A ruler's compassion is a luxury he cannot afford.
From her corner of the throne room, a young servant girl witnesses the unfolding scene with growing unease. King Tariq Ziyad sits upon his throne, his gaze fixed sternly on the man kneeling before him.
The king's scowl deepens as he speaks in a voice devoid of warmth, "You have committed a grave offense. Your actions demand punishment."
The man pleads for mercy, but the king's expression remains unyielding. With a curt command, he orders, "Bring the whip."
The servant girl's horror intensifies as the man is bound to a post, and the whip is produced, its presence seeming to draw the very air out of the room.
The man's desperate cries for mercy fall on deaf ears as the king's gaze remains cold and unyielding. The servant girl is transfixed, unable to look away from the gruesome scene unfolding before her.
Then, the whip cracks down, and the man's anguished howl pierces the air. The servant girl gasps, her stomach churning with nausea.
As the whipping continues, a murmur ripples through the crowd - some pleading for the king to show mercy, while others goad him on.
The servant girl's glance darts around the room, meeting the uneasy eyes of many, but their fear silences them, leaving only a few brave souls to voice their dissent.
She takes a deep breath, and steps out of the shadows, her voice trembling as she addresses the king. "Please, Your Majesty, have mercy on this man."
The king's gaze turns to her, his face as unyielding as stone. "You dare to question my authority?" he says, his voice dripping with disdain. "You will share his punishment."
Fear paralyzes the servant girl, leaving her unable to move. But then, she catches a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye - Queen Safiyya, who has just entered the throne room.
Their eyes meet, and the servant girl sees a flicker of understanding in the queen's gaze. In that moment, she knows what she must do.
With a surge of courage, she turns back to the king, her voice steady. "Your Majesty, please listen to me. This man doesn't deserve such punishment. Please, have mercy and let him go."
Queen Safiyya steps forward, her voice calm and authoritative. "My dear husband, I implore you to consider the servant girl's words. She is a loyal and dedicated servant, and she would not speak out of turn without just cause. I beg of you, spare this man and show compassion."
King Tariq ziyad's expression falters, surprised by his wife's intervention, and he looks at her with a mixture of astonishment and curiosity.
The king's gaze shifts to the servant girl, and she meets his eyes, unwavering.
He appears to be wrestling with his own thoughts, his expression a mixture of conflict and contemplation.
Finally, he exhales a deep sigh, and his shoulders relax. "Very well," he concedes. With a nod, he instructs the guards, "Release the prisoner. He is free to go."
The servant girl breathes a sigh of relief, her tension dissipating. The man stumbles to his feet, his eyes wide with disbelief as he gazes at the king. Then, he bows deeply, his voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I will never forget your mercy."
The king nods, and the guards escort the man out of the throne room. Queen Safiyya turns to the servant girl, her expression softening into a gentle smile.
The servant girl bows her head in respect, then follows the man out of the throne room. King Tariq ziyad's past is marked by tragedy, having lost his parents at a young age.
He was raised by a governess who instilled in him the values of kindness and mercy, but he rebelled against her teachings. In contrast, his wife, Queen Safiyya, seems to revel in his cruelty, believing it to be a testament to his strength and power.
King Tariq ziyad's childhood was marked by tragedy, his mother passing away when he was just a young boy, followed shortly by his father's demise.
Alone and adrift, he was forced to mature hastily. The governess who took him under her wing endeavored to instill in him the virtues of kindness, empathy, and compassion.
However, Tariq ziyad resisted her guidance, convinced that to achieve his ambitions, he needed to be strong, powerful, and ruthless.
He believed that vulnerability and mercy were weaknesses to be exploited, and so he hardened his heart, embracing a path of unyielding determination.
Queen Safiyya's upbringing was a stark contrast to her husband's. Born into a noble family, she was groomed to excel in the traditional roles of wife and mother.
Her father, a powerful lord, instilled in her the importance of submission and obedience, forbidding her from questioning his authority or, later, that of her husband.
Yet, beneath the surface, Safiyya harbored a deep-seated desire for more. She was captivated by King Tariq ziyad's unyielding strength and ruthless ambition, sensing that aligning herself with him would grant her the power and status she coveted.
She believed that by becoming the perfect wife – compliant, supportive, and devoted – he would reciprocate with love and share his authority with her.
King Tariq ziyad awakens each morning in his opulent bedchamber, surrounded by the finest silks and velvets.
Attentive servants hasten to his side, assisting him in dressing and preparing for the day ahead. As he breaks his fast on a sumptuous feast, he peruses reports from his advisors, his eyes scanning the pages with calculated interest.
Following breakfast, he takes a solitary stroll through the palace gardens, where the sounds of laughter and playful shouts from his wife and children carry on the breeze.
He pays them little heed, his mind preoccupied with the affairs of state. Retreating to his study, he devotes himself to the study of maps and strategems, his gaze tracing the borders of neighboring kingdoms with a calculating intensity.
King Tariq ziyad's eyes scan the maps with calculating intensity, searching for vulnerabilities in the defenses of Princess Aisha's kingdom.
As he studies the terrain, a plan begins to take shape in his mind. He believes that conquering her kingdom will bring him one step closer to his ultimate goal of continental domination.
However, he knows that gaining the trust of her father, the king, is crucial to his success. He must tread carefully, using diplomacy and cunning to manipulate the king into a false sense of security.
With the king's trust, Tariq ziyad will be able to strike when least expected, catching his enemy off guard.
The kingdom of King Tariq ziyad is a majestic and sprawling realm, boasting towering spires that pierce the sky and lush gardens that bloom with vibrant splendor.
The streets are immaculate and safe, lined with well-fed and finely attired citizens who revel in the kingdom's prosperity and power.
Yet, beneath the surface of this grandeur lies an undercurrent of arrogance and haughtiness, a sense of superiority that permeates every aspect of kingdom life.
The king himself is an imposing figure, standing tall with broad shoulders and a commanding presence.
His booming voice echoes through the halls of his palace, striking awe in those who hear it. Adorned in fine, velvet robes and a heavy, gemstone-encrusted crown, he exudes an aura of regal authority.
But his eyes betray a calculating coldness, a chilling intensity that misses nothing, and his thin, cruel smile hints at a ruthless determination to achieve his goals, no matter the cost.
The king's fine robes rustle softly as he leans over the map, his heavy crown glinting in the flickering candlelight.
His eyes, narrowed to calculating slits, burn with an icy intensity, his thin smile twisting into a cruel grimace. He regards himself as superior to all, his gaze sweeping over others with disdain.
Now, his focus is solely on the map, his mind consumed by visions of conquest and domination. The servant's quiet entrance and exit go unnoticed, the king oblivious to the fresh ink and parchment placed beside him.
He is lost in his own ambition, the world around him fading into insignificance as he plots his next move. Time stands still, the only sound the soft scratch of his quill on parchment as he annotates his plan, his thoughts devouring all else.
Do comment and tell me how the story went.
Written september 2023
Published August 2024