A/N:- Please do not forget to vote and comment :) They really mean a lot! Happy reading :)

Gasps filled the atmosphere. Delilah's eyes widened in surprise at the Seer's words. Before she could overcome this shock, however, another wave of shock rippled through her being as two royal guards just appeared out of nowhere and taking hold of Jessie's forearms started to drag her towards the dais.

"Jessie!" she heard Mrs Morkel shout for her daughter, but was held back by another guard.

Delilah clutched Timothy tighter, and with frightened eyes, searched for Mr Morkel, only finding him being restrained by another guard.

It was an utter chaos around her, young girls were being captured and dragged away by the armoured men.

"What is happening, Deli?" she heard a small voice near her ear. Moving her head, she looked down at a frenzied looking Timothy looking here and there.

"Nothing. Nothing. It's okay. I am here. Nothing will happen to you." she whispered in his hair, making him nuzzle his face in the crook of her neck.

Her eyes move towards the Seer, who was seeing this with an unemotional face. Then her eyes fell upon the shaking figure of Jessie who was being taken to the dais. Their eyes met and Jessie cried, "Help! Please help! Delilah! Mother! Father! Please! Help me!"

This proved to be Delilah's breaking point. The stupor she was in up until now shattered and without thinking much, she shouted, "Wait!"

With tears rolling down her cheeks, she rushed towards the dais, only to stopped by another soldier.

"Stop there, filth! You are not supposed to go there!" he stopped in mid-sentence and looked down at the trembling figure of Timothy, "Only pure women are allowed up there."

Delilah stood there shocked and insulted for a minute before she understood that it was Timothy clutching to her that made them believe that she was his mother.

"Calm down everyone." she finally heard the Seer speak with a cool demeanour, but no one obliged.

"Please, calm down." as he requested, the situation became more chaotic.

"Silence!" this time the Seer roared in anger, quietening the crowd. Softening his voice, he again urged, "Silence, please."

"They would not be sacrificed if that is what the chaos is about." the Seer made it clear, before continuing, "But the Gods want them to serve them, to submit to him."

This calmed the crowd, but murmurs and sobs were still audible.

Delilah looked at Jessie with a tear stricken face, her mind unable to comprehend what was exactly going on. What submission and what service.

"This night ends here. These young maiden women are now here to serve the Lord almighty above. They are chosen to do this, I can see-" he paused and touched a blonde strand of Jessie's hair. Jessie flinched away, though the Seer continued, almost dazed, "-they are for him to submit to. They now no longer belong to any father, any mother, any brother or any sister. They belong to the Gods. They will stay with the Gods."

Breaking out of his stupor, he turned towards the terrified crowd with determination written boldly across his face, "I hereby declare them as the maids of the Lord!"

Cries and sobs erupted out from the crowd as well as the trembling girls standing on the dais.

Delilah shivered in her spot. She knew exactly what it meant to be a maid of the Lord. It was something which she had heard about but never got to see it herself, until now.

The maids of Lord were to be completely cut off from the society, they were not allowed to step out of the monastery. No one knew what went behind the closed doors, but this was assured that the maids were never ever seen after that.

"Enjoy the feast now and be happy that your offspring had been anointed to serve the God Almighty."

With this, the yelling and crying girls were taken away.

Delilah rubbed Timothy's back as he cried on her shoulder, frightened of the sudden havoc created around him.

"Mr Morkel," she said in a whisper as she saw him finally getting released from the hold the armoured men. He rushed towards his crying wife.

Embracing her, he cried as well; just like the other men and women who had their sisters or daughters snatched away from them.

Delilah did not dare to interfere them when they both were in such a vulnerable state, so she simply watched them wailing in despair at the sudden loss of their daughter.

"Mr Morkel-" she started to speak as he stood up but was cut off by him.

"It's-we are happy. She is the chosen one."

Her eyes widened at his response. She was about to counter when he declared that they should leave.

Renee cried all the way back to home. Mr Morkel kept a straight face but the facade would crack up every now and then. Timothy had fallen fast asleep in Delilah's arms, stirring and snoring every now and then.

"You go inside, Renee. I will walk Delilah and Timothy home." Mr Morkel said in a hoarse voice.

"No, it is not necessary. We will be fine on our own." Delilah protested with a wobbly voice, still shaken to her core because of the sharp turn the day had taken; from being joyous to downright miserable and torturous.

"But it's too-" Mr Morkel started speaking with a frown on his face but Delilah cut him off.

"My home is only some ten minutes away. I promise we will be more than fine. Goodnight, Mr Morkel." Delilah said with a kind smile and ended the sentence with a respectful bow before walking away, not waiting for his reply, for she knew fully well that he would insist but he was needed more back at his home at this moment.

The full moon shined brightly in the star-studded sky above and the wind picked up the pace. Timothy trembled and clinged to Delilah tightly, making Delilah sigh and then petting his hair.

"I never took you as a mother."

Delilah screamed in fright and swivelled around, just for her eyes to meet the sight of green eyes gazing back at her curiously.

Delilah staggered back while taking in the appearance of the stranger in front of her.

Baggy brown trousers matching with a ruffled white shirt stained with mud. The moonlight, filtering out of the canopy fell upon him accentuating his sharp features and plum red lips.

Staring at him for a while, she finally spoke up in a sharp tone. "There are many things you will not take me as. But that does not matter." she paused, not wishing to straight his facts; as she saw the stranger tilt his head to the side, his eyes trained on the squirming figure of Timothy in Delilah's hold.

She patted his back, hushing him and he again fell into sleep, muttering something incomprehensible.

She turned her attention towards the stranger than; her subconscious nagging her that the man standing in front of her is somewhat familiar. Shaking her head, she asked with narrowed eyes, "Who are you to judge, anyway?"

Running his fingers through his chestnut coloured hair, he smiled at her secretively, a pair of dimples evident on his cheeks, which irritated her a bit.

"You don't remember me," he stated.

"Of course not," Delilah said with a firm voice, finding the man queer. Realising that she was talking to a perfect stranger, who could possibly a dangerous man, in the middle of the night, she turned around and walked away.

"You seriously do not remember me?" she heard him ask from behind so she started walking faster.

"I was expecting a thank you, to be honest."

She heard his voice closer this time, but ignored him, trying not to think much about the statement he made and started walking faster.

"Wait, madam!" he caught up with her and soon was just beside her, scaring her in the process.

I wish I would have let Mr Morkel walk me home. Delilah thought to herself.

"Gods, I can not believe you forgot me, so soon," he said with an exasperated sigh.

"Please, leave me alone," she whispered, her heart thumping loudly as the stranger walked beside her.

"I would, certainly. I just needed help with the directions, I am a bit lost." he rubbed his neck. "Would you mind telling me the way to Orshore?"

Delilah looked up at him with wary eyes, her mind telling her to tell him a no but the softer side of her subconscious urging her to help him. She finally submitted to the kinder side and told him, "Follow me."