Princess Ces'alena (5 page)

Recovering from a close call of getting his nose broken; frowning, he looked down for his eyes to lock onto a vision that would forever imprint upon his memory. In wild disarray, frightened and desperate for an escape, he beheld a dark and beautiful, noble creature, momentarily frozen as her eyes traveled up his stature, they were amber golden eyes, that immediately went through him, the portal; his own aqua blues.

Manny did a quick inhalation as he traced the breathtaking contours of her face. His mind and all its thinking came to a complete halt, as his heart thrilled in reaction to her presence. Never had he seen anything so magnificent in all of his life.

Her skin was a flawless, caramel brown, her eyes…her eyes, held him in their golden gaze, large and mesmerizing; surrounded by dark thick spiky lashes wet from her tears. Her nose straight, with a slight low ridge and delicately rounded tip above a full, shapely mouth with trembling lips. All set in an oval shaped face of regal exquisiteness. The hair on her head, light tawny brown, a dark golden bronzed like hue that fell past her shoulders in a mass so thick with curls and waves he wanted to bury his face in it then and there. He remembered in school looking into a text book that depicted a lion with its mane surrounding it’s head. Her hair surrounding her face reminded him of the very same depiction.

Her body was wrapped in a colorful silk garb from her bodice to her ankles, leaving her shoulders and arms bare. While time worn, soiled and loose, it boldly detailed her full heaving breasts, tiny waist, flaring hips and rounded bottom. Reluctantly, his gaze slid back up her deep breathing body, over breasts that rose and fell with each struggle to breath she took. He forced himself to look back at her face and flinched; stunned to see a look of utter indignation and contempt - that he dare look at her that way. All of this took place in a fraction of a moment.

Excitement, a thrill, a sensation he’d never experienced shot through him, he wanted to laugh, as a sudden surge of inexplicable joy came to rest in his soul. Never had he witnessed such spirit and boldness in a slave wench before now,
‘God, does she know what a fetching sight she is?’

The sudden spell was broken as the slave keeper shouted, “Catch her! Grab her! Don’t let that hellion go!! I should’ah known not to untie her!”

She attempted to dash around Manny, but his large hands were there, clamped around her slender upper arms sure and strong. She wanted to kick herself - that moment when her eyes were drawn to his, was the moment she should have been fleeing for her life; but it had cost her - her freedom.

She regained enough of her senses to try once again to struggle free, but the more she fought, the tighter his grip. Desperate to escape, with teeth bared she charged at his chest to bite him.

“Whoooa! Hold it there! What do you think you’re doing!? Ow! Stop that!” Manny yelled, letting go one of her arms to push her head away from biting him.

“She’s a wild one…that one is! She bites and more! They tied her, sorry I didn’t know and untied her! She’s yours now and good riddance! She’s more than I care to deal with! Needs a good skinnin’ you ask me! But they won’t mar the skin of a fancy.” This bit of information came from the keeper, as Manny chuckled in disbelief as she screeched and growled trying to bite him.

His laughter stopped however as her free hand reached up and slapped him. “Where in
hell
have you come!?” He reacted trying to get a hold of that arm, but suddenly all of her appendages were swinging and kicking! He couldn’t believe it!

“See what I mean! See! Take a whip to her! Do it now! Show her now I tell’ya! She’ll be hell – that one!”

Manny suddenly found himself needing to duck and weave or else risk a black eye or injured lip; he had finally had enough. This little wisp of a wench was fighting him, as large as he stood over her, the top of her head barely reached his shoulders,
who
did she think she was? He grabbed her flying fist in his palm as her head shook while screaming out her anger and fear, despite his efforts, she was able to get in one last slap to him, scratching his ear and neck when he dodged away. “Hell and damnation you – you – hit me again – and I
will
you!!! Hold still now!!” He barked, shaking her to try and get control of her. He couldn’t believe she had actually hit him,
twice!
No woman had dared such a thing, let alone muster the nerve to actually try it twice.

“Eeeeee, let m’go! You hear – let m’go I say!!” She continued to thrash and scream, twist and shove at him as Manny grew more and more impatient with her. Finally he gained control by turning her and twisting her arm up behind her back; forcing a cry of pain from her. Now easily holding both wrists behind her back in his one hand, he felt the stinging scratch on his ear and neck, clearly incredulous to see blood on his finger tip.

“Ooow!! You hurtin’ me! You have no right to hol’me! Let me’go I say, do you know who I am!?!” She demanded, her native accent thick with her fear.

“I’m tellin’ ya’ - a beatin’s what she need. But what’eva you does, don’t be lettin’ her go in here! I’ve had me fill of her!” Simpson the keeper warned, huffing from his exerting ordeal of having been her first victim. He was a round overweight man, much too out of shape for his job.

Before today, it had never mattered. The majority of the slaves he handled were meek, defeated and submissive, accepting their fate, on rare occasion there were the males that would put up a good fight, but there had always been men around knowing that to keep them under control. This lot were women, with her in it and tied up, that should have clued him in. While the other’s seemed to have no fight in them, no doubt experienced in being slaves, therefore beaten into submission; this one had obviously not tasted the snap of a whip – she was a new one – handled with care, mainly because, she was tagged as a fancy. It would be up to her eventual master to decide to whip her, until then, no one would risk the price of her with injury to her. Reason she’d worn him out, running circles around him, biting, screaming and scratching like someone possessed.

“Don’t worry, I have her now. Are you alright?” Manny questioned trying to hide his mirth, noticing the scratches on Simpson’s face and the blood running from his nose. It really wasn’t funny…he could have done serious injury to her in retribution for what she’d done to him. He would have to teach her to accept her lot in life. Accept who she was, and who she belonged to now -
him.
He’d taken possession of her for only a few minutes, yet he somehow felt responsible for her already…as well protective. “Hey! -(he shook her)- quit it!!” Manny barked at her for kicking backwards at his shins with her bare heels, it didn’t hurt…but it was annoying. Simpson shook his head looking from her to Manny.

“I’m okay. But you got your hands filled with that one; beat her now.” He warned.

“You shet up! You hear! No more from you!” She ordered, amazing Manny and Simpson. Manny’s mouth dropped open stunned, he wanted to laugh again, “An’ you! Let me go! Please, if you would only listen! My father would make you a very rich man! Listen to what I -…” She pleaded before Manny broke her off, shaking her again. He realized he needed to get control of her and keep it, “No! You listen!”

“No!
You
listen!” She blazed right back at him. Manny shook his head, she would get herself killed – obviously she didn’t know that. “Hey! Don’t you force my hand! Now I’ve had about as much of this as I’m going to take! Now be still - and be silent!” Manny bit out in warning, as he yanked her back against his hard body, his patience at its end.

“No! No! No!” She protested, stomping her foot and shaking her head to emphasize her displeasure. “You let m’go now! Do you hear!? I will not be treated this way! No further will I take more! You both will pay for this! All who has been a party to my capture will pay! My father will kill you!” She spat, grunting and pulling herself away from Manny, only to be snatched back.

The heat of him burning through her back was unsettling. “I am Princess Ceś alena Huebana! First daughter to King LuMaden! My father will come after me! He
will!
And when he does, he will kill you both for what you have done!” Her hysterics were building again, frustrated at being unable to break free. “Do you hear me!? You stupid men! You don’t know who you have taken!! I am Princess Ceś alena!! Release me now while you still can!!” She screamed on the verge of tears, trying her hardest not to cry. “I’m tellin’ you, if you would but listen! My home is Makia, my father is King LuMaden! He will give you anything for my return -
anything!
Please! I beg you! Please — please! What must I do to make you listen to me?! I am Princess Ceś alena!! Let me go!” Taking breaths to calm herself, she heard loud silence around her. She turned her head to look up at Manny; he was staring at her with some strange look in his eyes. Turning quickly from him, she looked to the other slaves held captive. They looked at her, some with sympathy, and some with disdain… others …vacant. She spun to the keeper, Simpson. Realizing, that they didn’t believe her; in fact, they looked at her as if she was crazy.

Simpson suddenly rumbled, then burst with unmerciful laughter, spraying her face as he did so. She felt Manny shake as he also gave evidence of finding humor in her. “Now that you’ve made a fool of yourself, are you ready to behave?” He drawled with his deep voice. It was her undoing.
“Never!!”
She declared with open defiance. Suddenly she braced herself against his grip at her back, and ignoring the discomfort or pain, she launched herself with a backward leap onto her clasped hands that he held by the wrist, quelling his laughter and almost breaking free from the force of her weight.

Manny quickly sobered and re-grasped her wrists much tighter now; painfully tighter, causing her pulses to throb - numbing her hands. He reached around her and vice gripped her cheeks with his thumb and middle fingers; pulling her back against him, forcing her face up and around to look at him. His eyes were narrowed angrily, shooting daggers at her. Her jaw was aching from his punishing grip. She tried not to flinch at his firm warning.

"Princess or not! From this day forward…you are property belonging
to me!
” He squeezed a little harder and pulled her body up his until she was on the very tips of her toes. “From this day…you are simply Ceś alena. Or – Lena … Master Maynard’s wench.” He taunted, peering into her eyes with a cunning grin. “If you ever - ever - strike at me again, you will receive what I consider your just reward. Now you will cease your useless fight to free yourself. And you will behave as the others do…understood?” With watery eyes, and the pain of discomfort…she defied him with her eyes. His narrowed even more… suddenly the unbidden thought entered his mind, wishing they were alone.

Without warning, desire hot and true surged to life within him for her and was spiraling throughout his body as he read the silent,
‘Never!’
in her eyes. He harrumphed. “This can be a pleasant or unpleasant experience for you. Either way, you are still mine. Mine you now are, mine you will remain. To do with as I please, when I please.” The words, the statement…the absolute conviction of them coming from his mouth stunned Manny. He couldn’t understand why he said them, but he meant every word just the same. That was the scary part…there was something about her…he could feel his heart pumping madly, his blood boiling from just the look in her eyes; the feel of her next to him. “Do - you - understand?!” He grated this question through clenched teeth. Ceś alena’s chest heaved with exertion, her jaw cramped from his tight hold. Her fingers had no more feeling in them, but no matter how she truly feared this powerful man before her, she would not show how frightened she really was. His being loomed tall before her, his body a wall of un-moveable stone, and she knew she trembled against him.

“Ceś alena?! Need I go further with this? Am I understood?!”

She swallowed down the lump of fear in her throat, and decided for now; it would not be to her best interest to push him further. She nodded a barely perceptible yes. “I’ll take that as a yes, and it had better be what you mean. Don’t test me, Lena…don’t.” He concluded his strict advice, giving her one last hard glare. After one last squeeze to her jaw and wrist, he finally released the punishing grip, and turned his back on her as if he dared her to move.

She stood at his back as tears of frustration and uncertainty fell. She wasn’t about to move or try to run, there was no telling what he would do to her if he caught her, and she had reason to believe that he could – she was weak from hunger, from weight loss and even then, felt dizzy.
‘God, why have you placed me in the hands of this man? How will I ever get away from one such as he?’
She turned to look up his long broad back, tight in his white shirt that seemed a bit strained on him. She imagined his face; he appeared too young to be so large, and mean. Though his stern seriousness made him seem older, he could not be much older than her fifteen years could he? She emitted a perplexed sigh to her situation, again wondering,
‘However am I to escape this? Escape him? How am I to get back to my father, to my people? Well I won’t give up! I won’t! No one will make me give up! And damn you! Some how, I will get away from you…you may have me now, but one day, I will get away…and then you will never see me again! Oh God, please make that day soon!’
She swore and prayed…determined that it would be so.

“Now Mr. Simpson…my papers please. The hour grows late and I’d like to be underway before nightfall.”

Manny requested, bothered by the urge to turn around to look at her, if just to make sure she stood behind him, and that she was really real… but there was no need to turn, he could feel her there.

Kevin and James, his overseers came into the warehouse to fetch the women. It was a strong effort on his part to not tell them to leave her for him to see to. He also grew tense when Kevin’s eyes raked her so lustfully, followed by making the mistake of whistling and saying, “Hot damn Manny! Now this is one fancy piece here! Somebody fetch me some cold water, oooh-weee - my britches on fire!” Finishing that, he ran his hand down her back and over her rear.