The meeting

Jess froze as she turned back slowly, only to meet six peers of eyes on her. She noticed the dark room had a torch that allowed light into the room and saw that all the men had masks on their faces, but she could still see their eyes as the masks did not cover them entirely.

In the dim light of the crowded room of men, the soft hum of conversation faded into the background as the men turned their gaze on her, waiting to pounce on her like a piece of meat, which made her skin crawl with fear.

What took you so long, love? Jess heard a man who sat at the far end of the room say.

Unlike the others in the room, the man who questioned her wore a golden mask and leaned back against the wall. Jess could feel his intense gaze on her, which was intimidating.

Gentlemen, let me introduce my soon-to-be bride, Jess Smith.

The strange man, dressed in blue pants and a blue shirt, perfectly matched Jess’s velvet blue gown, said with a sleek smile. A loud gasp reverberated across the entire room as the men exchanged glances.

Jess was speechless as she had never met this man, who claimed her to be his bride, in her life. Her heart was palpitating as he heard the man mention her full name, sending shivers down her spine.

How did he know my full name? Jess thought.

The man approached Jess and laid his hands on her lower back. This action made her jump a little out of fright. He lowered his head close to her ear. She could feel his breath on her shoulders, making her shiver.

The air crackled with tension as they stood mere inches apart.

Her heart raced as she met the stranger who had claimed her as his bride, his eyes like twin flames burning into her soul. His jaw tightened, betraying the turmoil beneath his controlled exterior.

You are late, a trait I do not like in my assistants. He said with clenched teeth, which confused Jess. He spoke as if he knew her and wanted to shield and protect her from the evil hovering over this room.

Go along with the flow, and do not mess anything up, the man whispered in her ear.

Jess was confused and had no option but to follow the instructions as her life depended on it. She nodded with a smile as the man led her back to where he was seated. He signaled for Jess to sit on the armrest close to him, which she did.

She was trying to calm her nerves and figure out what was happening when she felt a hand on her lap, moving up and down slowly while maintaining eye contact with the men in the room.

She wanted to swap his hands away, but seeing that she was in a room full of men she did not know, she clenched her fist and pretended not to see what the man was doing. She only prayed to come out of this situation untouched.

Envy was on the faces of the lustful men who had envisioned a night of fun with the lady. If they had their way, they would kill the man and steal his beautiful fiancé. She would make a fine mistress for their king, who had a haram of women in his palace.

The men from the North Kingdom refrained from acting on their thoughts as they were on a mission. It was no easy feat to convince this man to give them information on their military formation in exchange for their help.

When the men in the room acknowledged that the lady was the fiancé of the man, they nodded in understanding as the whispering began to die down.

The men were still not fond of the idea of a woman in their midst while they conversed, as the topic of discussion was a delicate matter.

Why should I help you against my people? The man with the golden mask on asked.
Jess, who had zoned out, became more aware of her surroundings and sat upright, trying not to make it look like she was interested in their discussion.

Our king has agreed for you to set up a gold mining factory in the Northern Kingdom.

You will not be required to pay taxes while all resources will be available. The factory will give you an edge over others as you become among one of the rich men in Zaza.

The gold you will make from this deal will be beneficial if you are interested in becoming the next ruler of the great Zaza kingdom.

Jess turned to look at the man whose hands were on her lap as his lips pulled up in a loop-side smile.

The offer sounds enticing, but I do not believe anything is free in this life. You must have something to benefit from this deal, said the cruel man, plotting a coup against the royal family.

How wicked could he be? Jess thought.

How could he want to sell this kingdom to their enemies just for his selfish gains? Jess though.

You are wiser than you appear, the more reason the crown of Zaza would fit you perfectly, one of the men who had on a silver mask praised.

The land, the labor, and the tax exemption are yours, while we have seventy percent shares of the gold you will be mining from Zaza.

Jess noticed that the man beside her was not expecting those words as he sat upright, his posture rigid. Jess did not understand what the men of the Northern Kingdom were offering, and this man was willing to sell his kingdom for some coin.

He could sell his soul to the highest bidder, and no one would question him, but Zaza does not belong to him, nor does he have the right to sell its resources to the highest bidder without consent.

The eye of the silver-masked man roamed around the room as if looking for something until his gaze fell on Jess, and a creepy smile crept up on his face.

The man beside her noticed it as his hands returned to her lap. He let out a dry laugh that reverberated across the room. Jess was not interested in their discussion. If she knew she would end up in this situation, she would have declined the invitation to the ball.

But the night was still young, and there was no sign of the man letting Jess go anytime soon.