Zayne buying her would have been her one-way ticket to freedom. It was the only way for her to leave the brothel without a guard. Then, she could easily slip away before she had to perform any duties.
"I am not for sale," Zayne repeated mockingly what she said before. "I don't need to buy anyone, and I don't like meddling in matters that do not concern me."
"You wanted me to kill him," Rose protested.
He shrugged his shoulders and looked at his fingers, "I was bored. Nothing in this silly church is entertaining."
Rose couldn't understand the man before her. Maybe it was because he was from a foreign land.
She lowered her head, realising how foolish her words must have been to him. Saying she wasn't for sale only to turn around and ask him to buy her.
"Please forget what I said. Enjoy your night."
Rose turned around and returned to her room. Getting caught once was a sign she could not ignore. It was best to wait till morning to get water. This time it was the foreigner, next time it could be Graham.
"The door is wide open. Why don't you make a run for it?" Zayne questioned. He knew she didn't want to be here. He could not forget how quickly she left the room when he had first met her and Graham.
Rose smiled. Only new people like him didn't understand why she didn't run.
"Be careful where you roam and what you say here. In this establishment, there's always someone watching. Good night," She bid him goodbye.
Though he did not hurt her, Rose knew things would change if she stayed long. She had to be more careful now that Graham had men from enemy land wandering around the brothel.
If the stories were true, these men were worse than what she was used to.
Zayne watched as she walked away, the useless knife still in her hand behind her back.
"Come out."
"General," One of Zayne's men stepped out of the dark corner. "Your carriage is here, or do you wish to stay?"
Zayne looked away from where Rose disappeared. While the young woman with the knife entertained him, he was bored again.
"Come along before he offers more women," Zayne said, still annoyed with Graham's offer of any woman that was present in the room. "They call us bastards, yet they sell their own."
"You must be careful. It would benefit their king to have you held captive."
Zayne smiled as it humoured him that anyone would believe these drunk men could overpower him and hold him captive.
"Do not make me laugh."
….
The next day, Rose exited her bedroom early. She wanted to get to the kitchen before the other women to get water and food before it ran out.
Unfortunately, some of them were already awake or maybe they had not slept at all.
"He made me stay with him all night long. He acts as though I am only his. Look at the gift. Oh! Good morning, Princess Rose. Ladies, we must get out of the way to let her use the water pipe."
Rose ignored the taunt. She hated the nickname they gave her because of Graham. His obsession with her was nothing good. She knew many who wished to be her, to not have to take customers. But she did not enjoy listening to Graham's sick plans for her future either.
She placed the jug down and began to fill it with water.
Silvia, one of the prized women in the brothel walked over to Rose.
"Tell us, Rose. When are you going to spend the night in Graham's room? How much longer are you going to turn down his offer? You'll be beaten if you wait too long. If you need…" She touched Rose's hair before leaning in closer.
She would have yanked Rose's hair if she could, "I can teach you."
Rose swatted Silvia's hand away.
"Do not touch me."
She found Silvia to be just as disgusting as Graham. She liked to harass some of the women too, just like the men did. Why couldn't Graham give his attention to Silvia instead? She craved it.
Silvia rubbed the spot where Rose hit her. She would enjoy it when Rose gets broken like the rest of them. If Rose wasn't careful, she would have her before Graham did.
"Stop making life difficult for yourself. Offer yourself to him! You won't like it when he loses his patience."
Silvia was jealous. She was more than ready to become Graham's woman. So why was he wasting his time on Rose?
'Those drunken fools never made it to her room,' Silvia thought.
She had sent a few of her admirers Rose's way the night before. If they ruined her before Graham could, he would lose interest in her. Rose would lose her value and become just like the others, used by men who could barely afford a bottle.
Silvia envied the opportunity Rose had. She could even become the madam of the brothel.
"You're a fool. He fancies you now so just do as you are told. You are his property. If you continue acting like this, he'll lose interest in you."
"I didn't know you cared for me so much," Rose said, almost feeling touched.
Silvia frowned. "I do not care for you. I am tired of watching you act like you're worth more than you are. Denying him like that. What's so good about you that he keeps you to himself and spoils you?"
Rose didn't have an answer. Since Graham first saw her, he had a sort of twisted interest in her. He claimed to love her, but what kind of love was that?
"You're pretty, but you're not smart. If you don't welcome men into your room, you'll never pay off what he bought you for. You'll be stuck here, forever," Silvia said while pulling at Rose's hair.
Rose continued to ignore her, angering her. Silvia pushed the jar full of water out of Rose's hands, laughing as it spilt across the floor. As Rose bent down, Silvia thought of kicking her. She thought of ruining Rose's pretty face.
Rose quickly picked up the jar, worried it might crack. She didn't have any money to buy a new one, or to get it repaired. She wasn't about to ask Graham for one either, who knows what he would demand from her.
"My hand slipped. Forgive me, Princess Rose," Silvia feigned sadness.
"I have plenty of gifts from my admirers. I can give you one to pawn off for a better jaw. Or, if you please me, I'll buy one."
Rose ignored her. There was a small crack on the jar but luckily it did not leak when she filled it again.
Silvia, annoyed that she was being ignored, continued to taunt her, "I heard a handsome foreigner visited last night, bearing some rare gifts. I've never been with a foreigner myself, but Rose, have you been saving yourself because you want a man like that foreigner?"