{Edited}

[Flashback]

"Mommy! Mommy! Look look!"  I run down the side of the dirt road jumping into my mother's arms pointing out at the royal guards passing by.

"(y/n) dear, please don't point at other people, it's rude."

My mother held me close to her chest in her warm slim arms while my older brother, Aaqil, stood in front of us glaring at the guards as they pass by. Whispers and mumbles were going around to everyone either in fear or they stay quiet but were glaring down the guards who stare at each and every one of us. In all honesty, as a kid, I never understood why I had to fear the royal guards but then again, I was still innocent. I didn't understand the danger I was in.

As the guards pass by a larger man covered in armor and medals made his way through the middle as the guards parted giving him a walkway. The large man gazes around examining his surroundings and slowly his eyes stop looking over to a group of young girls who were holding each other's hands together. He points to a really pretty girl who was in the middle of the group of cowering girls. She had pure white skin and eyes as green as the wild forest and gorgeous healthy dark brown hair that fell to her shoulders.

"Take her," The larger man commands.

A gasp escapes from the crowd as the girl yelps in fear holding tightly onto her two friends as the two guards march over to her. Her friends stood beside her holding tightly onto her hoping they wouldn't take the poor girl away.

"No no no no!"

"Don't take her please!" They begged and cried as their friend was ripped out of their grip forcefully by the guards pulling her away as she cried out fighting back.

"No, let me go! Let me go! No! Stop! Please don't! Let me go! Noooo!!!" The girl who was being dragged away screams and shouts kicking her legs in the air reaching out her hands trying to claw out of their grasp.

Quickly one by one woman and young girls were being taken away from their loved ones. From families, friends, and lovers. After a while of pausing a royal guard stole a glance over to us and seemed to be staring down my mother who averted her gaze to hide her face. The royal guard leans into the general's ear whispering to him. The general's eyebrow furrows as he looks over to my mother and after a moment of examining her, he had a strange gaze smirking as my mother tried her best to avoid their looks.

"Mommy? Why are they staring at us?" I ask innocently but with a hint of worry as I tug onto her dress.

She sends me a soft smile to hide her fear as she kissed the top of my head and held me close.

"Don't worry about a thing, sweetie. No matter what mommy will always be here," She hums to my young self petting the top of my head.

"Take her and let's load them up," The general commanded as the guards made their way over.

"Stay away from her!" Aaqil stood in front of my mother but was only to be pushed aside roughly and slid across the ground.

"Aaqil!" My mother cried out reaching out her hand to my brother who laid on the ground unconscious. The guards grab my mother's arms and pick up my mother who fought against their grip.

"Let go of me! My children! Aaqil! (y/n)!" My mother cries out to us.

"Mommy!" I held tightly onto her hands until a guard came between us holding me back as I cried out to her.

"Mommy! Come back!" I cried out to her as I struggle against the guard holding me back. Tears stream down my slightly dirty face.

"Gods let me go!!! NO! (y/n)! Take care of your brother for me!" She cried out helplessly as the guards carried her away.

"Don't stop singing! Keep singing for me!" She begs as she began to go limp in the guards grasp who continued to drag her away into the carriage.

"Mommy!" I scream out to her as the carriage got further and further and further away from me.

[Timeskip age 10]

"Aaqil! Dinner is ready!" I shout out from the kitchen as I stir up some soup and pulled out some bread. It has been about 6 years since they took mother away from us, ever since then I have been taking care of our little home in the slums and have been a motherly figure to my older brother despite being the youngest.

Aaqil walks into the sandstone building that we call home with a tired smile on his face.

"How was the ports today?" I ask smiling brightly at him.

"We got a bunch of fishermen today who dropped by and a new stock of armories from other countries for the royal guards," He said walking over to me ruffling my hair and kisses the top of my head.

I nuzzle into his chin as I poured soup into wood bowls and pulled away to set up the table.

"Anything else?" I ask as he tried to avert his gaze.

"Oh, no no nothing," He looks down into his bowl of soup sitting across from me.

I can see through his facade. He's hiding something. He may try to hide it but I can see it in his dark gray pupils. 

"Don't lie to me you dork," I giggled as his eyes widened in surprise his mouth opened a bit.

"How did you...?"

"You're my brother silly. I can tell when your lying. Mom used to tell me when you were hiding something you would avert your gaze," I took a sip of my soup and nibbled on my bread.

"Mom told you that?"

"Hehe wanna know the other stuff mom told me about you?~"

"No!" He blushes a little and takes a giant bite from his bread in frustration and embarrassment.

"Hehe okay~ Just to keep some decency at the table. So..." I looked straight into his dark gray orbs as he stared back before sighing finally giving in.

"I was offered a job from a drinking buddy of mine to work as a royal guard," Aaqil gives me a nervous smile.

I almost choked on my soup.

"You WHAT?!" He looks down into his bowl of soup as his dark blue hair strands fell down the side of his slightly tan face.

"I was offered a job to be a royal guard. If I get the job we could finally have the money to leave this dump and live with the royals!" He said excitedly smiling to me.

"Aaqil..."

"I know, I know. You have mixed feelings about this," He looks up at me straight in the eyes.

"You know that they were the ones who took mother from us," I state on the verge of crying.

  "I understand that."

"Then what in your right mind thinks you can work with the people who took mother away from us!" I stood up from the table as I slam my hands no the table.

"(y/n)..."

I cried a little as Aaqil held me in his arms petting my head softly.

"I know, but do you think mom would want us to stay in the slums forever?"

"As a family, yes," I cried into his shoulder.

"But..." Aaqil smiles softly.

"Mom always did say..."

"No matter what. Under any circumstances always stick together," We said in unison as I pull away from him as he ruffled my hair and kisses my forehead.

"I promised mom I would take care of you," He grabs onto my shoulders.

"And same to you," I state rolling my eyes smirking.

We laughed at each other and enjoyed the rest of that evening. Those sweet sweet peaceful family evenings.

Little did I know those evenings were gonna end so soon.

[Timeskip age of 16]

"You lied to me!" I screamed at my older brother who stares down at me with a cold gaze.

"Hey, don't get mad with me! I'm leaving you here so you could be safe!" He remarks angrily.

"Safe?! How does leaving me here at a place meant for prostitutes?! SUPPOSED TO KEEP ME SAFE?!" I cried grabbing onto him by the collar of his shirt.

"Because I know the people here and I know they will take care of you!"

"Whatever! I bet you just wanna get me out of your hair!"

He stays silent as his face fell avoiding his gaze. Soon enough an older woman walks over to us and hands Aaqil a bag of gold.

"Take it and leave. That's how it works," She grabs onto my arm roughly as I try to get out of her grasp looking back at my brother who was already walking off without me.

"Aaqil!!!!" I cry out to him hoping for him to look back at me.

I felt my heart shatter to bits as his figure faded from sight into the dark night.

Mom was right. The only way to a man's heart is to satisfy his needs.

I was a thing to my brother.

Nothing more. Nothing less.

[Timeskip to now age 20]

"(y/n)! It's almost time for you to perform!~" Lamia called out to me excitedly busting through my door.

"Can you please knock next time?" I said covering up my chest with my bedsheets.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She blushes covering her eyes with her hands. "Why were you laying bed naked anyways?"

"I was sleeping," I yawn rubbing my tired eyes. "Go back to Zuhal and tell her I will be out soon."

"Okay!~" And with that Lamia left the room being the lively ball of energy she was. I quickly got out of bed stretching and groaning.

"Time to get ready," I sigh tiredly with the blanket wrapped around my body as I search my chest for clothes.

I slowly put on my clothes and apply some light makeup.

"Another day..." I sigh staring at my reflection for a moment and walk away from my reflection in the mirror as I grasp tightly to my chest. "Please watch over me again today mother."

I took a deep breath and plastered a smile on my face as I made my way down the halls passing by my fellow workers or should I say, dancers. This was all a job. Some stay some go. Some have good endings and some don't. I have given up my hope to find some way of escaping this hell hole. This life of feeding up to men's dirty desires who lust for a woman's flesh. Disgusting.

I let out a small sigh rubbing my forehead in distress.

"(y/n) are you ready?" I look over my shoulder to see Zuhal.

She was the women who took me in after my brother had sold me off to this place. She takes care of me and every girl here but that doesn't justify the work she does behind the scenes.

"Yes ma'am," I said to her giving her a curt nod.

"I will have the lights dimmed and the girls to set up for your performance."

Before I could thank her she had her back turned to me. I hug myself staring out the corner of my eyes through the thin red see-through curtains watching females of all types being groped and harassed by men of all age but mostly older men who have nothing better to do with their lives.

"(y/n)!!!" Lamia calls out to me as she came running towards me from the opposite side of me in a rush and grabbed my arms tightly.

"You have to do the best dancing ever!"

"Uh, why?" I raise my eyebrow questionably.

"King Sinbad is here!" She squeals as her pure green eyes glimmer with pure delight.

"King Sinbad?" I question her as I tilt my head confused.

She let out the most dramatic gasp ever a bit taken back.

"You don't know the King of the Seven Seas?!"

"No, not really. Never heard of the man," I said plainly a bit confused.

"Well whatever the case that's him over there!" She pointed out a tall, muscular man with tan skin and golden eyes and very long, purple hair tied in a ponytail. He wore clothes that did show he was a man of some sort of power. After a while, I began to see bright yellow butterflies gather around him. What is this feeling? What is this force? This... power?

"Fine, I will..." I mumble and when I look back at Lamia she was in a daze.

I look at her expression and then over to where this almighty Sinbad was. Beside him was a tall, large built fanalis and another male figure a little bit more feminine but formal demeanor and had white hair with freckles on his face.

"The Fanalis?" She blushed red at my remark and pulls away from me.

"Huh?! OH NO! Um! Goodbye! Good luck!" The adorable flustered girl ran off earning a giggle from me. She really is like a little sister to me.

Not too long after the lights had dimmed. That's my cue. I take a deep breath as I form my aura and demeanor.

(CUE THE MUSIC)

After hearing the male voices sing I smoothly made my way out from behind the curtains. As I made my way forward I swayed my hips while gracefully rolling my wrists allowing my fingers to lightly curve around in circular motion. I dance seductively yet as slow and graceful as I could. As I made my way around the room I spun around and went from men to men. Rubbing their shoulders. Lightly rubbing their chin. Placing my hands on their chest and leaned into their laps. I stop in front of a few men to give them time to get a closer view of my dance.

After a while of more dancing, I stop in front of King Sinbad himself taking in the moment gazing into my own (e/c) orbs with his breathtaking gold eyes. I sway my hips turning away from him as I bent backward reaching my arms out to him allowing my arts of expression reach out to him. I watch as he lifted his cup of wine to his lips showing a small sign of interest. This made me feel a more passionate flare burst in my chest as I spun around with my scarf in hand as I danced my way over to him closer never cutting eye contact with this man. I wrap my scarf around his neck and quickly pulled away from him quickly like a snake catching one last glimpse of him bring my scarf to his lips. I didn't give much mind as I move on and continue on with the dancing.

[Timeskip]

As the late night continues on I found a way to escape the intoxicating environment that made me feel miserable and sick to my stomach. I gather the last of my energy to drag myself to my room. As soon as I got to my door I heard a familiar voice through the door.

"Oh my lord, what makes you think you want this one? She is just another woman."

I heard Zuhal speak. I felt myself wanting to break down the door until I heard a low male voice.

"You might be right, however, that will not stop my ambition to take this woman with me," I hear the male state.

I take a deep breathe as I slowly open the door revealing King Sinbad and Zuhal.

"(y/n), perfect timing," Zuhal motions me to come closer.

"Excuse me?" I lift my eyebrow in concern and confusion.

"This is your new owner," Zuhal walked off with that.

Not even another word. That woman infuriates me!

"I am not leaving without Lamia!" I shout to her down the hall in frustration.

"I will not allow you to let me be taken away without her!"

"Then take her with you! I don't care!" She spats back to me in spite and with that, she turns around the corner of the hall.

I took a deep breathe turning back to King Sinbad. I gave him a quick bow.

"I  apologize for that scene," I apologize to him.

"No no, that is quite alright. Such a beautiful woman like you deserves better anyway." I roll my eyes to show how 'impressed' I was despite the butterflies in my stomach.

"Please do excuse me my lord, can you please leave my room so I may change?" I ask politely.

"Nope."

I grab onto his sleeve and I shove him out of my room by force and slam the door on him.

"Give me a moment!" I shout at him through the door slighlty flustered.

I put on a simple baggy white shirt and light brown pants along with a purple sash tied around my waist with black laced boots. I tie up my (h/c) hair into a ponytail and allow the side strands to fall on the sides of my (s/c) face. I didn't pack much just 3 of my favorite outfits to dance in and a small gold box I have left from home. The box had a lock on it and I don't have a clue how to unlock it because it has no keyhole. The only thing on it was a magical ring in the middle with a small butterfly design on it.

I grabbed onto the box closely to my chest.

This was the only thing left of mom. Aaqil sold most of her things to get money. I took a deep breath as I open the door to find Lamia standing there with a bright smile on her tan face.

"Lamia," I call her name as she winks to me waving.

"Heyo!~ Ready to get out of this place?" She smirks with her hands on her hips. I took a single glance back into my room. This was the moment but I didn't imagine it to happen so soon.

 I was going to finally leave this place.

To be honest...

I felt caged here. I knew nothing and I did my job day by day as time passed by. I know nothing like a doll. Here I am going to be passed on to another man who is one of the richest. But I will be with Lamia. Once again the bright yellow butterflies appear and flutter around Sinbad who sent me a tender smile gracing upon his face.

"Let's go," He extended his hand out to me. "Come along with me and lets go make some adventurous memories together. Doesn't that sound fun?!"

I felt my heart flutter as he gave me a cheeky wide smile as I slowly took his hand and I knew I might regret this but I lunge forward into his chest and wrap my arms around his chest tightly.

"Thank you..." I whisper to him looking up at him with tears streaming down my face. "Thank you so much!" I cry to him as he hesitantly hugs me back smiling as he pulls my head close to his chest.

I was finally going to escape this cage. I will finally turn away from this reality and fly away.