Danaya Isla: The Alpha’s Slave

One

"Durem Agka, Lady Dayanara," the warrior greeted, and Dayanara smiled as she rubbed her belly.

"Good morning to you too, Alab," Dayanara replied.

"Lady! How are you today? Did the baby keep you up all night?" Dayanara glanced at a woman in her late forties walking towards her with a concerned look on her face.

"Yes, she did. My girl cannot wait to come out," Dayanara said, chuckling. Her heart was filled with joy and excitement to meet her little one next week.

Dayanara, the chieftain of the people of the Nitira Tribe, resides on a secluded island in the far south. It is called the land of healers. The tribe, renowned for its healing capabilities, has been sought after and hunted by invaders and slavers. However, Dayanara has successfully fended them off, preventing any invasion of the island.

"The tribe cannot wait to meet her, Lady Dayanara. She's going to be just like you—beautiful, smart, and strong," the woman said, making Dayanara smile.

"Maria, if my little girl arrives, I want you to become her nanny. I would be grateful if you were to accept it," Dayanara said.

"It would be an honor, my lady!" Maria said and squealed. Dayanara continued her morning routine of walking around the tribe, greeting everyone when she saw a mother in distress.

"Amihan, what's wrong?" Dayanara asked. Amihan rushed towards the chieftain and held her hands.

"Lady, my child, I don't know what happened; please help me," Amihan cried tensely. With sympathy, Dayanara nodded her head. Allowing her to lead her back to their home. Upon arriving at Amihan’s house, Dayanara discovered a child, estimated to be eight years old, unconscious and bleeding from his nose.

"I've been trying to heal him, Lady, but I couldn't," Amihan said. While the Nitira Tribe may possess the gift to neutralize poison, cure severe diseases, and even bring back the dead, not all members are capable of wielding such powers. Only a select few, like the Chieftain, were among the powerful healers of the Nitira Tribe who could do so, given the great risk involved, as their life force depletes when they heal those illnesses.

"Let me," Dayanara said and sat, but before healing the boy, she rubbed her belly. She put her two hands on the boy's body and concentrated. "He was poisoned, and it was a lethal one. If not healed, he'll die any minute," she added. Dayanara could feel her power emanating, and half hour later, the youngster woke up and his fever had subside.

"Lady, oh, thank you! Thank you for healing my boy!" Amihan cried and hugged her son. Dayanara smiled and stood up, but she suddenly felt a pain in her stomach.

"Lady!" Amihan shouted. Dayanara paled, seeing blood dripping from her legs.

"My child," she whispered. Amihan panicked and immediately went out of the house to call for help. Soon after, warriors entered the house and helped Dayanara.

"My child," Dayanara said, feeling another pain in her stomach.

"We have already called Tanda, Lady. She's already waiting in your house. We won't let anything happen to you or the child," Maria said, sobbing while holding Dayanara's hand. Everything went fast; they arrived at the house, and Tanda immediately tended to the lady.

"Lady, I want you to push," Tanda said. Few of the healers were standing by to heal her as Dayanara began to push. She yelled as loud as she could, feeling another pain.

"Let her out!" Dayanara shouted, tears falling in her eyes as she pushed once more.

"I can see the head!" Tanda announced. Maria intently prayed to the Nitira's god as she watched the chieftain push.

Everyone was quiet when Tanda pulled the baby out. Tanda looked at Dayanara and smiled as the baby cried.

"A beautiful baby girl, Lady Dayanara," she whispered. Dayanara, sweating and crying, held out her hand. Tanda wrapped the baby's body in a clean cloth and handed it to Dayanara. Dayanara held her baby close to her and nudged her face with her nose.

"Danaya Isla," she whispered. "Your name is Danaya Isla, my child," she added, touching her daughter's face.

"Lady, congratulations!" Maria said, crying, but everyone's happiness ended when Dayanara struggled to breathe.

"Lady?" Tanda called.

"Heal Lady Dayanara!" Maria shouted at the healer. Panicked, they all concentrated to heal the chieftain, but Dayanara shook her head.

"Maria…I can feel it. I'm d-dying," Dayanara said. "Please…l-look after my daughter. G-Guide her and teach her the things I won't be a-able to teach her," she added, breathing deeply.

"No, Lady! You're going to live!" Maria said. Dayanara bit her bottom lips and hugged Danaya, who was cooing next to her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, and tears fell from her eyes. She regretted not being able to live to look after her daughter.

"Shahab Ame, Danaya. Your mother loves you so much," Dayanara whispered, slowly closing her eyes. Tanda checked her pulse, and when she looked at Maria, she cried. The chieftain has passed away.

Overwhelmed with grief, the Nitira Tribe lit lanterns and threw them in the air, honoring the deceased Chieftain, Dayanara Isla. Maria held the small baby girl in her arms as she watched the lantern light up in the sky.

"I will protect you, Lady Danaya," she whispered.

--

"Lady Danaya!" Maria called.

"Durem Agka, Lala!" Danaya greeted her nanny and smiled. Maria's heart softened, and she walked towards the woman.

"Happiest twentieth birthday, Lady Danaya," Maria said, holding Danaya's hand. "You really looked just like your mother," she gently added and brushed the stray hair in Danaya's face.

"Nanny, no crying, please," Danaya said, and they both ended up chuckling.

Growing up on the island has been the happiest for Danaya. She may have lost her mother and never known her father, Bagwis, as he died much early after he married Danaya's mother because the slavers tried to invade the island, and as a warrior, he was bound to protect the tribe, and he died honorably, but Danaya never felt alone. Her tribemates cared for her, and her Nanny showered her with motherly love.

"Now, now, let's prepare a banquet for you," Maria said. Danaya went out and paid the Chieftain Alawin respect. When her mother died, Alawin, her uncle, became the new chieftain of the Nitira Tribe, and once Danaya turns twenty-one, the responsibility as chieftain will be passed to her.

"You've grown so well, Danaya. I know Dayanara will be proud of you," Alawin said, smiling.

"Basha Ame, Uku. It's because of everyone's guidance that I am as I am now," Danaya said, and she thanked Alawin while bowing her head.

"Now that you're twenty, what do you want to receive?" Alawin asked her niece. "Was it a bow and arrow last time?" he added. Alawin wasn't strong and powerful like Dayanara, but when he became a chieftain, the Nitira Tribe prospered like it did in the past. Every year, when Danaya celebrates her birthday, Alawin never forgets to give her a gift.

"A banquet will do, Uncle. You've given me so many things I'm grateful for," Danaya said.

"It's okay, Danaya, but do tell me if you want something; I'll send Lakan to get it," he said. Danaya grinned upon hearing her uncle bring up Lakan. Danaya is being courted by Lakan, the adopted son of his uncle, and she intends to answer to him at the dinner this evening.

"I will, Uncle," Danaya said, leaving the chieftain's house.

"Durem Agka, Lady Danaya!" her tribemates greeted.

"Good morning, everyone!" Danaya greeted back with a smile. She felt happy. Danaya went to where her mother's grave was and cleaned her mother's headstone.

"Durem Agka, Haba," she whispered. "I'm here again today because I wanted to talk to you and thank you for giving birth to me," she added.

"And Haku," she said, touching her father's tombstone next to her mother. "I may have never known you like Haba, but I always asked Nanny about you, and she always answered that you are a strong warrior like Mom, and you died protecting the tribe from the invaders. Dad, thank you for giving me life," she added.

"I'm happy, Mom and Dad. You two don't have to worry up there because I'm living my best life," she said, chuckling. "Shahab Ame, Mom and Dad," she added, leaving the grave.

Unmarried women danced to the tribe's song to kick off the celebration, as everyone was preoccupied with getting ready for Danaya's feast. Clad in the garb of the tribe, Danaya made her way to the center and started to dance. She raised her arms, shook her hips, and moved her body in time with the song.

"Invaders!" a warrior yelled. Everyone stopped what they were doing and panicked.

"Warriors prepare for combat! The rest who can't fight escape the island through the ocean!" Alawin instructed. Everyone took off sprinting. Danaya ran back to her nanny's house.

"Nanny?!" Danaya called as she heard gunshots and screams outside. "Nanny, where are you?!" she added. Maria went out of the room, and Danaya immediately grabbed her.

Exclaiming, "We need to escape!" she took her bow and arrows to the wall. Danaya was horrified by what she saw when they finally left the house. Blood and dead bodies were all over the place as her tribemates fought the invaders. Danaya's eyes started to well up with tears as she felt her heart sink.

"Lady Danaya!" Maria called and tugged on her arm. Despite Danaya's reluctance, she ran towards the shore with her nanny.

"Danaya!" Danaya stopped and saw Lakan heading her way.

"Lakan! Where's Uncle Alawin?" she asked, but the young man did not answer.

"There's only one big boat left. The others have taken the boats, and the rest were burned by invaders. You need to board it as soon as possible!" Lakan said.

"What about you?! Come with us!" Danaya said, sobbing.

"I'll hold them here. I will not let them get you. Now go!" Lakan yelled and gently pushed Danaya away. With a heavy heart, Danaya nodded her head.

"Don't you dare die, Lakan," she whispered and ran away. When Danaya and Maria arrived at the shore, they saw their tribemates boarding the boat. Danaya immediately went and helped Maria get on board.

"Danaya, go! The invaders are here!" Adonis, one of the Nitira Tribe's warriors, said. They were ambushed by intruders as Danaya was getting ready to get on the boat. The passengers had no choice but to leave or risk being taken prisoner by the invaders.

"No! Danaya!" Maria yelled. She wanted to get off the boat, but the others stopped her.

"Nanny!" Danaya shouted, but the boat was already far away.

With no other option, Danaya started to shoot her poisoned arrows at the invaders while kicking the ones near her. In the last five years, she spent her days training with Lakan, learning how to fight the tribe's way. Danaya, without looking, shot the invader straight in the head, but halted as she realized another man was holding her uncle.

"Uku!" Danaya yelled, but her uncle just smiled at her, whispered something in the air, and closed his eyes. The man grinned evilly and slashed Alawin in the neck.

"No!" Danaya's cry tore through the air, her world shattering as her uncle fell lifeless. With trembling hands, she released her weapon; its weight was too heavy to bear. She moved towards him, consumed by grief, until Adonis stopped her.

"Danaya! Snap out of it! We need to escape!" Adonis said and carried Danaya, but there were too many of them. The attackers cornered them and captured each of them individually, even though they tried to fight back.

"Let me go!" Danaya said when one of the invaders pulled her hair and chained her hands and feet.

"You'll fetch a high price, lady. So you better shut your mouth or I will make you," he said, grinning evilly. Danaya sobbed and watched her tribemates share the same fate with her.