The Merchant

Chapter 17

The Queen watched her maids fill her bathtub with creamy white waters. Every night the Queen bathed in creamy waters. She had a bathing tub built in her own chamber, carved in the marbled floor, squared by four wooden pillars that hung with fine white curtains on all four sides. The curtains were thin and could be seen through, and were partially closed. Still it gave the Queen a sense of royal exclusivity and she liked the way the curtains moved with the slightest breeze.

After the tub was filled, the maids then stood around it and waited for the Queen. In deep thought, the Queen stood up and walked slowly across the chamber towards the tub. She handed her gown to one of the maids on the way, stepped lightly up the marble platform and then...and then, she stepped down into the creamy water, so smoothly step by step that she hardly even agitated the waters, like...a...like a Queen taking a bath. She dipped, then sat there for a while, rested, eyes closed.

When she finished, she took the other steps out of the tub. She had steps in and steps out of the tub, she never liked to turn back, she always liked to move forward. As she stepped out of the tub her maids instantly wrapped a silk purple robe around, then she, as usual, she walked to her dresser, sat on the chair and then Prima combed her hair. Prima had to comb the Queen's long hair every night a thousand, slow strokes, while the maids stood around in service. The Queen stayed silent in her deep thought. Prima was heavy at heart but she carried on every night's same routine, the same beauty ritual.

That night after the Queen finished her beauty routine, she dismissed Prima and the rest of the maids. They left to sleep in a room adjacent to her Majesty's own. She dismissed them but didn't go to her bed as usual. She stood by the dresser, placed her hands around a candle lamp, picked it up slowly and walked to the narrow window next to her bed. She placed the lamp on the edge of the window, looked at the shadows of the Merchant's ships in the bay and thought, "Fine! Don't read my letters, but when you look at the castle you will see my candle lit all night, and I know that you will know it's me, you will know that I am sleepless, you will know that between love and anger I lay, restless, because of you."

The Queen wasn't the only one sleepless and restless that night.

Prima walked through the dark hallways in her nightgown. How could she sleep? The only one she has ever loved is about to sail off and she doesn't know where to, or when will he be back. she reached the castle's top floor.

The Red guards just let her be. They are used to seeing her wander the hallows at night, but that night she looked sad, gloomy and distant. The breeze lifted her light rose colored night gown as she walked passed the Red guards, it gently caressed their iron-shielded chests while she took the stairs to the roof.

She stood under the moonlight, looked up to the sea where the Merchant's fleet floated. They were all on board, seemed all awake, the ship's lights sparkled over the waters, a thousand ships or more.

"I am sorry I had to tell every vicious word my father told me. I am sorry I had to hurt your heart through the ears that have never heard anything from me but love. I am sorry I can't comfort you now. I don't even where you are now. Where are you my love? Which one of those ships beholds you?" she whispered, "I want to be with you. We belong together." Her tears dropped down her cheeks one after another.