Shams was one of the small community of Christian on an island belonging to an Arab country, Aradus. This island was a small island in the White Sea being inhabited by only 3 400 people. The White Sea belonged to the Ottman dynasty so their pirates...
I sighed happily as I laid down on the grass facing the hot summer sun above me. I felt my sister beside me move a little uncomfortable before settling down again.
"This is so relaxing I'm gonna fall asleep soon" my sister joked beside me making me laugh a little at her. Before I could say anything we hear the bells signaling that a boat was about to dock on our shores.
I stood up and walked over to the edge of the cliff to see. I gasped in shock at the flag decorating the ship.
"Get up, we have to leave" I pulled my sister up. She started to protest not knowing what's the matter.
"Stop! Why are we leave-" she froze looking behind me in fear. I turned around to see one of the pirates. How did he get here so fast?
"Run Mariam!" I yelled at her pulling out my father's dagger that I stole on the way out. I slashed at his face making him back up.
"Don't come closer" I said in his language knowing exactly where he was from. He's a Turk scum, they usually come here to steal girls from their families to sell them in their country as slaves.
"What are you gonna do if I don't?" He asked cheekily flashing me a toothless smile, I almost vomited at the sight. I slashed at him again but this time he grabbed my hand tightly squeezing it hard making me drop the dagger.
He smirked at me evilly as I stared at him with fear. He pulled me close nearing his face to my ear and whispered.
"If I didn't have orders from the Captain I would've taken you right now and right here" I shuddered in disgust at the thought.
"Let me go" I tried pushing his hand away as he pulled me towards the docks where I could see the rest of the pirates piling on the stuff they stole from our small island.
"Ahh, another girl," the only one who wasn't participating said. He was wearing fancier clothes and he looked older than the rest making me assume that he was the captain.
"Let me go" I growled fighting against the pirates hold but no use he was too strong for me.
"SHAMS!" I heard a familiar voice yell. I was finally able to break free from the pirate and ran over to the edge of the boat leaning against the railing.
"BABA!!" I yelled trying to climb over to jump in the water but I was caught from around my waist and pulled back onto the ship.
"BABA"
"SHAMS"
I was thrown under deck with a whole lot of girls from both my island and islands they passed by before coming over here.
"Shams?" I looked beside me to see Ferial one of the girls who lived on my island.
"Ferial?" I walked over to her sitting down beside her huddling closer to each other in fear of what will happen.
"Where do you think they'll take us?" She asked or more like whispered not wanting to be heard by anyone else.
"To hell obviously, Istanbul," I said not caring how loud I was. She shushed me looking around with terrified eyes but I just ignored her.
"We will reach the capital by tomorrow Captain Kheder" I heard from above. I knew my island was close to the capital but I didn't know it was so close. I felt a shiver run down my spine at the thought of being sold off in a slave house.
The doors opened again and two guys walked in with a pot and some plates. The girls ran to stand in a line except for me and Ferial, they all took plates filled with some type of soup that I could barely stand the smell of.
"Don't you want to eat?" One of them asked looking at us. I was about to tell him to shove his food up hi-
"No we're not hungry" Ferial stopped me from even thinking already knowing what I would've said.
"Your loss" he shrugged walking out with the other guy and the food. A girl sitting close by scooted even closer making me smell the horrible soup again. I gagged almost throwing up on the floor but held it in.
The next morning we woke up in the capital. They immediately took us to the castle where some girls were chosen and some weren't, I was one of the ones who weren't chosen to go to the castle.
The ones who weren't sold to the castle were sent immediately to a slave house. I held Ferial's hand tightly feeling fear build up inside of me as my turn got closer and closer.
I was snatched up onto the platform where over thirty men were ogling me from head to toes.
Before the man could even say anything one of the men pipped up "why is she swaying so much?"
"She's not swaying, it's probably a trick of the light," the man said before leaning over whispering in my ear harshly to behave myself.
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I could only pant out of breath feeling lightheaded from not eating anything on the way here. I looked over the crowd to see some of them looked a little strange like they didn't belong here at all.
I couldn't stand up anymore feeling all of my energy leave my body and I fell down. I could feel the man kicking me which will probably bruise after but that was out of my mind at the moment.
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"What do you think you're doing?" I heard a young voice yell making the kicks stop and I could hear the crowd gasp.
"MAKE WAY SULTAN SULEIMAN KHAN AND THE PRINCES MUSTAFA AND MEHMED HAS ARRIVED"
I felt my heart stop at the announcement. What were they doing here between the crowed? I thought they ruled from their castle where they could see the people as ants exactly how they treated them.
I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder, I opened one eye to see a young man handing me some water. He helped me sit up and drink some water from the flask giving me some energy to stand back up with his help.
