A slave's questions

Astrid gets up, the pain in her ankle, nothing compared to the one in her heart.

Looking down at the dark abyss below her, she feels nothing. No fear. Why would she? Down there is only death.

She laughs to herself. Here she is again, in the same point she was on her first day here. All the hopes, the drama, the broken friendship and the fights got her back to the beginning.

"Only one step and it's over." She says to herself taking a deep breath and closing her eyes.

Hell no!

There's a reason she didn't die then. Her life means something more that the love of a man. And after all, no matter how heartbroken she is, taking the easy way out was never something she did.

"Lady Astrid?" A eunuch comes in without her hearing a sound. She jumps out of her skin. No matter how long she stays in the harem, she can't get used to how silent they move.

"Yes. I am on the balcony." She answers.

"The king ordered me to see if you are alright. Did you hurt yourself?"

Such a confusing man... Sen