Chapter One

Maya

I woke up with fright, sweat covered my face and neck. My pillow was slightly damp. My heart was racing fast and my hands trembled in fear. I looked around the small room I shared with my parents. It was just me alone, but it felt like someone was in the room with me. I sighed, it was just a dream.

A loud knock sounded on the door, jerking me up.

"Maya, time to get up. Don't forget you have to get to the palace early today." My mother shouted.

The maiden ceremony was today, to other maidens in the town. It was a day of Joy, happiness and excitement but not to me, I don't want to be chosen by the ruthless King. Every beginning of the yearly thanksgiving festival, every unmarried woman from the age of eighteen is fit to be a maiden. And all maidens are to meet at the palace for the maiden ceremony. Then the king is going to select the maidens he wants, some would be chosen as the king's sex slave, while some would be task slaves.

I was dreading the entire process, and the fact that we virgins have to line up separately. There is a rumour that the king only picks virgins as his sex slaves.

Most maidens were excited about the ceremony because they all couldn't wait to be picked as the King's sex slaves. The King is cruel, merciless and unforgiving.

"Maya! Hurry up and dress up." My mother shouted. I immediately hurried down into the only mini bathroom we all shared.

****

My mother made sure I was dressed in a white gown, which she said will make the king notice me despite the fact that she knows I don't want to be chosen. I joined the other maidens who were already moving towards the palace. They were all dressed to impress the King. I could see busty Lola, she was dressed in a tight fitted strapless gown that revealed a larger part of her bossom.

Lola is a well known flirt, she is known as one of the prettiest girl and she is so proud of it. She is the leader of the dancing group, she is well known for her signature dance which involves the twisting of her waist and twerking of her ass in a seductive manner.

Getting to the King's palace, we all lined up in an orderly manner. I stayed in the category belonging to the virgins, I was shocked to see Lola in the line but the shock was wiped off when the King's most trusted man. Nikolai stepped towards the virgin line. He accessed each one of us, we were all six in total. The early morning chill hasn't dissipated yet, though the sun was out already. He gave a quick glance at me, I have a full bust and round hips. The white dress I was wearing skimmed my body, showing off my curves.

" You," he pointed to the girl in front of me.

"Take her into the palace and display her to the king." The King's most trusted man, Nikolai, ordered one of the palace guards. I inhaled a deep breath of relief as he passed by me. My head was bowed, I didn't dare raise my head up to look at his face. The fear of being chosen was almost choking me. Nikolai carried on with his selection, I could hear the footsteps and mutter of gratitude from the girls that were chosen. This maiden ceremony is going to be a life changing incidents for some families, not all families. The families of the maidens who were selected and chosen will be greatly rewarded by the King. Then on the final ceremony when the King would have picked out his favorites and approved them, each family of the maidens who passed the approval ceremony would be given a big land and a free access to the King's palace.

All these were beneficiary for my family, but I don't want to get chosen by the King. There are different rumours about him, one that depicts him as being gentle as a dove and another that depicts him as a ruthless and merciless King. I already chose the one I want to believe. To me, the King is a gruesome and wicked man. I see no reason why he makes this a compulsory ceremony, only because he wants to bed all the maidens in the town.

I raised up my head just in time to see Lola being chosen. I scoffed, I don't think Lola is still a virgin, yet she is picked as one of the virgin maidens. Other maidens were picked, while other unpicked ones sulked. I was glad it was all over. I will be going back home to my parents and hopefully I will find love and get married to a man of my choice before the next maiden ceremony.

"Now, we have ended the first stage of the maiden ceremony. Some maidens has been selected for the King. The rest can leave, the maidens for this season ceremony has been chosen. You can now go." Nikolai said out loud.

I smiled widely, I was the only one who was happy among the rest of us. The others were not smiling, obviously they all wanted to be picked. I am so excited, finally, the day I have always dreaded has finally come to end.

"Wait!" Nikolai suddenly said, that made me immediately freeze. I raised my head up slowly and he was already staring at me.

"Hold on," He said, stepping closer to me. My heart almost bursted out of my chest.