11 First, Human and now, slave.

"It is always you two! Where did you girls go that you made the rest of the girls wait so long before you returned?!"

A protruding Madame Gertrude began to yell just as Maddy and Eve stepped outside the gates, her sharp eyes easily detected the handsome young man who walked them out and she recognized him to be one of her old slaves who suddenly became lucky.

Her face turned uglier and she gritted her teeth, because of that one useless boy, she lost a huge fortune after the Viscount and his wife chose to adopt the boy. If only he was still in her grasp, he would have been a very useful tool to get her to attain a higher height in the society.

"Do you need me to plead with you to walk faster!" She yelled angrily and slammed her parasol on the roof of the coach. The horses let out a startled neigh in response.

Eve turned around reluctantly and looked at Aaron who waved in her direction. Without giving her a chance to return the wave, Maddy tugged her elbow and drew get sharply towards the coach waiting to take them back to the slave home.

Eve glared at her best friend before shooting daggers at the potbellied Madame. She seemed to want to say something but Maddy pinched her hard and dragged her into the coach.

"Sorry that we kept everyone waiting!" Maddy said squeezing out a forceful smile, she moved around the carriage and found a place to seat with Eve in the cramped coach.

Madame Gertrude harrumphed coldly and also climbed into the coach.

"Go!" She roared and banged the roof of the carriage. The coachman tugged the reins of the horses and the carriage began moving away from the palace immediately and into the dark street.

After a very long and stressful ride, the coach came to an eventual halt in front of the slave home. The tired girls matched out of the carriage with pained expressions, and on the order of the madame, they lined up in front of the gate.

Madame Gertrude waved her hand and two burly men stepped out of the corner, they searched the girls one after the other before they eventually let them into the house. The girls dragged their exhausted bodies and went to bed immediately. After all, it was a rare occurrence already not to have to work overnight.

Just like the other girls, Maddy and Eve also retired to the room they shared. While Maddy first turned on the weak lamp in the room, Eve peeled up the dress she wore and slumped on the bed lazily.

"Goodness, it's been a tiring night!" Maddy exclaimed and stretched. She reached her hand to the back of her dress and undid the bow before slowly taking off the dress. She picked hers and Eve's dress and put them in one corner. They will have to wash the dress and return it to the Madame the next day.

"Are you sleeping already, Eve?" Maddy walked back to the bedside and asked softly.

Eve tossed her body to face her best friend, a slight frown lit up on her face and she propped her head a bit.

"Do you know where we hid the extra dried fruit we received from Lord Hugh's mansion?" She pursed get lips and muttered after a brief moment.

"Eh? that was many weeks ago, did you not eat the last one without even telling me? Why are you asking about this now? Oh my goddess, is all you think about food?!" Maddy voiced in exasperation and looked at her best friend in disbelief, she was cautious not to raise her voice so that they would not be punished by the sleep-deprived warden.

Eve made a small sound and pulled her face down, the low grumble of her stomach was heard in the silent room and Maddy looked at her intently. She seemed to be really hungry this time.

Maddy pinched the space between her brows and looked around the room, they had nothing, everything was already eaten by her before now.

"Eh, can you endure till tomorrow? I will find something for you tomorrow, is that okay? This night..."

"Say no more, I will be fine" Eve pressed her stomach against the hard mattress and bit her lips. She was especially hungry now and like many nights in the past, it looks like she would have to hold it in until she can lay her hand on some food in the pantry. She bit her lip so hard that her eyes stung.

Maddy sighed, her green eyes dimmed and an inexplicable expression flashed within them. She thought of something and suddenly opened her mouth.

"Ah, I almost forgot to tell you this! It is coming!" She exclaimed.

Eve lazily turned her head and arched her brows as though she was asking, "what is coming?"

Maddy grinned and opened her mouth again, "in three days, I heard the wardens mention it when I walked past them this evening, Madame is looking forward to the slave sales again" She explained.

Eve sprang up immediately, her eyes widened and she scoot closer to her best friend etching for the juicy gossip.

"Did she not hold one a few months ago? What is she think that she is up to, a bonanza?" Eve hissed, her hunger was slightly replaced by anger.

The day set apart for slave sales was one of the most annoying days in the hood. On that day, every slave gets to know the real meaning of the title 'a slave'. The demeaning action of being exhibited on a platform in the marketplace with a price and being bidded on only to be sold to the highest bidder.

That is not all, as a girl slave for sale, you will be ripped out of your clothes and trapped with a chain clasped around your neck like a pet. Every potential buyer can 'touch', 'taste', and 'feel' if you are up to their expectations or if you have what they wish to purchase.

Having also experienced such treatments a couple of times since they were sold into slavery, Maddy naturally knew what Eve's thoughts were. She reached out and patted Eve's back.

"What is there to be angry about now, Madame had mentioned it before, only the younger girls will make better sales, as for you and I..." Maddy sighed and stopped talking.

Since they had grown into adults, Madame Gertrude seemed to have lost interest in them but, who knew what goes on in the woman's head?

What if she offered them up to something even worse? The girls shivered at these thoughts.

First, they are humans, now slaves, and later, what?