The Imperial Kings Series 1: Enslaved by the King
Chapter 2
SABINA
A scream slipped from my lips as the man’s grip tightened, forcing me to kneel.
I knew better than to lift my gaze in the presence of the king, so I kept my eyes on the plush red carpet, waiting for his judgment.
I couldn’t believe it was him. Eight years had passed since I last saw him, since I told him we couldn’t be together anymore.
I’d convinced myself I’d never see him again, but life had a way of proving me wrong, just like it had eight years ago.
The room fell silent, broken only by the sharp sound of a snap.
My heart jumped, but I didn’t dare move. Even the slightest twitch could be seen as disrespect in the king’s court. One had to tread carefully around the king.
Next, I felt something warm being draped over me. Startled, I looked up to see a guard with tan skin and a black mustache standing beside me.
I ran my fingers over the shawl, savoring the softness of the fabric. The guard wrapped it around me, covering my bare chest, his actions catching me off guard.
But I knew it wasn’t the guard’s decision, it was Aboloft’s. He had ordered the guard to cover me, and despite knowing his kind nature, I was still surprised.
He was the first man in eight years in all of Quopia to show me kindness.
“We have brought seven pure maidens for you, your majesty,” the man standing behind me announced.
I had no idea what Aboloft was thinking or doing, my eyes were cast down. I’d never been in this position before, and even though I once knew the king, that was a long time ago.
People change over time, so I had no idea if he was still the charming man I used to laugh with while skipping rocks in the lake, or if he was a stranger now. Was he the same man I grew up with, or was this man someone I didn’t know?
If he was the same, he wouldn’t have started the tradition of kidnapping young maidens and keeping them as his personal whores!
No, no. He wouldn’t do this to me. He wasn’t that cruel. Aboloft was sweet and funny. He would never hurt me or any woman.
He knew right from wrong. Aboloft would never let me become a whore.
But then a thought hit me, nearly knocking the wind out of me. It had been eight years since I last saw Aboloft. Did he remember me?
No. Why would he remember me? I wasn’t the same person I was eight years ago. I had changed in every possible way.
I was a woman now, but respect was something the people of Quopia didn’t associate with me.
So Aboloft didn’t know me. He wouldn’t recognize me, which meant I really would become his whore. He would treat me like he treated all the other women—like playthings.
Oh God, please help me!
“Show me!” Aboloft commanded, his voice bouncing off the castle walls.
The man who had covered me with the shawl grabbed my arm and pulled me to the side, so I was no longer facing the king. The woman behind me was then brought forward.
“Olivia!” the man holding her announced. The woman had dark, curly hair, fair skin, and tear-filled brown eyes.
The king sat on his grand throne, studying Olivia. Silence fell as Aboloft scrutinized the new maiden. But the silence was shattered as quickly as it had formed.
“Harem,” Aboloft roared.
“No, please! Please, your highness, please!” Olivia cried, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. Two men grabbed her arms and dragged her away, her screams echoing until the room fell silent again.
As soon as Olivia was taken away, the woman behind her was brought forward. The same process repeated. The man holding her announced her name as Aliah before the court waited for the king’s decision.
“Quarters,” Aboloft declared, and Aliah was led away.
The next woman due to be brought forward began screaming and struggling against the man’s hold.
Black strands of hair escaped her messy bun, and her hazel eyes blazed with fury as she fought to break free, but the restraints on her wrists and the man’s grip on her arm kept her in place.
The man didn’t even have time to announce her name before the king spoke.
“Dungeon!” His voice whipped through the room, silencing the woman. After that, she didn’t fight or scream, but quietly let the men lead her away.
“Who is she?” Aboloft demanded as soon as the woman was out of sight.
“Melanie, your majesty,” the man answered, bowing his head.
“She is to be taken to the dungeons in the east wing,” he ordered, his dark eyes boring into the man in front of him.
“Yes, your majesty.” With a deep bow, the man marched away.
Aboloft didn’t need to order the next woman to come forward. His men were doing their job without any orders from their king.
This gave me a glimpse into the man Aboloft had become. And I was scared of this man. I was terrified of the King of Quopia.
He wasn’t the man I knew. The man I knew would never order anyone to imprison innocent women. And yet, that was exactly what he was doing now.
The past eight years hadn’t just changed me, they’d changed him too. Aboloft sounded like he never smiled anymore.
There were no traces of the boy I left behind. There were no traces of my best friend.
Where was he? What had happened to make him so cold towards innocent people? What had happened to make him so cruel to women?
Mary was made to kneel in front of the king. The man holding her announced her name before falling silent. Aboloft studied her while everyone waited for his decision.
Mary was so still, she could have been mistaken for a statue.
“Harem,” Aboloft declared after a while. I was surprised he took so long to make a decision. What was he thinking while deciding Mary’s fate?
Eight years ago, I could read him like an open book. Eight years ago, I was so in sync with Aboloft, I could practically hear his thoughts.
His twinkling eyes, his charming smile, they used to tell me everything I needed to know about him. But now, as I peeked at him through my lashes, I couldn’t decipher his thoughts.
Despite my best efforts, I had to face the harsh reality that this man, who ruled this kingdom from his throne, was not the same man I grew up with. He was the King of Quopia. He was King Aboloft.
Before the guards could take Mary away, she stood up and addressed the king, catching us all off guard. No one had ever dared to speak directly to Aboloft, and Mary’s audacity shocked everyone, including me.
“My lord, I have a request before I am taken away,” she said in a soft voice.
The guards were about to drag her away, but a gesture from Aboloft stopped them. “And what is this request?” Aboloft asked, his voice as commanding as ever.
“My lord, since I am now your property, I want what is best for this kingdom. My wish is for you to have this witch burned alive.” Mary shot me a venomous look, before turning back to address the king.
“And I want all of Quopia to witness it. I want Quopia to be free of Satanic influences. So, my Lord, my request is for you to burn this witch.
“I hope you will honor my request, because I only want the best for this kingdom.”
If I was shocked before, it was nothing compared to the shock I felt now. My mouth went dry as I processed her words. She wanted the king to burn me alive. She wanted me dead.
Just like the people of Wilsden, Mary wanted me dead. They tried and failed, and now she was asking the king to do what the people of Wilsden had tried to do to me seven years ago.
A pain like I had never felt before hit me while sheer terror washed over my heart. Mary had just asked the king to have me burned alive, and he was going to do it.
Aboloft didn’t know who I was. It had been eight years since he’d last seen me. He didn’t know it was his best friend he was being asked to execute.
Aboloft would probably listen to his harem’s whore and fulfill her request. After all, he was not the man I once knew. He was a stranger. He was King Aboloft.
“Just like you are my property, she is my property as well. And what I choose to do with her is my decision. No one and especially you, a worthless whore, can tell me what to do!
“Take her away!” The force of his words had my ribs shaking with fear, and those words ripped away the last shred of hope that I had. Now there was nothing more to hold onto. Aboloft, my best friend, was gone.
Mary shot me one last scornful look before she was led away by the guards, leaving just two other women and me with the king.
However, I didn’t understand why I was made to kneel on the side. I was the first one in line. Why had the king ordered me to sit aside? Shouldn’t he have decided my place in this castle first? Why was I the last one?
The next woman to come had the front of her dress ripped as well. Her brown hair looked dull and messy, while her blue eyes were filled with fear. She tried her best to remain still, but fear had her shaking in her place.
“India,” the man announced. The woman, India, trembled as Aboloft ran his gaze over her. I thought his gaze would linger on her exposed chest, but it didn’t, and after a minute he declared her place.
“Quarters!”
India hiccupped as tears fell from her eyes. But no one cared. No one wiped her tears. Instead, just like the other four women, she was led away to her place in the castle.
My heart started racing when the last girl was brought forward. She looked no older than seventeen. Her black hair was braided, and steady tears continued to trickle from her eyes.
The front of her dress was ripped as well, allowing the men to eye her with lust.
“Jane,” the man announced and fell silent.
Just like with all the previous women, Aboloft scrutinized the woman kneeling in front of him. He took his time, and with every second that passed, my heart rate increased.
From beating, it went to drumming, then finally, the organ thundered against my ribcage. Every second brought Aboloft’s decision closer. Each second that passed brought me closer to Aboloft.
Once this girl was taken away, it would be my turn. And I couldn’t imagine which place Aboloft would decide for me.
“Quarters,” Aboloft stated. My breath hitched at his declaration. This was it, now it was my turn.
Jane was taken away soon after Aboloft’s declaration. And once she was out of sight, the man grabbed my arm and pulled me forward until I was kneeling in front of the king like before.
I bit my lip to stop the tears from escaping my eyes. Would Aboloft put me in the harem and have his way with me, just like he would with all the other whores?
Would he put me in the quarters? Would he throw me in the dungeons? Or would he fulfill Mary’s request and order his men to burn me alive? The last thought had me shivering in dread.
“Sabina,” the man standing next to me stated.
“Ah yes. The witch of Quopia. I must say I was not expecting my men to bring you here,” Aboloft said.
Tears burned my eyes, but I tried my best to stop them from escaping. I was not a witch! I never practiced magic. I never did anything resembling witchcraft.
However, despite his words, I remained silent. Talking back to a king was the worst offense, and whoever did so was punished severely. In my case, if I dared to talk back, the king would most likely burn me alive.
“I have heard a lot of people complaining about you. People beg me to either banish you from this kingdom or burn you alive like the others of your kind. So, the question remains, what to do with you?” he stated.
My fears were confirmed. Aboloft really didn’t know who I was. He had no idea that I was his best friend. He did not recognize me.
And because of this, he would most likely have me executed. To him, I was no one significant. To him, I was what the town people accused me of, a witch.
“Your Majesty, might I offer a suggestion?” The man standing beside me ventured.
“No, you may not,” King Aboloft cut him off. I felt his footsteps halt right in front of me. I sucked in a breath, but didn’t dare lift my gaze. What was he doing? Why had he come to stand before me?
Aboloft took hold of my chin, tilting my face upward until my eyes locked with his. They were as dark as onyx, and the look in them made me gasp.
He knew. He recognized me.
There was no mistaking the recognition in his gaze. But his eyes were a whirlpool of emotions, too many for me to understand.
“Sabina.” My name on his lips after eight long years sent a shiver down my spine. He knew who I was. His voice confirmed it.
But there was no warmth, no kindness in his eyes for me. His gaze was icy, his words even icier. It was enough to fill me with a sense of dread.
“You, my witch, are going to the dungeon,” Aboloft declared.
Without waiting for a reply, the men yanked me to my feet and started dragging me away. I wanted to resist, but shock had paralyzed me. All I could do was let them lead me away.
I had seen my best friend after eight years.
But he wasn’t my best friend anymore.
He was King Aboloft.
Continue to the next chapter of The Imperial Kings Series 1: Enslaved by the King