“What is this I am hearing about you losing your temper to hit Master Rodas daughter?” Vallas said as a mode of greeting the moment he stormed into his heir room. His heir was lying on the floor and staring at the ceiling and when Vallas growled in anger at the lack of response from the child. “What I am talking to you child, look at me and pay me the respect I deserve.”

Penn released a sigh as she slowly sat up and struggled not to let her face pull up into a grimace because she knew that Vallas was watching her. She had to be careful not to show enough of what she is feeling because nothing much gets to escape her master's notice. If she could pull off this deceit, she would count herself as lucky.

“Sorry sire, what?” Penn snaps at Vallas who frowned at the temper shown by his ward and also the title which his ward had not used in a long while.

“Why did you hit a friend of yours, what on earth possessed you enough to do that.” Vallas gritted out, reminding himself that Penn was a girl and if he directs his full wrath to her, she might not survive it. “I thought that she was your friend, why would you do something like that to a friend Penelope.”

“Don’t call me that?” Penn barked and tried to hide the wince of pain from her rib. Vallas took note of that.

“That in case you forgot is your name.” Vallas said just to see Penn temper flare up and as usual, Penn did not disappoint.

“I did that because I was tired at her whiny self, she refused to stop asking questions that didn’t concern her, she was getting on my nerves so I shut her up.” Penn spat out.

“I would have believed you Penn… if you were Stanley and provided me with that answer.” Vallas said as he watched Penn jaw tick. So this was somehow related to Stanley. Why was Penn hiding it from him, he didn’t bring Penn into his household to hide things from him. Penn was supposed to be his Perfect solider and marionette, he was supposed to own Penn. And if Penn wanted to hide something from him then he would allow the girl to be his guest. She would regret her decision to do something like that. “You sound as if you want to be punished.”

“Then just punish your precious heir already.” Penn rolled her eyes.

“You think I cannot punish you for this. “ Vallas temper increased, Penn was deliberately trying to hide something from him, he knew this but Penn also knew how to get on his nerves and grate them to make him angry. She was successfully doing that right now and he knew that Penn will not like the results.

“You can’t.” Penn taunts.

“You…. boy. Seems to forget your place.” Vallas gritted out as Penn smiles.

“I am not forgetting my place that is how I know that you can’t. Just let the matter go. She was being aggravating. It is pure luck that the only thing I did to her was to hit her...”

“Ten days in the mill.” Vallas barked. “You are not to return home, not until you get an attitude adjustment. If it takes you more than ten days for that then you remain there.”

“This place isn’t my home.” Penn returns.

“It doesn’t matter, you would prefer here to there anytime, this I know. Maybe I should make it fifteen days. When you are done with the punishment, you would be more inclined to tell me why you are lying.” Vallas stated as Penn's heart beat stuttered.

“Is that how much you wish I am the perfect heir you want me to be that you wish I am lying? Fifteen days might not be enough, after all I am as stubborn as you.”

Vallas clenched his fist. “You actually make me want to hit you.” Vallas tells Penn who flinched back. “Apologize to Rima and tell me the truth. The poor girl is hurt by you and I am tempted to let her father get a hold of you.”

“There is no other truth to be told.” Penn shouted as Vallas nods.

“Fine then, if that is the way you want to go about it. Pack your bags, tomorrow at dawn, you will leave for the mill.” Vallas ordered as he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Penn was lying and that was the only reason why she was going to the mill. Vallas was not happy with that decision but he couldn’t allow Penn to think that she could walk all over him anytime she wanted to.

******

Rima noticed Penn disappearance on the fifth day after the incident that was when her mother finally allowed her out of her sight. She met with her father.

“What’s wrong daughter? Are you ill?” Her father asked but she just shook her head.

“Father, where is young master?” Rima asked

“Why do you want to know where he is, have you forgotten that he was the cause of your brief poor health?” Master Rodas frowned at his daughter. He was feeling guilt about letting his daughter be around someone whose character, he had misjudged. He never thought that Penn was the type to hit women no matter what they say and his daughter had been pretty tight lipped about what happened and when been pressed to explain, her stories inconsistent. Rodas would have believed his daughter was trying to pin the blame on Penn if the young master himself had not confessed to his wrong doing.

Just the thought of the brat hands on his precious daughter's skin made he go red with rage, Rodas would love nothing more than to punish the boy for his actions but he was already being punished by his father who didn’t withdraw the punishment at all. He had never seen Lord Vallas as angry as he was after talking to his son then giving the boy his punishment. The Master was still angry even now, days after the boy had left and his temper was on a short list and for that he was being avoided.

Rodas didn’t know where The Master got Penn from but what he did know was that the boy was already a child to The Master.

“I didn’t forget papa. I just want to know where he is.” Rima whispered with her head bent as she avoided looking at her father who seem to look into her and know that she was lying if he sees her eyes.

“He is been punished. He was sent to the mill as Punishment.” Rodas replied his daughter who jerked her head to look at him in shock. When he saw guilt in his daughter's eyes and profound sadness, he was taken back. “Is there something that you should tell me dear?” Rodas asked his last child, making his voice softer and gruffer.

“Yes.” Rima's eyes squeezed out a couple of tears. “He is not responsible for the slap, he lied to protect the person.”

Rodas was shocked. “What?” he said, perplexed that someone would agree to be punished for someone else sake.

“Yes. He did it because Leda asked him to. And then me getting wounded was not his fault, he was being beaten then so he couldn’t not stop him from hitting me.” Rima explained, her tears freely rolling down her chin as she gaze up to her father, hoping her father will be able to remove Penn from the mill as quick as possible. The mill was no place for someone like Penn, it was for hardened men who knew that they could work their body until they died. Penn is not meant for that kind of job. Not when he was just a boy and not even a man. She would never forgive herself for agreeing to the promise which Penn made her give, he shouldn’t be punished for something which he didn’t do.

“Tell me everything.” Rodas commands his daughter and when she flinched he couldn’t find it in himself to be less angry with her, not when she knows what the Mill does to people who went there as punishment. No, his daughter deserve to see that he was not pleased with her attempt at deception. He wasn’t pleased at all.

****************

Rodas walked wearily to Vallas study where the man locked himself up during day time when he was not training other or attending to the numerous businesses he had to take care of. He wasn’t sure how he could tell Vallas without the man flying off the handle and he wished that he wasn’t the one who had to do the tell but he was.

“Come in.” Vallas voice orders when Rodas knocked and with a gulp, he opened the door and stepped in.

“Yes, can I help you...?” Vallas started to say until he raised his head and saw Rodas. “No, Penn is already being punished enough, it is the mill Rodas, and you know I don’t send people there. I will not give him to you to be whipped or whatever you want to do to him to atone for him hitting your daughter.”

Rodas winced at Vallas's words. “Sir, about that… Penn was not the one who hit my daughter, he is taking the blame for Stanley.”

“What?” Vallas roared in anger.