I was happy. Not as happy as I've ever been in my life, if we could call those happiness. And I did not need to be told, I knew it could not last but I would enjoy every moments of it while it last. I turned to him and kissed him before I let the slumber take me into the Dreamland.
When I woke up the following morning, it was as early as the dew but that was not what saddened me but Angus was again nowhere to be seen. With difficulty, I walked around the chambers but he has left already, leaving me to deal with the pain and discomfort alone. But I did not ponder about it too much, he might have had an urgent issue to attend to.
With the that, I entered into the bathroom and I washed. I did the work of a vigilante to make sure no one saw me till I walked into the slavery chamber. As usual, I tipped to my side and I laid on the sheet.
I was awaken by a loud bell moments later and to my dismay, it was the market day. Many of the slaves were agile and expectant of the day due to how their was a possibility of the change of ownership. Nevertheless, it was either to the fairer or your very nightmare.
Some weeks ago, I was also part of these slaves that looks forward to seeing this day. But now, I just want to sleep. Yun's booming voice rang and every slave ran to the bathhouse, including me.
I was getting changed when I felt the eerie feeling of being watched. I looked around but no one was facing my way. I continued what I was doing but the feeling wouldn't just go away. In anger, I turned swiftly and my eyes met with Josephine's. I hissed under my breadth. No wonder I was so uncomfortable. You wouldn't escape that if you're being stared at by Jo's.
She was rumoured to be demented with evil spirits in her souls. I wonder why she was staring at me. She never spoke to anyone but herself.
I jumped when I suddenly found her standing beside me. I scoffed as I stared her down but she only smiled.
"Freye", she whispered my name in the softest tone I've ever heard and a tremor ran through me.
I took a step away from her and her smile widened.
I look around the room to see if anyone was watching but we were all alone by the corner. I took another backward step but then she leaned closer to me.
"I know what happens beneath The Oak", she whispered and I blinked in confusion.
She suddenly jumped and I looked back to see Lyla standing right behind me. I scoffed.
What was it with me seeing I'll lucked people this morning.
"What is that supposed to mean?.", Lyla nodded towards Jo's who was already walking away. I raised my brow.
"And how am I supposed to know that?", I asked but she snapped at me.
"Shut up! You dare speak back at me? Your judgement is till another day.", she hissed and then she mumbled. "I have my eyes on you"
I scoffed. What is it with this witch? Her eyes on me? I can't believe her gut.
But then again, what does Jo's mean.
"I know what happens beneath The Oak."
The compound was popularly known as The Oak. We have the Lady of the oak who was Sumaya, as well as the princes of the Oak. The servants and the slaves of the Oak who were also known as the Oak's commodity. But how could anyone claim to know what happens beneath The Oak? It sounds absurd. Especially the fact that their couldn't be anything beneath the plantation or the numerous chambers.
We were shackled and paraded towards the market and while other slaves murmmured against the tightness of the bond, I couldn't take my mind away from that sentence.
"I know what happens beneath The Oak."
Perhaps, had it been Lyla had not interrupted her, she might have completed her words.
When we reached the market, I was shocked to find the majority of the buyers as dressed in a loose fitting, long sleeves garment made of cotton or linen. Their robes different colours of robes and loose_fitting leggings and tunics. Scarfs were wrapped around their heads, exposing their grey eyes and pale foreheads.
"Jihadists!", I spat.
They were Northerners, the religious warriors who were popular for their ruthlessness and slave trade. Although sellers like our mistress becomes excited whenever they bombarded the market, it was a different day for us and this is because they were found of making slaves into prostitutes.
The others had also began to murmur while Yun struggles to keep everyone silent.
We froze in place when a few of them stopped before us and a few slave screeched in fear, making the Jihadists to laugh as they chat in their dialect.
As usual, they began to test the slaves and I began to quiver.
They test us by checking out weight, stamina and shapes. This includes weighing our breasts, checking our hair colour and complexion.
One of them squeezed a girls breasts and it seems the girl as just started growing breasts. In pain, she bites the man who smacked her immediately, cursing loudly in his language. Another one came towards the girl and after he signal one of them to hold her head, he squeezed her breasts in such a rough way that I had to look away. The girl screamed out loud and while some people turned, none interfered. They eventually took the girl with them.
They were ready to leave when one of them suddenly turned to me. My eyes widened and I held my breadth. She turned to his minions, speaking in English for the first time.
"See this one, her eyes so green and bright."
I released my breadth when I realised he was referring to the lady beside me. He dragged her forward when somebody spoke.
"Why not take the one beside her"
I gasped in shock.