1001 Nights

DAY: 04 (pt.2)

Her mother might as well have been rolling in her grave.

"Is this the Future Queen?"

The woman didn't look up from her work on Ehsan's arm. Her eyes were a murky grey to Azade as she looked down at the work before her. "Please don't call me that." Azade whispered against the edge of the white sheets of the bed, Ehsan's warm hands grasping her own tightly.

The woman sighed softly, "Ah yes, Scherazade. You look as sad as you always do in my visions." She smiled against her words and basked in the light of her and Ehsan's shocked faces.

"Priestess Sian'ki? Would you leave us be for a while?" Ehsan hissed at the woman; clearly discomforted by her. Azade's tears still streamed down her face as she desperately tried to pat them dry.

'You look as sad as you always do in my visions.'

"I heal you and you want me to leave? My, you children have grown arrogant in the past decade. No shame whatsoever—tsk. I will not leave, it's been a while since I've seen a future queen since the last one—well you know, went insane?" Sian'Ki continued to grin, stopping to stare up at Azade. Her eyes were like museums.

"The last queen went insane?"

"None the business of yours, I've been ordered to leave anyways." Sian'Ki shot a glare at Ehsan, picking up her  herbs and grasping all the leaves in her hand. She was dressed in strange garb, mostly fabricated from sheer scarfs and wool. A gypsy almost.

It wasn't until she was fully turned away when Azade saw the marking on her neck.

Stella

Stars.

It was marked in black ink, like someone has taken a knife and etched it messily into her skin. Azade knew only a few Latin words, from sneaking into her master's daughter's lessons,  but this one had came to her almost as if she were fluent in the language.

Like it was she knew it.

Azade was staring at the woman as she left, looking at the marking with fascination.

The stars.

It seemed like night and all of its glory had been haunting her lately.

"Azade? Listen, I know she may sound crazy but—"

Follow her.

She wanted to stay with her sick friend, truly. But something deep inside of her told her to follow that woman. It almost dragged her feet to the door.

"Are you even listening?"

Azade could barely even hear her friend anymore, her voice sounded far away all of a sudden. Before she knew it, she was already rushing to the door.

Her skirts ruffled against the calves as she ran after the woman. Like her body was being pulled by a string, she could on hear a dull white noise in her mind. "Wait!" Azade screamed after the woman, but she was too far. Sian'Ki didn't stop, only kept walking with a few of the leaves from the herbs falling behind her.

'You look as sad as you always do in my visions'

Her body was numb as she continued to run through the palace, on her heels the whole time. Something was leading her towards her—something greater than the both of them.

Stella

Stars.

It was the last thing her mother has promised her before she died, it was the thing always mentioned in her tales. It was the thing that Rukun seemed infatuated by every time she spoke of them; every time he looked out the window.

Scherazade, the daughter of the stars.

It couldn't be a coincidence.

Azade could feel her mind on the edge of exploding as her thoughts tried to mask the urge to run after the woman, her feet were betraying her. She could feel he sunlight from the open windows as she passed shine in her face, obliterating the view of where Sian'Ki walked. Picking up her skirts, she ran even faster; silk shoes sliding on the marble floors.

She needed answers.

It wasn't until she saw a dark figure win the distance when she finally slowed down. "Wait!" Azade screamed once again and the figure stopped walking. Only when she neared it did she realize it was too tall and broad to be the old woman—

Rukun.

Her fists curled at the unnerved sight of the King. His crown laid perfectly on the bed of his black hair, stubble inching its way across his jaw. Rukun's body was covered in a red robe, medallions and jewels shining across them. He looked on at her questionably, as if he hadn't had blood on his hands.

Azade saw his face and all she wanted to do was hurt him. Her own body was back in control now and it wanted to cause the same pain he caused others.

He basked in the sunlight, looking like a newly brandished God. She realized then that she had never seen him during the day.

"Yes?" His voice was calm, silk and honey oozing out of it. It was softer than the fabric of her slippers.

Azade had a million words to say, a million phrases she could've said, but only one spoke on her lips,

"I hate you."

The words rushed out of her mouth like the high tide of an ocean, uncontrolled.

The King rose a thick brow as he finally looked upon her. His eyes roamed the girl, a curious expression laid lightly on his face. He looked marvelled at the sight before him, as if looking at a fresh painting.

Azade glared back at him, eyes trying to keep hate sullen in them.

'Stop looking at me like that.' She thought in a hiss, trying not to let herself break. Any other woman would've fainted if he had looked at her like that, screamed in joy. In praise.

But it was different, as if he was looking upon a new face. He stepped closer to her, reaching out his hand in greeting.

"Who are you?" He asked, a genuine question.

Azade thought she might've fainted.
.•.

LOL HEY GUYS SRRY FOR THE HELLA DELAY ITS BEEN SO HARD TO WRITE AND KEEP UP WITH SCHOOL WORK SMH

THIS BOOK IS AT 1.91K AS OF RN AND IM SCREECHING LIKE I DONT DESERVE THIS WTF

Anyways, I've been getting a lot of fan theories lately about what's going to happen next and TBH they are probably my fav thing to read y'all are so so creative!! <3

Btw HAHA PLOT TWIST lol why do you guys think that Rukun asked Azade who she was, is he pretending or is he foreal??

Also who tf is Priestess Sian'Ki and how the hell does she have visions and what are they?

+ WHO WAS THE LAST QUEEN AND WHY DID SHE GO INSANE??????

Comment and vote!!

-Elle