A LIFE FOR A LIFE

Her family had tried to do something, to pull her back, but that resulted in kicks and beatings by some members of the Brotherhood who stayed behind to teach them a lesson. 

Alia didn't remember much about the journey from her estate to the Baron's mansion. It had all felt like a dream, no, a nightmare. One, she had really tried to arouse from. One minute her life had been normal, the next she had become a slave to the ruthless Baron. 

But she remembered the Baron's dark eyes on her and the sneer she returned. The way the brothers whispered and snickered amongst themselves, 

"Look at the way she is glaring at the Baron." 

"She's not even shedding a tear." 

"How I wish the Baron would allow me to deal with her before he takes over." 

"In your dreams, by dealing with her, we all know what you mean, and the Baron will never allow a pleb like you touch anything of his."

"If I am a pleb, what are you? At least I wasn't dragged out of the gutters into the service of the Baron, like the dirt you are."

"Say that again and I will make sure it's the last thing you say." 

"And what exactly will you do, drag me lower into your class? That's the thing about you dirts. You are always looking for someone to stain" 

"How about I show you how dirty I am?  At least I know where I belong, unlike you who think working for the Baron has made you one of the nobles." 

Alia remembered enjoying every bit of their batter, on and on it went. Nobody raised an eyebrow, not even when they started exchanging blows right there in the middle of the streets. Once the Baron was informed, all he did was to order that none of them should return to the mansion if their differences weren't settled.

No one dared block their way, shops and stalls closed even before they got to their location. In a few seconds, the streets became a graveyard, not a single soul to be seen or heard. She recalled how her bravery almost failed her at that moment as she witnessed what was a fraction of the Baron's power.

Being taken captive was never what she thought her fate would be. She had hoped that the Baron would kill her, what was it he had said? "la morte è l'unico vero uguale tra noi" (death is the only equalizer among us) and yet he had taken her alive.

Signora Donna was just 12 when Baron Roberto Falcone 'The Warlord' took her in after the death of her parents in the quad war. She was beautiful with dark lustrous hair that flowed to her waist and a face that rivaled that of an angel's. Then, she was just in the stages of becoming a woman and yet it didn't take a fortune-teller to decipher that she was a radiant flower waiting to bloom.

The Amethyst Dynasty, or the purple faction as they were often called, was where she hailed. They were believed to be descendants of the royal family when Italy still practiced monarchy. They were the first faction to be formed shortly after Italy dissolved the monarchy.

Conflict and war within them gave rise to the other three factions; the Scarlet Brotherhood (Reds), the Sapphire Syndicate (Blues) and the Emerald Empire (Greens). 

As the first faction, the purples remained on top, dictating what the other factions could and couldn't do, like remaining below them in the Hype supply chain. That was until Baron Don Vincent had allowed trust to blind him from the attack and extermination of his bloodline by his own underboss, Roberto Falcone who, after that feat and winning the quad war he had started, became Baron The Warlord.

She was among the 1,000 slaves whom the Warlord had taken after the war. She had been there when the red brothers slaughtered her parents and she never did forget.

Out of the thousand slaves, both men, women and children, she was among the hundred selected to work within the Baron's mansion. The rest became serfs who toiled and moiled the Blue farm.

By 14, Donna became a member of La Corte delle Grazie (the Court of Graces), a special group of extraordinary beautiful women and men whose sole aim was satisfying the pleasures and desires of the Baron. 

Ambition has always been the bedrock for power, and with power comes revenge. As a noble man's only daughter, Donna was well taught these tenets and carefully putting them to work, she became the Amante (favorite) of the Baron by 18.

With the Baron's favor, grace and affection, it was only a matter of time before she reached the end of her road to vendetta. Unfortunately, another bested her and killed the Baron before she could hatch her plot.

And yet she still didn't forget or forgive.

The late Baron's son and current Baron, The Tempest, had made her the head groomer for the Court of Graces and given her the opportunity to keep plotting her revenge.

The redhead in her bed now reminded her of her younger self. Like her, the girl had a furnace of revenge in her heart waiting for the right moment, but she wasn't going to allow the same lapse of time that cut her short of her own victory to cost the girl; hers.

From the first day, she laid eyes on her. She knew she had it in her, that burning course of ambition and power. She just had to help her direct the flow.

Satisfying the Baron till ecstasy while remaining contained had blown away every layer of doubt Donna had concerning her. Though she wouldn't be much help to her if she had gone crazy on Hype, as it seemed now in the way she was currently behaving.

It wouldn't surprise her if the load the Baron had launched down the ranga's throat was spiced with Blue Ice, a street name for the highly addictive and lethal Hyphine.

Thankfully, the girl was fine. Slapping her hand away was enough proof, and it further proved to her the girl's potential. Because it hinted at her inability to trust easily. Had it been her, that would've been exactly what she would have done. After all, she hadn't cared for her when she starved and slept on the cold, harsh floors of the dungeons.

That was when the girl had erupted like the volcano she was upon arrival, as if she had been doubted before, but arriving at the mansion meant it was all real. She had thrashed and cursed the Baron for not killing her. Instead, he took her not to be a slave toiling on the farm as she expected, but to be groomed as one of the ladies of La Corte delle Grazie (the Court of Graces).

"Here, this will help with the headache and the pain, though it will be a while before you can walk properly again" she said, handing the girl the mug of specially prepared herbs, the ointment she had learned to prepare for many girls over the years.

"And why should I trust you when, all these while you have been treating me like dung? You can stop all these pretense. I know you hate me."

"Oh dear child, I don't hate you and feel free not to trust me, even I, don't trust myself, but surely if I wanted to kill you while wait till you were awake?"

She waited while Alia weighed her words before reluctantly taking the steaming mug. Gesturing for her to keep sipping and pay no heed to the acrid taste and foul smell, she continued, once satisfied by the gulps the girl had swallowed.

"It's good to know that my lessons paid off. The Baron was beginning to wonder if my skills as a courtesan were fading with old age." The girl gave her a sneer which wasn't astounding, since the substance she was drinking had already contoured her face.

"I should have known. Oh, because I managed to please the Baron, I'm now in your good graces. Fantastico!" the girl said after settling the mug.

"Choose whatever you want to believe, but I have always been on your side right from the first day. I just had to know if you had it in you and I couldn't exactly do that by cuddling you."

She meant to say more, but the girl cut her off, rising from the bed, ignoring her pains,

"Oh! Che sorpresa! You expect me to believe you were on my side when you ordered me to be thrown into the dungeon where you left me to starve and almost die from a cold. Or when you ordered my release only for me to be fottuta by several men in the disgusting name of grooming me for the Baron's pleasure"

"Believe what you will, but I did what I did to prepare you for what's to come. Satisfying the Baron was step one. Now you will become his new Amante and get that revenge that has been burning in your heart since you arrived."

"Cosa?! So you mean this monstrosity I experienced today will now be on a daily routine?" Alia stormed, but how could she continue being furious when this woman knew about her innermost workings. So in a calmer tone she continued, now sitting by Signora Donna's side, "what do you mean by 'the revenge burning in my heart'? Just leave me out of all that. I don't know what you are talking about."

"Is that so? Then why do I have reports of the secret messages you pass to the men who, what's that word you used again? Oh yes, who fottuta you? Bearing conspirations to abduct the Baron's daughter and demand an eye-popping ransom"

Alia had tried to mask the shock and surprise on her face, but Donna saw it all. The girl had fallen straight into her hands, and yet she was ballsy enough to deny it and in a voice that sounded so believable.

"I still don't know what you are talking about. You must have mistaken me for another girl."

"You are good, I give you that, perhaps better than I gave you credit, but I have been doing this far longer than you and I can spot a baldface lie when I hear one." 

"I appreciate your hospitality, but Signora, I really have to return to my chamber", she rose to leave.

"You know I was once like you" the words stopped her dead in her tracks. The voice continued because it was successful in its intention; to stop her from leaving. 

"I was ambitious, and I longed for the power to make the Baron pay for what he did to my family, to me and to many others, so I planned and planned alone, but before I could hatch my plans, someone beat me to it. I would hate for that to happen to you. So, why don't you come and sit down. Let's discuss the ransom for Isabella because that plan of yours is still very much in effect. I personally made sure of it." 

Stunned, speechless as she anticipated her to be, Donna went on,

"Don't you think I despise the Baron, his father, even more? The way he toys with you, girls? While I'm forced to keep grooming more girls, especially after he beheads them for sport? Don't you think I know I have a hand in their deaths? So believe me when I tell you; I'm on your side. Let's end all of it once and for all. What do you say?"

And just as she halsened, Alia walked back to where she sat with a hand outstretched, shaking it firmly, she accorded "Cazzo sì! (Fuck yeah!)"