Chapter 6

  A shorter man appears in an identical black suit to the one worn by the man carrying me. He opens a back door on the car, while a third black suited man opens the door on the opposite side. I'm placed firmly into the seat and I glare out the window at the wretched people, walking to and fro, like a person isn't being treated like swine, merely feet away from them. My tears are once again dried up and I can see black streaks down my cheeks in the reflection of the tinted window.

  The black suit who carried me on his shoulder only moments ago bows to this new master of mine, who then turns and walks around to the other side of the car, settling into the seat beside me. The door closes with a thud on his side too, and the car begins to drive. I can feel the man's eyes on me but I have no more energy left to fight. There's no will left in my weakened, starved body. I dare not look back at him, preferring to travel in silence.

  Instead, I watch the road, trying to take my mind elsewhere. The trees are so green, the sky so blue. The fields turn into rolling hills, and then, all of a sudden, there are buildings all around, more buildings than I'd ever imagined could be in one place. These buildings must be as tall as mountains! The windows are sleek and shiny. Some of the structures even appear to be made completely of glass. It's a peculiar sight. How do those fragile things not fall over and shatter in the wind?

  As the sun sinks lower into the sky, the buildings light up with brilliantly colored lights. The lights come together to form words like 'massage parlor', 'hospital', 'market', and 'restaurant'. And I've read about some of these things. You see, not everyone grows their own food. There are people who buy it at places like markets and they cook it in their homes. And sometimes, people even eat at a stranger's table! I know it's hard to believe, but it's true.

  In the city, you can walk into a total stranger's building, ask them to make you some food, and they will feed you as long as you give them money. That person's building is called a 'restaurant'. It's wild, but that must be how men without wives or daughters eat. That makes me wonder... Does this man have a mother? Is there a wife, or maybe a daughter that cooks for him? From the brief looks I got at his face, he doesn't seem old enough to have a daughter. Perhaps a wife. Who feeds him?

  I regretfully allow curiosity to get the better of me, and take my eyes off of the fascinating scenery outside to glance downward toward the side of the car where he is sitting. Snug fitting, navy blue slacks come into view. On his knee rests a regal looking hand with long, slender fingers. The third finger is fitted with a gold ring holding a big green stone in the center. There seems to be a design carved into it. A snake and a lion, maybe? Who would choose a ring like that? Snakes and lions aren't even similar animals.

  Suddenly, he covers the ring with his other hand as he speaks. "Finally decided to get a look at your new master?"

  Startled by the unanticipated breaking of silence, I'm too scared to reply. Great job, Euroah! Now what? I should have just kept my eyes on the view but I just couldn't keep myself out of trouble, could I? I try to turn my gaze back to the window and pretend I didn't hear him but his hand shoots out, grabbing me by the chin. Now, he's forcing me to look directly at his face, right into his steely eyes that both terrify and intrigue me all at once.

  "You will answer me when I speak to you or there will be consequences! Do you understand me?", he demands, slightly raising his voice as I begin to shake.

  "I'm s-s-sorry! I-I'm scared! I-I-" I manage to stutter before he cuts me off.

  "Good. You very well should be.", he says, back in his cold tone. "Do you know who I am?"

  "N-no. I d-don't.", I reply.

  "Interesting. You must have lived under a rock without television or newspapers.", he says. "They mentioned that you're uneducated... No matter. My name is Zion. Zion Velucia. I'm the CEO of the biggest technology company in the world. Cell phones, washers, televisions, computers, anything and everything that requires a chip or a circuit board, comes from my company. But you will refer to me as 'Master' and nothing else. Understand?"

  Shell foams? Clumpooders? What is he talking about? Why would someone want a chirpy cricket board? Everything he just spouted off is so over my head it's almost unreal. And did he just insult me? I dont live under a rock! I live under wood, just like everyone else. Wood comes from trees. I'm not stupid. If he weren't so scary, I'd remind him that, technically, princesses live under rocks because castles are made of stone, but that's beside the point right now. Let's not get in any more trouble. He's waiting for my reply.

  "Y-y-yes Master."

  "Mmmhmm" he hums, no hint of emotion or humanity in his gaze. "What do you do?"

  "I-I...", I start.

  Does he want to know what I'm good at? Am I going to be working in his home? Well then, I guess that depends. I could do a lot of things. Should I focus on my talents or on skills that are more highly valued on a homestead? Judging by what the brute at the auction house said, I don't get the feeling that I'm being purchased by someone with good intentions. I'd better be smart about my answers.

  "I can cook! A-and I c-clean. And I can milk a cow and feed animals. I'm good for farm work."

  I have barely finished getting the last few words out, when he pulls me up and onto his lap. My mouth hangs agape for a moment, as I register the change in position, and then all I can do is close my lips tightly to keep myself from screaming while I stare into the abyss of his endless grey eyes. The doors are locked, the car is moving, my ankles are tied. Even if I were free, what could I do? His gaze is a trap and I am terribly snared. Though my heart is pounding, there is no escape for me.

  "I only have horses and they're cared for by the stable attendants. Besides, you are not here to do farm work.", he says, as he puts his thumb on my bottom lip.

  ”I can cook the best biscuits this side of the Euroan River!", I blurt out before he gets a chance to tell me something I don't want to hear. "And I can do kitchen work. I promise you I will not disappoint you!"

  Now, I can't say that I fully understand the concept of a woman's virtue, but I have an idea of where it is and I do know that I only have one. I don't want to give it away to someone that I don't love and I certainly don't want anyone to steal it! It belongs to me and mine feels threatened just by the way I'm sitting right now. I don't feel virtuous in these clothes, sitting on this strange man, or having my heart race like this. The only thing on my mind is holding onto my virtue by any means necessary. 

  "How old are you?", he asks.

  "I'm 17."

  He furrows his brows and questions, "And when is your birthday?"

  "July 12th."

  A look of contemplation forces him to lower his gaze slightly, breaking our intense eye contact. A few moments pass of awkward silence, and all I can do is sit with my back tensed and my fists clenched in my lap, awaiting his permission to go back to my own seat, or risk angering him. Turning to look out the window, he seems to be lost in thought. Finally, though, he sighs deeply and breaks the silence.

  "I'm not exactly thrilled with you being so young, but since you'll be of age in less than two months, I'll choose to ignore it. What is your name?", he asks, as he looks at me once again.

  "Euroah."

  "Euroah what?", he groans, leaning in closer to my face and forcing me to lay back until I'm resting my head on his window.

  "Euroah Minari."

  His strong hand grabs me by the shoulder and slides me even further down. I flinch, feeling his breath against my lips. The indecency of his hands on my bare skin while I'm wearing such little clothing makes me so on edge that I want to crawl out of my own body, but I'm all too aware that I'm powerless. He holds all the cards here. This is not the world I once knew. This is his world, his game, his rules, and I have to learn to play if I want to survive.

  "I already told you that you are to address me as Master! Shall we try this again? Your name is?"

  "My name is Euroah, Master!”