"You can't be serious," I gasp, casting a furtive glance at the ever-patient, watching eunuchs.
"I wish I wasn't," Yasamin whispers to me as they escort us back to our rooms. Anxiety lights her eyes for a moment before it fades behind her practised smile.
The golden-haired woman walks silently beside us, eyes cast to the ground as if unseeing. A strange desire to reach out and comfort her comes over me, and I rest a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"It's going to be okay," I tell her, not really believing my own words but willing her to understand the compassion and empathy behind them.
She shrugs me off, turning away from me. My heart sinks as she sends a piercing glare my way, sapphire eyes flashing in a warning not to touch her again.
"Sorry," I murmur, settling back into step with Yasamin.
"Don't mind her," she instructs me with a pointed look at our fellow captive, "she's been sour since we arrived."
I frown as Sara stiffens in front of us.
"We've all been through a lot," I say quietly, "I think we're all entitled to having a bad day."
Yasamin nods half-heartedly as Sara strides ahead with purpose and is the first to disappear into her lavish suite. We halt next to a door across from mine, and my new acquaintance turns beseechingly to the leading eunuch standing rigidly next to us.
"You wouldn't mind if I brought my new friend in to ask her opinion on some jewellery," she simpers, smiling charmingly up at the bald man.
"I was instructed you are to rest—"
"We'll rest, I assure you," she grins, linking arms with me and pulling me into her room.
She sends one last brilliant smile at the unimpressed eunuch before closing the door with a flourish.
"You will both need to report for the examination when we summon you," a muffled voice tells us sternly through the door.
"Yes, yes," Yasamin says dismissively, "we will be there."
I lift my eyebrow at her, and then the door, but she waves me away.
"Oh, they'll be fine," she intones, collapsing on a plush settee in the small dining area in her expansive private suite.
I follow her slowly, sinking down on the opposite lounge and allow myself to look around the quarters. It is much the same as mine, but layered in dainty light pink and accented with baby blue flowers and drapery.
"Can you believe the luxury of this place?" Yasamin sighs, sipping a cup of hot tea that sits steaming on the narrow table between us. Servants must have slipped into the room before us to leave the refreshments here.
"I have seen nothing like it," I reply honestly.
"So, what is your story?" She inquires, leaning forward with interest and gesturing for me to help myself to the tea.
"My story?" I ask, opting for a dry biscuit instead of the herbal tea.
"You know, how you ended up here."
"Oh," I say contemplatively, nibbling on the edge of the wafery treat, "Well, they grabbed me. And here I am now."
"There must be more to the story," Yasamin exclaims, and I resist a sigh inwardly. I wasn't mentally prepared to talk about what I have lost and the people I unwillingly left behind. But the young woman's bright, curious eyes plead with me, so I give her a brief rundown on the events that unfolded in the last two days.
"You must miss your uncle very much," Yasamin says as I finish my story.
A lump swells in my throat, and I nod, not trusting myself to speak further. I didn't have the heart to tell her Mordecai was my cousin, not my uncle.
"My family is from Persepolis," she says soberly, staring into her half-finished tea. "My father is always going on business trips, and my mother and sister always beg for him to take us with him. A few days ago, he finally agreed.
"We were so excited. Susa! The grand city where the king himself lives. My sister..." she trails off, sniffling. "Well, when the decree was enforced, we were in a dress shop looking for her wedding garment. We were separated and I haven't seen her since."
"I'm sorry to hear that," I console her, offering a gentle smile. "This hasn't been easy for anyone."
"And that Sara!" she cries dramatically, "she has been so cold and awful to me."
"Do you think she could just be trying to hide her fear or worry?" I point out in a soft voice.
Yasamin mumbles, shrugging. "She could at least try to be nice."
"I agree it isn't... pleasant," I admit, "but we've only known her for a short time. Perhaps we should give her a chance."
"I suppose," Yasamin concedes, going silent for a moment. "Do you know where she is from?"
"I don't have a clue," I tell her, "she must be visiting from outside the empire."
"How unlucky that she was caught by the guards, then," my new friend muses, twirling a curly lock of hair that frames her expressive, beautiful face.
We fill the next few hours with idle chatter. Well, Yasamin does most of the talking and seems perfectly content with short responses and nods from me.
I learn all about her and her family. My heart aches for Yasamin's sister who was merely weeks away from marrying the man she loved. Now she, like us, is trapped in the court of a powerful king.
As we discuss how many women could join us this evening, studiously avoiding the topic of our impending examination, a loud knock freezes us in our comfortable positions sprawled on the lounges.
"Yes?" Yasamin calls out, attempting to keep her voice from shaking and failing.
We lock eyes, and fear is mirrored in our gazes.
"On behalf of the head eunuch Hegai, I summon you to the required exam. Please present to the entrance hall within five minutes."
The man doesn't wait for our response and his footsteps fade away.
"Well, we may as well get this over with," I say, standing to straighten my skirts.
Yasamin hasn't moved, staring down at her nails.
"Are you okay?" I stoop down to ask her.
Her head snaps up as if forgetting I was there.
"Oh yes," she says sharply, "I am fine. Well, let's get it over with then."
She stands with purpose, striding towards the door. I follow her, chewing on my lip in thought. Yasamin yanks the door open and marches through, and I hurry to keep up.
"There's no need to run," I tell her as she narrowly dodges a surprised servant carrying a vase of fresh flowers.
She looks back at me over her shoulders and must see my confused expression because she finally slows and waits for me to move into step with her.
"Sorry," she says under her breath, still looking distracted.
We reach the entrance hall where Sara is already waiting. Hashem stands patiently beside her. The pale beauty has her hands clasped demurely together, but her eyes are glassy and unfocused.
"Ah, the final two we were waiting for," Hashem says in a businesslike voice. "Follow me if you please."
He leads the way out the grand doors of the House of Rosa, white robes swishing against the marble floor.
Instead of directing us down the enormous staircase from which we had come after the selection, he leads us past it. Another enormous set of doors looms ahead, the colossal frame engraved with iris flowers and tangled vines.
"This is the House of Iris, the second most esteemed house in the Court of Virgins," Hashem explains as he notices our curious gazes.
Much like our own quarters, a pair of soldier eunuchs guard the entry. They offer a nod to our escort as we pass and I take note Hashem must have an important role to be recognised by the guards.
We enter a smaller hallway and are shown into a plain waiting room. Simple wooden benches line the outskirts of the room, with an unadorned table in the middle. On it sits a clay vase holding a delicate white flower I didn't know the name of.
"I will await your return for the evening meal, should you pass the exam," Hashem tells us as he bows once and turns to leave.
"Wait!" Yasamin calls after him as he vanishes behind the closed door, "what happens if we don't pass?"
There is no answer as he leaves us alone in the unadorned room. Yasmin stands and tries to open the door we entered through, but with no luck.
"Locked," she mutters under her breath, seating herself ungracefully on the hard settee. She stares moodily at the single door opposite us.
Not daring to take my place next to the brooding Yasamin, I settle a distance away. Sara, without a word, takes the spot next to me. She doesn't meet my eye as I glance curiously at her, studiously ignoring the offended look Yasamin sends her way.
We wait in silence. The longer the silence stretches on, the more agitated Yasmin becomes.
My own thoughts preoccupy me. Nerves bundle in my belly, and I try to squish down the apprehension building inside me.
I had never lain with a man before, so I am not concerned about a lack of virginity, but the thought of such an intimate area being inspected by a stranger turns my stomach upside down.
Please Lord, help me get through this. I send a desperate, internal prayer upwards.
The plain door leading into the next room opens with a snick and a petite older man draped in colourful robes walks in. He surveys us with watery eyes before clasping his hands and clearing his throat.
"Sara," he calls, his voice trembling and weak. "Follow me."
The young woman next to me stands. Sara takes a deep breath in, flipping a long strand of red-gold hair behind her ear. Her brilliant blue eyes are trained on the ground as she moves to join the old man.
He closes the door behind them and the strained stillness returns. The hard bench underneath me seen to dig into my legs as my leg bounces under my skirt.
My eyes wander to Yasamin, whose face is blanched and pale.
"What happens if we don't pass?" She moans to herself, the words not directed at anyone but herself.
I open my mouth to offer her reassurance, but she repeats her words, hugging her arms around herself.
The door opens again with a creak, and the same elderly man appears. His eyes lock with mine and I know my name will be called next.
"Esther," his shaky voice announces. "Follow me."
I rise quietly, willing my quivering legs to walk. With a last glance behind me at my new friend, I enter the examination room.
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My dearest readers,
Here we are again, with a new chapter (and a new cliffhanger, naturally). I hope that you all like this chapter. It comes in at about 1800 words (the minimum I try to set myself).
What do you think about the characters? Why do you think the other two women are freaking out (could it just be understandable anxiety or something more?)
I'll be back with another update before you know.
Your author,
Erika