1001 Nights

TALE 2: Revelations (1)

"M—mal-ik-ika?" The maid whispered once more, knocking ever so gently on the brass door. Azade realized that he wood that covered the door was different; a white slate jabbed with a warm Arabic pattern. All the recreations in the room looked more lively, yet somehow dead and void of their purpose at the same time. As if the bright room was being suffocated by a harsh cold.

The maid knocked again.

No response.

"Ma-Malika, I have your medicine with me." She said, holding the brown bottle tighter in her hands. Azade looked suspiciously at the liquid over her shoulder and could see the brown concoction simmering in the small bottle.

Medicine for what?

"I don't need it. Leave Riya." A voice suddenly sounded, a woman's harsh and tired voice. Her tone was quick and snappy, almost as if she was busy and not expecting distractions.

"Please, please unlock the door your highness. The King—"

"I do not give a damn if my husband sent you here to poison me with that witches brew!" The voice shouted this time; the Queen on the other side of the door seemed distressed almost as if she was shaking herself. The maid was on the verge of fleeing any moment now, watching as the vial shook in her hands.

The swish of water from behind the door was suddenly accompanied by a baby's cry.

They both knew what she was doing.

The maid with an urgent brute force dropped the vial and slammed into the door with all the power in her body. The baby's cry became louder and the swish of water even more haunting.

'She's going to drown the child' Azade concluded as she watched helplessly as the maid continued trying to break open the door.

"Open the door!" The maid screamed, finally jutting an elbow into the wood as to break it. A loud crack was sounded and the nimble door finally split in half.

"Oh god—"

A deranged looking woman sat in a bath, holding a crying child in the water. Her blonde hair was like melting gold against the hue of the crown that laid so venomously on her head. Her eyes were like green orchids dragged down by the soil beneath. The Queen gripped the child almost dragging her nails down the poor child's skin as it cried.

And the child screamed like the devil.

"Give me the child." The maid pushed past and tried to grab the child from her hands. "No! He needs to die, he needs to." She gripped the crying baby tighter as they struggled. Water was splashing back and forth between them as she tried to push him under the water.

The child couldn't have been more than 6 months old as it's tiny fists were kicking against the cold water. Riya, the maid screamed and let the upper half of he body fall into the water to save the child. The Queen jumped back and let go of the baby while Riya picked it up from the tub. Despite a blue tinge to the baby, it was miraculously okay.

"You don't understand! They told me he needs to die, they told me." The insane Queen screamed as she scrambled off the floor and made a beeline to Riya, who was holding her child. The Maid slid out of her way and quickly backed away; edging out of the room.