Chapter 2

Dark blood sky loomed over the people of Gaerin like a maelstrom, dust filled clouds of uncertainty coming closer each passing second as if to engulf their whole soul and suck the life out of them.

The cries of the burning kingdom was far off the ears of the Ambrose army who marched right into the outskirts of the nation without much defiance as if they have giving up.

Without a second thought, without a single fear lining her frost heart Lilith roamed the pastures as if the men weren’t hunted down every second, slaves were not captured every moment but the girl strived because Lilith was born to be the bravest of all.

Fear was a faraway concept, courage thrumming in every pore of her dandelion like skin. she could hear the sound of horses galloping as their feet leaping to move closer to people like her and eventually take them away, the neighs and offers shouted by comrades, making them run as far as they could in fear.

Lilith could care less, why deny and delay the inevitable.

Lilith was inevitable, the invincible force who was well aware of the concepts of beauty, defiance, war and above all victory.

And victorious she shall be.

Her walk in the fields seemed to stop when a stallion bestowed with an army medallion signifying the post of his master stood before her height, as Lilith diverted her view, she saw a man cunningly smiling at her.

“Woods are dangerous at nights miss or are you so naïve to not to be aware?” soon she was surrounded by many of them who laughed at her plight while she maintained a neutral expression on her face.

As one of them got down the horse, an iron chain meant to bind her hand Lilith couldn’t help but sense bloodlust and a dark aura from the inside of the woods as they all did simultaneously.

Golden eyes shone like emeralds in the depth of the forest, the mane of the black Asiatic lion not visible to the eyes of others, the one which had grown considerably large these past few years his height higher than the tallest man himself.

Not now Herodoctus.

The lion could almost smell the emotions of Lilith, the slight curve of her face when the men cried in horror not able to see anything apart from the creatures eyes.

Herodoctus retreated back into the dark shadows watching Lilith knowing if the woman wanted she could water the fields with those men’s blood. He saw the men bind her hand and drag her away hastily and the woman turned her head back almost smiling as if whispering a goodbye.

***

Lilith’s POV

“Present her to the lord, if the lord permits only then we can have her.” a man smiled sinisterly as I kept walking, them dragging me along the iron chains.

When the water is shallow, even the ducks dare to swim. Only if I could pull of his tongue and cut it into half I would rejoice the fact that I have eradicated a monster from the face of earth.

That time had not arrived yet…

“Throw the peasant into the cellar and don’t you dare touch her, we don’t want a repeat of last time.” The tall general ordered the troop making some of them freeze and shudder with horror. I wondered what had happened? My blood boiled and heart cried out, was there a woman who had suffered from their hands?

After waling an hour we finally reached the cross borders of Ambrose, a huge red tent lined with other small ones as if it was waiting for their arrival.

The general turned around motioning to guards to disperse, leaving both of us surrounded by other guards working hastily in distance.

“Keep your head down.” he ordered in anger, gritting his teeth when I kept looking him in the eye. I complied without creating much problems for him… not now at least.

“Our lord is arriving in an hour, from today you are a maid in Ambrose, whatever is asked of you, you need to do it without question…except any sex services asked from you, don’t create a scene in front of the Lord. Else if you did not do something…tried to run, we will slaughter all of the Gaerin people we have brought with us.”

I smiled inwardly, I need to meet this ‘Lord’.

***

The drums beating furiously signed that someone whose authority could not be challenged or questioned was arriving soon.

What I couldn’t understand was why there were noble woman present in a war camp which could easily get captured amongst the cruel battle.

But soon I understood.

The butterflies were insanely and intensely attracted to the honey. As I was serving them refreshments, my head bowed down so to not attract any attention, I could hear them fawning over the man.

“Cinthia, don’t worry at all, the Lord is your friend, he would definitely accept you.” The words spoken were seemed to be kind but the tone was full of sarcasm as another woman dressed in blue glared at the one in red gown who was fanning her face.

“Of course he will Jillian.” She boasted laughing haughtily.

I couldn’t help but bow down low and retreat. One more second with the lowly beings and I would lose my brain.

“YOU! disrespectful creature, how dare you refuse to serve us! Have you been given permission to leave?”

Jillian’s furious glare turned into a fearful expression as I rose my head, my eyes meeting hers.

Such unworthy cheap woman would never command respect from me.

“I serve no one woman. Keep your pitiful mind upon serving your ‘Lord’ and drowning in jewelry. If you speak too much, don’t blame me for pulling off your tongue.”

And just like I was out of the tent with the woman still in shock.

Unknown to my knowledge and far beyond my thoughts, that ‘Lord’ has been following me since the second I was captured.

If I had known that what whirlpool I was trying to drown myself in, I would have taken a step back.

If I had known that the same Lord was held captive by my crafty, cunning self when I had smiled at Herodoctus while at the same time his men were shuddering with the presence of the creature of night.

If I had known that those men who insulted me were burned alive in front of the whole army. The men being horrified by the screaming generals whose flesh was being eaten by fire, yet none of them dared to save them fearing the wrath of the Gladiator.

If my eyes were able to see him hiding, watching me not bowing down to those women and grinning proudly at me, his eyes soft and kind towards me…

If only I had known that I was going to encounter someone like him…I would have ran away at that time.

I stood in the corner with slaves like me, pretending to be meek as the woman came out to greet the man after the drum stopped, the army generals saluting their commander.

I looked around secretly, who was he exactly?

His build was muscular, his masculinity mingling in the aura as he came down upon from his stallion, patting the creature’s back in what seemed like appreciation and affection.

Devilishly handsome, even though half of his face was covered with a black mask even I couldn’t deny his charisma.

Covered in black from top to his weaponry boots, I did understand why woman threw themselves at him.

Such an irony and loss that I wasn’t one of those.

Too beautiful to be true.

“Let the Lord rest! Disperse!” After the welcoming, the people left the high nobles and the commander to talk retreating back.

But he wasn’t done, as I was going to turn around his onyx eyes like the darkest of the night was sweeping the perimeter and just before I got inside they met mine, a strange sweet twinkling filling them.

And a well-known emotion filled me… I wouldn’t even think twice before killing him if he came after me.

***

It was midnight, fire torches burning in every corner of the tent houses and path lifted keenly to show way. Soldiers were marching continuously to take care of the enemy’s army if it arrived at their footsteps.

I got up from the ground I was laying upon pretending to be asleep, only a fool sleeps in the enemy’s lair.

And such fools are usually declared dead by the next day.

My feet moved swiftly, not even a single man aware of my absence, this was the easiest thing I did today…

I wanted to see what their commander was hell bent on doing.

My white dress fluttered in night as I moved towards the most guarded place, definitely his but the voices coming from inside told me otherwise…It was a feast going on and the way they talked with one another…it was certain that there was no authority inside.

So I straightened my back following the lakeside, hiding behind the rocks and I swear to the Moon the scene in front of me made my mouth water.

His chest glistened with water droplets dribbling down the glowing bronze skin. Resting, his strong muscular back against the rocks on the lake side, head lulled backwards, onyx eyes closed in utter salvation.

I saw him in anger and interest, the mask gone made him look like a sculpture taken hundreds of year to be formed…with such precision… without a flaw.

“Your spying on me is utterly useless young tulip.” Ink eyes opened, resting upon my little frame making me freeze.

“What are you thinking? You have got this one chance…run away.” He offered his eyes watching my each and every movement like a hawk.

At that time he knew, he was well aware of my tactics, the way I was deceiving by showing him my false fear made his interest sp*ke even more. And I was naive that his eyes were truly set on mine well knowing that the girl who had paved her path to enter Ambrose would never run away… because that was not why she entered in the first place.

But as I stated earlier…I would have run away if I knew him then.

“I am a prisoner sire, I have heard stories…tales of how war prisoners are mercilessly butchered if they are caught and I can’t afford to die…not yet…I have someone to feed and I will do anything for them.”

“Anything?” He asked in eerily calm voice. I nodded slowly a lump forming in my throat as my eyes glistened with tears with the scenes of men using my eighteen year body flashed in front of me making me tremble.

A tremble for show…I would cut them into thousand pieces before they will even touch my hair.

Water splashed around as he rose to his full height inside the lagoon, his eyes solely focused on me, his feet moving forward, closing our distance altogether.

“Azarios,” I stiffened, my eyes snapping to his in utter surprise as I heard the name leaving his plump lips.

His identity, the name which echoed throughout the dynasty making every living soul shudder.

Killer.

Commander.

Beast.

He was the commander of Gladiators.

Azarios, the Gladiator of Ambrose.

“You will be the bride of mine.”

“What is your name tulip?”

My jaw clenched as I saw him seeing right through me.

“Lilith,” I replied icily.

His lips touched my earlobe, kissing it making me truly shudder.