Sensing that the man in black had more on store for her, Red Feline gave herself some strength and began to move, slowly at first. She raised her head and with great effort pushed her pained torso a little.

As she moved, a sharp pain to her back shot up and seemed to travel throughout her body. She felt the tip of the nail rubbing against her bones. Letting out a gasp she turned slowly, ignoring the pain that each new move brought to her body. She dragged herself in the only direction she could think of, away from the post. Her heavy, moaning and breathing was heard over the sounds of the frame being propped up and the rope that fell to the wooden floor.

Red Feline felt as if her body was moving totally on its own, almost detached from her mind. She could see from above how her back twisted toward the door, searching for the way out. She could also see Piroska entering her new master's quarters.

Bathed and dressed, Piroska was lead to the governor's palatial quarters. By then she knew that he had a wife and a few young slaves that pleased him, all bored him. She learned so much about him in such a short time. As part of her preparations the slave woman in charge of coaching her put her up to date with the information that she needed to fulfill her duties; but she also warned her not to be better than the others, that would bring her tragedy.

Piroska stood in front of the governor avoiding his eyes. She didn't want him to read her intentions, she was sure they were clearly engraved on her soul.

He grabbed her chin to raise her head, she resisted at first, but then she raised her head while closing her eyes. He was looking at her intently, amused, wondering why she was closing her eyes.

"You could very well be a queen.", he whispered. "I could make you a queen, even if it's only inside of these walls.", he teased her. That's when she spat on his face.

It was not a simple spit, it was more like vomiting, as if she had been saving that which came into her mouth all the time, and maybe she had been.

Red Feline tried to push herself up, her movements were slow, pained. She was weak. She had to pace herself to avoid the pain caused by the nail in her back. When she pressed the floor with her hand to push her body up, the pain hit her as if she herself was inserting the nail into her flesh again and again.

This was not what she had imagined before, even if the horrid situations she invented for herself in her fanciful fantasies were much worse than what she was going though, the pain she imagined was less, almost bearable.

When the sharp pain subsided, she pushed herself again, another inch ahead, another sharp pain made her feel like fainting.

Again Red Feline rose above the dimension of reality to forget the pain.

The Governor was in a stupor, his face wet with Piroska's spit. He could not allow that to happen so he slapped her hard enough to make her fall. Two guards were about to intervene but were stopped by a gesture of the governor who was coming out of his surprise and began to laugh.

"Oh you will be tamed.", he promised. "Perhaps the whip will make you see the light.". He turned to the soldiers who were holding Piroska by the arms while she struggled to free herself.

"Take her.", he ordered, "Twenty lashes but don't let her skin be broken.".

The soldiers lifted Piroska to her feet, holding her by the arms, she twisted her head to see the governor as she was dragged out, she smiled defiantly. "Bring her back when you are done!", his words echoed in the hallways of the palace. Two young slaves appeared as if from nowhere but the governor pushed them away.

"I'm not done with her.", he told them, "She's the one tonight.".

She was weaker with every move, but her wish to get as far as possible gave her some unusual stamina, maybe she could make it out of the place, maybe she would find help.

And then what? Wasn't this what she wanted? Was she going to flee and never know what was in store for her? Wasn't that what she really wanted?

Or maybe it was just hopeless, maybe she was trapped. She had to try, her body, and not her mind, was dictating her actions. It was her instinct of survival, of self preservation that pushed her even if with every push, the pain grew worse.