Siren of the Desert

*~Chapter thirteen (Class)~*

Chapter thirteen - Class

Something tickled her nostrils in her sleep. Sniffing, she brought a hand up to rub at her nose. Again, her nose tickled her a few moments later. This time, Maria sneezed from irritation, startling herself out of her slumber. Laughter rang throughout the room.

Groggily, she sat up in bed and looked around her, half-asleep. Over a dozen sets of curious eyes stared back at her. She blinked a few times at sight, still addled. She rubbed at her eyes and then scanned the room once more. She realised belatedly that she was not alone in the room she'd been told to sleep in for the night. Since it was a small room, the presence of sixteen girls filled it to overflowing. Maria noted that there were girls of various ages.

"Who are you?" A girl standing over the bed asked. In her hand, she held a feather. Maria narrowed her eyes at the flimsy object in suspicion. Thinking she hadn't heard, the girl repeated the question, then added, "Can't you hear?"

Maria looked up at the girl, who appeared no older than twenty, but was much shorter than her. She had dark curly hair and grey eyes.

"That depends on who's asking."

Maria looked her straight in the eyes. The girl grinned, then spoke in a voice only loud enough for her to hear, "Yes, definitely his type."

Maria ignored that. What was this 'type' business everything was referring to about her?

"And who might you people be?" Even as she asked that Maria already knew the answer: A concubine.

"I'm Jasham. And this is Mariam." The grey-eyed girl, Jasham, pointed to the girl standing next to her, then began to name every single girl in the room. Maria wasn't able to memorise all of their names. She'd known she finds difficulty associating the few she did memorise with faces later on.

She rose and greeted them properly, and then realised that they were waiting for her to tell them her name after a few moments of expectant staring.

"Well, about who I am..." she began, unsure how to share with them her current predicament. Or if she should share anything at all. Regardless of what they were, they seemed like a good lot.

"Girls, breakfast." Maria heard Shahrazad's call, saving her for the time being. One by one, they all filed out of the room. Maria did not miss the disappointed looks they cast her way; she knew this would not be the end of this conversation.

She went to wash and relieve herself, and then followed the girls into a spacious dining room. The harem really was bigger than she'd initially imagined. She waited until they all sat down on the carpeted floor. The only empty spot left was right next to Shahrazad and opposite Jasham. Maria knew that this seating arrangement was deliberate. She also knew that she was about to be interrogated. But she had no other option but to sit there; she was starving.

Before Maria could even put one morsel into her mouth, she was bombarded with questions at dizzying speed;

"Is it true you disguised yourself as a boy?"

"Is it true you're a runaway slave and disguised yourself to hide from suspicion?"

"Is it true that you were in disguise since you were born because your father wanted a son and was ashamed of you?"

"No, Hind. Haven't you heard? It's because she feared being captured by Zain!"

"Quiet down, girls. We do not eat and gossip in this household. Have some respect for the food in front of you." Shahrazad, who'd been silent throughout the whole time, finally intervened on her behalf in a chastising tone. Silence reigned.

Maria had been worrying about how to disclose to the girls her situation, but it seemed she needn't have. Shahrazad had already shared it with them. She should have expected as much.

****

After breaking their fast, the girls escorted her to the entertainment room. It proved to be more than a simple recreational room as she'd first thought. The room, Jasham explained, was their classroom where they were taught various arts.

"Arts?" Maria stared at Jasham as if she'd grown a second head. "Whatever do you learn arts for?"

Seeing Maria's expression, Jasham laughed. "Did you think concubines exist solely for their master's pleasure? To sit still and look pretty?"

She nodded without hesitation. She'd never heard of concubines doing household chores or protecting the household or anything else that might inspire her to think otherwise.

Jasham picked up the oud by her feet, strummed away a few melodious notes, then patiently began to explain to Maria, "In a sultan's harem, the concubines are taught arts, mathematics, embroidery, singing, music, literature and various other arts and subjects. The purpose of this is to prepare them for lives as suitable, cultured wives to elite government officials and princes. Some concubines have even borne crowned princes who went on to become the mother of kings and sultans." Jasham paused, played a beautiful melody that tugged at her very heartstrings, the sound of the oud bold and deep. Mesmerised, she watched Jasham's hands play, appreciating her impressive skill.

"What about here? What are you taught to do here?" Maria asked right after the melody concluded.

Jasham passed the instrument to another girl who began to thrum away a song of her own, then continued, "Here, in Zain's harem, we learn the arts of singing, dancing and music. We also study literature so that our skills become of use to us for when we wish to leave."

"Leave?!" she burst out incredulously.

Startled, the girl playing the oud struck the wrong chord. "Yes, we may leave whenever we wish to." Jasham maintained

her cool, gauging Maria through observant eyes that seemed to miss little.

"Then, why can't I?!" Maria whined, feeling herself bristling with anger. How unfair for her to be forced into the harem then be kept against her will whereas the others could leave at any time they wanted! It did not make any sense. Still, she was immensely surprised by it.

"How come I've never seen any of you around town before if what you say is true?"

"This is a large town, Maria. And it's not like we wear tags." drawled Jasham. Maria went silent.

"Mayhap you only paid attention to what you wanted to see, what you believed was the case."

This revelation went against everything she'd been told and believed. It made her doubt and question all that she'd done these past two years. Her father had sounded so sure, so positive when he'd commanded her to disguise herself the morning following that fateful night two years ago. To protect her virtue and uphold their honour, he'd said. And she'd obeyed unquestioningly. Had her father been misled? Had it all been for nothing?

Maria suddenly felt strangely deflated, all traces of anger having evaporated.

Someone clapped their hands together. Instantly, the group of huddled girls fell silent. Maria raised her head to see Shahrazad standing in the centre of the room. "Class is beginning."