Scheherazade and the King Ch. 04

It's stupid. He thought to himself, paying no attention at all to the ministers babbling away. She's nobody. She's a slave girl, a whore... No one will recognise her.

And yet, doubt nagged at his mind: But what if there is more to her, what if someone does recognise her?

He shook his head slightly and then resolved not to allow the messages to be sent. He could confront Hazim about it, but better to just let the old man think his letters had gone unanswered.

Satisfied with his plan of action, Shariyar turned his attention back to the meeting. Somehow, the old men had meandered off-topic and were engaged in heated debate over the best wine regions in the empire.

Shariyar sighed and clapped his hands, directing the conversation back to the topic of addressing food shortages in the rural North. He rested his head on one hand: This whole kingdom would go to shit if I wasn't here.

++++++++

Shariyar climbed the steps to his wing of the palace wearily, his guards close behind him. The agricultural meetings had gone on far longer than expected. He had eaten nothing all day.

One of the guards walked ahead to pull open the door of his chamber and hold it for him. He nodded and the guard closed it behind him.

The girl emerged from the bathing chamber as he entered, drying her hair in a towel. She was wearing a new shift, it was as simple as the last, but at least it was clean.

"Another long day of pampering yourself in my baths?" He asked, throwing a stack of papers down on the table.

"What else am I to do?" She shrugged.

"I don't know, perhaps you could sit in silence and contemplate the word "obedience"," he quipped.

"Only if you promised to do the same for the word "compassion"," she rejoined.

"Rulers of empires are not meant to be compassionate," he scoffed. ""Ruthless", "calculating", "powerful", "feared", now those are words used to describe men like me."

"How about "cruel" and "sadistic"?" She sniped.

"Yes, those too," he said, sending a devilish grin her way.

He pulled off his clothes and walked into the adjoining chamber to bathe.

"Bring me a glass of wine, gypsy," came his voice a few moments later.

The girl rolled her eyes but walked over to the table where the decanter and glasses sat. She poured him a full glass and was about to walk away when she noticed a familiar face peeking out at her from underneath the stack of papers. She pulled it out and gasped when she recognised her own features.

The drawings Hazim did! She thought.

She turned the drawing over and hastily read the message written on the back.

He must have spies watching the mail, she thought ruefully.

"Gypsy! What's taking you so damn long?"

"I'm coming!" She called.

Scheherazade folded the drawing as quietly as she could and tiptoed into her room, tucking the paper underneath the mattress. Then she dashed silently back to the table and picked up the glass of wine, trying to focus on slowing her breathing and keeping her hands from trembling.

She knelt down and held it out to him. He took the glass and took a long drink from it, letting the warming liquid pool in his stomach and melt away the cares of the day.

"You may have a glass if you wish," he said to the girl, setting his wine on the side of the pool.

"No thank you," she replied despondently.

"What's the matter with you?" He asked, sinking down into the pool until only his face was above the water.

"Nothing," she said. She sat down on the edge of the pool, letting her legs hang in the water.

He raised a dark eyebrow at her, not convinced at all by her answer.

"It's just that..." She began, thinking quickly. "Well, it's lonely being trapped in here by myself all day."

"Welcome to my world," Shariyar said sullenly.

Scheherazade watched him reach for the glass of wine and down the remaining liquid in a single mouthful. Again, she had to remind herself that he was just a man.

A man who desperately wants a companion in his lonely world to distract him from his own dark thoughts.

She stirred the water with her feet: "Shariyar?"

He blinked and looked up at the girl: "Yes?"

"Would you like another story?" She asked hopefully. Her wide blue eyes were almost imploring.

Shariyar's lips twitched into the briefest of smiles and then he nodded.

"But," he said, interrupting her just as she was about to open her mouth, "make it a short one."

"I'll try," she shrugged. "But, you know, these stories have minds of their own sometimes."

"Try to keep your characters on a tight leash, gypsy," he said. "I can't be up all night."

"Busy day tomorrow?" She asked.

"No," he replied, a teasing grin playing over his face. "I just need to rest up over the next couple of days."

She looked at him quizzically. He laughed and waded through the water towards her. His hands traced up her calves and his dark eyes gleamed up at her.

"Because, come day after tomorrow, you and I are going to be having a lot of sleepless nights together."