Have you ever watched a show or read a book and wondered- Why wouldn't the person play along and then escape when they could? Hence, that is the approach that the character Nelina tried to take when she was sold as a slave to the Magus of Danthamore. Her Uncle had tied her up to make sure she could not escape which is seen in chapter one. He chose to bring her to Danthamore because it's the slave trading capital where he would get the most money for her. Even still, she resisted and made a last ditch attempt to get her Uncle Tiberius to change his mind. All that resulted in was getting struck across the face by him. She then attempted to make another bid for freedom when they were at the slave trader Johan who didn't want to hear any of it. Tiberius had the right documentation with the legal right to sell her which was all that mattered as far the slaver Johan was concerned. To top it off, Nelina was verbally assailed from the woman next to her who called her a shrew and tried to spit on her.
And, Just when Nelina thinks things can't get any worse? She then finds out that she's being taken to the Magus of Danthamore. He is the most powerful man in the known world, who ended the Great War. Any chance of changing her situation revolved around being able to escape from the Magus. When she does meet Ru'ark, she is immediately drawn to him. Similar to a vampire, and because of the Waraeu, everything about the Magus, from his appearance, voice, and demeanor drew her in from the beginning. He is seductive and manipulative, and when it comes to finding the person he's been searching years for with the right hair and eyes he was even more so when Nelina was brought right to him.
But really, for Nelina what should've been nightmare was the exact opposite. She was treated to finery and things that living in Pinza had never offered her. Her family's lumber business was run into the ground by her Uncle and he wasn't the nicest guy to live with. After she had her first breakfast with the Magus, she became conflicted. Maybe leaving was the goal at first. However, life is becoming rather good, and why not accept the affections of someone like the Magus since she finds herself attracted to him? He was more the savior than master.
Ru'ark at first sight knew she had none of the behaviors that slaves do. He needed her to cooperate and become what he wanted her to be. There was too much at stake. While she wasn't born to the slave caste, she wasn't anyone of nobility either. If anything she was a step above peasantry. He decided to keep her distracted with fine gowns and dinners, while her days were spent learning how to fight and defend herself.
Perhaps starting out Nelina and Ru'ark each had those lofty self motivations. However, sleeping next to each other every night with a chemistry that was already ignited, and having your daily meals together had an affect. People come to care about each other after getting to know each other and even simple dinners help you to get to learn and know about a person. Growing closer makes wanting to escape fade away with each new day for Nelina. Ru'ark had never let anyone in or get this close to him, yet somehow, she managed to do so.
I'm going to stop here because in book 2 you get a greater understanding of Nelina and Ru'ark's feelings, and I don't want to ruin that for the reader.
You can find 'The Magus' A Chronicle of Rebirth using the links below:
US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072511ZWY
UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B072511ZWY
