The sensation of her stomach growling is what woke the small child up, a gnawing and aching hunger that lingered from the previous day. Food had become scarce for the family in the past few weeks and in a land where famine ran rampant over the Wastes, even a family with wealth began to feel it. What was once a lavish home, filled with trinkets and statues dedicated to the gods, was now a barren building. The family had sold off every object they could in order to feed themselves, since their crops had failed. They were at their wits end. In a house with five children to feed and clothe, the parents who were no longer as young as they once were, ended up in a desperate situation . As the young girls eyes fluttered open from her slumber, it was the hushed whispers of her parents that drew her attention away from the pain of emptiness in her belly.
“Gamal, you know that this is the last thing I want to do...” Her mother's words, though quiet, held an obvious sadness to them and the girl, despite being only ten, understood this.
“She is our -daughter-, Rania! How can you have these thoughts?” Gamal’s voice rose slightly, unable to keep the pain from his voice, and the girl heard his mothers hissed whisper soon after.
“Do not think that this is a thing I want, but I -will- put my trust in the gods and Shai has shown me she will taken care of!”
A scoff was all the girl could hear from her father, his response to her mother's declaration.
“Our children are starving, Gamal.” The finality of the statement brought silence to the conversation. The only sound the girl could hear was the beating of her own heart, accompanied by the loud proclamations of her empty stomach.
The girls amber colored eyes drifted towards the window, the sheer curtains billowed in the soft wind of the desert that crept in. The sky was lightening up, black and purple soon turned to blue and pink as the sun rose into the air at a leisurely pace. She barely heard the door to their home open, entranced as she was by the beauty of the new day. It was the sudden touch of her father's hand on her arm that finally caught her attention and she turned her head, letting her eyes focus on him.
“Come with me Naliah. There is someone you need to meet..”
He offered his hand out to the small child, her eyes focusing intently on the flaws of it. Her father's skin was so dry and hardened from laboring away in the harsh sun of the Amber Wastes, she marveled at how he never complained about the cracks along his knuckles that had bled on more than one occasion. Dark hairs curled along the back of his hand, bringing back a long forgotten memory of those very hairs tickling her cheek as he brushed away a dirt smudge affectionately.
After a moment's time she took his hand and rose from her cot. Her father had always been her favorite person, a kind man, who always only wanted the best for his daughter. She followed him willingly. He lead them out into the small sitting room where her mother stood in quiet conversation with an unknown man.
Their postures intrigued the child, it was like nothing she had ever seen before. Her mother, usually a practical and stern woman had her head bowed. The mysterious man, he towered over her and while he stood motionless during their conversation he carried with him an air of authority. He was young too, quite possibly in his thirties and his face was handsome. His dress alone was enough to tell her that he was wealthy, like her family had been at one point. He wore black kohl around his eyes, which were a surprising green in color. As soon as the girl and her father entered the room, the strangers eyes were upon her, appraising her.
“This is the child?” His words were clipped, cold and critical. “She is quite small.”
“She will grow, especially under your house.” Her mother responded quickly to his comments, desperation ringing through in her words. The strange mans hand came up, cutting her off quickly.
He stepped forward then, towards the child. His next action surprised her. He knelt down in front of her, bringing himself down to her level, their eyes meeting head on. He smelled of saffron and sweat, though the pairing was not unpleasant.
“What is your name child?” When he spoke to her, he adopted a warmth, his head tilting in towards her.
“Naliah.”
“Well, Naliah, I am called Atef. Do you know why that is?”
The child furrowed her brows a bit in confusion and looked up towards her father. His expression was hardened, a dark rage burned in his equally dark eyes. She drew her tongue along her lips and looked back to the man and then shook her head.
“Ah...I am called Atef because those I take in become my children, and I their father.”
The girls mouth hung open at that, her breath failed her and her heart stopped. She looked up at her father again, who remained stoic in his rage, his eyes focusing on the wall ahead of him. Her vision began to swim and she looked back at Atef, gasping in a shallow breath. She couldn’t find words, she couldn’t move or think...she could simply stare. And as she stared at him, he smiled. A smile that the parents could not see. A smile that was purely for her. A smile that was full of sinister intent.
He rose then to his full height, and turned towards her mother. Ignoring her father was an obvious insult, but the man, this Atef, did not care.
“The gods truly do smile on you this day. I will take the child off your hands and see you handsomely paid.”
Naliah felt her father shudder next to her. Emotion radiated off of him in waves, torrents of sadness and rage. Their hands, still clasped together, tightened and she suddenly felt all of his emotions as her own. Tears began streaming down her cheeks as the realization of this event began to sink in.
“You are truly a kind man, Atef. Our family is eternally grateful for this honor.” Rania fell to her knees, bowing her head. Submitting to him.
“Yes, yes I know.” He patted the mothers head, like an animal he was praising. “I wish to leave this hovel now though, prepare the child and bring her outside to me. Now.”
And then, just as quickly as a sandstorm rises on the dunes, he was out the door, leaving the family to stare in shock. Gamal, pulled his daughter to him then, wrapping his massive arms around her tiny form. She in turn, clung to him and shook her head.”
“Father, I don’t want to go with him..please don’t make me.” Her voice muffled but the cloth of his shirt as she hid her face. Behind them, her mother was gathering up as many of Naliahs belongings as would fit in a small leather pouch, giving them their time together.
“Naliah, I know...I know that this seems scary, but let us look at the good. The gods have blessed this, do you know what this means, child? It means...that you go with their favor. That for all of your life, they will see you, they will protect you.” The father leaned down to plant a kiss upon her head, tenderly stroking away the dark chocolate hair. “You belong to them, and no one else. This is an honor.”
His words calmed her, relaxed her...just long enough for her mother to grab her by the arm and begin leading her to the door.
“You have been a good daughter, Naliah. Do not think otherwise. This is simply the will of the gods.” There was only a touch of emotion in her voice, nothing compared to the love that shone through in her fathers, but it had been this way all her life. This was of no surprise to the child.
What did surprise her though was once outside, with Atef waiting for them, her mother turned to her and cupped her cheek. Her fingers stroked along her face and she smiled, the silence around them deafening.
“You will bring honor to our family again, Naliah.”
And then she released her arm, turning her back towards the child, her last farewell. The sound of her mothers sandals retreating in the soft sand of the Wastes were all she heard as she turned her eyes towards Atef. Alone now, all she could do was accept the proffered hand that he had outstretched towards her.
And while she knew that she would never be a slave to her hunger ever again under the care of Atef, the price she would end up paying for that comfort would end up being much more horrific.