Chapter 156 Misery
Even as she said it, she looked at Xzavier doubtfully. Xzavier truly pitied the poor girl. She had been manipulated and lied to by the governor, and now, after so many years, a stranger was telling her that not only was her sister alive, but she had sent him to her, it was all too much for her to bear. So, Xzavier took pity on her and brought out the one evidence he had of his truth.
"Here, she told me you would doubt me so she asked me to show you this. She said you would understand once you saw it."
It turned out that Babara was right. Janae melted at the sight of the familiar handkerchief. Finally, the fact that her sister was alive settled in on her fully, flushing out the nagging suspicion that this was all a hoax.
For someone who had been hopeless for such a long time, this sudden ray of hope that flashed into her tunnel not only threatened to blind her, but also threatened to give her a brain seizure. It was all too much handle. For a long time, for a really long time, she had believed that Babara was dead, and now, just in an instant, her whole world had changed as a result of this revelation. It took a while for her to get herself.
After her mind absorbed the shock, her entire existence began to adjust to the fresh news. Tears began to well up in her eyes. She held the handkerchief up to her chest with both hands and began to weep softly. It was a pitiable sight. It was both heartwarming and cringe worthy at the same time. Xzavier didn't rush her. He knew that she had a lot on her mind. He couldn't blame her for that. Finding out that a sibling was alive and had been out there all this while was a lot.
Xzavier was a bit worried about her weeping. She wasn't loud, but if the room wasn't soundproof, it would certainly seem like he was inflicting pain on her. On a second thought, Xzavier welcomed this detail. He knew that Quaid had a lot of eyes and ears all around. Most definitely, they were waiting to report what kind of soundtrack was coming from the baron's room. This was the kind of information Quaid would like to have over a person.
So, Xzavier allowed the girl to weep. If there were indeed any listening ears, they could never have guessed that Xzavier was in fact doing nothing to the girl. From their perspective, her soft whimpering and light weeping was suggestive of the fact that Xzavier might be into some bondage-dominance type of thing. It was all to his advantage anyway.
Finally, after a long bout of tears and soft weeweeping the girl started to come to terms with the new development. As she wiped her eyes, she introduced herself properly and began to fill Xzavier in.
"Forgive me for being so emotional my lord Baron. I am Janae, Babara's older sister..."
Xzavier nodded. The last bit was a bit unnecessary. It was obvious that she was the older one. But Xzavier waved it aside. He knew how fickle ladies could be about their ages, so it was actually good that she introduced herself as the older one. If Xzavier had been the one to suggest it, it would have probably been misconstrued as him being presumptuous when in fact it was actually glaring.
She continued. "I know how this might seem, but I promise you lord Baron, I didn't abandon my sister! I would never!" Xzavier believed her. As she spoke, her voice was thick with emotion. It carried within it an unbearable amount of pain and regret that was going to take a lifetime to unburden.
"I loved my baby sister sir! I still do and always will! Oh Babara! How is she now? Is she well? Did she grow up good?"
She looked at Xzavier with bulging expectant eyes, waiting for even the slightest bit of information he could give her about her sister.
Xzavier in turn wasn't completely sure how to answer that. He wasn't sure how to tell her that he had only known Babara officially for less than forty eight hours now. He didn't think it was a good idea either. It was better she focused on the fact that she was out there and safe. So, Xzavier answered evasively.
"Your sister is well. But we'll circle back to her later. Tell me, how did you come to be here? How come you didn't know that Babara has been alive all these years?"
These were the questions troubling Xzavier's mind. He feared the worst, but he knew that he had to know. This information would position him further on how to handle Quaid.
Janae choked back a sob and started to narrate her ordeal;
"I can't remember details exactly, but I know that when I was but still a child, some official looking men approached me on the streets one day. They told me I was beautiful and that I could be well taken care off if I followed them."
As she spoke, her regret was evident. It was clear that she wished she could go back in time and change what happened.
"You see, I was but a child at the time. We were poor, and always in need of food. My beauty was useless to me at the time. I saw no need for it. So, here was a chance for me to escape a life of wretchedness and misery."
She wiped back a tear and continued.
"But I remembered Babara and hesitated. I asked them what about my sister, and they said that I shouldn't worry, that they would take care of her. That was all I needed to hear..."
She paused to collect her thoughts.
"Because of my greed, I did what no child was supposed to do; I foolishly steeped into a carriage with a bunch of strangers. That was the end of it. A mighty hand grabbed my neck immediately from behind and another hurriedly began to take off my underwear with both hands. I tried to scream, but a hand clamped my mouth shut. That was the beginning of my new life. Right there in the carriage, I was deflowered. After the first one had his way with me, the second and third men had their way as well. By the time the third man entered me, I had stopped kicking and screaming, I had no more energy left. I simply sat still as he heaved and heaved till he was done.
"I laid still for a long time in the carriage, as a bleeding mess, thinking they would let me go since they were all done. But to my horror, the long ride continued and didn't stop until I was brought here. Here I met the governor and he told me that I was now his slave. He said I shouldn't even bother trying to run back, that there was nothing waiting for me. That was when he told me that Babara was dead.
"The news broke me, I lost my will to fight... I submitted my self to fate, and began to be groomed as a high class sex slave. Since then, for me it has been one steady spiral. I tried to kill myself on so many occasions, but for some reason, I just couldn't bring myself to. It wasn't like I had any reason to live. But now, I see why..."
Xzavier listened to the lady as she narrated her tale. It was all so terrible. He willed himself to focus. For him, Ine positive thing came out of all this- he now had a clearer view of how Quaid operated. It was going to be to his advantage. He looked at Janae and assured her;
"It's alright. I am here to take you away. You will leave this place far behind you and never come back."
With despair in her eyes, Janae shook her head in fear.
"I am afraid that is impossible lord baron. I don't know what arrangement you have with my sister, but the truth is there is no escaping this place. There are troops of powerful mages stationed in concentric circles round about this perimeter. No offense sir, but even a senior mage would find it impossible to breach this place."
She stepped forward pleadingly; "I beseech you, please forget about me. Your friendship with the governor would be severely fractured by this singular act. I am more than contented with the fact that Babara is out there and very much still alive. That knowledge alone is bliss!"
Xzavier was touched. Here he was trying to save this girl from the shackles of slavery, and instead of selfishly agreeing with him, she was considering the consequences on him and his relationship with the governor! Now Xzavier was convinced that she truly didn't belong here. He simply had to get her out!
Xzavier now had all the information he needed. But he found out that it didn't make any difference from before. The fact was that Xzavier had many ways to save Janae. Off the top of his head, he could come up with multiple plans that would grant him a smooth extraction of the target. But one thing was missing from the whole plan, it was an element that Xzavier couldn't afford to do without; discretion.
The more Xzavier looked at it, the more evident it became that getting out was the easy part. But even he could see that what would follow would be like hell on earth. There was no way he and Quaid could remain friends after such a bold slight against his honor.