Des laughed, finishing his ham and moving onto his desert of cake and berries. "I guess one just takes being able to eat this food for granted," he said, cutting a piece of the dark chocolate cake off and consuming it. "I'm glad you like it."

Des finished off his meal and sat back, sighing slightly at the warm food now in his stomach. He continued to sip the tea, watching Victor eating and thinking about what life had been like for the boy. Imagine not knowing the taste of fresh fruit, or warm bread... He couldn't understand it, how someone could be so cruel to such a sweet boy.

"After afternoon tea, I might have a quick look at my gardens and spend the rest of the night finishing my studies. You are free to do what you wish, though I do want you to be near me at all times."

Victor paused between bites of soft bread, and nodded quickly at Des's words. "Of course." He said. "I'll stay as close as you want me to. I'd be happy to..." He'd never said those words before. 'Happy to'. He'd never been happy since he was separated from his mother. After that day he'd gone into a dark place and was never able to smile, until that old man had bought him and made two weeks of his life meaningful and worth something. Victor hadn't thought he'd be able to be so lucky again, but he was willing to dare.

He sat back and turned more toward Des. "I'll go wherever you want." He said definitely. "I promise..." He looked down, fiddling with the knot made from his sweater sleeves tied around him.

Des stood and nodded, leaving the table for Doris to clean up. Usually he would help the lady, but today was different. He had something to do with someone important.

He led the slave outside, into a small courtyard decorated with cherub statues and rose bushes. A small fountain stood in the centre, showing two marble fish squirting water into the bowl below. Des walked around the perimeter of the courtyard, checking the roses for any dead flowers or black spot. Any weeds were swiftly pulled from the soil and thrown into a wheelbarrow close by. "Anything that looks like this," he showed Victor a weed he had pulled from the garden, "Or anything that looks like it should be growing in the grass, pull it out and put it in this wheelbarrow."

"Any dead flowers or leaves should be plucked or pruned. I do have pruners in the garden shed, but you shouldn't need them for a quick sweep like this."

Victor followed Des along, grateful to be in a place so full of life. The courtyard was beautiful, and often he could see a hummingbird flit by. While he feared most of the world, Victor couldn't fear something so fragile and easily harmed. It reminded himself too much of his own thin body. It seemed to follow along as Victor listened intently to Des's instructions, and nodded along as he watched each movement. Anything that looked like grass was to be pulled, and any dark or dead spots on the bushes had to be taken off. That was simple.

"I understand." He said when Des fell silent. "I can handle it, I assure you. You'll not see a single withered bud." He nodded, cementing the promise in his head and gasped as the hummingbird flitted so close to him its wings brushed his hair. For some reason animals tended to be attracted to him, following him and becoming inexplicably friendly. When they approached, however, he often had to get over his own fear of them.

Des grinned when he turned and saw the humming bird buzz around Victor before hovering off to the flowers. It was a small ruby-coloured one, the symbol of the monarchy in this country. They were pretty rare and sighting one made Des excited and happy. Perhaps this boy was going to be very lucky with what animals seem attracted to his straw-coloured hair. "Looks like you've made a friend already," he commented, watching the hummingbird flit through the rose bushes.

He turned and made his way to the other gardens, a large slightly wooded area with varying themes. He had flowers from many countries and environments, making sure that each suited to their part of the garden. A large pond the size of a small lake stretched beyond the garden, home to white swans, black and green ducks and other aquatic wildlife. A grey and white heron stalked the shallows, freezing in place and quickly darting forward. With a silver flailing fish clasped tightly in its beak, it lifted off and flew away with grace. Des felt at ease when he watched the birdlife on his pond. Seeing this heron confirmed his happiness. "What do you think? It took a few months, but I think I did a wonderful job."

Victor followed along with his mouth slightly open, breathing in every scent that floated toward him. Every color came to him in bright streaks through his pale eyes, and sometimes he had to squint a bit to really see. Under his feet, which had been left bare in want of shoes that actually fit, the springy grass bounced back and made him hesitate to step down sometimes.

He stared at the life on the water as they approached, and stepped forward. "I... think it looks amazing..." Victor breathed, crouching down at the edge of the water. As he studied himself in the rather still and clear water, the breeze ruffled his hair and clothes and pulled the smell of damp earth and water to him. When he glanced up, Victor found some of the small mallard ducks had floated toward him and called up, allowing him to reach down to run his fingers gently over their back. "This place is so much more lively than anywhere I've worked..." He admitted, and looked up to the trees nearby. Deer. They were watching cautiously, meandering without showing alarm at the base of the outermost trees.

Des frowned slightly as he saw the ducks swim happily up to the boy. They were wild ducks and in no way were tamed. He was beginning to wonder why animals seemed so happy to come near Victor. Come to think of it, the boy seemed... Not of this world. Des had never seen someone as pale or with hair so yellow before. Perhaps Victor was from a foreign country, one that Des hadn't known of yet. "Say... Victor... Do you know where you are from? Your birthplace and your parent's birthplace, that is," Des asked, watching as the deer slowly moved closer.

Victor shook his head and stood. "No, I..." Stepping forward, he took a seat on the grass. "I've never been told. My mother always said it was of little bother where we came from, and that slavery here was far better than what she and my father left behind." His voice was light, and carried a bit on the breeze as he watched the deer. They studied him with wide, liquid-black eyes and stepped closer gradually. "I don't know what they left behind... But I can't say it could be better than a life of torture and pain." He blinked hard, forcing away the stinging tears that threatened him. Each time he blinked, it seemed the does were a bit closer. "Whatever it was, it had to be... a warzone... A place so much worse than anything here... I can't even imagine it..."

The deer had grown so close he could hear their small hooves crunch over the crisp grass. The young female in front lowered her head to meet Victor's own stance, and watched his hand lift to meet her nose. The deer moved forward, allowing him to run a hand softly over its neck. "I don't know why animals seem so drawn to me." Victor said, almost apologetically. "It's always been that way... I'll scare them away if you don't want that." He glanced backward to Des.

Des shook his head, watching in awe as the deer came so close to Victor. He dared not move, afraid that he would startle them and cause them to run away. "I was just wondering, that's all." He sat slowly on the grass next to the boy, amazed at how trusting such skittish animals were acting. One of the fawns stumbled forward, its speckled hide glistening with dewdrops. It walked closer on wobbly legs, reaching with its neck to sniff at the boy its mother was allowing to touch her.

"This is amazing, you know? Why would I get you to chase them away? This can help my studies in many ways," Des said, smiling again.

Victor smiled when Des took a seat beside him. The deer were at ease, as animals tended to be around Victor for some reason, and he was able to run a hand down the back of the young one. It was just beginning to lose its spots. “Studies...?” Victor asked, and looked toward him. “What... I mean, if you don’t mind me asking... what do you study...?” He ducked his head instinctively. Most of his prying questions like this gave him a swift slap on the back of the head. He didn’t think Des would do that, but it was a habit wrought deep within him.

He gasped when a cold nose nuzzled him, running over his neck and into his hair as the mother deer bit at his hair. Victor shook his head, losing balance and falling back onto the grass. He couldn’t help but laugh a bit, staring at the bright sky until his pale eyes watered.

Des laughed as he saw the doe cause Victor to fall over, the sudden movement startling the gentle beasts and causing the deer to run away. He stroked the boy's hair as he lay on his back laughing and smiled down on him. A strange, warm feeling erupted in his chest. It was nice to know that he had a friend, someone he could talk to and live with... The last time he had that, was when he was married, though that didn't last long. He was never in love with Mary and she never wanted to marry him. They agreed to live separate, and he still cared for her and paid for her expensive trips overseas.

"It's just a past time of mine. I enjoy studying animals and plant life. Finding out about them and writing about it in my journals," Des replied, continuing to stroke the boy's soft hair. "It's just something I do for fun."

Victor felt oddly soothed at Des's kindness. He hadn't understood such a kind touch in years. Not since his mother would hold onto him at night and keep the others away, or cover his head so he didn't have to hear the cries and calls of other slaves and, sometimes, the slavemasters that would haunt the cells around them, looking for weaker slaves to overpower. But now the scent of stale hay and human filth was exchanged for fresh grass, air that moved, bright sunlight, and a kind face and voice.

He smiled. "I'd be happy to help your studies." He said simply. "I can find animals that are rare to this place. They come to me on their own." He sat up a bit. "It's the least I could do, for everything you've done for me in such a small amount of time. I could never have expected... so much already. Everything you've done... It's so much more than anyone would ever do for something like me." He looked down. "And... I hope you don't mind me slipping up sometimes and calling you Master. Old habits are... hard to break."

"That would be lovely, but really, you don't have to feel like you owe me anything. As I said before, as long as you always keep me company you are free to say, do or want what you please," Des said, lying back into the grass next to the boy and stroking his face. His skin was so surprisingly smooth and soft, as if he had never seen any of the hardships he had lived through.

"You are a someone, Victor. Not a thing any more," he corrected, wincing at the boy's words. "If it's by accident, it's fine, though I do prefer to be called Des." He chuckled slightly, realising how happy he was when he was with Victor. They laid back for awhile, until the air began to grow slightly colder around them, the animals going elsewhere to prepare for the night. Des sat up and stretched, again glancing at his watch. It was almost dinner time. "Are you hungry?" he asked the boy again, watching one of the swans glide effortlessly across the lake and towards the reed beds where they often nested.

Victor stood a bit, and looked around to the swans. They were elegant creatures, and could become territorial around their nests. “Um... N-no... I mean, I hope you don’t mind... If I decline...” He looked up hurriedly. “But I’ll stay with you, if you prefer... I don’t mind, of course. I very much enjoy your company.” He brought up his head and smiled, hoping that his declining wouldn’t put Des off in any way. It was the last thing Victor wanted, but he was tense. He might have come across as ungrateful, which he certainly wasn’t.

Des shrugged, but continued to smile at his new companion. If he wasn't so afraid of the boy leaving him, he would have set Victor free right then and there. "I understand, Doris gets too ahead of herself. Might just have a late dinner," he laughed, standing up and reaching for the boy. "I can just tell her to keep the food for later on. I have some reading to do and you might want to have a look around your new home."

He imagined the reaction Doris would give him if he declined her dinner. She would be annoyed, but not overly so. She enjoyed cooking and had a large family living near the manor to feed. He usually told her to take the food home to them, so she didn't have to cook when she got home from her near 12 hour shift.

Victor took the hand Des offered and pulled himself up, onto steady legs. It was odd to feel secure in a place like this, and he would certainly cherish every moment of it. As long as it would last, of course. He brushed the grass from his pants and looked back to Des. “I’d be glad to look around... I mean, it’d be nice.” He stepped forward, bouncing slightly on the springy grass. “But...” He came to a quick stop and nearly fell over in the shift of momentum. “Is there a room... or a place... you might not want me to go to?” Victor couldn’t imagine opening a door that was closed---or forcing one that was locked. He wouldn’t!