Veggies

The last three Elders ^^

By the way the dominant order from most to least dominant is: Adira, Ember, Opal, Nova, and then finally Selene. Also if you're wondering why they're all women it's because I suck at writing male doms and my second reason is...women.

Also this is the longest chapter that I've ever written so far

*Iris P.O.V*

I woke up with a warm hand on my cheek, a small whine escaping me. The hand moved from my cheek to my shoulder and I was gently shaken. My eyes opened as I blearily looked around with a small yawn. "What's going on?" I asked as I wiped my eyes with the backs of my hands. I rolled over and was surprised to see the woman who had been helping me earlier standing over me.

"It is time for you to get up. It will soon be the time for supper," she said making me nod. I yawned again as she took it upon herself to lift me up. I whined softly as I rubbed my eyes, turning and swinging my legs over the edge of the bed. I hadn't paid much attention before but the bed was actually quite nicely made. It had plain brown sheets which were a little scratchy but otherwise fine. There was also a canopy on the bed that had been tied back. I reach over and untied one end allowing part of the canopy to fall free. "Let's not do that darling," the woman stated as she pushed the canopy back into place and tied it there.

"Why?" I asked as I got up and allowed her to lead me to the vanity. I sat down in the chair and she washed my face off with a warm washcloth, humming softly as she did so.

"Because there's no reason to do that when you probably won't return to this room until much later," she told me. I sighed with a pout as she dried my face off with another washcloth, being extra gentle around my eyes. "Would you like me to do your makeup?" she asked.

"Yes please," I nodded my head as she sat the washcloth down. She turned to the vanity and got out several powders. I held my arm out and she tested them on it, smiling softly as she picked one of the lightest shades. I couldn't help that I was pale and I actually quite liked being pale.

"This should work," she said as she applied it to my face lightly. I watched her in the mirror, smiling when she didn't go too heavy on  the powder.

"I never asked but what is your name?" I questioned making her smile. She lightly applied some green eye shadow that matched my dress as I waited for her answer.

"It is Esme," she said making me nod my head. She held my face still with her free hand with a small smile on her lips.

"That's a pretty name," I said as I sat still. She finished my eye shadow and added a bit of glitter to it making me grin. A little sparkle never hurt anyone and it had certainly never hurt me.

"Thank you," Esme said as she sat the eye shadow brush down. She slid open the bottom drawer and brought out a pair of black shoes. She crouched down and went to slip them onto my feet, pausing as she saw how raw they were. "I'll have to let the Elders know how raw your feet are," she stated as she swapped the shoes out for a pair of white shoes. She gently slipped my feet into them and I smiled at how soft they were on my feet. They didn't squeeze my feet too which was great because my feet were sore enough at the moment.

"Alrighty," I said as I lightly swung one foot back and forth as she put the other shoe on. I couldn't help that I was impatient when it came to things that bored me. The only way I could sit still was if I was doing something that was exciting to me and all the things that excited me meant I had to move so I never sat still if I could help it.

"Alrighty? Well aren't we feeling a bit better then earlier," Esme cooed at me as she got up making me blush. "Tell me little one, what's your classification?" she asked making me frown and squirm.

"I don't have one," I answered honestly making her frown at me. "I don't have the proper documents to get classified," I said as I bit my bottom lip.

"What documents are you lacking?" she asked. "I'm sure we could get you the proper ones," she stated with a smile. "The Elders prefer that all their picks are classified," she explained to me.

"I don't have my birth certification," I said with a frown as I looked down at my lap. I didn't want to see her reaction to that as most people weren't happy or at least didn't look pleased that she didn't have one.

"I'm sure we could find yours if you've lost it," she stated making me look up at her and shake her head with a frown.

"I literally don't have one. I wasn't born here or anywhere near here. My birth certification just doesn't exist," I said making her nod her head.

"I'm sure we can sort something out," Esme told me as she grabbed my hand and helped me stand up. "The Elders always take care of what is theirs, I know that," she said making me look at her curiously as she led me out of the bedroom, it wasn't my bedroom and I would never call it that.

"How do you know that?" I asked making her smile softly as she looked down at me. She wasn't much taller then me, only around an inch or so.

"One of them is my cousin. You haven't met her yet but her name is Ember," Esme said making me nod my head. "She's very nice," she promised me as she pushed open the doors to a small dining hall. It had clearly been set off to the side of any main dining hall. "The Elders keep their picks separate from any public dining halls or their dining hall until they meet you," she stated with a small smile on her lips.

"So when are they going to meet me?" I asked as I went to the table. "I can sit anywhere right?" I asked as I rested my hand on a chair.

"I'll let you know when they decide they want to meet you," she told me. "You can sit anywhere you like," she said making me smile. "Sit down, I'll go get you something to eat," she said causing me to pull the chair out and sit down hesitantly. I wasn't used to people getting me something to eat.

"Are you sure? I can go get my own food," I told her which made her shake her head.

"I'll get it for you, it is my job to take care of you until the Elders either assign someone else to you or assign me somewhere else," Esme answered as she went through a door on the opposite side of the room. I drummed my fingers on the hardwood table as I waited for her to return, wondering how I could possibly escape the Elders.

I knew running away wasn't an option seeing as they could probably find me within a day or so of searching. I figured it could be possible to fake my death, I mean my dad did it every time I wanted to spend time with him so I could probably do the same thing. Though the way they got rid of bodies in this time period was a bit dark seeing as they either burned them or piled them up in a ditch and buried them. I bet I could crawl out of the dirt like a zombie though and scare everyone.

I jumped when a plate was set down in front of me and looked at the plate quietly as I tried to process how long I had been zoned out. It was a habit of mine to zone out or let my mind drift when I got...well actually I just did it a lot, even if I was working on something really important.

The plate looked great. It was mashed potatoes and gravy with corn on the side. The main part of the dish was grilled chicken which looked perfectly cooked. There was also broccoli but I wasn't worried about that since I wasn't going to eat it.

"Thank you," I told Esme as she smiled at me. I looked at the vast array of silverware in front of me, looking up at her with a small frown.

She grabbed a small fork and handed it to me when she saw the puzzled look on my face. "You're welcome," she replied as she pulled my hair back with her free hand, tying it up with another strand of my hair. I dug into the chicken which strangely enough had been cut up into small pieces.

"Mmm this is really good," I said after I finished chewing the first bite of chicken. Esme simply nodded as she kept a hand on my shoulder. I glanced at her hand in confusion.

"I am glad you enjoy it," she said as she removed her hand when she saw my glance. "What would you like to drink?" She asked making me tilt my head.

"What can I have?" I questioned as I looked up at her with a small smile.

"You can have juice, milk, tea. Basically anything that is not alcoholic," she stated making me frown with a sigh.

"Okay, I guess I'll have some juice. Apple or grape is fine," I said making her nod before she left. 'I should be allowed to drink alcohol,' I thought with a frown on my lips as I went back to eating.

I had gotten through a bit of my chicken and had started mixing my corn with my mashed potatoes and gravy when Esme came back. She sat a stained glass cup down in front of me and I stared at in awe. The colors were so pretty and it was clear that whoever made it, had worked hard on it.

"Don't make a mess with your food," she lightly scolded as she cleaned up a bit of corn that had fallen off my plate.

"I wasn't trying to," I defended myself as I frowned. "It just fell off when I was mixing the corn and mashed potatoes together," I told her.

"Well then mix more carefully," Esme said with a small smile. "That way we don't have to worry about you spilling food on yourself," she said.

"Fine," I rolled my eyes as I mixed my corn into my mashed potatoes carefully. I scooped up a bite and ate it, grinning at the flavor. "This is really good," I said as I kept eating.

"I will tell the chef that you enjoy his cooking," she said as her hand rested on the table. "Are you going to eat your broccoli?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow. "I've noticed that you've tried everything except your broccoli," she said.

"I don't like broccoli," I said with a frown on my lips. "It doesn't taste good," I stated with a soft sigh escaping me.

"Well you need to eat it," she said. I shook my head earning a soft groan from her. "You can either eat it like a big girl or I can go get the Elders," she stated.

"They can't make me eat broccoli," I rolled my eyes as I went back to eating my chicken. "Besides, you wouldn't go get them over something as trivial as not eating broccoli," I said. I was surprised when she turned and left the room, her stride changing. "Would you?" I questioned softly with a frown. I went back to eating, taking my time to see if she would come back with any of the Elders. I finished eating everything except the broccoli and frowned when the door opened again.

I turned to look and a shiver shot up my back when I saw Opal, Selene and a third woman. She had long brown hair and dark brown eyes which almost looked black because of how far away she was standing. She was wearing a gold dress that had a cut out in the middle revealing some of her breasts and looked around 5'8". Her eyes met mine and I looked away quickly.

"I do not know why you two insisted on coming with me," Opal said as she crossed the room and stood beside me, her hand touching my shoulder. I looked down at the plate in front of me with a frown.

"I wanted to see the new girl," the new woman's voice said. Her voice had a soft raspiness to it which sounded quite beautiful to my ears.

"Well Madame did not even want anyone meeting her yet Nova," Opal stated as she crouched down slightly and looked me in the eyes. So that was the pretty new woman's name, Nova. "You need to eat your broccoli," she said. I shook my head as I kept my mouth shut, afraid of angering her by speaking. Her eyes flashed slightly making me squirm in my seat.

"Oooh she is openly defying you," Selene said earning a glare from Opal as she straightened up. Nova smacked Selene on the bottom making her squeal out of shock. "Rude," Selene said as she covered her bottom.

"Do not act like this is some sort of show for you to ooh and ahh at then," Nova said making Selene grumble as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Would you like to repeat that?" Nova asked Selene.

"No Missus Nova," Selene said as she bowed her head. "It is not fair, I just want to not get in trouble," she said.

"Than start behaving," Opal answered as she sighed softly. "You need to eat your broccoli," she told me. I shook my head as I looked away.

"What is going on in here?" a woman's voice said making me perk up and turn to see a new lady entering the room. She had blue eyes that stood out immediately to me and she had black and brown hair that went to her mid back. She was wearing a red leather dress that hugged her frame, standing tall. She was around 5'10" in her heels and she moved with purpose.

"We're just trying to get this little one to eat her broccoli," Opal said as she gulped slightly with a frown on her lips. "That is all ma'am," she said as she stepped back. The woman's blue eyes landed on me and her lips quirked up almost into a small smile before her frown returned.

"You should not have even met her yet," the woman said. "Has Madame approved it?" she asked while crossing her arms over her chest.

"No ma'am," Selene answered. "Opal only met her because of me and my impatience," she said as she stepped forward, her head bowed down.

"I am glad you are honest Selene but that does not explain why Nova is here," the woman stated.

"Well Esme came and got me because this one didn't want to her broccoli and she figured I could persuade her into eating it," Opal answered. "These two followed me because they were curious," she said.

"Esme," the woman growled out making Esme enter the room. "Next time, do not go behind Adira's back or mine," she stated as she turned to glare at her. For some reason that bothered me, probably because she was being mean to my new friend. Esme was my new friend even if she didn't know it yet.

"Don't be mean to my friend," I spoke up making the woman do a complete 180. She walked over to me and crouched down, staring me in the eyes.

"Ember, please don't get mad at the girl. She didn't mean to aggravate you," Esme spoke up only to be silenced when the woman snapped her fingers.

"I am not mad. I am impressed that one so small can pretend to be so brave, especially with food on her face," the woman, Ember I corrected myself, said. I blushed deeply as I picked up the napkin to wipe my face off. I wiped my mouth off quickly as I adverted eye contact. "You missed it completely," she said as she took the napkin and wiped my cheek off with gently.

"I'm not pretending, I am brave," I argued as I frowned. She chuckled as she sat my napkin down, folding it neatly.

"Sure you are," she stated as she straightened up. "Now we can forget this all happened as long as Adira doesn't know," she stated.

"I already know," a woman's voice spoke out. How many were there? They just kept appearing. I turned to see a beautiful woman wearing a black dress that was held up by a strap that went around her neck, the dress trailing behind her at the back but cut short to show her legs at the front. She had brown hair that went down to her butt and glimmering hazel eyes. She moved forward with an air of confidence, her slender 6'1" frame making everyone shrink down.

"Madame," Nova spoke first moving towards Adira, her head bowed. Adira was a pretty name and besides that it was nice to put a name to the mysterious Madame they kept talking about.

"Silence," Adira held her hand up, making Nova freeze in her tracks. Adira moved with purpose towards me, pulling a chair out and sitting down beside me. She easily pulled my chair to face her. "You have caused quite a disturbance today darling," she said as she crossed one leg over another.

"I didn't mean to," I said as I looked up at her. Her lips were pulled into a frown which created little wrinkle lines around her lips but her eyes were glimmering in amusement.

"I never said you did, I simply stated that you did," she said as she rested her hand on my knee. "I see you have met every Elder except me at this point," she stated making me nod slightly. "I am Adira, the leader of the Elders. Ember is my second in command than you have Opal. After her is Nova and than we have Selene," she said as she gestured to each woman as she said their name.

"My name is Iris," I said quietly as I fidgeted with the hem of my dress, watching her hand on my knee closely.

"I know," she said. "It is a lovely name for you darling," she said as she moved her hand off of my knee. "I have heard you are having a difficult time with your veggies huh?" she asked, the other Elders in the room looking puzzled as they shared glances.

"I don't like broccoli," I said with a frown on my lips. "It doesn't taste good and I don't see why I need to eat it," I murmured as I glanced at my plate.

"I know it's hard baby," she cooed as she gently cupped my cheek. I squirmed slightly from surprise as I looked into her hazel eyes. "Just a few bites alright?" she asked.

"How many bites is a few?" I asked as I glanced at the broccoli, a frown on my lips. "And what do I get if I do eat a few bites?" I questioned her seriously.

"Only five bites and then you will be finished. If you eat a few bites then I will allow you to ask any question you would like and you may have a free day tomorrow doing whatever you desire," she offered. That was intriguing and it did sound kind of nice though I would still rather leave.

"What if I would rather leave and never come back?" I asked. She raised an eyebrow as she frowned, her hand dropping my face.

"That is not an option. I gave you what your reward will be if you take five bites of your broccoli and I will not changed that," she said as her body tensed up.

"Fine, if that's the best I can get," I said as I rolled my eyes. I picked up a piece of broccoli and took a bite out of it. I gagged at the taste and washed it down with some of the juice in my cup.

"Only four more times now," she coaxed as she rubbed my back, encouraging me softly. I took a deep breath and nodded, managing to knock out the four bites quickly. That meant I was actually able to eat two and half pieces of broccoli before I was done. I looked at her when I was done. "Good girl," she cooed as she smiled. Esme came over and took my plate, leaving me with the Elder. "We'll be going now," Adira said as she got up, walking past the other Elders who started to follow her.

"What about the question you said I could ask?" I questioned as I watched them walk away, my heart thudding in my chest as my mouth went dry.

"Right. What is your question?" Adira turned to look at me, the others glancing at me.

"Do any of you listen to Girl in Red?" I asked with a small giggle escaping my lips at their confused faces.