Fireflies And Butterflies (ON HIATUS)

09║First Meeting

Throughout that day, Czarina watched as her family welcomed one family after another. Out of all the visitors, there were only two persons who came alone. The first was Nyala Inyanga, an unmarried and childless black lady who Reine proudly sneered at the instant she stepped into the room, not caring that others were watching her. The other one was a white man with fiery red curls called Ferdinand Wrymwood.

The second he entered the room, everyone stopped talking. A shiver ran through Czarina as she gazed at the man. She eyed his flamboyant dressing and the wide, boastful smirk he was putting on. It wasn't even the way that he looked that was uncomfortable, it was the fact that he was holding onto a leash which was connected to a collar, a collar that was around the neck of someone who Czarina immediately guessed was a Yumboe because of her long white hair and silver eyes. And to top it off, she was moving on her hands and knees as he dragged her to walk behind him like a dog.

Czarina looked around the room and saw that all the Yumboes were looking away from the Yumboe, their faces slyly pinched in disgust. The Yumboes weren't the only ones who felt uncomfortable with his presence because her parents and the other adults were also looking away, whispering to themselves with a frown. Some of them were ordering their kids to look away, shaking their heads at Ferdinand.

"Wrymwood," Czarina heard Fatoumata hiss, the sound of her chair scraping the floor following after. She raised her gaze and watched as the lady marched to him with pounding footsteps, her hands clenched into fists. She pointed at the Yumboe. "What's the meaning of this? Had I allowed you to go into contract with this Yumboe so that you can just—?"

"Oh Fatou," he started, waving his hand, dismissing her words. He gazed at the Yumboe and hummed. "She's okay. Besides, I'm the one in a contract with it, not you."

Fatoumata wanted to jump at him but her husband rushed to her and held her back. "She's not an animal. Remove that leash at once! What is she?! A pet?! Remove that thing you insolent brat!"

Now this made Ferdinand mad as he gritted his teeth, his bold smirk slipping away. He tugged on the leash, forcefully pulling the Yumboe to her feet. The Yumboe's pale skin turned red as the leash began to choke her; she was balancing her weight on the tip of her toes. "Who's a brat?" He moved into her personal space. "I own it, not you. So you better watch your mouth and stay quiet. The contract's been signed, making her mine till her last breath." He scoffed and added, "even in death, her body still belongs to me."

"Why you—"

"Fatou," Adama whispered, holding his wife back.

Ferdinand snorted, easing his hold on the leash, allowing the Yumboe to go back on her knees. "Watch it woman. I detest when people don't know their places." Fatoumata was still heaving in anger when he smiled widely and looked at everyone. "Hi guys."

Czarina caught the sound of her father clicking his tongue. "You need to respect the presence of all our kids Ferdinand. You can't just walk into this room, dragging that woman like she's an animal. Be civil."

"Some of us care about our kids and don't want them to be exposed to things of this sort, so please take things easy," a woman said and Czarina stared at her. The strawberry blonde was clutching one of her twin toddlers to her chest, pressing the child's face into her bosom as she gently rubbed her wife's back. Czarina's eyebrows pinched together at the sight of her wife who was obviously shaking. Her wife was carrying the other twin in her arms and the little girl was frowning at her mother in confusion, asking her questions in gibberish.

Ferdinand glared at her. "And what are you trying to insinuate Prim? That I don't care about my children? How do you even know if I—"

"Shut up Wrymwood and sit down. Remove that leash and act like a responsible person," one of the men said, his voice mature and deep. Czarina recognized the voice as Mamadou's, the man that her father had been discussing with the instant that they had arrived.