The warriors paraded us one by one, presenting us as slaves without so much as a glance at our faces. Despite the brevity of my glimpse, the surroundings were clear enough to realize the hopelessness of escape. We were encircled by fully equipped warriors, every one of them exuding strength. Just imagining a single flick of their hands on my forehead made me shudder.
"Like hell, we will serve you! Pwe! We are proud warriors of Aldo Kingdom! We will serve no king other than our own!" one of the captive warriors shouted, struggling fiercely against his captor.
‘Woah! That one has guts! Hearing such defiant words, it's like something out of a movie, but being in this situation is truly terrifying.’ I silently cheered and admired their bravery
"We refuse to bow to an arrogant man such as yourself! We'd rather die than serve a man like you!"
The seven captives began to revolt but were swiftly subdued by their guards, their heads forcibly bowed, some even bleeding in the process. I really admire their bravery, but I chose to remain quiet, hoping to avoid further injury and attention to myself. Perhaps there would be a chance to escape later, and I needed to preserve my strength. However, my silence drew the king's attention.
"I like how resilient and strong they are. It makes it more enjoyable to train them. But what’s with that one? He looks weak."
The words sent a jolt of fear through me. I wasn’t even looking at them, but I knew he was referring to me. My body reacted instinctively, trembling with terror.
"Let me see its face," the king commanded.
A warrior behind me forced my head up, revealing my face. I saw two thrones on different levels of a stage. An old man, presumably the king, sat at the top with a long sword standing beside him, probably symbolizing the power he holds, while a younger man sat below with a simple throne, looking bored by the proceedings.
The younger man's long black hair complemented his warm-toned skin. His golden eyes, paired with thick brows which the other had a scar, glistened ominously, like a predator eyeing its prey, sending a shiver down my spine. Oh God! He looked like a prince from the underworld.
As I tried to avoid their gaze, my eyes caught an even more disturbing scene. Two women, adorned in beautiful clothes, stood beside them, golden chains trailing from their necks to their feet.
“Hmm… He doesn’t look great either.”
‘What did that old man say?!’
“I don’t need that one. You may kill him,” the king commanded, waving his hand dismissively as if ordering my execution.
‘Ha! This triple M. I might look disheveled now, but I’m confident in my looks. I’m pretty enough to be courted by multiple men!’
(AN: Triple M means Matandang, Mayaman madaling, Mamatay. In english, the old rich who are easy to die. )
“Wa… wait, wait!”
I had so many things to say to that old man, but more importantly, if they dragged me outside, I was sure I’d be dead. I could even see a black aura emanating from the golden door as they prepared to drag me away.
“I’m not one of them! I’m not a soldier—or a warrior or anything. I was just a normal citizen; no, I was a hostage!” I shouted, struggling against their grip, but my strength was failing me. I was gasping for breath when they finally stopped dragging me. I saw the prince raise his hand, and the warrior immediately halted. “Is it true?” He wasn’t talking to me but to another captive warrior. Instead of them answering, I responded hastily.
“T…They don’t know. I mean, those people wouldn’t know because I was secretly held captive. I managed to run away but boarded the wrong cart. It turns out what I was riding was a cart of weapons for war, so I found myself stuck in your conflict.”
‘What the hell am I saying? But I’ve got their attention, so what can I do to survive? Should I dance? Sing?’
“Hmm…” The prince looked at me, considering the plausibility of my words.
“That’s not true! Our people would never hold a citizen captive!” one of the captive warriors protested.
‘I’m sorry, but if I’m dragged out, I’ll surely die. Why should I die? At least you all will be kept alive, but what about me?’
“Do you know who and why they took you?” the prince asked.
I took a big gulp, preparing to lie through my teeth. “I was held captive by what they called a general (oh god, I hope their general is already dead) and managed to escape, but I didn’t know the ride I got into would go to war. I mean, think about it, what could a small person like me can even do there?” I added, watching him mull over my words.
“But you survived among these warriors. That’s a remarkable feat, considering the nature of our men.” The young man looked down on me with glistening eyes. He was testing me. One wrong word and I was sure I’d die.
