A Matter of Conscious

A Matter of Conscious

CHAPTER I – Is Fear Grater than Love

Susan abruptly sat up. The tears streaming from her eyes reflected the pain she had just experienced. Could this all be real? Have I been so wrapped up in my own world that I had no room for another? The room was dark except for a single small candle on a lamp stand across the way. She couldn’t see the door and had no idea if she really wanted to cross the cold barren floor to open it. The last thing she remembered were the cries of a woman across the hall as she pulled her tattered blanket up around her neck. Warmth was a distant memory but she could always hope for its return as spring was just around the corner. Susan couldn’t remember when she’d eaten last, it’d be at least three or four days but hunger was the least of her worries right now. She listened to see if the door would be opened. Eventually all went silent and she felt she could relax for a bit.

Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow… she couldn’t remember the rest but was sure that with the morrow things would be better. She didn’t like it but the man across the way referred to her as Suzy Que. She had objected one time and received a back hand that sent her to the floor. Now she simply tried to stay away from him as much as possible. What was to become of her? Where would this all end? Was it possible to escape this rat hole or was she condemned to remain here the rest of her life?

Tomorrow was her twelfth birthday but she made sure not to mention it to anyone as she has heard and seen what happened to the others as they reached that age. Life was brutal enough without them realizing that she had attained the age where they thought she’d fetch a good price. She’d started growing in the upper torso so she always remembered to wrap a cloth, when she had one, and a rope when not around her so as not to show her physical development. It wasn’t much now but she feared that it would soon become noticeable. That was one thing she wanted to avoid as long as possible. Once the girl was sold, she was never heard from again and her imagination of what horrible things could have happened to them was beyond anything she could comprehend.

She pulled herself up into a ball and silently whimpered each time a noise would resound from another room. She peeked towards the window with its tattered drape and could see the first rays of light as they slowly proceeded across her room. She had to think that there must be something better but since as far back as she could remember she’d been locked in this room each night and sternly warned that any attempt to escape would be met with unspeakable punishment. She knew she would not be allowed to escape, yet the seeds of thought were becoming more prominent with each passing day.

Could I actually pull it off? She had been given it more thought as the days passed and, on this day, she determined that whatever was to happen to her would not be good if she didn’t take control and do something. Thus, was the beginning of a plan to escape and make an attempt at a better life. Susan made a mental list of the things she would need. Food would be an important part to insure she had the strength to lower herself form the third story window. A rope would be necessary to allow her to descend from the window and some sort of clothing to keep her warm during the chilly nights. She took inventory of the food available, there wasn’t much at all that did not get eaten. The rest was fed to the dogs after each meal. So, she starting gathering as much as possible so it wouldn’t be noticed. One time she thought she’d been caught as just after extracting a couple of crumbs from the dog bowl the dog came around the corner and growled, teeth baring, and sniffed her. Although she had a deathly fear of that monster, she slowly put her hand out and rubbed his forehead. He settled down and even nuzzled her. She didn’t wait around to see if he was going to eventually tear her to shreds or simply say “Nice.” And hurried back to her room.

She found that she was left alone for long periods of time, since she had been there the longest and had never raised a fuss. That little bit of freedom allowed her access to areas where others were forbidden. With that she was able to gather supplies and materials that she figured she needed to aid her in her escape. On her last night she took a cutting knife from the cupboard. She knew that it’s not be missed until the next day at breakfast and was determined that she’d be a long way away by that time. Measuring the length of rope, she collected it and knotted it a little at a time she dropped it over the edge for short had collected over time until she was sure she had enough she started her journey.

Planning a route of escape had taken several walks into the garden area pacing off the steps. She settled for the trees as they were the closest even though she would have to climb the fence. She just knew that going over, although it might prove harder would be best because she could do it in the shortest time. One problem though, she didn’t know what lie beyond the forest. What ever was to happen was not anything that she allowed herself to think about. She had even managed to steal a pair of trousers along with an old pair of boots. They were a little big but by stuffing some cloth in the toes she could manage.

Early that evening one of the girls screamed and attempted to make a break for it. As it turned out, a lot of attention was paid to the other girl and she was able to go to her room without questions. There was no moon that night and the clouds hung low overhead. It looked like it might rain and that gave second thoughts as to whether she should go or wait until a better time. In one brief tumultuous second, she made the decision, threw the rope over the side and proceeded. As she reached the end of her rope, she discovered that her feet were not touching the ground and she froze. How could I have misjudged it. I even had five feet extra to insure I had enough. Her heart sank as she felt the dog sniffing at her feet. Instead of barking he simply licked her toes. With that she decided to just let go and see what happened. Since the rope was doubled in length to allow her to grasp only one and pull the entire length to the ground, she soon found that her plan had worked. By looping it she was able to pull the entire rope down and wrap it around her elbow and hand and save it for future use. She handed the dog a couple of clumps of dog food and he took them as if he were a friend. Gathering up all that she had brought she made for the tree line. To her surprise the dog led the way as if he knew where he was going. When she reached the fence, she wasn’t sure exactly what she’d do next, until she saw the dog digging at the ground. As it turned out the dog had an escape route and was soon under and on the other side. He simply looked at her as if to say, come on we’ll do this together. Following his lead, she quickly slipped under and was on the other side. The monster, as she called him, swung his head around and without a sound made a bee line for the thick brushes. She followed obediently and soon they were in the thickets. Now she was glad that she had passed on some treats once in a while. They ran through the brambles dropped down into a raven and followed a trickle of water upstream for some distance.

As the daylight approached, she was feeling tired and decided that she could stop for a while to rest. The dog grabbed her by the arm and pulled. She didn’t understand why he wouldn’t let her rest but decided it might be best to follow him.

After a while she simply decided that she could go no more but the dog pulled her on. After only a few more yards he disappeared into a hole covered by brush. As she entered, she knew why he’d insisted on continuing on. Had she stopped any sooner her pursuers would have had her. She placed her head on her make shift pack as he sat silently in front of the entrance.

CHAPTER 2

A New Experience

Opening her eyes, she could see a blur that seemed to move. It was frightening as she thought surely, she’d been found. Mentally she braced herself for the beating that was to come. How foolish I was to think I’d get away so easily. She thought as she braced herself for the unavoidable events to happen next. To her surprise she could see the dog just lying there quietly. Traitor! Her mind called out as she saw him. I thought he was on my side. It was then that she realized that the person grasping her arm was being gentile. He slowly picked her up and offered to brush off the debris from her frock. Can this possibly be? Can I actually be being assisted? Once more her mind was filled with questions that she had no answer for.

“We’ll get you to a warmer place and perhaps you’d like something to eat.” Now she was beside herself not knowing what next would happen. She was being accompanied by two boys, one seemed to be older than her and the other not much older than that of a toddler.

“Benny came while you were asleep and told us you’d be here. He’s been a guardian of the orphans for sometime now. You’ll grow to like him, if you don’t already.” She said nothing as they walked down the path. Once they dove into a nearby grove to avoid being spotted by another passerby. On another occasion, they simply walked straight up and smiled without saying anything. When she attempted to question him about that he simply replied that she would understand in due time. The older boy had her slip in by the way of a back door and signaled to be extremely quiet. Three others stood at the door, their look, with mouths gaping open said nothing but shook her hand.

“I’m Mathew, this is Mark, Luke and Jon and the small fry that’s with me is Paul. We’ve done this before so don’t be shy.” One of the younger boys brought her a picture of warm water and said

“Here, wash up and we’ll give you a change of clothing.” The others stood there for a moment then Mathew told them to leave and they could meet him after he had a chance to wash. After they left, he told her to go ahead and get undressed. She turned so as not to expose herself, moved to a dim lighted corner and slowly pulled down her dirty tattered pants.

“Need some help?” He questioned, as he took her by the shoulder and spun her around. His eyes dropped to the floor as he backed away in shock.

“You’re a girl! I didn’t know.” She grabbed the clean shirt and held it up before her.

“Yes” she replied. “But please don’t tell the others!” She pleaded. She knew how little the males placed a value on females and didn’t want to be shunned by the others and worst of all the adults.

“Don’t worry.” He replied, “I’ll get mom to provide help. Just stay here.” With that he departed and left her to get dressed. In a short time, he returned with his mother and closed the door with him on the outside.

The lady held out her arms and said

“Don’t be frightened my dear. Mathew will not tell the others and I’ll help you get adjusted.” All she could do was to sob as she fell into the outstretched arms of the lady.

“We’ll get you a place to sleep for the night and tomorrow we’ll figure this all out. Right now, we’ll go to the kitchen and I’ll get something for you to eat. I’ll bet it’s been a while.” As they headed that direction the other four boys crowded in wanting to ask questions. Their mom said the boy was very tired and hungry and they would gather after breakfast tomorrow and she would explain the whole thing.

“How come he can’t sleep with us?” one of the boys asked.

“Because he’s very tired and you boys are too rowdy. He’d not get an ounce of sleep with all your questions.” That put an end to the questions as they simply lowered their heads. Mom didn’t speak sharply very often, but when she did, they knew the conversation was over. Finally, young Paul stomped one foot and replied “Ah, shucks.” With that he turned and followed the rest out of the room.

“You get something to eat and have a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow we’ll set this all straightened out.”

Jo, the name given to her by the mother, simply nodded her head and placed herself in the lady’s arms again. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had spoken to her in a friendly caring voice.

“Thank you.” She whispered.“Thank you for caring for me.” The tears streamed down her cheeks and she fell to sleep dreaming wondrous thoughts.

The next morning, she met the father who told her to call him uncle Mathew and added that she shouldn’t tell anyone else that she was a girl as the authorities were looking for a girl who had escaped form the orphanage. After a bit of discussion, they called in the whole family.

“We’ve been blessed with an addition to our family.” He started. “But!” his voice was emphatic and low. “We’ll not tell anyone about it yet.” The boys looking on questionably simply paid attention as the father laid out the plan. It seems that he and his wife had wanted a girl child for some time now and Jo, actually short for Josephine was to be her new name. “You see, she is a girl. We’ve worked out a plan to make sure the authorities don’t know that she’s here and in two weeks we’ll announce that our niece is coming to live with us. I’ll put her on the train in another town and we’ll all be there to meet her when she arrives. After that you can acknowledge her arrival and she will live with us permanently.

`“A girl?” Mark stated with a disappointed look on his face. “Yes, a girl.” His dad replied. Luke and John had both been brought into the family from orphanages so they were sympathetic to the plan. They knew of the hurt that occurred in those homes and how much a real family meant. From that moment forward she called him Uncle Mathew and his wife Aunt Mary. It was all settled and she was to become a member of the family.

For the first time in her life Josephine Sue was going to bed happy. Her feet were warm and the dog was laying at her feet. She couldn’t think of a way that things could be better.

They had pulled off the ruse completely and she was sure she was now free of the authorities. As she attempted to roll over, she found herself being pulled from the bed. A gruff voice that she’d determined was somewhere in the far distant past was calling her an unmentionable name and cuffs were placed on her hands and feet. When her uncle tried to object, he was met with a violent punch to the stomach and just for good measure kicked in the ribs. What’s happening? was all she could think of how could such a good thing go wrong in such a short order.

As they hauled her off, she heard her new mom calling out in tears and asking how this could possibly happen. Next after a short ride, one that seemed forever, she found herself back in the orphanage shackled to a bed.

“You’re my property little miss Suzy Que and I determine what to do with you.” He was a cruel master and as it worked out had already accepted money for her sale. When she ran, she caused an uproar and disrupted his sales scheme.

“You cost me a lot of money and now you’ll pay for your crimes.” He had the authorities on his side and it seems he had an arrangement with the local constable. Now she was going to pay for her selfishness. It took several weeks and promises to preform for the guards before she was able to get any information about her newly adopted family. The two sons Luke and John had been captured and returned to their former orphanage and the three other sons were placed in a temporary home away from their parents. The Father was tried and sentenced to six years in a dungeon for black marketing the children and the mother was left destitute. When she finally found out what happened it was too late to help.

The second son Mark, had told the authorities about her. It turned out that he felt slighted as he was the second oldest and found himself in third then fourth place when Luke and John were accepted into the family and finally when Paul was born he was pushed even closer to the edge of hate based on the attention paid to the new baby. When Jo arrived and was treated as the long-lost daughter that the parents had always wanted, it sent him over the edge.

Determined to gain her freedom she wormed and connived her way and did whatever it took to attain the trust of the new master. He wasn’t as hard as the original brute that had kept her for the first several years, but she was still a slave. Besides she was tagged as soiled merchandise and wasn’t nearly as valuable as she once was thought to be. She was placed in the hands of another slave who was to teach her the ways and desires of the new master and she learned quickly how to insure he drank entirely too much so he wouldn’t molest her. It took a long while to gain some amount of trust but she kept her eyes open continually for a method of escape. Over time she managed to acquire several lengths of rope, a dagger, some food supplies, and a marginal amount of material for clothing. She managed to place several pairs of shoes in various spots both inside and outside of the castle and even stole and stashed some money. It wasn’t very much but every little bit helped. Just as she thought she was making some real progress she was called into the master’s private quarters and confronted with certain items that she had stashed away.

“Just what do you think I am? An amateur school boy whom you can play like a fiddle and slide away from my home?” He was furious and Jo knew she had been caught in an unforgivable situation. “Yet,” he said I’ve always had a fondness for you and will forgive you if you lay with me tonight and promise not to try it again. Enraged by his offer she spouted back,

“I am your slave and you may do with me what you will but, I will never come to you willingly.” He sat back on his throne, rubbed his chin and commanded.

“Ten lashes and back to the dungeon.” The lashes were never carried out as one of the guards that was sweet on her pretended to do it. To ensure that all knew that he had followed commands, he had her yell and scream each time the whip cracked. Later she had a chance to thank him for his kindness and knew if anyone ever found out that she would be lashed twice as hard and he would probably be put to death. Even though enemies met enemies and some betrayed their brethren she knew that they would always have a common bond.

Chapter III

The Cat and the Mouse

Once more she was brought before the master and told that she would obey his every whim. In defiance, without a hint of disdain coming from her lips she simply replied,

“You are the master and I am your object. You may do with me as you will. I will perform what ever you command. I ask you to consider this though, you have great works of art and marble statues standing in the hall. They are yours to do with as you please yet you require no affirmation of allegiance from them. They are things, as am I, so you are within your rights to do what you will. The only difference is that I am expected to voluntary submit myself to you. Yet I am no different than anything else that you own.”

Her lips quivered as she spoke as she didn’t know what type of a response she would get. Probably more lashings, but she didn’t care. She felt her life was over and she would never be accepted as anything but a slave. Much to her surprise he simply waived his hands in dismissal and had her returned to another chambers.

She had been quartered with other female slaves but this room was much nicer except she was all alone. Perhaps I’ll meet my end today. Perhaps I’ll not see the morrow, but none the less, there is nothing here for me so whatever happens is of no consequence. She wasn’t sure if it was the ultimate of despair or, at least in her own mind, indifference to what ever was to happen next. She didn’t try to analyze it and had no plan further than living if possible, long enough to escape or die trying. She remained there for several days without so much as a soul entering. She had time to think and thought perhaps he’s forgotten about me. Perhaps I’ll be able to find a way to escape unnoticed. She didn’t have much hope about that but couldn’t help thinking about it.

One day without notice, several maddens arrived and informed her that she was to be bathed and dressed for the master to receive her. She resolved to follow whatever instructions that she received as she knew she had no alternative. She was presented to the master and he simply sat there looking at her as she stood before him.

“So, you are no more than an object and I am your soul owner.” His voice reflected a mirthful attitude and that surprised her. She had braced herself for a stern rebuke and felt she would have received it with a firmer resolve than the reception she was now experiencing. I wonder what he’s up to, how does he intend to trick me? She decided that she could also play that game so with a seductive voice she asked

“What is it my master desires of me?” He responded

“That you dine with me and perhaps sing one of your lovely songs.” She did like to sing but never thought of her voice as lovely.

“Perhaps you have a favorite.” She continued, not really knowing where to go with all of this.

“We’ll speak of it later, right now I would have you dine with me.” He clapped and the ladies in waiting came in with a large selection of venison and other things to adorn the table.

“Please sit.” His tone was more of a request than a command. It threw her off her stride so she simply sat and partook of the meal. After a bit he started up a conversation asking how he could better serve her and would she be happier to be with the harem or did she like her present arrangements. She was always careful in her response and her replies were short so as not to place herself in a position that may prove non-beneficial. After the meal he motioned that she may be dismissed if she was of a mind to so grabbing at the opportunity she returned to her room. Now what was that all about? Her mind wondered as she contemplated the latest events. If he had wanted her, he simply had to take her and if not then why all of the games. Finally, she struck upon a thought that he had been toying with her. Perhaps he wanted to see how far he had to go in order to lure her into his trap. A cat and mouse game. She concluded, he had very carefully and cleverly laid a trap to get her to the point that she would simply give herself to him. Not so fast, she told herself. Two can play that game. I can take him to the point that he will be wanting to desire me, not as a plaything but as a woman. She wasn’t sure how far she could take it but was determined to try. In the mean time she would continue to collect things she’d needed. Then she would make her break.He called for her on several occasions and they relaxed and spent time together. He never pressed her but always left the invitation open. She, on the other hand always seemed to be able to pull up short by reminding herself that she was simply a possession and not really someone to be seduced. She found that it was harder and harder to avoid his grandiose ways and was feeling perhaps he had something real and she might not be able to overcome it. Then one evening after he thought that she had left she heard him talking to one of the servants.

“I think I’ve got her now. Another session or two and she will give herself to me. Once I’ve accomplished that I can dispense with this nonsense and put her back in her place. Josephine was infuriated at the thought and resolved that she would not be a mouse in his trap. With that in mind she started detailed planning on how she would manage to escape.

Chapter IV

The long road Home

She felt that it would take several weeks to position herself so that she could go unnoticed until the dawn but was surprised at how quickly she was able to attain all what she needed. On one occasion she overheard that the master was sending a small contingency ahead to Parco dei Castelli. The princess there was to wed the master. The arrangements had been made and this act would solidify the bond between the countries and provide protection for his northern border. The master called her in and said that she would be moved into other servants’ quarters. She responded in a most pleasant way and during the conversations with his guards found that he was providing an escort. She simply wondered aloud if the princess was fluent in the language.

“I’ve never given that a thought.” He spoke as if to himself. “But no matter she will learn quickly enough. I’ll teach her!” He was quite pleased with himself.

“Oh, that is wonderful.” She replied I did not know the master spoke the Parcoian language. “Well he admitted.” I do not.

“Perhaps I can offer a thought to be considered. I speak both languages fluently and can teach her during the return trip. I’m told will be at least three to four weeks long.” The master replied

“And just what are you angling at?” he responded with a hint of devil in his eye. “Your lord” she replied, “you have been so good to me since my arrival I’d be a fool to cross your majesty. All I ask is that perhaps you will remember me with kindness. Have I not given of myself willingly?” “No” he replied but it’s been fun winning you over. You have been there before?”

“No my Lord”, she lied feeling pretty sure he would have no way of knowing. “You see many of the orphan females were from that region and I always made it my business to learn as much as possible so that I would be in the position to assist when the need arose. He didn’t seem to dwell on it very long and then flipped his hand away which was the signal for her to leave.

Later that afternoon he called for her. This was not unusual as he had sent for her often and although it was always his idea, she was pleased that he took her advice.

“You will accompany the princess on the return journey and teach her the basics so things will run more smoothly.” She was happy that he thought of it as she saw it, as a way to afford her some three weeks before they arrived back and by that time she would be long gone. She knew that he would be infuriated but convinced herself that with a new bride he would not spend a lot of time trying to track down a single worthless slave. After all slaves ran away all the time and his guard caught many more than he lost. She spent a lot of time buttering up the guards on the way over and felt everything would be as she planned and she congratulated herself for being so clever. Since she spent most of the trip in seclusion, she felt that most of the guards would not be able to identify her and that would make it so much easier as it might be two days or more before they missed her. By that time, she would be long gone and it would be another several weeks before the master got the word and sent a reply. Josephine just knew by that time she would be hundreds of miles away, and spending time and money in worthless pursuit was highly unlikely. One thing she did not count on was the last night before they were scheduled to arrive the captain of the guard had her cuffed and chained to the carriage. She frantically appealed to him that he had no reason for locking her down.

“I need not explain myself to a slave girl but the master placed me in charge and made it very plain that if you were to escape, I’d better go with you. Since I enjoy my service as a captain, I’m not going to chance it that you might take it in your head to attempt to run. Her heart sank and all the visions of freedom were erased from her. Early the next morning she was unshackled and assigned a guard. His orders were explicit, if she ran, he died. The crow cocked and the morning session was set in place. When the princess arrived, she was vial-ed and went directly into her carriage. Jo thought that odd as it wasn’t like a princess to act so seclusive. At first chance she approached the reserved section of the camp and asked permission to speak with Princess Mariana. Feeling devastated that she had been so shackled just when she was about to make a break, she introduced herself.

Sometimes things that seem to stomp a plan into a million pieces turn with the wind and she was once more hopeful that her time had come. Princess Mariana did speak both languages and was desperately looking for a way to escape this marriage. She had fallen in love with a commoner and was whisked away to insure she never met him again. She too had a plan that had been thwarted at the last moment and was desperate to try anything. Josephine spoke to her about her plans and together they formed an alliance to escape. They knew that they couldn’t trust even her servants as they served under the same threat that the guard did and didn’t wish to lose their heads. They arranged to travel for three days to insure they were far enough from her castle. Princess Mariana would exercise each day to obtain the strength that she would need for the escape.

The third night proved to be a god send as the moon was new and the mist hung low over the entire camp. About three in the morning Jo quietly shook Mariana and whispered “Time to go.” The princess yawned and stepped quietly toward the edge of the camp. She was challenged but had already had a plan so she simply informed him that she had to use the privy. He stated that he would turn his head but he would not leave her as he would lose his life. After a short time, she returned and went back to the tent. After dousing the lamp, she managed to slip under the back side of the tent and they were off. Jo had good knowledge of the land and knew they would be in for a hard climb. She had informed the princess and cautioned her to wear boot type foot wear to insure she didn’t cut her feet in the escape. They traveled until day break and stopped in a covered cavern where Josephine had stayed one time before. She cautioned Mariana to keep silent and that they would stay there until night fall. The next several days they traveled in the thick of night and slept at stops that Jo had used so long ago. They seemed to make good time and much to her surprise some food stuff was stowed in some of the caves. It seemed that it was an escape rout for several people and although they couldn’t have a fire the were able to eat some of the briskets and pick barriers along the way. Jo did reflect on how she felt sorry for the guards as they most probably had been put to death for allowing them to escape, but their fate was sealed.

Just when she figured they were far enough away so they could light a fire to gain some warmth she heard noise that sounded like people and dogs.

“No fire again tonight.” She said. She took a wide branch and used it as a broom to cover their tracks. Taking a rabbit that she had caught and thought they would eat, she brushed the tracks up to a steep incline then threw their supper as far as she could up the embankment. She knew that it would cover their tracks and they would be afforded the opportunity to retreat further back into a cave that she had found. They had only gone a short way when they encountered a babbling brook. “This is good.” She told the princess. “We can travel downstream in the water and no dogs could track us if we are careful. They stayed in the center of the stream so as not to touch any rocks or any other thing that they might encounter. They followed the path for what seemed to be miles.

After about three hours they encountered a large cavern where the brook filtered into a lake. At the other end the stream continued but split off in two directions. Jo decided that they were probably safe for the time being so they stopped and opened some of the crumpets that she had gathered. The ceiling was almost as if the top had been lifted and she thought they could see stars. After they set up a temporary shelter they decided to rest for the remainder of the night. The trek had been hard and not knowing what they might encounter next, she decided they might need their strength when they continued.

The cat and mouse game went on for three days. Every time they felt they could relax another sound would echo through the night and they would cut their rest period short. Jo was caught up in the idea that they should circle the pursuers and lay traps. She explained that they could use the local stink weed to confuse the dogs and the itch plants to cause those who followed a good deal of discomfort. The princess didn’t like it as she felt sorry for the poor dogs. She said nothing about the men.

On the ninth day, as they approached a knoll and felt that they had achieved some security they were captured. Jo was immediately cuffed, hands behind her and the princess was escorted to a carriage. Jo, being thoroughly confused couldn’t fathom how this occurred.

“We’d been so careful; I just can’t figure how they managed to catch up to us.”

“She sold you out!” came a contemptuous reply.

“After all we shared during our attempt?” Now she really was confused. How could it be true that the princess that she had come to admire actually turn on her.

“Because you’re just a peasant and she is royalty.” Again, the guttural venom spewed from the lips of her attached partner. “This isn’t the first time she’s gone off. She gets a kick out of torching others. I can show you at least three others who were in the same situation as you.” Jo’s heart was at its lowest point ever. The one and only time in her life she placed herself into a trusting relationship it had been with a flighty self-centered immature brat and it cost her freedom and possibly her life. Yet, somehow, she had to admit that she let herself be taken in.

“I’ll never know if I’ll ever get anther chance, but if I do, I’ll take her down with me.” Despair turned to bitterness and bitterness to a plan for reprisal. Not much could be done about it for now as the chains were heavy and the thrashings were frequent. With every lash, she would stiffen her resolve to retaliate.

The days dragged on to months and then three years had passed. Of the twenty-three females who were imprisoned with her only seven survived. Most simply allowed themselves to wither away out of despair. She and her six companions formed a pack to insure they would one day make them, her in particular, pay for their crimes. Scrutiny over this group was intense at first and eventually wore off as the guards were replaced and the new ones were mostly young, not battle tested and held no particular animosity toward the seven. The princess had long forgotten them and their morbidity decreased to the point that some of the guards were actually pleasant. Of course, the women played up to them to gain their trust and it worked quite nicely.

On one particular day a new young girl was thrust into their midst. She was dirty and in ragged clothing. Her voice spewed the guttural venom that they all felt but Jo cautioned the others that something was different. Her lashings were not as abusive, her clothing, although dirty did not reflect the wear and tare that one would expect, and overall, the girl was relatively healthy. They decided that perhaps she was a plant and trust should be scarce. With that, they tended to her wounds, stitched her clothing and offered comfort. The statement once burned, shame on you, twice burned, shame on me, kept coming to mind.

Even after the girl, Tiddle was her name, had spent some weeks with them Jo still wasn’t sure. The words were all correct, the inflection of the voice seemed genuine enough but something was eating at her craw. She couldn’t place her finger on it, but something was amiss. During their small but frequent gatherings she always expressed her doubts about Tiddle. So, the decision was made that when speaking anywhere around the new comer they would only speak kindly of the masters. Days rolled on into weeks and one day they were called to the front of the dungeon. There, they were confronted with the princess and several guards.

“I’ve sent my emissary to determine if you have finally submitted yourself to my position as master. She has reported only good things about you so I’ve determined that you will be transferred to my personal quarters to serve me.”

With that she simply reeled about and departed. The spy was removed and reinstated to her former post as the head of the female slaves and all but one was taken to the castle. They found out later that the one left behind was beheaded because she was not pretty enough to be in the service of the princess. The cruelty of the royalty infused in them a bond that no other such acts could have caused. The resolve to retaliate fumed just below the surface and the desire to destroy was enhanced like no other action could.

“We’ll have to plan a special event for her.” This came from Virga. She had a special hate as she had been almost ready to deliver when she was taken, her baby was ripped from her womb and its head bashed against the rocks. The princess had watched and laughed as the baby was thrown into a burning garbage pile. “She will die slowly and painfully.”

When ever they were absolutely sure they were alone they would discuss their plans. They developed a system where two or three could gather and discuss the details and then would pass the information on to the others. Jo, as it turned out assumed the leadership. Although two of the others were actually older and had attempted escape three or more times before they had always been foiled rather easily and just didn’t have the mental ability to conceive the detailed retribution that needed to be dealt out. Several more weeks passed by and they were all relatively sure that they had presented themselves as humble obedient servants. As they were planning their final attempt a new event of substantial impact occurred. The father of the princess died and she had become queen. She was to leave her husband for a while and attend to affairs of state. The word had come down that although the two were together things were not as they seemed on the surface. Infidelity seemed to be the news of the day and applied to both parts. It set their plans back for a time as they were all transported back to the queens home and separated for a short period. Jo was trying to fight off despair, yet the anchor of hopelessness seemed to hang heavy over her head. Would she ever be able to break away from this? Would she ever have the chance that they once had when she was so sure.

Sometimes when the night is the darkest a new sliver of light appears. It seemed that the new queen had been playing with her consort and he was furious when he found out that she was cheating on him. Her new toy was the king of a reasonably large kingdom slightly to her north of her western border and had taken the position that if he couldn’t win her over willingly he’d conquer her. Thus with a war, opportunity reoccurred. During the times before when he was so cockeyed sure that he was in charge, he had made several attempts to establish a relationship with the six and seduce them into his service by spying on the queen. The women, of course now well versed in deceit had played along. A couple had even allowed themselves to be seduced to gain favor. The one thing that he had never counted on though was that they were all of one mind and one day would escape.

Chapter V

Although vengeance would not come quickly as they were closely guarded, the intent always remained on the top of the priority list. for the first several months they thought the war was a good thing. It offered them various possibilities, one of which was to assassinate the queen. They worked out a meticulous plan to achieve it as every time the castle was attacked the queen would have them brought to her to provide service. It had happened so often in the past couple of weeks that they were moved to a closer quarters so they would be immediately available.The queen seemed to be showing periods of remorse but Jo wasn’t sure if she had a change of heart or if it was still a con game. In any case she kept her guard up. The queen had ordered them to be trained in the art of combat so they would be able to protect her in the event things went array. They found themselves fully armed, well trained, and when the guards called away to repulse an attack on the inner sanctum they stood as the personal guard. What better opportunity would be provided. Just about the time she was inclined to give the order she noticed movement just outside the curtains. Realizing it was just another trap the queen had laid out she pulled her sword, bent before her and exclaimed her loyalty. The six had worked out a code where when one became aware of immediate danger that person would bow before the queen and pledge her allegiance. The others quickly fell in and all were bowing before her pledging their loyalty. She never let on at the time but on a later occasion revealed that they had been tested and proved their loyal.

Six months later when the same situation occurred they were able to complete their plan and after inducing a lengthily suffering period, removed her head. Although satisfaction was complete in her case, they couldn’t tell of it as the new king or queen would simply have them killed for disloyalty. Besides they were of a mind that all royalty was corrupt and needed to be destroyed.

Upon examining the reports of t he queens demise the new king was gracious enough, yet he had them split up into three groups of two and ordered that they never be allowed to speak to each other again. This, he thought would insure that any plans they had would be dislodged and he could rest his head comfortably on his pillow. Although they had orders not to communicate, the underground link provided them with many opportunities to plan.

Over the next several months four of the group died in an unexplained mysterious manner. Now only her and Virga remained. Life seemed to be especially hard and her will and determination was at an all time low. The king had occupied himself with new concubines and the two were left alone for longer and longer periods. One day she resolved that she would boldly stand before him and demand that she be released. Since he had no more use for her, she could finally be freed. His response was swift and final.

NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: There comes a time in everyone’s life where things happen that are out of our hands. Anyone interested in the outcome simply place a email to [email protected]. Upon receipt of 100 request for the life of Jo I’ll reveal the rest of the story.