When they were done with the group, the slave traders returned, visibly pissed by what had just happened. Freeing fifty or so slaves in a day wasn’t a part of their plans at all. Kairen’s deadly glare on them wasn’t stopping, making them feel as if something was wrong.
“S…Sir, we are done…”
“I said, free the others.”
For a few seconds, they didn’t understand. They had obviously freed all of the group, so why… Then, their faces turned white, one by one. He couldn’t possibly mean all of the slaves? Yet, the Imperial Prince’s glare was obvious. The men stepped back.
“Your Highness, this… this is our trading business. This is how we…we make our living.”
“If we free all our merchandise, we…”
Kairen’s unwavering expression was extremely scary and disturbing. Three of the slave traders turned back and ran to free their slaves, with shaking hands. The men left were hesitant. He couldn’t be… serious, could he?
All of a sudden, a loud growl was heard. Krai began to bite and tear the tent away. Even though the tent was dozens of meters long and wide, the dragon pulled it like a child would have played with a handkerchief.
Kairen stayed silent again, but Cassandra stepped closer, talking to the closest trader.
“The man who sold me, sold my younger sister too. His name was Nubar.”
“Nu…Nubar died years ago, Madam.”
“How can I find my sister?” she insisted, still visibly upset.
The man hesitated, but someone from behind him spoke first.
“How…how old was she, Madam?”
“She was seven.”
“Then…she was probably sold to a brothel.”
Cassandra felt her heart sink.
“To a brothel? I just said she was seven years old!”
“They take the young girls when they are very young, so they can train them and ensure their virginity. If they are very pretty, they can be sold at very high prices to wealthy nobles, but most of them are kept as prostitutes.”
Cassandra almost fainted. A brothel… Her sister had really been taken to some brothel? She felt like crying again, and throwing up. Those people were less than human. She turned to Kairen, shaking her head, feeling sick.
“I want to leave,” she cried. “I want to leave this place. I never want to step foot here, ever again.”
Kairen slowly nodded, and carried her outside, Cassandra’s arms around his neck. When he reached Krai, the dragon was growling in the direction of the slave traders, its eyes darkening.
“Stuff yourself,” the War God whispered.
Cassandra didn’t hear the carnage behind them, and she didn’t want to. She cried silently against Kairen’s neck. She couldn’t endure any more emotions for the day. She was angry, sad, and exhausted. Her Prince carried her without a word, back to the Palace. No one dared to bother them. She didn’t look up again until they reached the gates.
Kairen brought her to his apartment and gently placed her on the bed. She wasn’t crying anymore, but her eyes were red. He hated seeing her like this.
“I’ll send people to look for your sister.”
Cassandra sighed.
“Back then, when I had just been sold to my first Master…I looked for her every chance I had. I asked so many people… I was caught and punished several times for venturing outside when I wasn’t allowed to. I just wanted to find her so badly. She always looked so much like me, I knew someone would recognize her right away if they saw me.”
“What’s her name?”
“Missandra.”
