Katze, don't you dare scare me like that again" You said peppering him with kisses as he put his paws on your face trying to push you away. You turned to look at the lady and thanked her profusely as she waved you aside and went back to baking what looks like pies? Your stomach growled as you eyed the pies with interest.
"Ms, may I ask how much is a pie?" You tried to hide your obvious eagerness for finally finding food after your time traveling. The baker glanced up briefly before going back to rolling out the dough.
"Oh don't bother, these are probably the worst pies in London. Take as much as you want, they aren't making me any profit anyways." You looked at her curiously before cautiously taking a pie. You held it up to your nose and gave it a whiff causing your face to contort in disgust from the nasty stench. Sighing you took a bite of the pie almost immediately spitting it out but swallowed it down from politeness and also your starvation. You glanced at Felix who is still in your arms and offered him the pie but he just swatted at your hands and meowed at you in disapproval.
"Don't worry about the cat, I fed it yesterday. Found you laying outside when I went to throw out trash. Was gonna leave you there before I saw a cat sleeping on your coat. Took it back in with me, better watch out in this town. Ms. Mooney got a pie shop. But I've noticed something weird, lately all her neighbors cats have disappeared. That lil' fella just might be next." She said as she pointed at Felix. You shuddered at the thought of someone baking cats into pies, realizing this strange ladies pies might not be so bad.
"Well in that case, thank you for saving my cat." Smiling at the lady you walked over to where Felix is residing and sat down by the table, thinking.
"Mind I ask if you have a place here I can rent? I won't be here for long. I'm looking for my son, My husba- wife has sent him off here to toughen him up." Stammering at your mess up you hoped the baker didn't notice as you nervously pet Felix who is purring at the affection.
The lady who didn't seem to notice your slip up, placed the rolling pin down and wiped her hands on a towel and walked towards your table and sat down across from you. "I have a room upstairs, but it's rumored to be haunted so I'll give you it for 50 silver a month." You looked at her questionably and searched for your money pouch in your bag as she continued on. "And if you don't have the money, you can help me serve customers and clean. A woman alone busying around making pies and taking care of a busy restaurant is quite a challenge." She said sarcastically.
You for some reason couldn't find your pouch even though you swore you placed it in your bag somewhere. Must've gotten robbed while you were asleep. Shit. Looking up at the baker who now has a mischievous glint in her eyes. "The doors open at 8 and closes at 9, I'll wake you up at 6 so you can get ready. The broom is by the fireplace in the next room." She explained as she left to the lounge. Grabbing the gin and two glasses she walked back towards the table and poured you both a glass. Felix jumped off the table at the table and jumped into the ladies' lap as she sat back down.
Hmm, that's interesting. He doesn't usually warm up to strangers.
"Call me Nellie, cheers to a new employment." She clinked your glass and downed the gin. You smiled at your new master. If you're going to be getting a job, at least your employer isn't an ass.
You sipped the gin slowly and coughed at the strong taste before you wandered back to what Nellie said before. "You said before that upstairs is supposedly haunted?" Nellie glanced at you then glanced back at Felix while she strokes his fur as he purrs contently.
"10 years ago, there was a barber and his wife, they moved above this shop when my husband was alive and running the business. They were so in love, and they also had a daughter. The wife was beautiful, virtuous...and he was naive. A judge saw her beauty and fell in love with her...framed the husband for a crime he did not commit and sent him to a prison in Australia for 15 years." She sighed and nodded her head upstairs. "She lived there alone for a while too, locked up, taking care of their daughter, paranoidly look out the window. I'd occasionally leave some milk and pies in front of their home cause a girl needs to eat, especially if she has an infant with her....the judge's little messenger rat came around and took her away, also took the kid...now she roams the streets a beggar, or dead." You listened intently as Nellie explained, feeling terrible for the mother and her kid. You felt there was more to the story but didn't push as you both fell into a comfortable silence.
"Well, it's time for you to clean up and get some rest. The room has been occupied for 10 years, it's outta be dusty." Nellie place Felix on the floor and stood up, walking back to her kitchen. You finished the gin and stood up too, taking your bag and walking towards the stairs ready to tidy up your temporary home before continuing on your original goal.
"A young lassie like yourself should have some dresses available." You froze, not daring to look at the baker.
"How did you know?" You asked in defeat, not bothering to make a cover up story as your master will find out eventually.
"You aren't quite good at hiding that lovely voice of yours. Take your pussy with ya, cute but annoying." Nellie smiled as she placed her new batch of pies in the oven. She looked at you amusedly as you stood awkwardly at the steps, shivering under her gaze at you. "Now get! Go change to some dresses, I keep mine in my room to the left of yours. I doubt it was comfortable traveling in those oversized trousers." Nellie walked over to you and quickly shooed you up the stairs causing you to blush deeply.
This isn't what I expected...