Amana's POV

My head was gently swaying left and right, brushing against what felt like a surface covered with cloth. I wanted to open my eyes, but it took a little more effort than usual. My gaze met the upside-down trees that I was slowly passing, then I realized that I wasn't walking.

Why was I not walking again?

I tried to move my legs, but they seemed to be bound. I shook my body around a bit.

"Acha kutetemeka huko, sawa? Kwa kweli inaanza kunikasirisha." (Stop all that shaking, okay? It's really starting to make me feel angry.)

That only made me shake even more, desperate for a way of escape. I had been taken hostage. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain on my derriere, and I could not help but scream out.

"Endelea kuzunguka hivyo na itazidi kuwa mbaya."(Keep moving around like that and it will get worse)

After a few moments of protesting for release, I finally gave up. I then told myself to just not do anything for now, and think of a way to escape.

Roland.

Oh, Roland!

I began to look frantically about. The men were walking in a haphazard fashion, so I could see the men far behind. There was Roland, hung over the shoulder by a bulky man, unconscious.

I truly did hope that he was still fine and well. Who knew what they could have done to him.

The sun was just beginning to set. It seemed like I had been unconscious for a while now. All I remembered was running from Roland when I was suddenly held by a hand. I fought him off and was about to fin ish him off when I felt a sharp pain at the back of my head, one that made me faint.

I truly did hope that Roland was okay. It had been a long and terrible night the day before, and I was certain that he got little to no sleep due to the awkward condition we were in. We hadn't even eaten anything yet for the day, and I was beginning to feel the hunger.

The march continued on, even when the day had become night. Using fire torches, they lighted the way to who knew where we were going. As we walked further and further, the woods became less and less dense.

We were walking towards the sea shore. But why?

Before I could think further into the idea, we walked into a clearing. Men walked about with guns or spears, looking our way. These men could be rebels, or even worse............ cannibals. The idea of then being such brought utter fear and anxiety.

"Tuko hapa, bosi!" (We are here, boss!)

My eyes looked up and they widened in shock.

"Kaj!!!"

The middle-aged black man smiled at me, happy to see that I remembered him I guess.

"Amana, mapenzi yangu kwako yamekuwa na nguvu tangu mwanzo." (Amana, my love for you has always been strong from the very beginning.)

I scowled at him, making sure that I showed the disgust I felt for him. His smile slowly disappeared, and in its place was a deep frown.

"Mbaya hujisiki hivyo hivyo. Utakuwa mke wangu hivi karibuni." (Too bad you don't feel the same way. You'll be my wife soon anyways.)

Before I could ask what he meant, I was taken to a hut that had a pole in the middle. I was tied securely to the pole and was left there. A couple of minutes later, Roland was brought in. He had regained consciousness, but seemed to still be trying to get his bearings. He was tied behind me, such that we were back to back.

"Roland! Roland!!"

"Yes?"

I sighed in relief. He was alright.

"What's going on Amana? Why are we here?"

I explained all that had happened, from the travel from the broken carriage up to now. He recalled some events as I explained them.

"I gained and lost consciousness twice. It must have been a heavy blow. Are you fine, though?"

I nodded my head.

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine."

"That is good then."

We ended up not saying anything, each of us deep in our thoughts. I wondered how we were going to get out of this mess, of how we were going to be safe from all this. I suddenly felt a contact, and I looked down to see a hand holding mine. Roland's hand.

"It is all going to be okay, Amana."

I kept quiet, looking at his hand that held mine. The moment could've been beautiful and wonderful if only we were in this problem. This huge problem.

"How can you be certain of what you say?"

He replied.

"I have faith."

Keeping to myself again, I thought of the word.

Faith.

Believing in that which you did not know or understand. It should be a nice feeling to have such within you.

I looked outside at the window to see that the moon was covered up by clouds, but they did not show a sign of rain. Shadows moved outside the hut, probably from the men guarding outside. The shadows that was showing from under the door was now gone, replaced with a total darkness that perturbed me.

The door was suddenly opened, and a brightness covered up the room, making me involuntarily close my eyes for a second so that they could adjust to the sudden brightness.

"Finally, I can see you again."

Kaj sat in front of her, on a stool.

"What do you want, Kaj?"

He stood up and paced in front of me.

"Well, I have you and the ransom boy, so I have all that I need at the moment."

I looked at him while I thought of what he meant.

"I'm giving him to the pirates tomorrow evening, where I hope that they will have returned. Then, I make you my wife."

Suddenly, Roland moved behind me, making me realize that we were still holding hands.

"Don't you dare think about doing that, Kaj."

Kaj's eyes widened for a moment in shock, until a sly smile grew on his face. He walked until I couldn't see him, but I knew that he had gone to Roland.

"Or else what? You had your chance. Well, even if you had made her yours, she still would've been mine at the end."

Made her yours?

"Are you crazy? Don't involve her in this. This is between you and me."

I then heard Kaj's voice.

"I know. You are right, but she came as an extra bonus. I just cannot wait to do whatever I want with her."

After hearing a couple of whispers, Roland began to shake violently where he sat, yelling at Kaj.

Kaj just laughed and was now in front of me. He sat back on his stool, and simply looked at me.

"What is it now, Kaj?"

He shook his head a little.

"You seem to be able to bewitch any man you meet."

Bewitch?!

"What did I do?", I asked with a calm voice, although I was fuming on the inside.

"You did not only succeed in getting my heart, but also of the white man behind you."

I was shocked by what he had just said.

"I.......what?"

"He obviously fell in love with you, just as I did. You are a beautiful one, and feisty too. Maybe that was what drew him to you."

He stood up now, and left the old hut. I did not know what to say. I was certain that Roland had heard the words.

"Roland....."

"Mhmm...."

I then asked him the question that had been bothering me for a long time now, long before all this happened.

"Did you.......did you fall in love with me?"

There was a silence from the other side for a while, but what shocked me was that I was actually anticipating his answer.

"Yes. Yes, i did."

My heart stopped for a second. I didn't fully know how to process all of this. Other questions popped in my head.

Did I love him? Had I fallen for him as well?

"When? When did you..."

He let out a soft chuckle.

"This is not how I expected this moment to happen. Alas, this is our misfortune, so let me just say it. I think the day I realised that I loved you was when we were having those celebrations, when Enzi asked you to dance with him. All I saw was red at that time. That was when I realised that I did not want anyone else to have you. That was when I fell in love with you."

There was a silence in the hut, but occasional sounds from outside infiltrated the quiet.

"Amana, please do not over think when it comes to this. Just know that I love you. I have loved you for a while now. You might not feel the same about me, but I want you to know that you will always be the one I ever fell in love with."

His words were cutting me deep within. In that short time that we had gotten together, we had had a connection that was so strong, so tangible, that the idea of being with someone else simply did not make sense to me in any way.

However, I just could not tell him of how I really felt, how I felt about him. Amongst all the men I had gotten to see in my life, no one had really fascinated and drawn me like he had. No one was able to unravel me like that. The feeling was new and exciting, and I felt like it would never get old and boring if I was with him.

We were not of the same race, we had different lifestyles, different statuses, different views about the world and how we could live in it. How could it be even possible for us to be together? I would like to admit that he had been teaching me of his God, and I was captivated by it all.

I wanted to know more, but he said that he did not have the book which had everything about him in it. I would like to believe that he called it a Bible. Instead of that, I knew nothing else. He also had to leave and become a part of the royal monarchy. He could not live here forever. I decided then, that what I was about to say next was the best decision I made, even though it hurt.

"This cannot happen between us and you know it. We are of different worlds after all and this would be a taboo! Crazy! Utter craziness!"

I felt his hand reaching out to touch mine, the gesture making my eyes water slightly, the tension of the moment mingling with my own emotions.

"Amana, please don't-"

I removed my hand while I still got the chance. I had to be harsh with him in order for the message to be heard.

"Don't act dum, Roland. You know the truth. I do not have to tell you twice."

His voice got a little hoarse, filled with a lot of emotion.

"I do not care about what they think. Whom I love and do not love should not concern them. I want you, Amana, and no one else............ Please, just......at least just-"

I looked up and batted my eyelashes to stop the tears that were coming together in full force.

"Just what, Roland? Just what, exactly?! I don't even love you! I do not know where you got that idea."

I heard a sharp intake of breath behind me, and I lowered my head in anger. Anger directed towards myself. I never wanted this to go in that way, but it had to be done.

"I am sorry. You fell in love with a person who did not love you back. If you get to go back to England, forget about me. Live like you've never heard of me before, like you've never seen me, not even once. You will be hurting yourself for nothing if you do not forget about me."

When I did not hear a reply from him for a while, that was when I let a tear flow down my cheek. And then, I let another flow. And another........And another.........until I couldn't count them anymore.

I wouldn't dare make crying sounds, because I wanted to make him understand that no matter how much we wanted this, it wouldn't work. It was doomed from the very beginning.