Chapter 13

Another rumor has spread around like wildfire. It all started because of what the women at the table heard what the guard said. Villagers spoke of the Prince wanting to take a peasant as a Queen. This was the first time that the King would pick a bride from someone of their class. Many believed that it was just a false rumor that was spread throughout the village. No one really knew the truth. The only truth everyone did know, was the girls that were taken to the castle were not heard from again. Jaysa was scared that she would be one of those girls that were taken. She would pray to the Gods that she would not be one of those women the guards took away. The guards never looked at her, so she believed she was one of the lucky ones, but her luck ran out when a guard came up to her.

Oh God, please don't tell me he wants me? She begged silently. She was standing in the field picking the corn off the tall stands.

"Woman, stop what you're doing and come with me." The man spoke in a gruff voice. She looked at the man towered her by a couple of feet. His hair hung in front of his face a little, covering his thin cheek bones. "What are you gawking at?" He asked. Jaysa stayed quiet." Follow me." The man demanded. He turned on his heels and started to walk away.

Yes Sir. Jaysa said sarcastically in her head. How she wanted to taunt that man so bad. Jaysa wanted to tell him what was on her mind, but decided against it. She was not about to start something she knew she wouldn't be able to win. Instead, she just mentally glared at the man and followed him nevertheless. Jaysa wasn't paying attention where she was going until the guard stopped almost making her run into him.

She looked around and noticed some other girls waiting. Jaysa was unsure what they were waiting for until she saw a carriage pull up by one horse next to them. An old man sat on a bench in the very front of the carriage. He was arched over while he held the reins. Jaysa was unsure if that had to do with him being old, or because of the length of the reins.

"Get into the wagon now!" The man demanded. It was a different guard from the one that grabbed her from the fields. He only stood a couple of inches taller than the girls in the group. Even though he was not much taller, he showed off his muscles. Jaysa wasn't sure if he did that on purpose or not. The girls watched as the taller man that picked out Jaysa earlier, opened the back door of the boxed wagon to reveal small benches on the side. The girls started to pile into the small area, and Jaysa saw the space available begin to disappear. It was getting cramped inside and the woman's knees brushed against each other's, but that was the last thing on their minds.

The ride to the castle felt like an eternity. Some of the women began to cry others started to pray. They did not know what their fate would bring them once they got to the castle. Jaysa could not let her fear take over, even though she wanted to let it all loose. She glanced around and watched the other women as some held each other and sobbed.

"There's no way tears can stop anything." Jaysa told herself. She knew that from firsthand experience.

"Yes those perverted guards…" A girl whispered to another Jaysa's head shot up in the direction she had heard the voice come from. She strained to hear what they were saying, but was having an issue. She never made it a habit to eaves drop on someone, but since the word guard's caught her attention and she wanted to hear more.

"They say the Prince would hand over the women that he doesn't like over to the guards and let them do as they please." Jaysa looked over to the girl that spoke and realized that she had seen her somewhere before. She couldn't think where though. "That is what they are talking about. So they believe the Prince is going to be just like his uncle. So I'd say we lost all hope."

"Do you believe that there is no hope?" Jaysa questioned the young girl.

"Well, his father did die when he was young and let's not forget that his uncle raised him." The girl replied.

"Yet you may be right, and here we were hoping for change in this world. We all believed that he was our Messiah. That went down the drain." Jaysa spoke partly sarcastic but partly serious. The teen girl was rewarded with a small laugh at the comment Jaysa just said.

"Wow you are some girl." The teenager wiped her eyes as she continued laughing, which made the rest of the girl's stare at them. The women all had a look, thinking that those two girls had gone crazy. They acted like they were going to a ball, and not having their lives end.

"So you believe the same thing I do!" The girls laughed and soon the laughter began to die down. "But I could never say it out loud though."

"What! You are the same as me. I seriously thought I was the only one. I mean, no one else ever said a thing about how we have been treated." Jaysa never talked to anyone besides her mother like this so it was quite nice. The girl smiled at Jaysa and said.

"My name is Erica. What's yours?"

"It's Jaysa." The words flowed off of her tongue.

"From this time forward, let's protect each other. Whatever happens, we will stay together."

"Are you saying that you want to be friends?" Jaysa asked as Erica nodded. This was the first time something good had happened since her mother's passing. Jaysa smiled back at the young girl. She was rewarded with one. back