“This is the third time you’ve thrown us out of the City!” The tall, lanky man with dark and stringy red hair, stood alongside two other men while several of Danthamore’s guards forced them away from the front of the gates.
“Take your messages and displays elsewhere, If you don’t, you might find yourself swinging from Robber’s Row by your necks.” The last thing he wanted was his Captain of the Watch, Elian, to replace him thinking he could not handle the man. The peculiar and eccentric preacher had not yet heeded his stern warnings to stay out of the city.
Nelina’s longing green eyes trailed over to the three strangers. How she wished she could be with them and not here. Her Uncle had kept her tied up during the entire journey to prevent her from running away, and her wrists were sore. “This isn’t right!” She dug her heels in, refusing to take another step. “We’ve lost everything because of you, not me.”
With no warning, Tiberius’s open, flat hand came down hard upon the left side of her face. “Shut yer mouth before I smack yer teeth out girl. I don’t care a lick for ya as it is. I only took you in because I had to when yer ma and yer poor excuse for a father died.”
Out of instinct, her slender fingers touched her stinging cheek. It had hurt just enough for her to be silent and docile.
The streets of Danthamore were bustling with their usual activities in the early afternoon hours. Merchants and buyers crowded the slave square. Fall had a different feel to it being this close to the Waste with its unrelenting heat. The hot sun beating down added to the unbearable temperature, and the air itself was thick and humid from the vast Torbian Sea.
Emotional numbness, followed by dread, filled her as the blood drained from her head to her toes, as her Uncle stopped in front of one of the partially shaded slaver stalls.
Tiberius used what little manners he had, in addressing the Slaver. “Are you buyin slaves t’day Sir? And if yer are, how much will you give me for her?”
Nelina’s attention snapped over to the slave trader. “He can’t sell me! I’m a free woman of the Lower Kingdoms!”
“You ain’t in the Lower Kingdoms shrew! Yer in Danthamore.” Collared, dirty, and standing next to Nelina, the naked woman tried to spit in Nelina’s face, just missing her.
The stout, plump, middle-aged slaver Johan, did not pay any attention to the exchange between the two women. “Depends my good man, is she yours to sell?”
“She’s my niece, and my property, her given name is Nelina Draeden.” Tiberius set a scroll declaring Nelina under his guardianship, down on the slaver’s stand.
Johan skimmed over the scroll. “What’s her age?”
“Around twenty summers from when my sister Eloise had her.” Tiberius figured it was a good enough estimate.
“What skills does she have? Can she do anything of use?” Johan always performed a quick inventory of potential new slaves.
Nelina’s uncle jumped to answer. “She can cook, and mend clothing, especially tunics.”
“Is that all she can do then?” The slaver’s squinty dark brown eyes darted to Nelina to appraise the young woman. Her vibrant green eyes and fetching face framed by matted, tangled, flaxen hair, along with a full bosom, and a slender figure was all he needed to know. “What do you want for her?”
Panic ensued, and Nelina in an act of final desperation, tugged on her uncle’s sleeve. “Please, please don’t do this to me! Please! You can just let me go!”
Both of the men ignored her pleas, and Tiberius jerked his arm away hard from her. “At least five gold crowns.”
Nelina’s trembling hands fell at her sides while choking back the stinging tears at the hard reality of her situation.
“Five is fair, she has no sickness, nor has she been used much or had a babe. I’m sure she’d grab a good price at one of the local whorehouses.” Tiberius waited in anticipation while Johan mulled it over.
The slaver gave a nod of approval. “She’s worth a few coins. I’ll give you fifty silvers for her.”
In shock and disappointment, Tiberius shook his head. “That’s it? Fifty silvers? I want at least three gold crowns, she’d sell for that at a whorehouse.”
Determined, Johan began to beat down Tiberius’ price. “I won’t do three, there’s no profit in it for me, and it’s what I’d get selling her off to a whorehouse. I’ll do one gold crown and thirty silvers she’s not worth any more to me.”
Grunting his dismay under his breath, he begrudgingly accepted Johan’s offer. “One gold crown and thirty silvers it is then.”
“You’ve made a good deal for yourself my friend.” Johan counted out the payment handing it to him.
Tiberius’s hands shook as he greedily clutched the coins from him. “She’s yours now.”
Staring at both men, Nelina dug her nails into the palm of her hands she was worried. Already, she could see the slave block had a long line for the upcoming auction. On the block, the slaves were always stripped of their clothing for eager potential buyers to view them. However, not selling on the block meant that she would sleep in the slave pens tonight, and that would be beyond awful. She recalled the memory of the slave masters whom she had seen once who were laughing while tossing in the unwanted scraps from the local butchers into the pens. It sent a shiver down her spine. Those people had clawed at each other for any sliver of food. Still, the cringing fear of the whorehouses, made her gut wrench with terror too.
After conducting his bartering with Tiberius, Johan reached into a large brown burlap bag, to pull out a thick metal collar.
“Here, girl, time to put this on.” He wound his short, stubby, fingers through her hair, yanking it hard enough to make her fall to the ground.
The tight metal band clicked shut around her neck. Her fingertips glided over the imposing, cold iron. Frightened, she gazed at the block as the auction began.
“If it eases your mind, you’re not going there today.” Johan put a thin chain through a ring in the center of her collar.
“I-I’m not?” Momentary relief flooded through her whole body.
“Uh-uh, I have another buyer for you.” Johan wasted no time in breaking down his stall.
“Will you untie me, please?” For days, she had remained with her wrists tied together.
“No, so don’t bother asking me again,” The flesh trader had glimpsed too much of the defiant untamed spirit behind her green eyes to not trust unbinding her hands.
Until he was ready to leave, Nelina remained quiet and compliant. Any opportunity to escape would be better tried elsewhere.
Except for a single sack in one hand, Johan’s other hand held onto the light, but the durable metal leash looped through her collar. He led her through the slave square toward the buildings within the city’s surrounding wall, leaving the main gate at their backs. He tugged her toward the shops district, away from the slave square and the common quarters of the city which flanked the shops. For many people in the working class of Danthamore, it offered a short walk to the main gate or the docks below.
“Is this really necessary? To keep tugging on the chain?” With her hands tied Nelina grabbed the chain and did not move. “I’ll just follow you, this is painful.”
Johan inhaled a sharp deep breath resisting the initial urge to lash out at her with his fist. “Listen fast, cunny, if you weren’t for my buyer, I’d beat you till you were bruised and broken in places, got it?” Using the chain he jerked her forward causing her to almost lose her footing.
By staying closer to him, it gave her neck a small reprieve as they continued through the shops district into the merchant’s quarters. Here, the change in construction and the care for homes between the lower stations and the merchants was apparent. The windows sills and entryways of the merchants’ dwellings had flowers and plants amongst other trimmings in decoration. Such things were not usually bothered with by Danthamore’s poor.
Looming in the distance, was the Obsidian Palace with the Kings tower standing at its center as they entered the Noble’s quarters. Opulence could be seen all the way down from the elaborate fountains to the ornate houses with their individual and unique architecture representing their family histories. Walking past the spraying water fountains was nice, it provided a cool mist, which for a fleeting second distracted her from the heat. Although the merchant quarters were nothing to scoff at, they were by far more cramped than compared to here. The wealthy residences in this quarter left plenty of space between each other and had their own private gardens. Streets in this area were specifically designed to be wider and less narrow which allowed for the passing of two carts alongside one another.
“Keep up girl, we’re almost there.” While there was no need for it, the slaver pulled hard on the chain anyway.
Danthamore’s palace took in a commanding view over the quarter by the time they reached the end of the district. Since the City of Danthamore was built on the rise of a cliff, the black obsidian palace rested on the highest peak reaching up to the sky. The natural defenses of the cliff complimented the palace walls. Unlike the city’s construction, the King’s tower was said to be in the time before the first Kingdom.
The black obsidian tower itself jutted upward, standing far above the smaller obsidian towers below it which made up the wall of the palace. Anyone wishing to enter the palace from the Noble quarter passed through this checkpoint first.
“Halt, what business do you have with the Crown?” The royal guard eyed Nelina.
“My business is with the Magus of Danthamore, this particular treasure is for him.” Johan again tugged Nelina’s chain to accentuate his point. “It’s him you’re holding up, not me.”
“The Magus?” Nelina was incredulous and laughed for the first time all day. “You think he wants me? Have you gone mad?”
The royal sentry leered at Nelina. “She better not be another toy for the Captain of the Guard, slaver.”
“She’s not, and the next girl I get, I’ll bring her around for you boys,” offered Johan.
“You’d better,” without further delay, her and Johan were waved through and allowed to pass.
Johan twisted her chain to make it shorter while leading her to the eastern entrance closest to the outer wall overlooking the Torbian Sea and the jagged rocks below. The arched gates they came to was well guarded, while still allowing for the provisions that kept the palace running to be brought in.
“G’day lads, I’m here to see your Captain.” Johan’s sights settled on Lucas, whom he had seen with Elian before. “I have the Magus’s prize.”
The guard next to Lucas smirked. “What could our Captain want with her, that we can’t handle?”
“Shut up,” the back of Lucas’s hand flew up to keep his friend quiet. He would not risk any ire from his Captain, let alone the Magus himself. Besides, she was not the first woman to be brought through here for his Captain. “Follow me,”
Nelina’s chance of escape was becoming dimmer by the minute. It would be hard enough to try to run from the royal guards let alone the city ones too. The guards of the eastern section who were clad in their chain mail, were different than the palace guards as they were part of the city watch. She could smell the manure from the horses in the royal stables as they passed by. Already, she was pondering her escape and wondered how difficult it would be to earn enough trust from this Magus to leave and ride away one day. Continuing on past a portion of the royal gardens that dotted open spaces of the palace, she saw the servant’s entrance.
Lucas brought them into a half enclosed atrium garden and motioned to the benches by a large white fountain. “Wait here while I get the Captain,”
Tired and worn out, Nelina went to sit down at one of the benches only to be jerked up in a rough manner by Johan “Up girl!”
Hatred burned behind her eyes.
However, their wait for the Captain was not a long one. When the young fair haired Captain came to greet them, he was dressed in clothing befitting a noble of a high station. Elian’s formal jacket was a dark blue, trimmed in black and paired with black breeches and boots.
“What have you brought today, Johan?” Elian had dropped what he was doing in writing out the city watch rotations to meet with him. He had his doubts whether this girl would be any different than the other women.
Nelina spun around to see the city Captain of Danthamore with eyes as blue as the Torbian Sea staring at her. No longer was she worried about Johan, her new thought was a fearful one. ‘That’s the man who uses women like toys.’
“She’s stunning, the best one you’ve brought yet. Her eyes are as green as the emerald stones I’ve seen come in from the Chainless coast.” Elian’s gaze was locked on Nelina. “Lucas, get the Magus, tell him Johan is here with one of his wares and that this one is worth his time.”
Nelina’s warm green eyes went wide. ‘Worth his time, were these men touched by madness?’ She pondered the question to herself.
“The Magus will want her then you think?” Johan wrapped his hand around her chain again to shorten it.
Elian shrugged. “As long as that flaxen, sweeping hair on top of her head matches what is the natural color between her legs, then yes.” He rubbed his forehead frustrated. “You did check the woman right?”
“Um, I didn’t think to do it, I should have,” Johan frowned. “Apologies for my oversight.”
“Never mind it,” Elian approached Nelina. “Up with your skirts now.”
“May the God of All curse you! No!” She stepped backwards, pulling against the metal restraint around her throat. “You will not touch me!”
“No? You’re honestly refusing me?” Elian blinked his eyes in shock, slaves under a slave master for any amount of time did not behave in this manner.
She was obstinate and unbending. “Yes, I am, Milord, while I’m not trying to be impertinent, I refuse to be subject to such a humiliation.”
With a flick of his wrist the slaver slammed her down to her knees using his metal leash. “If the Captain wants to see what you have, you’ll show him.”
Her angry glare shot up to both of them. “What if this Magus that I am supposed to belong to, doesn’t want you to touch me?” She stood back up and faced Elian with a burning defiance in her eyes.
In a gesture to Johan, Elian put up his hand. “Don’t thrash her down again.” It was obvious the woman in front of him was not born to the slave caste and carried no slave brand or inking. “Where did you get her Johan?”
Nelina, seething in her loathing, answered before Johan could. “He bought me a mere few hours ago, my uncle should have never sold me. I’m a free citizen from the lower kingdom of Pinza!”
“Is that true?” Elian looked at Johan in disbelief. “Tell me you have papers on the woman?”
“I do,” Johan opened the sack he had brought with him taking out the scroll from Tiberius and handed it to Elian. “See?”
Elian read the scroll, “Nelina, is it?” It declared her Uncle to have full guardianship of her until marriage or unless otherwise designated by him.
She softened her tone. “It is, Milord.”
“In reading this, your Uncle followed the law when he sold you and you are by law a member of the slave caste.” Elian relaxed and rolled up the scroll. “I’m not going to lay a hand on you, and neither is Johan we’re all going to wait for the Magus instead.”
Lucas’s apprehension was not unwarranted as he got closer to the private chamber of the Magus with Adar stepping out in front of him. The Magus’s assassin and personal protector, was rumored to have killed men for stepping too close to the Magus. “Ah, yes, Adar, I bring word from Captain Elian. Johan is here with one of his wares and the Magus is needed to inspect her, it will be worth his time he said.”
Adar nodded going back into the chamber where Ru’ark was and shortly returned with him thereafter.
“Lord Magus, this way if you will,” Lucas led the two down the long hallway back out to the garden atrium where the others were waiting for him.
Johan greeted Ru’ark first. “G’Day Lord Magus, I think I’ve found you your prize.” He yanked Nelina forward causing her to stumble. “Your man there Elian, said her eyes were akin to some emerald stones he’d seen.”
Nelina’s wide-eyed doe like stare was frozen on Ru’ark. ‘This is the Magus?’ She thought. He appeared no older than twenty-five years. His piercing, expressive, blue eyes demanded her full attention. His robes were a shade of midnight blue with silver threading that hung loose on his well defined body.
“Indeed, they are.” Ru’ark’s gaze raked over the rest of her from head to toe. Although she was unkempt and needed a bath, she was more than easy on the eyes.
“It’s time to show your new Master that the golden hair on top of your head is the same between your legs,” Johan was apologetic to Ru’ark. “She refused to let Elian or I touch her.”
“Please Milord Magus, spare me this humiliation, I beg your mercy.” Nelina pleaded in desperation to him. “I swear to you by the God of All, that my hair is and has always been the color you see before you.”
“No, we’ll take her at her word.” Ru’ark stepped forward, taking a hold of her bound wrists. Briefly, his eyes closed as he ran his thumbs along the ropes, causing them to unwind and fall away from her.
“Thank you,” she was filled with gratitude while looking down at her sore chaffed wrists with their rope burns and light streaks of blood.
With his forefinger and thumb, he lifted up her delicate chin where not a single ounce of defiance shone in her vibrant green eyes. “I’m sure I’ll see all of you soon enough, right?”
“Yes,” She answered the handsome Magus with such haste that she blushed in embarrassment looking down at the floor.
“Good,” His thumb brushed across her bottom lip.
“Then, she’s what you want Lord Magus?” Johan was antsy to sell Nelina.
“Without question she is,” Ru’ark faced the slaver with a pleased expression. “You out did yourself, what do you want for her?”
Having garnered the Magus’s interest, the trader bartered his newest ware. “She’s not average with those eyes, as you are already aware of my Lord Magus. I would need at least twenty gold crowns.”
“Twenty gold crowns!” Nelina was appalled and raised her voice in dismay. “He’s trying to rob you! He paid one gold crown and thirty silvers for me!”
The three men stared at Nelina in genuine surprise.
Sweat formed on Johan’s brow in nervousness as he kept his mouth shut.
With a chuckle, Elian taunted her. “Wait, was that loyalty to your new Master, our Magus that I just heard?” His lips curved upward into a sly grin. “I think it was.”
‘Was it?’ Mortified, the thought crashed in her mind like a wave, rendering her helpless to speak while burning her cheeks scarlet red. Speechless, the room fell into a perfect quiet state.
Elian broke the uncomfortable silence for Nelina, but not in the way she would have liked. “Have I said something to bring such a pretty blush to your face?”
“I-” She was lost and cornered with no footing in the conversation.
Ru’ark left her no time to react when his mouth laid claim to hers.
A gentle, soft moan of pleasure escaped from Nelina when his tongue mingled with hers. For a brief moment she forgot everyone else in the room.
He maneuvered her over to the nearest bench with a warm smile. “You my Sweetling, will behave for me, until I’ve finished buying you.” He guided her to sit down.
“I- yes,” demurely she sat with her hands folded in her lap with her cheeks still flushed.
Elian, staring at Nelina, did not hide his smile of amusement at her reaction to the Magus.
Ru’ark returned to the waiting flesh peddler. “Where were we? Twenty gold crowns?”
“Ah, um, yes, Magus, that was the price I named, but I can go lower.” Johan was cautious in remaining too steadfast with his original request.
From the pocket of his dark blue robe Ru’ark withdrew five gold trade bars. “Your payment for the woman and the rest is for your time in acquiring her for me.”
Johan chuckled inwardly, she would not be a toy for the Captain. No, she was a pet for the Lord Magus. It was a large payment, and with it he could move into the merchant’s district and be able to leave slave trading altogether. “Lord Magus, the stories of your generosity are not without merit, and I thank you for buying the vixen. I seek only to provide the best to a customer such as yourself.”
“Indeed, you’ve gone above and beyond,” Ru’ark held his hand out. “I’d like to have the key to her collar if you will.”
“Here,” Johan beaming ear to ear with his good fortune handed him the small silver key.
With the key in now in hand, Ru’ark went over to the bench where Nelina was sitting and sat down next to her.
Nelina made sure her back was exposed so he could access the latch of her collar to unlock it.
Using one hand, he moved her tangled hair out of his way whispering, “I don’t need anything as crude as a collar do I?”
“No, Milord Magus,” she sat motionless at hearing the click of the collar and feeling its weight come off her neck.
She shut her eyes for a moment with her fingers absently going to her bare neck.
Ru’ark gave the collar and key back to Johan. “I’ll leave it to Elian to finish to the necessary legal papers of ownership.” He looked over to Nelina. “We’re leaving.”
Dutifully, Nelina rose up from the bench and walked over to him and followed him out of the Atrium. She should have been minding her surroundings, but she could not shake off being stunned by the recent events of the day.
After going down three other hallways, Ru’ark stopped at a chamber door at the end of the long hall they were in. “You’ll be staying here, the other slaves will be along with a bath and appropriate garments for you to wear.”
“Thank you for your kindness, Lord Magus.” Once inside the bed-chamber, Nelina examined her new surroundings. The room was breathtaking, with its varying colors of blue throughout the chambers from the walls to the bedding, and was accented with bright tapestries and ornate furniture. A large wooden bed with four carved posts, held the appearance of belonging to one of the royal family members of Danthamore. The shining, polished wood tables with their dark red-brown hues and smooth finishes were complimented by the cushioned blue chairs.
Several large windows opened up to the fresh sea air, and while looking out she could see Danthamore’s harbor and docks below. She watched as the ships bobbed in the lazy waters, while the dockworkers scurried around like ants loading and unloading cargo. The sound of the door opening behind her caught her attention. A procession of servants entered the chamber which interrupted her quiet exploration as they poured large amounts of steaming, hot water into an oversized washtub. By the time, they finished and left, the bath looked warm and inviting. The table next to it had cloth strips, waxes with burners, pastes, sharp flint blades for scraping, pumice stones and perfumed oils. The Magus’s promised words rang in the back of her mind that he would see all of her.
Nelina indulged in the different aromas of rose, lilac, and lavender, along with the other flower essences. Rose and lavender were the ones she added to her bath. She climbed into the tub submerging herself up the base of her neck where the slaver’s collar had been. The insinuation of seeing her undressed, the kiss, the sitting her on the bench, it had all led up to the removal of the collar. Her answer of ‘no’ that he had no need of a crude collar, was her own acceptance and agreement to his, and its silent snap when Johan’s came off.
Another of Ru’ark’s slaves brought in garments and a comb for her hair leaving them on the bed.
After a little while longer, she scrubbed herself clean before the water grew too cold, and then rinsed off with the water pitcher. Grabbing the drying cloth, she made her way over to the bed. It looked as inviting as the bath did with its comfortable pillows and linens. Lying at the foot of the bed was an ensemble of malachite jewelry that matched a similar colored dress which appeared to be near her size. Picking up the silk chemise, she slipped it on over her head. Then, gathering up everything else, but the comb, she set it down on the nearby table. Instead, the bed was beckoning to her and she promptly climbed in it and combed out the tangled parts of her hair leaving it full and clean. While her intentions to wear the dress and have the evening meal were good ones, the exhaustion of the day was too much and she fell into a quiet, deep slumber.
Upon the slaves informing Ru’ark that Nelina was asleep, he had ordered them to leave her be. He ate his evening meal alone in the solar chamber and then delved into one of his maps on the region of the Salt Marshes, past the Kingdom of Flintire but before the Ruby Isles. When he retired, he went into Nelina’s chamber and disrobed joining her in the bed.
Nelina half asleep shifted in the bed with long stretches to lean against him while on her side.
His arms slipped around her sleeping form. The once tangled hair now allowed for him to run his fingers through it and her skin was soft and smooth against his own body. He fell asleep peacefully inhaling her scent with his face buried in her hair. Tomorrow, everything would begin.