Chapter Ten

Burspor

"Anthonia, where is your mother?" Xander asked the girl playing in front of him. "She should be with her guests in the banquet room, Papa" Anthonia answered and continued what she was doing with her doll. She stopped and looked at her father. "Papa, my ninth birthday is next month. I want a big party" she said. Xander looked down at the girl and smiled. " You will get even a bigger one, my Princess" he answered. Anthonia looked up and smiled in response. Xander continued with what he was doing. "Should I invite Baptiste and his wife this time? They haven't been to any of her parties" he thought to himself. After a while, he stood up and went to the balcony of the tallest building in the palace. He could see the upper part of the city and the lower parts too. He loved this part of the Palace. He saw people moving about with their different businesses. He saw reds, whites and yellows. Seeing them made him sick. "I will invite Baptiste this time" he said softly and sighed. He moved away from the balcony and began to move down the stairs, his thoughts drifted to Anthonia and how happy he would be to have his own son. He needed a heir or his kingdom would fall into Adelmo's hands. Adelmo is his younger brother but he is too dumb to rule.

Xander could smell the trouble brewing among the rebels in the red country. The last war they had after Adelmo conquered the yellows was a tease. The risks from the black army was not high but so many reds died again. He wondered when they would learn. He is their god and their fate is in husbands. He entered into the courtroom and saw Adelmo talking to some of the top generals in the army. They all stopped when they saw him. He motioned for the generals to give Adelmo and him space to talk and they moved immediately. "Adelmo, send an invite to Baptiste and Abella. I want them to come for Anthonia's birthday" Xander said. "Also, how are things in Yoovim?" He added. Adelmo paused and finally had the strength to talk. " The yellows are rebelling against the slave masters. Some slave masters got injured and couldn't continue with the trade" Adelmo said. He could see the anger in Xander's eyes. He moved back and quickly asked if he can send soldiers to Yoovim to support the slave masters. Xander looked at him and told him to do so. "Tell them to kill anyone who resists the masters" he added and left Adelmo. " The yellows are always cunning and have been resisting since the beginning. He would deal with them later on and he had just the plan in mind" Xander thought and smiled.

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Yoovim:

"Afua!" Bosede called from the kitchen to her daughter in the other room. The young girl came in. "you called me, mama?" Afua asked. "yes, are you hungry yet?" Bosede asked. " Not yet, mama" Afua answered. "I am content for now" she added. "But you had nothing since morning" Bosede said. " I am fine, really." Afua said and smiled. Bosede smiled in return. Afua is right but she has the brain of an adult. She feared for her while she was growing up. She made sure her visits outside were minimal. Slave trade in Yoovim was high and there was bloodshed everywhere. Her daughter knew all thats going on but she has not experienced any and she want it to remain that way. She was about to go in the other room when she heard a knock on the door. "Maybe it's Tohib" she thought. "Afua, get the door" she said. She heard her daughter walk towards the door. The door was a bit old and opening it makes a sound. She didn't hear the sound and was worried. She hurried to the room and saw a soldier holding Afua by the neck. She saw two other men behind him. She picked up a knife and raised it to stack them. She would do anything for her daughter. "I would advise you drop that woman or I will kill your daughter" the soldier holding Afua said. Bosede knew she would not be quick enough to save her daughter, so she gently lowered the knife without removing her eyes from the soldiers. She could see fear in Afua's eyes and tried her best to calm her down. "She will have to come with us" another soldier said. "No, my daughter is going nowhere with you people" Bosede shouted. " By law, she should be up for slavery at 7yeats and we were told she is 8 already" the same soldier said. " No, she is not 8" bosede said trying to lie her way out of this. " Lies!" the soldier said and looked at Afua who was shaking in his hands. " How old are you girl?" He asked her. Afua looked at her mother and refused to talk. "Speak girl or I will make you cold" the soldier warned. Few rose up in Afua and she told him her real age impulsively. "See? She is old enough. We are taking her with us" the soldier said and smiled. Bosede three herself at them trying to take her child from them. One of the soldiers hit her head with the hilt of his sword and she fainted.

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"Put her into the cage. We sell her off tomorrow morning" the soldier who held Afua's neck earlier said and the others nodded. They mounted their horses and rode off.

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"Bosede! Bosede! " Tohib shouted as he entered Afri's house the next morning. He saw Bosede lying on the floor. Even though she was unconscious, he could see the tears around her eyes. He shook her rigorously and after a while, she woke up with a start. "Where is Afua? Where is my sunshine?" Bosede asked immediately holding unto Tohib. " I have no idea. I rushed here when I heard black solders came to your house last night" Tohib answered. " They took Afua. They said she was old enough to be auctioned" Bosede explained. " I must go and get her" she added and stood up. Tohib stood up with her. "Do you know where they took her?" Tohib asked. "Let's go to the slave house" Bosede answered. " I hope I am not too late" she thought to herself.