Chapter Two: Gypsy

Gypsy looked around nervously as she sat with her feet in what had been her mother's favorite pond. The strange man, Mr. Han, had put her one edge. After he had left she stood frozen for a time, still entranced by his sharp eyes. Finally she moved to sit at the edge of the pond, unsure if her legs were steady enough to hold her up any longer. She picked up a water lily, admiring the soft petals.

'His eyes seemed to say that I would be his,' she slowly kicked her feet around in the water, shivering as she remembered the dark promise those eyes held. 'It was like he was trying to burn a claim on me with just that one glance.'

Gypsy trembled at the thought of what might have happened if Tina had not come to collect him. 'Somehow I don't think that would have stopped him. He looks like the type of man who always gets what he wants.'

"I knew I'd find you here. You always did love the water, just like your mother."

Gypsy turned to look at the person behind her. Keera, her father's favorite, had taken her in when her mother had been killed. She was a tall woman with olive colored skin whose normally sparkling green eyes seemed to be dull and holding back tears.

"Your father wants to see you in his study." the green eyed woman said.

Gypsy froze when she heard those words. She had dreaded hearing them her entire life. Anytime her father wanted to see any of his children that stayed in the harem, they never came back.

It was no secret that her father would sometimes trade some of his less favored children once they turned eighteen for services rendered, or as a merger. Hell he even sold a few at his own auctions if he thought they would fetch a decent price. She didn't know which was worse.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up."

Gypsy nodded numbly and followed Keera to the "harem." There she followed Keera into the spa like bathroom and found a few of the maids waiting for her with a hot bath. Normally she would have put up a fight about someone else bathing her, but she didn't want to argue.

The maids turned their heads and she undressed before slipping into the lavender scented water. She sat as if frozen as the maids bathed her, only moving if they asked her to. Once she was clean they took her out of the water, dried her off, and put her in a sheer white thong and matching bra. 'Perfect for a virgin sacrifice,' she groused.

Keera dismissed them with a wave of her hand and pulled Gypsy over to the nearby vanity.

"He only had one more day until my birthday and he couldn't even wait could he?" she whispered, tears slipping silently down her face.

"Shhh, it will be ok." Keera pulled her close to her chest and let her cry freely. The two sat there for a few more minutes before finally calming down enough to speak.

"I have something for you," Keera said, reaching into a nearby drawer and pulled out two neatly wrapped gifts.

Gypsy sniffled a little before opening both packages, her eyes widening in surprise. The first held her mother's favorite hair ornament, a mother of pearl water lily and the other contained her mother's black dagger. The blade was serrated, and the hilt had a silver water lily carved into it. She looked at Keera, tears threatening to fall from her eyes again.

"I was going to give them to you tomorrow but…" Gypsy cut her off with a fierce hug, which she returned.

They stayed like that for a moment, before a buzzer went off alerting them to the dwindling time. Keera hurriedly placed the water lily in Gypsy's hair before dressing her in a knee length silk robe, and slipping the dagger into one of the interior hidden pockets.

At that time, Hawthorne came waltzing into the room his face still marred with red mark that the briefcase had left.

"Well, well," he said as he openly eyed her. "Don't you look appetizing?"

Gypsy glared and flipped him off. She had always hated this particular brother. She didn't like how he looked at her. It was well known that he lusted after her, luckily her father had seen too much potential for her to catch a decent price for him to allow it. 'The only decent thing he has ever done for me anyway.'

Hawthorne sneered, roughly grabbed her arm and began pulling her out of the harem a protesting Keera's right behind them. Gypsy fought and stumbled, trying to keep up with her older brother's longer strides. When they reached her father's study, Hawthorne barreled through the door.

"Here," he sneered as he shoved her into the center of the room. Gypsy would have glared at him if she hadn't been too terrified to look up.

"Is she to your liking Mr. Han?" she heard her father ask. Gasping in shock she looked up quickly, and saw the man from the gardens standing by the fireplace. When he turned to look at her, she stumbled back in Keera's arms shaking.

'Oh God, he is going to eat me alive,' she whimpered.