Chapter Fourteen: Ryan’s Chambers
“Fuck! Don’t they have machines to do things here?”
The pains weighed my hands as I groaned and my stomach rumbled from having to throw up all the half cooked food I was given.
I threw the sickle down and headed out of the farm.
“Clara, where are you going? This is a working session, you can’t just leave the field like that.”
“I am sorry Lady Ana but I cannot continue this work. Look at my hand,” I showed her my bleeding finger, “I could have lost a finger.”
“But you didn’t, it comes with the job. With time, you will get used to it.”
“Well sorry, I do not want to get used to it. And I have been meaning to ask, why is everything so ancient around here? No cars, no trucks. The roads are filled with sand and dust. Seems I have gone back in time. I can’t keep up with this, maybe I will be assigned to a more decent place of work.”
“Come back to the farm!”
I walked in quick steps into the house ignoring her words.
“Where is he?” I called out furiously. Ana went ahead of me as she blocked me from going into his inner chamber.
“What do you think you are doing?”
“Where is he?” I was surprised by my guts.
“He would rip your heart out or have your head on a stack.”
“I don’t care.” I forged ahead, Ana pulled me again but this time, I faced her and pushed her against the wall.
I found the door and pushed it open only to walk into an even stunning sight.
The sweet smell of roses and lavender oil filled the room as I forced myself in. Ryan had just taken off his robe and was set to take a deep bath, the bathtub was already prepared for him. He did not act surprised as he saw me and it was as though he had expected my presence.
“Oh, I was just about to soak myself in that steaming water, come join me.”
Still stunned by his calmness, I hid my eyes away from him.
“What? You haven’t seen a man without his clothes before?”
He turned back to the bathtub and gently went into it, shutting his eyes. Lady Ana had regained consciousness and rushed into the inner chamber, “I’m sorry for this sir. I will take her out of here.” She said immediately pulling me away.
“It’s okay Lady Ana, Clara came here for something. Or did she not?” He faced me again. I still hid my eyes away from him.
“But sir, she had come in here unannounced and..”
“You are dismissed Ana, you can go.”
“Oh okay,” she eyed me at one glimpse and excused herself.
“I’m sorry for badging you like this but I have come to tell you that I would not be working in that rice farm.”
“Oh, all this is about a farm? I thought you had come to share in my bath with me, I would have loved that even more than some complain about a rice farm.”
“I do not want to share a bath with you.”
“But you had boldly walked into my inner chamber.”
“That thing you call a sickle had torn out my flesh.”
“My goodness! An injury on your first day,” he acted concerned.
He walked out of the bathtub and water dripped down his skin. I took my eyes away again so he would put on his robe but he walked past it instead and headed towards me. I could not help but admire his perfectly built-up body, I would admit that he was hot and sexy. As he drew closer, I began to feel a certain pressure around her. One I had not felt for a person before. He made my heart beat faster and for once in a long while, my legs wobbled. He took up my hand and caressed the part at which I had injured and then he licked the blood out of it as I watched in awe.
“Why would he do that?” I thought to myself after being dismissed as I walked back to my little room. Somehow, he was all I could think about as I retired to bed. He had not let me go back to the rice farm after I had complained about it. He had acted kind, putting my opinion first. Not the way that she had expected.
Such strange behaviour from a ruthless man.
I could still smell the lavender oil around me as if I was still in his room and his lips on my bleeding finger. Sleep eluded my eyes as my mind wandered far and wide. I tossed and turned on the little bed waiting for the morning to come so I would see him again and apologise for walking into his room unannounced.
What was this I was feeling? I thought. Whenever I tried to close her eyes to sleep he always somehow managed to get in my head again.Text content © NôvelDrama.Org.
“Ryan, why can’t I just get you off my head? Fucking bastard,” I muttered under my breath. I laid still facing the window and watched the wind nudge the curtain and slowly my eyelids feel close to sleep.
It was a long cool night and I had the best sleep of my life. I hoped for a better day as well. Free from hectic and dust-free chores. I was not awakened by Lady Ana or any of the other slaves and found it weird. As I opened the door, the sun rushed to my face and I inhaled the crisp air of a new day. I did not find the basket or sickle just as I had seen the previous day but rather a perfectly sealed envelope.
“What could this be?” I asked bending over to pick it up. In the envelope, lay a small note as I opened it and read through the words:
“Morning beautiful, I hope you enjoyed your night. Today you will not be assigned to the rice farm but to somewhere rather special and reserved just for you. Enjoy!”
I caught myself smiling as I read through the letter. It had the Alpha stamp on it and it was obvious that the letter had come directly from Ryan. In a minute, Lady Ana walked over with two other men who posed as the male servants. They looked vicious and had no smile on their lips. Ryan had stated clearly in the note that there was a place made specially for me so I couldn’t help but wonder why Lady Ana was accompanied by them.
“Morning Lady Ana.”
My mood was eloquent and cheerful.
“I see you got the Master’s note.”
“Yes, it was short and precise.”
“Okay, come with me, I’ll take you to your place of work.” As we walked along, we passed by the rice farm, the other ladies were still working on it even under the scorching sun and somehow I was grateful I had been posted somewhere else. We passed through other farms and even the stable which had mostly the male slaves there.
“Where is this special place of work? It seems we have been walking for hours, my leg aches.”
“Patience Clara, we will be there shortly.” And just as Lady Ana had promised, we came to a halt in front of a pig farm. They were large pigs rolling in the mud to cool off the heat, the snorts were loud and disturbing as I watched the pigs in disgust.