1 PROLOGUE (1): ALMATHEA BASTETE

Maore Bastete was playing with her four year old daughter in the house library when a few men burst into the room. She looked up from the blocks of wood that they had been stacking and cocked her brow at the men who dared disturb the time she was having with her daughter.

A short woman came into the room shortly after the two large men. She was holding a folded paper in her hand which she handed to Maore.

Maore picked up the letter from the woman's hand and flipped it open.

After reading the contents of the letter, tears pooled in her eyes and she glanced at the little girl who was still playing with the blocks of wood.

The child turned to her mother with a large smile on her face and raised one of the blocks of wood, "Mother, see see. This one is shaped weirdly." She giggled after saying these words and poked the ragged edges of the wooden block.

Maore did not answer the question which prompted the little girl to look up from the wooden blocks. She stumbled on her feet to walk towards her mother and placed her hands on her mother's cheeks. "Mother…"

She did not finish what she was about to say, as one of the large men stalked forward and grabbed her by the arm.

Almathea, the little girl, screamed in surprise since the man had grabbed her a little too tightly.

Maore glared at the man, "Even if you are following the orders, that does not mean you hurt her. Take her away gently."

She took out a handkerchief from her trouser pockets and placed it over her mouth to prevent her from making any sounds that would show her crying. Almathea was still confused as to what was going on, but then realized that they were taking her away from her mother.

With a sudden burst of strength that was abnormal for a four year old, she kicked one of the two men who were holding onto her. In a shocking turn of events, the man stumbled back and fell onto the door with a bang.

The force he had fallen with caused the door to be pushed with so much force that it fell off of its hinges.

Almathea did not seem to take this into notice as she ran forward back into her mother's embrace. Maore looked down at her daughter who was grabbing onto her with a small smile on her face. This smile was hidden by the handkerchief that had been placed over her mouth.

However, she did not hug the little girl back.

Almathea was confused, and tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"Mother? Mother." She repeated over and over, with the hope that her mother would answer to her calls.

Maore ignored her and turned to the men. "Are you going to lay on the floor for the rest of the day? Quickly take her away." Almathea felt that the tone her mother was using did not seem quite right.

She glanced up at Maore who was looking straight at the men who had come in. The handkerchief no longer covered her face, and she was looking at the men with a frown on her face. Her eyes had turned cold and there wasn't a hint of that sunshine smile that Almathea had gotten used to.

Almathea moved a step back, feeling that this mother of hers had become a foreign entity.

The man who had fallen over hand been left in a daze as he looked at the little girl who was still looking at her mother. His jaw was slightly dropped and he subconsciously rubbed the spot that Almathea had hit him. Having learned his lesson, he did not dare act rashly.

A little wary, Almathea tugged her mother's sleeve, "Mother?"

Maore looked over at the short girl, "Thea darling." Her eyes softened and tears threatened to fall over once more. She blinked them away and gave her a small smile, "remember all that mommy does is because she loves you. Alright?"

Almathea nodded slowly, still feeling that something did not add up with the way her mother was acting.

Before she could speak a word, the man who she had not kicked over grabbed her by the waist. To prevent her from kicking him, he grabbed her by the ankles. Almathea finally understood that they were planning on taking her away from her mother.

Using all the strength she could muster, she twisted her body and slammed her small fist onto the man's cheek. A small crack was heard in the room as the man's cheek bone caved in.

Even Almathea was startled by this progression as she paused her movements to look up at the man.

The pain did not register at first, but a few seconds later, the man howled in pain before dropping the little girl on the carpeted floor.

Despite the carpet being a little thick, she still felt pain as she landed on the floor. With tears in her eyes, she looked up at the man who had let her fall and began to bawl.

Maore was tempted to walk forward and grab her daughter away from the men. However, she stood and glared at the man who had fallen before, "Do neither of you not know how to do as you are asked?"

The man scrambled to his feet and bowed thrice, "It is not that my lady. This child…"

He did not finish his words, but looked down at Almathea who was wiping her tears. Maore clicked her tongue, "I am giving you five seconds to complete the work given by the lord."

The man bowed once more, "Immediately."

With more strength than before, he grabbed the girl and pinned both her hands and feet together.

Almathea struggled to break free of the man's hold, without success. She was still too young to try and pry a grown man's hands off of her.

As she was carried away, she looked back at her mother.

Maore's knees had finally given in, and she fell to the ground with a thud. "Mom." The small girl raised her tiny hands to the direction her mother was kneeling at.

The words she wanted to say were stuffed into her chest as she was unable to breathe and tears pooled at the corners of her eyes once more. From the pit of her chest, she let out such a loud howl that the man who was carrying her had to pause to cover her mouth using his hand. Fiercly, Almathea grabbed the meat on his palm with her teeth before biting down. The man yelped, letting go of her lips.

Almathea then proceeded to continue her tears.

The man ignored her shouts of protests and carried her to the back part of the mansion and to the top most room.

The number of workers and servants in this part of the mansion were a total of zero. It was more of a deserted wing than anything else.

Almathea had to stop her crying to cough twice because of the dust. After coughing, she resumed bawling her lungs out. The one who was carrying her felt his eyebrow twitch in irritation.

The man who had been hit on the cheek stopped in front of a small door which he pushed open.

Inside was a small room. There was a bedside table and a small bed at the corner of the room. The other corner had a small wardrobe next to which the short woman from before stood.

She bowed at the waist after Almathea was placed to the ground. The little girl ran to her and hid behind her long dress looking wronged.

The men who had carried her in sighed, "We have finished our duty, we shall return to his Lord."

Without another word, they left the room and Almathea as well.

.

S/T: (Small theater)

Almathea: (Delivers kung fu punches to the men who dared take her away from her mother)

Men: (Flips table in fear)