Lady Sera grasped him by the shoulders and pushed him forward, until he was standing in front of the table. She moved one hand to stroke his hair. "Now, you're going to be a good boy and stay still, aren't you? Or do I have to use the Force to keep you still?" she asked him.
The boy didn't know what the Force was, but the moment she picked up a needle, he moved away from her. Suddenly, he was brought back to her, by an unseen hand, and he couldn't move. He began to whimper. Raising an eyebrow, she removed his cold, wet tunic, so that the bare skin on his back and chest met the cold air of the white room. He cried. She smiled at him, holding up the needle. "I want you to understand that this is because you were bad today," she said, and, taking the needle, she inserted it into the muscle of his right arm.
He screamed. The needle hurt, and she wasn't taking it out. His muscle screamed in pain, but he couldn't move it. He could see the needle sticking out of it. Soon the pain abated to a low burn, and he looked back at Lady Sera. "I'm sorry. Please take it out, I'm sorry," he said, but she shook her head at him.
"It's not that easy, young one. You need to learn your lesson. Besides, this will make you stronger... through strength, you gain power," she said, and picked up another needle.
"No! Please! No! Please!" he begged, as she stuck the next one in, not far from the first. He screamed, the pain of the first needle blending with the pain of the second. He was bawling now, still unable to move, unable to form words because of the pain.
Lady Sera stroked his hair as he screamed. "Now, now, you're being so childish about this," she said softly, picking up another needle. "Tell me, little one, what is your name?" she asked, almost absently, as she switched to his other side and stuck the needle into his other arm. The boy screamed.
When Lady Sera had finished with him, he was hoarse from screaming so much, and he had needles sticking out of his arms, back, chest, and the backs of his legs. Tears streamed down his face, and mingled with the small drops of blood that had trickled down to the white floor. He still couldn't move. His eyes went to Lady Sera's as she smiled down at him. "There, now, that wasn't so bad, was it? You need to stay still, now... I'm going to let you move, but if you do move, the needles won't feel very good," she said. True to her word, she released her hold on him with the Force, and he felt his muscles settle... and instantly he screamed. He wasn't even trying to move, his muscles were moving on their own! It felt like every needle was being stuck in all over again. He begged her, he didn't know what she did, but he begged her to undo it.
She shook her head softly. "You must embrace the pain, young one. Pain gives you strength. It lets you know you're still alive. Now, you never answered me before... what is your name, young one?" she asked.
The boy cried. "Thomas," he said.
Lady Sera shook her head. "That's not right, young one. You know that's not right. Now, stop lying to me, and tell me your name."
"B-but, that's my name, that's what my Mommy calls me..." the boy sobbed, doing his best to stand as still as possible. It felt like he was in so much pain, he was going to die.
Lady Sera sighed. "You're Mommy's a liar," she said in her sweet, soft voice. "She wanted to make you weak, remember? She hid you from the Emperor. She told you lies to make you weak. That's not your name. What is your name?" she asked him again.
The boy sniffed. "If that's not my name, then I don't know," he said. He just wanted the pain to stop. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I don't know my name. Please, please make it stop..." he cried.
Lady Sera stroked the boy's hair. "The answer is, you don't have a name, young one. You see, names are something you earn. You haven't earned yours, yet. But, if you're a good boy, and do as you're told, then maybe you will earn one. Do you understand?" she asked.
Tears continued to run down the boy's pain-wracked face. "Y-yes," he said, having a hard time swallowing.
"Yes Master," she corrected him.
He blinked. "Yes Master," he said. "Please... please, Master? Please make it stop..." he begged her, but she simply patted his head and turned away.
"You stay there and think about what you did," she said, and left him alone in the room.
Next Chapter?
Imperial Palace, Chapter 7
Back Home
