Many years ago, long before Matan was born, young Magon experienced one of the most beautiful feelings - love. A pure and innocent power warmed him from Baalhannon's cold attitude. The source of this sweet, sincere awe and heartbeat was the slave girl in Baalhannon's house, Bertine. This beautiful, cheerful girl was from Corsica. Bertina's parents did not have enough money to support their daughter and her three brothers. To somehow make life easier for themselves and the girl, they decided to sell her into slavery. At that time, to be a slave of a resident of Carthage was considered prestigious and honorable. Many fled from conquered poor countries to the dream city to find their masters. Some put themselves up for sale just to get into the house of a Carthaginian.

- If your master is a Carthaginian, then the gods favor you," the slaves believed.

It was not madness or desperation that drove foreigners to voluntary slavery, but a deep respect for their future masters. Carthage was one of the first ancient civilized states that punished masters for mistreatment of slaves, whatever their social status. Therefore, "selling" in the slave market Bertina, parents did not worry about her fate. They were sure that living as a servant in a rich, opulent palace, their daughter would be happier than in a poor parental home.

So, at the age of eight, Bertina became a servant in Baalhannon's palace. She was the youngest slave, so she was treated rather leniently and assigned simple work. She was also allowed to play with the master's son sometimes. Living in a strange house, without parents and brothers, Bertina saw Magona as her only potential friend and reached out to him with all her heart. At first, Matan found the company of Bertine, who was several years younger. He, who was always gloomy and discontented, did not understand and even irritated the cheerfulness of the little slave.

- Your parents abandoned you and sold you into slavery. How can you even smile?

- We ourselves open the door to sadness or joy. You have both a mother and a father, you are rich and free, and yet your eyes are sad.

The young slave girl's answers made Magon terribly angry, precisely because she was almost always right. Bertina often received punishment or extra work from Magon for her long tongue. But despite the fact that the young master was cold, the girl felt - behind the icy armor of scowl and anger hides a kind and generous heart. Bertina tried to melt the icy crust, which covered Magon's heart from the coldness of paternal indifference. In order to make the young master feel at ease, the little slave girl diligently carried out his every errand. Knowing that Baalhannon was depriving her son of sweets, she secretly brought him the treats given to her. With her own hands the girl sewed a soft pillow for Magon. Sometimes, in order to cheer up the boy, she jokingly parodied one of his teachers. Showing sincere attention and care, Bertina managed to change the attitude of the young master to himself, and they became friends. The strange girl became the only one in the vast palace to whom Magon could smile. It didn't take long for his desire to spend more time with Bertina to become so strong that, despite his status, Magon began to help her do chores.  

At first, Baalhannon did not pay much attention to his son's intimacy with his slave, and neither did Magon himself. The situation changed a few years later, when the master of the house first noticed the fire of jealousy in Magon's eyes. One day the young man unwittingly witnessed a conversation between Bertina and a handsome boy serving in a neighboring house. Her innocent smile Magon took as a signal for another man. Driven by jealousy, the young man chased away the stranger's servant and harshly reprimanded Bertina for her inappropriate behavior in his house. He knew he had been wrong to use harsh words, but he could not fully understand the feelings that had caused the uncontrollable outburst of emotion.

A few months later at Magon's birthday party, the situation became clear to him. That evening, many relatives and family friends were gathered in their luxurious palace. Bertina was serving drinks at the party and took a fancy to one of the guests, a cocky and pompous young man. After draining a few glasses of wine, he, with the ardor typical of men, began to show unambiguous signs of attention to the maid. He said compliments, personally helped pour wine into bowls, and at every opportunity tried to take the girl's hand or hug her. Understanding the young man's intentions, Bertina openly ignored him. Such a disdainful attitude on the part of a simple slave girl not on a joke hurt the noble guest. To put the stubborn girl in her place, the young man began to mock her in front of everyone. His barbed and vulgar remarks angered Magon. He took every word said to Bertina as a personal insult and did not want her to be humiliated in public. Despite the fact that the guest was a distant relative of the family and of noble birth, Magon did not hesitate to shove him out the door. Then, seeing the grateful look in Bertina's eyes, the young man realized - she was dear to him more than just a friend. The budding feelings did not escape the attentive Baalhannon. He was accustomed to analyze and reflect first, so he took his time and decided not to interfere.

- Magon is too young; in time he will outgrow his ridiculous infatuation with this girl.  His youth will give way to maturity, and he will calm down when he has played," Baalhannon shared his thoughts with his wife.

As the years passed, the feelings between the young people did not even think of fading. Youthful affection grew into a deep and immense, like the waters of the ocean, relationship. Magoon selflessly and passionately loved, Bertine responded with ardent reciprocity. The girl's love was pure, sincere, it completely filled Magon's heart and as if absorbed him. The worlds of the two young people merged into one beautiful and incomprehensible universe. Every night the bodies of the lovers merged with each other to become one flesh and prove their boundless love. It was the most ecstatic and happy time for Magon. He was sincerely and deeply in love with Bertina, not even doubting his and her feelings, and so he dared the unthinkable. On the day of his majority, he asked his father for permission to take the maid as his lawful wife. Baalhannon was shocked by his son's request, but being a man of restraint, he did not show his confusion. As always, he took a short pause to come to his senses and think carefully about what to do.

Baalhannon had invested too much hard work and inhuman strength to achieve recognition and high position in society, he simply could not allow his son to destroy with his reckless love what his father was building. Despite his loyalty to slaves, marrying them was considered a disgrace for a citizen of Carthage. Magon, because of his reckless love, could tarnish the honor of the family and undermine the reputation and influence of Baalhannon himself. At the same time, he was well aware that if he openly opposed his son's intentions, he, being a hot-tempered young man and driven by violent emotions, could secretly marry Bertina in defiance of his father. To save Magon from what he thought was a fatal mistake, Baalhannon decided to make a cunning move. He gave his son his consent to the marriage and even began preparations for the upcoming wedding. For weeks, elated that their destinies would be joined forever, the lovers lived as if in a fairy tale. Magon and Bertine busily prepared for the wedding, not realizing that the engagement was a bluff and that the one who had blessed them would end their love story.

Baalhannon was desperate to get rid of the slave who had stolen the heart of his only son, but he could not simply kill her - he did not tolerate physical violence. Besides, if he had decided to take such a step, Magon would have suspected him in the first place. So the "caring" father came up with a plan to make the girl disappear on her own.

A few months before the wedding, citing ill health, Baalhannon asked Magon to go in his place to another country to buy goods. Unsuspecting, the young man gladly agreed to help his "sick" father. As soon as Magon left the empire, his bride was smuggled out of the palace with a gag in her mouth and a sack on her head. Baalhannon gave Bertina as a concubine to his friend and longtime companion Azdrubaal. The men made a deal between them, under the terms of which Baalhannon had to give at cost price all goods needed by his partner. In return, Azdrubaal agreed to keep Baalhannon's secret so that no one would ever know the circumstances of Bertina's disappearance.

Baalhannon's partner kept his promise. Now the unfortunate girl's new home was a carefully guarded cellar.

- Now you are mine and mine alone. I am both master and lover to you. If you want to be treated well, you must please me when I want and how I want," said Azdrubaal to Bertina when he came to her at night to enjoy the young and beautiful concubine.