The words struck Daisy like a bolt of lightning.
A commoner.
A wage.
A room.
A family name.
These were things she had thought she would never hear again.
The surrounding slaves stared in stunned disbelief.
No one had expected that weaving grass could earn such a reward.
Freedom alone was already beyond their imagination.
But a surname?
The noble surname of House Vale?
Many free commoners on the continent lived and died without ever being granted such an honor.
Daisy's body shook so violently that it seemed she might collapse.
This did not feel real.
It felt like a dream too beautiful to trust.
***
Two years earlier, Daisy had been the daughter of free commoners.
Her family had owned five acres of land.
Not much.
But enough.
Enough to eat.
Enough to live.
Enough to dream quietly.
Her father was also a mason.
Through hard work, the family never lacked food or clothing.
Then disaster struck.
Insects ravaged the crops.
The fields yielded almost nothing.
