I had never felt so belittled my whole life. I felt like a tool when I saw the look in Smith's eyes. He obviously didn't want me to take off my clothes to make Nathan want me. He wanted me to do it just to satisfy his lustful thirst.
"What are you waiting for, Mala? Take it off," Smith said to me and I crawled backwards.
It was then that I knew I couldn't do it. I wasn't raised that way. Even if I lived afterwards, I wouldn't be able to ever forget how my first time happened.
If I ended up finding a man in another village, would I just tell him that I allowed two men to sleep with me in a corridor just because I was desperate for freedom?
"Just …just kill me," I said. Those words rolled off my tongue and tears rolled out of my eyes. The excitement in Smith's face dropped.
"And what do you mean by that? I thought we already reached an agreement?" Smith asked.
"I….I can't do it. Just kill me. Please," I begged. I just wanted it to end but the story was different for Smith.
"You really think you can fool two grown men and have your way with it? What do you think you are!" Smith growled and he slapped me hard.
I fell to the ground and I tried to pick myself back up but he slapped me one more time.
All that i could do was cry.
"Stop all this nonsense and let's get her killed before his highness comes here and finds out she's still alive," Nathan said as he tried to hold Smith back but Smith was too strong.
He pushed Nathan away, pounced on me, giving me few slaps before he tore my gown.
He tore everything that I had on, leaving me completely revealed…. naked.
"Isn't it enough that you are going to kill me? Do you have to do this to me?" I weakly cried.
"Wether you and Nathan likes it or not, I'll have you till your last breathe. I'll make sure you die from it," He threatened, trying to take off his armour.
I could only stare at him and cry. I was so helpess and I had nothing to do. I closed my eyes, expecting him to do what he had to do and kill me as soon as he could, but I suddenly couldn't feel his weight anymore and neither could I hear his voice.
I slowly opened my eyes and they were both hanging on the wall with blood flowing out of their mouth and nose then they fell to the ground.
I screamed and stepped back, trying to figure out what happened.
Only for me to raise my head to find a familiar figure standing in front of me. I immediately fell to the ground and hugged myself, trying to hide my body.
Francis smacked his teeth and threw one of the curtains at me. "Cover yourself with it," he coldly ordered.
I did just as he had said with my head down but I could feel his gaze pressed against my body.
"Follow me," he said and he walked out of the place.
I ran after him, holding unto the fabric as we walked through the hall. The place where I was kept was at the back of the palace. It was huge, compared to my father's but….the question remained…Why would the devil save me?
He would have just left me to die or better still, let me walk naked in the village before I get killed. But instead he saved and clothed me.
We finally walked into the palace walls and I could feel everyone's eyes on me. Francis would wait minute by minute for me to catch up with him.
"If you make me wait one more time, I would take those legs and give you a reason to be slow," he threatened, then he walked further.
I was left running after him, fearing where he was taking me to and why he was taking me there. I heard whispers as I walked by and my heart raced.
We finally arrived in a room. Francis walked in and I stood at the door. The place was huge.
The wood was finer and smoother. The bed was large and it had a fine scent, distracting me from everything around.
"Keep your gaze down," Francis' voice brought me back to life. I lowered my head and I guessed that was it. He planned to use and kill me behind closed doors. He slowly walked towards me.
I didn't think of it before but I started to feel like he wanted to use me just like Smith almost did.
Maybe that was why he took me from father's village in the first place.
He came closer to me and I could feel his eyes on my body.
"What…. what do you want to do to me?" I asked, shivering.
"Nobody questions me," his cold voice reminded.
I cried on the inside. Fear overwhelmed me. In the stories of the devil that I heard, they said he would sleep with his women like a monster.
They said he would tear them apart if they didn't satisfy him and even if they did, he wouldn't stop and most of them would end up dying.
They were mere rumors, but I couldn't doubt that they were not lies. It seemed like something Francis would do over and over again.
But it seemed better, didn't it?
I wouldn't die under the control of a mere guard. At least it would be a king, even though it would be nothing but terror and pain.
I felt his cold hand over my shoulder as he slowly took the curtain from my hand. I felt him covering my eyes with something that looked like a small piece of cloth. I was blindfolded and he took the cloth from my body completely.
His hand held my hair up as if he wanted to see my neck. I didn't even understand what he was trying to do but I knew where it would end.
I badly wanted to tell him to be gentle with me and at least spare me afterwards, but who was I to give orders to the devil?