Masquerade

[***Stormchaser***]

Victoria told her father of the news as they went home, he was pleased to hear it.
"Selling that wretched step-daughter and having dinner with the royal family in the same day, tomorrow will be a good day." He remarked.

[~Amber~]

the next day he got the guards breifed and they headed out as he headed to dinner

[***Stormchaser***]

Cindy was given a rude awakening early the next morning and dragged off to a slave auction outside of town, where the majority of black market selling was taken place.

The rest of the family spent the day preparing and heading out to the castle. Her dress and mask were found though left out in the attic to be dealt with later.

[~Amber~]

the guards only found those and were concerned and were sent out I'm all different directions to find her asking people in town if they'd seen any of the family that day

[***Stormchaser***]

"Hm, some people showed up very early in the morning and returned later in the afternoon. It was still dark so I couldn't really see what was going on, but I heard Cindy, the youngest, fighting with her step-father. I think they may have taken her away but she wasn't with them when they returned in the afternoon." One of the neighbors explained.

[~Amber~]

"she didn't return....check the outer black markets" the chief snapped to the other guards who quickly headed off

[***Stormchaser***]

Cindy woke up in a dark windowless room, only lit by a single torch. The last thing she remembered was fighting some men after a Lord had purchased her and felt pain in the back of her head.

The slave drivers were busy cleaning up from their guests at the building.

[~Amber~]

the guards entered the building and took any one in the building down before grabbing the owner "I'm looking for a girl, you sold something very very important and if you don't remember who has her you'll be put six feet underground so answer very carefully." he said showing him a photo of cindy taken from the home earlier

[***Stormchaser***]

"Uh, okay...." he replied, not really caring about customer confidentiality.
"A Lord Eden was the one who purchased the girl. The Lord who lives just outside of the city."

[~Amber~]

he dropped him roughly to the ground "alright let's go pay Lord Eden a little visit shall we?" the chief said heading out

[***Stormchaser***]

"Must be an important person to be making such a fuss over her." One of the workers remarked as they left.

Cindy hadn't been very cooperative with her new master and received the first of what she expected to be quite a few "lessons" to come. Though she had no intention of allowing that to happen as she spit out something she had been hiding, a key she snuck off of one of the guards when they were close enough and unlocked the chains and peeked through the door of the cell she had been left in before reaching through a bar to unlock the door.

[~Amber~]

there was a comotion in the hall and a palace guard came doen the hall unlocking every single cell "not her...but you are free to go..." he finally got to hers and stopped "there you are"

[***Stormchaser***]

She had just opened the door when they arrived and stopped, caution taking over.
"Who are you?" She asked. It was too dark for her to see more than a tall male figure.

[~Amber~]

"I'm here to retrieve you my dear, the prince sent us on a wild goose chase to find you while keeping your step family occupied and away from home. now he has enough reason to arrest your step father"
another guard came by and lit the torches "shall we go?"

[***Stormchaser***]

Cindy was still processing what was going on, her mind foggy from a hit to the head earlier so all that she could think to say was, "Wouldn't a wild goose chase entail not finding what you were looking for?"
She winced when torches were lit and pain went through her head as the light processed. All she had on was an old tattered dress that just barely came to her knees.