Watch Sin perform? But why?
KK never explains himself, he only expects. I do not know how I could imagine a life with someone other than Sidonis would ever be pleasant. Though I did not expect to stay a slave either. They may feed me, but there is something sinister about KK, something he is hiding.
Except for his true name what does he have to hide? What does he not trust Sin with? Would he really tell me and not her? I shook my head side to side covering myself once more with my arms across my chest.
“You will dress like the ancients of this land. You will walk like the goddess Aphrodite amongst the mortals of this land. Know I am deliberate in how I chose my words.” He flashed a smirk.
The women returned, the old women with white linens in her hands, the others a pot and flowers. They placed the linens atop a side table while the women gathered behind me pulling my hair back, tugging and twisting.
“Do you know the stories of Aphrodite?” KK asked.
I tried to shake my head, but they held tight my hair.
“N… No.”
“They call her the goddess of love, portrayed as a woman so beautiful she could have any mortal and did.”
He shook his head.
“To think gods and goddesses would belittle themselves and lay with mortals. No. He strength was in her beauty and her ability to love. A guide an envy. A name tarnished with time as she was not real, but the dreamings of drunks, stolen stories from the true goddess Inanna.”
“Inanna?”
KK licked his lower lip, “Yes, Inanna. A goddess one would envy if I was capable.” He laughed.
The women kept tugging at my hair braiding a crown around my head, leaving no hair to touch my bare shoulders. That was when the old women brought over the white linen and unraveling the peplos, presenting it to KK. He nodded and crossed his arms watching as the women hung the drape over my right shoulder a golden pin allowing the fabric to hang, the sides of my legs exposed as they pinned the dress once more at my waist on my left raising the fabric just above my ankles.
They left my other shoulder bare; the fabric cutting under my arm and pulled snug as they applied one more gold pin on the backside of my hip. I raised my eyes to see those red opals strict and smiling.
“It’ll do for now.” KK said.
“Is that what I am to you?”
He stood unmoving, never blinking, reaching through me, my knees weakening, feeling falling away from me.
“Am… Am I like Nefta? A pet for you to dangle on your arm?”
That was when his eyes broke from me and darted back and forth with silent women. He spoke no words, but with how they ran from the room it felt as if he had screamed at them. KK waited until he heard the door slam behind us, he waited till then to take his first step.
“Do I appear to be Magister Sidonis?”
I shook my head, and he took another step.
“Do I appear to be a man in want?”
I wanted to step away, his gaze was holding me, my body frozen, and he took another step.
“My Grace, you are just that. A symbol, no different from the gold on my vest. The gold on Sins collar.”
He took another step, goosebumps raising as he was now just a breath away.
“You are an accessory. Not a pet.” He stated harshly. “You express my power, my riches and my Grace.”
He smirked, walking around me, his shoulder running against my body.
“You weaken the others… Or you will, once you are fed. You will look as a goddess and they will be wanting. Not I, never I.”
I could not turn to face him, but I heard wood scratching against wood as he opened a drawer behind me.
“They will think me soft, a weakling… Gracious. But you and I both know my Grace that I am so much more.”
He was on me once more, his breath, his warmth floating behind me. I closed my eyes, squeezing my fists, wanting so hard to move from him, but my body refused.
“Stupidly the world will look at you and my Sin and think you are slaves. Think you are worth some price of gold.” He chuckled. “One cannot pay for themselves. You are parts of me. You will carry my burden.”
His hands reached over my shoulders when a soft brush caressed my neck. The touch brought warmth up from my toes, my body felt nimble, relaxed, secure.
Clink
The sound shot my eyes open, my hands reaching for my neck, feeling the leather strap and the cool metal centered along it.
“You will do something for me tonight my Grace. You will accept your role and save your sister tonight.”
That is what KK told me, accept my role, to stand here and watch. To wait until the right time and become his Grace.
I don’t know how he could have asked me to do this. Standing here watching as Magisters came in with their slaves holding tight to their arms. The banter between them growing louder and louder while I stood silent along the back wall. I caught none of them looking at me, not a single Magister paid me any mind.
This peplos hung snug, but allowed the seas breeze to wash over me, keeping me cool while in this heavily candle lit room.
Why do they not see me?
I shook my head and watched as KK… Master KK came from behind the curtain arms wide and a smile. His words big, his mouth wide and his voice echoed in the hall. It was like Master KK had come alive, something eerily similar to when he spoke with Sidonis. He greeted the crowd, recognizing the faces of a few and inviting the silent men to deliver more drinks to the Magisters. Cup after cup filled and clanked between the men, liquids spilling everywhere.
It was then that Master KK had the curtain open and there she was, my new sister… Sin. Her eyes bright, a shining smile and raised shoulders exuding such energy. I had to smile until I noticed everyone went silent, their gazes drawn to Sin, standing on stage in her immaculate beauty. They froze for her; they stopped and starred for her while I stood here a silent shadow.
I kept my hands together fiddling with one another about my waist as Master KK and Sin strutted around the stage. I suddenly grasped my mouth inhaling hard, recoiling when the knife struck Sin’s arm, a shallow river of red running across her skin.
As a Magisters own slave ran from the hall I straightened up fixing my dress, fighting the shivers and shaking of my knees knocking together.
This is her show?
The next knife answered that for me when it split the thigh leaving Sin to just arch her head back and smile. She was right, I could never do this. Yet, Master KK was asking me too… I shook my head and turned away as the third dagger struck Sin, my stomach pushing up my throat. I turned all the way round and reached into my dress pulling the small vile of the putrid purple.
Heaving a big, quick breathe I tossed back the liquid and resealed it as quickly. I pushed the vile away back inside my dress and turned to see Master KK turn Sin towards the crowd, exposing the damage he had just done. I gulped, watching Sin while taking a step forward.
They focused in, all of their eyes on the girl bleeding for her master. Drinks in their hands, stayed still as they awaited the offering.
“Which of you dares to test my Sin’s limits. Push her far beyond what a normal girl would ever suffer.”
Master KK was smirking, their hands raising, a few Magisters even stood calling out.
“I’ll test the bitch.”
“Let me have at her.”
“I should be the one.”
That last a voice came from behind me. The Magister pushing past walking down the center aisle. I thought I caught a flash of rage from Sin, but Master KK stayed their smiling.
“Ah Magister Basil, how nice of you to come and join us. I was thinking you would miss our show.”
Magister Basil turned around facing the other Magisters, an arm reaching back to point at Master KK and Sin.
“You have all heard, someone killed Magister Sidonis this morning. This… This madman is responsible.”
My eyes widened, and I stared back at Master KK who paid me no mind, a smile sliding away to a grin as Basil spoke.
“He brutally killed Sidonis and allow his slave to attack me early today!”
That was when Master KK shook his head.
“Excuse me Magister. I believe you had threatened my Sin. And as much as I respect your powers here on this island, I cannot abide you treat my Sin in such a manner. If you have a grievance, I ask you to take it up with me personally. It is my training, my instruction and my reputation on the line here.”
“Enough!” Basil shouted.
Master chuckled and looked at me.
“You’re right Magister, it is enough.”
I blinked, turning my head away at those red eyes, that glare catching me, stunning me. With my arms hugged around my body I unfurled them and stretched out to my sides, touching a candle stand on each side. I stepped forward and felt the moisture between my toes; the carpet soaked through, the alcohol a mess about the hall.
With that step the candle stands fell forward clanging on the ground, the small budding flames grabbing a hold of the carpet and grew. Fire jumped from their wicks before they danced along the carpet and multiple in vast numbers.
As I stepped back, feeling the flames grow and touch at my face, I caught a smile directed at me. It was Master KK, and I could feel him cool the surrounding air, telling me:
And now you are forever mine.
The Magisters and their slaves jumped out, screaming, roaring a scuttle to get from their seats. From my sides came the silent men from the ship and pulled me away, my heels skidding across the carpet. I didn’t fight, I couldn’t fight. I was a feather in their arms and once they had pulled me from the hall; they slammed the doors shut, dropping a bolt across the door and securing it.
A few moments later thumping resounded and the silent men set me down. The door was not budging and with each thump it was clear those inside would not find their way out.
“Wait!”
I turned and faced the large red-headed man.
“What about him? What about Master KK?”
His big green eyes blinked dully with a silent shrug. He turned from me and the others joining him, walking towards the stairs leading outside the terrace.
“Wait!”
I jogged out to them, tapping the red-haired man on his thick tanned back.
“Can you take me away? Can you take me from this island?”
Again silence from him. The others barely glancing over their shoulders to look at me. I reached out and tugged on his arm though, his thick forearm wet with sweat.
“Please, please. I can’t stay here.”
Laughter, laughter from two surrounded me. The shrill from one could only have been Sin, but the other… I turned around and saw them. Three other large silent men, Sin in a dark amber shawl and Master KK.
The two grinning from ear to ear, Master KK stepping in front of the group and walking straight for me.
That was it, it had to have been it. My arms raised up covering my face as I turned my head away ducking, not wanting to feel the whip he surely had prepared.
“Scared?” His voice higher pitched.
My knees bent, my body cowering away.
“Stand up!” The command burning through my spine and hitting my brain.
I straightened, arms locked to my side, chin pointing over his head.
“You did well my Grace. You supported your sister and have given a message to those who dared consider attacking your sister, be punished with the ultimate sacrifice.”
That was when Master KK stepped to the side, reaching his hand behind my neck and directing me to look at Sin. I arched a brow, blinking, not sure if I was missing it. The guards behind her both held a rope in their hands and pulled forward, opening enough to show someone on the ends.
It was Magister Basil, hands bound to his body, clothes disheveled and blood dripping from his chin.
![IMG_1113[4236].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b854444b98a78d682eea52f/1556196879339-9QWE3PU0W0IDL3L9MWT5/IMG_1113%5B4236%5D.jpg)
![IMG_1140[4232].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b854444b98a78d682eea52f/1556196877098-MB2AUO6TVRPBYW02I0GG/IMG_1140%5B4232%5D.jpg)
![IMG_1156[4228].jpg](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5b854444b98a78d682eea52f/1556196886819-GLFM5DKGZXI6Q6O8Z3GK/IMG_1156%5B4228%5D.jpg)
