Romanowski and Rosemary

24. Dear mother

Coretta

I had never expected this to happen. Even in a nightmare.

All these months, I had completely forgotten the sheer amount of terror I held when it came to the mistress Armonia. Mother of the Romanowskian king. Her expensive perfume was engulfing the entire shop in a scent of flowers.

But I remembered the way she had subjected me to that snake test the very first day she saw me. And now she had seen the blue-eyed Althea with black irises.

I whimpered. I knew it now. The Gods had decided the most cruel way for me to die.

Because there was no way she would have remembered I had worked in the kitchen just to impress her, even if it made me a subject of hate amongst the vicious palace women. Or that sweet cream I made for her, which made her happy.

Perhaps if I wasn't wearing contacts today, I would have had a chance to be spared, but not now. My legs were giving up on me, seeing the mistress not move an inch from the moment she saw me. For the superstitious woman, she was.

Maybe in a second, she would just scream, She's a Witch! Kill her, burn her! And soon the entire marketplace would drag me to the heart of the market. They'd tie me to a pole and set me on fire, alive, and Lorenzo wouldn't be able to do anything but watch in utter helplessness.

Tears trickled down my eyes as I squeezed them shut, trying so hard not to shake. Why, just why, can't you be merciful to me, Aphrodite? I should've run away with Lorenzo the moment I got here.

"Ahem, greetings mistress," To my surprise, Lorenzo broke the silence as he came forward to bow before mistress Armonia, his arms guarded back in respect for her. I watched on with a teary face, my thoughts muddled.

"Don't cry, Cors. I can't see you like this." he messaged me as he faced the King's mother, composed.

"If you'd be kind enough to make space. I intend to purchase her, as discussed with the slave owner yesterday." Lorenzo alerted the shop owner with a tilt of his head, and soon the slave master, equally bewildered by the crowd accumulated before his shop, brought a record of sorts where Lorenzo's name was written against mine.

"I was the first buyer, mistress," the burly Greek man from yesterday barged in too, crossing his arms against the chest as he looked irritated at my friend. "The shop follows a first-serve basis, mistress." He jabbed.

But mistress Armonia looked least bothered by them, and to my stupefaction, didn't utter a single word against the colour of my eyes.

She took a look at the two men and spoke calmly.
"The cost you're buying her for?" she questioned, looking at them like dark rain clouds look at a barren land.

"A thousand drachmas."

"Two thousand drachmas."

She clapped twice, the beautiful amulets on her wrist tinkling. A guard soon stepped forward with two linen bags as he threw them at Lorenzo and the man. The bag jingled with coins.

"Five thousand drachmas for her, gentleman," she extended another linen bag to the slave master, who looked like salivating at the amount as a mad smile danced on his face.

"It's okay, Lorenzo. It was my battle all along. So it's only me who'll have to face death if it comes. You did your best, and I'll forever be thankful to you." I messaged a silent Lorenzo, so much hurt crossing his face as he wasn't able to do anything at all.

The marketplace was full of passersby now, glancing at the royal entourage before the slave shop, now and then. I stood frigid as a corpse as the slave master began securing my neck and hands with iron chains.