4. Welcome to the Harem

The King grumbled. “I should fucking slit your throat, Raven.”

The mercenary didn’t even flinch. He must have been used to these kinds of threats. “I’m only following your orders.”

The King yawned. “Not my orders. My brother thinks bringing more women to me will satisfy my cock’s addiction. I have enough holes to fuck—this ugly woman won’t make a difference.”

Rebecca couldn’t hold back the disgruntled noise she made. The King only found it amusing, his dark eyes falling on her for a moment longer than previously. He looked her over as if he were interested, but soon that interested faded. A smirk quirked at the corner of his lips.

“But she’s here now. Send her on her way. Maybe once she’s had a bath she’ll be more tolerable. I still will have to flip her over so I don’t have to look at her face.”

Rebecca glared at the asshole. She bristled with such anger that she was surprised by how much energy she still had. She was tired and all she wanted was to sleep peacefully. Instead, she had to deal with this kind of shit.

Raven steered her to the other side of the large room to another hallway. There were stairs that lead upward. There were more guards. Each of them acknowledged Raven furthering Rebecca’s conclusion that he was someone somewhat respected around here.

The stairs turned into another hallway, but it was wider. At the end of the hall, there was an even more guarded area. They entered through there after being checked over by the guards posted.

And once inside, Rebecca really couldn’t hold back her gasp.

There was a large bed in the middle in a circle shape. The gold bedding was lavish and pristine—the most beautiful cloth she’d ever seen in her life. A canopy hung over it, draped around the edge of the mattress. There were large and small pillows of various sizes strew across the covers.

Rebecca barely noticed the rest of the room—there were twin-size beds spaced out around the large bed—as there was a naked woman laying in the large bed.

As Raven lead her further into the room and they moved closer to the bed, Rebecca saw more of her.

The woman had black wavy hair and tan skin. She laid on her stomach, a small pillow tucked under her head as she rested. Her perky butt faced them. The smooth flesh was blemished by red marks like someone had slapped them. Rebecca’s face burned even more when she remembered the King complaining about being disturbed. She was sure now that he hadn’t been sleeping like he’d said and had in fact been spending his nightly time here in this bed.

The woman roused from her sleep. She yawned as she turned over, revealing more of her naked body. She was completely naked except for golden chains that were attached to her ankles. The gold chains weren’t just on her ankles. She was covered in them. The chains went up her legs, attached to her waist and continued upward where they draped around her large breasts and her neck, then traveled along her arms were they finally stopped at her wrists.

Her eyes were the most brilliant blue Rebecca had ever seen. They captured her and she found that she couldn’t look away.

“Who is this?” The woman asked. Her voice was velvety.

Rebecca thought Raven would have been leering at the naked woman’s form, but he seemed very disinterested. “Your new protege.”

He pushed Rebecca forward. She stumbled but caught herself before she collided with the bed.

The woman slowly got to her knees. She crawled forward until she was right in front of Rebecca. She smiled.

“I’m Yasmine.” Her smile faded into a frown. She looked over Rebecca’s shoulder at Raven. “Ungag her already.”

Raven was silent as he gut the gag from Rebecca’s mouth. She sighed with relief. Uncontrollable spit ran down her slack jaw and she blushed with embarrassment. She felt insignificant next to this Goddess of a woman.

Raven gut the rope from her hands next. She gave another sigh of relief when the tension in his shoulders lifted. She brought her arms around to her front and massaged her jaw.

Yasmine shooed at Raven. “You can leave now.”

Raven looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. He left fast, not looking back once.

Rebecca glanced over by the door that was now shut. She didn’t feel entirely safe in this unknown room, but she didn’t feel so on edge.

“What’s your name?”

Rebecca turned back to face Yasmine. “Rebecca.”

He voice was hoarse. It hurt to move her jaw.

Yasmine must have realized this as she gave Rebecca a tender look. “It’s okay. You don’t have to force yourself. Would you like to sleep? You look awfully tired.”

At the word sleep, Rebecca yawned. Her eyelids became droopy.

“Yes, thank you,” she whispered.

Yasmine got up and steered Rebecca to one of the twin beds. The sheets matched the large one and were just nice. She didn’t hesitate to crawl beneath the covers when Yasmine lifted them up.

She sighed with contentment when the comforter was lowered over her body. The mattress was as soft as a cloud and the sheets smelled like springtime. She had just closed her eyes when she drifted off.

***

“Who the fuck is in my bed?!”

A loud screech yanked Rebecca from her peaceful dream. She’d dreamt of home before the massacre except it was more beautiful with rolling hills of grass and a blue sky. The fantasy was shattered when someone ripped the warm covers from her.

“Layla, calm down.”

“I will not fucking calm down! What is this ugly rat doing in my bed? She’s getting my covers all dirty with her filth!”

Rebecca sat upright. She rubbed her eyes as she faced the woman who was yelling at her.

The woman Layla was a blond with blue eyes. She was wearing pretty much the same thing as Yasmine except there were blue gems dangling from the chains. She was just as curvy as Yasmine though her skin was fair with a hint of pink.

Rebecca would have been just as taken with Layla’s beauty if she wasn’t actively yelling in her face. Her pretty looks were turned scary when she glared at Rebecca, her face going almost red with how angry she was.

“Get out of my bed or I’ll rip your hair out!” She took a step forward, making it clear that she wasn’t playing around.

Rebecca knew well enough to get up. Whatever sleepiness was still in her disappeared the second Layla took a step toward her. She was still shaken up about this whole ordeal. She didn’t even think twice about getting into a fight.

Yasmine sighed as she stood behind Layla with her arms crossed. “It’s only a bed, Layla. She doesn’t have one of her own yet.”

Layla grabbed the sheets to the bed and yanked them off. “Well she could have slept on the floor then. Not my problem.”

Yasmine came toward Rebecca and put a gentle arm around her shoulders. “Don’t mind her. How was your sleep?”

Rebecca watched Layla throw the sheets to the floor, grumbling under her breath as she did so. She looked away and put on a small smile. “It was great. Thank you. I—”

She choked. There were no tears, but it became difficult to speak. She’d thought so much about what she was going to do when faced with the man that had destroyed her family. However, now that she was here, she felt more powerless than before. She hadn’t known she would be struck with this kind of feeling.

Yasmine’s face showed sympathy. She rubbed Rebecca’s back. “I know it’s difficult, but it will get better in time. He’s not a cruel lover.”

Layla scoffed as she grabbed the pillows and stripped the cases off those too.

Yasmine sent her a look. “Just because he deals out punishments doesn’t mean he does it for fun.”

Layla returned Yasmine’s look with one of her own. It said “really? You believe that?”.

“No one tells me what to do. Not even the King of Crows,” Layla boasted. She stuck her nose up in the air.

Yasmine shook her head. “As I was saying, you’ll get used to this life. You’ll have the best food, the best clothes, time to do whatever you want, and friends who understand what you’re going through.”

“All you have to do is spread your legs,” Layla chimed in.

Yasmine frowned and glared at Layla again who only snickered to herself. Yasmine steered Rebecca away and toward a set of doors that didn’t lead out to the guarded hall.

“How about a bath before breakfast? I want you to meet the rest of the girls.”

Rebecca let herself be lead away from Layla and the bedroom. She tried to not let Layla’s words get to her, but that was easier said than done. All she could picture was the King forcing himself on her. And like he said, he didn’t even find her attractive! How insulting was it to be raped and told that you were ugly as well?

She and Yasmine crossed into the next room. A heavy scent of sweetness wafted into Rebecca’s face. She was taken aback by the smell. It was the most delicious thing she’d ever smelled.

The humid room made her feel cozy while also making her itch to take her clothes off. She cringed at her unhinged thought, not knowing what had possessed her to think of such a thing. However, Yasmine seemed to yet again know what was going through her head.

“The fragrance used in the bathhouse is an aphrodisiac.”

Rebecca’s eyes widened. “Aphrodisiac? The water is drugged?”

Yasmine giggled. “It’s good for the skin and the mind. You’ll feel more relaxed, but you’ll still be in control of yourself.”

There was a mist that obscured her vision as they walked further into the room. She could see the marble tiles and some of the white walls, but she still couldn’t see what this “bathhouse” looked like.

“And you said bathhouse? How big is this—”

She cut herself off when the mist finally dispersed and she saw what Yasmine exactly meant.

The biggest body of water she’d ever seen was in front of her. Where she assumed she was expected to bathe took up most of the room! There was room enough in this bath that she could swim! Though she didn’t know how. She’d only seen a lake once in her life when she was a child, but the desert had swallowed it up, leaving it dry as dust.

This wasn’t anywhere close to what that lake had been like. It was more than Rebecca could have dreamt up.

“Woah…” She gaped at the glistening crystal clear water that was topped off with pink suds. She was transfixed by it.

“Go ahead and strip. I’ll bring you soap.”

Rebecca didn’t need to be told twice. She chucked off her pants and discarded her shirt. She’d lost her shawl when she was captured, but it didn’t seem like she’d be needing it anymore.

Once naked, she ran toward the water and jumped it.

Wet warmth enveloped her. While she didn’t know how to swim, she remembered her time splashing in the lake from her childhood. She let herself wade in the warm water for a moment before her lungs began to burn. She didn’t want to leave this warmth that was like being in the womb again, but she lifted her head. She gasped as she filled her lungs with fresh air.

She wiped her face of the water and suds. When she opened her eyes, she met a smiling face with golden hair.

She screamed.

“Sorry!” The girl with a sweet face cringed, putting her hands up. “I didn’t mean to startle you!”

Rebecca backed up. She hit the edge of the bath. The water wasn’t that deep so it only came to below her chest. She looked down and them covered herself in a quick haste.

The girl gave a sheepish smile. “You don’t have to be so modest, we’re both girls here.”

She gestured to her very naked chest. Rebecca looked even though she tried not to. The girl had a sizable chest with perky breasts and tiny pink nipples. The girl jiggled them with a playful laugh.

“You can touch them if you want.”

Rebecca rapidly shook her head. “N-No thank you.”

The girl shrugged. “I’m Rosanne by the way. Rose or Rosie, whatever you like.”

Rosie crept closer, closing the small distance between them. The innocent smile on her face didn’t seem so innocent anymore.

With nowhere to go, Rebecca watched with apprehension as Rosie got closer and closer to her.