The town was bustling with activity Max Ryder tried to keep a low profile as he looked for a place to sleep. He had been on the run for days, he was hungry, tired and his legs were about to give way any second. However, he was still on high alert, the town he came across was close to the coast so that meant it would be crawling with guards and soldiers looking for a place to sleep before they continued on their journey. Max made his way over to a brightly lit building with a barn at the back. He made his way to the barn and collapsed immediately as he entered, too weak to move Max drifted into the darkness.
"...so, what ya say girl you up for a ride?" Max was woken up by the hushed sound of a gruff voice. The last thing he remembered was falling at the barn door but somehow, he was now lying in a pile of hay in one of the stables. He sat up and looked around it was dark the only light was a dim candlelight held by a sturdy looking guard, he was balding but had somehow managed to keep a full beard. He was talking to a woman in a pink frilly dress.
"Well, I sure am glad I bought this dress for you, it fits you nicely." The guard grinned showing off a set of scattered teeth. The lady looked uncomfortable she looked around and took a step back.
"Sir Almond I am grateful that you found favor with me and bought me such a lovely dress but I'm not feeling very well right now...I think I shall turn in for the night-" she tried to walk around him, but he grabbed her arm.
Max automatically moved to draw his weapons when a huge hand pulled him from behind. Surprised Max whipped around to find a buff boy about his age sitting quietly in the hay. Branford was on his way to feed the horses when he found Max passed out at the entrance of the barn. He didn't peg him as a horse thief, so he brought him to the back of the barn and laid him in the hay. After two days had passed and Max hadn't woken up Branford thought he might be dead. He was checking up on Max when he heard footsteps and decided to lay low in the stall until they left. He knew what the guard wanted to do but he couldn't allow Max to interrupt. That would get them all in trouble, so he pulled him back and motioned for him to be quiet.
The guards face darkened he didn't take being rejected by slave women very well. He believed all women were to be submissive and willing. He pulled her harshly and sneered at her "where do you think you're going? I paid for your services, so I suggest you do what I'm telling you."
"I'm not a service girl I only do the cleaning I can get someone to service you just please..." the desperation in her voice was heart-breaking, tears filled her eyes as she pleaded with the guard to let her go. He smirked as he observed the scared look in her eyes. 'Yes', he thought to himself that's the face of a submissive woman a woman who knows she has no power.
"Grovel at my feet and I might consider letting you go" he laughed. Falling to her knees she was ready to bow her head to his feet when he grabbed her hair pulling on it hard. She bit back a scream her eyes stinging with tears.
Branford hid his face in his hands and covered his ears. He was no stranger to the women in the house servicing the men, he would often hear and see them in the rooms, but this was different. He didn't want to see or hear his mother being raped. Max looked away but he couldn't blot out the muffled screams of pain. His heart ached and he felt bile rising up in his stomach.
The guard zipped up his pants and looked down in disgust at the woman sprawled out on the floor her hair was disheveled and the pretty pink dress now crushed and torn lost its colour to him. She looked pathetic. He straightened himself up before barking down at her, "for God's sake clean yourself up you look despicable" he stepped over her and made his outside the barn not once looking back.
Max leaped up and went over to the lady. She was dazed and unable to move. A young boy kept asking if she was ok, but she couldn't speak. Tears refilled her eyes as she saw her son curled up in the stall staring back at her. Damnit one thing she had promised herself was that she wouldn't sell her body. She knew it was hard to be a woman in this world and not be sexually active because when men of power set their eyes on you there was nothing you could do but get on your back willingly or by force. But she tried she really tried to be a mother her son could look up to. She didn't have a husband to protect her, so she had tried to do everything herself but look what happened. She ended up living in a whorehouse as a maid with her son. Max looked down at the trembling woman curled into a fetal position. What could he do to alleviate her pain? Was this what that guard had wanted to do to his mother? Would this have been his mother too broken and defeated if his father hadn't showed up in time? The guard was wrong but him parents still suffered the consequences. How long would the innocent suffer? How long would the strong take advantage of the weak? He lifted up the sobbing woman and hid her in a stall with lots of hay.
The next morning Max was up bright and early, he felt like he had to earn his keep, so he talked Branford into letting him help with him with his tasks. Branford didn't mind having Max tag along. He felt grateful to him, Max had taken care of his crying mother all night as if he was taking care of his own mother. They got wood for the fire and brought food to the women. The women gushed over Max they rubbed his hair pinched his cheeks and talked about how handsome he was.
"So cute would a handsome man like you want some service?" The women would laugh and chastise each other for offering themselves to him. Branford immune to their teasing left the food on the table and led a bewildered Max outside. They spent the rest of the day going on errands for the women and the master of the house. Max was a fast worker he worked nonstop so the Master wouldn't notice that Branford's mother was missing from her duties. The master was pleased by Max's work, at first, he was skeptical of the young man when Branford brought him in, but it was evident that the young man was indeed a remarkable worker.
"Max come and see me in my office." Max looked up from his spot by the fire and frowned. Why did the master want to see him, that too privately? Did he find out who he was? Was he going to hand him over to the guards? His heartbeat sped up with every step he took closer to the office. Upon entering the master smile at him, "Ahh Max my dear boy you've been working hard all day so in order to officially welcome in the fold I would like to offer you a night of service for free. Tonight, Max my boy you become a man." The master gestured to a young woman to come over to them. This is Laila a stray we found at the coast. She has no family and so she stays here and learns the trade. So far we haven't had any luck with her the customers don't seem to fancy her much so she's still fresh and about 17 years young I would say."
Laila looked down on the ground and twiddle her toes she had been curious about Max from the moment she saw Branford carry him into the stall. She was perched on a high shelf in the barn when he collapsed at the door. She felt nothing when the guard raped Branford's mother it hadn't been her first time witnessing something like that in fact it had been the norm to see her own mother and her sisters get raped over and over again when she was living on the coast. One day she woke up and found that her mother had abandoned her and that's when the master found her and took her in. She gave service only once she tried to do her best, but she could only lie there and wait until it was over. The guard had complained that she was too emotionless which resulted in nobody wanting service from her. She had watched as Max lifted the lady and took care of her. His face looked so sad as he wiped her tears away. Laila couldn't understand why he would be so emotional about someone he didn't even know. She peered up at him he wasn't much taller than her there was surprise written in his green eyes as he took in the master's words.
"Laila go on bring him to room 202 and be on your best behavior." The master's voice was firm he was still upset with her because a customer demanded a refund after she bit him. In her defense he was choking her, and she felt like her respiration was being cut off, so she felt she had to defend herself. Taking Max's hand, she led him to the room and closed the door, she brought him over to the bed and they sat down. John had given Max 'the talk' when he was twelve, he told him when his time came, he would just know what to do and that was all there was to it. Max stared at her face she was very pretty her eyes were clear and her lips were pink.
"Your eyes are very beautiful", Max blurted out.
Laila was taken aback by his comment because she was always deemed as dreary or emotion less but never beautiful. Her cheeks flushing pink she looked away. Max laid on the bed and stretched, the bed was so soft he could just close his eyes and fall asleep. He didn't want to make the girl any more uncomfortable than she seemed to be.
"Um... excuse me" her soft voice made him open his eyes and look up at her. He sat up after noticing she was biting her lips nervously, her face pink with embarrassment.
"What is it-" Laila cut him off by locking her lips with his. This was the first time she ever felt desire she didn't know what it was about Max that made her feel weak in the knees and wet between her legs. Her heart racing, she reached for him and was met by a hard result. She was ready to lie on her back when he suddenly pulled her on top of him. Hoisting up her skirt he held her firmly in place as he filled her with a little pain and a lot of pleasure. Laila heard a gasp escape her lips, but it didn't sound like her. Max had his lips on her neck and hands wrapped around her hips, Laila was just along for the ride.
Branford didn't see Max by the fire where had he disappeared all of a sudden? He looked around the house, but he didn't see Max anywhere. He decided to check the barn taking an apple to give to his mom. The barn was dark, so he lit a candle and made his way inside. Branford had went looking for Max but instead he found his mother hanging in the middle of the barn. An overturned chair was underneath her swaying body. Branford looked at his mother she was the only one that he had. What was he supposed to do now? Branford was filled with so much agony he couldn't hold back his scream.
Cuddling Laila's naked frame Max was running his hand through her curly locks when they heard the ear-piercing scream. It sounded like Branford. Max untangled himself from Laila and searched frantically for his clothes.
"Bloody hell!" The master pushed passed the crowd of women at the barn and made his way over to look at the dead woman. He had taken in her and her son years ago to do the cleaning in the house however, she was always adamant about not working as a service girl but when Captain Almond Grye relayed his interest in her he couldn't turn him down not after he had paid such a hefty sum.
He was furious "You bitch! How dare you kill yourself over something so trivial couldn't you just hold out a little?" He kicked her lifeless body in fury.
"Damn you he was willing to pay triple the amount to have time with you again do you know how much you've cost me?? 4000 quarries!!! Damn it!!" He groaned in frustration and motioned for someone to move the body. He looked over at the boy on the floor looking at his mother's body being carried away and felt himself get angry all over again.
"You, over here now!" He pulled Branford over to the nearest table.
"Place your hand here!" He sliced off 4 of Branford fingers as a symbol of the 4000 quarries that he had lost. Branford wept until dawn, he wept for his mother he wept because of his pain, and he wept because of what he was about to do.