Wolves howling in the background distract me from my woe for a split second, causing me to stumble over a prominent root protruding from the ground. I fall, pulling my maidservant down with me.
"Are you alright, my lady?" Michelle's voice comes out in a rushed whisper. My heart's beating faster than it ever beat before, and I can hear the sound of twigs cracking under rough, bare feet nearing us.
"Shh," I whisper, wiping my tears with a shaky hand. "I can hear them. They're close—you know what they do when they find women hiding."
The maid's eyes widen. "I feel as if I am too afraid to ask,"
Michelle whimpered. Hidden in the brush, I peer through the leaves to look at my surroundings. The sound of barking wolves can still be heard, but the footsteps have gone deeper into the forest than we have. "They take them as sex slaves. I thought you knew."
A crunch of a twig and the swift rustling of leaves makes Michelle yelp and shake uncontrollably. "We can't be captured, my lady. We must run!"
"No!" I growl while pulling her back to the ground as she leans back on her haunches, readying to dart out into the forest. "We cannot risk that. We cannot outrun the barbarians, so I say that our best chance of survival and escape is to sit and wait them out. Wait 'till they clear the area."
Michelle groans. "I'm afraid," she whispered. "I don't want to be their slave."
I don't tell her about the other stories I'd heard about the barbarians, like how they would sell their slave to other men to bed, after they grew tired of their own, how they would rape a slave if she did not submit willingly, and how sometimes barbarians would put their women on display in horrid public events.
I'm determined to get us out alive and free, and I'm determined to find Cordell again. I want to see his red-brown hair, bright green eyes, and a sunny smile. I want to hear him laugh and feel his rose-petal lips on my skin when he kisses
my hand politely
"Three Horses!" A voice calls in the distance. They speak in a language that I do not understand. Michelle and I crouch back into the leaves more, hiding our bodies from barbarian
eyes.
"Paleface trinket," one, holding up a silver necklace. I refrain me from gasping, my hand flying to my neck where my mother's necklace should have been. It must have come off when I fell, and now it was going to be stolen by those beasts.
"Drinks of Waterfall," the other says. "Paleface…close."
The bone chains on their necks, arms, and feet jingle as they crouch closer to where we hide. I bite my lip and I see Michelle panicked, muttering silent prayers with her eyes glued firmly shut.
I decided to pray as well, bowing my head and letting my curtain of chestnut hair cover my face. I had thought that they'd gone, but I'm wrong. A curious hand feels around through the brush where we are hiding.
I stay as still as possible to try and avoid contact with the rough hand and cease my noise, hopelessly thinking that perhaps they'd leave if they didn't hear or feel anything. But
I'm wrong again.
Michelle shrieks like a pig being butchered to death when the rough hand grabs a fistful of her black hair and tugs her up by the soft strands. The barbarians laugh and the one
called Drinks of Waterfall pushes my maid to the other one named Three Horses. Three Horses grabs Michelle and ties her flailing hands with rope as Drinks of Waterfall holds her arms down.
My maidservant is gagged and slung over Three Horses' shoulder. I slink down into the brush as Drinks of Waterfall nears again. He sees me. I know he sees me. He reaches down, winding his fingers into my soft chestnut locks of hair, yanking so harshly that I feel my scalp begin to bleed.
I squeal in pain, grasping at the barbarian's hands. Three horses look back and, muttering something to his colleague. It was probably praise and approval for my capture.
I put up a fight as Drinks of Waterfall tries to tie my hands with leather strips of rope. The barbarian growls in frustration when I hit him hard in the stomach, then laughs at me when I whimper in pain from the wrist ropes being too
tight.
"Let us go!" I hiss at him through my teeth. I kick at Drinks of Waterfall as he slings me over his broad, copper-toned shoulder. He doesn't listen to me—but what do I expect?
He's a filthy barbarian. And barbarians show no mercy to palefaces.
I struggle as he carries me through the woods like I'm a mere sack of flour, ignoring the profanities I spew from my mouth, ignoring the cries and ignoring the pleas.
"You're an animal!" I scream, kicking my feet hard against his chest. Drinks of Waterfall growls viciously, raising his hand to my bottom and smacking it down hard on the silk-covered skin.
I yelp out in shock and anger. I struggle even harder. "You beast!" I scream. "You'll rot in Hell for this!" He whips me down from his shoulder and carries me baby style in one arm as he fishes a ragout of his leather satchel he carries
on his shoulder.
The rag is brown, but it has a strange white substance on it.The barbarian stuff is inside of my mouth against my will. I manage to bite his finger as he does so, and it draws blood.
But the white substance on the rag was making me feel drowsy and like I was full of jelly and had no bones. My eyes fluttered shut as the barbarian cussed and wiped his bleeding finger on my beautiful red silk dress.
I hate him…I hate him…
0o0o0o0o
When I awaken, the smell of cooking meat holds my interest. I lift my head off of the warm shoulder that I'd been slobbering all over and my eyes flicker open. Music was playing, meat was cooking, and women dressed in animal skins were weaving baskets and tending to little naked babies running wild all over the ground.
I wrap my arms around the person carrying me as my eyes slip shut again. It's hard to keep them open and I still feel so weak. I don't know where I am, and I don't remember much of where I was before I went to sleep.
My eyes flutter open and look at my surroundings. Stone buildings, tents, and strange wooden houses attract my attention. I see the same woman weaving a basket while her naked, copper-skinned baby boy ran naked around the fire, over which another woman roasted meat over.
"Michelle," I mumble, finally coming to. I look up, frightened. Where am I? The last I remember was the forest, hiding from the barbarians And then I slept or fainted due to exhaustion.
To Be Continued.
I look at the body that is carrying me. The broad copper shoulders and long black hair weaved into a fuzzy braid that reached his hips. I look at the side of his serene features. It's drinks of Waterfall.I'm horrified instantly and begin to struggle as I see Three horses carrying a passed-out Michelle on his shoulders. "No fight," Drinks of Waterfall hisses at me. "Almost there."My heart pounds inside my chest. There's no use in struggling because I already know that I won't escape drinks of Waterfall's arms; and even if I did, I'd quickly be caught. I was, after all, in a barbarian kingdom. I was surrounded and I was an outcast. This is just like a nightmare surrounding me and dragging me toward hell. My heart is not calm and my hands never stopped shivering. My tears had dried on my face and I resorted to whimperinghelplessly in the arms of the monstrous man after I had no tears left for me to let out. I had sworn not to be caught; I could not be a sex slave. I cannot betray Cord
He makes a noise like he had been stuck with a question for days and just now found the answer to his question. He takes his finger out of me and then sucks it into his mouth, separating those sweet russet lips and swirling his wet liquid-coated finger into his mouth.I stay still and silent, completely taken aback by what he is doing.My voice wasn't coming out of my mouth due to fear. Flames spark down near my spine as I watch and he looked straight into my eyes, smirking badly and greedily sucking my nectar off of his finger like it was some sort of fine wine.He is the most disgusting person I have met in my entire life... It was the most erotic thing I had ever experienced.He took his finger out of his mouth and rested his hand next to my head. "Virgin," he whispers before laughing deeply. " Say Something in your beautiful voice "I was scared to say what I want to be thinking what if he kills me out of anger still I said because living like this is worst than death." Please
This is my end, I thought But He drops me, I collapse to the ground, the sound of myragged breath echoing throughout the hall. I'm humiliated. I'm hurt. My pride is gone. He laughs at my pain. I force myself to my feet, Fell again, and tried to stand, the world going dizzy around me,I rush out of the hall, Don't know how many times I fell, and get up. Before I leave I heardCesar rubs his temples and groans.I don't stop when he says to stop. I'm crying so hard and loud that I can't focus on anything else but the pain in my neck and the salty tears coating my cheeks.I faintly remember where the harem was located, my bare feet slapping on the cold stone floors as I rush to the comfort of Michelle and Cassandra's arms. I see the big wooden door, the first one to the right of the stone staircase.I burst into the room and the unyielding arms of Tristan, or Drinks of Waterfall. I gasp and wipe my eyes quickly before he could see that I was crying. He sets me back on my feet before ta
That fuels my fire towards him. Tears stung in my eyes. "If I am shaming your title, why did you dress me up and haul me down to your breakfast table huh? If I deserve it then why don't you fuck me roughly and kill me?" I hiss. My fingers clutch at the gold necklace around my neck. I snap it off of my neck and throw it at him. This surprises him, for he wasn'texpecting me to throw the jewels at him. "Why did you try to fuck me if I'm just dirt on the bottom of your feet? If I am so worthless then why don't you give me to someone? "Another strip of gold lace comes off. "I didn't want to be here!"His face crumbles as he walks forwards. I punched him relentlessly with my fists. And started to hurt me, He wrestles me back, stopping my nails from clawing at my skin. "Elizabella," he whispers."Stop it. You're hurtin' yourself."I sob silently, resting my head against his chest. He's warm, and his arms comfort me. But I realize who he is, and I pushed him away, my palms hitting him ha
"You like what you see?"I realize that I'm staring straight at the appendage straining against the silky sheets. I gasp quickly and look away, redness instantly painting my cheeks. " No I Wasn't seeing it " He chuckles smoothly and slides out of bed. He throws the covers off of his glorious naked body and stridesover to his wardrobe.I can't help but stare as I see him walk in front of me, his muscled ass cheeks flexing with each step. I feel like I want to swoon. But I remember who this man is and I instantly shake the thought out of my head.No Elizabella NoI follow subtly behind him. I don't have a wardrobe of my own, and I'm relying on Cesar to give me something to wear. He notices me lingering awkwardly and realizes why I'm doing it. "I should Proudly tell you 'dat your clothes are in the other wardrobe over there."Something about his accent makes me shiver. I look over to the wardrobe in the corner of the large room. I hadn'tnoticed it before. I open the big wooden doors. I
Cesar turns around to look at me, his black eyes digging deep beneath my clothes. "Yes?" His voice is so smooth and deep; it gives me shivers.I shift in my place and moisten my dry lips with my tongue. I point to his body paintings. "I thought…aren't you going totake um…Dakar dare out for the raid?" My voice is shaky. I throw a glance back to the black stallion huffing impatiently.He simply looks at me and says, "Someone must run the kingdom." Then he turns on his heel and leaves me alone in the stables. My shoulders slump slightly. I pat my newhorse's nose before following after him.Cesar is far ahead and he does not slow down for me to catch up to him. I stand in front of the stables and watch him enter his great stone castle. He hadn't beckoned me after him or anything.I narrow my eyes. Fine, if he does not care about my whereabouts, why should it matter if I took Daybreak out for a first ride? I run back to the stables where my horse Is waiting patiently in her pen, and let
I shrug my shoulders and wash the red blood off of my skin. I do not mind Michelle in here. She has helped give me baths countless times before, but now I feellike it isn't right. We are equals now, in this utterly foreign land.She kneels near the tub and dips her finger into the hot water. "You did not answer me, my lady."I grimace and shake my head, my wet hand gripping hers."I'm no longer 'my lady' to you, Michelle. Call me Elizabella."Michelle opens her big brown eyes in shock. "I—I am not your equal. I am your handmaiden—""Not here," I cut her off quickly. "And never will you be my handmaiden again. You are a friend…my closest friend." She smiles tenderly at me, blushing a bright red color. I sink deeper into the bathwater and sigh.She looks behind the curtain for anyone listening or watching. "He told me his commoner's name," " He? Drinks of Waterfall? " " Yes we're here to take you back "" I won't go "Michelle whispers to me." Why my lady? "I looked at her confusin
He lay on the bed after a bowl of wine, I make sure he is asleep or not! My fingers run over the blunt edge of the curved blade. which I hide underneath my dress in my mother's room. I'm drowsy and tired, and I can even tell myself that I'm not in the right mindset. I am scared and angry!I slowly sit up, making sure that I do not rouse him from his sleep. I press the silver blade to his neck. My heart's pounding in my chest. I have never killed anyone before! He does not wake. I climb into his lap, pressing the blade harder to his neck."Do it." The voice startles me. It's soft, but I do not expect it. He does not open his eyes, and he does not move. His lips merely move again. "Do it. Slit my throat. Do it." I stall, my heart clambering ridiculously against my ribs. I can't move. He cracks his eyes open a little bit and slides his hands up my arms. "I said do it."I stare down at him under heavy-lidded eyes. "You are not afraid?" I ask softly. The candles are the only light in The