"Fay, will you help me buy some tomatoes? I forgot to buy some when I went to the market" my mom asked as she rummaged in the cupboard.

"Ok mom, let me pack my stuffs I will be down in a few."

I took my book bag to my brother's room as that was the only safe place for it. Else my sister Pearl_the destroyer as we fondly call her_ would feast on it.

I took the stairs two at a time to avoid being scolded by my mom, I know she has a lot going on for her and I don't want to add to it.

I found my mom busily cutting the vegetables, mom like all Avon females have the signature black hair and ebony skin while I and my brother inherited our brown hair and fair skin from our dad who was from the kingdom of Alma.

My mom gave me some money for the purchase of the fresh tomatoes. 

"Don't be late, you know Ulma will be here today and you know what he does when he is kept waiting."

I shivered at the remainder.

"Ok mom, I won't dare keep the devil waiting"

I docked as I passed our dwarf door. 

I really hate my life joking apart, if am asked to choose between this life am living and death, I will gladly choose death.

Don't get me wrong I love my family like no man's business and I will gladly die in their stead.

My problem lies in our evening visitor Ulma a.k.a the devil, he is a force to be reckon with, a fox, a ruthless warrior with a heart of stone. 

I was promised to Ulma in marriage when I was just a little girl in exchange for my little brother's hospital bills as we were unable to pay him back.

Although my brother died mysteriously after the payments were made, we still kept our own end of the bargain .

I have countlessly prayed for a miracle, wished for a prince to sweep me off my feet like the fairy tales depicts, but I have had no such luck,*sighs* a girl can only dream.

Today makes me eighteen years and instead of being happy that am finally an adult capable of making my own decisions, the impending doom of my wedding tomorrow to the devil hangs gloomily on me.

I took a short cut to the market, ordinarily I would have preferred taking the longer route as an excuse to interact with my friends who unfortunately I won't get to see after my wedding.

The road was unnaturally quite and I being a paranoid person briskly increased my pace.

I heard the screeching of the car long before I saw it.

Come to think of it, it's quite odd to see a vehicle in this rural part of Avon, the only vehicle in the whole of Avon belongs to the royal family of Anik.

Rich Merchants and traders travel with horses and peasants like I travel on foot when we can't hitch a ride.

Rumours has it that in Bendagaza

which is like a future to us

,the nobles, business men and merchants all have vehicles.

My first glimpse of a vehicle was when I visited Ulma at the palace

His the crown prince's knight

.

The appearance of the car in the otherwise deserted road made my already pounding heart increase its tempo, I increased my pace.

I didn't look back until I felt a hand snake around my waist.

My survival instinct kicked in and I kicked the man holding me where the sun doesn't shine, he dropped me as he doubled over due to the pain I must have ignited in him. I didn't wait to see more but took to my heels.

I didn't count on them being more than one.

"Hold her before she escapes, you know he isn't aware of it"

I trashed more as I was carried towards the idling car. As he was about to drop me on the seat I kicked the stunned man as I tried to escape, but my planned escape was thwarted by the man I first kicked.

I tried shouting as any normal girl would have done the instant she saw them, but my shouts were muffled by a rag.

My trashing abated as whatever chemical the used on the rag finally kicked in.

##

"How much quantity did you use on her?"

"A little as you requested"

"We need to make sure no harm is done to her, if not we are done for"

I drifted in and out of consciousness.

###

I felt like a person who had a collision with a train and lived to tell the tale of it with a pounding headache as evidence.

I blinked as I tried to adjust to the brightness of the room I was currently residing in.

The events of the previous day came crashing back with a rush. A chill rushed through me as I promtly stood up and the room swayed.

I recalled mom sending me on an errand, fighting with unknown men and being kidnapped. It all came back with sickening speed.

I looked around the room I was in, the walls were painted a dark red, the only furniture in the room was the bed I was currently occupying.

I sprang to my feet bolting for the door.

My palm closed around the metal handle and I tugged vigorously at it, but the door didn't budge.

Taking a step back from the locked door, I frantically looked around the room for any weapon or an escape route.

There was the queensized bed, a dressing table and a door which probably led to the bathroom.

The only means of escape was the window, I ran to it and looked down , it was a dizzyinly straight drop to the ground three flours below.

My attention was brought back to the room by the sound of keys. I flattened myself to the wall at the far end of the ridiculously large room.

Bendagazans kidnapped me and I have no sense of where I am nor what they plan to do with me.l

The door swung open and a hulking figure of a man came in.

"Good to see you're awake" he smiled, " how are you feeling"

"Feeling like one who enjoys being kidnapped" I said sarcastically.

I wearily eyed the man,am no match for his tall frame if it comes to combat.

"Don't be afraid" He raised his hands in surrender, " no one is going to hurt you"

I doubt that, who kidnaps a person without harm??

I knew initially bug his tattoo and red hair that he is a bendagazan. I tried to keep myself from trembling, I don't need him to know am afraid.

"Wouldn't you sit on the bed?" He gestured to the bed all the while never breaking eye contact, " you look like you need it"

"Why did you take me ???"

He isn't a peasant if his clothes are any indication, what could a noble need me for??

"What am I doing here???"

He looked around nervously which isn't a good look on his muscular frame if you ask me.

"I have no answer to your questions" he scratched his hair" Bik is the only one who can answer that"

He slowly walked towards me like one who wants to calm an injured animal.

"Stay where you are or I swear to the gods of Avon of you take a step forward I will castrate you and ...."

I looked around frantically, I don't want to leave the wall which is my safe and stable place.

"If you say so" he replied nonchalantly not even fazed by my threats.

"You really need to rest, the drug is not yet out of your system and if care is not taken you might head your head on the floor if it kicks in."

As if waiting for the words, the room swayed and I was free falling expecting to hit the floor, but it seems the gods where on my side as tattoo guy was there to save me from face planting on the floor which wouldn't have been a good thing for my headache.

He guided me to the bed where I drifted Off to sleep immediately my  head hit the pillow.

##

The world came back piece by piece. My ears pulsed, the bed beneath my back, voices somewhere overheard.

"Are you sure she was awake when you checked in on her?"

"Yeah she was awake when I came in earlier"

Cracking an eye open, I jumped down from the bed startling their conversation.

I wished I hadn't , the room swayed and my pulse slammed inside my head.

"Whoa steady there, you wouldn't want a head injury before the contest"

Mr tattoo guy chuckled as he helped me back to bed.

What's with him and the bed????

"Where am I? What am I doing here? Who are you people? Where is my family? Where on Avon am I? How did I end up in this place? Wait a minute........."

The event of the last time I was awake crashed down on me, oh my gods I have been kidnapped !!!!! What am I going to do now? I can't possibly escape from this two hulking figures. If only I completed the defence training my mom forced me to attend once, I scoffed at thirteen year old me.

Looking up, I saw my abductors looking funnily at me.

Oh...My....gods, I have gone and done it again. Now they will think I scoffed at them because am not taking them seriously. What to do? What to do? I have to think faster time isn't on my side.

"Please sirs I didn't scoff at you but at an insignificant memory ,not that I have the right too think in your presence, but I couldn't help myself", I knelt before the bewildered men.

"Why should we be concerned if you scoffed or not, besides that's the least of our problems now.

We have better things to discuss and scoffing is not the among them" Mr muscles said.