Once there lived a King who was heartless, who left a trail of broken hearts and he found a gem, a concubine who was adamant to prove that she could entertain him without touching him. And so she began, "Once upon a time..."
His eyes grew darker like deep brew. He then looked her over, "You think you can you can entice me with these acts?"
Dilruba stumbled back. That annoyed her. She hated it when people looked down on her.
"Finish the story."
"So um.."
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Her clothes wet and sticky, he led her to her camp. In the camp were threw burly men and a woman. Rabia felt uncomfortable with their eyes on them.
"Who's she?" Asked the only woman other than her, she looked muscular and her right arm was covered with tattoos.
"Just a puppy. Found her drowning." The man who saved her chuckled patting her head. Dilruba's cheeks grew red as a rose sherbet.
The woman stormed towards them, and pulled the guy's arm and dragged him away to a distance. Rabia watched as they argued with each other. The woman seemed exasperated.
"What's your name little rabbit?" One of the burly men asked her.
"Safiya." She lied.
"I'm Hatim," he pointed to himself and then he pointed to the another one, "That's Khatim and the other one is Fatim."
"Tell us, why are you here?"
"I'm a traveller. I was travelling."
"And you fell right in the middle of the lake?" The man who saved her asked.
"I was going to fill my canteen but I slipped and fell and drifted to the middle." She quickly said.
"Oh. I'm Orion and she's Sanah." He pointed to the girl who looked at her with contempt.
Rabia shifted on her feet, "I should leave."
"NO!" Orion held her elbow lightly. "Please stay the night. The sun is about to set. Stay." Orion's eyes glimmered and with that she lost her will to say no.
Rabia followed Sanah to her tent where she changed her clothes. When she came out, the men had already set a campfire. But she couldn't see the one her eyes skipped in search of him.
"Orion is out fetching water. That's what he was out to do and came back with you." Fatim said.
"But I wasn't..."
"You were, just admit it, young lady." Hatim laughed.
The three men laughed together. Rabia felt her cheeks turn the colour of rose sherbet again.
"It's high time Orion finds a lady, don't you think, Hatim?" Khatim jested. They laughed again.
"It's high time we learn that we're not on a picnic and focus on why we are here!" Sanah hissed at the crowd of three and they shut up.
Hatim took her hand and led her to the fire, "Don't mind her. I think you both would make the perfect couple." He whispered loud enough for Sanah to not hear.
"And also the perfect babies, might I add." Khatim teased.
"I'm not sure I'm ready for it." Rabia blurted out.
"Sweetheart, why not?" It was Fatim.
"I loved someone. But my sister loved him too."
"That's too bad."
"So sad."
Rabia continued, "He loved her too. They got married. I couldn't take it so I ran away from them and now I have found the courage to return back. But, that short encounter has broken my heart beyond repair, I think. I don't think anyone would want my broken heart, nor do I know how to mend it." Her voice cracked and her eyes welled up with tears and she blinked them back. The triplets looked at her with pity.
"Fortunately, I'm excellent at mending things." It was Orion. His mouth was wide with a teasing smile and his muddy eyes danced around, and he winked. Fatim, Hatim and Khatim hooted, standing up to pat him on the back.
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Dilruba stopped as he stood up abruptly. Then, she heart it, the metal thumps. Thump. THUMP. THUMP. The sound was getting closer. She watched the mad king closely, he seemed shaken up.
"Get up! GET UP!" His voiced was laced with panic. "Wha- Why?" She blurted but he was already dragging her by the elbow towards the big bed.
"Lay down. Act like you sleeping."
thump. Thump. THUMP.
"You're majesty?" She called out to him confused but he kept pushed her shoulders so that she was laying down.
"Close your eyes. Don't open them. Don't get up until I tell you to."
"But..."
"No questions. Do as I say." Dilruba watched the mad king's eyes widen with fear. How terrible must that person be that the mad king himself feared him. She shut her eyes because she felt like it was the safest thing to do.
The door clicked open and it so happened...
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