Where am I?

I took a deep breath and soon coughed, and I spat something on the ground. Alas, disgusting. It's dishonorable. I hope no one around me sees my shame!

Thoughts arise in an instant and disappear in an instant. I tried to stay calm, but I could already feel the panic starting.

I smelled dampness, old stones, and rust.

It's not my bedroom, it's not the hospital I'm going to.

What happened?

I'm lost.

Through my waterfall blonde hair, I could see the stone bricks, their contours so distinct that it seemed as if the distance didn't interfere with my vision. Darkness is now just a deeper shadow, not an impenetrable veil. I could clearly hear the sound of dripping water and wood instead of background noise.

The air was filled with the smell of dampness and iron, and the taste on my tongue was greasy and distracting. Every feeling was amplified, each briefly grabbing my attention, and then another took over my attention in a disorienting dance. Soon, my sensory load turned into a tingling sensation behind my eyes.

I don't feel well.

I need to understand.

I took stock of my situation and shivered with fear.

I was shackled on my wrists. My leg was on the floor and my skin was bruised. I felt a simple tunic of coarse cloth draped over my shoulders...... Oh, I'm not wearing underwear! Maybe someone has seen me without ...... I can't stand this thought.

I squirmed a little, feeling the damp hair stick to my skull and land on my shoulder. I saw my legs, sticking out of a rough piece of cloth. They were paler than usual, dotted with red spots, which I realized were blood. It was the blood I vomited before.

I took a deep breath to control my fears. I'm not going to break down. I'm not going to scream. I'm not a delicate flower from Charleston and pass out at the sight of the crimson liquid. I was made by strong people!

My fear didn't subside, but once again I was in control. I don't know exactly what kind of predicament I'm in, but I know panic doesn't help. I will not succumb to it.

I cautiously continued to check.

The bare walls are littered with gray stone, and there is only a huge door with iron bars on the windows. Is this a farce? I'm in the dungeon! I must be dreaming. Yes, it was a dream and I was still sleeping. Maybe I'm really crazy, and that's one of the "shelters" I've heard a lot about, what is it? I'm wearing rags! Even a slave would not wear something like this! I swear, I'll find out, or my name, my name,

I am......

Can't focus. My mind was a mix of impressions and emotions, as well as needs I didn't understand. Before I could fully grasp them, they slipped away. I shook my head and bit my lip to get them clean, but to no avail. Nothing works.

I can't remember my name. I have to remember my name. Uninvited, my mouth opened and the voice slipped away.

“…… Ariana"

The pain!

When my throat burns, I lean forward as far as I can. Soon, the pain spread into my stomach and tore me from the inside. My brain went blank from extreme tension. It's a hundred times worse than anything I've ever experienced. God, let it stop. Let it stop! Someone, anyone!

It seems that someone listened to my prayers. I could hear the crash of a door in front of me as it opened. Three groups of footsteps approached. Hurry up, I beg you!

"I told you what I heard. The sun had just set, so it was possible. ”

"Hmm."

Despite the absence of any light source, I could clearly see the face of my future savior, and now I was convinced that I was doomed.

The man looked like a roadblocker. If I ran into him on the street, I would immediately run away and call the nearest guard. He had unkempt black hair and a greasy beard that he must not have been trimmed in months! However, even then, if it weren't for a pair of crazy blue eyes that froze my soul, I would have taken him for a coolie.

The man smiled, showing a pair of jagged teeth. It's chilling. However, I am sure that if I am not stopped by a strange feeling, this person can help me.

This person already belongs to someone else. I'd better not touch him. I know I'm supposed to be curious, but the pain makes me dizzy.

The second person is not white. He was no different from the coolies who helped dig the railroad tracks, with the same golden skin and squinted eyes, but comparing them to them was like comparing a Pomeranian to a wolf. His arm muscles swelled, and his expression was indeed fierce. I could tell from his posture that he was a fencer, or some type of boxer.

He moved with the grace of a predator, and a strange feeling came over me again. I'm sure this man is more dangerous than his appearance. He has a cold aura, and he can't help me.

The third person can.

I felt joy and warmth fill my chest. Yes! This man, like me, was a captive man, a teenager with a dazed expression. He was dressed in a blacksmith's clothes, or perhaps a coppersmith's, with a thin chain around his neck. He can make the pain stop; I just knew it in my heart.

So, I moved.

I stopped. I looked at my outstretched arm in bewilderment, and of course, I was so stupid. I'm still chained! Heavy silver metal locks tied my wrists tightly to the wall. I'm stuck.

"Wow! An active person, right? Come, give her the child. ”

The Asian frowned. Our eyes met, and there was a hint of sympathy on his rugged face. He pushed the young man towards me.

My left hand brushed the boy's collar. Yes! Yes, I was saved at last! I pulled my hero closer and breathed around his neck. Oh, and this delicate bouquet, like a perfect vintage, is so rich and intoxicating. I'm going crazy. My canines brushed his skin and pierced his flesh. Something thick and sweet brushed my tongue.

The world exploded in ecstasy.

I have nothing to say.

In eternity, nothing exists. There is only the joy of heaven that rolls, rolls, boils, and submerges. I die, I live again, I die again. The wave of happiness destroyed my existence and shattered my psyche.

If that's half the best, I understand women who find out they have children out of wedlock. It's enough to sell your soul.

I love it.

Love it, love it, love it.

I hope it never stops.

Alas, to some extent, it does. I don't know how long it will take, but when the tide goes out, I know peace and am convinced that everything is right in the world. Special way. No amount of prayer can get me to such heights. I'm touching the realm of the sacred!

I let go of the young man who had fallen to the ground. He couldn't help me anymore, and to make matters worse, he smelled bad!

The creepy man giggled and dragged the teen's chain to pull him out of my reach as if I were an animal. How rude! I frowned in disapproval.

"What......" my voice hoarse, "what does that mean?"

How I wish I could express my anger at being held in this way! Not even a bucket of water, not a night pot! Am I going to live like a beast? I don't want to think about it. I don't want to think about a lot of things.

The short white man jumped to his feet in surprise, and even the Asian guardian raised an eyebrow. What's wrong with them? Do they want me to give in, beg?

"Yes, ma'am. Forgive this humble Baudouin? I didn't expect you to ...... like this."

I spoke impatiently to his companions.

"What about you, warrior, can you explain why you're holding me like this?"

Although Baudouin was flustered, he didn't seem to find it funny.

"It's for your own safety."

"Am I safe? I'll be safe when I break free and get home, you scoundrel! How can you let me go?"

Baudouin interrupted me, clearly annoyed by being ignored.

"Don't worry about your cute little head, ma'am, you'll be released soon."

"I ...... I ......"

I wanted to continue, I wanted to extract information from the two reluctant people, but I felt tired, tired. The numbness invaded my limbs and made everything so heavy. My eyelids slid down with the executioner's axe.

It's summer at the plantation. Sugar cane grows from the red soil, as far as the eye can see, lush green. The relentless sun shone on my shoulders, almost the weight of my body. If it weren't for the breeze and the scent of the river, it would be unbearable.

A burly blonde man knelt in front of me. His knife sliced through the flesh of the sugar cane until only a dripping silver bar remained. His face was bumpy and red, and his golden beard was knotted, but I didn't care. I inherited his shining blue eyes and looked at me with all the warmth of the world.

"Try this, dear."

"I don't want to!" It's dirty!"

"Try to make Dad happy. Come on!"

"yes."

I picked it up with a small hand and took it out of my mouth. It has strange fibers and is sweet and juicy at the same time.

"Hmm!"

"See? Your dad knows best. That's why you should listen to me, dear. ”

"Huh?"

"I told you to always wear a hat when outside because it's so hot when the sun comes out. But did you listen? Oh no, you don't. Now, you're burned to death. ”

Flames came out of the flesh of my hands, I screamed, I tried to stop them, but my other arm caught fire and the flames spread to me. It hurts, it hurts. The charred flesh cracked open, revealing tarnished bones. My hair is hot. Nothing can stop the raging hell. I prayed for the darkness to take me away, and eventually, it came.

I woke up in the same gray cell. There was no sign of a kidnapper or anyone else. I think it's weird. There was a part of me rebelling and rebelling, trying to get me to question my environment. I know everything is inconsistent, but I find it hard to focus.

Like a patient with a high fever, my grasp of reality is fragile and uncertain. No matter how hard I tried to focus, I could only get a little lucidity. I remember a nightmare. I remember yesterday. I remember my name. What's going on? Ariana. Yes, my name is Ariane, but I must honestly state that this is just an omen.

My voice helped a lot.

I will try to do so again.

"My name...... It's Ariana...... I...... Nineteen years old. ”

I'm old enough to get married. I have... Suitors. My thoughts?

"I ...... From ......"

Two city names come to mind, one is Baton Rouge, which feels like home. The other is New Orleans, which feels more exciting, but also has a stain.

I can't finish this sentence. I felt like I was getting colder and I couldn't let that happen, so I forced myself to keep going.

"I ......"

What am I?

"I have ...... A family. ”

Yes, I know that's right. I tried to recall the man in the dream, his smile and happy look, but his image blurred and another person took his place. The second person is terrible. I remember the cruel smile and doll-like eyes that reflected a soul as dark as the night.

When the same longing came to me, my contemplation stopped. My throat is dry. This is natural because people need to drink quite a bit of water every day.

I remember stories of sailors who went crazy after being deprived of water, deprived of their sanity because they were surrounded by a liquid that they could not ingest. I'm sure someone will come. If they wanted me dead, they would have died a long time ago.

Time flies painfully slowly. I grew thirstier and thirstier and began to groan. My teeth were biting my lips that were getting drier and drier in pain. The only thing thankful for is that two days have passed and I don't have to go...... It's awkward and weird. Why didn't I have to visit...... What?

A distant jingle interrupted my thoughts, whatever they were. I've forgotten. Three more footsteps. I don't know how I could have judged so accurately, but it doesn't matter.

They quickly stopped, and yesterday the Asian gave me a quick glance before opening the door. He walked in and stood aside with the majesty of the British Royal Guard.

The second visitor is a woman from a fairy tale. Really, if someone had described her to me, I would have said they were liars, and yet here she is.

She was slender and lithe in a blue robe, which was the envy of King William's court. It fits her figure perfectly, is both glamorous and not vulgar, which is quite an achievement considering her silhouette.

Her skin is as white as alabaster, and her face is an image of grace and majesty. Black curls hang down in a restrained way from the delicate hairstyle, wrapping around two striking green eyes, as bright as emerald. Hey, if it weren't for my mouth, I'd be staring like a hillbilly right now.

The cold aura that hung over the Asian man also came from her, but I was hesitant to compare them because she seemed to belong to her own category. If the man is the drum, the woman is the orchestra. The pressure it emitted freaked me out, and I didn't think it was a good idea to make any demands on her.

I turned to the last person to come in, a man, and I immediately fell in love.

He was tall and handsome, like the legendary ancient kings. Brown curls and brown hair adorn the skin gently kissed by the sun. He was strong, but not as sturdy as a peasant. This is the lethal grace of the duelist.

I felt like I was kneeling in front of Achilles or Romulus, and that's what this person is. All I know is that he is my true son. His aura was not so cold, and somehow somewhat familiar, so powerful, yet very restrained. I bathed in his presence, and a strange warmth grew in my belly.

Oh, shame on you! Am I so easily swayed by people I know for the first time? I can't! But I know that if this person touches me, I'm finished. I forgot my thirst; I forgot about my discomfort. If he had held me in his arms, I could have died without regrets.

“…… His descendants can communicate, but ......"

I blinked and realized that the noble lady was talking to the Asian man, apparently the tail. The strangest thing is that they don't speak English. Their language is predominantly singing-like vowels and soft consonants, with occasional guttural sounds. I'm sure I've never heard anything like this, but I can understand it.

"I assure you, she did, Mrs. Moore."

I must be daydreaming again. This lack of attention is so tiring that now my lover must think I'm stupid! I have to make the best impression on him so that he will always be mine. I turned to him and paused in the middle of the conversation, or should I say reprimand him harshly.

"Greetings".

All eyes were on me. No, that's not entirely true. If I spoke English now, they wouldn't think I was sophisticated.

"Ladies and gentlemen, hello. My name is Ariane. May I ask yours?"

There, concise and courteous. Halfway through the sentence, my voice choked up, I was dirty, wearing rags that the orphanage would not accept, but my demeanor was still impeccable.

The woman frowned, showing such a strong disgust that it made people think I was covered in dung. Without saying a word, she turned and left the room, covering her nose with a scented handkerchief. If it weren't for that person, I'd be blushing with shame.

He knelt in front of me, and I lost myself in those teary eyes. He's laughing, he's definitely laughing. I think he's proud of me.

No, he is self-righteous.

No, he's so proud of me. He loves me and wants nothing but the best. I love him!

I didn't. He hurt me.

I love him and he will always belong to me. Cozy blankets occupied my mind until only worship remained. I held my breath and waited for a word, a word, anything, until I couldn't anymore.

My move.

Once again, the chains blocked me, and my face was just a few fingers away from the golden skin of his neck. I stretched hard, the metal made a sound, and of course, I was too weak to break free. After all, I'm just an ordinary person. I don't bend metal.

May I?

The man caught my attention, and my craving disappeared for a while. The scent of his perfume makes me dizzy and at the same time makes me feel safe. I'm where I belong. By his side. Yes. No. Yes.

He put a finger under my chin and lifted my head up until our eyes were level. Touching his skin made my back tremble slightly.

"Call us masters."

"Yes, master."

"I want you to speak, and you will speak."

I nodded silently. Of course, I will do as he says.

"You are to obey the woman whose name is Ximena in everything. You have to behave appropriately. In this way, within three days, you can absorb our essence and live. ”

I nodded frantically. I wanted to say I'd be fine, but I hesitated to say it. After the man finished speaking, he stood up and turned to Ogedai. I love how he is so close to me. That's exactly what I expected. It's everything I've ever dreamed of.

"Why is my chick still in the drone cell, warden?"

The bow of Ogedai was almost groveling, which should be strange for such a man, but how could I blame him? Who can stand in front of this man and call himself his opponent? Of course, even Alexander and Scipio would find themselves lacking.

The man walked out of the cell without looking back.

Why did he leave me like this? I love him so much, he must have seen it clearly! I'm his only one! Or am I not good enough? Could a noblewoman from Louisiana be too rustic for his tastes?

Maybe I should disembowel and strangle her with her own entrails.

Await.

What was I thinking?

I could hear a wail and quickly realized it was coming from my throat. I've got to control myself. What's wrong with me?

A strange Asian man walked up to me with a silver key. Ah, yes, Ogedai. He's been here before. He's going to take me out of my cell and... Do what?

Ah yes, I finally remembered. I'm going to obey that amazing man. My love. No, disgusted. Love. I remember his order. Unless someone talks to me, I have to be silent. I will obey Jimina in everything. I want to behave decently.

I would do it because he asked me to do it, and he was so irresistible. I just wish I could have a drink. I'm dying of thirst.

"Ahh I cried.

With an alarming loud bang, the handcuffs fell to the ground, taking away a layer of skin. I looked at my now free wrist. Terror! I've been skinned! The meat is thick and thick, and there is black blood flowing from it!

Convinced I was going to vomit, I walked forward, but nothing happened. I didn't feel sick to see those unsightly wounds. They must be infected and will most likely be scarred!

Ah, humanity! Will I have to bear the shame of being imprisoned for the rest of my life?

"Come out, slowly."

I staggered forward. I felt weak and dizzy. I prayed that they would have water.