Copyright belongs to the author Chrys Romeo, 2023
2
***
Zaki sat on the chilling damp floor of the dungeon.The air smelled of humid stones, rusty, heavy iron locks and appalling silence. The barred window was too high up to see anything except the night sky: a small vault opening in the thick stone wall where the moon was absent. That night the sky was completely dark, covered by clouds.
There were only a few hours left until dawn. Zaki had been told he would be executed at first morning light.
He didn't know how that was ruled to happen and was 3
waiting in the dark, counting the seconds and listening to his breath that suddenly seemed precious as life itself. He kept rolling over and over in his mind the moments, the steps and decisions that had ended up with him being thrown in the dungeons.
It had started the day he had been chosen to work for the Palace stables. He was a blacksmith's son, so he knew how to forge hooves, tools and weapons of all sorts: spears, swords, shields and helmets for soldiers. Although his skills were diverse, he was hired to take care of the royal horses,which he considered himself fortunate to do.
Life at the Palace stables was much better than his former shed: he could get food and money for his work and he could also get to see the vast yards, smell the fresh air and the orange blossoms. Beyond the walls of the Palace there was almost a small town: many guards in the towers, countless servants and gardens that were full of flowers, trees and fountains. And lucky for him, he could see the harem windows in the eastern wing. Sometimes, veiled creatures, softly swinging while they walked, would cross the yard from the eastern wing to the southern one, passing 4
through the mosaic vaults and leaving behind the subtle fragrance of rose or jasmine petals.
Zaki knew he wasn't allowed to talk to any of them or even glance at them for more than a second. They rarely got out in the sunlight, but when they did, sometimes they would stop by the springing fountain, giggling and playing with their hands in the water for a few minutes. Then they would quickly run inside laughing, when the guards would approach, like doves fluttering their wings in haste. It was a spectacle worth watching for young Zaki, who had only seen peasant girls in plain clothes of dusty colors.
Meanwhile, the harem nymphs were wrapped in silky veils of the most amazing hues, brightly adorned with golden threads and sparkling jewels, while their eyes had long eyelashes and mysterious contours. They were fascinating to him. However, they were forbidden. They all belonged to the emir. Zaki knew he could lose his head if he talked to them. For a few months, he was pleased just to steal a glimpse of the floating veils whenever they passed through the yard.
But then he met Yasemin.
5
First, Zuleyha came to the stables with a request.
Zuleyha was the woman who took care of the girls and brought them everything they needed. She was a middle aged wise servant of the Palace, very clever and honey spoken, who could spin the guards on her fingers with her sugar coated words. Her deep brown eyes examined Zaki thoughtfully from the first moment she saw him. She smelled of rose oil and spices. He wiped his hands on his trousers and grinned at her. Her eyes squinted in the light.
“Are you the stable boy?”
“I'm the blacksmith, but you can consider me stable boy if you wish. I don't mind. It's my job to tend to the horses.”
Zaki couldn't stop smiling. It had been a long time since he had spoken to a woman. At the Palace he only had short conversations with soldiers who came to request new hooves. She didn't show her face, but her eyes were fixed on him, evaluating his ability to understand the important task that was requested.
“I'm Zuleyha, the harem messenger. One of the girls needs a horse for tomorrow. The emir wants to take her for 6
a ride outside the Palace walls. You must choose the most peaceful horse. Don't bring her a wild stallion, or you'll lose your head. Make sure it has a good saddle and everything.
Don't make any mistakes, if you know what's good for you.”
Zaki winked.
“I won't make any mistakes. But what do I get in return?”
She shook her head.
“Boy, you're asking for trouble. What do you want to get in return? You're working for the Palace, that's enough.”
“I mean, from you. Do I get a favor from you?”
Zaki knew talking to her was an opportunity that could open other paths he wanted to explore.
She seemed reluctant to continue the conversation, but answered nevertheless:
“What kind of favor have you got in mind?”
Zaki lowered his voice and leaned over to whisper in her ear:
“Can you sneak me inside the Palace? Just once, to see the girls closer.”
Zuleyha took a step back and shook her head.
7
“You really want to end your life, boy? This is out of the question and you know it! There are guards everywhere. We'll both be in trouble! Harem girls are only for the emir's eyes. I'll forget you ever asked me! This is the favor I'm doing you.”
She turned to leave, but he grabbed her sleeve and insisted, hoping she would eventually agree:
“Come on! I'll pay you! I can sneak in at night when they're having a party. The guards won't see me. You don't have to do anything, just let the door unlocked. .”
“I won't do such a thing!”
Zuleyha yanked her arm away and left immediately, glancing around to see if anyone had seen or heard them.
Zaki stared after her, watching her shadow in the blinding sunlight.
He was determined to make his wish come true: to see the girls without their veils. There had to be a way in.
Looking up at the narrow barred window of the dungeon, he sighed. He didn't even regret the day he had decided to get in the Palace to see the harem girls. Even though the cold stone floor underneath him made his bones 8
shiver, even though he knew there were only a few hours until dawn, he didn't regret anything. He only regretted trusting Yasemin. He sighed again: half the moon appeared from behind dark clouds, shining brightly, partly shadowed in doom. That was a beautiful troubling sight he didn't know if he would ever watch again.
Yasemin was beautiful, perhaps even more than he had expected. She had hazel eyes with long eyelashes and curly hair that fell from behind the veils, sparkling and scented, dazzling altogether. When she walked, she looked as if she stepped on clouds. She had the agile movements of a gazelle. She was rather tall and slender. There was something mysterious about her, something insinuating, something captivating, like a trail of stardust she spread around her. When she climbed in the saddle and Zaki held her hand, helping her up, she seemed fragile and vulnerable, which made his heart beat faster and a sudden wish to protect her swelled inside his veins, running to his head, pounding his temples. He helped her take the harness in her delicate fingers.
“Keep your hands on the saddle if you lose balance”, 9
“Enough talking”, the guards mumbled and took the horse away from him, heading towards the gate, where the emir was waiting on a black pure bred stallion.
Zaki watched Yasemin ride away, side by side with the luxuriantly dressed emir, followed by two soldiers with spears. He instantly vowed to get inside the Palace and find Yasemin, take her away and live happily ever after somewhere distant, where nobody could find them. His mind was full of plans and imagination: they could retreat in the desert, live in a tent next to an oasis. They could go to another land, find work in another palace. He could start a workshop in a village, make the best of his skills, while she would only have to sit around and be beautiful all day long. .
for him to see when he got home. He had so many plans available for the future. . but he knew he needed one good plan to sneak inside and ask her to run away with him. It was the only thing to do.
Zuleyha didn't want to be complicit, at first. She considered his plan dangerous. She was too wise to take part in such a risky action. However, she had a soft side that 10
Zaki could persuade. She had some sort of sympathy for him, a connection he was sure she felt, for some reason.
After a few more encounters with Zaki, she finally agreed to tell him which corridor led to the harem's quarters. But it wasn't enough. He had to figure out the rest by himself.
Zaki was wondering how to get inside the Palace without the guards noticing, when he had another visit.
This time, it was a girl he didn't know. She was wearing peasant veils, but her gestures and speech were far from simple. She looked noble and cautious.
“Have you come for a horse?” he asked, while she seemed to ponder on what to say, glancing around the stable at the iron tools as if searching for something.
“I heard you're a blacksmith”, she finally said, and her voice had a tone of respect for his skills that he wasn't used to.
He nodded seriously. Something about her big brown eyes was direct and honest, yet shielded at the same time.
“I'm a blacksmith, but now I tend to the horses, mostly. What can I do for you?”
He didn't understand the girl's interest, which 11
obviously was not in the horses. She was there for something different.
“Can you mold iron into anything?” she inquired, staring in his eyes without any fear.
He shrugged.
“Sure, I could. I can do anything with iron. Do you want some kitchen stuff?”
He tried to guess what she wanted, where she came from. He wondered if she worked as a cook and needed some dishes or pots. . or maybe a coffee kettle. However, her refined hands didn't look like a servant's.
“I don't want any kitchen objects. There's something more important I need from you.”
She looked at him again, fearlessly. Her deep eyes made him calm and he could only speak with the same respect that she had in her attitude. At that moment a guard started walking towards them.
Zaki looked a bit worried that the soldier would interrupt them. The girl turned her head, barely looked at the guard and signaled slightly with her hand. The soldier instantly bowed and backed off.
12
Who is this girl, Zaki asked himself, surprised at the way in which the guard had obeyed her.
He looked at her attentively.
“So, what is it that interests you?”
“I want you to build a telescope for me.”
He remained speechless for a few seconds.
“A telescope?”
“Yes. Do you know what it is?”
“I think so. It's something that helps you see in the distance. There were stories about such magic objects that armies used to defeat their enemies.”
The girl smiled.
“You might be right, but not exactly. I want a telescope so I can look at the stars and planets. I want to study astronomy. My father ordered some glass lenses from a distant country, but I don't have the metal frame for them.
Can you build it in your workshop?”
Zaki was a bit confused by her words. She seemed determined in her wish, as if there was nothing she wanted more except that mysterious magic device. . to study what?
The sky. . that much he understood.
13
“I think I can build anything. If it's made of metal, I can do it.”
He heard himself seriously promise her something that he didn't even have the slightest idea what it was. . but he just knew he wanted to do that for her. He couldn't even explain why, there was no other motive than the noble gesture of granting her wish, just as noble as her presence seemed to him.
She nodded and revealed her face to show her smile, letting down the veil for a second. Her beauty was astounding, but her demeanor was even more surprising to him. Her eyes the color of roasted coffee glistened warmly when she spoke in a kind and steady tone:
“Thank you. I'll bring a drawing of a telescope tomorrow. You'll be paid for your work.”
And then she quickly left.
Zaki stood in the door, watching her walk by the fountain and towards a back door that led inside the castle.
He didn't even notice Zuleyha who had somehow appeared nearby, apparently eavesdropping from behind some rose bushes.
14
“You don't know who you've just talked to, do you?”
she said with a sly smile.
Zaki was lost in thoughts.
“Who was she?”
“That was Guzel, the emir's younger sister.”
“She's very beautiful. . just like her name.”
“Yes, and very smart. She's also very much engaged to the emir's cousin.”
Zaki frowned.
“She was wearing peasant clothes”.
“She prefers to disguise so that she can walk around without drawing attention to herself.”
Zaki suddenly looked at Zuleyha, struck by an idea.
“Can you get me one of those colorful veils?”
Zuleyha blinked suspiciously:
“What for? What are you up to?”
“Don't ask me. Can you get it for me this afternoon?”
“I don't want any trouble.”
“I won't tell anyone!”
“I suppose I can lend you something. . if you promise to give it back undamaged.”
15
“Don't worry, I won't ruin it.”
“Is it for a girlfriend of yours?”
“No. You wouldn't guess.”
Zaki was suddenly euphoric. He had figured out a way to get to Yasemin.
After Zuleyha brought him the mint green kaftan and a matching niqab, he waited for nightfall.
There was indeed a party at the Palace that night.
The sky was clear. Moonlight spread on the water from the fountains in the garden, dancing in reflections, a soft glow on the mosaic. The orange blossoms filled the air with perfume and music could be heard from the chambers in the southern wing. Zaki slipped in the kaftan and put the niqab on his head. Then he sneaked under the orange trees, to the Palace door, with a jug of water in his hands. The guards stopped him at the entrance, but he simply showed them the jug, making a gesture towards the kitchen corridor. The soldiers put the spears down and he walked past them.
Finding himself in the corridor, he knew he had to move quickly. The tall ceiling and the marble floor echoed 16
heavily under his steps. He followed the sound of strings and laughter. The harem girls were having a party. When he reached the door, he stopped to breathe. How do these girls wear these veils all day, he wondered, adjusting the cloth away from his face. It felt uncomfortable and annoying. He felt stifled in it. He decided to push the door open and peek inside.
There were many harem girls dancing in a circle, swinging their exposed white skin and round shapes, sensual hips dangling golden strings of coins. The sparkling clothes they wore hardly covered them and Zaki felt thrilled to finally see the harem without veils. He stared at their dancing for a while, enjoying the show, until he noticed Yasemin in a corner, sunken lazily in fluffy silky pillows. He moved through the room. Nobody paid any attention to him, since everyone was watching the group of dancers in the middle. Zaki advanced to the corner where Yasemin was laying, casually sipping from a glass. Her stunning curly hair was exposed in the light and she looked like an Egyptian goddess. That was Zaki's impression: she absolutely took his breath away. He thought he had never seen any girl so 17
He sat down next to her, placing the jug of water at her feet.
“Would you like some water?” he asked her.
She seemed surprised by his deep voice and looked at him bewildered.
“Are you one of the eunuchs?”
He smiled.
“No, I'm the stable boy. I brought you a horse a few days ago when you went for a ride.”
She looked even more astonished and glanced around quickly, a bit worried.
“You're a man, you're not allowed in here! How did you get in?”
Zaki laughed.
“Obviously, being dressed like this made it easier to pass by unnoticed.”
She didn't laugh, though.
She looked genuinely concerned.
“What if they find out you're a man? You'll be killed immediately! And so will I, for talking to you. Better go right 18
Zaki wasn't convinced he needed to leave. He enjoyed sitting by her side, so close to her. Watching her eyelashes move and her fingers adjust strands of hair was fascinating to him. He stared at her lips and she seemed to notice, reading his mind instantly.
“Listen, you should better get out now”, she whispered urgently.
“I'm only going if you promise me we'll meet again. I can get in the same way like tonight. You can come with me for a ride, anytime. I'll let you pick any horse you want.”
“It's dangerous.”
She seemed afraid, but he didn't mind. He felt bold and brave. He felt there was nothing standing in his way, that was how much he wanted to be with her.
She was starting to feel restless and uneasy.
“I'll think about it, okay? Now go, before someone notices who you are.”
“I'll see you again soon”, he told her before picking up the jug and sneaking out of the room.
Once he was safe in the stillness of the night, he felt 19
an exhilarating thrill. The swirl of the adventure, being in Yasemin's inebriating presence, getting past the guards, spending time at the party, everything was going to his head. He returned to the stables jumping for joy. Life was suddenly surprisingly amazing, wonderful and miraculous.
He wondered if he was really in love with that stunning creature: Yasemin, the Egyptian goddess. He decided it was love at first sight. He was certain they would be happy together. She likes me, he thought. She talked to me.
He couldn't sleep that night. He could still hear the music from the Palace, as he lay under the stars, on a heap of hay. He could still envision Yasemin's features, imagining how he might have taken a step forward to actually kiss her.
Crickets and night birds chirped around. Life was wonderful.
The moon disappeared again behind clouds and the silent bars at the window reminded him he was deep down in the cold, humid dungeon, so far from that moment of elation he had felt after meeting Yasemin at the party. The burden of disappointment and betrayal was worse than the darkness around him. He felt the pain of sorrow, not as 20
much for the sentence of being executed at dawn, but more for the lost illusion of love he thought he had encountered.
Yasemin had betrayed him and that made him suffer more than he had thought possible. How could she do that? he asked himself. He finally knew he had been wrong about her. He had seen her in an ideal light, while being blind to the signs of misplaced trust. It was too late to realize the gap between what his eyes had longed to see and what was actually there. He could no longer undo what had been done.
Suddenly, a shuffle in the dark startled him. There was a shadow behind the iron bars of the door. He could hear someone breathing, though it was pitch black everywhere in the underground tunnels of the palace dungeons. Water was dripping down the ceiling, from the fountain pipes above.
Zaki stood up and moved closer to the grating door.
The shadow lit up a candle and the flickering light fell on the contour.
“Zuleyha. How did you get here?”
The woman lifted the candle to his eyes.
21
“Are you alright, boy? I brought you some tea.”
She handed him a steamy kettle through the iron bars.
“I had to bribe the soldiers at the entrance. They wouldn't let me pass otherwise.”
“Thanks for the tea. Tell me about Yasemin. Is she sorry for me?”
Zuleyha shook her head.
“Boy, why are you still thinking about her?
Tomorrow will be the last day you see the sunrise. She doesn't care about you. If you're waiting for her to feel guilt or sorrow, you can think again. She's sleeping in a warm bed and you're not really on her mind, if you know what I mean.”
Zaki gulped down the tea.
“Whatever. At least I tried. You could have brought me some wine, since it's my last day. We could have had a small party down here.”
“I like your sense of humor, but the soldiers won't let us party. I should be going now. I hope you find your peace and be brave tomorrow.”
22
“Thank you, Zuleyha. It was nice of you to see me one last time. I won't forget you up in heaven.”
“May the Lord bless your soul.”
Zuleyha left.
He paced around the empty cell. So Yasemin didn't care. . She had certainly put up a good show of it a few days ago. After the first time he visited the harem quarters, Zaki had managed to get inside again, carrying another jug of olive oil from the kitchen, under the pretext of serving the girls.
He was lucky enough to find them at their time of bathing. Hot water was being poured into the round pool in the middle of the room. Petals of jasmine, magnolia and roses were scattered on the steaming water. The girls were splashing and giggling, dipping their hair in the pool, unaware that he was watching from behind one of the marble columns. He could see their wet shoulders and breasts coming out of the water, among the red, white and pink petals. It was a sight that gave him a sort of fever he hadn't felt before. He stood there trembling, holding his breath so as not to be heard.
23
“Yasemin! Tell us more about that lad. Was he a thief?”
Girls were having a conversation that somehow seemed about him.
“No, he was just a stable boy. That one with the horses. He invited me for a ride.”
“Did you accept?”
“I told him I would consider it.”
They laughed.
“And are you considering it?”
Zaki listened harder, trying to distinguish her words, but the water splashing made it difficult to understand what she was saying. The fact that she was talking about it made him feel confident that she was not afraid. At the time, he was oblivious to the fact that his interpretation of the whole situation might have been misled by his wishes.
Wanting too much to have it in his favor made him believe whatever he imagined, even if odds were against him. He didn't grasp the fact that he was still a stranger to Yasemin.
Thinking about her a lot recently had made everything look as if they already knew each other well. . which was quite 24
far from the truth. Seeing Yasemin in the water, magnolia petals sticking to her wet arms, drops glistening in her curly hair with copper reflections, watching her move with the undulating reverberations of the splashes in the pool, while he knew she was naked the whole time, made his eyes foggy with steam and he retreated slowly from one column to another. Before he left the room, her eyes caught sight of him. She had already recognized who he was, but didn't say anything. She just stared at him, with a piercing glance that was hard to interpret. He waved awkwardly and exited quickly, before she could alert the other girls.
He didn't know if Yasemin liked him enough to leave the harem and run away together, but he hoped she would.
He decided to take a chance and sneak inside the Palace a third time, to take her away.
Before he made the plan, princess Guzel came to the stables as she had announced. She brought the drawing of the telescope. It was a large square paper, brownish and thick like a scroll. She unrolled it on the grass under the orange trees.
“What's this material?” Zaki asked her curiously.
25
“It's paper made of pumpkin fiber.”
“Pumpkin fiber? I've never heard of such paper.”
“I invented it. We're producing it inside the palace, with a pressing rock and flour glue.”
And the princess smiled. He then noticed she had the most genuine smile, brightly honest and uncensored, as if it came from her soul. The more she talked, the more amazing things she revealed. He stared at her, finding it almost unbelievable that such an extraordinary princess existed at that palace.
“You're not wearing a veil”, he noticed, watching her long dark hair, flowing on her shoulders like a calm river.
“I don't need to. I prefer to breathe the fresh air.”
“You're a progressive woman”, he said with sincere admiration.
“Yes, thank you”, she admitted a bit proudly for a second, but then she lowered her eyes to the drawing. “I like progress”, she added. “I think it's better this way.”
“What does the emir say about it?”
“My brother doesn't decide what I do. At least not most of the time”, she mentioned looking away and a 26
shadow of discontent passed through her eyes.
The cousin engagement, Zaki immediately thought.
That's what's bothering her, for sure.
“So what part should I build for this instrument that will decipher the mysteries of the sky?”
Guzel had already made some sketches on the pumpkin paper, that looked like a cylinder. She had brought a piece of charcoal and she started adding to the design.
“Look. This first circle is bigger and the second one is twice smaller. The diameter should be half the size for the second circle.”
“Can you explain again?”
She looked at him seriously. Zaki was confused by her words. She had drawn two precise circles, so perfect it showed either a lot of practice or authentic talent for scientific matters.
“Here. See? When you forge the cylinder, you must measure the first circle to be twice bigger than the second.
Those are the sizes of the lenses that must fit the cylinder.
They must be fixed on the cylinder with a bending bracelet.
And there must be a frame to support everything, so it can 27
Zaki was silent, thinking and evaluating in his mind the pieces he had to forge, the tools he needed and what the result had to be, so that the princess would eventually see the mysteries of the sky. The princess looked at him attentively.
“Can you do it?” she asked, waiting for a firm answer.
Zaki nodded.
“Of course I can do it, undoubtedly. Give me one week and it'll be ready by then.”
Guzel smiled, relieved and grateful.
“Thank you. I really appreciate it. It means a lot to me.”
She rolled back the scroll and handed it to him.
“You'll need this.”
He took the wrapped design. Petals of orange blossoms were falling around them, carried away by the breeze, into the sunlight over the fountain. Something magical was happening: the amazing telescope pieces on the pumpkin scroll, the captivating conversation, the kind and unique princess or the universe conspiring to make 28
everything inspirational at that moment. Somehow, Zaki couldn't take himself away from her presence and couldn't lower his eyes from her face. He didn't even realize she was the only woman in the Palace whose face he could really see, out in the open, without any mask to conceal it.
“I must go”, she said briefly.
He bowed to her reverently and once again watched her disappear in the palace gardens, while every guard and armed soldier lowered their spears when she passed by.
The night prayers from the mosque resounded distantly in the silent dungeon. The vast emptiness of the night sky, desert dunes, magic wishes, burning and desperate hopes were mixed in the sound of the voice that echoed over a sleeping world. The prayers almost howled against a sealed fate, against the impossible bars, the implacable abyss of time slipping by. There were only three hours left until dawn. Zaki was counting down his own breaths. Sitting on the floor, his head in his hands, he felt a wave of regret in his heart. I should've built that telescope instead of chasing Yasemin, he said to himself. It was already too late to turn back.
29
He had made the choice that night. He had decided to go after Yasemin, in the harem quarters.
He couldn't wait any longer to have her in his arms.
He knew he had to take her away and run off together. He couldn't spend one more night dreaming about her, burning with desire to see her close to him every day. He put on the veils on his head and tip toed into the palace corridor that he already knew well. There was total silence and no guards had been placed by the big heavy door. The chandeliers were extinguished. Everything seemed silent. Zaki didn't sense there was something wrong about the whole atmosphere. He advanced until he stood in front of the harem quarters. He peeked through the slightly open door: girls were asleep on the pillows. It was hard to see Yasemin, since they were hidden by thin curtains that covered the beds. He stepped from one side of the room to another, glancing carefully to discover Yasemin. Finally, he found her asleep on a soft mattress, her refined face resting on a silky pillow, curly hair spread around, glistening in the dark.
“Psst! Wake up Yasemin!” he whispered.
She slowly opened her eyes. At the sight of him she 30
seemed startled, but not pleased.
“What are you doing here?”
“I came to take you away! Come on, let's go!”
She looked confused. She got up, rubbing her eyes and yawned. He noticed her night gown, printed with flowers, butterflies and silky texture, shiny and soft.
“Where do you intend to take me?” she asked, becoming more reserved.
“To another country, far away. Let's go somewhere we haven't been before, where nobody knows us.”
“How?”
“It doesn't matter how. Just you and me. We'll be happy and free.”
Yasemin didn't appear convinced. She shook her head in disbelief.
“I don't know what the emir will say about this.”
Zaki stared at her, feeling the earth sink under his feet. Why bring the emir into the discussion? The point was to get away from him.
“Don't you want to run away with me?”
“We don't know each other that well. And my life is 31
here at the palace. I have everything I need here. The emir provides anything I ask. What do I have with you? We'll make fools of ourselves in a country we don't even know.”
Zaki couldn't find the words to reply to her sudden refusal.
He stood there, knowing his plan had been useless.
He tried one more time:
“We could run away tonight, there are no guards at the door.”
“Oh, but there are guards. You're mistaken.”
Her voice had become severe and sharp. She stood up, watching him with a steely glance, as if he meant nothing but interference with her life.
“Guards! There's a man here! An intruder!”
The other girls started to wake up. Before Zaki could make a run for it, four soldiers had already stormed into the room and grabbed his arms. They tore away the veils from his head, revealing his mustache and the stubble beard.
Cold heavy chains were locked on his ankles and wrists.
The emir, who somehow was not asleep at that hour of the night, had appeared from behind a corner. Zaki realized 32
Yasemin had already warned everyone about him. He had walked into a trap.
The emir's voice thundered at him:
“I should cut off your man jewels, boy, right now, for your audacity to come near my girls! But I will rather cut off your head tomorrow! Take him to the dungeons!”
Morning came with first strands of light, pale blue at the barred window.
Zaki was waiting, somehow accepting his doom. His heart still felt the pain of betrayal and disappointment, from having envisioned Yasemin to be an ideal she was really very far from. He still couldn't understand why he had been so wrong about her and why it had brought the end for him too soon, just like that. Counting the last minutes before dawn, he heard movements and sounds of heavy steps coming down to the cell.
He stood up. The patch of the sky had become yellow and orange in the barred window.
It was time. Zaki knew it. He strengthened his mind to remain brave and dignified.
The guards opened the door and grabbed his chains, 33
The emir had prepared an execution site by the fountain. There were some servants in the garden, a bunch of soldiers and a few peasants. Zaki looked around, but he couldn't recognize anyone. He was certain the harem girls were watching from behind the mosaic windows of the palace. It didn't matter anymore.
The emir appeared at the top of the stairs, by the main entrance of the palace.
“This morning we'll execute the intruder who dared to enter the harem quarters last night! It will be an example for others!”
Then, a clear voice sounded straight in the morning air, above everyone else:
“No! It will not be this way!”
Zaki looked up to see who had confronted the emir.
His sight was slightly blinded by the brightness of the morning light, but he distinguished her silhouette in the doorway.
It was princess Guzel.
She had spoken firmly, calm and determined, as if 34
she was used to making her opinion matter and having her thoughts heard.
“There won't be any execution today! He's valuable to the Palace. His skills are important”, she continued.
“Surely you can understand that, brother”, she turned to the emir.
Zaki felt a warm wave take over him and suddenly diminish the torment he had in his heart. Hearing her considerate words defend his value was surprising and miraculous. She was actually speaking to save his life. He almost couldn't believe someone was pleading for him: the princess herself.
The emir appeared obviously angered and irritated.
His authority was being challenged. However, Guzel was standing there, between him and Zaki, unwavering, unwilling to give up.
“We're lucky to have this skilled blacksmith who can forge so many things for us”, she added. “I'm sure he can be forgiven for his reckless indiscretion of youth. Instead, he'll be an advantage to us even in battle. How many swords are worth his life, brother?”
35
The garden was silent. Everyone held their breath, including Zaki, who could see the distant light of hope in the horizon, that he might live after all. The emir's decision took a while that seemed like centuries until he spoke:
“Very well, then. In honor of you, princess Guzel, I grant this man his life and to be your servant for whatever you wish. He'll also provide armory for the Palace, as needed.”
And the emir made a gesture with his hand, returning inside the building.
The crowd dispersed, murmuring astonished. Never in the history of the Palace had they seen such an outcome of events. Zaki breathed deeply, enjoying the scent of the orange trees, the chirping birds and the sunlight, that suddenly seemed so miraculous. He felt blessed to be alive again.
The soldiers unchained his hands and feet, leaving him with the princess.
She descended the stairs, approaching him. Her serious attitude was however benevolent and blameless.
She simply smiled at him, accepting who he was and what 36
he had done, without any other unnecessary words. It just didn't matter to her. Something else was more important.
The fact that she had defended his value had been so unexpected to him, that he had almost forgotten the long night in the cold dungeon. Her noble presence made his life suddenly more precious than before.
“Thank you for your kind words, princess”, he bowed to her when she stood in front of him.
“I hope you'll keep your promise about the work we discussed.”
“I swear by my life I will.”
He bowed again. He wanted to kiss her hand, but didn't dare touch her. He wanted to express his gratitude, but there was also another feeling, more powerful that overwhelmed him: the warmth of her heartfelt words had remained in his soul, washing away the pain like it had never happened. He had discovered what it felt like to be appreciated for who he was: and it was an amazing feeling, healing and uplifting like the morning light.
37
***
“Once upon a time, precisely five hundred years ago, this palace was the center of civilization for a very large area that included several territories which nowadays are separated by borders. But then, it was just one big realm, where magic happened. .”Zayn paused to check the beep on his mobile phone.
I'm here, the message said.
38
He glanced above the tourists and saw her by the vaulted entrance. He waved to her and smiled.
Then he turned to the group that was waiting.
“I'll let you walk around and take photos for fifteen minutes. We'll meet here in front of the fountain.”
After the tourists dispersed, he hurried happily to the girl who took off her sunglasses, greeting him with open arms and a wide smile.
“So you came!” he said and embraced her, lifting her from the ground and spinning for a second, as if the entire world would spin with them and just because of them being together.
“Of course”, she replied, still wrapping her arms around his neck, lingering in the closeness of sharing the warmth of each other, a moment they had both been longing for.
“I'm so happy you arrived! How was your trip?”
“It was fine. Many hours in the airport, two flight connections, but I'm here now.”
“Are you tired?”
“No, not really. I'm just happy to see you again.”
39
They stared in each other's eyes for a few moments, smiling and saying nothing, while telling everything without words. Giselle was his girlfriend and they had been dating for seven years, although they lived in different parts of the world. Meeting each other and spending time together had been an on and off event, but neither of them had given up on the connection. She was an archaeologist while he had a career as a translator for a travel agency, but occasionally he also guided tourists in places he knew best.
They had met on one of those trips to historic sites. She was doing a thesis research on ancient temples and he just happened to be the one to guide her around. They had gotten along very well, right from the beginning, trusting each other as if they already knew they could.
After many years of meeting around the world in various places, he had finally decided to propose to her, but he was keeping it a secret surprise. He was about to reveal it to her during that visit.
He held her once more, breathing in the scent of her long hair, enjoying the reality of her presence and the feeling that everything was the way it should be, as long as 40
she was there. Then he grabbed her hand.
“Come on, I'll show you something!”
She looked around the palace yard.
“Aren't your tourists waiting for you?”
As usual, her sense of duty overcame whatever temptations the situation might have offered. Zayn made a slight gesture:
“No, don't worry about them. They're busy shopping for souvenirs. They'll scatter around for a while. I know how it is. Come on! There's something really interesting in this palace you should see.”
He hurried across the yard, past the fountain and the orange trees, then up through the big door. Giselle followed him, keeping the pace, as steady as their fingers interlaced while they walked through the palace. She didn't let go of his hand, not even when they climbed the marble stairs guarded by eagle statues and lions on the sides. Then they arrived on a terrace through a vault. The sky was clear and the sun was shining on the ancient walls, heavy with centuries of silence, secrets, mysteries, battle witnessing and weather washing off their colors. The terrace led to a 41
high tower that seemed lost in the sky. Looking up to its top made them dizzy for a second.
Zayn pulled out the chain and the sign that said entrance was forbidden.
“Are we allowed to go past this point?” Giselle inquired casually.
“Don't worry, I'm allowed to go wherever I want.”
She watched him with admiration, as he cleared the way for her to go inside the tower. She trusted him, more than anyone. She was still wearing the jeans and sneakers from the trip, that made it easy to step on the abrupt staircase. Zayn placed the heavy chain and sign on the ground. The air around the spiral staircase was cold and it echoed of their footsteps and whispers. Giselle had stopped and was waiting for him to lead the way. She stepped aside elegantly, letting him jump over a few stairs.
“Go on”, she smiled.
He loved that about her: she had never tried to make him feel small or diminish him in any way. There was a deep respect that would never falter in her attitude towards him.
She encouraged him to manifest the best of what he could 42
He felt excited like a teenage boy, ready to show her the greatest treasure in the world. It was pure delight to be able to surprise her with something he knew she would find amazing.
The tower was twice taller than the highest palm trees in the area. When they arrived in the small chamber at the top, they could see the entire region through the narrow vaulted windows. Hills of reddish dry land and old square houses made of clay were spreading in the distance. Zayn uncovered an object, taking off the dusty velvet cover that had been hiding it.
“Look! This is what I wanted to show you.”
Giselle came closer, kneeling by the metal object, her eyes wide with interest, captivated by the ancient piece.
Zayn spoke exuberantly:
“It's actually the oldest telescope in the country. It was built in the sixteenth century”, he added, delighted that she was already fascinated by it. “Isn't it something!”
“Oh yes, it's awesome”, she spoke, mesmerized by the metal instrument that pointed to the sky.
43
She hardly dared to touch it, but her thin fingers with painted nails moved over the chiseled rough surface.
She seemed suddenly lost in thoughts, almost transported to another time, to another reality.
“I've heard of this telescope. It was built in a century when they hardly knew anything about astrology around these lands. It's a wonder it even existed in this palace, at that time. .”
Her big brown eyes with deep reflections of dark and unknown waters were staring through, almost reaching shadows of the past that remained unseen. The telescope was adorned with silver patterns, giving it a luxuriant dignity.
“This probably belonged to some royalty. . Do you think it still works?”
Zayn shrugged.
“We'll have to come back tonight to check it out.”
Giselle's eyes sparked with enthusiasm.
“Can we get in after the museum is closed?”
“Of course! I know the codes to the entrance.”
“You're my hero,” she smiled and he relished the 44
words that went straight to his heart, in a wave of warmth, despite the chilly atmosphere of the ancient tower.
“So we're meeting again tonight” he said, as they descended the spiral stairways.
“Yes, we are.”
She was serious about it. He knew her well enough to be sure she wouldn't lie. She would be there, no matter what.
“It's a date, right?”
“It's a date”, she smiled. “It's a perfect place to bring an archaeologist”, she added, amused and joyful.
He was happy that she had been impressed by the telescope. He enjoyed the way she easily accepted his ideas and went along with him. It was a good feeling. And to make the night even more magical, he was planning to surprise her in a way she wouldn't expect. What better place to propose to her, than the ancient Palace that had stood through centuries, eternally offering the view to the sky in a high tower with a silver telescope, a symbol of high aspiration, human evolution and endurance, just as their devotion, loyalty and appreciation towards each other had 45
been invincible through the years.
The museum was lit up at night by lamps strategically placed under the walls, so that the building caught a glamorous and mysterious atmosphere. There was something majestic about the Palace at night, golden walls projected against the dark sky, beams of light dissipating above the palm trees, the scent of orange trees and the remains of the daytime heat flowing in the yard.
Zayn had chosen a table at the outside restaurant under the palace walls. He had already ordered white wine for the occasion. He had also chosen to show up in a tuxedo and tie, since it was a special event. The night sky was clear and stars sparkled in the distance. Something magical was hovering above the entire park. Giselle arrived soon, as she had promised.
“I hope you haven't been waiting too long”, she said and he got up smiling, to greet her.
“Not at all. You're only two seconds late: like a princess.”
He couldn't help staring at her in amazement: she looked stunning, in her black top and mini skirt, a kind of 46
beauty that was both elegant and impressive, without being too flashy. She looked perfect. She had a certain glow about her, a certain warmth that could be seen shining in her eyes.
It was as if she knew the night was a special one, that something extraordinary was about to happen. He could almost sense her happiness of simply being there with him, having the entire night just to themselves, after a long time spent apart during the recent months. It was as if they both felt the same way about each other and the night ahead of them, together.
“Shall I ask for a menu?”
“I'm not hungry right now. Let's wait until later”, she said.
He poured some wine into the two glasses, then searched his pocket for the tiny box he had kept for that special moment. It was the best night of his life. He almost couldn't believe she was really there, next to him, smiling and reciprocating the happiness that overwhelmed his soul.
“I have something for you”, he said suddenly, deciding to approach the subject directly. “We've been together for many years and I know I want to continue to 47
have you in my life. I want it more than anything.”
Her eyes glistened secretly, already guessing what was going to follow. She waited, smiling in acceptance, somehow enjoying what he had to say. He felt the night was unlimited: anything he wanted would come true. The night was magical and timeless. He got up and came closer to her, kneeling next to her chair, with the box in the palm of his hand.
“Giselle, will you do me the honor and share this life with me? Will you be my wife?”
He opened the box and a thin ring with a diamond sparkled in the night. It was a bluish drop, painted with the protecting eye. It was a ring that had been in his family for generations, inherited from ancient centuries. It looked like a simple silver ring with a small diamond drop, but Zayn had ordered it to be plated in white gold.
She couldn't contain her joy and accepted happily:
“Oh, Zayn. .! Yes I will! Of course! Yes!”
It seemed she had been looking forward to the moment, knowing he wanted to ask her.
Feeling suddenly ecstatic, he placed the ring on her 48
finger. It looked as if the ring had finally arrived where it rightfully belonged. She stared at it in awe.
“This is beautiful! It isn't just a jewel, it's an artifact!
Where did you get it?”
“It's been in my family for centuries. My great grandfather had it. I think it's most fit that you wear it from now on.”
She stood up from the chair, impressed beyond words. Her hands touched his sleeves subtly, bringing him closer to her.
“Come here”, she pleaded, placing her arms around his neck.
He didn't wait for her to say it again. He grabbed her waist and held her tight, until he could feel her breath on his face. And then he leaned even closer and she anticipated his move, meeting his lips halfway in a kiss that expressed the passionate delight of the moment and years of love, missing and wishing. And more than anything, they enjoyed the happiness of being together, in a timeless night, like a once in a lifetime fairy tale scene.
“I love you”, he whispered to her.
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He realized he hadn't said it until that moment. He actually couldn't recall if he had ever told her that truth.
“I do love you”, he repeated, enjoying the words and liberating that undeniable truth openly, saying it to her almost as if he had just discovered it. “I love you very much, more than you know! I can't imagine my life without you.”
“You don't have to imagine it. I'm here. I love you too”, she smiled, still holding him.
The words they said were even more precious, since they had never expressed their feelings so openly before. It was a whole new level of finding each other, beyond which there was no going back, except together, ahead.
Eventually, they sat down and had a sip of wine.
“Cheers! Here's to us!”
“And to the ancient telescope”, she joked. “By the way, are we going up there tonight?”
“Yes, in a minute. I want to celebrate with you.”
“We'll celebrate by going in the museum. Have you ever done this before, by night?”
“Yes, it's like night swimming. You don't see where you came from, or where you're going.”
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“We'll do it one day. Now let's go see the telescope”.
He felt confident anything was possible for them.
Anything, anytime.
She had already accepted to share a life path with him, to stand by his side and be his partner: what greater miracle than that? Any wish could come true, he was certain of it. The universe had given him a magical night when any dream could come alive.
The tower was standing behind them, majestic and silent in the night, golden beams of light rising from the bottom and dissipating in the dark. Its top was mysteriously clouded in shadow.
Zayn and Giselle approached the museum gate. He knew the code to the lock, so they got in easily. The screech of the metal door sounded strange in the deserted palace.
They stepped carefully, watching the movements of the shadows from the orange trees. Leaves shuffling, wood cracking, night birds whistling, many unexplained noises startled them as they walked clutching their hands in reassurance. It was almost as if the palace was alive, or they 51
expected someone to be watching from the dark vaulted windows. There was an eerie feeling of not being entirely alone in the silent yard.
Stepping along the marble corridors was even more spooky. The echoes sounded differently at night than during the day, when there were tourists around.
“Don't you have the feeling that we shouldn't be here?”
“Shh! Listen!”
They stopped near the big door that led to the ball room.
“I thought I heard music inside. Do you think they left a stereo in there, just for the atmosphere?”
Giselle shook her head in disbelief.
“I didn't hear anything. There's no music.”
Zayn placed a hand on the cold door. Distant strings, like an elusive breeze, were reverberating in the palace walls.
“There is music indeed. . somewhere around here. .”
“It's in your head, Zayn. I don't hear it. Let's go, it gives me the chills.”
52
He reluctantly turned around towards the tower stairs. Something was appealing to him to remain there and go in the chambers, but Giselle's uneasy shaky voice convinced him to let the impulse disappear.
“Let's just see the telescope. That's what we came for”, she added.
They climbed the silent spiral stairs, careful not to stumble on the narrow stone edges.
When they arrived at the top, the darkness seemed to have gathered behind them. The small room was cozy and stars could be seen, brightly scattered in the night sky.
Moonlight spread on the mosaic floor.
The telescope was shiny in the pale light. Giselle instantly forgot about the ghostly corridors and became animated with excitement, pointing the telescope to the sky and leaning over to glance through the lenses.
“Can you see anything?” Zayn asked curiously.
She almost didn't hear him. Her interest had switched to the mysterious view. She focused on adjusting the lens, rotating the metal bracelet that encased it.
“It's amazing how precisely they built this telescope.
53
You wouldn't believe it was made hundreds of years ago.
Wow!” she exclaimed. “There's Jupiter and Venus. That also looks like the Saturn ring. I can't believe you'd see Saturn with this ancient instrument! Science was really advanced then, who would have guessed. .”
He stood there, watching her with fascination, feeling content. Just seeing her so delighted and preoccupied made him happy. And then he got an unusual sensation that they had been together up there before, looking at the mysterious sky. He felt as if he had seen her do that long ago. He couldn't explain why. It was a familiar view, a certainty so vibrant that he thought he could see another century through the window. The clay houses on the hills, the prayers in the distant mosque, the shuffle of palm trees, the smell of candles flickering and melting somewhere. . everything seemed to seep in the room from another time, from another life. . It was comforting and frightening at the same time, as if a heavy menace of something implacable was waiting to happen, but he knew they would be fine, no matter what.
“Can we go now? Have you seen enough?” he heard 54
He couldn't shake that deja-vu that was engulfing him, as he glanced at the narrow vaulted windows, with sparkling stars like a velvet tapestry from out of time.
Giselle turned to look at him attentively. She sensed his worried tone.
“Why? What's wrong? Don't you want to see it too?”
He shrugged.
“Okay. Why not.”
He sat in front of the telescope and she helped him position it in the right direction.
“There. You should see the planets now.”
Zayn stared through the lens, but the glass was foggy and distorted. All he could see was a diffuse view of the stars as if through a curtain of water.
“This isn't right”, he mumbled. ”Are you sure you saw those planets? I really can't distinguish anything.”
Giselle was very calm.
“The planets are there, you just have to look. Maybe you moved the telescope.”
“I didn't move anything. There are no planets, the 55
lens is dusty and it doesn't function.”
“Get away, let me look again.”
She glanced through the telescope.
“Yes. There they are: clearly, you haven't looked in the right direction.”
She was totally convinced and serious. Knowing her sharp mind and lucid thinking, he couldn't doubt her words or her sincerity. Zayn checked the telescope's other end, only to discover that the second lens was missing. He was more and more confused, staring at the instrument in bewilderment. How could she see anything with that? It was broken.
“I think we should better get out of here”, he suddenly said, with a sense of danger.
He could neither explain why Giselle saw the planets through a broken telescope, nor why he had heard music in the palace walls. He only knew they had to leave, as soon as possible, or something else might happen.
Then the floor started to tremble. First, there was a rumbling noise, announcing something big and unstoppable. The tower started shaking unexpectedly. Zayn 56
“Earthquake! Hurry, we must leave!”
He grabbed Giselle's hand and ran down the spiral stairs.
They descended so quickly, he could feel skipping stairs two by two under his feet, as if the moving stones were rearranging themselves to prevent them from falling and to help them move faster. He descended in speeding seconds, almost flying over the stones, that he didn't even notice when they passed by the exit and continued to descend to the underground level. When the stairs finally ended, the trembling stopped.
They looked around: they were in the underground tunnels that secretly spread under the palace.
“Can we go back up?” she wondered, glancing at the cloud of dust behind them.
Zayn went to check the stairs, but they had fallen off.
There was no way back, only a heap of broken stones.
“I don't know how to tell you, but the stairs were destroyed. There's no way we could climb back to the yard now. We'll have to continue through these tunnels and find 57
For some reason, he didn't panic while saying that.
He felt calm, as if he already knew where he was. The tunnels had to lead someplace he had seen before: the dungeons.
Giselle didn't seem afraid either.
“Alright”, she accepted. “Let's find a way through.”
He extended his hand to her. She slipped her fingers around his and they started walking.
It wasn't long until they found themselves in front of a large mirror, as big as a wall.
“This wasn't supposed to be here”, Zayn said. “I know the Palace blueprint, there wasn't any mirror when I checked these tunnels.”
“Maybe they brought it and didn't mention”, Giselle tried to reason.
Her clinging to logic didn't help much when they saw their own image reflected in the mirror – except they were dressed differently. They were holding hands, but she was wearing a long jillaba, shiny and golden, with knitted buttons, while he was dressed in a historic costume, with 58
large pants, a vest and turban. For a second, the double couple stared at each other, motionless, in the obscure silent tunnel. Then, the ancient ones on the other side just turned around and walked away, disappearing in the night.
Zayn thought he had hallucinations.
“Did you see that? There must have been something in the wine. .”
Giselle had remained just as perplexed by the illusion as he was.
“I don't think it was the wine”, she said pensively, searching for another reasonable explanation. “I've just got the feeling this palace is playing tricks on us.”
“Like a hologram? Do you believe what we saw was real?”
“I don't know. . how much of it could be real.”
“Shall we go on?”
“We can't turn back now anyway.”
They took a few steps towards the giant mirror that looked like a water curtain. The moment they were right in front of it, its edges disappeared and dissipated into thin air.
They stepped through, as if nothing was there at all.
59
***
Zaki had worked on the telescope the entire week, day and night, for endless hours. He melted the iron, forget the shape, hit the bracelet with a hammer, cooled it off, measured the diameter of the circles, then melted the iron again, chiseled the stone, poured the molten burning metal. . again and again, until the dimension was perfect for the lenses. He also encased the cylinder in silver foil, so it 60gave the object an elegant aspect. He did his best for the princess. When it was finally ready, he cooled the telescope in clear water. Its silver surface glowed, shiny and mysterious.
He presented himself to the palace, with the telescope wrapped in bed sheets. That was the softest cloth he owned. He boldly climbed the stairs to the guards.
“I have a gift for princess Guzel. She ordered it. I must take it to her”.
The guards said nothing, but lowered their spears to let him pass. There was no question at the palace about him: everybody knew his life was owed to the princess and he was her special servant. So nobody was allowed to interfere with him, for any reason. They had strict orders to let him pass, without any objection.
Zaki went up to the princess' chambers, beyond the terrace, in the western wing, far from the harem parties.
Her rooms were spacious and quiet, lit up by many chandeliers. Her windows led to the palm trees in the garden. There were Persian rugs everywhere and velvet round pillows to sit on.
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She saw him waiting by the door and waved to him to enter.
He bowed, placing the telescope in front of her.
“Is it finished?”
“Yes, princess.”
She unwrapped it, thrilled by sudden enthusiasm.
“It's a great quality telescope that you built in such a short time! Let's put the lenses on it.”
She brought the glass lenses. Zaki was a bit nervous, wondering if he had every detail in order.
Guzel placed the lenses on the cylinder.
“It's perfect! Tonight we'll look at the planets”, she said.
Zaki didn't think he would be allowed to watch, but Guzel wouldn't have it any other way. He had to be there.
She requested it.
When evening came, he followed her up in the high tower, carrying the telescope in his arms. He climbed the spiral stairs that seemed endless, up to the small room with vaulted windows that overlooked the valleys and hills of the entire region.
62
“It's a clear sky tonight”, Guzel said, contentedly.
He placed the telescope by the window and stepped back, to give her space.
The distant sounds of the villages on the hills echoed to the tower: people lighting up torches for the night, closing doors, rumbling gates and wooden shutters, shouting at sheep, goats and donkeys, preparing for sleep.
The heat was still filling the air. The sunset's last colors had faded with the last beams of light. Chanting prayers from the mosque resounded above the valley. Blue darkness revealed sparkling stars in the sky.
The princess sat down, adjusting the lenses on the silver telescope.
He stood there, watching her elegant fingers and precise gestures, mesmerized by her kindness and inventive mind. He had never seen such a woman, with preoccupations that were hard to understand by a common man. His devotion for her was already unquestionable. He would have defended her with his life.
“This telescope works!” she exclaimed, enthusiastically. “I can see the planets!”
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“Come, sit here. Look!”
He approached the telescope and knelt in front of it.
He didn't expect to see anything, but there was something astounding, breathtaking through the clear glass: astral objects that had come closer, round shiny spheres, one surrounded by a ring. And the moon. . the majestic, mysterious moon had become as big as a silver platter, glowing so brightly it almost blinded him.
“This is magic!” he said amazed.
“Yes, it is! It's a universe full of wonders!” the princess agreed.
He instantly understood why she had been so fascinated by that instrument: it was a way of escaping the earthly world, creating a path to the sky.
“Is this like a magic lamp?” he asked.
Guzel laughed.
“No, I don't think it has that function. If we rub it no genie will come to grant us our wishes. . but we can see farther than any human being ever could.”
She suddenly stood up and took something off her 64
“Here”, she said, bringing up in the light a tiny sparkling drop. “You can take this. It's a diamond. It's very valuable. I don't have coins to give you, but this jewel is worth more than a bag of gold.”
Zaki was reluctant to take the diamond, but she insisted.
“If you don't take it, I won't have the dignity of keeping my word to you. I told you I would pay you for your work. Please take this diamond as payment. It's painted with the eye that keeps evil away.”
She placed it in the palm of his hand, a small bluish drop of a gem. He bowed, speechless.
“Thank you, princess. I will treasure it greatly.”
Actually, he knew he could make something with it.
He hid it in the inside pocket of his vest, next to his heart.
“Let's have some tea together”, the princess said after long minutes of watching the planets through the telescope. “I want to talk to you about something.”
They returned to the long room with velvet pillows and numerous chandeliers. She signaled to servants to 65
bring a silver tray with tall narrow glasses, transparent and steamy. Inside, greenish tea and leaves smelled of mint and spices.
Zaki sat next to Guzel, listening to her words, holding the glass in his rough hands.
“My brother wants me to marry a man that I don't really have interest in.”
He remained silent. He knew about the cousin.
“I want to get out of this Palace and make it to the seaside. There is a sailor on a ship, who invited me to sail to another country, where women can do many things and learn science.”
Zaki didn't like the idea of her going away with some sailor, but he also couldn't say anything about it. Princess Guzel was determined and knew what she wanted for her life.
“It will be Ramadan next month. The Palace will be closed during the day and everyone will be inside, praying. I can get away easier. But I need someone I can trust. And I trust you, Zaki. You can bring horses, we'll ride off together.
I know the way over the mountain. We'll reach the seaside 66
Zaki was still silent, his head full of thoughts. She hesitated, not knowing what his frowning expression meant. So she continued, with a warmer, more cautious tone:
“I know it's a risky thing to ask. We could both lose our heads if my brother finds out and stops us. But I don't want to get married to that cousin.”
Zaki replied:
“I imagine he's a repulsive old man, losing his hair, his judgment and his eyesight.”
Guzel laughed:
“That's true. But it's not the only motivation. I also want to study science. I really have to leave the Palace. I want a life where I can study the knowledge of the world. I need to be free.”
“You don't have to explain anymore. I'll take you out of here as soon as possible. I'll make it possible for you.”
He heard himself speak with total confidence and determination. In fact, it was his feeling for Guzel that was taking over his rational mind. He wanted to save her, no 67
matter the consequences. Her eyes lit up and she seemed relieved that he was willing to become complicit, offering his service.
“You're my hero”, she said.
He enjoyed the feeling of being her hero. For a second, he let the warm wave make his heart beat faster. In that moment, he could feel and enjoy the privilege, the happiness of such a dream of being her trusted man. He cherished the instantly gratifying certainty of what it would have felt to be rightfully together, beyond earth and sky. .
what it could have been like to be loved by her. Wanting that for himself was an exquisite, ideal dream that seemed almost within his reach, as she was standing there in front of him, smiling lightly to herself, as if she sensed the sudden adoration he felt. He enjoyed the total thrill of it, in the closeness of that vision. It was the best feeling, as if that was how things should have been, that was the gift life could have offered him. It made him dizzy to believe her love could have been real after all. Zaki considered himself fortunate to even experience the feeling of how it was to be loved by someone as perfect and amazing as the princess.
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But he knew he wasn't the one she would choose as a real partner
Zaki didn't think he would ever have a chance at a future with Guzel. A blacksmith and a princess: it was a fantastic fairy tale, an enchanting vision that wouldn't last, like spraying dust from a magic lamp. “I would have to become a prince myself” , he thought. “Then I could be with her indeed, forever.” He was tempted to imagine it, but he also remained well aware that their interaction in reality would not go beyond what it already was established.
However, he liked to believe in miracles.
Zaki wondered if her heart belonged to the sailor who had promised her a life of liberty, far away. At the same time, it didn't matter that much to him. She mattered more than his conflicting emotions and he was fighting to keep his feelings from overwhelming his mind. He struggled to remain clear about the situation. Offering her the chance to get away was more important than who she really wanted to be with, after she would gain her freedom.
He spoke with determination:
“I'll bring the fastest horses. Just tell me when. Send 69
me a sign one day ahead, before you decide to leave.”
“I can't express how grateful I am and important this is to me. Thank you.”
Guzel looked into his eyes, her direct stare like a hidden amber flame.
Zaki suddenly thought it was ironic that the harem girl Yasemin had turned down his offer, while princess Guzel was asking of him the exact same thing, as a high favor.
He wondered if he understood anything at all about women. Probably not, he thought.
He stepped out into the night, to return to the barn, his head heavy with thoughts and plans while his heart was darkened by the prospect of another man captivating the princess' interest. . and a new life away from him.
“Is everything alright?” a shadow came from under the orange trees.
He knew that voice.
“Yes, Zuleyha. You can come near. The soldiers are gone to change shifts.”
She looked at him thoughtfully.
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“You carry a heavy burden, boy. I was so relieved when the emir spared your life, but I worry you're placing it at risk again. What are you up to?”
“Nothing. “
He breathed deeply, but the pain didn't subside from his chest. He struggled to keep his mind above his emotions.
Zuleyha noticed it.
“You're up to something, I'm sure.”
She stared at him inquisitively.
“You know”, she spoke slowly and wisely, “that's not a girl who can be kept in a golden cage for too long. Not by any man, no matter how luxurious his wealth might be, or how brave his spirit.”
“What girl?”
“You know very well who I'm talking about. That's also not a girl to make plans for. Not by someone kneeling at the bottom of the stairs.”
“I'm not kneeling anywhere.”
“Yet you're right here in the night, and she's up there in the palace, isn't she?”
Zaki didn't like to admit the truth about the distance 71
“I'm off to sleep. I've got things to do tomorrow.”
“You better be careful, boy. I wouldn't want to see you in the dungeons again,” Zuleyha warned him.
Zaki needed to detach from the sudden realization that his feelings for Guzel had taken flight into a whole new level of adoration he knew he couldn't escape from anymore. He could no longer deny it to himself, or to her. It could also get them both in a lot of trouble. He was aware of the complications it brought. . but it was such a deep feeling, and it felt so right to belong with her, that he found it impossible to resist it.
“If I can become a prince myself one day, she could decide to be with me” , the thought kept running in his mind.
That hope was far away though: how to turn into a prince from a blacksmith? It was a miracle he believed in, but something that remained in the distance. In the meantime, he needed to keep his head occupied. He decided to do what he knew best. Being restless, he started forging a jewel piece for the diamond drop the princess had given him.
He spent all night pouring silver on stone, chiseling 72
and chipping off the imperfections, until it was what he had wished to achieve: a purely beautiful ring with a diamond and a spell against evil.
One day, if I'm lucky, I'll give this to her, he thought.
The ring was especially made for the princess –
nobody else deserved it. Nobody else would ever have it, he decided.
When Ramadan month arrived, the Palace became quiet during the day. It only turned lively in the evening, after sunset, when movement and tea glasses could be heard everywhere. While the sun was in the sky, everybody was in the chambers, hidden, praying and fasting.
Guzel took advantage of the palace being numb and silent. She came to the horses barn.
“I'll show you where we can leave”, she said, “come quickly.”
Zaki followed her in the tower. Instead of going up, she went down the spiral stairs, until they reached the underground tunnels.
“Here we can get out to the river, on the other side beyond the palace walls. It's just ten minutes away.”
73
She started walking through the tunnel.
“This way”, she said.
After a few steps, they stopped in front of a light curtain. The beams were coming from some window on the side, but it looked like a big square blocking the way. As they looked into the light, they almost saw two silhouettes on the other side. They had strange contours and appearance, but Zaki had the eerie feeling they were magic apparitions.
The chill of the tunnel went to his bones.
“Are they ghosts?” he whispered.
Guzel shook her head.
“No, they look exactly like us. It must be a reflection from somewhere.”
“Are there secret mirrors in these tunnels?'
“Not that I know of. The emir might have set some traps, though.”
Zaki and the princess stared for a few seconds towards the shadows that stood a few feet from them.
“It's a spell. They must be some dginns who pretend to take our appearance.”
74
“Just keep walking”, the princess whispered.
“Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem”, Zaki started praying the way his grandfather used to say a protective chanting against fantastic creatures who did unexplained things.
They advanced through the tunnel and the beams of light dissipated. The two reflections disappeared at once. It was a relief to see the exit glimmering ahead. At the end of the tunnel, Zaki and Guzel found themselves by the river bank, under the tower of the palace.
Sunlight and chirping birds made the scenery seem harmless and oblivious to anything, just nature resting in afternoon slumber.
“This is how we'll get away.”
“When?”
“In two days. I just need to gather some things. We won't wait any longer. My cousin is coming to seal the deal with my brother, for the engagement and wedding arrangements. He mustn't find me at the palace when he arrives.”
“We'll be far away by then”, Zaki confirmed.
He placed a hand on the tunnel vault, measuring the 75
“The horses won't fit through the tunnels. I'll bring them around and wait for you here, by the river. “
“It's a good plan. We'll need three horses.”
Zaki was surprised.
“Three? Who's coming with us?”
“My servant. Don't worry, she can't speak. Her tongue was cut off before she was brought to the palace.
She belonged to a rich merchant who sold her to us and I decided to take care of her, so she became a servant in my quarters. She wouldn't tell our secret anyway.”
“So when do we leave?”
“In the morning, during the prayers. Everyone will be on their rug, facing east. It's the time when we can escape unnoticed.”
“I'll wait for you right here.”
Zaki chose the fastest three horses from the royal collection of pure bred stallions. He knew it was just a matter of time before the emir would discover they had run away. He needed some advantage, more than just the surprise.
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When the solar clock on the palace terrace showed noon, he was already hidden with the horses in the dry bushes by the river bank, under the tower. The princess showed up, emerging from the tunnel, wrapped in peasant clothes and followed by the servant. They had only a few bags where they had stashed bread and mint leaves for tea.
The princess had also taken one of the lenses from the telescope, to make fire when nights got too cold.
“Let's go, hurry!”
After they were in the saddle, he whistled to the horses and they began their ride along the river bank, splashing hooves in the water to lose their tracks.
The horses had been well fed and they could run for hours. The group stopped only at sunset, near a pine tree forest where Zaki set up a tent for the ladies. He lay a rug in front of the tent, where he would sleep, under the stars. He was used to sleeping outside and he also made sure the princess would be protected.
He sat on the ground, looking at the night sky.
Insects and night birds were mysteriously signaling while the breeze was shuffling the pine branches. The princess 77
came outside to hand him a piece of bread and a leather bottle of mint tea. He looked at her. She was calm, but lost in thoughts.
“Do you think they noticed by now that we're gone?”
he asked, munching the piece of bread.
“That's for sure. My absence would have been noticed at dinner. I'm sure they already started a search party. The emir's soldiers won't camp for the night, they'll ride in the dark until they find us. I just hope they won't know which way to go.”
They were silent for a while. Zaki knew he would be dead if they were ever caught. Nothing would save him from that. Maybe the princess would be spared, but he wouldn't.
“So what about that sailor? Is he waiting for you?
What if he's out at sea when we get there?”
“I sent him a messenger pigeon. I hope it finds him.”
“And then he'll take you to another land?”
“He told me there is a country where women can do many things: study, do some jobs, be independent. There is a land where grass grows in a few days, so green and tall, 78
after it rains. And the earth provides food for fruit trees. It's never too hot and water runs down the mountains in big streams and waterfalls everywhere.”
“Do you want to live there?”
Her eyes were lit up by visions she could already see.
“Yes, I want a new life in that promising land.”
Zaki wondered about the sailor: what else had he promised the princess? Was he young, tall and strong? Was he rich? A merchant's son? A pirate? A ruler of the land?
“Did this man say he would provide you shelter?” he asked.
He didn't want to ask directly if the sailor had promised to marry the princess.
“Yes Zaki, he said so.”
The princess didn't seem eager to disclose too many details of her connection with the sailor.
Zaki couldn't interfere with her plans. He wanted to save her, but he hadn't decided what to do after they would reach the sea shore.
79
***
Zayn and Giselle were fumbling through the obscure tunnels when they reached some stairs that went even further down.“I don't think I know where these might take us.
There was no other level than the underground.”
80
“And yet there's no way out. We should at least see where these could go.”
Giselle was still calm, though her worried voice revealed uncertainty about the possible choices they had left. Zayn switched on his phone to light the steps.
“Okay, here we go. .”
The stairs went deeper in the dark and stopped at a metal gate. It had a big lock and rusty chains. Beyond the bars there were jugs of oil and wine, huge clay pots and wooden crates.
“It looks like this cellar went under the kitchen. We can't open the lock.”
“Let's go back. Maybe we can find another tunnel that goes outside.”
Choosing another tunnel didn't offer more options.
The vault ended in a wall.
Zayn placed his ear on it.
“Listen: there's a river behind this wall. We could get out if we had something to break it.”
There were no tools in the tunnels. The silence and the shadows made everything heavier.
81
“Don't you have the feeling we've been here before?”
he turned to her.
Giselle wrapped her arms around herself, to keep warm.
“I have the feeling we're going in circles.”
“This is like a computer game I used to play when I was a child: Prince of Persia. It took a long time to find the exit to each level and there were traps everywhere.”
“Can you get any ideas from that? What did you do in the game to get out?”
“In the game I restarted each level multiple times, until I got it right. I don't know if it's possible to do the same thing here. Let's go back. Maybe we can clear the stones away from the entrance.”
Since there was no other option, they returned to the beginning of the tunnel that was covered in broken pieces of yellow ancient blocks. Zayn struggled to move some of them away, to make enough space to crawl out. He managed to push the first stones to the side.
“There: I can see the stairs going up. Maybe we can fit through. Come!”
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He stepped carefully, passing through. Giselle followed. He helped her out, then continued to climb the stairs together, believing there were only a few more to the exit. However, after climbing for many minutes, they still didn't reach the end of the spiral.
“Where is that exit?”
“Maybe we passed by it. Maybe the earthquake buried it in rubble.”
Zayn looked up, pointing the flashlight from the phone to what looked like a door in the wall.
“Is that the telescope room?” Giselle asked.
“It could be. Though I remember the door looked different from this one.”
Zayn checked the handle. The door was unlocked. He pushed it open, but immediately stepped back.
“Whoa, I almost dropped my phone out there!”
He was standing on the edge. Below his feet there was only a steep wall, very high above a precipice. It looked like a mountain cliff.
“Where did this come from? We're too high up. There was nothing like this in the Palace yesterday.”
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“Everything is strange tonight”, Giselle said cautiously, as if not to wake something else up.
“So what now? Do we go back to the tunnel?”
“I see no other option. We're safer underground anyway. . in case there's another earthquake.”
They descended back into the tunnel, until they reached the wall behind which water was running in a river.
Zayn checked his phone: it had no signal. They couldn't call anyone.
“Let's wait here until someone passes by outside. We can shout and they'll come for us.”
They sat down, with their backs leaning against the yellow ancient stones.
“I thought this was the happiest night of my life”, he said.
Giselle moved closer to him, snuggling by his side and leaning her head on his shoulder.
“We'll have other nights. . Now I'm cold. How long do you think we'll be here before they come to find us?”
“I'm not sure anyone knows we're here.”
“Great. .”
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They listened. Strange sounds that resembled steps, voices or screeching of doors could be heard in the rooms above. And then the palace sank in complete silence. From time to time, the ground would start shaking again. Zayn held Giselle closely and eventually they fell asleep. No one came until the morning. He opened his eyes, while a voice was calling him loudly:
“ Are you alright, boy? Wake up!”
A woman was standing in front of him, watching him attentively.
“What are you doing down here? How did you get in?”
He looked around. He was still in the tunnels, but alone.
Giselle was gone.
He didn't understand. She couldn't have left him there. She wouldn't have done that. It was not in her character. At least, not the one he knew of.
“Why did you sleep in the tunnel? How did you enter the palace?”
The woman seemed to wait for some answers from 85
“I'm the tour guide”, he said. “I have the codes to the entrance, but there was an earthquake last night and we got trapped.”
“We? Who else is down here?”
Zayn looked around.
“My girlfriend. Actually, I proposed to her yesterday.
She must be somewhere, around, not very far. She wouldn't have left me.”
“First, let me tell you that there was no earthquake last night. Secondly, I didn't see anyone else but you. And last, but not least. . why would you get inside the palace after it closed?”
Zayn stared at her.
“What do you mean, there was no earthquake? And who are you anyway?”
She smiled.
“I'm Zuleyha, the manager of the museum. Or you can call me the palace keeper. I've been here for many years, but never have I found someone sleeping in the tunnels.”
“So you didn't see my girlfriend Giselle?”
86
She smiled wisely and somehow, her smile seemed strange to Zayn.
She seemed ageless and detached from judgment.
She observed him a bit amused.
“You know you could get in a lot of trouble for this.”
Zayn stood up.
“I know. However. . if nothing really happened. . what were those stairs and many levels of the underground tunnels? There was also a higher tower above a mountain!”
“Are you sure you haven't been dreaming? Maybe there are many levels in your mind, boy.”
“Is the entrance still blocked?”
“The entrance is not blocked. It never was.”
Zayn seemed more and more bewildered.
The only explanation he had was that the place had magical forces and strange things happened at night, illusions and ghosts roaming the corridors. He also couldn't explain why Giselle was gone. He wondered if he had really given her the ring. Had she really been there? Had the date really happened?
87
He checked his pockets: the ring wasn't there anymore.
He also checked his phone, for the message she had sent from the airport. I'm here, the message said. “So she was here indeed”, he thought. It hadn't been just a dream.
But where had she gone?
Wherever she was, she had the ring with her.
As long as she had the ring, he was certain she would return to him.
The ring was magical. He believed that it had the power to bring her back.
88
***
After a night of almost no sleep, Zaki and Guzel continued their ride along the river.At sunset they had to stop for the night again, while the horses were sweaty and foamy and needed rest. Guzel made a fire with the lens from the telescope and heated a kettle of tea.
“One more day and we'll reach the sea shore”, the princess said.
Zaki didn't know if he was glad about it or not. It meant granting the princess her freedom. It also meant letting her go with another man, to another life, where he 89
had no place. He was aware he would have to accept it, in her best interest.
He sipped the tea and listened to the water in the river, running in the dark.
Guzel suddenly took off her veils.
“I'm going to take a bath in the river”, she said.
They had been riding all day in the sun. It was a good idea, he thought. He didn't follow her even though he wanted to: he gave her the privacy of taking a swim undisturbed. It was the honorable thing to do. However, he couldn't prevent his imagination to add visions to the sounds of her footsteps on the river pebbles. She had probably taken off her shoes and most of her clothes. He had to fight the temptation of looking over his shoulder.
He decided to pretend to sleep. His ears were listening to the water splashing.
“It's very cold”, the princess announced from the river.
She knew he wasn't sleeping.
“If you want to take a bath, bring dry clothes with you, because it's freezing.”
90
She returned, refreshed and shaking from the cold.
“Good night Zaki”, she said kindly.
“Good night, princess.”
He enjoyed being at least close to her, sleeping by the tent entrance.
The thought of her presence just a step away was thrilling and comforting at the same time.
In the morning, they woke up early and headed back to ride along the river.
It wasn't long before horses were heard behind them.
Zaki looked back. A group of soldiers from the palace was approaching in the distance.
He knew he had to act fast.
“I've got an idea”, he said.
He had already accepted that he had to separate from the princess anyway. The least he could do was save her, so their escape would not be in vain.
“You should go ahead through the valley”, he told Guzel. “It's a detour, but you'll reach the sea shore in a few hours. I'll wait here with your servant and trick them into 91
following us in the wrong direction. It's the only way.”
The princess hesitated. She didn't want to leave him to open danger.
He could almost swear she cared for him. How much, he didn't know.
“It's the only way”, he repeated. “We'll see each other again, Insh'Allah.”
“Insh'Allah”, the princess said and turned her horse around, heading for the valley below.
There was no time left. Zaki took the harness of the servant's horse and kicked his own, starting in the opposite direction, on the ridge of the hill. He made sure to wait a while until the soldiers were closer and could get a glimpse of him and the servant, then whistled and shouted at the horses to make them gallop faster.
The group of palace soldiers followed him and the servant. They didn't notice the princess was riding away through the valley. Zaki and the veiled servant kept running in front of the soldiers for almost an hour, luring them to the edge of a mountain wall, far from the sea shore. They passed through the pine forest and towards the mountain 92
top, up the rocky hill. When the horses seemed too tired to climb, they jumped off and looked for a place to hide. Zaki knew there was a cave in the mountain wall. He had seen it when they had passed by one day ago.
They climbed the wall and finally went inside the obscure rock. The soldiers could be heard shouting at the bottom of the mountain wall.
The cave was empty of water. Only a small puddle glistened in the middle. The wind howled through the holes in the ceiling. Zaki signaled to the servant to hide behind a rock. The soldiers were still at the bottom of the cliff. He didn't know if they had seen them go into the cave.
“We'll be here a while”, he whispered to the servant.
“I didn't even ask your name.”
She looked at him attentively. She didn't seem afraid.
Then she wrote in the dust: Fatima.
“Fatima, you were very useful today. Your veils misled the soldiers into believing they were following the princess.”
She nodded. He explained:
“We must stay in this cave until it gets dark. Then we 93
can escape, though I really don't know where. We can go to the first village and ask for shelter. I'll make hooves and tools in exchange for food. You can stay with me, if you have nowhere else to go. Or you can go to the port, look for the princess. Maybe she'll take you along on her journey.”
Fatima nodded again.
Zaki was a bit melancholic and resigned, mentioning the princess. He felt rather hopeless, hiding in the cave, while she was meeting the man who would offer her a new life. He still had the diamond ring in the inside pocket of his vest. He hadn't showed it to her.
“Do you think we'll see her again?”
Talking to Fatima was like talking to the walls of the mountain. She only looked at him and didn't make any movement. She couldn't answer, even if she wanted to.
“I suppose you might see her again, but me. . I don't know. Odds are against me this time.”
He felt some relief in the fact that he still had the jewel he had forged for Guzel, with the diamond she had given him. He took the ring out and showed it to Fatima.
“Look what I made for her. It's beautiful, isn't it?”
94
Fatima's eyes stared widely at the shiny jewel. Then she looked at him with distant regret.
“Yeah”, he said. “It's obvious, my heart belongs to someone I can't be with.”
Fatima lowered her eyes.
He continued:
“I know you think I'm not worthy of your princess.
I'm a blacksmith, that's true. But I've got my qualities and I can do many things. I could become a prince one day, if I find a magic lamp or enough riches. However. . it doesn't matter anymore now. She's gone to meet another man. And we must make sure we don't lose our lives, cause the moment the emir's soldiers find us, it's over.”
Zaki listened to the noises from outside: they had subsided. He went to the entrance to check: the soldiers had not left, but had made camp at the bottom of the mountain wall. He could see their pointy helmets and spears from above, moving around in the forest.
“The only way is through them, or up across the mountain”, Zaki told Fatima.
He only had an encrusted dagger. That wasn't much 95
of a weapon, he knew it - and he was outnumbered anyway.
When darkness fell over the mountain, they got out of the cave and climbed carefully to the top of the cliff, stopping at every small pebble that rolled down from the wall. When they arrived at the top, they started running to the other side of the mountain. They walked all night, until they reached the first village, but they didn't stop there.
They continued to the sea shore, where they could easily hide in the port, among so many people from different places of the world.
Zaki didn't know on which ship Guzel could be. He searched them one by one, but some ships had already left and on some ships he wasn't allowed to climb. There was no way to find her, unless she wanted to be found.
He decided to get work in the port, in the hope he could meet Guzel again one day, if she ever returned. First, he carried merchandise on the ships, then he started helping the ship builders make metal parts for the vessels.
Fatima found work as a servant in a rich villa and he never saw her again. They had better chances apart than together anyway.
96
Zaki rented a small house near the ship construction site. The palace soldiers never arrived in the port, and if they did, they couldn't find him. He let his beard grow and started wearing a bandanna, like the foreign sailors that came to the port on Western ships.
He often looked out to the sea: the clear blue waves spread endlessly to the horizon, hiding the one he loved, in a color the same as the diamond she had given him.
97
***
Zayn and Zuleyha went out on the terrace. The palace looked intact. No trace of earthquake could be seen anywhere. The walls had no cracks and not even a speck of dust was on the spiral stairs.“How can this tower be so immaculate? There was rubble everywhere last night!”
“I told you, there wasn't any earthquake.”
Zayn looked across the terrace. Suddenly, a white pigeon flew out of nowhere above his head and something 98
fell at his feet. The pigeon fluttered away, into the sky. Zayn picked up the piece of paper that the messenger pigeon had dropped. He unfolded it.
“I hope this letter finds you well. I hope you escaped and you have a new life now. You may know that I also have a new life, in this new country where the grass grows so tall when it rains. I learned a lot about science and I do experiments every day. I am very happy. I wish you good luck.
Thank you for setting me free.”
The note was signed Princess Guzel.
Zayn stared at it, trying to understand.
“What is this note? How did it get here?”
“The pigeon brought it”, Zuleyha answered simply, as if she saw such pigeons dropping letters every day.
“Who is Princess Guzel?”
“She lived in this Palace a long time ago. You should know her story, since you're the tour guide.”
“And the pigeon brought her letter just now? After five centuries?. .”
Zayn held the paper out in the light, and it suddenly disintegrated, turning to small pieces that scattered in thin 99
“It's what I expected. . paper doesn't last that long. It only lasted while you read it.”
“Why me?”
“You should know the answer to that question. Deep in your soul, you know why.”
Zayn didn't really know why. He was concerned with Giselle's absence. He looked around, towards the top of the tower, but the room up there looked empty. No one could be seen through the vaulted windows.
“Are you searching for something?” Zuleyha asked him, as he stared into the dizzying height.
Zayn was worried.
“My girlfriend. We were together last night, but this morning she was gone. I can't seem to find her anywhere! ”
He turned on his phone and was relieved to see it had a signal. He quickly texted her: “Where are you?”
He waited for a reply. Then the words appeared on the screen.
“I'm at the treasure site in Pacific islands, I told you about it last month. I'm with a team of archaeologists, 100
digging for the remains of an ancient civilization. Did you forget about it? I've been here for two weeks already. I'll send you pictures with the clay pots we just found! And the views are fantastic, ocean beach and blue waters everywhere.”
“This can't be right”, he mumbled, confused.
“What's wrong?” Zuleyha asked.
Her calm, impartial voice seemed unaffected and strangely unsurprised by the situation.
“She's not here anymore. Actually, she's not even in the country right now! She's never really been here, not a single day this whole week!”
Zayn sat down on the terrace, looking at the high palm trees that were slowly swinging in the breeze, while the top of the tower was pointing silently to the clear morning sky. Everything seemed peaceful and undisturbed. And yet, it troubled him even more. The heavy silence and Giselle's unexplained absence were mixing with the strange realization he had met someone that looked exactly like her the night before. .
“I couldn't have been dreaming! I gave her the ring. I remember clearly that I proposed to her! And now she says 101
Zayn was sure it hadn't been a mirage or a dream, since he didn't have the ring with him anymore. He had given it away, in a proposal, to a girl he thought was perfect.
He was beginning to think the Palace had sent one of the underground ghostly apparitions to look like Giselle and trick him into giving away the ring.
“Who did I meet last night? Who did I give the ring to?”
He took his head in his hands. The girl that should have been Giselle had behaved, indeed, much more lovingly than ever. She had been amazingly perfect, while their relationship had flown to another level. She had been so warm and real, though. . He could still feel the certainty of her embrace, the softness of her hair and the touch of her hand. It couldn't have been just a midnight dream or a magic illusion.
The ring had a protection spell, his grandfather had told him. The ring couldn't belong to anyone but the right person.
“Maybe you gave the ring to the right girl, after all. .”
102
Zuleyha said, as if she had read his mind. “The right girl, to whom you should have given it from the beginning”, she added seriously.
There was some deeper hint in her words.
“What do you mean?”
She mysteriously avoided any explanation.
“If you don't know, I'm not going to tell you.”
He was running out of ideas. There was something he felt he had missed. . something, at some point, had remained unsolved. He wished he could restart that week all over again, the way he would restart an unsolved level in the computer game.
He couldn't shake the feeling that the Palace was a place where everything had started and everything had to conclude, in a full circle. The ring was a part of it and it connected the dots.
“And now what?”
Zuleyha smiled, peacefully.
“Wait for another pigeon.”
“Is this a joke?”
“Absolutely not.”
103
He felt as if he was a part of the computer game again, Prince of Persia, waiting for a clue to get to another level. And yet reality was overwhelmingly more mysterious and unexplained. He looked up to the sky, almost believing Zuleyha's words, since nothing else seemed to make sense anymore. The palm trees were swinging in the calm breeze, as if reaching to the top of the tower, for something that was unseen. Everything else stood still. Even time itself seemed to have lazily dozed off in slumber, while the Palace walls awaited, basking in sunlight. And then indeed, another pigeon flew by, dropping a folded piece of paper.
He picked it up eagerly. It was the answer he expected.
“I'm up here”, the note said. “Look to the tower.”
He suddenly saw a figure advancing in front of the vaulted window. Someone was in the telescope room, very high, at the end of the spiral stairs.
He wondered who was up there. He could see her long hair and he guessed her appearance from a distance, as if he knew her very well, and had seen her many times standing by that window.
104
“Are you going to meet her or not?” Zuleyha asked.
He stared at the presence that waited up in the tower, silently, her eyes directed steadily at him, while he sensed a magnetic force arising between them, from far away.
It was as if distance was dissipating and turned to nothing in a second. There was only the tower and the two of them. And he knew she had the ring.
He replied in a calm tone, determined and detached:
“Yes. . I'm going to her.”
He knew it didn't matter how the Palace was changing the borders of reality, of time, of eternal truths and of existence itself. Nothing mattered as much as that moment when the universe had arranged the planets, the tower, the telescope and the pigeons, announcing the presence in the window, radiating brightly in the diamond from the ring around her finger, a concentrated power that would not admit any obstacles, any detours, any denial. It was the force of life, the legacy of a promise, the lasting energy of love, more powerful than anything, eternal and determined, magical and miraculous.
105
“I'm surely going up”, he repeated. “She already has my ring, hasn't she?”
And he smiled, walking towards the marble stairs that were shining in the morning light, waiting for him since forever, outside the endless course of time.
“I'll be right there. .”
Anything was possible, he understood, while climbing the stairs, as if stepping on a magical flying carpet.
He was curious about the events that would follow, while he became aware he was undoubtedly ascending to the next level.
Anything and everything could begin again.
It was an endless fairy tale that belonged to the Palace, a magical palace in a miraculous universe.
106
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Jan 2024
After overthrowing Christos from power, the long dormant enemy is awoken. Christos was just a tree and under him there were strong, vicious, and deep roots. T...
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