Outside under the blazing sun, Jaysa stood next to one of the long corn stocks. She grabbed the yellow corncob and stuck it into her basket on her back. The teenager wiped the sweat off her head with back of her hand and looked up to the sky. Three years and past and nothing had changed since that awful night. The men were still harassing or raping the women with no consequences to themselves. Jaysa was lucky. Since that horrid day, she has not been touched again by any man. Jaysa visits her mother's grave every night to let her know she had made it through the day. She was still alive. Jaysa was no longer the young skinny unattractive girl she was before. She was quite a developed woman for a 17-year-old. The teenager stood 5 foot six. Her flat chest had grown in full, so she would bind them in with a tight cloth that she made herself. By doing that helped her by not getting unwanted attention. Jaysa knew what she could and could not wear outside of the shack. Ever since that night, she had lost all trust with all men. It did not matter if they were villagers or if they were the King's guards. She wanted nothing to do with them. Jaysa had been hoping that over the next few years it would be better. However, she had yet to see those changes that she so yearningly wished for.
Gossip had hit the town with news that brought excitement their way! Days later, the Prince was now eligible to marry and become King. This was what everyone was hoping and waiting for. The King that that ruled over them and treated them cruelly will finally be forced off of the throne he proudly sat on. There was another rumor going around that Jaysa couldn't help but listen to.
Jaysa sat at a table filled with talking women. She pulled back the corncob leaves that they received to make sure they were not rotten. She listened into the conversation between the two women that sat to her side and one in front of her. All three women were older than Jaysa in their 60s or older.
"Did you hear," the gray haired woman across from Jaysa spoke. "The Prince is being stubborn and won't marry any of the Princess's the Priest has lined up for him to marry."
"Is that true?" One of the women sat next to Jaysa spoke. She had short brownish gray hair, and her skin shook on her face every time she spoke.
"What are we going to do if the Prince does not marry and we are stuck with this King?" The woman that sat across from Jaysa spoke to the others.
"Hold your tongue." The woman that sat on the other side of the older lady whom just spoke said. Her skin did not sag like the woman next to her, but her hair was frosty snow white. "We don't want you to raise a bad omen. We don't want to be stuck with this King."
"I'm sorry." The last lady spoke.
Was he really being stubborn? Jaysa thought to herself. We've been waiting so long. What will happen if we're stuck in this kind of life forever?
Later that night, Jaysa slept peacefully in her bed when she awoke by a female screaming. Jaysa shot out of her bed. She grabbed a short but thick wooden stake that she had sharpened to resemble a knife. If she needed to, she would use any force necessary to protect herself. The screams were not only of a young woman, but also her family members. Jaysa could hear the man pleading with someone not to take their daughter way. Laughter could be heard from men that Jaysa could only assume them to be the King's guards. Jaysa pulled her knees up to her chest and use the blanket that she was sleeping on to cover herself. The teenager was unable to fall back to sleep, afraid that those men would come back for her next.
The next morning, Jaysa learn what happened that night. The guards were abducting the young girls from their homes. The villagers were unsure of why this was happening, but were now scared for their own daughter's safety, and who would be taken next. Many rumors floating around the village and Jaysa tried her best to ignore them. Jaysa passed a few older women that reminded her of the gossip trio that spoke the other day. Jaysa sat again at a large table she was at a couple days ago. The vegetables do not change. She was still sorting through the corn making sure it was not rotten.
"I heard it was because she mouthed off to one of the guards." The blonde spoke that sat to the left of Jaysa.
"What I heard was they were rounding up girls making them the guard's sex slaves." An older brown grayish haired woman spoke that sat on the right side of Jaysa.
"No, that's not true; I heard it was the King that requested the girls so he could turn them into sex slaves."
Is what the woman had said true? Jaysa questioned herself.
"No way!" Both woman sat on either side of Jaysa said a little bit too loud. The guard noticed this and made his way to the gossip lady's. The women went quiet the table as the guard spoke.
"Is there something that you women would like to say?" All the women stayed quiet. He smirked knowing they would not speak. "Okay, if you don't want to speak to me, then I don't want to hear you ugly hags squawking again." The man walked away from the women. They glanced at each other silently speaking to each other with their eyes. Jaysa wasn't sure what they're saying.
"Hey you," the women heard a male voice speak out. Jaysa glanced over to her right and saw a man hovering over a young girl a few rows down. "The Prince is requesting your presence." The young girl did not move nor did she say a word. "Woman!" The man spoke loudly. "Listen when I speak to you." The girl did nothing. The guard was fed up by the girl's attitude and grabbed the teenager by her hair making her fall off the bench and dragged her away as she was kicking and screaming. The other women watched the scene displayed in front of them. They heard the young girls pleading voice.
"I didn't do anything. I did nothing wrong. Please don't take me to the castle. I beg of you." The man dragged the young girl ignoring her cries.
"Poor girl." Jaysa spoke. She didn't realize she said it out loud because the guards that harassed them earlier came back to the table. He glanced Jaysa's way and spoke.
"You say poor, but that girl may become queen." The women glanced around at each other wondering what he was actually saying. "Not like he would actually pick any of you nasty sluts." The man laughed. "Who would find you ugly hag's attractive?" The man walked away still laughing.