One Thousand and One Nights

iii

  Despite the silk sheets, sleep did not come easily to Scheherazade. The thought that a swarm of troops could barge into her chamber at any given moment and wrap a noose around her neck made her stomach twist with fear.

  Wasn't that the point of her presence? Wasn't she here to be another victim forgotten by the nobles and honored by the citizens?

  But nobody came.

  After tossing and turning with nightmares, she opened her eyes to see the sun at its peak in the sky.

  There was a knock on the door and a servant stepped inside with a large tray full of plates.

  Her eyes were full of curiosity and awe as she set it on the table. The same table where the king was sitting only a few hours ago.

  The same place he will sit tonight.

  A shiver crawled down Scheherazade's spine.

  "Good morning, malika." The girl bowed, her movements clumsy. "I hope you slept well las—"

  "What's your name?"

  The servant looked taken aback.

  "Nada, your majesty." She cleared her throat. "My name is Nada."

  "Well, Nada, why don't you eat with me?" Scheherazade got up from the bed and stared at her reflection in the mirror. "I would hate to be alone."

  "O-of course."

  Nada looked at a loss for words.

  The poor girl had probably never expected to see a living being in the forsaken chamber. She had every right to be confused.

  Scheherazade twisted her black hair into a braid before sitting in front of the servant and pouring some tea for herself.

  "Jamal asked to speak with you later, malika. He wanted you to meet him in the gardens in an hour."

  An idea started blossoming somewhere beneath the panic of death. A glimmer of hope.

  Jamal couldn't have brought Scheherazade here for her to simply die. Hadn't he said something about her saving the kingdom? He did not seem like someone who threw words randomly.

  "I'll meet with him after we are done."

  Maybe she could bargain with him somehow. He had to want something important.

  "How long have you worked here, Nada?"

  "Um, I was born here. My father is a guard and my mother's a servant. She was the one who dressed you yesterday."

  Scheherazade trailed a finger over the brim of her cup.

  "Has anyone else ever survived the night?"

  "No, malika." Nada looked down at the table, her fingers clutching the fabric of her dark green dress. "In fact, no one has ever lasted more than a few minutes. The king is rather quick in his ... kills."

  There was no answer to that. The king couldn't be seen as someone merciful. After all, all these lives were lost because of him.

  "We believe that you might be able to finally break this curse." Nada finally looked up, a strange urgency in her eyes. "Something has taken a hold over the king. You are the only one who had gotten through him."

  "It was mere luck—"

  "Then so be it. If you survived one night, you can survive another one. You must save us, malika. You must survive."