Roaring Hearts

Chapter 10

"You gave me a forever within the numbered days and I'm grateful." The fault in our stars, John Green.

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London, 1885

"This shall be your room before you're betrothed to Lord James Williams." One of the maidservants said as she showed Hasnaa to her room. She stepped on it and looked at the spacious room, the bright pink soft, fluffy thick blankets that were spread at the single bed in the middle of the room which had one pillow on top of it, flawlessly coordinated with the deep maroon walls and all texture of the room was deliberately chosen to match with the amber curtains that were hung at the open window at one side of the bed. The floor of the room was wooden and the brown color blended well with the colors in the room.

She saw a small table pushed at the corner of the room with an oval mirror hung above it. The table was empty apart from the comb that was on top of it and a blue vase with flowers was placed at the side of the table. The flowers reminded her of the fields back in her country, where she spend her childhood years playing with her siblings and her mates.

The sight of it filled her with memories; happy memories. Memories that forced a bitter smile on her lips, that it hurt she had chosen to abandon that life and venture into an abyss with the future unknown for her.
But every time she got nostalgia about her past life and her people she only needed to think of James to reassure herself she made the favorable decision.

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Hasnaa sat at the small table at her new huge bedroom which felt so empty. She just sat there doing nothing save staring at herself in the mirror that was placed before her. Barely did she recognize the person staring at her. Had there been a day in the past twenty-three years had she been afraid? The muscles in her entire being seemed to have forgotten what vigor felt like.

Surviving a day in James' world came across like the hardest thing in the world, and yet she knew there was a more troubling encounter lie ahead; meeting the family friends and the wedding to be attended by thousands. She could not stomach the idea of onlookers staring at her and looking down upon her.

Based on what she saw her people endure in the hands of the white men and three little she had heard from Mary, the maidservant given the responsibility to show her around, earlier that day she knew her fate in London wouldn't be anywhere near pleasing. It was evident the society assumed people like Hasnaa to be servants because of the color of their skin. Apart from in was invariably determined to ensure would never be anybody's servant, she knew she'd rather brace the jaws of Hades than be a slave to somebody.

Chief Kwame had been a man of many failures, but he did teach his children to always stand up for themselves. He had not always been the father figure his offspring desired but occasionally he became the man they always wanted him to be. All through her childhood, he had been an enigma to her and all household. She always wondered what he had contributed to her being, ultimately it dawned on her whatever he did, was his way of showing love and because of him she knew her value and she would never allow herself to fall weak in front of anyone.

Tired she retired to her bed, the unfamiliar bed. It had been ages since she slept on her bed as comfortable. Before she always had Zuri and through the pilgrimage to London, James was by her side; now she was left lonely sobbing soundless tears in her pillow before sleep overcame her.

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Golden rays of sunlight seeped through the gaps of the curtains causing Hasnaa discomfort, leading her to turn away from the window and drag the soft bed covers over her head fighting to stay preoccupied in her sleep. Suddenly, it was cold and a surge of cold air blowing in the room. She softly opened her eyes and in front of her stood Lady Magdalena who had a frown on her elegant face and Mary who held the bed covers in her hands. Hasnaa realized, Mary had yanked the bed covers from her, on the orders of Lady Magdalena.