A Life Before (Ended)

Chapter 1

I sat quietly as people walked past my cage. I was used to this by now. People always wanted to look, but I almost never saw anyone actually leave with someone. I guess it was one thing to think about buying someone and another to actually do it.

Today, however, was different. There seemed to be a lot more fussing about. I didn't bother to ask about it. I didn't feel like being beaten again.

Just as I was starting to feel tired, someone stopped in front of my cage. I moved back slightly, looking up at the person. They had a cloak over their head, hiding their appearance. The most I could figure out was that this person was male.

"This one will do." He said to someone I couldn't see, probably one of the sellers. "Are you sure, sir? This one is rather small, as well as..." The men made a clicking sound with his tongue. "I've decided on this one. Do not question my choices."

The voice of the men was stern, holding enough anger that it scared me. It must've scared the seller to, as he wasted no time opening my cage, tied a rope around my neck and handed it to the men.

The men pulled on the rope, pulling me from my cage. Though I couldn't see his face, I knew he was looking me over. He seemed to just stand there for a moment before turning, pulling the rope, causing me to almost fall over before following the men.

As we walked outside, I saw very little light. I hadn't realized that it was night time. Blinking, I slowly looked up at the sky, looking at the moon and stars. They were beautiful.

"Do pay attention." A voice barked, causing me to look back down at the person. He had stopped, and I had a strong feeling that he was not happy with me. I lowered my head, biting my lip. "I... I'm sorry..."

There was a sigh and a tug on the rope. I took that as a sign to keep walking which I did. I hated that I was already getting on this guy's bad side. Did I like the fact that I was owned by someone else? No. But I still didn't want to anger the guy.

It didn't take us long to reach a building. I couldn't see much due to how dark it was. I figured it couldn't be that big, though big enough for him to buy someone. He stopped upon entering, pulling his hood back.

To say he was handsome would be an understatement. He looked to be made by the gods. His skin was a golden bronze, the perfect shade. His hair was short, black with golden tips and his eyes were a striking blue, one that I had never seen before.

Realizing I was staring, I quickly looked away. I knew I shouldn't have, but I was caught off guard by how handsome he was. I just hoped that he wouldn't be angry with me.

"There will be a few rules that you will follow now that you're staying here. First, you are not to leave the room unless I state otherwise. Second, you are to listen to my orders and my orders only. Third, if you do not hear the order from me, yet someone claims it is, do not follow them. I will be the only one you will receive orders from."

As he spoke, the men began to walk again, leading me somewhere. His rules, though a little confusing, seemed fair enough. I was to stay put and only listen to him. They were simple, and I knew I could follow them.

"Can you do that?" He asked, stopping in front of a set of double doors. I gave him a nod, unsure if he wanted me to speak or not. He seemed to accept this before opening the doors.

The room beyond the door was a bedroom, and it was huge. Against the far wall across from the door was a large bed with yellow and black sheets and pillows. There were windows along the left wall, while the right wall had a dresser, mirror and another door. Filling up the room were paintings, plants and a large shelf filled with scrolls.

"I'm glad you like it. You'll be spending a lot of time here." The men said, patting my head. "Now, you need a bath. I will not have you dirtying up my bed." I looked at him confused. He just gave me a sigh before dragging me into the room off to the side, which turned out to be a bathroom.

Once in, the men closed the door before checking the water in the tub. "Still fairly warm. Strip and get in. I want to make sure you're clean."

I slowly did as I was told. I understood it was just for me to have a bath, but I still didn't like being naked in front of someone else. Once done, I got into the tub, surprised by just how warm the water was. It was nice and relaxing.

After a moment of relaxation, I grabbed the cloth on the side of the tub and began to clean myself. I was just finishing up when the men came back in. "Much better. Just your head now."

He quickly washed my hair, which I found strange. I did know how to do it. Once he was done, he motioned for me to stand, which I did, though slightly embarrassed. I was also now cold, the air out of the tub cold against my skin.

"Step down on to the mat. I don't want water all over the floor." He said, and I noticed just then that there was a mat next to the tub.

I slowly stepped down, making sure I was on the mat and not getting water everywhere. Once out of the tub, I was wrapped in a towel. I held the towel close to me shivering at just how cold I was.

"Come here, let's get you warmed up." The men said, leading me back into the bedroom. On the bed I noticed some clean clothes lying there, and I was being pulled towards them. "Put those on. I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

I nodded, watching him leave before changing into the clothes I was given. Thankfully, they were nice and warm. Once I was sure they were on right, I looked around, wondering what I was to do.

The men was gone longer than I thought he'd be, but when he came back, he gave me a smile. "Hang up the towel in the bathroom, then you can lie down." Nodding, I did as I was told, heading into the bathroom.

Upon coming back, I saw the men was already on the bed. I should've figured he'd do something like this. Slowly, I walked over to the bed, climbing in and lying down. The bed was soft, and I couldn't help but snuggle into it.

I felt a hand in my hair, causing me to open my eyes, looking up at the men. He had a small smile on his lips while looking at me and playing with my hair. I felt my face heat up, looking away from him.

The men gave a light chuckle before moving closer to me, his arm moving down to rest over my body. "Get some sleep, my little star. Tomorrow is going to be a busy day." I nodded, closing my eyes and letting sleep take me over.