Hadassah spent her night with her old penthouse mates and she spent the entirety of the next day fasting and praying until her tears ran dry and her mouth grew thick with supplications.
When the morning of the third of January arrived, Hadassah felt her anxiety bubbling under her chest. She was up before the sun and after all of the harem attendants along with Shaasgaz had Fajr, all of the candidates got ready.
She weaved her hair into a neat braided circle around her head and wore the dress she'd worn the night she met the queen, with her new and favourite golden velvet robe. The only accessory she chose to wear was the Yellow Star of David-myrtle tree pendant.
It stayed around her neck at all times and had claimed its place in her heart as her most prized physical possession. She was by no means, spectacular-looking, but she looked like the most authentic version of herself. This was the version the queen had laid with in her bed.
The Queen would not be physically present to choose her wife at the harem, but her attendants would select the girl via her instructions. It was 10:00 when the horde of men marched into the harem of candidates.
The sun had risen to its full glory and the room in which all the candidates had gathered in was hot with its heat and their own nervous anticipation.
Hadassah stood next to a girl she didn't know, an Arab with long flowing inky hair and thick eyebrows. When Hegai began to speak, the girl reached for Hadassah's hand and squeezed tightly. Hadassah squeezed back.
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"Ladies, it is with utmost pleasure that I stand before you today. As your mentor, I have watched you all grow into exceptional young women under the care of this palace. I hope you carry all of the things you've learned deep inside of your hearts and wherever life may take you, I pray Allah blesses you all," Hegai began to speak on a small elevated platform while an entire line of guards stood in front of him, shielding his body.
"This is a day that the entire world has been waiting for and most importantly the Queen and her court. The wife of the queen will be a beacon of hope to Her Majesty and it is with an unexplainable joy to have been bestowed with the honour of choosing the Queen's wife. In my hands lays a two-thousand year old tiara, it was won in a battle with the kingdom's territorial battles. King Saddam al-Hashim gifted this tiara to his newest fiancée, Princess Kamilla Isa in 1799 and she wore it until they married and since then, it has been a tradition to crown the fiancee of our rulers with this crown."
Said tiara was placed on a cushion covered in gold silk. It was a small thing, with two diamonds that sparkled in its centre but it was clear to see that it was an item that carried a lot of history.
"Without further ado, I will now walk through this crowd to the girl Queen Nura has chosen to be her wife and I shall bestow this crown on her head. Please, do not hesitate to move out of the way as we walk through. I will also request that you all keep as quiet as possible and cooperate with us. You are all far too mature and sophisticated for any pettiness."
