Throne of Blood

LET THE GAME UNFOLD

The thankfully uneventful voyage came to an end, after seven days of continuous sailing, when the ship threw anchors in the shallow waters of the Spanish harbors. Bidding farewell to Andrea and her very hospitable crew, I disembarked the gigantic ship.

Upon the meeting of solid ground with my feet, I sent out a thankful prayer. I by no means am one of those people who are afraid of the sea, but my time in the waters was none too pleasant to desire an extended stay in the sea.

The only plan I had in mind when I left Estercrest was to make it to the Spanish lands in one piece. Now that I was where I intended to be, I had to contemplate on what my next action was to be, and be quick with that.

The book I had gone through during my time at Vincent's house had little to no information about the whereabouts of Señor Alonzo Gritti. However, it did say that Señor's childhood friend and partner in business, Señor Jon Carlo carries out his business of slave trading in the biggest market around the only port in the Spanish territory. I had a strong feeling that this friend would lead me straight to Gritti, and I planned to act accordingly.

Adjusting the cloak hood over my head, gathering the excessive clothing in my hands and pulling up my skirt a tad bit, I began the trek through the rocky grounds of the port. I slowed down upon reaching the area occupied by numerous carriages; available for hire. I came to a stop near the first carriage I stepped in to the vicinity of. Bartering a deal, I paid the carriage driver in full. The payment was sponsored by one of the pouches I had obtained from the pirate ship.

With a hundred gold coins clinking in his pocket the carriage driver did not see it necessary to stall my journey, and immediately hopped on the seating at the rear of the horse. Sounds of whips hitting flesh accompanied by neighing of the horse rose into the air before the carriage set into motion.

Within no time the carriage was slowing down, as large crowds marking the market area provided slim to none space for the passing of it. The driver tried to move the pedestrians out of his way by angry shouts and curses in order to keep moving the carriage, but I prevented him from doing so; not wanting to create any scene and garner unwanted attention, and simply stepped out of the carriage. Thanking the man for his services, I continued on foot.

My gender did not allow me to boldly execute the plan I had spinning in my mind. Hence the first task I took upon me was to locate a clothing shop, and purchase a pair of pants, boots and a shirt specified for males. Spotting a few feet of empty space, between two not so busy shabby looking buildings, doused in darkness I recognized the opportunity, and went ahead to avail it. Taking a quick look around I hurriedly slipped into the arms of darkness and undressed. With quite a bit practiced maneuvers I pulled on the shirt followed by velvet pants that got tucked in the pair of leather boots at the cuffs. The shirt fit rather snugly over the area of my breasts, but thankfully the cloak I pulled over the outfit hid everything well.

Once again adjusting the cloak over my head to leave minimum of my face for the sight of the passersby I stepped out of the darkness and became one with the crowd. I walked behind a large group of men; close enough to be seen as a part of their party, and far enough for them to not be suspicious of me. By eyeing the grandeur of each man's dressing and direction of their walk I was more or less certain where they were headed to; the slave trade. I was not wrong at all in my assumptions. Without any hindrance the party led the way to the largest auctioning of slaves going on in the area.

Wooden structure covered with dry hay was doing the work of a roof, supported by thick date tree trunks. Under the temporary sanctuary set up to battle the intense heat of sun, towards one corner a stage made up of cheap rusting wood was set up. On the stage stood proud owners pulling on the iron chains hanging around the necks of their slaves. Middle aged men with multiple layers of fat covering their structures stepped forward one by one and named the price of their slaves. The slaves regardless of their gender, age, or shape were dragged around and showcased. Mostly male, the buyers would inspect the slaves and place their bid. The one bidding the highest would take away the slaves.