When Maxixe woke up the following morning Kaoma was already gone, someone had cleaned him while he slept, was it her?
He soon got his answer when Lady Hilda pushed open the door with her right knee.
Entering the room with a breakfast tray in one hand and a chamber pot dangling from her other wrist.
She set the breakfast tray carefully on the bed away from his body so that he could not upset it and create a mess by accident.
Embarrassed that his stomach chose that moment to growl loudly he did not protest but allowed the servant to feed him.
The porridge was just right, along with four pieces of evenly cut apple chunks and then he washed it all down with a cup of orange juice.
Now came the hard part, his bladder was close to bursting but he didn't even have to hint as Lady Hilda positioned the chamber pot so that he could handle his business.
Then she wiped him up gently like she would have done the same to a baby under her care.
It became like a ritual between them over the course of the next few days.
Lady Kaoma would visit him at night, to carry out her baby making duties and then fall asleep beside him.
Before he knew it in the wee hours of the morning she would be gone and either Lady Hilda or Lady Gertrude would take turns seeing to his care.
Humiliation and self loathing was the order of the day, he knew that the elderly women could not understand him so he could not ask them any questions.
While Lady Kaoma treated him like he wasn't her equal, she hardly spoke to him and refused to meet his eyes.
One day the silence became too unbearable and he croaked, "why are you doing this to me?"
Kaoma sighed, she felt like she owed him an explanation and she was loathe to give it but knew he deserved an answer.
"It's because you are a dead ringer for my husband in his younger days. I'm in need of a child to secure my claim to inherit and rule the land."
Maxixe was angered by her cold response.
So it was nothing more than simple covetousness, she owned property of her own and wanted more.
No doubt as a young widow she planned to remarry again and accumulate even more wealth.
Maxixe asked, "What will happen to me if I'm unable to get you with a child?"
"Don't worry about it, clearly I'm not doing a good job if your mind is occupied with such useless thoughts."
Every night Kaoma was attentive to his body, draining him to the point of exhaustion until he could move no more.
All he could do to keep him going was mentally plan his revenge.
As soon as he escaped he planned to return for her with his men and burn this castle to the ground.
He promised himself that all he would live and breathe for would be revenge they would rue the day they ever took him as a prisoner.
The same way Kaoma treated him, he would return the favor tenfold, tying her to his bed and having his wicked way with her.
When he grew tired of her, he would probably give her to his men.
Sometimes when the door opened he feared for his life thinking that it was Captain Herbert or his evil underlings coming back to execute him.
Hidden away in the room like this he had no one to talk to and no conception of how much time had passed in the outside world.
One evening she did not come and a few more days passed in quick succession without him seeing her.
The only thing he could think of was that she had finally conceived and he would not be around to witness the birth, why did that thought fill him with such dread.
Meanwhile the women were hastily packing they had gotten news that Captain Herbert had gotten word of his father's death and his return was imminent.
He would be home in a week's time to hold a funeral, Kaoma could not delay any further she would leave for Lord Horace's main castle immediately.
She would need to make her mark there as Lord Horace's wife and be in full control of the accounting before Captain Herbert and his cronies could try to intimidate her.
At least now that she was pregnant, she had a good reason to stay out of sight and keep out of Captain Herbert's presence.
She needed strength and peace of mind to pull this all off and yet she worried for the man who was a virtual stranger to her.
In spite of herself Kaoma asked, "Lady Gertrude, are you sure we are doing the right thing by leaving him behind?"
"We cannot take the young man with us Captain Herbert is no fool, he would put two and two together. Since you don't want him harmed, once we are a long way off from this castle we will have one of our men set him free. That way he can escape and return to wherever the hell he came from," Lady Gertrude replied judiciously.
It was a hard decision for Kaoma to leave behind the only lover she had ever known despite herself she had found herself growing attached to him.
Just being beside him had made her fall asleep easily by his side and it felt as if he kept the nightmares at bay.
Unconsciously her hand moved to her stomach, it was still flat but her menstruation had ceased when it normally came periodically so that she could bet on it if she wanted.
Even if her baby had the blood of a stranger it was still hers and she would love and care for it.
Her eyes were already looking to the future where she must mature faster and raise the baby on her own.
Unfortunately their child would never know the father, it was like history repeating itself all over again.
She needed to be resolute in her decision because Kaoma too had grown up without a father and was none too worse for it.
Kaoma was determined to succeed and none would stand in her way.