There was once this wise and powerful sultan, who rose to power by conquering all the great empires of his time. Yet, in spite of all his power and glory, he loved and adored no one else, but this one woman. However, this woman did not return his love, but nevertheless, for her own convenience and benefit, she eventually married him.
Every day, he would lavish his love and attention to her, but her love was never his, for she was cold to him, cruel and heartless. He tried pleasing her in all manners possible, but nothing truly moved her heart to him. One day, as he returned to his palace early to meet her, he caught her publicly cheating on him with another man. With the last will of his mortified heart and the burden of his disappointment, he sent her to the gallows.
As the months pass, the sultan grew dark and emotionless. "Surely all women are just cheats and traitors!" he thought to himself, "Never could they love a man, but use him for their own sake." In a fit of helplessness and insecurity, he ordered that for every new day, a new wife was to be brought to him. "This time though," he thought to himself, "I will see through their wickedness and cruelty". On every single night, he would spend it with his new wife, after which he would send her for execution the next morning.
Months turned to years as rumors of the Sultan's actions drove all the woman away from his palace. Those who were unwillingly chosen to be his next "bride" cried in despair as they waited for their impending doom. Through all this chaos, Scheherazade, the beautiful young daughter of the Sultan's Vizier, answered her valiant, call to action. She worked through the night, reading numerous ancient stories and citing classical poems, surrounding herself with all manners of sciences and arts, becoming a most pleasant and polite lady. Against her father's wishes, she boldly volunteered to marry the Sultan.
On her first night with the king, with the moon beaming soberly and the Sultan lying tired on his bed, Scheherazade unexpectedly asked the him whether she could tell him a short story. The Sultan, fatigued and uninterested, allowed her to do so as a kind gesture towards her imminent death. Gingerly and warmly Scheherazade began her story, describing the various backgrounds vividly and brilliantly, filling each character with soul and complexity, and altering her voice and intonation as to match each occasion and affair. She lightheartedly carried her narrative to charm and please the Sultan, and pushed it deeper to surprise and catch him unwary. Nevertheless, dawn broke, and Scheherazade graciously requested that she stop and rest, for she could not possibly end the story in one night. The Sultan, entranced by her words, enlisted into every twist in the plot, demanded her to finish the story, but the day's affairs had to be attended to, and so, the Sultan spared her life for one day, so that she may finish her story on the second night.
On her second night, Scheherazade ended her grand story. Yet before the Sultan could even reflect on her marvelous tale, Scheherazade began again. More adventure, romance, and political intrigue – The Sultan, knowing full well what to expect, listened with delight and joy as Scheherazade escorted him into the annals of her imagination. Yet, time quickly passed, dawn broke, and Scheherazade again abandoned her story. Thus, the Sultan's executioners were once again forced to delay her execution. And as such, Scheherazade lived day by day, completing and starting a new story by every night.
At the end of a thousand and one night with the Sultan, and after a thousand of her stories. Scheherazade, as by her routine, entered to meet the Sultan who was lounging enthusiastically in his chambers. The Sultan immediately inquired Scheherazade on her health, as she looked sorrowful and despondent, reminding him of his desperate brides whom he had executed before her. After much coaxing would she admit her troubles – She no longer had any new stories to tell him. However, the Sultan was filled with shock, remorse, and anger at himself, became shamefully emotional and fervently begged for forgiveness to Scheherazade, for during his thousand and one night with her, the Sultan had fallen deeply in love with his new queen, Scheherazade.
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Given Permission to Puplish by My Friend, Oka.
Hope you like the short story :)
