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SHE AWOKE WITH A HEATED GAZE.
The sun was pelting it rays on her clothed back, blistering Azade like it would back in the farming fields. Seemingly, burning her body with no mercy.
It wasn't the only thing burning, though.
Her half-woken eyes drifted to the King's bed across the room, upon it sat the maid from the night before; carrying a robe in her hands and eyes that screamed: shock.
"Good morning." Azade greeted, stretching her arms back onto the window seat. The sleep she just had was possibly the greatest in her life, never had her master ever given her a warm place to rest. She was lucky though, sleeping in the barn was better than some of the others conditions.
The maid, still not speaking, was gaping at the young girl. The room was held at the clutches of an awkward silence, only the sound of The birds chirping in the distance. Azade grinned in pride internally.
Had nobody ever survived the night?
Suddenly, the maid dropped down to the floor and bowed down to Azade. Beyond her limit in shock, the young girl gasped as the maid clasped her hands and bowed herself towards her.
"You are the chosen one, my queen."
Azade immediately felt a rush of heat reach her cheeks, running from the seat to the maid to help her up. "I am not your queen, nor will I ever be." She said, the maid now standing again with a lifted brow.
"But-but, you survived! Priestess Sian'Ki has told us all that the first girl to survive will live to be Queen!" The maid explained, clasping her hands in excitement. Her joy was greater than Azade's, who knew her life could very well not be spared another night.
"I would rather eat now, yes?" Azade asked in reaching her hands to the sky blue robes that the strange maid held in her hands.
"But, my queen! I should help you get dresse-"
"Do not call me that. I am not the queen, nor will I ever be. Now, please leave these rooms so I can dress myself, as I have been for the last 19 years of my life." Azade said, the robe finally being set begrudgingly in her hands, the maid looking baffled.
"You survived. You are the first one ever to, my quee-"
"What did I say?"
The maid bowed her head; an action Azade cringed at internally. She remembered the days that she had done that when she would get scolded by her master's wife for forgetting the correct Kaftan to set on her bed.
Azade felt bad and smiled at the maid, not wanting her to feel the way that she often did as a slave. "Run me a bath, darling. Then take the rest of the morning off, I am more than capable of taking care of myself." Azade finished. The maid nodded and walked over to the bathing room, stopping right at the door and turning back to Azade.
"Thank you." She said, a slight blush in her cheeks and a gratefulness for the rest of the morning free.
"You're welcome, uh-sorry I never caught your name?"
"Our names aren't usually given to our superiors."
"You can give yours to me."
The maid stuttered before saying it, as if she was unsure if she should say it.
"Ehsan. My name is Ehsan."
"Beautiful, just like the girl who bares it." Azade said, nodding her head toward Ehsan. The maid blushed profusely once again and disappeared into the bathing room.
Before long, Azade was already immersed into a bath of rosewater, taking in as many luxuries she could.
What if life was different?
It was a thought not foreign to her mind, often welcoming itself in her hollow spirits. Running her hand down the length of the tub, Azade wondered if she would've been lucky to experience such luxuries since birth.
If instead of being sold at birth, she would had things sold to her.
She leaned her head back against the rim of the tub, feeling her long black hair falling into the water behind her. Remembering it was a stark change to the cold rivers she used to bathe under.
'Is this what freedom is?'
Was freedom really bathing in mountains of gold and feeling warm water cradle your skin?
The former slave sunk her head to eye level, feeing calmed in the warm water. Her thoughts becoming perplexed in her own mind, she let her thoughts become blank. The rose scented soaps danced in circles around her body, comforting her in a strange but calming way.
Tilting her head back in serene pleasure, she heard something.
The door.
It opened in a flash, a man with a guards uniform standing in the door way, red with embarrassment.
"My lady! I apologize- the maid said you would be done your bath now, no-by the gods, I beg for your forgiveness" The guard covered his eyes, and possibly shook due to his fear. Azade, still in shock, bursted out in laughter over the guards reaction to her naked body.
"My, am I really that ugly then?" She teased, grabbing the cloth that was set on the steps to the tub. The guard still covered his eyes, stoic in his boyish frame. He couldn't be more than 20 years.
"No!- yo-you are beauti-beautiful, my lady." He continued to cower until Azade briskly walked over to him and uncovered his eyes for him. Reaching for his wrists, she finally met his eyes and smiled.
"Thank you, don't worry it was a mistake I'm sure?"
"Of course."
Sparsely dressed, Azade walked over to the end of her bed and began to dress; the guard hidden in the bathroom the whole time. When she finally was dressed she peeked inside to see the young guard looking fearful, hands clasped together in a prayer.
"I'm finished, are you alright?" Azade asked with a sly grin, wondering if all the staff in the palace was jumpy and eager to please. The young boy looked over to her, a terror running through his brown eyes.
"He'll kill me."
Rukun? Azade almost laughed at the thought. She knew the King killed for sport, but she hadn't assumed he would kill a member of his own staff.
"Do not fret, I'm sure the only person he would like to kill is me." Azade said humourlessly. It was true. But her words provided no comfort, for the boy kept shaking his head. " You do not understand! He will find out that I saw his woman bare! His majesty will find me and kill me by the night." The guard shaked. His palms were having miniature spasms, barely breathing.
"First of all, I am not 'his woman'. Second of all, I doubt Rukun kills his guards."
"I apologize my lady, but the king excercises her power often. Please help me! I am too young to be slaughtered" The guards youth came out just then, voice cracking from the pains of fear.
What did he mean by 'exercising' his power often?
"The only death tonight will be mine." She sighed, watching the guards eyes widen.
"Now lead me to the dining hall."
.•.
The staff seemed to regard her as an otherworldly creature.
Whispers flicked off their tongues, most looking beaten down and shaky. The servants who walked past her seemed to have a loss of life in their eyes, scars running down their temples and dirty arms.
Did someone beat them?
One girl walked past her stiffly, her neck red with palm prints. Like someone had tried to choke her to death.
"My lady?"
Azade turned to the guard who stood infront of two large brass doors. She hadn't realized after walking throughout the ridiculously large palace, they had already arrived to the dining room. Before she opened the doors, she paused. Her hands resting on the latches.
"Will the king be joining us?"
The guard stuttered before replying, "No-uh, his Majesty is otherwise occupied at the moment." Feeling a sigh of relief, Azade continued to open the doors.
The women from last night were lounging on the chairs, eating expensive chocolates and laughing in their silk robes. Azade stood still in the door way as their laughter went stale, all heads in the room turning to her.
Most women looked envious, staring her up and down with evident hate. But others, were simply curious, shifting themselves closer to the door to see her.
"Good morning Ladies."
Azade shuffled past a few gawking women, arriving at the long stretches table to pick a chocolate off one of the many plates. The blue-robed women from the day before squinted her kohl-lined eyes at her. "We heard you survived." She said, her tone hinting that she almost didn't believe it.
"Surprised?" Azade asked, popping the chocolate in her mouth; the undeniable sweetness hitting her tongue immediately. Chocolate was a legend back in her valley, for it was too expensive for her former master to ever buy.
"You're the first one to survive."
"Is that right?"
The guard behind Azade tried to hide his chuckles at her sarcasm, watching the young girl converse rather boldly with the women.
The blue robed women folded her arms across her lap and glared at her accusingly. "You cheated." She said, the room immediately registering the rapid coldness that crept into the room.
"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."
"You're a witch." She finished, soft gasps coming from all corners of the room. Her ringed and painted finger pointed at Azade hatefully.
Azade cocked her head to the side in confusion, never had anyone accused her of being a witch in her life. Even if they did it wouldn't matter, witches and priestesses were seen as holy figures in her society.
"Or, perhaps I was smart enough to keep myself alive for the night." Azade said calmly, in moments like these she would try and embody her Mother from what little she could remember of her.
The blue-robed woman laughed, echoing tauntingly across the room. Then all the women started to laugh, their tinkling laughter joining the first.
Azade wished the room didn't have such high ceilings.
"Or perhaps, you cast your magic on the King?Witch!"The woman taunted, her blue robes that cascaded down her body not looking as beautiful to Azade as the once did. They all laughed again, smirking and watching as the former slave turned red.
Clenching her fists, she was about to retort. Azade had gained her freedom, free of taunting and cruel jokes. She was not about to let anyone take that away from her.
But someone jumped in.
"If I remember ladies, you are not welcome in this room anymore. Lady Azade now occupies all territory in the west palace, she has final say on who can join her in her personal rooms."
"But- the kin-" A curly haired woman piped up, but was interrupted once again.
"The king lets you all reside in the palace because your husbands are good at bowing their little heads to his every whim. Take your leave before I force it." The guard ordered, his hand moving to the hilt of his sword, that rested on his hip.
As if disease had now spread into the room, they scurried out. Soft pitters of heels clicking on their way out. Azade gave a small nod of thanks to the once-timid guard, a maid planting a platter of bread and honey to her side. Before she could sit, Azade noticed something.
The blue robed woman hadn't left yet.
They acknowledged a gaze between them; hard and cold. Her long lashes framed green eyes that cut through Azade's own.
"Enjoy your meal, My lady. It will be your last."
With that, the blue robed woman got out of her seat and shuffled past the guard. Clutching the side of her plate in shock, Azade wondered if it were true.
Perhaps the story tonight wouldn't be interesting enough.
Would tonight be her last night?
That morning she ate like she never would again, calling on refills of wine and bread every other second. The guard stopped her at her fourth glass of wine.
"You can't drunken your senses. Not now."
Azade held the cup sombrely, looking back at the boyish guard. He was no taller than the teenage slave boys she used to help cut wool.
"One more."
Azade handed a spare glass to him and called on the maid to pour him the sweet wine. She hung her glass in the air and smiled.
"To my eventual death." She drunkingly laughed, watching the wine pass over their heads in cheers.
The guard looked bewildered but hit his glass against hers, unbelieving of her words, he let a whisper slip through his lips.
"Long live the queen."
.•.
LITTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT
SORRY FOR THE DELAY UGH IM STILL NOT HOME BUT WHEN I AM I PROMISE UPDATES WILL BE NORMAL!!
Currently crying over the fact I missed OVO fest (biggest drake and cole trash here tbh) UGHHHH but whatever beaches here are nice as hell.
anyways, why is the staff of the palace so beaten up + LOL THE BLUE LADY GOT ROASTED SMH YESSSSSS
Comment and vote! This story is getting views fast and honestly your comments make my day :)
ALSO CHECK OUT MY UPDATE ON PILLOWTALK IF YOU LOVE ME?¿
I swear I'm interesting.
- Elle