Chapter 18: A familiar friendly face

Cory and his men left me trapped in this bedroom. I was in a complete confusion that he didn't hurt me. Again I felt that burning in my eyes and face. I wanted to cry and felt building red color tears wanting to burst down my open eyelids.

"No..no... I won't... I... will not cry..." I whispered.

Soon I toughened up and inhaled a huge intake of air while swallowing a large burning lump down my throat. I sat back down on the bed and slowly started to calm myself down.

How stupid could I wholly forget about the tracker! I guess I do need to accept this to be my new home. I will remain a slave forever, I thought.

Then I heard someone comes into the room from down the hall. My heart starts racing. Mentally, I was preparing for my exam whatever that would be. The idea of it still scared me deeply. As I just waited for this person to walk down the hall. Hearing each step the unknown man takes. But to my surprise, it was Maria with a pink bag over her right shoulder.

~~~

Maria came from the hall with a luminous gentle smile on her face. She saw the woman on the bed was still so very scared. To lighten things up Maria knew what to do.

With playful irony, Maria said. "Men, for ya I swear!" Shaking her head she sat beside the skittish woman. "Still in the same clothes for how many days now? Your hair is still a complete mess!" Then looking at her arm. "At least they remembered to change your bandage." Smiling back to my face. "Let's get you spruced up and feeling better. Your hair looks more matted compared to yesterday. Come now let's scoot up more on the bed so I can work on your hair."

I give this soft appreciating smile. We moved more comfortably onto the bed. Then she opened her pink bag and pulled out a hairbrush. She slowly and carefully began to get the tangles out of my matted hair.

"You know, I understand how you feel and what your going through. I also came from a Maternity Bio Factory. After I was no longer needed to work in the orphanage. I was sold at the legal market. John was the one who bought me and took me out of that place. Soon he married me because he developed a bond connection with me. I was petrified myself but John had patience with me. In time, I learned to trust him. I can tell you this Kingdom isn't a bad place to call home. Trust me, when I say all will be ok. Cory is a fine leader and may act tough but get to know him better. Give this new home a chance. I'd say, with you staying in his room, I feel it's showing he's favoring you." Calmly, Maria claimed, while brushing out the knots.

I turned to look at her from near the corner of my left eye. "He's flavoring me?" I stated bewildered.

Maria giggles at first. "I feel he likes you. He may not show it but he's never once had a slave share his room with him. You are above the other princesses at this point." Maria confessed her true thoughts.

"P-Princesses?" In a confused tone, I said. It felt like I was coughing on my words.

Still continuously brushing my hair. "Yes. You'll be meeting a lot of people being part of our Kingdom. Being here in Cory's room, I don't reckon you'll be leaving the Highest Ranks." Maria declared smiling.

Just after her declaration, the entrance opened again. Making me scared enough to shudder. Cory came into the room peeking at Maria and me on his bed. He walked straight to his nightstand on the right side of his bedside to grab something inside the drawer.

"Do you have a towel for her, so I may get her cleaned up?" Maria inquired, kindly with respect.

Cory looked at Maria with a soft idiom. "Yeah, I'll get that set up for her." He said to her. Now looking at me, he asked, "Would you like a shower or bath?"

"A bath would be nice," I told looking up at him.

Cory smiled delicately at me. His eyes were bright that I spoke to him without any fear in my tone, my guess.

Maria softly smiled at her Primary King catching his odd dazed at the new girl. Realizing it, Cory gave a faint smile while shaking his head. Then walked into the bathroom and adjusted the setting to the jacuzzi.

Now walking back out, he says, fighting back his eyes from looking at the slave. "It's all set up." Afterward, he walks down the hall and out of the room closing the door from behind him gently.

"Let's get you cleaned," Maria said gleamingly.

Maria and I walked into the bathroom as she shut the door. I undressed while Maria adjusted the water to a nice warm temperature and pushed a bubble setting.

After I stepped into the bath and laid comfortable back, in the bubbles covering my body. Is when Maria helped cleaned my hair and just talked to me about the Kingdom and her family. I could see she loved her husband and was grateful to him. Things were just a blur for me from still being upset. So I only gestured and allowed her to do the talking.

~~~

After I was cleaned and dried. I was given a nice black sleeveless, above the knee-high laced dress to wear. Once dressed, I stepped out of the bathroom to see Maria's glowing face. Awaiting for me to be dressed. Holding out the laced fabrics of the skirt from my fingertips.

"This is a beautiful dress," I confessed dazzled by it.

"I want you to have it. I saw you glimpsed at it a few times from the store. It's my welcome to the kingdom gift." Maria said glimmering.

I glowed and hugged Maria tight. I've never been treated so kindly in my life. We sat back down on the bed and Maria did my hair and dried it. She added some new fresh makeup to my face. Until finally, I felt refreshed.

~~~

Maria looked at the woman seeing her beauty shined. "You look so much better. I knew you were beautiful but you are outright gorgeous! I think someone in the Kingdom will take you as a bride." Said Maria very glad.

~~~

My blonde-tinted golden hair was long past my shoulders. It was so badly matted, that you couldn't tell the length from it being twisted up into a matted bun. Before Cory took me from the office. I had it pulled back into a neat bun.

"Who knows, maybe Cory will make you his bride," Maria said making a small clue.

I looked at her slightly frightened. And Maria touches my arm and calms me.

"D-Do you r-really think I-I am that pretty?" I stutter as my body trembled.

"Goodness yes. Who said you weren't?" In such a shocked tone, Maria consulted.

"Everyone who ever owned me has always said, I wasn't that beautiful. Or said they had seen better." With sadness, I replied.

Maria saw I was broken down from Businessmen Kind, being so mean and cruel to me.

"Yes, you outshine the princesses entirely. As you get more comfortable, I think you're going to draw a lot of eyes in your direction. Maybe one of these eyes will imprint a bond connection to you." She said so kindly giving off positive vibes.

Hearing the door open to the room from down the hallway.