Prologue
The wagon, thundered over the cobblestones, as it entered the courtyard of the castle, while a young dark haired man, and his foreboding looking uncle, gazed upon it as it came to a stop just in front of them, and a dark skinned Calormen stepped off the front. "You said in your letter, you where looking for well disciplined slaves to act as servants, did you not?" questioned the man. "Yes, I'm looking for about 5, I'm not so sure about the boy though, he may want on as well." replied the uncle as his nephew looked at him with disgust. The Calormen slave driver walk back to the wagon and lifted up the cover, to reveal about 10 people, young and old cramped into a small wagon. "I'll take 4 strong men, and that woman." said the uncle as he pointed to 4 well built men, and a woman with a child, "but I don't want the child". The woman made a protesting noise, and the slave driver hit the wagon with a wooden pole. "Shut up!", he snapped. While the two men bargained over the price of the slaves, the young man, walked up to the wagon to investigate something that had caught his eye. A young fair skinned, and hair girl, to looked to be unconscious. " I'll take her," he told the man, handing him a pouch of coins, "that should be more than she appears to be worth" The young man reached into the wagon and lifted the young girl out and took her into the castle. The two men smiled at each other, and continued with the purchase.
Chapter One.
Arriana woke with a start. Her bright green eyes, fluttered as she took in her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was crossing a hot desert in a cramped wagon full of numerous other people. She sat up and gazed around the room, taking in the fine furnishings, and the rich bold colours of the fabrics. She looked down and realized she had be set on a bed, and beside her was a royal blue dress, and a note. She opened the note, thankful that her past owner had taught her how to read before he had passed on. ' There is a bath through the door by the wardrobe, and I hope to like the dress. I will be back by sundown to collect you for dinner.' There was no name, and it was a little messy. 'Must be a man's writing' she thought to herself. She gathered the dress her in arms, and made her way to the bath, taking note of the dimming light outside.
The young man, carried the girl into the castle and made his way up to his quarters, setting her down carefully on his bed. He walked over to his desk and pulled out a piece of parchment, a quill and a bottle of ink. He quickly scribbled a few words onto it, and walked over to his wardrobe and pulled out a blue dress. "Mother I hope you are proud of me for doing this" he muttered to himself as he set both things down beside the girl and left the room, locking it from the outside. He wandered down the hall deep in thought not paying attention to where he was going, and ended up in the castle gardens, his favourite place in the castle, other than his own quarters, and his professors quarters that is. He wandered through the gardens and stopped at a door. He knocked once, then twice, and the door opened, to reveal a short stout man, with grey hair and glasses. They both retreated back into the room, deep in conversation.
The bath was paradise to Arrianas body. After being stuck inside that wagon for so long, anything felt like heaven. She slowly began to wash herself from all the dirt and sweat that had be caked on her body for the last few weeks, thankful that she hadnt contracted any sort of disease from the other slaves. Her hands grazed she whip slashes on her back and she winced. They still hadnt healed get. Feeling the scars from the other beatings she began to cry, hoping to what ever power there was that had brought her here, that this place wasnt near like the other horrible places she had been. Beaten, violated, forced against her own will, she was happy that she was still in good health, and suprisingly unlike the other young girls her age, wasnt robbed of her virginity. Her hand passed over the strange mark on her left shoulder, and she tried as hard as she could to remember her life before being kidnapped and sold into slavery. But try as she might, all she could remember was a beautiful green forest and a warm golden light. As she finished washing, she drained the massive tub and lifted her dainty but muscular body out of the tub and dried herself before putting on the blue dress and tidying up her disheveled hair. She walked back into the bedroom, and over to the full length mirror and was in disbelief of what she saw. The dress hugged her in all the right spots, and she looked like a princess. Her skin glowed, and her eyes sparkled. Arriana was in such awe that she didnt even notice the lock on the door click, and see a young man enter. '' It was my mothers'', the boys voice shook her out of her daze, and they both stared at each other.