Chapter Five: Masked hooded stranger-part 3

  As he stared around, he finally saw her walking with a set of entertainers, trying to blend in unnoticed.

" What a smart little girl" He released a deep smirk.

" Boss, we can't find her" The men returned and he signalled for them to be quiet, which they did immediately.

He pointed ahead and when they followed his signal, their lips curved up in a grave smile.

" Woah...I'll say she's really talented" One spoke.

" Let's follow quietly"

Realizing she was far from being noticed by them, she sighed in relief and when the entertainers left to their locations, she stopped walking and turned.

A local bar was right before her, it looked like a bar, only men would visit.

'They won't think of me being here,I better get in quick' With this thought, Anna lowered her head and entered the gloomy looking bar.

As she stepped in, the smell of burnt tobacco leaves wafted through her nostrils, providing a sickly awful smell. She coughed in response and waved her hands in the air to clear her view. When the cloudy smokes drifted away, she was finally able to see the interior.

There were old and young men, different sizes and shapes and some were half naked. Their torso and muscles were revealed and was glaring at her, they seemed to be playing their games and gambling all away.

But as soon as she walked in, they stopped and every eyes zeroed on her. They wondered what a pretty little girl like her was doing in a bar like this. Did she lost her mind? Or did she lost her way?

Their lustful gaze on her almost tempt her to leave but knowing that she wasn't safe outside, she made up her mind and proceeded slowly to the bar man. She slowly took a seat.

The once noisy bar was now reduced to a pin drop silence bar, as they stared on.

"Can...can I have some tea?" She stuttered.

"Yes?" The man was staring unbelievable at her. Didn't she know this is a bar and not a tea shop?

"We don't have things like that here?" 

"Oh...how about ginger or garlic tea?"

"We might have the garlic one..."

"Oh great thanks!" She squeaked, still feeling their eyes on her.

As the bar man left to get her garlic tea, she slowly turned in her seat and stared hardly at them.

"What? Never seen a girl?"

With this word, the music played and they were back to their games, but still stealing looks.

Her garlic tea was brought and she paid and took a sip.

"Thanks" She flashed him a charming grin. The sun had settled down and it was dark outside. 

Anastasia took a look outside through the window beside her and sipped on her tea. She adverted her gaze only to look back outside, her gaze lingered on the carriage. It looked so familiar.

'I'm sure I saw this carriage somewhere before, but I don't seem to remember'

She shut her eyes to recollect her memories but she couldn't lay her fingers on where she had seen the carriage.

The door suddenly opened and her eyes were widely opened the moment she saw her perpetrators, glaring down at her. How did they know she's in here? How did they find out? As they neared her, a man who was gambling moved over to sit beside her.

"Hello there, pretty...what's your name?"

"Get lost" He was flirting with her.

"Don't be this way, how much for a night?" He tucked the strands of hair behind her ear.

If she was home, her mother would have allow her to leave with a man who wants to lay with her, but not this time. This time, it's different...she's far from home, her life's in danger and she wants no one.

"I told you to get lost Mister, while I'm still being nice"

"Oh really?" He chuckled.

"Hey you! Hand the girl over" She raised her head and the trio were now standing beside the flirty man. Her heart skipped a beat.

"I met her first, I don't want to share her"

"Really? But she met us first and had promised a night"

'What's going on with them? Are they fighting over me now?' She smirked and watched them as they kept arguing.

Everything would work in her favor if a fight breaks out between them, she would have enough time to run from them.

"Alright, a night Mister,  but I don't want to go with these grumpy men" She smiled.

"You heard her? She doesn't want to go with you! Get lost" He stood up to them. Even though he looks older, he's hefty.

"Don't let us damage you...hand the girl over"

Anastasia was enjoying the show she had cause and sat back to cross her legs, her tea cup an inch from her lips, another stare at them, she sipped her tea.

"I don't want to! She's mine!"

"Are you stupid? Why would she be yours? She's already sold to us!"

Her heart clenched in realization that they were still hot on her chase because they had given their money in exchange for her. She's being sold by Abigail's Mother.

"Anyone who wins, will be getting me tonight" Anastasia spoke out and every eyes turned to the lady who was sitting in a majestical pose.

"Well, then I'll be the one to go first..."

"No, I'll go first"

"I'm quite good, I'll go first" 

A smirk lingered at the corner of her lips as she watched the other gamblers stopped their games to fight for a night with her. It's really good to be beautiful and sexy.

In less than a minute, everyone turned against each other and fought, throwing stuffs around the bar. The bar man hid to seek shelter from the objects hurled in his direction, Anastasia seems unwavering even as cups broke before her feet, one hit her in the temple.

"Really?" She chuckled as she rubbed her temple, to soothe the throbbing pain.

She was still basking in the glory of being in the spotlight when she felt a hand grabbed her hair and forcing her to her feet.

"Ahh!" She cried out.

"Do you think I don't know what you're playing at? You little witch!" And his hand collide with her cheek, making her lip burst.

She fell to the floor as she crawled backwards. It was the same man she had punched and his head was now bleeding, due to the fight.

The men were still fighting and was oblivious of their star being hit.

"Get away from me! Get away!" She yelled frantically as she stood to run.

He grabbed her arm and threw her across the room, she came crashing on the chairs and tables. This action made the men stopped and the bar was silent once again as they watched the drama unfolds.

This also made the man who had been still like a statue, moved. His eyes opened slowly in his chair, his legs crossed on the table before him, his sword beside him, lying there peacefully.

Who dare to disturb his peaceful nap? Who?

"My Lord, don't mind them, let's move to the other room" Seth bowed slightly as he could not watch any longer.

His eyes slowly moved across the room and came to stop at the sight beside him. A lady was sprawled on the floor as she fell from the crash, she struggled to stand only to be kicked again by the man before her. She fell backwards and found herself sitting on someone's laps.