Racheal and Steffan maintained silence for a few minutes. She glanced at him through the mirror. He was looking at her, waiting, expectant. She looked away and sighed. “My mother disappeared, really. I don’t know where she was buried.” She said, picking up her belongings and returning to their bedroom to wear her dress. Steffan followed her not long after.“Why?” He asked, when he came in.“You remember my step-mother?” She asked, thinking about the day she told him how her step-mother had maltreated and tortured her.“Yes.” Steffan responded. His voice sounded strange. Racheal glanced back quickly, and looked at him. His eyes were like a dark pit. She wondered if she should continue with the story, since it was already upsetting him so much. She decided to continue. He did not like when she was tight-lipped, and she did not want to spoil the good mood they had been sharing since last night. “She was my father’s mistress, a few years before I was born, while my mother struggl
The long presidential convoy, shiny and awe-striking, finally arrived at the venue. Citizens were lined up at the gate in their hundreds, waving and trying to see through the tinted glasses of the fast cars. The stadium, one of the biggest in Yin, was packed full. People in their thousands were gathered to watch their most beloved member of the presidential family get appointed over one of the most crucial ministries the country needed after so many years of war.“Ready?” Steffan turned to Racheal in the car. She looked at him, and the incident of the chicken blood came back to her. Since that time, she had a huge fear of crowds, and this was the largest she had seen. Steffan took both her hands in his. “There is no need to be scared, just don’t let go of my hand. No one can break through the security this time.” He said.She nodded. He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it. Then he got out of the car, and walked around to open her door. Racheal put her hand in his outstre
Racheal watched the ceremony continue with different speeches from several other people. She sat still trying not to think about her father. She kept her eyes on the screen, studying the faces of people she did not know and may never meet. Some people had brought their children, and she thought how foolish that was. If she had a child, she would never bring them to packed spaces like these.The thought that she would possibly have a child within the next year, at the rate that things were going made her shiver. She did not want to have a child in this circumstance. It frightened her.She felt Steffan watching her, and turned to him. He smiled at her, she smiled back. It was a good thing he did not have the ability to read every single one of her thoughts. The president finally climbed the stage to give his own speech. She wondered if he knew her father was here. Spencer Sherrod was a cunning man, he probably knew, and approved it for her father to be allowed into the country. Wha
Racheal walked back to her seat, partially blinded by her tears. She walked right into Steffan’s arms. He hugged her close, as he fetched a handkerchief out of his pocket.“You did well baby.” He said. Racheal smiled through her tears, and looked up at. This was the first time he was calling her a pet name. He dabbed the tears off her face, took her hand, and began leading her out. Their guards converged around them quickly.She glanced around the stadium at the people still cheering loudly. She knew there was no taming this crowd anymore. They had gone into a festive mood.But still, it felt awkward to be the first person leaving. She looked at Steffan, he was so audacious and non-comforming. The crowd was thicker and struggled to touch her even more now than when she had arrived. The soldiers had to point their guns to keep them back. She sighed in relief when Steffan finally helped her into their car. He climbed in after her.“Where are we going?” She asked. “My father’s reso
“How are you feeling?” Steffan asked, as the waiter, assisted by another female staff, began to clear their table. Racheal pushed her chair back, and stood up.“I am Ok.” She said, and walked towards the floor to ceiling window. She stared out at the lake that bordered this side of the resort. This was truly a beautiful place. The water took on the colour of the sky above, grey. She suspected it would rain before the end of the day. It had been windy from the time she arrived at the stadium. Even now, the weather was misty, although some rays of light still broke through the clouds.She felt Steffan come up behind her, and hug her. She held his hand but did not turn back. She wanted to just stare out at this beautiful place, and not think about all the things that were not so beautiful about her life. Her meeting with her father a few weeks after he sold her off to this place frightened her. How would she look at him, how would she hold herself from lashing out at him if he dared b
Racheal looked at everyone standing tensely in the room. There were at least twenty-five people present, excluding the guards. They were all watching her, waiting. She wondered why she was quiet, was this not what she had always wanted, for her father to change his mind and destroy this marriage arrangement he had with the Sherrod? So why was she not screaming Yes! She would finally be able to exit this pit of vipers and forget all about Thalia, Danna Sherrod, and all the other troubles that came with Xen.She knew her father. He never bluffed, if he said they could walk out of here unhurt, they could. She glanced at his determined face. Did he have snipers around? A grenade? She would not put any of that past him. It would be a bloodbath, cutting their way out of this resort back to Xen. But she knew it was possible, especially since her father was so sure. She caught Delbert’s eye. He gave a small nod for her to say yes. She looked away, and turned to Steffan. His face was li
“I did not send you here to play wife, my dear girl.” Roni Rana continued, standing up. “Get on with your duties.” Racheal remained on her seat, looking up at the evil man who was her father. “And why are you not pregnant already?” He paused. “You should go see a doctor, when your mother had these problems…” He stopped. “A baby will help our plans greatly. If you were caught, nobody would not harm you if you were carrying a Sherrod baby. That would buy us time to rescue you.”Racheal stared on in silence, unable to believe what her father was saying. All her life, the only thing she had hated her father for was his neglect and lack of care towards her. Her step-mother had always been the villian in her eyes. Had she been blind all along?“Stand up my girl.” Roni Ran said, walking around the table to her. “We do not want to raise your in-laws suspicions.” He was smiling brightly now, like the kindest father in the world. Racheal stood up with shaky legs, and placed her hand in her
Racheal gasped.In the time it took her to recover from her surprise, the intruder rolled over and pinned her under, her back to the floor.She struggled to push the intruder off her, but failed. She quickly felt around for the intruder's face but the intruder repeatedly hit her head against the hard floor to knock her out.Racheal ignored the pain she felt and the dizziness it was beginning to cause her.She found the intruder’s eyes and sunk her nails in. The intruder screamed but their voice was muffled by what Racheal suspected was a mask, so she couldn’t hear them clearly.The intruder tried to get off her, but Racheal held on. She knew if she let go, the intruder would have enough room to start shooting randomly, and one of the bullets may just hit her. She was not ready to risk that.“Help!” She screamed at the top of her voice as she clinged on to the intruder.Were her guards so deaf they could not hear all the commotion? How did this intruder get past them in the first place