The Servant

Chapter 8

"What?!" I was shocked. "Since when was this a game?!"

"Oh, I'm sorry." Sinbad corrected himself.  "He calls it a challenge."

" You're not doing this." I say, while crossing my arms.  " I can't even be near you without being threatened."

Sinbad's eyes went from calm and collected; to bewildered and vexation.  I can see that he was angry again. "Who threatened you?"

I was scared to answer him, because I knew he was going to do something crazy. "It's okay, Sin. Really."

" What did they say to you?" He asks. I was shivering. I felt my eyes watering.

"That if they had seen me and Esra with you nor around you," I was afraid to look into
his eyes . I can tell he in front of me,pulling my hair back and waiting for my answer. "That...That they will send me and Esra back into the slave trade. They told me that you never missed us like you claimed."

There was a knock on the door,and Ja'far had peaked inside . "Sin...your -"

Sinbad silenced him with a finger. His eyes never leaving mine, but I looked over at Jafar with a plea. Sinbad had turned my face towards him. I couldn't look away from him. "Hera, you will tell me who  said this to you;and I shall take care of this. "

I couldn't stop panicking.

"Sin,what's going on?" Ja'far asked. "Hera, she looks like a mess. "

"One of my generals decides to threaten my wife ,that she will be sent back into the slave trade. Her and Esra both." Sinbad explained. I was crying again, holding my face sliding down the wall.

"Hera, " I looked up at Ja'far. He was walking inside the room and closing it shut. He walked closer and sat next to me.  "You are one of my first friends. Yes,you spoke less;but your love for us was louder than any voice we could ever imagine.  Sin...May have a more aggressive way of showing his love for you, but he does care and cherish your presence. " He held my hands tight.

"Esra is well beyond loved here, and I enjoy being her uncle. But you must understand,that we will do anything to see that you are safe."

Sinbad was crouching in front of me, watching me. While Ja'far had my right hand, Sin had my left.

"Lord Sinbad..." It was that general. I didn't want to think about her threat,but I couldn't stop. I just couldn't stop thinking about her, and I didn't want to imagine Esra leaving me. Going through what I have went through all of my life. "I see , I am interrupting something. "

She turns around, closing the door. "I will tell the guests you will have to have the meeting some other time. "

Sinbad looked at Ja'far, and then at my hands. I didn't want to let go,and I didn't want to be sold away.

Not from my baby.

"Ja'far...did you see that?" Sinbad asked. "Hera...Her grip tightened when she saw  Selma. "

"You don't think Selma had threatened her,do you?" Ja'far asked. I nodded.

"I want you to get Esra and take them into my room. " Sinbad had helped me up, wiped my face. "I promise you, I will make amends for you. "

He then leaves, slamming the door behind him.

"What is he going to do?" I ask. Ja'far walked with me to Sinbad's room.

"I don't know." Ja'far said, I walked into the room and saw Sharrkan sitting with Esra.

"She went to sleep right after I brought her in here." Sharrkan says, while standing up and hugging me tight.

I didn't know how to feel about this, nor what to say. Out of all the generals Sharrkan was the only one I was able to speak with, probably because I felt comfortable around him. Or was it because he kept his promise for so long and never told Sinbad that I can speak? Either way, I love him like a little brother.

"I'm glad everything is okay," He says. "That you and Esra are safe."

"Thank you,Sharrkan." I mumbled.

"Where's Sinbad?" Sharrkan had asked. I heard screaming, we had all ran to the balcony.  Salma was crawling away from Sinbad. He was very angry, my heart was racing. I tried my best to run as fast as I could just to catch him. He was going to kill that woman because of me.
When I got to the courtyard , I saw the general crying kneeling down and covering her face. She was scared.

I slid in front of Sinbad before  he can do anything. My body blocking his way.

"Sinbad..." He finally looked into my eyes.

"Hera...move.." I shook my head. "She threatened to harm you. My family.  You were going be sold into slavery again. "

"You can't kill her,Sin. " I pleaded. "Yes, she's threatened me, but it wouldn't have worked. The guards wouldn't allow her to walk away with us tied together without letting you know of weird acts going on. The threat was empty."

"I can't let her go unpunished. " Sin explained. "She threatened the safety of our daughter,A Princess."

I hugged him close to me.  "Let it go,Sinbad. "  i whispered. " Be the better man I've told stories to Esra about and let it go."

Sinbad was calm now. His hands were shaking, but that was just about all. Before I could turn and see Salma- I froze in shock. She was burning . Her scream was loud and agonizing. Her skin melting. The flesh underneath cooked in the fire. Cooking until her bones turned black.

I felt like a fool. Letting her die, when I tried to convince Sinbad not to kill her.

"I apologize,Lady Hera. " I looked up and saw Kouen floating down towards the ground. He was dressed in his normal clothes and his sword was tucked away. "But a threat will not perish with peace and kindness, sometimes you will have to exterminate it before it exterminates you."

"I wanted her to live." I explained. "To atone for her sins."

"Do you think she would've repented,Hera?" I turned to Sinbad. "She boasted about getting rid of you. She was happy to hear that you were gone. She hated you. By you letting her go, it wasn't going to do anything but go back to what was done. "

I frowned. "I guess you win this round,Kouen. " Sinbad smirked at him, before leaving.

"But this game is mine to win. "