Son of Mah

iv. the marriage

As the carriage of Shahrazad and his men paraded through the streets of the kingdom, each window was shut and every curious child pulled inside the house by their parents. No one was ready to watch another royal consort have a celebratory walk towards death. To them, it was sheer madness.

And Shahrazad knew he was no less than a lunatic. The world would call him desperate- maybe for name and fame, maybe for glory etched in history, maybe for something entirely different, such as love.

He saw curtains being drawn, doors closed with a bang, balconies being vacated at the sight of his carriage. Colourful houses lined the streets of the capital like lifeless, inhabited nests, the remnants of a civilisation that had long fled.

"They are afraid of me or the fate that I have? I wonder," Shahrazad said, looking at his Baba.

Bagaos had not spoken a word with his son since he had uttered his wish. He had vowed on silence like a fast unto death. Now, he didn't even spare his son a glance. He sat with his fists clenched, eyes guarding the flood of tears behind like a dam.

"I am sorry, Baba. But I had to do this. You knew I wasn't meant to be living in the arms of comfort and security forever. I was meant to be here for a purpose."

"And I don't give a damn!"

Dunyazad flinched. She had never heard Bagaos raise his voice against them or even the servants. She had assumed he was incapable of being loud and harsh.

But today, his son brought out a new shade of him.

"Baba"-Shahrazad lifted up the long pleats of his skirt-"you knew from the very beginning that I wasn't destined to be stuck in your care."

"People don't call you the son of Mah but the son of Bagaos. You are mine more than anyone else's."

Bagaos huffed. Years back, when Damun had first ascended the throne, he had had a dream- of a child draped in waves of silver, sleeping soundly over a grassy bed and Mah himself showering upon him his light. Damun had hoped that would be his son, but...

"That filthy man denied Farah's words. Now like a fool you are going back to his territory."

The fire inside Shahrazad was agitated by those words. He felt anger course through his veins, directed at a man he wished to see so much and to talk to so much.

And more such bloody forbidden wishes, imprisoned in the darkest cells of his heart, were enkindled.

"You are my father and my mother, Baba. You are everything to me. As of returning to him, I will be on guard."

Bagaos shivered at the very thought of the man. Now he was aware of him having a son, he was aware of the existence of Shahrazad. Letters flooded his room. From former servants of the kingdom to distant relatives who never cared to knock at the door, everyone was keen on knowing who Shahrazad was. Despite all the cacophony, one particular person had kept extremely quiet. "He is dangerous."