Taro was now in the middle of the crowd, surveying the slaves with
indifferent black eyes and wondering how in the name of Yaman he was
supposed to pick one. He didn't want an old woman subjected to a life in
the harem, and he certainly didn't want a very young girl. It should
probably be someone around his age, he decided. A girl who could handle
the burden of slavery or servitude if in the hands of a kind master. She
should be somewhat strong, if she was to be his servant, and this served
the double purpose of being able to fend off rebellious young men in the
palace.
The prince had scanned the line for what seemed the hundredth time when a pudgy, balding man stepped onto the podium. He spoke a few words with the slaver, then pointed out a thin young girl he hadn't seen from his position on the ground. She was lovely, clad in a long blue silk skirt and what looked like a thick scarf of silk around her chest. Her arms and shoulders were bare, and she shivered slightly from the chill breeze, or perhaps it was apprehension as the man leered at her. She visibly cringed but stood still as he circled and inspected her, poking and prodding to test the firmness of her limbs.
That's like buying a horse, Taro thought in disgust. The man seemed satisfied; he took out his purse and began bargaining. As the slaver was writing out the figures, the man turned to his prize and reached out a hand to stroke her cheek. She blanched and pulled away. The man turned red and spoke sharply to the slaver, who raised a gnarled willow cane to strike the girl once, twice across the back. She didn't cry out or sob, but remained upright and glaring at the evil captor wielding the crude weapon. He had raised the cane to lash her again when a light brown arm grabbed the end of the wood and yanked it out of the man's grasp. He turned around quickly in anger that faded to shock when he discovered the crown prince standing behind him. Taro was quiet in his fury, onyx eyes hard and his voice cold.
"There will be no more beatings of slaves in this marketplace," he announced, snapping the heavy cane and flinging the pieces away contemptuously. The slaver apologized profusely, his tone oily and unctuous. Taro pointed to the girl he had been striking.
"I want to purchase this young lady."
Her former buyer opened his mouth to protest, but one look from Rinko closed it with a snap. He left the podium, muttering, and Taro took out his own purse. He deposited a few gold yen into the slaver's hands, not even bothering to get his change. The greedy man tucked away the yen and nodded to his assistant, who unlocked the chains around the girls' hands and feet. The slaver handed Taro a length of rope.
"What's this for?"
The slaver looked surprised. "To lead her home, Heika."
Taro's eyes widened. "I have no need of such a thing. You're not selling cattle, and I'm sure she won't run away." The slaver shrugged and pushed the girl forward, reading the name scratched onto the broken chains.
"This one's called Shoka." Taro nodded curtly and stepped down from the podium, Rinko behind him and the small girl following. She was quiet the whole walk to the palace, gazing around at her surroundings as if she had never seen such tall trees before. The soldiers accompanying them stole glances at her from time to time, musing over why the prince had decided to buy this pretty slave. Taro himself was animated and talkative as he climbed the long steps to the palace with Rinko beside him. The older guard listened intently as Shoka regarded her new master behind long lashes. His dark brown hair was cropped short with two longer pieces in the front, partly obscuring his very black eyes. His skin was darker than a normal Yamani's, indicating much time spent in the sun. His robes were bright red with a pattern of gold playing over the soft cloth.
He's beautiful.she thought breathlessly to herself. As if he could read her mind, he turned towards her and smiled. She almost took a step back to brace herself. His smile was like the sunrise! She wished she could make him smile more, but he faced forward again. With a start, she realized they had reached the outer structure of the palace. The soldiers bowed and left them to walk the rest of the way to the inner walls. Rinko conversed quietly with Taro before taking his leave as well.
How do u like it so far? Arrrr.I'm trying reaaalllyy hard to write more, but this is all I could get done today. More coming soon!
The prince had scanned the line for what seemed the hundredth time when a pudgy, balding man stepped onto the podium. He spoke a few words with the slaver, then pointed out a thin young girl he hadn't seen from his position on the ground. She was lovely, clad in a long blue silk skirt and what looked like a thick scarf of silk around her chest. Her arms and shoulders were bare, and she shivered slightly from the chill breeze, or perhaps it was apprehension as the man leered at her. She visibly cringed but stood still as he circled and inspected her, poking and prodding to test the firmness of her limbs.
That's like buying a horse, Taro thought in disgust. The man seemed satisfied; he took out his purse and began bargaining. As the slaver was writing out the figures, the man turned to his prize and reached out a hand to stroke her cheek. She blanched and pulled away. The man turned red and spoke sharply to the slaver, who raised a gnarled willow cane to strike the girl once, twice across the back. She didn't cry out or sob, but remained upright and glaring at the evil captor wielding the crude weapon. He had raised the cane to lash her again when a light brown arm grabbed the end of the wood and yanked it out of the man's grasp. He turned around quickly in anger that faded to shock when he discovered the crown prince standing behind him. Taro was quiet in his fury, onyx eyes hard and his voice cold.
"There will be no more beatings of slaves in this marketplace," he announced, snapping the heavy cane and flinging the pieces away contemptuously. The slaver apologized profusely, his tone oily and unctuous. Taro pointed to the girl he had been striking.
"I want to purchase this young lady."
Her former buyer opened his mouth to protest, but one look from Rinko closed it with a snap. He left the podium, muttering, and Taro took out his own purse. He deposited a few gold yen into the slaver's hands, not even bothering to get his change. The greedy man tucked away the yen and nodded to his assistant, who unlocked the chains around the girls' hands and feet. The slaver handed Taro a length of rope.
"What's this for?"
The slaver looked surprised. "To lead her home, Heika."
Taro's eyes widened. "I have no need of such a thing. You're not selling cattle, and I'm sure she won't run away." The slaver shrugged and pushed the girl forward, reading the name scratched onto the broken chains.
"This one's called Shoka." Taro nodded curtly and stepped down from the podium, Rinko behind him and the small girl following. She was quiet the whole walk to the palace, gazing around at her surroundings as if she had never seen such tall trees before. The soldiers accompanying them stole glances at her from time to time, musing over why the prince had decided to buy this pretty slave. Taro himself was animated and talkative as he climbed the long steps to the palace with Rinko beside him. The older guard listened intently as Shoka regarded her new master behind long lashes. His dark brown hair was cropped short with two longer pieces in the front, partly obscuring his very black eyes. His skin was darker than a normal Yamani's, indicating much time spent in the sun. His robes were bright red with a pattern of gold playing over the soft cloth.
He's beautiful.she thought breathlessly to herself. As if he could read her mind, he turned towards her and smiled. She almost took a step back to brace herself. His smile was like the sunrise! She wished she could make him smile more, but he faced forward again. With a start, she realized they had reached the outer structure of the palace. The soldiers bowed and left them to walk the rest of the way to the inner walls. Rinko conversed quietly with Taro before taking his leave as well.
How do u like it so far? Arrrr.I'm trying reaaalllyy hard to write more, but this is all I could get done today. More coming soon!
