Wings of Eagles
an excerpt

Chapter 1

England, 1817

The wind was cold against her pale skin, and caused her to shiver. Quickly, she pulled her light shawl over her shoulders.
Curse the one who thought of creating the cold, the woman thought bitterly to herself. It does nothing productive. It kills nature, it’s unbearable, and the season is always dark.
The sight of the dying trees losing the colorful leaves was a sad sight to her. They just seemed…so bare and lonely. It reminded her of her own life. She had a home, she had food, but she had no love.
Try to think of where you life would be if you hadn’t resorted to this, the woman reasoned, trying to imagine her life of the streets begging for money. The sight almost made the lady shiver again. But is it worth it? The woman asked herself. Is the food and shelter worth the degradation of your body and ultimately morale?
The question constantly arose in the ten years of her “service”…ten brutal years of pain and loneliness.
The lady tried with all her might to push those thoughts aside. Every day was a battle for her, trying to find excuses for the life she lead. Even if she reasoned that she had done the right thing, there were always others out there to judge her.
As the woman walked on, her eyes moved to the people passing by, staring at her colorful and “vulgar” clothing. Some men looked at her with eyes wide and full of lust. Other women looked at her with scorn and mockery, and still other men and women had a look of complete shock.
In those ten years, she had gotten used to those types of looks, and she could tell what they thought just by glancing at them. It was no secret who she was, and she didn’t try to hide it. She wasn’t proud of who she was, but she felt that hiding it would be even more disgraceful.
Stop it! The woman screamed inside. You’ll make yourself sick thinking too much.
Yes, that was what many people had told her not to do in the business. Thinking could only lead to pain and confusion. All she needed to do as close her mind to her thoughts that screamed for her to get away, and close her eyes. The deed would be done before she knew it.
With an exasperated sigh of impatience, she walked behind a tall lanky man with strong muscles. He was her protector, making sure no harm would come to her, during her walk.
She squinted her eyes in disgust at the man. She hated the way he made her feel.
Why do I need him anyway? The lady questioned in her thoughts, furrowing her brows. He’s just another person to overpower me and make me feel…insignificant. If I took one step out of line, he would not hesitate to run after me and haul me back.
Everything soon went blank as the woman recalled an incident that occurred only three weeks ago.
She had been walking on the streets, very much like today, her thoughts raving and becoming her to attempt a run. Nearly halfway back to her lodging, she suddenly decided to bolt.
Her yellow hair flung across her face as she raced passed the people stopping to stare at the woman madly running though the crowd.
She lifted her legs with all her strength and ran to an unknown destination. She only wanted to get away. Her lungs began to close in on her, and pain stung her sides. Her once fast pace soon slowed, and suddenly she felt a cold hand upon her should, pull her back and grab her.
“So, you thought that you could get away?” the man asked rhetorically with a sneer.
The woman could find no words to utter, both out of shame and the pure fact that she could barely breathe.
“Well, we’ll see what the Duchess says about that.”
In one motion the man picked the woman up and dragged her back to her unfortunate lodging. Fear enveloped her heart, now, because she knew what fate awaited her once the Duchess new of her runaway attempt.
The first cruel thing done was a loud slap against her fair cheek. The sound resembled thunder and her cheek soon became as bright as a ripe apple. She fell down immediately from the blow.
“How dare you do this? I give you food, a bed to sleep, and this is how you repay me? Let me remind you that you still owe me a tremendous amount of work for what you have now” The woman shrilled. “It’s Time you learn some respect and you place in life, Rebecca.”
Rebecca hung her head and said no words.
“Take her, Nathan…thirty lashes will do. Maybe next time, she’ll think twice before doing something so rash.”
“With pleasure.” Nathan answered with a wry smile.
You vile creature, Rebecca thought. How can you stand to even live?
Nathan’s large figure approached the fallen Rebecca and he lifted her arm and literally dragged her out of the room. Rebecca purposefully looked down. She did not want to risk any other boarders to see her in this state. It would be too humiliating for her.
The room Rebecca was taken too was all familiar. There was no furniture, only the empty space. One small window let a stream of light through from the left side of the room.
Rebecca was dragged to the middle and before she knew it, a loud crack resounded, and instant pain flowed through her body. Rebecca fought the urge to scream and bit her lip until it bled. Crying out would only make him whip her harder.
And I would rather die than to know he had any control over how I felt, Rebecca thought with disgust.
Another blow followed and she quietly endured the suffering.
I brought it on myself, anyway, Rebecca thought.
Another blow harder on her lower back, and Rebecca fell face down to the ground.
“So, you don’t cry,” Nathan stated. “Well, you’re going to cry out for my mercy, be sure of that.”
The next whip hit Rebecca hard on the neck. It felt like a knife had sliced her and there was no way for her to conceal a scream.
“That’s more like it.”Nathan declared a hint of evil pleasure in his voice. “Don’t ever forget your place. You are under the Duchess’ rule and are bound to her, make no mistake. You are a worthless being, mere trash on the streets.”
Rebecca’s mouth moved, but her voice left her at that moment. “I am NOT worthless!” was what she had wanted to say, but her throat clogged up, and no words could be formed.
One lash came after another, and with each lash, the pain increased, her mind became tormented with the thought that she really was as worthless as everyone thought she was, that she was dirt and that she was here only to be men’s play toy.
“But I’m not, I’m not.” Rebecca whispered under her breath with determination.
Oh, but you are. Look at what you do. You don’t even deserve to live.
The voice rang clear, and her memory faded. She lifted her head to Nathan to see if he had heard it at all. The man was not stirred at all.
It’s nothing, the woman told herself nodding. Yes, I am merely doing what I can to survive.
Rebecca looked up from the ground and saw the looming building ahead of her…the building that had been her home for years.
A sudden cloud hung over her heart. She was filled with such loathe for the building and what it represented. So much sin, so many indecent things occurred behind the doors…that she was a part of, yet she hated every moment of it.
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“I trust that there were no more incidents” The duchess said rather cruelly.
Rebecca cringed at her words. She found her fists tightening.
“No, she was well-behaved.” Nathan replied.
“Good. You can go to your room and get yourself ready.”
Another cloud hovered over her heart as she heard this. She would have to get ready for the fist person of the day. Her legs felt like weights as she walked up the stairs.
She sighed and lingered at her door once she arrived. Slowly, she turned the knob. Walking into the room, it seemed as if she was being pushed down on her chest. A weight of all the evil deals pressed down upon her, but she found no choice but to commence.
Gingerly she took off her scarlet dress and put on a simple purple slip. She wetted her hair in a water basin and patted in some lilac perfume.
A knock at the door resounded and Rebecca exhaled loudly. She walked up to the door, and then turned the knob to let the person in.