Chapter 24
I felt awful for not doing the right thing and making them angry again.
I was paranoid they were going to punish me. The whipping post had been brought up once, I wasn’t sure they wouldn’t do that. They could do anything to me.
My breathing etched up another notch when I realized they could just resell me if I displeased them. I couldn’t go through being sold again.
That was the worst feeling ever. Nausea started to overwhelm me. I always got nauseated when I got nervous.
My steps faltered and I stumbled slightly. I wrapped my hands around my stomach and pressed my nails in. Anything to distract from the horrible sense of dread I was feeling. If they let me, I would curl up and die right here.
Being owned was awful, being sold to new owners would be worse. At least these strange men seemed to care about my well being. If I was sold again, there was no telling how bad it could get.
I followed Master Damien’s heels until I almost ran into his chest; he had turned around. I looked up and we were standing in a round alcove at the edge of the courtyard. My owners Literally surrounded me.
“What are you so scared of Ciara?” Master Evan asked harshly pulling me to face him. “You are radiating fear. Our slave should be proud and defiant, not nearly falling over itself in the middle of the courtyard.”
“I’m afraid you’ll whip me or sell me, because I looked at that other man. He looked terrible. Please don’t sell me, Master Evan,” I begged him.
“You fear that we would sell you Ciara?” Master Damien asked. “Do you believe we would make such a mistake as to buy the wrong slave?”
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“There is no right answer to that, Master Damien,” I answered him honestly still trembling.
He appraised me silently for several long moments with an unfaltering stare. I started when I felt Master Kein and Master Bane inspecting the small wounds I had made with my nails. When I Looked up again Damien was softer.
“You have harmed yourself due to your…upset. That is inappropriate.
We would discipline you for this infraction, but I feel it would not have the intended effect,” he said thoughtfully. “Instead I will tell you this, we will not sell you. My brothers and I choose you and we will keep you. We will only discipline you physically when it is clear you need more guidance than mere words provide.”
The other men murmured agreement. Property © NôvelDrama.Org.
They softly admonished me not to cause myself harm with my nails. If I insisted on doing that they would wrap my hands. I would only get one warning, so I best not do it again.
I apologized like I felt a good slave should. The men petted my hair and shoulders in response. They weren’t unreasonable, I soothed myself.
I just had to learn the rules before they reached their Limit.
I breathed easier and followed them to the main gate feeling more relaxed.
They dressed me to go to market. Why they couldn’t have done this upstairs, I could not discern. I would not have fussed at all if they put me in this to walk downstairs.
The brown outfit they put me in was handed to them by a man at the large stone entrance. He placed their mark in the outfit, because it was theirs now. They would put it on me whenever I left the Warrior’s compound, they told me.
Getting into the outfit was complicated. The first thing they did was strap my kneeling pad around my waist with a tie. Next, soft dark brown covers were Laced up each Leg to my knees. Master Evan slipped soft fingerless mittens on my hands that reached my elbows. A bulky dark brown tunic was pulled over my head. Lastly, a hood with a long veil was fitted over my face.
The outfit I was in went down to my feet and the sleeves covered my hands. Oddly the fabric was cool inside, I didn’t feel overheated. From inside the veil I could see very well. It was like having on sunglasses, which I didn’t mind because it was bright in the sunlight.