Rachael & Sultan's Daughters Pt. 03

Rachael and the Sultan's Daughters Part 3 (chapters 14 to 19 Final)

Chapter 14

While the slaves are being fed and watered, I take the opportunity to talk with my father about the fate of Amina and her sisters. I had initially agreed to allow him two weeks to find someone willing to pay a ransom for them. Even though there are six days left, it now seems highly unlikely any family will be traced.

"We need to decide what to do about Amina and her sisters," I say. "It now seems certain that they must either be enslaved or abandoned to their own fate. The five youngest ones are going to be difficult to sell, but the older ones can be trained, and they should fetch a good price."

I deliberately don't mention the semi-precious stones we found in Amina's dress. Until I agree ownership of the sisters with my father, he could claim the stones for himself. Although simply letting the sisters go free would be a solution, we both know it is tantamount to a death sentence. They would be at the mercy of every rogue and pimp in the city. The older ones would likely be forced into prostitution, and the younger ones left to starve.

"The girls are all yours to do with as you wish. I have too many other matters requiring my attention as city warlord. Not to mention running Wadi Halaf. There are times when your management skills are missed here."

For my father, his last sentence is a compliment of the highest order. I don't push my luck however and I take my leave. With my father's permission I borrow a couple of his guards to help escort the seventeen new slaves to the Halls of Valhalla.

Zoe, Hanna and Isa have done a good job at preparing for our arrival. The large training room has been vacated and Hanna has taken Beyza and Nazli to purchase more food supplies. Zoe stands ready to help me document and process the new arrivals.

Meanwhile, Isa has taken charge of keeping Amina and her sisters occupied somewhere out of the way. In light of the reported public execution of their siblings, the fewer people who know of the girls' presence here the better. Information is valuable, even for a slave. It isn't unheard of for a slave to be offered favours, or even freedom, in exchange for valuable information. With seventeen new arrivals, keeping the girls' identity secret is going to be a challenge. Hopefully the distance between our two lands will be an adequate barrier.

I have the new slaves assemble in the large training room. For now, I keep them locked in a single marching chain, but I'll need to divide them up later. Language is our first hurdle and I ask Zoe to fetch Amina, who can translate my words into their own language. I warn Amina not to reveal her identity, and to confine herself to translating my words and the slave's reply.

We process the slaves in numerical order based on the identifier Rafa marked on their arm. Zoe records both their number and given name in the Halls' records, although for now I call them by their number. Through Amina, I ask about their skills and experience and Zoe makes a note of those. I also ask if any have relations living locally who might be willing to buy their freedom from slavery. None of the women know anybody who can help them.

It takes nearly two hours to process them all. By the time we've finished I've a rough idea of who is worth training, and who I should send straight to the slave market. I take a break and grab something to eat. In all the hectic activity, I managed to miss lunch. I have Amina join me in my office as I eat.

"The warlord has received news from the west," I begin. "Unfortunately, none of it is good. Your father and his concubines are confirmed to have been murdered. There was a public execution of some of your siblings, but we've no further details on who or how many. It is too dangerous for any of you to return there even if you had relations willing to look after you. That means that I must now ask you to make up your mind about the stones."

"Thank you for telling me, Sai. I knew my father was killed, and we had heard rumour about a massacre in the palace. I had hoped my brothers and sisters who failed to make the rendezvous had simply been delayed, but it seems as though they were captured. All of my other siblings are here, or they had been killed before we left the palace. May I talk with my sisters before giving you my answer about the stones?"

"Yes, okay. But I will need to know by tomorrow morning."

I dismiss Amina. Zoe immediately comes to discuss dividing the new slaves into groups. It will also help us determine the allocation of cells. We refer to the notes Zoe made, and we debate the pros and cons of a couple of the new slaves. We finally reach agreement that eleven of the women are worth training, and the other six should be sent to next week's slave market. The two pregnant women are among those we decide to train, although we have no idea whether we will raise a better price for them as a consequence.

"Water is going to be a problem," says Zoe.

Although the Halls of Valhalla has its own spring feeding a cistern inside the building, the flow of water at this time of year cannot keep pace with the drinking and washing needs of thirty-two people.

"Have Beyza, Nazli and Hafsat assigned to water carrying duty each morning to keep the cistern topped up."

By including Hafsat among the water carriers, I hope to give her a wake-up message to improve her efforts during training. She is the only one of the four older sisters who might prove difficult to sell into a household. House slaves are generally better treated than those who end up working in industries, or worse still, brothels.

Chapter 15

Having reached agreement on how to divide up the new slaves, I leave it to Zoe to put Halls of Valhalla collars on them and split their coffles into pairs or trios. She enlists Isa's help, while Hafsat, Makina and Farai replace Isa in the kitchen, helping Hanna prepare a huge meal. Amina helps Zoe by translating her instructions to the slaves.

After an evening meal, which the new slaves eat in the large training room, we proceed to lock them up for the night. Three cells are assigned to the elven we intend to train. Beyza and Nazli will share a cell with two of the women we intend to sell immediately. A fifth cell will be for the other four we will sell, while the sixth will be for Amina and her older sisters.

To avoid a mad rush for the washing and toilet facilities, we go through the lock-up process one cell at a time. I take a look at the water level in the cistern once everyone except Zoe, Hanna, Isa and I have settled for the night. While the spring will replenish most of the cistern overnight, we will need to top it up by as much as a third to keep pace with consumption.

"I think we will need up to twenty bucket loads of water each day," I say to Zoe and Hanna. "Have Beyza, Nazli and Hafsat make three round trips to the town cistern with two buckets apiece straight after breakfast. Hopefully that will be enough to last through the day."

The four of us leave Mahmud in charge of the Halls overnight. Despite our near exhaustion, Zoe and I take time to bring each other to an orgasm before falling asleep in each other's arms.

The next morning is as hectic as yesterday. At Hanna's suggestion we unlock the slaves in stages and allow each group to have breakfast in shifts. In order for the water carriers to start their task in the cool of the morning, we unlock their two cells first. It also gives me a chance to talk with Amina about her future.

"I have discussed our future with my older sisters, Sai. Makina wants me to give you the stones, providing you promise to look after our younger sisters until you can find someone to take them in. Farai believes I should use the stones for a dowry. Hafsat says it is my choice to make."

Since Makina has two full sisters among the youngest five, I can understand her recommendation. Farai is probably the most independent of the sisters, so her attitude is to be expected, despite the uncertain consequences for her younger sisters.

"So, what is your decision, Amina?" I ask.

"I have lost too many of my siblings already, and I cannot bear the thought of the young ones being lost too, Sai. The stones are yours if you promise to look after Tawnya and the younger ones until you can find someone to be responsible for them."

"Very well. And I make you that promise. They shall reside here until I can make a more permanent arrangement for them."

Since I am already holding the stones for safekeeping, the promise is sealed by a handshake. Despite her words, I detect Amina is still uncertain that she's making the right choice. Even with the best of intentions, I cannot guarantee a good outcome for the young ones. The Halls of Valhalla isn't a suitable environment to nurture young children and I suspect Amina knows that.

Despite the chaos caused by the influx of new slaves, we manage to establish a workable routine. Balochi language training is given to all the new slaves, but house management and sexual services training is restricted to those I intend to fully train. Amina is kept busy translating, although about half of the new slaves speak Farsi, so I can communicate directly with them.

The two male slaves sent by my father as part of our arrangement to help train my slaves arrive on schedule. They are alarmed at the sight of the fourteen women ready to service their cocks. In reality not every woman gets the opportunity to play with a slave's cock. There simply isn't enough time. The plentiful supply of wooden phalluses get a good workout instead. I'm careful to ensure those who are virgins with hymens intact don't do anything careless and lower their value.

That evening I make a decision that I hope will ease my conscience and ensure Amina is being honest with herself. The tiny sleeping quarters that Knut once used have been empty since his death. The room is only large enough for a single occupant, so it hasn't been used since then. I decide to have Amina sleep in there tonight. I remove her slave collar, and I place the bag of semi-precious stones on the small table by her bed.

"If you wish to choose the path of freedom, then you may depart tonight and take the stones with you," I say. "Nobody will stop you, and there will be no pursuit by anyone here. There is a tunic hanging behind the door and a few coins in the bag with the stones. Don't try to say goodbye to anyone, or they may try to change your mind. Should you choose to stay, then I will have a slave-mark tattooed on your shoulder in the morning. Once that's done you will irrevocably become a slave. Please choose wisely."

"Sai," is all Amina manages to say.

I leave Amina sat on the bed contemplating my words. I return to my room and find comfort in Zoe's arms. I've made a difficult choice which may hurt me financially. If Amina leaves, then I not only lose the income she would have raised at her sale, but also the value of the stones. Despite my earlier threats, there is no way I will abandon the young ones to their fate no matter what it costs to keep them housed and fed. Zoe will understand the importance of what I've done, and I draw strength from her unquestioning support.

Chapter 16

I don't know if I'm crying from relief or delight. When I leave my room the next morning, I find Amina standing by my door ready to hand me the bag containing the stones. She has chosen to stay despite it meaning her irrevocable surrender to slavery. I don't question her decision since I've already said everything I can say on the subject. I accept the bag and tell her to help prepare breakfast. I return inside my room and collapse onto the bed.

I suppose my reaction is because Amina is like me in many respects, despite each of us having a completely different childhood. Her temperament and attitudes are a lot like my own, which sometimes makes me feel as though I'm dealing with myself. I'm pleased that Amina chose to stay, but I wouldn't have thought any less of her if she had chosen to leave.

After breakfast the tattoo artists I hire to place slave-marks on newly enslaved women arrive. I don't make any announcement to the slaves and simply have each batch of slaves to be tattooed assembled at the appropriate time. Amina and her older sisters make up the first batch. Only Amina knows that today is when she, Hafsat, Makina and Farai officially become slaves. Only Hafsat objects to being tattooed. Her complaints are soon silenced when I show her the whip she will be experiencing later if she continues to resist. All the new slaves are similarly tattooed during the course of the morning.

By the next day we have established a routine that we keep up until the day before the auction. As usual, I invite Tabib, Yasir and Jona to preview those I intend to sell tomorrow. The six new untrained slaves are of no interest to the buyers, but Beyza and Nazli attract a couple of decent offers from Jona. I haggle over the price, and he eventually increase his offer to an acceptable amount. At one hundred and five solidi apiece, I've made a decent profit on the two women. I dismiss the six new slaves and I tell Beyza and Nazli to say their farewells to the others. While they do that, I complete the paperwork with Jona.

Yasir doesn't wait but Tabib delays his departure. Jona leaves as soon as Beyza and Nazli return and the exchange of collars is completed.

"I understand you have purchased seventeen new western slaves," says Tabib.

"Yes. It's hardly a secret. Marching a coffle of seventeen naked women through the city streets is bound to attract attention."

"I presume the six you presented today are the ones you don't think are worth training. I agree with your assessment. You'll be doing well to get twenty apiece. Twenty-five for the long-haired blond if you are lucky. Even trained they would struggle to command more than thirty solidi."

"Hmm. I guess I'll find out tomorrow," I reply, unsure what Tabib is driving towards. His assessment is similar to mine, but I'm not going to agree until I know what he proposes.

"Of course, you have the Halls of Valhalla's reputation to consider. You don't normally trade such inferior stock on the open market. It might depress the value of any slaves you want to sell later."

"Hmm. I'm aware of that issue, but I'm not unduly concerned. The next batch I intend to sell will be exceptional."

"What if I took these six off your hands for twenty solidi apiece. Plus the same bonus as last time."

"That a fair offer, but twenty-two apiece would be more reasonable. And bonus, of course."

"You are hard woman to do business with, Rachael. But okay, twenty-two apiece, with bonus. That's six slaves, so six bonuses, right?"

"Now who is being hard to do business with. Alright, we have a deal. One hundred and thirty-two for the six, and six bonus fucks at times to be agreed later."

We shake hands to seal the deal before attending to the paperwork and payment. I'm not sure how Zoe feels about having Tabib fuck us on six different occasions, but I'm delighted with the result. An excellent profit on the women and plenty of sex as an extra benefit.

Tabib takes his purchases with him. I don't know what he intends to do with them since they aren't typical of the slaves he has working in his business. When I was a slave, I knew I had to be unemotional about other slaves being bought and sold. Now that I'm the owner of the Halls of Valhalla, I still try to remain unemotional about the fate of slaves passing through my hands. In the case of these six women, I hardly know them, so parting with them is easier. Nevertheless, I feel a lingering sense of responsibility for their wellbeing.

With eight fewer slaves to accommodate, the pressure on our water supply is eased. Hafsat will undoubtedly be pleased, especially since Beyza and Nazli are no longer available to help her carry water. Fortunately, Hafsat had stopped her initial complaints at being given the duty and she has been a model slave for the last few days.

My next task will be to prepare Amina, Hafsat, Makina and Farai for sale. I realise that it is going to be a harder task. I know them much better than the six new slaves I sold today. What's more, apart from Amina, they are still only adolescents. I also need to make a decision about Isa. She's completed her training and using her as a kitchen hand and part-time child minder is a waste of her talents. She's already showing signs of frustration at not getting the opportunity to use her skills at pleasing a man.

"Have you considered keeping Amina and her sisters here for longer?" asks Zoe. "Amina is helpful with translating instructions for the new slaves. Hafsat seems almost happy to be our water carrier. Makina could replace Isa in the kitchen and take over supervising the younger ones. After all, Tawnya and Reyna are her full sisters. Farai is helpful around the place. She seems capable of adapting to whatever duty is required of her. With that kind of assistance, you could keep the Halls running at capacity."

Chapter 17

I don't respond to Zoe's suggestion straight away. However, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea. With a brutal war raging in the west, there's likely to be more refugees fleeing the fighting. Many will be destitute and be obliged to sell themselves into slavery. Most will be people I've no interest in acquiring, but some are bound to be young women suitable for training. With Amina's help with the language, I could make considerable profit from such turmoil.

I agree with Zoe's assessment of Makina and Farai, and certainly the extra help is going to be necessary if I intend to fill the Halls to capacity. Hafsat is the mystery. She's changed dramatically in the space of a few days. I had initially assigned her to water carrying duty to try and make her realise what could become of her if she didn't do better during training. Instead, she seems to relish the thought of being allowed to make several trips a day to the town cistern, despite the heavy weight she must carry back to the Halls.

There's no immediate rush to make a decision. The next slave auction isn't until next week and the new slaves will all take four to six weeks to train. However, I make a point of talking to Isa to verify my earlier observations. After talking with her, I confirm that it is in both her and my interests that she be offered for sale next week.

Tabib makes arrangements to claim one of his bonus fucks a couple of nights later. As on the previous occasion, he is offered the choice between either or both of Zoe and me. Needless to say, he chooses to fuck both of us. Although the slaves are locked up and we try to be discreet, the purpose of Tabib's visits on these occasions is becoming common knowledge around the Halls. The likely source of the gossip is Hanna or Isa, who are the only slaves who aren't confined to the cells at night. Only the younger children are kept in ignorance of what goes on in Zoe's and my room.

Even though our water supply should be adequate, Hafsat asks to be allowed to make a couple of round trips to the town cistern. When I was slave, I loathed water carrying duty and I struggle to comprehend why any slave would volunteer for the task. However, I have no other duties for Hafsat at the moment, so I allow her to do so.

"Hafsat is up to something," says Zoe, mirroring my own thoughts. "Should I follow her and see what she does?"

"No. Beyza told me the likely reason before she left us. There's a street merchant and his son who trade near the town square. The son has taken a liking to Hafsat. I'm waiting to see if that develops into an offer to buy Hafsat."

"We will lose a willing water carrier if that happens," replies Zoe.

"I don't think Hafsat likes carrying water any more than you or I. It's the chance to socialise with the merchant's son that she values. Besides, the dry season is nearly over. Once the rains start, the spring will keep our cistern full no matter how many women we have here."