Chapter Three-
One of the things I loved most was the library in Beliba's capital, Mordina. It was my favorite place to be. My sisters and I studied there with scholars and our tutors. Well, more like Jamila and I studied for Adilah and Lotus rarely did.
Our library, Mekdabah, was said to have half of the world's knowledge. Mekdabah was the biggest library known to man. Scholars from across the world came just to study and converse there. I was proud of our library. It gave me such pride and joy every time I walked inside. I went there so much that the librarians said Mekdabah was practically mine. I always told them that Mekdabah belonged to the people, but I secretly wished it was mine.
I sat at a window seat overlooking the Ummera as my tutor tried teaching me Orban. According to my father, Orban was an essential language to learn for it belonged to one of the most powerful countries in the world, Orbus. Their language was easy to learn because I have a knack for languages. My tutor, Achedemis, who was Orban, had even said that I was great at learning new languages.
Orbus was a country that didn't intrigue me. The people weren't good looking, they were pigs, and their emperor seemed to care too much about conquest to realize his own country's needs. Achedemis disagreed with me, but I refused to listen to his reasons.
"I am loyal to my mother country," Achedemis said.
"If you were loyal then why are you here in Beliba?" I asked smartly. I had got him there.
Achedemis didn't say anything for a moment and I thought I had won. "Young Princess Kamila, I am here because of this," he said motioning at everything around him. "Mekdabah is the largest library that holds half of the world's knowledge. You had even said so yourself if I recall correctly."
I cocked my head and thought for a minute. "Eh. I still believe that Orbus is a terrible country with a lousy ruler and that you came here to get away from it." A small smile formed upon my lips because I knew what I had just started.
Achedemis' face turned red with anger. "Princess I-"
"Princess Kamila," a courier interrupted," Pharaoh Ptonic seeks an audience with you. You must come to Mordina immediately."
I flashed a smile at Achedemis. "Thank you, you are dismissed," I said to the courier. I looked at Achedemis. "I presume that our session is over?"
"Indeed it appears so," he replied, his face no longer red.
"Good, now if you'll excuse me I must be leaving," I said getting up.
"Princess," Achedemis said with a small smile slowly appearing on his face.
"Yes my loyal servant?'' I smiled.
"Be mindful of what comes out of that clever mouth of yours. It can get you into some serious trouble."
"I only act this way when I am with you." It was true. Achedemis was the only one I would ever smart back to just because I knew he could handle it. He was distinctly Orban looking with his stocky body and white curly hair. He has known me ever since I was born. In fact, he was in Beliba for several years before I was born.
"I know, you just have to be careful."
"I will, I promise,'' I said and began to leave the room when Achedemis spoke up again.
"Do you know what most Orban men think of women?" he said slowly.
"That we are the kindest, smartest, and most beautiful of all creatures," I laughed.
Achedemis laughed. "Princess you still have a lot to learn. They believe women are the weakest of creatures and think they are rather stupid."
I immediately felt offended. What kind of men were Orbans? They sounded dreadful, but their thoughts were to be expected. Most men believed they were smarter than women.
"Orbus is a man's world. Remember that Princess Kamila."
Oh I will Achedemis. I won't ever forget how ill I think of those tyrants.
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Royal Chief Wife Queen Kiya-Khensa sat upon her throne with a distrustful look in her eyes directed at me. For some reason for as long as I could remember she hated me. I never knew why, but I only knew that she did. Jamila was the spitting image of her. They looked as if they could've passed as twins, except that Jamila was twenty something years younger than Queen Kiya-Khensa.
Father sat in his throne beside Queen Kiya looking rather happy. I was always glad when I saw Father smiling for he never smiled genuinely enough. He always had some form of spirit near him so he could easily drink. My sisters and I have never seem him merry without a glass of wine or beer.
Jamila, Adilah, and Lotus weren't sitting which surprised me. They usually sat in their thrones near Father but I guessed today was different.
"You four must be very confused as to why I brought you all here," Father said with a small smile.
My sisters nodded in agreement.
"Tomorrow we have two very important guests arriving here in Mordina, and they shall be staying here for three weeks."
Queen Kiya smiled at Jamila. I wondered what for.
"Who shall be arriving, Father?" Adilah asked.
Father looked unmoved when she called him Father, as if he didn't really care about her. "Emperor of Orbus Julius Austen and his seventeen year old son Prince Atticus."
Adilah and Lotus looked at each other with ecstatic faces while Jamila looked to her mother with a curious smile.
"Kamila aren't you happy we are having them as royal guests?" Father said, startling me.
Why does he have to ask me this question when it seems rhetorical. I couldn't say what I truly felt because I genuinely did not care that we were having Orban guests. I was convinced Orban men were the worst of creatures. Luckily I had a bit of sense not to voice my opinion.
"I am very glad Father," I answered carefully. "It will help our country with their presence."
He smiled at me. "That's what I thought."
I couldn't help smiling when Father smiled. I loved him and wanted him to be happy with me. He was all that I had.
"Now daughters don't forget to dress beautifully tomorrow morning. We want to make a good impression on the emperor and his son."
That could be easily arranged, considering that my sisters lived to dress beautifully and impressed any valuable men.
"He will also be bringing us gifts."
Gifts?! Oh I love gifts! I had forgotten that every special guest brought us gifts! How could I have forgotten? The gifts were always my favorite part!
Father noticed me smile and looked as if he wanted to smile but couldn't. Something was holding him back. I wondered if it was my mother, who I barely knew. No one had ever talked about her. She apparently died when I was about a year old. I never knew how she died, just that she did. I've tried asking my sisters about her but they'd give me looks of disdain. They acted as if my mother was a criminal. He couldn't be thinking of my mother though. Everyone in my family seemed to hate her and maybe I was just a mistake. That didn't matter at the moment but it was just a general thought.
"Daughters you are dismissed," Father said.
Jamila, Adilah, Lotus, and I bowed toward Father and left the room in high spirits.
"I cannot believe that the prince of Orbus shall reside in the palace walls for three weeks!" Lotus said ecstatically.
"Finally, a prince to the rescue!" Adilah squealed.
"Maybe he'll fill my needs," Jamila said with a mischievous grin.
Adilah and Lotus laughed.
"He is your age Jamila," Lotus winked.
"Unless he fills mine first," Adilah added smartly.
I was surprised at their excitement. Didn't they know about Orban men? They were ugly brutes who look at our kingdom with a lusting eye. We are only but a gold province, but I shouldn't expect them to know. My sisters are stupid, I thought. I wanted to roll my eyes but I didn't dare. Disrespect to my sisters could cause death. Achedemis had told me enough stories about elder siblings killing one another because of their lack of respect for each other.
Jamila ignored Adilah's comment. She probably believed Adilah didn't stand a chance with the prince. If you compared Jamila and Adilah, Jamila was much better to look at, but she was missing what Adilah and Lotus had. They were easy on the eyes. Jamila had a look of evil in her eyes. She looked like a typical Belibian princess who would kill for the things she wanted.
"Tomorrow we are all going to attempt to woo our prince and hopefully he will choose one of us to be his pleasure of the evenings he stays here," Jamila smiled, eyeing Lotus, Adilah, and finally me. She looked at me as if I didn't stand a chance.
That was okay she looked at me that way because I knew for a fact that it wouldn't be me.
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