Chapter 2. Found

The sun was descending incandescently on Afhany. She had already walked for hours over the untamed desert sand. At first, she ran, but when she realized she was not being followed she decided to walk, which brought no relief as she felt very tired.

Afhany stopped for a moment to wipe the sweat from her forehead and looked around her. There was nothing but sand. She saw her footprints and realized with dismay that she was walking in circles.

She decided to walk a little further despite her drowsiness, which she attributed to tiredness and the heat, but as soon as she took a few steps, she saw a white dot on the horizon approaching. It was a knight dressed all in black and mounted on a white stallion.

Afhany cracked a smile. She would die for sure. She was already hallucinating. It was her last thought before she fell unconscious.

Afhany opened her eyes and saw a dark-skinned woman in Egyptian clothes, very common in that kingdom, leaning over her. She closed her eyes again. God! Where was she? She asked herself thoughtfully, opening her eyes again when she heard voices speaking in an unknown dialect.

She looked around and then realized the presence of more people. There was a boy she estimated to be about seventeen sitting on a chair at the foot of the bed and another man, who must have been about twenty-seven, all in white, who flashed her a smile as soon as he realized he was being watched.

"Good afternoon. Are you feeling better?" He asked her friendly, approaching.

Afhany just shook her head in agreement. She was feeling much better without the sun punishing her and without the thirst. However, she couldn't believe he wanted to know those details.

"Well, my name is Alfred; I am a doctor. Mr. Moses found you in the desert and brought you here... I think you were very lucky."

Afhany no longer listened to him. She remembered the terrible situation that had brought her to the desert. She closed her eyes in despair. What was she going to do now? She had no money, no family, and, what was worse, nowhere to go.

"Miss... Miss!"

The doctor called insistently, interrupting her thoughts.

"Are you alright, miss?"

"Yes. I... Well, thank you for saving me from the desert."

The doctor smiled reassuringly.

"You didn't hear anything I said, right? I'm just the doctor who attended you. Moses was the man who saved your life."

"Moses... Thank him then for me, please."

"You'll have a chance to do that yourself. I asked them to bring you some soup. You must be hungry."

"Where... am I?"

"At my house."

Afhany raised her head a little to look at the boy who had answered her and spoken for the first time.

"My brother brought you here. In fact..." he said, standing up and approaching. "My name is Matheus."

Afhany watched him curiously. Black hair and blue eyes, dark skin, and a strong air of arrogance still blossoming.

"How old are you, Matheus?"

He blushed visibly.

"Oh! Sorry. I didn't mean to be rude."

"There's no need to apologize. I understand that you have come from far away and have no knowledge of the customs here, for now... But to satisfy your curiosity, I am 19 years old. I am Moses' younger brother."

Suddenly, the door opened, and a lady entered, articulating and saying something in the strange dialect, and just as she entered, she left.

Alfred turned to Afhany.

"Excuse us, miss, but we have to leave now, later I will come to see you again." The doctor said and left.

They all left.

Afhany felt too tired to find that attitude strange. And even thought it best to have a little solitude to clear her mind. But her solitude did not last long. Soon, the door opened, and a tall man with dark Egyptian robes and a turban on his head entered. Ignoring him, she looked at herself in a large mirror hanging on the wall and slowly removed the turban, and threw it over the chair where Matheus had been sitting.

Afhany held her breath. The man was fabulous. A more mature version of Matheus. The same hair and eyes, the square jaw, and the arrogant air. But the body was more muscular and exuded virility. And his hair was long. Matheus' was short.

"Well? Did you enjoy the walk through the desert?"

Afhany looked at him, startled. This was surely the Moses who had brought her out of the desert. The white dot she saw was his horse. It was clear that he was Matheus' brother. But Matheus didn't have that gruff timbre or that sarcastic tone in his voice.

"Sorry to have bothered you..." Afhany replied shyly.

"Bothered? You have no idea how much trouble I went to look for you and how many men I took off their duties to find you."

"Look for me? I don't understand... How did you know you were...' lost'?"

He looked at her angrily.

"Women who are not from here are not allowed to ask men questions! You must only answer them."

"But how do you know I'm not one of the 'women from around here'?" she asked, starting to get angry.

Moses looked at her red hair and smiled. There were no people in the world with that shade of hair, and she didn't seem to know it.

"Okay, you're right. But first, tell me your story, and then I'll answer your questions."

"I don't want to talk about me."

"Well... If you don't talk I can't intervene in your safety..."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that in my kingdom, the laws are very severe for runaway slaves."

"Your kingdom?"

"Another question? My patience is wearing thin, miss!" He said angrily. "Tell me your story, and then I will clear your doubts." He repeated unwillingly.

Moses threw the turban on the floor and picked up the chair, placing it near the head of the bed.

"Begin!" It was an order. Afhany did not know why, but she was afraid of him. So she decided that telling her story might even be useful. Who knows, maybe he would help her?

"Well, I was born in Ilha do Vél, but I don't have good memories because I didn't know my parents. I was sold at a young age and brought up in a house with a family of dubious character... The man who raised us, as we were five children (all girls), never allowed us to have friends or boyfriends; we were not allowed to go out alone. We could only go out in his company. His orders had to be followed without rebellion or delay, and the other children, like me, were severely punished if we did not obey him.

"And were you punished often?"

"Yes. We were very afraid of him, and "things" happened when he was around."

"Things?"

"É. Like falling, tripping over something, slipping... It was weird because he seemed to hate us, but he would go crazy when we got hurt. He was always more strict with me. He was more careful with me than any of the other children, although I was always in charge of the rebellions, and that must have made him more worried about my next move. As soon as they turned sixteen, the girls would leave and make way for another child. I didn't understand why until two months ago when I turned sixteen. He just raised me for a good price paid by the king who bought me when I was still a child. He told me, laughing and saying that I was lucky because the king was the richest client he ever had and that although I would live as a concubine, I would be involved in many riches. That was not the future I dreamed of for myself, so when the caravan that was bringing me got careless, I ran away."

"And what was the future you dreamed for yourself?"

Afhany stared at him in confusion. No one had ever asked her that, and she wasn't quite sure what she wanted for herself.

"I think being free would be a good start..."

He stared at her with his beautiful blue eyes so that she couldn't interpret what was going through his mind.

"We're back in the desert. You said you ran away when they weren't looking, but weren't you chained?"

"Yes, but they took our chains off so we could do our business. And they didn't worry too much about an escape because they said the desert was treacherous and murderous. Anyone who ran away would not survive."

"And they were right."

"No! They weren't! I survived."

"Because I found you in time."

"But I didn't mind dying either. Death was still better than the future that awaited me."

"I don't think so..."

"Of course! You are a man... After all... how did you find me? Why did you say you were looking for me?"

He smiled sarcastically and took a lock of Afhany's red hair, and after he released it, he looked her in the eye.

"I'm sorry to inform you, Afhany..." He emphasized her name well. "That your escape was unsuccessful."

"Why do you say that? How do you know my name?"

"Darling... The 'king' who bought you is standing in front of you now."

She looked at him, frightened.

"You are bluffing! It can't be true! The man who raised me said he was a pharaoh... An older man..."

"That's true. My father was the pharaoh who bought it, but he didn't buy it for himself. It was for his heir, which is me. And I tell you more, as soon as the caravan arrived with the news of your escape, I promised that I would be punished for such boldness."

"Punish me?"

"Yes, but as she is still very weak, it will be when she is already settled in the domains of concubinage. I don't want to jeopardize your recovery."

"How can you be so monstrous? Buying people as if they were animals? Parts for your amusement?" She said indignantly and disgusted that her fate would pursue her like that.

"I didn't invent slaves. And you were only bought to fulfill the ritual of manhood that is done every year for four years. You are the penultimate one. Then I can get my bride so we can get married, and the ritual will be over."

"And what will become of the other three?" She asked in the hope that she would be released.

"They remain my concubines. I see no reason to get rid of my 'toys' since they cost me dearly.... If I get sick of any of them, I'll give them to my servants, isn't that a great idea? Only Demy, I'd give her whatever she asked for..." He said thoughtfully.

"Your humor is as black as your soul!" She said and spat on the floor. "This I threw on the floor has more value than you!"

He grabbed her chin and squeezed it hard.

"Sharp tongue... I'm going to love every minute of waiting to savor it...... I think you'll amuse me longer than the others, after all..."

He released her and, getting up, turned to leave.

"Wait, please!"

"What do you want?" he asked without turning around.

"I don't have any money, but I could pay you for the expenses you had with services."

"Services?" He turned back to her, interested. "What kind of services do you suggest?"

"I can wash, do maid work, and I can also cook and weave."

He laughed, enjoying himself.

"And what do you suggest I do with the subjects who do these jobs for me? Should I fire them?"

"I didn't mean that... I..."

"You're already going to work hard, Afhany... But in my bed. I am tireless and insatiable. And if it's any consolation, the fortune you cost me hasn't left me a tenth poorer."

"You disgust me! You pig! You'll have to force me, and I'll never really be yours. You can have my body but never my affection."

He laughed, amused and arrogant.

"I don't need your affection. I don't care about it. As for your body... I'll give you a sample that won't give me much trouble.... 'force' it."

"Don't you dare touch me!"

"Oh, yes, I dare."

And in a second, he grabbed her by the sweater, lifted her onto the bed, and kissed her violently. His hands went under her nightgown and reached her breasts. And abruptly, he let go, throwing her back on the bed.

"Watch your tongue if you want to keep it. Do not challenge me. It belongs to me, and you must accept it. I am not known for my patience." He said breathlessly and surprised at his reaction. He had not yet felt that kind of connection he felt as soon as he kissed her. It was as if he couldn't let go of her anymore.

"I'll never accept it." She said stubbornly, but deep down, she felt a giant wave of attraction for him.

He looked at her coldly.

"Your problem." He said and left.