Annica sat on the bed with her hands clasped around her knees.
The candlelight illuminating her room danced with a breeze that entered from an unknown source. There were no windows in the room; the only opening was from under the loosely closed wooden door.
What happened at the Harvest Festival this morning haunted Annica's mind.
"Head Chief Diggory will meet you tonight. He will get you out."
That was the message slipped into her hands by someone she didn't know.
Annica's joy from enjoying the Festival vanished instantly. She could no longer enjoy the performances and the hustle and bustle around her; her mind couldn't stop thinking about what the message said. What Diggory wanted from her.
After four days without any disturbance from him, why must he reappear? Not only did he want to meet her, but the note said that he also wanted to get her out of this place.
Annica squeezed her arms.
No, she didn't want to return to Diggory's house. She had succeeded so far in being close to the General. She wouldn't let Diggory mess with her plans.
He must not find her.
Luckily for Annica, the mistress residence was heavily guarded by the General's soldiers. As long as she stayed in this building, no one could enter and force her to leave, including Diggory.
That's right.
All she needed to do was stay in her room until tomorrow. Until Diggory went home.
Annica took a deep breath and exhaled. Finding a solution made her feel a bit relieved.
Right. There was no point in panicking, she thought. She just needed to stay in her room until tomorrow.
Annica laid her head on the pillow and closed her tired eyes. Just as she was about to drift into the realm of dreams, a shout was heard.
"Annica!"
Annica opened her eyes and jerked awake again.
"Come quickly, you foolish mouse!" a woman's voice echoed, resounding in the empty building.
Annica cursed inwardly as she recognized the shrill voice calling out to her. It was the voice of one of the general's mistress, Mallia.
Grumbling to herself, Annica pushed herself up from the bed and walked out of her room.
"Hurry up..., you dumb slave!" another shout followed.
Annica quickened her steps towards the direction of the sound. It was the farthest room down the hallway of the building.
Mallia was already standing in front of her room's door with a sour expression when Annica arrived.
Before Annica could ask why she called, the woman thrust a water pitcher into Annica's chest and snapped, "Did you forget to fill my room with water? What were you thinking all day? Can't you even do this simple task properly?"
Annica took the water pitcher while cursing herself. It seemed that panicking about Diggory's message had made her forget to do her job properly.
What should she do now? To fetch water, she needed to go to the kitchen. That meant she had to leave this building, and Annica really didn't want to leave tonight.
"I'm sorry, Lady Mallia, but... can't I do it tomorrow? It's already dark, and I'm afraid—" Annica's words halted when she saw Mallia's eyes widen as if they were about to pop out of her head.
Quickly, Annica stepped back before the woman could think of slapping her. It seemed that slapping her was another hobby of the mistresses besides calling her various painful names. Didn't want to upset the woman, Annica didn't have any choice but to comply.
"S-sorry... I-I'll do it now," Annica said, immediately turning around and rushing out.
***
***
Hiding behind the dense trees in the backyard, Diggory's heart still pounded heavily. Although he was still afraid of the General wrath after catching him snooping and peeping, what he just watched left a stiffness in his manhood. The beauty of the General's mistress aroused the desire within him that had not been satisfied for several days.
He needed to find Annica. He needed to smell her scent and immerse himself completely in her beautiful body. Just like what the General did to his two mistresses, he would fill Annica's hole with his seeds before taking the girl home. After that, he would tie Annica to his house and would not let anyone separate them.
Diggory peeked out from his hiding place with caution. He could see the mistress's building from where he stood. Two soldiers guarding the building looked alert, with their arms folded in front and swords hanging from their waists.
Diggory knew there was no way he could enter without passing them. All he could do was wait and hope Annica would come out.
Luck seemed to be on his side as not long after, he saw a blonde girl opening the door and walking out.
Diggory hurriedly followed Annica.
The man's eyes widened when he saw Annica now turning from the front hallway of the building and walking towards another building in the secluded corner of the complex.
He immediately left his hiding place and hugged Annica from behind. His other hand held her mouth to prevent her from screaming.
"Shhh. Don't scream, Annica. It's just me, Mr. Millys."
The man turned Annica around and looked into her wide blue eyes.
"Don't be afraid, Ann. I've punished Ruth. She is not going to dare to send you away again."
Annica pushed Diggory's chest and stepped back, shaking her head she said, "No, Sir. It's not Lady Ruth who sent me away. I offered myself to be here. Do you want to know why I did it? I did it because I don't want to live with you anymore."
Diggory's eyes flickered with anger. He stepped forward and reached out to stroke Annica's face.
"Why are you doing this to me? Come home with me, Ann. Haven't I given you enough all this time? Tell me… What do I need to do for you to love me? Do you want better clothes? Better food? Do you want status and position? I can give you anything you want, Annica. As long as you surrender yourself and your love to me."
Annica clenched her jaw like she was about to vomit. She slapped Diggory's hand and stepped back, widening the distance between herself and the man.
"Are you deaf?" she asked through her clenched jaws. " I've told you I will never love you. Not only will I never love you, but I also hate you with all my heart. If I were asked to choose between jumping off a cliff or declaring my love to you, I would gladly jump. I no longer need you. So, leave, before I scream and call the guards."
Diggory's face darkened at her response. She knew what she said must have hurt the man, but she didn't care. She wouldn't let anyone ruin her plans for revenge.
The head chief of Savo lowered his head.
Annica thought the man had given up and finally left her alone. She was about to turn when he unexpectedly lunged at her.
The man covered her mouth with his hand and pushed her against the wall. Then, Diggory buried his lips on Annica's neck and sucked.
Annica tried to scream, but Diggory's tight grip on her mouth prevented her voice from coming out. All she could do was whimper, trying so hard not to cry in front of Diggory, but when the man bit down, the pool of tears she had been holding back finally fell.