Hello,

Here are the unedited Chapters one to four of the new book, The General’s Gift. The author wrote this book in one month, and she says it was a fun book to write. It is her second Fantasy Romance after Ultima Skylar.

You can find the book in most online stores.

CHAPTER 1

A Ransack

Boom! The bed shook, startling Olympia awake. She woke naked, between two bodies, her heart racing, and tried to find something familiar. It all seemed like a nightmare. The last time she roused at the sound of a blast was when she was a child. Her grandfather had died in a raid on their home, but that happened over twenty-six years ago. The memory from her childhood merged with the present when the loud sound of a cannon was accompanied by the pandemonium of men running back and forth outside the door.

“What is going on?” asked Sir Edgard.

“It sounds like a mixture of fire magic and black powder. We are being attacked. Let’s go,” said Prince Wallen. The two men shot out of bed.

“You—woman—get up, and dressed, but stay in my room until I send someone for you.”

The men searched for their pants, shirts, and boots. They dressed in a rush, leaving the room in a hurry, taking their overcoats with them. Olympia pushed the covers aside; with trepidation, she got out of bed. She needed to see the commotion happening outside. Running to the window her foot snagged on the prince’s belt making her stumble and fall against the window sill, leaving a mark on her arm. When all the courtesans arrived the previous night, torches lit up the courtyard of the castle, but now the blasts filled the sky with light. It reminded her of the fireworks shows that colored the skies in her home city of Nolia to celebrate New Year’s Eve, in the glorious Kingdom of Palermo. “Oh no, they have lightning mages.”

Being this close to war made Olympia’s nerves shatter. A week ago, when she left the Il Palazzo di Roberti brothel, her master promised she wouldn’t be in harm’s way. Hah, who would have known the war was going to reach her? Chicho, the brothel’s owner, seldom let her entertain too far away from the capital, but Prince Wallen had paid a handsome sum of gold for her.

The cold air made her shiver, turning her entire body cold, while her heart beat faster than a fox’s when chased in a hunt. Guards, mages, and archers stood on the battlements, firing. Her tired body tensed at the sight of unbridled magic coming from over the battlement and there was still an hour before dawn.

Stepping away from the window, she closed it with trembling hands. Her memories from her childhood came back to her. Her father held her in his arms as he ran down the stairs of the family manor. Fire consumed the matronly house from top to bottom, but fear was all she remembered as her father carried her over his shoulders. At such a high vantage point, she could see her mother with terror as she ran, holding her older brother by his hand. Olympia shook her head, trying to whoosh the memories away.

She hastily retreated from the window and tried to distract herself by going to look at herself in the opulent mirror that stood in between two mahogany dressers. Her black hair which had been made up in long braids, now hung in wavy strands having come loose during the night. Olympia touched her golden collar. The cold metal was a constant reminder of her reality.

The hated device always caught her hair when she worked with uncaring men. She worked at untangling her from around the collar as she tried to fix her braids, fixing them back up and out of the way. Her arms and body hurt after a night of Exotic service to the men in the room.

Olympia hated having to service more than one person at the same time, but in the end, it didn’t matter what she liked or disliked—Chicho’s word was final. Her smeared makeup made her eyes seem even more swollen and tired than she expected. She went to the bathroom, took a washcloth, dipped it in water, and tried to cleanse her face as best she could.

“Olympia, hurry! You must move fast.” Talking to herself only happened when nervous.

“Where is my clothing?” The previous night she had entered wearing little clothing, and the animals had torn her lingerie off in minutes. Her bustier lay in shreds on the floor. Moving fast, and trying to open one of the prince’s wardrobes, she almost cut her arm with the lock before giving up the attempt.

She then went to the second wardrobe and opened it easily. In it, she rummaged and found several pieces of clothing; taking out a pair of black pants, a white shirt, and a belt. Olympia hoped the prince would never miss the items of clothing. In haste, she put on the pants. Not surprisingly, they were big on her. Without doubt, she needed the belt or the pants would fall from her hips. The shirt was also too large, but she put it on buttoning it all the way to her neck. To finish the outfit, she found a long black scarf from the floor of the wardrobe.

BOOM! Olympia moved away from the wardrobe, running back to the window; she searched for the maker of the noise. A portion of one of the battlements had collapsed. Blast after blast came from the ramparts of the castle. With each booming sound, she jumped a little. A draft from the window made her shiver, bringing her back into focus. Fear all the way to her soul encouraged her to back away from the window.

Olympia needed her shoes. She looked everywhere in search of her sandals. In every corner, under the bed, even shaking out the covers on the bed, but she could not find them from the previous night. Instead, she chose to search in the wardrobe once more for a pair of the prince’s shoes.

After searching for a few moments, she found a pair of boots. She needed socks but could not find any. The boots were too big, but by this point she no longer cared. She had worn men’s clothing before; this was not the first time. By the time Olympia started looking for a coat, a young man unceremoniously opened the door. He entered the room with the gumption to get things done. The young man stared at Olympia and gave her a sad smile. The teen could not have been more than fourteen, but he already had a rifle, ready to join the battle.

“M’lady, come with me; Prince Wallen wants you and the other women to be together. Please, follow me,” said the young servant. Olympia placed the scarf around the collar and snatched a short blue coat from the wardrobe as she left the prince’s room. Following the servant, they ran down the hallway, where he knocked on every door along the way. The young man ushered forward the women who exited the rooms to join Olympia.

“M’lady, I thought we were far from the borders between Behui and Alhambra,” said Lyla, the youngest.

“We will talk later. Let’s go, run.” Olympia took Lyla by the hand, hastening her pace behind the servant.

“The boss will not like this. Chicho will require compensation if anything happens to any of you,” said Tapa, the women’s bodyguard that Chicho had sent to guard his workers. They ran through the hallways until their flight was arrested in front of a set of tall double doors at the far end of the second floor. The young man pushed open the doors to an enormous room.

When the women entered, they could see books lining the walls from floor to ceiling. Olympia’s only thought was that she loved books. All the women looked scared as they entered.

“Oh,” she sighed in wonder, “this must be the prince’s library?” Olympia had never seen such a wonderous thing.

“Not his main library. This room used to be a bedroom, but Prince Wallen loves books and once he’d filled the walls with books he moved to another room,” said the servant as he turned away and left.

Tapa, their bodyguard, barked out an order to the women. “Wait inside the room; I will stay outside the door.” Baam! The door slammed shut without another word.

Olympia turned to look at the solid mahogany door that now imprisoned them. Through the central window, she could see fire and lightning raining over the battlements. The night turned into morning, as Olympia’s fears ran wild, but she kept her counsel. Some women wept, others whispered among themselves, while others managed to sleep, but Olympia sat vigil, silently.

Many hours later, the grandfather clock chimed again as it had throughout the night, this time to indicate the half hour. It was 8:30 in the morning. As the morning progressed, the sounds of battle continued. The women sat on sofas around the room, trying to relax by playing word games, but every time a cannon fired, they all jumped. Olympia needed to calm her nerves, so she walked over to the prince’s desk on the far side of the room. She sat in the chair, removed her scarf, and unapologetically, started to rummage around.

On top, she found a fountain pen, ink, and some paper. One of the pages had a red dot on its corner, which gave her enough inspiration to write a short story, so she took it. Writing always calmed her a little; this time, it was the only thing Olympia could do. While trying to keep distracted writing her story, one of the girls came to stand next to her.

“M’lady, you smell like alcohol but don’t look hungover. How do you do it?” asked Lyla, the youngest one of the women.

“No, I didn’t drink a drop; I never do. That bastard, Prince Wallen, poured an entire bottle of cognac over my body last night.” Olympia took a sniff at her arms. “Yuck, I reek.” Leaving the desk behind, she walked to a cushioned chair, sat and closed her eyes. A headache slowly formed at the back of her head.

BOOM! A cannon blasted, and Olympia closed her eyes tight.

“When do you think we can leave this place? The servants haven’t brought us any food and I am hungry,” said Meleni.

“M’Lady, I am thirsty,” said Catalina.

“I have no idea when they will bring us food or water. Tapa didn’t say anything about food and I know you are tired, but all we can do is wait. The servants will be here soon,” said Olympia.

“Is there a lavatory in this room? I need to relieve myself,” said Lyla.

“Can you wait?” Meleni asked, eyeing Lyla.

“No!” Lyla crossed her legs in her chair. After Lyla’s comment, Olympia remembered when she was young. Now, at thirty-one years old, youth seemed like a lifetime ago. Something had to be done, so she went to the door and knocked.

“Hello Tapa, we can’t be in this room all day. We are hungry, thirsty too. Some of us need to use the lavatory,” said Olympia. Tapa opened the door.

“A servant told me this room has a lavatory closet at the far end to the left. Wait patiently, and be quiet. I’ll try to get you some food and water.”

“Can I go with you?”

“No! None of you can leave this room,” said Tapa. He locked the door behind him, upsetting Olympia.

“Tapa said we can find a lavatory at the end of the room to the left.”

The women walked to the far end of the room, where they found a hidden door behind the bookshelf. The women used the lavatory. They even washed their arms and necks, trying to take the unpleasant pong from their skin. Relieved, the women sat back down on the sofas. All except Olympia and Lyla who went to the windows to watch as the men ran back and forth across the castle ramparts, carrying weapons and injured soldiers. The hours passed as the women continued to wait for Tapa and their food.

A blast, louder than previous ones shook the foundations of the castle, and some dust fell over the women’s heads.

“Oh no, I think the enemy have breached the inner walls of the castle!” said Lyla, still looking out the window.

“Walk away from the window.” Olympia pulled Lyla away from the window.

“Aren’t any of you afraid? Because I am terrified,” said Meleni, and she huddled into the sofa’s corner, in front of the fireplace.

“We will be fine. Tapa is outside. He will not let anyone enter the room,” said Lyla, giving her teacher a half smile. Olympia felt sorry for Lyla. Tapa was a buff man; but what could one man do against an army?

“It would be awful if they got us, but it will be worse for you, M’Lady,” said Catalina, playing with a strand of her blond hair.

“Why?”

“Yes, M’lady, you as an Exotic, with your beautiful face and body, those men will hurt you if they catch you,” said Lyla.

“You all forget, you are as beautiful as me, if not more. We must stay together, do you all hear me?” asked Olympia. The women nodded.

BOOM! Another loud blast came, but this time it seemed closer. Olympia, the only Exotic, covered her face with her hands, rubbing her temples cringing at the thought of war. BAM! This time, blasts and screams came from within the castle walls. The sounds of rifles, of blasts, of lightning causing destruction everywhere, all made her want to leap up and run away. The five women now huddled together on the sofa. Battle sounds being overshadowed by Olympia’s own pounding heartbeat. Her ears were ringing, causing her breathing to become more rapid. She felt faint. The woman next to Olympia cried.

BOOM! BAAM! BANG! Shots, blasts, women’s screams; the sound of people running outside the door. AH! More screams, now those of men … then—silence. Olympia grabbed the scarf from where she had left it on the desk and wrapped it around her neck; she needed to cover her golden collar. All the other girls had bronze or silver collars. They would stay together.

Lyla cried in her teacher’s arms. Olympia knew she had to calm Lyla down, but couldn’t think of anything. She wasn’t good at consoling people. At the moment, she wanted to take a brief glance through the window, but Meleni and Lyla would not let go of her.

A few minutes later, the door snapped open. The women jumped as a dirty-as-sin soldier entered the room. Olympia’s fears sprung to life. An Alhambra soldier entered with a rifle, pointing it straight at them.

Olympia participated on hunts many times. She had hunted animals with others of the aristocracy. It was expected of an Exotic. Now she knew what prey must feel when cornered. A cold sweat streamed down her back; feeling the coldness she trembled. All the blood drained from her face and her hands shook. “Will this be my end?” she wondered to herself.

They had no part in the fight. They were from a neutral kingdom. Palermo had not entered the war between Alhambra and Behui. Olympia could not talk or move. She stared at the end of the rifle.

“We are not citizens of Behui, Alhambra, or Yakuta; surely, they must let us go,” whispered Catalina, the smallest of the women.

They were not the prince’s property. As hired personnel, they must have had some rights. Olympia had expected to be in the castle for just one night and be returned to her master the next day. They were supposed to have been on a train back to Palermo following the noon meal.

Things sucked, but she suspected it would get a lot worse, really fast. Olympia wanted to crawl into a dark, cold cave. With every movement of her body, Olympia’s head pounded. Her headache had moved from the back of her head to between her eyes. Light felt like daggers entering her eyes.

“Aren’t we lucky? What do we ’ave ’ere? Are ye servants ’iding in one of the master’s rooms?” asked a blond soldier covered in mud.

“These are whores. Can ye no smell sex on them?” asked a second bearded soldier who came inside the room after the blond soldier. Of all things, Olympia was offended by his comment.

“We are not servants or common prostitutes. We are courtesans,” said Paulina.

“Oh, excuse me; let me inspect yer arm. Curtis, do ye think we could have a turn with any of them?” suggested the hairy man. Paulina stepped forward, showed her right wrist to the man, but a tall, equally dirty man entered the room, pushing her aside.

“All you women come with me,” said the tall man. He manhandled the women, forcing them to stand in a straight line.

“Now lookie here, are these beautiful spoils of war?” asked a fourth bearded soldier who entered the room.

“These are courtesans, they—” the blond man was interrupted before he could finish talking.

“One moment, we don’t belong to Prince Wallen. We are rented personnel. We are from Palermo,” said Paulina.

“Woman, we don’t care where ye come from or who’s yer master; now move next to yer friends,” said Curtis.

“Wait, you need to check all of our trade tattoos; there are differences between us.” Olympia felt a little braver after Paulina’s show of courage.

“I know the difference between a prostitute and a street walker. Now be quiet, ye lot. Stay in yer line,” said the tall soldier as he inspected the right wrist of one women after the other, but as the soldier was about to check Olympia’s tattoo, a man in a knight’s uniform came to the door and called him.

“No, you are making a mistake; you need to look. There is rank between—”

“Shut up whore; I tried to be nice to ye. All yer yapping, don’t let me think,” said Curtis.

“Please, you need to check—”

Curtis slapped Olympia and said “Quiet!”

“What are they?” asked the knight, entering the room in a hurry.

“They are definitely high-quality courtesans,” said Curtis, pushing Olympia to the side.

“Take them to the General’s tent; these are expensive loot. Can they understand our language?” asked the knight.

“Two of them can, but the pretty one with the black hair can’t keep her trap shut,” said Curtis.

“Gag her if she can’t keep quiet; I hate women who can’t keep quiet when you ask them to,” said the knight and left. The soldier tied each of the women’s hands, and then linked them all to a long rope to keep them together.

“All of you women follow me. Y’all gave me a headache, so I don’t want to hear another word,” said Curtis, pointing his index finger from Paulina to Olympia’s face. Olympia walked in front of the other girls, trying to shield them. Darkness filled the hallway, so when they stepped out the door, Olympia almost fell over the body of a man with a bullet wound to his back.

“Oh no! This can’t be,” said Olympia. Tapa lay face down in a pool of his blood. Each woman made a gasping sound as they stepped out of the room. Olympia’s hands shook when she could not control her anxiety.

“Move, hurry; I don’t have all day,” said Curtis. As the women walked down a darkened set of stairs and along a long hallway, they could see blood-covered walls, with dismembered men lying here and there, and Olympia heard screams coming from the rooms she passed.

“Can you hear those cries?” asked Lyla.

“These brutes are hurting someone inside these rooms,” said Meleni.

“This is scary,” whispered Lyla.

“Don’t worry; all will be fine if we keep our wits.” Olympia said with trembling words and more courage than before. They walked slowly, making sure not to step onto any of the dead bodies. The soldiers escorted them out of the castle, pushing them forward, but Olympia stumbled as they walked out. The screams, dismembered bodies, guts of men splattered on the floor and the semi-darkness inside the castle made it all seem like a nightmarish hell that she just wanted to escape from and get outside. But when they finally did step outside, the light of day blinded her, and reality sank in making her want to cry, but she didn’t. Olympia raised her hands to cover her eyes.

Her ears rung again; her stomach pinched with pain like no other, which made her gag. A few seconds later, she turned her face, trying to let go of what little she had in her stomach. The aftertaste of putrid vile left her wanting to shout, but once Olympia had vomited, her head felt a little better. The other women were trying to help Olympia, but the man holding the rope pulled it, making the other women stumble and fall as they tried to avoid Olympia’s vomit.

Once outside, the reek of gunpowder, blood, and feces assailed their senses. Dead bodies littered the castle grounds, but in front of the fountain in the middle of the courtyard, the soldiers piled the dead along with those still living, but maimed and in the throes of death. Men of varied ages lay in every direction; one had his eyes open, staring. Olympia turned her face, not wanting to see the glaze of death that covered the dead man’s eyes. Olympia tried to take the shallowest of breaths, but still she could not avoid the gagging sensation, as she hunched over. The next minute, she had vomit on her pants and shoes.

“Yuck!” Olympia said straightening her back, wanting to die, but she cleaned her mouth with the sleeve of her shirt. Her own smell made her gag again, but this time she took control of herself.

“Young man, I need you to listen to me. We are from Palermo. We are rented personnel. We don’t belong to the Lord of the castle. The law says we must return to our land. You are making a mistake,” said Olympia.

“I don’t know nothing about no law,” said Curtis.

“At least look at each of our trade tattoos. We are highly educated. I am an Exo—” she tried to say. The soldier slapped her; he took a dirty rag from his back pocket, and placed it in Olympia’s mouth. “I tried to be nice and told ye to shut yer trap.” Curtis pulled her by her arm.

“Olympia, please, when they take your gag off, don’t talk. Heaven knows what these animals will do to you. Look at how they are treating us as we are now. They didn’t care to check your trade tattoos.” Meleni glared at the men surrounding them.

“They are filthy animals, all of them,” whispered Lyla.

“Stop talking,” shouted the old bearded man.

The soldiers made the women stand in a line in front of the castle wall while men were catcalling and whistling. Olympia frowned at the surrounding men wanting to slap all of them. It was infuriating having to stand outside under the scorching sun. None of them were street walkers.

However, she didn’t look like an Exotic. Olympia had covered her Exotic-tattoo and her golden collar, with her shirt and scarf. The sleeves of her coat covered the multiple tattoos of her skills on her right wrist. Her braids were loose, she smelled like sex, alcohol and vomit. Her dry mouth made her want to jump into the nearest water well. Her eyes stung with the sweat that poured from her brow. The heat was making Olympia dizzy, but she stood tall. The other girls’ faces were turning red from the sun. Olympia turned around, giving her back to the sun, and the other women did the same.

“I hope they take us away from here soon. This heat is making me so thirsty,” said Meleni.

 

CHAPTER 2

The New Acquisition

Four hours later, once the men finished plundering the castle, the soldiers marched the five women several miles to where the invading force had made camp. Olympia and her friends did their best not to flag or fall down as they were prodded and pulled toward their unknown destination or future.

Upon reaching the camp, they walked through a maze of soldiers, tents, and carts. There were animals in pens, carts full of goods, and weapons everywhere they looked, but Olympia became more nervous when she saw some common street walkers strolling about the camp. She hoped they would not end as sex slaves. Once they reached the largest tent in the camp, Curtis removed Olympia’s gag, giving her time to take a few deep breaths before he escorted her and the other four women inside.

Olympia’s eyes adjusted to the darker interior where she saw four tall men talking among themselves. One had a scar on his face which scared her. He stood tall, wearing expensive-looking armor. She took him for the highest commander, so was unsurprised when Curtis made them line up beside each other in front of him.

“My Lord, please undo my bindings and look at my—” Curtis slapped Olympia once more, prohibiting her from finishing her sentence.

“I should have kept your mouth covered.”

“Quiet, I want this one gagged. I hate it when women speak without being addressed,” the oldest man in the tent said. A soldier stepped forward with a gag. He muzzled Olympia, but left it loose enough for her to breathe.

“Yer Grace, we found these five high-class courtesans hidden in the castle,” Curtis said.

“They are all beautiful; by our laws, they are all spoils of war,” one of the four commanders in the group said. The man with the expensive armor addressed the women. Paulina translated for her friends in hushed words.

“One of them speaks our language. I am General Joshua Caleo, the Duke of Coldwell from Alhambra, and you five are mine now.”

“Your Grace, we have several things to discuss, including what you wish to do with the women?” the youngest of the four men said.

“What do you think I should do with them?” asked General Caleo.

“I don’t know, Your Grace. Prince Wallen didn’t have many women in his hold. They may not belong to the prince, but we can’t stop our march to deal with women,” said Commander Linder.

“It doesn’t matter. If they were inside the castle, then they are part of the loot,” the oldest of the men said.

“Fine, I have five company commanders and five women. They will be gifts. Call the resident Trade Official and my company commanders. All my knights did an outstanding job,” General Caleo said.

The five young women stood next to each other. As the General kept giving orders, they waited. The Trade Official entered the tent with his books and ink bottles. A few minutes passed when four filthy men wearing dirty armor entered.

“Where is Lord Wolfson?” asked the General.

“Lord Wolfson said he had to attend to something first. He said he would be here as soon as he was done,” said the messenger.

“Lord Wolfson has no sense of urgency. When I give an order, I expect it to be obeyed. What does he think? Does the man have lieutenants? These Yakutan men have no respect for authority. So be it; Matteo will have to take the leftovers.” General Caleo, Duke of Coldwell said.

“Gentlemen, these five are courtesan prostitutes found in the castle. I am gifting one to each of you. Take your pick, you will choose in order; the highest ranking in the peerage chooses first. Earl of Leon, you go first, select one from all five. However, you must mark the one you pick as yours to keep. I want these women cared for and protected. They are too beautiful, so I don’t want any of you tossing my gift aside,” the General said.

“How about this? I’ll mark mine with my house crest, making her my mistress. My mark will protect her.” The Earl of Leon said.

“Great idea, I’ll do the same,” said another man. All the others agree to mark the women with their house crests.

“Fine with me, we will have the Trade Official do all the required documents. So, which one will you pick, Lord Leon?” asked General Caleo. Olympia opened her eyes wide. She came to Behui with four of her friends from the brothel, women she had personally trained.

“Oh, I want the youngest,” said the red-bearded man, Earl of Leon.

Oh no, Lyla, she just got her certificate as a dancer and is barely a courtesan, with only a few months of owning her full license. The man appeared twenty years older than her, thought Olympia.

“Nice choice, my friend; now mark your new mistress.” The Earl of Leon took a pincer from the corner, took a log from the fire outside the tent, and placed it on the side. He heated his signet ring until it became as red as a chilly pepper. The Earl of Leon took his ring with a smaller hand pincer, burning his seal on Lyla’s left wrist.

“Aaaahhhh!” Lyla screamed in pain.

“Thank you for my gift,” said the Earl. After, he signed the trade’s official registry. The Earl of Leon took his woman, leaving the tent with a smile.

“Barron Toleo, it’s your turn to choose,” said the General.

“Too easy, I take the little blond one with the brown eyes,” said the tall man.

“A tall man and a little thing; I hope you don’t break her in one lay,” said one of the General’s aids, while all the other men laughed. Barron Toleo did the same as Lord Leon. He branded his little blonde woman, making sure to not cause her further pain.

“Thank you, General, you all have fun,” said Barron Toleo after he had signed the trade registry; he left the tent with Catalina.

“That one is beautiful. She has the looks of the people from Albria. Why is she gagged?” one of the commanders asked.

“The gagged one can’t stay quiet. Do you want her, Sir Yaibar? The Albrian looking may be the teacher of the others. What say you? It’s your turn next.”

“Oh no, I have enough with a nagging wife, I don’t need a yappy mistress. The brunet with the big bust, I take her,” Sir Yaibar said.

Sir Yaibar branded her, signed the Trade Official registry, got his papers, took Meleni by the arm, and Sir Yaibar also left with a smile on his face leaving the tent door opened. As the day waned, the soldiers moved barrels, goods, and lit torches around the camp. All around the camp the soldiers had made campfires, providing lots of light. Olympia wanted to run, when an attractive man with dark brown hair, wearing black armor entered the tent, surprising Olympia with his demeanor. Many different types of men have come and gone through her life as an Exotic, but this one attracted her attention.

Olympia liked his ice-blue eyes, but she didn’t like the blood caked on his arms. His eyes seemed full of something Olympia had not seen since she was a child, some type of rare quality, maybe kindness. He had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, while a bloodied cloth was wrapped around his big left hand.

“Lord Wolfson, you have finally arrived. What happened to your hand?” asked the General Caleo, Duke of Coldwell.

“Ah, it’s nothing; one of the prince’s knights didn’t want to die,” Lord Wolfson said.

“Ha, ha, ha, I had one of those myself; he left a nasty cut on me leg,” said the last commander, waiting to choose.

“General, I am sorry it took me so long to be here, but my stallion needed tending. I don’t like others touching my horse.

“I understand now. Your Takapian horses are the finest in all Yakuta. You were called here to gift you for bravery in battle. Fine, Sir Wheelan, it’s your turn to choose.” General Caleo said. The General took off his chest plate, sat on a chair, when a page came from the side of the tent. The young man took the armor pieces, leaving as he came—in silence.

“I want the curvy one with the big hips. I like my women with meat on her bones,” said the young knight. He branded the woman, did the paperwork, and left, holding Paulina’s hand.

“I don’t understand what is happening here,” Lord Wolfson said.

“I had five courtesan prostitutes looted from the castle. I choose to give each away as sex slaves to my top commanders. The others already chose theirs, based on noble hierarchy. You were not here to choose first, so they all chose ahead of you, leaving you … the leftover. The last one is beautiful. Enjoy your new sex slave. They were courtesan prostitutes, by what I was told. So, they are trained to please,” General Caleo said. A page entered just then, bringing the General a tray with a tankard and food. The General drank but pushed the food aside.

Olympia stared from one man to another. They would not reduce her to being a personal sex slave. She was the best Exotic in Nolia. Olympia was present as a favor from her master to Prince Wallen. This had to be a nightmare, but she was wide awake.

“I thank you for my gift, but Yakuta abolished slavery many years ago. Also, I don’t need a woman in my ranks,” said Lord Wolfson with his brow furrowed.

“Do not deny me. You are insulting my honor by refusing my gift,” said the General, as he stood up. Lord Wolfson stood tall, his lips drew thin, almost disappearing under his mustache and beard, and his hands balled into fists.

“Please accept my apologies; I don’t want to cause any insult. I understand people in Alhambra do things differently than us. I will take my gift and give you a gift in return as a show of respect. I offer you a colt born from Pearl, my prized mare. The colt was born last summer. I will send it to you upon my return to my father’s castle.”

“My son and I always wanted one of your Takapian horses. So, I accept your gift,” the General said. Lord Wolfson bowed his head. He was about to take Olympia’s hand when the General spoke.

“Wait, I made all the other knights register the courtesan with each commander’s house seal. The others marked their women with their house crest on their left arm. Since you are highest in the peerage, you should not do any less. Since you are from Yakuta, we should use a Yakutan Trade Official to generate the certification, but there isn’t one here. So the one from Alhambra will have to do it instead,” said the General.

“Slavery was abolished in Yakuta several years ago, so I can’t own slaves in my land. Certification will be invalid.”

“We can erase the slave-tattoo of her old master for you,” said the Trades Officer.

 “Yes, erase the tattoo. Mark her with my house crest, just like all the other lords did. Also, add my name to her left wrist,” Lord Wolfson said.

“My Lord, when you return to Yakuta, you must erase the trademark-tattoo and register her as a mistress under your house,” said the Trades Officer. Lord Wolfson nodded.

“What is your name?” asked the Trade Official.

“My name is Matteo Hanno Arnold Sean Wolfson.”

The official untied Olympia’s hands letting a young Arcane mage who had come with the trade’s official, take her hand to perform an incantation on Olympia’s wrist. The Arcane Mage said words in a language Olympia didn’t know making the slave-tattoo disappear.

Once he was done, the Trade Official came and added the tattoo of a mistress in its place. Taking his ring off, Lord Wolfson heated it. Lord Wolfson didn’t look at Olympia; he just branded her on her left wrist. Olympia screamed as the ring touched her skin, but her gag muffled the sound. The intense pain weakened her knees, but Lord Wolfson held her in place.

She would take a thousand tattoos, but not one brand. After the Trade Official tattooed the name Matteo Hanno Arnold Sean Wolfson on Olympia’s left wrist, all was done. The Trade Official filled out some papers for Lord Wolfson to sign, and so did General Caleo, Duke of Coldwell and his aids.

“Thank you for my gift, General,” he said.

Lord Wolfson took Olympia by her upper arm, said good night and left in a hurry. It was night by the time they left; walking in silence, Olympia in pain with her gag and Lord Wolfson with his apparent anger. They walked to a far corner of the encampment, to where all the tents were green. He entered the largest green tent on his side of the camp, to which Olympia followed behind him. Once inside the tent, he took the gag from her. She moved her mouth to relive the pain from the gag.

“Listen, Miss, I don’t know if you can understand me. Can you speak Yakutan? What’s your name?” asked Lord Wolfson.

“My name is Olympia Corona Takatsu. I can speak Palermian from the southern cities, Behuian, Yakutan, Catalagac, modern Albrian, and Parshtishi.”

“Wait, what kind of prostitute are you? How come you know all those languages?”

Lord Wolfson’s surprise made Olympia chuckle. Olympia took off her scarf, unbuttoned her shirt, moving her head so she could show her golden collar, left breast, and the mark of the Exotic.

“I am a slave Exotic Courtesan Prostitute,” Olympia said, her deep amber eyes directed at him, unmoving.

“That twisted man, Duke of Coldwell. So now I have an Exotic! I don’t need a prostitute, let alone an Exotic. I don’t want a woman, and most certainly not a mistress. This shit is not happening to me. Were all the other women Exotics also?”

This man must prefer the company of men.

“No, I was the only one.”

“Lord of the heavens above, why do I have to be the lucky one? I don’t allow prostitutes to visit my company as they just distract my military mages, and now I have a high-ranking courtesan in my camp. You, simply being in my campsite, will bring problems. How did no one notice you were an Exotic? Since you are an Exotic, you should belong to the General.”

“The soldier checked the other women’s tattoos, but when it was my turn, someone called the soldier, skipping me. Later, he never reached me. A young soldier tied my hands together, gagged me, rendering me incapable of disclosing my status or my specialty. Since I was in the company of the other women, they mistakenly assumed I was the same as them.”

“You smell like stale, unadulterated liquor. I don’t allow my men to get drunk in this camp. Do you need to have a drink every day? If you require a daily drink, you will have a big problem here.”

“I don’t drink. A decanter of cognac was poured over me last night.” Olympia didn’t want to give any further details.

“Fine, now I’m stuck with you. Let me see your right arm. I need to know all your skills.” He looked at her wrist. Olympia did what he asked of her, while taking the opportunity to glance around the tent. She had to make some changes, if this place was where she had the misfortune to live.

“We will continue marching with General Caleo to our next target. I don’t use prostitutes or Exotics. As I’ve already said, I consider your trade a distraction among my men—one that I don’t need in war. The only women I allow in my camp are three powerful master battlemages, who can kill any man that is stupid enough to try to hurt them.” Lord Wolfson sat on the only chair, forcing Olympia to continue standing.

“Since I am your slave mistress, how should I address you, my Lord?”

“You are not my slave. King George abolished slavery over eight years ago. I can’t have slaves, so I’ve gifted you your freedom. As for what you can call me, I am Lord Wolfson to all my men, but since you are my mistress, call me Matteo.” He rubbed the back of his neck and closed his eyes.

“Would you answer me another question?”

Lord Wolfson nodded.

“Why don’t you like me?” Olympia asked with her arms crossed. Lord Wolfson opened his eyes. He regarded Olympia with tired eyes.

“Miss, I don’t dislike you. I just don’t know you. I don’t give my trust to just anyone. My trust is earned. In your case, you are a total stranger. Also, I reserve my counsel when it comes to people of your trade.”

“Why?”

“I don’t partake in the dubious delights of prostitution.” Lord Wolfson said, wincing as he touched his injured hand.

“All the nobles I have met make use of Exotics. Why do you deny yourself?” Olympia asked, surprised.

“The god I serve doesn’t like us to partake of prostitutes.”

“I have entertained Sheshlia, Liaba and Parla priests and bishops. In which faith do you believe? The men of the cloth from those religions don’t follow your rules.” Olympia’s astonishment surpassed her curiosity.

“I am a Benanti,” said Lord Wolfson. As they spoke, he busied himself by unwrapping his injured hand and pouring some water over it, cringing a little when cleaning the wound. He then re-tied a new piece of clean cloth around his hand.

“You follow the Morai faith? Wait! You don’t look, Morai,” Olympia said.

“I am not Morai, but my family and I follow their faith.”

“Why follow that restrictive faith? It makes little sense to me.” Olympia considered him a puzzle.

“It’s a long story, and I don’t have the time or the energy to tell it. Suffice to say, we follow all the tenants and in my family we all worship together.” Lord Wolfson stood up, took off his pauldrons, placing them beside his weapons. Lord Wolfson took a deep breath.

“Most men don’t care about faith,” Olympia said, rubbing her aching head.

“As you get to know me, you will discover I don’t care what other men do. I care what my sons, family and my people do. My conviction is to my g-d, my king, my family, and my men.”

“I haven’t met any man that has kept his hands away from me. My experience with men has been one of pleasure or pain.”

“Miss, you are a beautiful woman. I am sure you were successful in your trade. A woman with all your skills could have accomplished a high level of renown. However, I warn you. Here, you will not work in your trade. If you value your life, you will abstain from enticing my men.”

“I can’t help men looking at me. Will you punish me for what others do?” Olympia could not believe the man would blame her for other people’s actions.

“Listen to me; as long as you keep your Exotic ways to yourself, you will live a peaceful life. My men will keep to themselves or if they don’t, I will kill them myself. In my camp, you are not a prostitute. I will treat you as one of us, as long as you act like a lady.”

Lord Wolfson removed his chest plate and leather bindings from around his waist. He placed them next to his other armor pieces while he continued looking at Olympia. He had a sweat-covered inner shirt, which he quickly took off staying shirtless. The man had hair on his chest. She liked a hairy chest. She wanted to touch him, but she kept her arms crossed and her eyes on his face.

The Lord reached into his trunk, took out a pocket watch, and looked at the time. He closed the lid of the trunk and placed the watch on top, when a little light from a torch outside made the watch shine. Olympia marveled at the beauty of the timepiece.

The old piece seemed worn, but still held a shine. Olympia wandered over to the trunk, admiring the watch face and noticing it was pristine, with no trace of dirt. Her Grandfather had a pocket watch like this one. She loved pocket watches. In her opinion, they were one of those attractive things every gentleman needed to carry. Trying not to breathe, she wanted to listen to the magical tick-tick-tick marking each second. They reminded her of how life would pass, regardless of her decisions.

Is it bronze or gold?

For the moment she forgot where she was and what had happened. She gingerly picked up the watch to look closer. It was encased in metal with a glass face. There was an intricate vine carved on the metal, over and around the glass. As she admired the design, much to her surprise, the metal covering opened. The piece had the most exquisite hands moving so delicately against a black-on-white watch face.

Tiny numbers adorned the outer edges of the watch face, and on every quarter hour line there was a mystical symbol. Each time the second hand passed over the mystical marking, it shined red. With gentle hands, she touched a dial on the side, noticing it also had another button below it. Olympia closed the metal covering.

Carefully, she turned the watch over and found a ‘W’ engraved centrally on the back. The W was adorned by a wolf with tiny rubies for eyes, standing on his hind legs, with his front paws on top of the W. Olympia had only seen one similar watch in her life. It was her mother’s father’s pocket watch, but his watch had an S for Skylar on it, with a stag carved around the S. Olympia smiled at the lovely memory of her beloved grandfather.

The old man had given her and her younger cousin, Ultima, a new doll every year for their birthdays. They shared a birthday date. Many years back, when the revolution happened in Albria, her family had to run for their lives, but she never found out what had happened to little Ultima or her parents. Olympia was deep in her musings when Lord Wolfson spoke again.

“You appear to like my watch,” Lord Wolfson said, a small query in his voice. Olympia jumped, placing the watch back where she found it.

“Yes, my grandfather had one similar to yours.”

“My watch has been in my family for generations. It was my many-greats grandfather’s. He gave it to his son, and so it has gone down the line of generations until my grandfather owned it. He gave it to my father when he married my mother. My father gifted it to me when I married my wife, Leonora. One day, I will pass it on to my eldest son, Ivan, on his wedding day. It’s a family tradition.” He took the watch, placing it back in his trunk.

“It only has one wolf on the back of it. Why is that, and who made it?”

“Only one Wolfson goes to war when we are called. A friend of the family made it for the first Lord Wolfson.”

“One is such a lonely number.” Olympia gave him a sad smile.

“I must think what to do with you. Having you in my company of men is a nightmare I don’t want.”

“Well, I have many skills. Some might be beneficial to you, but my specialties are languages and mathematics. I am an intellectual.” Olympia said walking to the tent’s entrance and looking around outside.

Lord Wolfson quickly pulled her back inside the tent, closing the tent’s entrance. “Please, you must stay inside the tent,” said Lord Wolfson. He sat in his chair and took off his boots, then leaned forward, elbows on knees and pressed his eyes with the ball of the palm of his hand. Olympia thought she saw a smirk developing under his mustache and beard, but when he looked up, she only saw a frown.

He raised his arms, stretching his back, then sat back. He relaxed his arms on his lap, and closed his eyes. His tired body resembled a knackered working horse.

Olympia could hear him mumbling something.

Is he praying? Oh, I am with a prude!

She could not believe her ears. It was fine by her, if he didn’t want an Exotic. In the end, she was going to find a way to escape. She starting moving toward the tent entrance again. She needed to return to Palermo. The lifestyle of living in tents was not for her. The best Exotic in the entire city of Nolia had a standard of living and this was not it.

“Please,” she heard him say, “stay inside the tent.” She wondered how he even knew she had moved since his eyes were closed.

She turned her back to the tent flaps and looked back at him. Galivanting through the wilderness with a prude, Lord of nothing, would not become Olympia’s new lifestyle. She was an intelligent woman, returning home should be an easy task.

CHAPTER 3

Life Changing Occurrence

With her back to the entrance, Olympia stood watching Lord Wolfson as he finished his prayer. Taking a deep breath, he leaned down and removed his socks. Once barefoot, he walked past her to the entrance, stuck his head out, and shouted. “Olsen, come in here.”

A few minutes later, a blond man walked into the tent. “Yes, my Lord,” said the man.

“This here is my new mistress, Miss Olympia Tasatsu.” Lord Wolfson pointed at Olympia.

“No, it’s Olympia Takatsu!”

“Take Miss Olympia to Cook for some supper. She must be hungry. Take her to Tony, the healer. Have him give her something for her burned wrist and those rope marks on her arms; make sure Tony helps her with all her injuries. Provide her with water to wash, and give her a new pair of pants, a shirt, anything she needs to travel with us,” said Lord Wolfson.

“The Miss will need a better pair of traveling boots. Those look too big for her,” said Olsen.

“Yes, get her a new pair of boots and a warm coat. Make sure she has the clothing she needs before bringing her back. If you encounter any problems, come directly to me. Keep the men away from her. Do you understand?” asked Lord Wolfson.

“Yes, my Lord,” said the tall man.

“Go with Olsen, but do not talk to anyone in my camp,” he said, looking directly at Olympia. “Olsen, have Tony come over. I need him to heal my hand.”

Olympia left with Olsen. He had long, dark blond hair, caught up in a ponytail. He wore his gray shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing his tattoos that revealed he was a two-handed-sword warrior and a battlemage from Alhambra. That alone, was a curiosity for Olympia since in Alhambra mages were few. Add to that, battlemages never worked as personal assistants to a Lord.

How could an Alhambra mage be working for a Yakutan Lord? Curious!

Olsen’s dark green eyes followed her every move. His body appeared odd to her, because his back, arms, and neck seemed bulky for his trim waist. He led her to a big cart full of things hidden under a tarp, but although there was space to enter the tent-like structure, there was room for only one person to walk around. A man rummaged inside it whistling.

“Hey Tony, step out here,” said Olsen.

“What ya doing?” said Tony from inside the tented cart.

“I’m fine, but do you have any salves or ointment for burns?”

“What? Ya got burned in the raid?” asked Tony in his Yakutan-Parshtishi accent.

“Nah, I only got some scrapes, nothing major. It’s the Boss’s new mistress. She just got branded, and she’s got rope burns on her arms too.”

“What? The Boss got a mistress! Since when does our commander let women into his camp?” asked Tony, poking his bald head out of the tented cart.

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. It’s not my business. Lord Wolfson saved my life twice, so I will serve him until the day I die without question,” said Olsen.

“Woe—Woe, I’m just asking. I’ll get the salve.” Tony shook his head while going inside the tarped cart. He searched around, and stepped out with a small bottle in his hands.

“Olsen, could he give me something for a headache? My head feels like it is splitting in two,” said Olympia. Tony gave her a curious look that made Olympia think of a scolding teacher. Tony went back to hunt some more.

“Hurry, Tony, it’s late, and she still needs to eat,” said Olsen.

“Alright, alright, give a man a chance,” shouted Tony from inside the tarp. After a minute, he stepped out.

“Here ya go. This salve is for the burns. This powder is for the headache.” Tony gave a little green bottle and a small pouch of powder to Olsen.

“What does she need to do with this?”

“She needs to add the powder to her warm tea, stir it well, then drink it all. Have her add some honey to her tea. The powder is quite bitter. The powder will help with the headache. For her wrist and arms, she must wash the burned area with clean wuata and soap. Once the area is cleansed, using clean hands, she can apply a little of the salve on the burns. She needs to keep the area clean. Use it until the area is healed. Ya hear me?” asked Tony.

“Thank you, Tony. Also, the boss needs you to go to his tent. His hand needs healing. Please don’t tarry. Lord Wolfson’s hand looks infected,” said Olsen.

“I’ll go to him in a minute,” said Tony. He went to fumble again inside the crowded cart. Olsen handed the green bottle and pouch to Olympia.

“You heard what Tony said. You must follow his instructions.”

“Olsen, what is wuata’?” asked Olympia and Olsen chuckled.

“It’s water. Tony has a peculiar way of talking. He is a good man, though.”

Olympia took what Olsen gave her; and placed them inside her pants pocket.

After they left the area of the healer’s cart, they walked to the communal eating area. The aroma of roasted chicken made her mouth water. Olsen made her a plate of chicken breast, bread, and roasted corn. He poured a large cup of tea and added a generous portion of honey, and then led Olympia to an area away from the men to eat. He stood by her side. Olympia sat by herself and ate all her food—the first meal Olympia had all day.

She added the powder from the pouch to her tea and stirred it well so the honey would hide the flavor, exactly as Tony had instructed. Olympia drank it all and hoped the powder would help with her headache. Once she finished eating, Olsen took her plate and gave it to Cook’s assistant. They walked to the other side of the camp, where they found water barrels. He took three huge leather skins and filled them with water.

“Here, Miss, these three water skins should be enough for you to wash.” Olympia took one skin of water, and Olsen carried the other two. As she walked through the camp, the men were eyeing her, and some even gave her lascivious looks, but they carried on walking until they reached another man who appeared to be buried under a cartload of items.

“Hey Timo, where are you, man?” called Olsen.

A huge man, as tall as a mountain, was organizing things inside several enormous trunks, but with only his right arm and hand, as his left were missing.

“What ya need, Mage?” asked Timo with his head in a trunk.

“Will it kill you to call me by my name?”

“Yar is a mage; besides, I can’t remember names. So, what ya want?” asked Timo.

“Would you find me the smallest pair of pants you have, a new small shirt, small undergarments, a pair of the smallest boots, and a small wool coat?”

“What ya dressing, a child?” Timo finally lifted his head out of the large trunk to take a look.

“What in all the red fires of hell is a wench doing in camp? Get her out of here. Don’t let the Boss see her. Lord Wolfson will have yer hide, if he finds ya with her. Ya know wenches are not allowed in camp!” said Timo.

“Miss Olympia is the Boss’s new mistress. And don’t you start. I am sure Lord Wolfson will explain her presence to us later.”

“Oh hell, this will be a pain in the arse. These men haven’t had a woman in over a year. The Boss better hide her good. Although Lorna, Beni, and Willow are female, they are master battlemages. They can light up to hell the arse of any man, big or small. The three of them have served with the Boss since his years at the Academy, but her! She looks like a helpless kitten.” He took a breath and almost as an afterthought, asked “But why are ye with her?”

“The Boss order me to care for her needs,” said Olsen.

“Best of luck to ye,” said Timo.

“Just give me what I need; I don’t have all day,” said Olsen. Timo passed all the things to Olsen.

“Here, Miss, a change of clothing; let’s take you back to Lord Wolfson’s tent. I think it’s best for you to wash in his tent. Here, you carry your clothing and I’ll carry the water.” Olsen led Olympia back to the tent. Olsen called out to his commander before entering the tent. They found Lord Wolfson reading a book, sitting on his chair in nothing more than his pants. Admiring his hairy chest, sizable muscles, and several scars, Olympia found him sexy.

“You are back fast. Did you do all I asked?” Lord Wolfson looked at Olsen expectantly, who simply nodded affirmative.

“Olsen said it was best for me to wash in your tent, and I agree.”

“Yes, agreed. The other lords let street walkers tag along in their camps. Not me; I don’t want any distractions. My men are mages and warriors, here to do a job, not lie with women of the night. Olsen, tell Tonka, Logan, and Warren to bring my tub in here,” said Lord Wolfson.

Olsen left the tent, to return a few minutes later with three other men carrying a metal tub. The men entered the tent, placed the tub in the middle, and left. Olympia stood behind with the three skins of water, no soap, and with no towel for her to dry herself.

“My Lord, I need a few things to wash,” said Olympia.

“What do you need?” he asked.

“Do you have a bar of soap and a towel?” Her unpleasant odor made her irritable, but she tried to be pleasant. Lord Wolfson went to search in his trunk. He took out a towel, a piece of soap, and gave it to her. He donned a shirt, and left the tent without another word.

Taking a deep breath, Olympia closed her eyes and began to relax.

Finally, a much-needed bath!

She poured two of the three skins of water into the tub, undressed, took the bar of soap and stepped in. Olympia shivered in the cold, but then breathed in the scent of the soap as she tried to lather. As expected, it was a low-quality soap which neither lathered well, nor had much of a scent at all. She shivered again as she poured some of the remaining skin of water over her body.

Olympia was accustomed to scented soaps and lotions. The whole thing was well beneath her usual level of care, but it was a bath. She had decided to keep quiet, and at the first opportunity, she would escape back to Palermo. Olympia rinsed the remaining soap off her body, took the towel, dried well, and dressed. Her burned arm hurt. So, she applied the salve to her burns. Her skin felt instantly better. A few minutes later, Lord Wolfson returned to the tent.

She eyed Lord Wolfson’s dark brown hair and it seemed that he kept it free from lice, so she decided to risk it. “My Lord, do you have a comb?”

He went back to his trunk again, and this time he took out a comb and passed it to her. Olympia combed her long black hair, braiding it afterward.

“Olsen, come back,” shouted the Lord from the tent’s entrance. Olsen was back within minutes.

“Take her dirty clothing and burn it. Also, take Miss Olympia far from camp to answer the call of nature. I don’t want the men near her.”

Olsen nodded. Olympia left with Olsen. He tossed her dirty clothing on the central pyre and took a torch. They walked far away from the camp, where Olsen found a secluded area in the forest for her.

“Hurry, do your thing,” said Olsen, stepping away. Olympia had never urinated outside, so it took her a few minutes to make her body respond. After she was done, she stepped back from behind the bush. She found Olsen playing with blue lighting in one hand.

“Does it hurt? I mean the lightning in your hand.” Olsen smiled.

“No, it feels good. Let’s go.”

“Lord Wolfson has the water-mage marking on his body. So, he is a mage, but is he a also warrior? Is everyone in this camp a mage?”

“Our commander is both a warrior and a mage. He commands the mages’ company in this battalion. Most of us here are mages, but he also has archers and a few regular soldiers,” said Olsen, as they walked back to camp. Olsen stopped near a group of men to give them some orders. Once Olsen finished talking, they walked back to Lord Wolfson’s tent. The men ogled her as she walked through the camp. She had never been surrounded by so many men.

When she entered the tent, she a saw the tub was full of bloodied water, and Lord Wolfson’s hair was wet. He combed his damp hair, and then stuck his head outside the tent to call out to his men.

“Tonka, Logan, Sheldon, come in here. Remove the tub from my tent,” shouted Lord Wolfson. Within seconds, the three men came in, and as the men took the tub out, they glared at Olympia. She felt like a ham on display.

“Where am I going to sleep?” asked Olympia. Her exhausted body ached, but her headache was going away. She had slept little the previous night.

“You will sleep here with me.” She was about to protest just as Olsen entered with a bag full of furs and another man joined him with a bag of linen. After the men left, Lord Wolfson made a pallet in the corner of his tent.

“I hope you paid close attention to what I just did. You need to learn how to make your own pallet.” Mollified, Olympia went to her pallet.

“Wait, before you go to sleep, I must do something.” Lord Wolfson came over to her carrying a large set of pliers which he used to cut the golden collar from Olympia’s neck. When the collar came off her neck, heat drained from her body. Her eyes watered. She had worn a collar for twelve years, but now it lay in pieces on her lap.

“I will give the pieces of the collar to Olsen,” said Matteo. Olympia could not take her eyes off the wretched broken loop.

“Now that this piece of shit is off you,” Matteo picked the collar and tossed it to the side, “I have a few things I must tell you.” She looked up at him expectantly.

“First, I don’t want to hear you are messing with my men. I gave orders to my men to stay clear away from you. And now I am giving you the same order. You must stay away from my men. I have three women in my camp. They may talk to you if they wish, but the female mages will be busy with their tasks, so I don’t want you bothering them when they are working.”

“Second, if you cause any of my men step out of line and I find them alone with you, I will kill the man, and I will kill you. Do you understand?” His emotionless face made Olympia nervous.

“Third, whatever task I give you to do, do not question it. Just, do it. Afterward, you report to me. I demand loyalty from my people. I protect my people when they are loyal, but I kill traitors. Do you understand?”

“Yes!” Olympia furrowed her brow.

“Good, now go to sleep,” said Matteo.

Olympia wanted to run away, punch the man, slice his neck, and hide, all at the same time. Her situation was vile. She turned to remove her clothing off.

“What are you doing? Get dressed, woman.”

“I can’t sleep with clothing on; it’s a hot summer’s night. It is uncomfortable for me to sleep with clothes on in the summer. Plus, I want the linens to stay clean,” said Olympia.

“Then you must get used to the idea of sleeping with your shirt and pants on every night. This is a camp full of men. Anyone can come into my tent and find you naked,” said Matteo.

“What about if I sleep in one of your long shirts? I can’t fall asleep, if I’m hot. I have been like this since I was a child. Please, I am tired and need to sleep tonight,” Olympia pleaded. Matteo went to search in his trunk, took out one of his nightshirts, and tossed it to her.

“Use this, but I don’t want to see you outside of the tent in your nightshirt. You must be clothed when outside at all times. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I promise.” After, he stepped out of the tent, she took the shirt to her face and sniff it. It smelled clean. She put on her nightshirt and went to sleep. Needing to relax, she repeated in her mind the names of the twenty-two sons and daughters of her master, Chicho, who often worked in the brothel. After that, she recited the names of the thirty-three grandchildren of her master. The repetition lulled her mind, and despite her tired body hurting, she fell asleep some way through the recitation.

CHAPTER 4

At Lord Wolfson’s Camp

When Olympia awoke, she felt like she had serviced four men in one night. She didn’t want to think of what had happened the day before, but those memories invaded her mind. Upon waking, the first thing she perceived was Matteo asleep on his pallet. Dawn was still an hour away, but she could hear the birds chirping and a little light from the fire shined through the entrance of the tent. Thoughts continued to flutter through her mind.

Oh, how I hate to be out in the open. I miss my room, my bed, and baths with oils; my goodness, how I miss my lotions. All this noise in the morning is going to be a problem. I’m expected to live in a tent from now on with a man who doesn’t like me and may kill me. I don’t have the safety of the brothel. This can’t get any worse.

Olympia remained on her pallet, but she needed to relieve herself. She was hurting, so she got up, got dressed, and peering left and right first, she stepped out of the tent. All was quiet at that early time in the morning. Most of the men had not awoken yet, so creeped out quietly. Out of nowhere, one of the guards came out. He grabbed her arm, startling Olympia.

“Where are you going? The Boss said to guard you,” said the young guard.

“I need to relieve myself,” said Olympia.

“Follow me.” The young man took her to a far distance from the camp and pointed at some shrubbery of prickly bushes.

“Do your business. Hurry, I don’t have all day,” said the young man.

Olympia stepped behind the bushes. Again, the same as the night before, she had difficulty relieving herself. “This is so undignified,” whispered Olympia to herself.

The young man watched her the entire time and it bothered her. She went over to the guard. “What is your name?” asked Olympia.

“My name is Palov.”

“Thank you, Palov; take me back, please,” said Olympia. Palov gawked at her from head to toe. He smirked, but he walked her back to her tent in silence. Lord Wolfson was already getting dressed when she entered the tent.

“Where were you?”

“I needed to relieve myself; or do I need your permission to do my natural business?” asked Olympia, eyeing Matteo.

“I don’t want you walking about my camp. You are to do your business and return to the tent as fast as you can.”

Matteo placed his hands together up, against his forehead and said a silent prayer. A few seconds passed. He raised his head as though looking at the sky, but his eyes remained closed.

“Olsen will be back, and he will take you to get your morning meal. Olsen is the only man in this camp you may ask for anything aside from me,” said Matteo. Without looking at her, he left.

Olympia wanted to throw a shoe at him, but her Exotic training took hold of her. She knew she had to keep calm. In the end, she was an Exotic; keeping calm was part of her trade. So, Olympia got undressed and laid back down to sleep.

Olympia woke some hours after Lord Wolfson had left the tent. She dressed quickly, and was trying to figure out how she could escape this rigid man with his absurd rules. They were not too far away from the town of Gael, the one where she had first arrived three days ago. In Gael, there was a train station, but how was she going to escape? Nothing came to mind. So, she left the tent to wait for Olsen outside, to start her day. She waited for almost an hour, but boredom overtook her, so she went to walk around and stretch her legs. After she passed the carts with the clothing, she found the water barrels. A man as tall as Olsen was there serving water.

“Hello, I am thirsty. Would you give me some water, please?” asked Olympia.

“Here you go,” said the man, giving her a wooden cup of water. His trade tattoo was visible when he served her the water. The man in charge of distributing water had a fire mage’s and hunter’s tattoos.

“You are Logan. The one that took the tub away. Does it take long to learn how to be a hunter?” asked Olympia.

“Miss, the Boss said never to talk to you. Please drink your water and return to his tent. Olsen should be there waiting for you.” Logan took the cup back and pointed to Lord Wolfson’s tent.

She left, looking back at the man.

“This lot really obey their master’s orders,” she whispered to herself. After walking around the camp for a few more minutes, drawing the attention of all the men. She got tired and returned to the tent. Olsen was waiting for her when she returned.

“Where were you? I’ve been here waiting for you. Master Wolfson will get angry with me if I don’t keep you company.”

“I was thirsty, and you were not here, so I went to get some water,” said Olympia.

“Next time, wait for me. I’ll take you to the water barrels. Now let’s take you to break your fast.” They walked through the camp. They arrived at the stock fire on the other side of the camp, where she met Cook.

“Hello, Cook, this is the Boss’s new mistress. She is to be with us from here on until we return home,” said Olsen.

“I saw her arrive here yesterday. Welcome to the company, young Lady,” said Cook.

“Thank you,” said Olympia.

“If you find her walking around, send her back to the commander’s tent,” said Olsen.

While they were talking, Timo, appeared, staring at Olympia from head to toe.

“She is a little thing. How is the commander going to keep this one safe?” asked Timo.

“Everyone is a little thing compared to you, Timo,” said Cook.

“And you must not engage her in conversation,” said Olsen.

“Yeah, the Boss explained her presence yesterday. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s a bad idea having her around,” said Timo.

“Mind your own business. The little thing was a gift from General Coldwell. You know how the Alhambra people are. They have fragile egos. Company excluded, huh Olsen,” said a woman with long red hair. She had braids with colorful strings attached to her hair. The woman had a fine scar which crossed from her left ear down her neck.

“Hello, I am Willow. I am one of the three female Master battlemages. I’ll give you fair warning to stay far away from the youngest of the men. The Boss will kill you if he finds you fraternizing with,” she paused, “well, all the men really.”

“Hello, Miss Willow; it is lovely to meet you. Yes, I understand; he has already warned me. What type of mage are you?” asked Olympia.

“Just call me Willow and I am a lightning mage.”

Willow, seemed like she could kill three men with her bare hands. She was enormous.

“Well, we are here for her meal,” said Olsen.

Cook served her some porridge, gave her a cup of tea, and they left to sit by the corner of the stock fire.

“You’d best eat quickly. The Boss doesn’t want you hanging around camp longer than necessary,” said Olsen.

Olympia had no reply. She ate her meal as fast as possible. Once finished, Olsen returned her to Lord Wolfson’s tent, where he left her alone. Olympia didn’t want to think about what life would be like in this camp.

Most of the men in the camp looked like boulders; if any of them wanted to assault her, there was nothing she could do. The thought made her nervous, but Matteo said she was safe. So, she undressed again and returned to her pallet, to sleep once more.

Sometime later, Matteo entered the tent.

“Woman, what are you doing sleeping? It is midmorning, not time for you to sleep.” Olympia sat up, startled. She woke from a dream of a castle with numerous trees and horses.

“I am an Exotic. We work during the night, and we sleep in the mornings. My body is used to sleeping until the midday meal. I can’t help it.”

“You need to get used to sleeping at night. Anyway, I have news. We are going to break camp today. We will be leaving early tomorrow.”

“Where are we going?” Olympia sat upright on her pallet.

“We are moving forward. The battalion is taking more ground in the Behui lands.”

“I have a request. I think it is best for me to learn how to defend myself. I don’t like how your men look at me,” said Olympia.

“My men will not get near you. I gave them an order, and my orders are always followed. Moreover, you will never be near the battlefield, so you don’t need to learn how to fight,” said Matteo.

“But why?

“Because I have no women warriors in my camp aside from three female master battlemages. You will not be near the battleground. The General’s camp stays behind, and so will you. The fighters go forward to fight, and the camp stays well back. You will be safe. My men are more than capable of fighting any mercenaries.” Matteo took his sword and was about to leave his tent when Olympia held his arm.

“Would you reconsider? I feel helpless. This situation is frightening to me. Besides, I need something to do.”

“Woman, listen to me. You have nothing to fear. My men and I will protect you. We are a company with a considerable number of mages, and I don’t foresee any problems along our way. A little later Olsen will give you something to do.” He tossed the maps he carried in his hands over his pallet to search in his trunk for something. Olympia took the time to read the map.

“Matteo, listen, please; I have another proposition. The town of Gael is where we traveled to when we arrived here in Behui. I read your map. We are not too far away from the town. Since you never wanted a prostitute, and now I am an imposition, would you consider returning me to my people?

“All you need to do is contact my owner once we’re in Gael. I know he will pay you for all my expenses. I can make it to Palermo on my own. I am sure my master will remunerate you handsomely for my return. I am very valuable for my master. My clients must arrange my time months in advance” Olympia said holding on to Matteo’s arm.

“Now you listen to me; the Trade Official erased the slave-tattoo placed by your previous owner. I took your collar away. You have my name and my crest on your left wrist. This mark is not a tattoo an Arcane Mage will take away. This brand was made by fire. You are not a slave anymore.”

“Are you sure?” asked Olympia.

“I am a mage, not a man of the law, but if a mark is not on you then it means you are free. You should be happy. I will treat you like family as long as you are with me. So, get used to the idea. You have a family, and you are not a slave anymore.”

“I have an Exotic-tattoo. That is my trade. My taxes are—” Olympia wanted to shout, but he interrupted her.

“Woman, enough! You are mine now, and as long as you are with me, I forbid you from practicing your Exotic trade. In this place, you are not a prostitute.” He eased her hand away from his arm. “And get dressed! What is it with you and being in a nightshift almost naked?” said Matteo, as he left the tent.

Olympia stood back, exasperated. This man didn’t understand how her trade worked. An Exotic had expensive taxes to pay. Her taxes were going to accumulate and he didn’t care. The worst part was all the free time she had, and nothing for her to do. She sat and stewed in her thoughts, paced the interior of the tent, and thought some more. A mage came later with her midday meal.

“Hello Miss Olympia. Olsen is busy so he sent me with your meal. Eat while it’s hot. I’ll come back later for the plate.” Logan was as brawny as Olsen.

Olympia ate her food. Thus far, she hated her new life. This was going to be one dull afternoon.

aaa

Olympia listened to the men breaking camp. She sat on the chair for a little while, but curiosity took the better of her. So, she went to comb through Matteo’s things and his trunk. He left it unlocked, so she opened it. In it she found the religious book Matteo was reading the day before and a second book of prayers.

They were the religious books of the Morai. Why would he be reading a religious book when he should be thinking of war strategy? Olympia could not understand him. So, she placed the book back where she found it. She had no interest in the religious practices of the Morai.

Olympia continued looking through Matteo’s belongings, where she found several shirts, pants, socks, and other items of clothing. The pocket watch wasn’t in the trunk. He must have taken it with him. Olympia searched for other books, but found no others. However, tucked in a corner of the trunk, she found a bag of gold coins.

This is my opportunity. I should take the coins, and at the first opportunity, run away. I can reach a town with a train station on my own and buy a ticket to Palermo.

But she heard a sound outside the tent. Someone was coming, so she closed the trunk and stepped away. She had to plan things out. After a few minutes went by and no one entered the tent, boredom took hold again. Olympia needed something to do, so she stepped outside and searched for Olsen. Men were everywhere, all working on dismantling the camp. She called to one man.

“Oh, excuse me, young man, I need help. Where can I find Olsen?” asked Olympia, but the man ignored her. She then spotted Logan.

“Wait, Logan, I need to talk to Olsen.”

“I’ll get him.” He nodded and ran away. A few minutes later Olympia felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Logan said you were looking for me. What do you need?”

“Do you have any books I could read or something I could do? I have worked all my adult life and I’m accustomed to being fully occupied, but with not a thing to do inside this tent, I am bored senseless.”

“I have a book you may read; I’ll bring it later. In the meantime, the Boss has several shirts that need mending. You can do that,” said Olsen.

“There’s one problem—I don’t know how to sew. Sewing is not one of my trades.” Olympia was insulted.

“Everyone knows how to sew. What are you talking about? Sewing, at least for mending things, is not a trade. It’s a life skill.”

“Well, I have never had to do it,” said Olympia.

“Follow me,” said Olsen, in an irritated voice.

Olsen entered Lord Wolfson’s tent, opened his trunk, took out a shirt, and tossed it to Olympia. He then reached back into the trunk and found a box, and from that box he found some thread and a needle. “Come, I’ll show you how it is done. Afterward, you can do it yourself,” Olsen said exasperated.

Olympia said nothing. She just looked at Olsen incredulously. Olympia had never done anything so beneath her station in life. Olsen sewed a patch on one shirt; then he gave a pair of socks to Olympia along with other items of clothing.

“You were an Exotic. So, I guess you learn fast. I have already shown you how to thread the needle and make stitches. In an hour of two, I’ll come back to check on you,” said Olsen, as he left the tent. Olympia wanted to scream. She didn’t want to sew. Sewing a man’s shirt was humiliating for her as an Exotic.

Olympia took a deep breath; she counted to ten in three different languages, then she walked back and forth in the tent for a little while. After some time, she calmed herself down and sat looking at the clothing. Taking a deep breath, she took the thread and needle and tried to sew the shirts. Olympia knew she wasn’t doing such a good job, but it was her first time with a thread and needle.

Time passed, when Olsen entered the tent, he had brought her some tea. He checked the work Olympia had done and said “Not bad. I’ll be back later for the cup.” He left her alone again.

Olympia had never had to repair anyone’s clothing. So, this gave her a renewed conviction to find a way back to Palermo.

aaa

Lord Wolfson didn’t return to his tent the entire day. The men worked diligently all day long. Day turned to night, and he appeared in the tent as dirty as a Nolia street urchin in the late afternoon.

“I need you to step outside and not re-enter until I call for you,” said Lord Wolfson. Olympia didn’t say a word. She stepped out of the tent, sat on a log, and waited. A few minutes later, three men brought the metal bathtub into the tent. This was followed by the same three men entering with buckets of water. Olympia could not believe what she was seeing. He was bathing and not asking her for help.

Once he bathed and the men returned to remove the bathtub, Lord Wolfson called Olympia back in. She entered and found the man dressed and reading his religious book.

This man is definitely a prude!

“Why didn’t you ask me to help you bathe?”

“I didn’t need your help,” said Matteo.

“I don’t understand. I am your sex slave, here for your service.”

“Didn’t you hear me the first time? You are part of my family. I do not own slaves. Woman, you don’t have the slave-tattoo. Why do you think I would ask you to help me?”

“I am an exquisitely trained Exotic. Aren’t you even a little intrigued about what I could do for you?” Olympia smiled at him.

“All my life, I have kept my promises. Those include the ones to my g-d. I already told you; I don’t use the services of Exotics or prostitutes. The moment you stop thinking of yourself as a prostitute, then I will consider seeing you as a possible mate.” He looked tired.

“Matteo, you make no sense to me.”

“I have said this to you before. You will not work as an Exotic. The General gave you to me. I branded you with my house crest, so I will treat you as I treat all the female members of my household—with respect and decorum.” Lord Wolfson went to his trunk and looked around in it.

“Here, if you want to know why I do the things I do, read this book. It will help you understand. Keep it safe. It belongs to my father. Now, go to sleep. We will have a long day tomorrow.” He handed the religious book to Olympia, removed his pants, and lay on his pallet.

Olympia did not believe him. She knew it was a matter of time before he would make use of her Exotic ways. All she had to do was wait.

aaa

Early the next day, Olympia was startled awake by a shake of her arm.

“Olympia, wake up,” said Lord Wolfson, leaving the tent door ajar. She got up, dressed, and stepped outside. Olsen was already waiting for her. He took her to relieve herself and, afterward, to break her fast as the men dismantled their commander’s tent. They finished breaking up the camp. When it was time to ride, Olympia followed Olsen. He fetched his horse and kept her company until Lord Wolfson approached leading his own horse.

Lord Wolfson mounted his horse and reached down to her. “Give me your hand,” said Matteo.

“What?”

“You will ride with me. We don’t have a horse for you. So, give me your hand and place your foot in the stirrup. Your wrist says you can ride horses.” Matteo continued to extend his hand to Olympia as he spoke, so she took his hand and did what Matteo asked. He pulled her up onto his horse.

She had ridden horses many times on hunts, and when young. Olympia loved horses, and Lord Wolfson’s stallion was majestic. Olsen had previously told her the horse was one of the Lord’s prized Takapian horses. They rode all morning, but Olympia started fidgeting and kept shifting her weight in the saddle. Her legs were cramping with the unaccustomed position.

“Woman, please stop moving. It is exceedingly uncomfortable to ride with another person in my saddle. You are crushing my balls,” said Matteo.

“I am sorry, my Lord. It is hot, and my legs are cramping, plus my back hurts. I’m just trying to get some relief for my achy legs.”

“I suppose you need to walk, if your legs ache,” he said, a slight note of exasperation in his voice. Matteo halted and dismounted before lowering Olympia from the horse. Afterward, he remounted, and called to the company to move on. He made her walk along with the others. Olympia’s legs felt like jelly after hanging for so many hours, but now she had to walk in the mud. But once she dismounted, she felt a little cooler. Not having a hot body behind her felt better.

Olympia stretched her legs and tried to keep up with the group, but her boots didn’t help. It rained the night before. The humidity made her perspire; sweat dripped into her eyes. The boots Olsen gave her got heavier with each step as they were sucked into the mud, making her feet hurt. Olympia followed the group, but she lagged.

A fine drizzle began to fall as she walked. It refreshed her from the heat, but also made it difficult for her to see. Carts kept passing her by, splashing mud as they passed. One moment Olympia was looking to the side, but the next thing she knew, she was on the ground on all fours. Muddy water splattered over her face and hair. Wincing when she tried to stand up, one man came running and picked her up as if she was a small child.

“Thank you,” said Olympia.

With rough hands, the older man held her tight and placed her on her feet. He made sure she stood up straight before speaking. “You’re welcome,” said the burly man.

“What’s your name?” asked Olympia.

“Oh, my name’s Flint. Are you hurt?”

“Yes, I hurt my ankle.”

“That’s no good,” said Flint.

“What is your job here? Have you served Lord Wolfson for long?” asked Olympia.

“I’m many things, but now I’m the smithy of the company. I have served the Wolfson family since the Boss was a cub.”

Olsen galloped past where Olympia stood toward his commander.

“My Lord, Miss Olympia fell and hurt herself,” shouted Olsen.

Lord Wolfson rode back to Olympia. When he arrived at Olympia’s side, he dismounted his horse and grabbed a skin of water from a side bag.

“Olsen, stop the men; let them take a break. What happened?” Lord Wolfson shouted as he went to stand next to Olympia.

“The little lassy fell hard. I think she needs the healer,” said Flint.

“Thank you for your help, old friend,” said Lord Wolfson. Flint nodded, stepping away.

“Here, drink, you look flushed. Also, take some water and splash your face. It will refresh you.” Matteo passed the skin of water to Olympia.

“Thank you.”

“Where does it hurt?” asked Matteo.

“My ankle,” Olympia said rubbing it.

“Olsen, call Tony and ask him to give her care,” said Lord Wolfson. He helped Olympia hop away from the road to sit on a log on the side of the path. Tony arrived soon after and went directly to help Olympia. He removed both her boots and checked her ankle and feet.

“Yo, Olsen! This little lady needs socks; these boots are far too big for her,” said Tony. Olsen nodded. Tony rubbed his hands until they shined green. He placed his hands over Olympia’s ankle and held them there for a short while. Afterward, he wrapped her ankle with a long piece of gauze. Tony gave her a section of clean cloth and a small skin full of water.

“Here, Miss, finish cleaning your face and hands,” said Tony. Once he was done, he packed his things in his bags.

“Thank you,” she said, Olympia.

Tony nodded, giving her a smile. “You’re welcome. Now make sure you wear socks with these boots. Put these leaves in your tea. It will help with any swelling that may come later,” said Tony. He picked up his things, leaving a pouch of leaves for Olympia’s tea.

“Wait here. I’ll get you socks from Timo,” said Olsen. Olympia cleaned her face and her hands the best she could.

Lord Wolfson listened to everything Tony had said. After Tony was gone, he knelt in front of Olympia.

“How are you feeling after Tony’s ministrations?”

“I feel much better.”

“Tony is an excellent healer. Listen, Olympia. I am sorry I made you walk. You are going to ride with me again. I’ll make a harness for my horse for you to rest your legs. Us Wolfson’s can be a little harsh at times, I’ll be better. Wait for Olsen to return, then come find me. I’ll help you mount the horse when you come back to me. We are leaving in thirty minutes.”

After he finished speaking, he stood up and left, not giving her a chance to respond. Did Lord Wolfson just apologize to her? Olympia could not believe it. No man had ever apologized to her. She was deep in thought when Olsen returned with a pair of socks.

“Here, Miss, these are new. I am sorry I didn’t think to get you socks before.”

“It’s fine. These look like they will keep my feet dry and warm. Thank you,” said Olympia.

“You are welcome,” he replied.

Olympia put on her socks and boots. Matteo helped her mount the horse when it was time to leave. He was as good as his word. He’d made a harness for her to rest her feet. She had never been with a man like him. What made him different? Nobles, for the most part, loved her talents in bed. They praised her skills, but that was the extent of the interaction. Lord Matteo Wolfson appeared to care about her. He seemed to care about everyone in his command. Olympia sat up straight in the saddle; she held on to the horse’s mane and thought about how her life had changed so drastically in just a few days.

 

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