The Princess' Choice

Demish Residence

- Forty silvers! Who gives forty-five? Forty first , second, third SOLD to the lady with number 78! - I heard the voice of the slave trader and watched how they dragger a boy a few years older than I off of the stage and gave his chains to a well dressed woman. My father was standing by my side while I waited for my turn. He didn't even glance me at once nor said a word. When I heard...

-The next exhibit! A rare natural phenomenon, guaranteed to be unseen by ladies and gentlemen in this lifetime. A girl with the eyes of a cat, the hair of a blazing fire and the hide of a cattle! - I took one last look at my father and said.

- Take better care of Caleb. - he opened his mouth but I was pulled onto the stage already and held my head high. This was my fate. After years of hearing how many unfortunate things happened due to my mere existence, at least I did something good to my family once in this life. The audience was amazed by my appearance and the auctioneer shouted.

- The starts at four gold coins! - even my mouth opened slightly hearing my price. From four gold coins my family could've lived without any problems for several years. I tried to smile a little and pulled my back straight turning from one side to the other. And the bidding started.

- Four gold coins and five silver!

- Four golds and fifty silver!

- Five golds!

- Five golds and fifty silver!

- Five golds and fifty silver first, second...

- TEN GOLD coins and six silver! - someone shouted from the back. That was the first day I met the devil himself. Lord Demish. He was tall but fat, with an ugly face and disgusting personality. Nobody cared about his appearance since he used to be one of the wealthiest Lords on the South. The auction ended with me being sold to Lord Demish who pulled my chains to him like I was a real cow. I saw the auctioneer paying my father his share and the doors closed behind me. The Lord ordered me to sit in front of him in the carriage while we traveled back to his estate.

- What's your name? - he asked.

- Berke. - he grimaced and spit in front of my legs.

- It doesn't suit you. I will call you Connie! My kids will love you! Before you can meet them there are a few things you need to learn. - he took off the chains from my hands and leaned back.

- Can you read? - I shook my head.

- Write? - shook my head again.

- Well, you must learn those things. Your duty at my mansion will be to entertain my kids and do as they please. Did you understand? - I nodded and the rest of the journey was spent in silence. As soon as we arrived a maid picked me up and took me to the maids room. They basically torn my clothes off and threw me into a washing basin.

- Clean yourself you smell horrible! Once you are done get dressed into what we prepared next to you and come out. Hurry up! - I did as they ordered and once I was dressed I followed the maid through the mansion corridors to a spacious library. There was an old man sitting behind the reception desk. The maid pulled me in front of him and pushed me down into a bow.

- I'm sorry Scott, but the Lord ordered you to teach this monster read and write at least, as well as some basic etiquette. She cannot meet the young Lord and Lady in this current state. - the man named Scott stood up and looked down on me.

- Thanks Anne, I'll take care of it. - Anne bowed and left me alone with Scott. He had thick black glasses, a huge nose, long white hair with a bold spot on the middle of his head. He used to be tall one day, but his back got bended by time.

- What's your name? - he asked and I was about to say my name, when I remembered the words of the Lord.

- Connie, this is what the Lord gave me. - Scott nodded and smiled.

- Well, Connie, let's start the work together. - thanks to Scott I've learned to read and write in about three months, also I have mastered the etiquette rules and he also showed me some basic calculus. I felt really good while I was able to learn all these new things by Scott's side, but time for work came after only four months. On the day when I was finally introduced to the young Lord and Lady, I wished I was back at the auctions...

- Connie, this is Lady Enelise Demish, call her young Lady! - a maid introduced me to the Lady and I bowed as I learned from Scott. The Lady scoffed and immediately hit my head with her tiny fan. With those brown eyes she looked at me like she just stepped into feces.

- Connie the cow... Father! You told you'll bring us something nice to play with! And you brought this?! - she whined, the Lord chuckled and pat her head.

-My sunshine, you can order her around and play whatever you want with it. This is nothing more than a slave. - Enelise's eyes shined mischievously and she hugged her father's leg.

- Oh thanks daddy! - he smiled at her again while the little Lord looked at me from head to toe. The maid introduced me to him as well.

- Connie, he is Lord Mathias Demish, you may call him young Lord. - I bowed again and the little Lord crossed his arms in front of his chest. The lady was seven while the lord was ten years old as I learned from Scott. He smiled and said.

- Lick my shoe. - I looked at him and bended to do as he ordered. They both laughed at how "stupid" and obedient I was. Actually there was no other choice for me. Lord Demish already said, I was a slave bought by money and I needed to worth the investment he spent on me. The next couple of years passed by. The Lord and Lady made me do all of their homeworks and if there was any mistake in them they brought chains from the dungeon and hit me with them, or simply made me stand in the pouring rain. Forced me to eat grass with the cows from the mansion and in winter time they closed me out of the mansion. The Lady poured water on me and they only allowed me to go back inside the next morning when my hair literally froze to my scalp. I lived like this for four years. In the meantime I had to distract the Lord and Lady's attention from the huge problem of the Demish Residence which was the spending of the Lord. In four years he got into huge debts and lost the family fortune in gambling while Lady Demish searched for a new husband for herself behind his back. The day she divorced, the Lord took put all of his anger on me and the other maids. Who could, left the mansion. Even Scott left and I stayed almost alone to serve the Lord and his kids. On my last day in the mansion I was taking care of the remaining horses and preparing them to be sold when a group of mercenaries entered to the mansion tearing down the gates. I hid in the stables and waited. Soon the whole mansion was set on fire. I grabbed one of the horses and tried to sneak out while they were occupied with stealing whatever treasures were left in the mansion. Just before I could've sneaked out a man grabbed me by my collar and lifted me up.

- Well well, what do we have here? - he asked and I gave thanks internally for the Lady and the Lord. A few days before they cut my hair short and tore my maid dresses, so all I could find was a few clothes left behind the stable man's son. The Lord and his kids were dragged out of the mansion and when his eyes met mine he laughed.

- Take that slave! Just live us alive and take it! The horses, everything just spare our lives! - the leader or the mercenaries stood in front of the Lord and laughed.

- Even in his last moments, he is trying to bargain. - he turned to me and asked.

- What should we do with them? Should we kill them here and now, or should we only kill the Lord and sell the Lady and little Lord? - my eyes met with Enelise and Matthias's... They were afraid, trembling next to their father who looked at me like a mad bull. I knew these kids, they were literally worthless. The Lady was eleven years old and to be honest really pretty. She would have been abused for sure. The little Lord... He never held a proper sword in his life despite him being in the age when others wielded the sword already fine.

- I know what it means to be sold and be a slave.. . I chose mercy for them since, I got the opportunity to choose. - I said and the leader of the mercenaries grinned at me. He looked at the Demish family and said.

- Be thankful for the slave you bought. He showed more humanity than you ever. - Lord Demish looked at me and opened his mouth to thank me, but his head flew off of his neck by a single blew. Before the Lady and the Little Lord could've screamed or even understood what happened they were gone as well. The leader nodded and the guy holding me put me down. He pat my shoulder and said.

- You are a wise kid. Would you like to join us? - I nodded and followed them leaving four years of hell behind me, looking forward for a better future.