-LILY-
Everyone in the hall stood sharp, their ears ready to receive the good news that had been brought to them. It was simple but harsh at the same time. I was going to be bought by a noble who would prefer I'd become a toy for his sexual gratification than a slave.
My body couldn't be harnessed by someone like that. Even though I was a courtesan, I had never sold my body to any man. I hid behind games and intellect, which earned me enough to get rid of Hannah's countless rantings, but now I had no free will.
"A thousand coins going." She took a look at me, her face filled with joy and a little bit of mischief. "This should be it."
I lowered my head, pleading one last time for a miracle. Not like I believed in them, but I heard stories of them happening, and it seemed like the best thing to take my mind away from my horrible reality.
"A hundred thousand silver coins" A deep voice emerged.
I could hear countless gasps in the room, everyone searching for the person who could buy a courtesan at such a price. Even princesses were bought at 70 thousand silver coins not to take off a devalued courtesan like me.
He walked forward, taking his stance next to the freaky noble who almost won the bid. The noble stared at him with disdain, but he cared less, nor did he reveal his face under the black cloak that covered his body.
"One hundred and fifty thousand silver coins." The noble spat.
My heart sank.
The courtesans who were smiling had all gone silent, a wry smile on their face. I could tell they hated how this was playing out. Not even Hannah, who wanted to earn as much, thought I would have a prestigious value that would invite twenty beautiful courtesans to bed.
"One hundred and fifty thousand for a devalued courtesan. That's quite rare." Hannah's voice broke over the microphone.
"Three hundred thousand silver coins. That should be enough to do my bidding." His deep voice came once again.
The sound of stumbling chairs got my attention, and I turned, searching for the cause. It turned out to be Silvia. She had a frown on her face, her braids now fallen from their original ponytail form.
"Three hundred… thousand," Hannah stuttered, the microphone falling from her hands.
"If you would excuse me, I would like to regain my prize." He said.
Suddenly I felt that aura, the one that made me regret ever being a female. The one professed by the moon goddess who rejected the prophecy. The Alpha of the Grey Moon pack, Harry.
"Why buy a piece of trash for three hundred thousand silver coins? I can tell you for free, she isn't worth it." He let out.
"I've known her for a long period of time; she's useless." Silvia taunted.
"You can get better courtesans here for cheaper; this one is quite devalued." Hannah proposed.
I said nothing, staring at the drama that kept moving on. There was nothing for me to speak about anymore; I was the prize, and the politics wasn't for me to decide.
"Her worth is for me to decide." His deep voice resonated in the room.
I could barely hold back the urge to laugh when I saw how Harry stomped his feet in anger. Silvia was speechless, just like her mother; it was a rule breaker that they had no say in it
.
"Are you truly a merchant?" Harry closed the gap between him and the strange man, pulling the cloak off of him.
The air in the room suddenly grew thicker, a sinister aura cloaking the entire room. Groans emanated as weak courtesans crumbled to the ground like the sky was about to fall on them.
I could tell from the tingling danger signals that he was much stronger than Harry, but that couldn't be said until they met on the battleground.
He raised his head up, revealing that perfect chin. Never had I seen anyone as handsome as he was, and those blue eyes that glowed under the illumination of the light were truly epic.
"He's handsome…" Gasps emanated, followed by seductive whimpers.
If he had been a client from the very beginning of my life as a courtesan, I doubt I'd be able to keep my body to such an extent.
"I am a merchant in a faraway pack on the East Coast. I make the best of swords, and I need a companion, someone as pretty as her who can work with me and also get me more customers. After all, it's all part of the hustle". He said softly.
"There are other ladies…"
"I've searched far and wide, my lady, and no one compares to such a beauty. Not even this lady over here, no offense." He let out a smile.
"No offense taken." Silvia blushed despite the insult.
"If you'll excuse me, I have a carriage to catch."
… The horses went up slowly as the carriage wheeled along the bumpy road. I kept hitting my back on the soft-coated foam behind me, trying my best not to cough from the intense aura that filled the carriage.
He looked very young, like a young man who had been sent out to get his bride. I would have called him a prince if not for the dusty cloak and the metal clatters that kept ravaging all through.
He didn't cuff me or chain me up. He wasn't even afraid of me running, but then he said something that made me settle down: "Even if you run thousands of miles and break the entire realm, you'll still fall back in my arms." He said it with not a slight emotion in his tone.
The carriage came to a halt after twelve days, but then we weren't on the East Coast as he stated. We were in a whole new territory, a territory where there wasn't a slight sign of a blue sky.
"The Lord has returned."