Belle opened her eyes and noticed the sky had gotten bright showing it was a new day, she could hear the soft sound of the rushing river, she looked around her and noticed she was lying on the grass close to the river, for a moment just sat there trying to recall what had happened the night before.
Then it her- she remembered what had happened. The fire at at the brothel, the manta , the fight , and the old man who had saved her...who was he? why did he help her? she tried to stand up and felt the sharp pain from her ankle which immediately made her to land on her right arm. belle immediately winced in pain, she turned to look at her arm and noticed the deep clawed mark running down her fore arm. The mark was fresh and ugly , she stared at the wound trying to figure out how she got it, She figured it had to be one of the mantas , she raised her left hand to touch it barely on the surface and as she did she immediately regretted as the pain surged through her arm.
Blood trickled down slowly from the tattered remnants of her clothing. Her body ached, so did her ankle but the sharp pain coming from her arm was the worst. But she had to keep moving , she knew she wasn't safe yet. She tried to take a step forward wincing as the pain in her ankle stung, with every step she took.
"Stop right there!!"
Her heart skipped a beat, she turned around searching for where the voice was coming from, she sighted a wearing an armour as he carried a sword in hand, she was happy to know it wasn't one of Rubin's men , but she didn't want to find out where he was from or who he worked for , she immediately turned around and tried to run and which each step she took , she felt like crying the pain from her ankle was getting worse by the second , her ruffled movement making her arm to ache.
She knew she wasn't going to get far but she wasn't ready to give up, she continued her attempt to run. She quickly got caught as the man was faster than her and she was badly injured .he grabbed her wrist roughly, as he twisted her arm behind her back, she cried in pain as the pain shot up from her injured arm, but the guard didn't show any pity.
"A spy? Who sent you!!"
"I am not a spy. I was only passing through the mountains, Please let me go", belle pleaded. Belle tried to explain but the guard only held unto her hand tighter , she knew that if she was to try and push him away , he could kill her without a second thought.
"You say you are not a spy , then why did you run" you will answer to my lord" he bounded her wrist with a rope and pushed her forward, her legs trembled as she was barely able to support her weight because of her ankle.
"Please I beg you, I was only passing through I am not a spy" belle said as tears trickled down her face. but before she could say anything else the guard yanked her forward, ignoring her plea.
"My lord will decide what to do with you" the guard said coldly .He had encountered to many spies for him to take pity and let her go.
Belle tried not to cry but could not hold back the tears that streamed down her face, she had finally escaped form Rubin only to be captured by another man she did not know. she feared this lord would also try to have his way with her, maybe it would have being better if the manta killed her last night, after all she did not have any one who cared for her or wished for her well being.
Belle accepted her fate , she was being pulled like a slave through the mountain, they made it past the river through the thick trees and to a path with no grass, until a huge mansion came in view, their were guards in every turn they took, some of the staring at her and talking about how beautiful she was but it was a shame she had to be an enemy.
The guard stopped to greet a woman who was also dressed like a soldier, but belle noticed that the guard greeted the woman with a lot of respect unlike how he had greeted his other colleagues.
"I found her at the river area. I am taking her to the general" the guard explained to the woman in front of him. The woman looked at belle as if judging her and looking down on her, her gaze full of disdain and mockery , she nodded at the guard and walked away.
Belle was taken inside the mansion and was being led towards a room . she stared in surprise on how big , she had only being in the brothel her whole life , never before had she thought she would enter a place like this.
"My lord" I found her at the river side wondering around our territory. she must be a spy" ,sent to collect information on us." What should I do with her?
Belle lowered her head as she was dragged inside a room filled with men sitting around a table. She couldn't stop her self as the tears increased thinking she was going to belong to one of the men siting in the room.
"I warned not to interrupt me until I was finished", Zenon said as he looked up at the person who was said to be an intruder.
He starred at the woman who was kneeling on the floor as he immediately recognized her, she survived a night in the forest, she must have traveled all night for her to have reached here.
"Prepare a room and a warm bath, also get some food ready for her she must be hungry." Zenon said.