Serana: Broken

It's been 6 days since that night, and something has definitely changed within me. Although I haven't figured out what. I hear a whip crack behind me, and as I look back, I see a young girl on the floor, blood dripping from the newly made lashes that cling to her bony back. I want to help her, I need to help her. Before the other night, I would have hesitated, yet now, everything has changed. Without thinking or even feeling, I run. The whip continues to slash into the young girls skin, making her scream at every crack. It digs into her body twice more before I manage to reach her. When I get to her, my instincts take over. I dive for the large, muscular man that bares the whip, and using all my force, I dig my shoulder into his stomach, making both of us crash to the floor.

 Pushing myself off the man, I look up at the young girl. Tears are streaming down her face, and as she looks at me, I get the sensation that I know this girl from somewhere, although I don't have time to think. Before I know it, I'm being hauled to my feet. The hands that grip my arms are very rough and firm, so it is obvious that it isn't one of the other slaves come to help me. It's one of THEM.

"Well what do we have here?" I hear his voice before I see his face, and that is enough to send an icy chill down my spine.

"My lord Memnah, this little bitch just attacked one of the guards!" The man that spoke goes by the name of Kodak. King Memnah's right hand man and leader of his army. As he speaks, he bows to the man that now stands before us.

"Dear Serana, is this true?" I remain silent, not wanting to speak to this prick of a king. I feel a pain shoot through my face as the back of his hand hits my cheek. "I shall ask again. Is. This. True?" He speaks the question, slowly, although you can hear the venom in his voice. I look up at him, and looking directly into his eye's I say

"Yes." I try not to make it sound like I am scared. I want it to sound brave and stern. It must have worked, because the look of amusement that he is giving me is one that is saying, <i>wow, so brave yet so stupid. </i>He keeps the eye contact, obviously trying to intimidate me.

"Well. That is such a shame. You do know the punishment for this is death do you not?" I remain silent, although fear is racing through my body, although I try not to let it show. "Of coarse you do, I mean you have been here for 10 years after all. I presume you also know the the means to how you must be.. how can I say it... put down?" It is a rhetorical question, for he says it with a cocky smile on his face, obviously trying to get a reaction out of me. I don't give him one. This puts him on edge. "The slave that commits this crime gets to be torn apart by my tigers. You, my dear, ought to have this punishment." As he says this, he turns his back on me to drink some water, so I cannot see his facial expression. Because of this, curiosity gets the better of me.

"Ought to, my lord?" I do not want to seem weak, so I continue to stare at him, only now I'm staring at his back.

"I like you Serana, and that is a rare thing. During my time as king of Egypt, I have never, once, found myself falling for a slave." Egypt no longer has pharaohs. King Memnah had slaughtered the last and took the throne for himself.

 I feel the guards next to me shift, Kodak on my left, and the guard that I had pushed to the ground is now on my right. However neither of them dare say anything, through fear of losing their lives.

From the moment I turned 16, I knew the king had eyes for me. I often saw him in the market, watching me. This had always un-nerved me, for I had no clue on what he would do to me. I still don't. Although he has never mentioned it to any body before, not until now. For I am a slave girl, and he a king. It just isn't done.

So now as he finally speaks his mind, I am shocked into pure silence. my mouth has gone dry and by body is starting to shake. I am fearing whatever words are going to come out of his mouth next. "I am willing to make you an offer my dear." His voice is very matter-of-fact and his body is strong and confident.

"What sort of offer?" My voice is very shaky. I feel ashamed to have lost my centre, but what he is saying is sending a shock through my system. My only hope is that he didn't notice too much. I have kept myself strong up until now. It's obvious that he has noticed as he turns around. A slight grin clings to his face. Although, this time I am sure that there is a slight hint of pity behind his emerald eyes. However, the pity disappears as quickly as it had emerged, and as he goes back to the cocky version of himself, I cant help but pity him in return. For all he has ever know is cruelty and mistreatment. Even his own father used to beat him, although I can never let on that I know, or I shall surely be put to death, maybe even worse.

"My offer to you is this. Be my personal slave, or be left in prison with no food or water, and slowly rot." His statement stuns me. I have no idea what to say to him. If I decline his request, I will slowly decay. Yet if I accept, I can only begin to imagine what he would do to me.

The last slave to agree to be his was called Benjamin. He was a Very handsome young man. I never knew his exact age, but he looked in his early 20's. The king never wanted him for personal pleasure, he just wanted a toy to break. After Benjamin went into the palace, no-one ever saw him again. Although the guards spread rumours, saying that he was worked so hard that his skin was slowly being ripped apart from all the scrubbing. They also said he wasn't fed properly either, that he would only get a small portion of gruel a day. No one knows how he died in the end. My guess is that he either starved or was killed due to not being fit for work. Either way, he died a horrible death. I fear that, that is going to happen to me. I can't help but think that maybe rotting in jail would be the better option.

"Well? What do you say?" He says it with impatience, obviously wanting an answer straight away. I try to reply to him that I would rather rot in prison than to be his, but what comes out my mouth is completely the opposite.

"I will on one condition." I hope my voice doesn't sound as scared as I feel. He looks at me with a slight humour in his eyes, a humour that says 'you're either very brave, or very stupid to be bargaining with me'. Although he is not saying anything, so I go on saying, "you let the girl go free."

He throws his head back with an agonising sound of laughter. It takes him a couple of minutes to pull himself back together. He looks me in the eye, the laughter still lingering in his eyes, that is until he sees how serious I am.

"Why would you risk your very life to bargain for the freedom of this runt? Surely you have more common sense than that?" I say nothing, for I fear that if I speak, my fear will show with the shakiness of my voice. "You know you amaze me Serana. Even when faced with death, you manage to keep strong for those around you. Why is that? Do you think that they would give you the same courtesy?" He pauses to let me think about his words. "No. They wouldn't. You are alone my dear, and that is what's best for a slave of your talents."

Does he know? Surely he can't, I mean, I haven't told anyone! So how could he possibly know what I am? To be quite honest, I don't really know what I am myself. All I know is that if I were to out my secret, my very life would be forbidden.

"So be it. She will go free if you will become my own." He shocks me with how quickly he has responded to my statement. What shocks me even more however, is the fact that he isn't even trying to bargain. Does he really want me that badly?

As if he had read my thoughts he carries on to say, "you mean a lot to me Serana, and I believe that our destinies are tied together. Whether you want the to be or not" I notice that he didn't say 'we', so that makes it obvious that he wants us to be together in whatever, sick, life there is waiting for us. Although, I don't want there to be an <i>us, </i>Yet he has made it perfectly clear that, that, is never going to be avoided, whether <i>I</i> want it or not.

Again I cannot speak, so I just nod instead, then turn to watch one of he men at my side, Kodak, turns away to get something from the rack behind us. When he comes back I notice that what he went to get was a wooded sword, The symbol of a freedom. Kodak gives the wooden sword to the king, who then turns to look at the now, drawn back, silent, girl who was having her life being whipped out of her not 10 minutes ago.

"Come to me little one." The girl, barely 12 years of  age, gets up and slowly walks towards king Memnah. "kneel." She does so without looking him in the eye. As he presents the wooden object to  her, hilt first, he states "I king Memnah, ruler of Egypt, present to you this wooden Sword, the symbol of freedom. You are no longer a slave, but a free spirit." He puts out his arm to show Kodak, now bringing forward a big, grey, horse towards the girl. "I give you Ashki, one of my best Arab's to help you with your travels. Go now, as I claim you to be a free person. Safe travels, Katie."

As I watch her ride off, it hits me. The king saying her name sets off a reaction within me. I knew that feeling of recognition I had earlier meant something! The girl who now rides to freedom, Katie, is my little sister.