Chapter 2: Act 1
What is this feeling-
I want to get out from this prison and go see my sister. Her face is the only thing that could ease this extreme anxiety. I felt as I was near to the edge of a blade, if I failed to amuse him, my head will be chopped off like all those poor maidens.
They are still so young and naive, not really knowing that the king is a bloodthirsty man who only blamed his own misfortune to innocent people. I do not play the judge here but after hearing his stories of how he brutally murdered each fair maiden that entered his chamber, it is such a sad yet horrifying thing to be heard.
If only I could twist this reality and walk down on a safer path. But my father was hopeless, everyone was hopeless. If they did not send a woman to his chamber to spend a night, he will just go on a rampage and most likely blamed his entire subordinates which made everything even worse.
Each maiden, each heads being seperated from their curvy figures. I was with my father at the time one of the guards dragged out the headless corpse of a young woman who seems to have a wealthy background, rich silks wrapping against her exotic skin, thin fabric as it may seems yet also covered in blood everywhere. I tore my gaze away from such sight, the nausea began to fill my entire stomach.
This is truly dreadening-
What if I meet the same fate as those women?
They may have wealthy backgrounds, but their fortune may not be so wealth. They, with their naivety hoped for the sultan to be a dreamy ruler and a handsome man only to face the wrath of that bloodthirsty man. Spare no mercy, and stomped down on all women who beg to see another days.
No matter how beautiful,
No matter how sensual,
The king knows no boundaries, no mercy, no affections, just a dark thought of killing the innocent women who came to his chamber every night. It's always a different woman everyday because none of them had ever really survived from his longing for the agony screams of the maiden being mercilessly beheaded.
Now, it's my turn.
"Show respect to the sultan, Azade." My father warned me as he placed a hand on my shoulder. "He may seems to be a monster but I know, you will find a way to melt that cold heart of his."
"Why did you say that, father?" I gripped on my staff even tighter than before, the thought of that king alone made my blood turns cold. "Why are you so sure I will survive?"
There's no way I could live up to his expectations. A great man who had been betrayed severely by his beloved wife, I'm sure that such monster has no heart to begin with. It should have been dead and ripped away from him a long ago. There is no good monster in this world, it was just lies fabricated by people to ease little kids so that they won't be really scared to hear of them.
Adults are tricky and this world is a sick place.
"I believe in the name of the gods, daughter." He slowly removed his hand from my shoulder, his emerald eyes identical to mine showed the perceiveable glint that only may means one thing. "I'm worried for you, but now, just find a way."
Those words were left spoken from his mouth so easily. His life was not the one on stakes. With his horrible way of comforting people that they are going to die seconds later, I will never doubt anymore that mother choose to left him behind. A vizier with such a strange mindset and the sickeningly level of loyalty he held for the sultan despite knowing that he is really a monster.
"I suppose, there is no other way." A heavy sigh escaped from my lips, "I shall bid farewell to Dunyazad first before I went into his chamber. Who knows if I won't be able to see another day after entering that chamber?"
"Right. Have your way." Father allowed me to slip on from his sight. I passed by him without saying anything, no exchanging words, just a tension of a person who's afraid to die and the vizier who only hoped for the best for his sultan.
The night approaching faster than I thought it will be. Dunyazad, my beloved sister, was seen in a constant panic. She walks around the entire garden in the same motion, going into the same place repeatedly. She must have been lost in her own thoughts that she did not notice my figure standing here.
Or was it because of the full moon gracefully shone the entire scenery of the garden that it overshadowed even me? It hits everything on sight, without any exception. The gems around my outfits were all glittering, creating beautiful reflections all around that made my desire to live longer grew bigger and bigger.
"Sister?" Her gentle voice emits a warmth that I'm strongly fond of, "Sister... I'm really sorry."
"There's no need to be sorry." Unconsciously, my feet dragged me closer to her. "Besides, it might be my last night... Where I can spend some times with you."
"Don't say that." She shook her head, trying not accept the truth that might have been a little more painful to her. "I want to see you tomorrow... I want you to listen to my stories about someone I liked..."
I let out a low giggle. This short happy feeling as I finally know that my little sister is seeing someone. Gently, I asks, "Who is this lucky man you have been seeing? I'm guessing... It could be someone we knew."
There are lots of attractive men around the palace, if I have to admit. All of them are the sons of viziers. The king had no offspring and it would be troublesome if he did because he would just brainwash his son and told him to continue his legacy to keep killing innocent women.
"Who crossed your mind when I said it?"
Playing a game, I see. She really knew how to cheer me up during these dark times. With my fingers placed on the edge of my chin, I raised my gaze up into the stars filled sky and think as hard as I can.
I could only came up with four answers. All of them are the sons of the viziers and they also might be the future viziers, replacing their fathers. But with the insanity of the sultan that grew more and more as each days passed by, I doubt that they will stay alive or they will stand on his reign for a long time.
"Fatih?" A name slipped from my lips without me thinking thoroughly about it. I was too preoccupied with the thought of the sultan for now. His name, his actions, his deeds and his appearances filling my entire mind. I want to throw up and told my entire family that I'm not ready for this. But with Dunyazad waiting patiently for me to reply with a bright smile latching into her maroon lips. I nodded lightly and opened my mouth to say, "He's certainly attractive for a man. Vizier Rasyid is also a good man of honor and justice."
"I'm not fond of his father."
"I am not either." Vizier Rasyid, known for being a man full of honor and justice. But he took his duties a little too extreme that he will go to the extend of punishing the criminals by burning their bodies, displaying their burnt corpses into the public much to everyone's horror. But still, he probably is the most loyal of all the viziers aside from our father.
"But Fatih is really a good man. He's a gentlemen who wouldn't just lay his finger on a random woman, I like that." Dunyazad's eyes sparkled as she talked about him. It must be him- "Enough about that. Sister, I've heard you are really good at storytelling... Why don't you tell me one of those stories?"
It seems like the words did travelled faster than I expected it to be. It was just a small storytelling for my father who couldn't really sleep after he went to the battlefield, but in the end, he told everyone of my skills. I'm not confident about it but she's my sister so it won't hurt to amuse her, "Well then, how about the story of Aladdin and his genie?"
"Sure!" She gestured for me to sit on one of the bench as well. I sat beside her and began unraveling a scroll that I always carry around everywhere. "Hm, why are you carrying that scroll around?"
"Many stories are here. It's my way to entertain people."
"Did you made the stories yourself?"
"That, I cannot tell anyone." She only pouted at my reply and I have to chuckle in amusement. "Let me tell you a story."
"Once upon a time, there was a poor boy named Aladdin who lived with his mother. One day, a rich stranger came to their house looking for Aladdin. 'I am a merchant,' he told Aladdin's mother. 'I have come all the way from Arabia. I want to take your boy with me for a little work, but I will pay him so much that you will not be poor anymore.'
Aladdin's mother soon agreed because they really needed the money. However, she did not know that the man who said he was a merchant was actually a magician.
The next day, Aladdin packed his things and left with the merchant. They traveled for many hours, after which the merchant stopped. Aladdin was surprised, as it was a lonely spot and there was nothing or no one anywhere.
The merchant took out some colored powder from his pocket. Then he threw it at the ground and the next moment there was smoke all around. As the smoke cleared away, Aladdin saw a big opening in the ground like a cave. The merchant asked Aladdin to go inside the cave. 'You will see lots gold inside, more than you will ever see in your life. Take as much as you want. Inside the cave, you will also see an old lamp. Just get it out for me.' Aladdin became suspicious, but he entered the cave.
Inside, he saw the cave was filled with gold. He filled up his pockets with gold and stuffed in as much as he could. When he could take no more gold, he looked for the lamp and found it. It was old and dirty. He took the lamp and called out to the merchant to help him out. 'Give me the lamp first,' the merchant said. Aladdin was afraid that if he gave the lamp to the merchant, he would leave him there. So he said 'Please pull me out first.'
The merchant got angry and took out some more powder from his pocket. He threw it at the cave and the opening of the cave became shut with a huge rock. Aladdin was scared. He waited inside and shouted, hoping that someone would come and help. But many hours passed and no one came. As Aladdin was sitting alone, he started cleaning the lamp. Suddenly,
"That's all for today." I rolled closed the scroll right in the middle of the story. Dunyazad instantly groaned in frustration.
"Oh, come on! Why did you end it in the middle of the story?"
"Well, making people curious is a fun, no?" A mischievous smile appeared on my lips. She narrowed her eyes with one of her eyebrows raised.
"Yeah..." But her lips are still frowning, it's cute. "But it's not guaranteed you will live tomorrow, so... I'm a little sad."
I wanted to tell her that I wanted so badly to keep on living so that I can tell more to the stories, but it's impossible. I choked back the words unspoken and could only offer a pitiful thin smile.
"I know," Such a bitter truth I have to accept, "But I will try my best to keep on living. I haven't finished the story yet, it is my promise then."
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