The market soon became rowdy as everyone began to scramble about and yell at the top of their voices to buy Esther. Meredith could not believe what she was witnessing. The slave market was not new to her, but the depravity of it still astonished her whenever she heard of it—and now, she was on the market as well, ready to be sold to whoever would pay the most gold for her. Just like Esther.
"Ninety gold coins!" one man shouted from the crowd, shaking his purse so everyone would hear the sound of his coins hitting against each other.
"A hundred gold coins!" another shouted from the crowd, and it seemed like the rest gave up, as no one wanted to bid higher than that.
"Anyone else interested in buying this girl for a hundred and ten gold coins?" the slave master asked, but he was met with silence and displeased murmurs. "One hundred gold coins going once… going twice… and SOLD!"
Esther was taken down the stage and escorted backstage to be claimed by her buyer and new master, who had paid a hundred gold coins for her. The girl cried silently as she was taken down, and Meredith's composure faltered.
Just like that, a human was sold to another human for a hundred gold coins. A hundred gold coins was a lot of money. If she sold at a hundred gold coins, where would her parents get the money to buy her back? Forget about a few weeks—Meredith could stay a slave for five years and her parents wouldn't raise that kind of money.
Every confidence she had in her parents—in her mother—began to shake, and Meredith burst into tears on the stage. She looked in her parents' direction, but they were no longer in the corner where they once stood. Panic began to rise within her, but it was too late. There was nothing she could do.
"The next slave is this young man. His name is Elijah. Take a good look at him. He has a good body and an incredible amount of strength. He could work your farms for a hundred days and wouldn't get tired. Let's start with thirty gold coins."
Once again, the bidding began until Elijah was sold for seventy gold coins. Like that, slave after slave was bought and taken down the stage, and Meredith was next.
The rough hand of the slave merchant grabbed her arm and pulled her to the centre, where she would be seen by the beasts who had gathered around to buy her.
"Her name is Meredith. Look at her." The slave merchant grabbed her chin and forced her to look up. Hoots and whistles resounded, and once again, the coins began to clink against each other. "I dare say she is the most beautiful slave on this stage. Look at her black hair, so silky. Look at her pale and luscious skin. Even her tears look like pearls. Who is willing to buy her for a hundred gold coins!"
"One hundred and fifty gold coins!"
"Two hundred gold coins!"
"Two hundred and fifty gold coins!"
"Three hundred gold coins!"
The slave merchant was evidently shocked at the amount the people were willing to pay, and his greedy eyes twinkled. He knew Meredith was going to sell for a large sum, but this was more than anything he had imagined—and it made him even greedier.
His fat fingers found their way to the collar of Meredith's shirt, and he pulled. A loud ripping sound followed, and Meredith's fair shoulders and cleavage were exposed to the predatory eyes of the buyers. She whimpered and tried to cover herself, but her hands were slapped away by her seller.
"Look at her shoulders! So fair that a little touch would turn them red in seconds. Look at these firm breasts. And she is untouched. Won't you like to have her?"
"Five hundred gold coins!"
"One thousand gold coins!"
The buyers were unrelenting, and the price kept increasing and increasing until Meredith began to feel her head spin. One thousand gold coins. She would be a slave for the rest of her life. Fear beat into Meredith's bones, and her tears only continued to pour. She felt vulnerable and cornered, and for the first time in her life, hatred began to take root in her heart—for none other than her parents.
"One thousand gold coins going once… going twice…"
"Five thousand gold coins!"
The market went silent as everyone who had been focused on Meredith turned their heads to the owner of the voice. Even Meredith was not left out. For a moment—just a brief moment—she stopped crying, or rather, the shock put a pause to her tears, and she searched for the person who was willing to pay five thousand gold coins for her.
Murmurs and whispers rose from the crowd as everyone searched to see the man who was going to throw away five thousand gold coins for a mere slave.
Five thousand gold coins was no small amount.
Everyone began to move to the sides, creating a path as the man walked forward, and the more people saw him, the more their whispers and murmurs increased.
Meredith watched him walk towards the stage, a smile on his lips and his eyes fixed on her. She took note of him—high cheekbones, short black hair that was neatly combed back, and grey eyes that shone like polished steel in the sun. He stood tall in a suit that had been tailored to perfection, and despite the smile on his face, his presence was intimidating. Even more intimidating than the fat man on the stage with her.