Sold to the King

Chapter 5.

The smell of a strong incense-filled everything for a second.

Standing outside that luxurious room, the young woman could smell that fragrant aroma, which came through the cracks of that door, flooding everything in its path. Leaving her alone, the maids had left her a couple of minutes ago, indicating that the king's servants would soon open the door and allow her to enter.

The young woman paced with short steps in front of the door, somewhat nervously. While from inside she could hear faint laughter and some incomprehensible words, wondering what kind of person she would see when she opened the door.

That place was probably the most luxurious and grandest place she had ever been in her entire life, with wide corridors, beautiful hand-woven carpets adorning the floors, exquisite paintings, and ornaments on the walls, plus gold and beauty everywhere she looked. However, she did not know if she could call it a "golden cage", because it was not a prison, it was probably her new home since she had nowhere to return to, but that did not mean that she was no longer a slave and was still trapped there.

So from one instant to the next, lost in thought, the young woman turned suddenly, watching in surprise as the large wooden door had opened for her. Hesitating a few seconds to enter, observing the dim light inside, that young woman simply decided to go along with the bad joke and do as she was asked. Although that did not make her a submissive, far from it, just a reasonable person.

The great golden king.

That was what they had called Shah Jimmien Magnusson, the one who had the blood of the gods running through his veins, the strongest and bravest exterminator of Enkeli Tikkaat, intelligent and virtuous, with the face and hair of an angel.

King Jimmien was undeniably handsome, with golden hair flowing down to his shoulders in delicate waves, a face with a defiant and self-sufficient smile all the time plastered on his face; his eyes in a gold color, as bright as the sun. Contrasting everything with his slightly tanned skin, which highlighted his beautiful features, a perfect nose, and well-marked cheekbones.

The Shah stole the sighs of all the young women in the kingdom, and all of them would kill to be one of his concubines.

When the young woman entered that great hall, which was destined for the king's amusement, she felt her cheeks blush shyly, observing the great spectacle before her eyes.

In the center of that great hall was a bed, made entirely of fine velvet and surrounded by other furniture that looked like gold. Seeing that great hall, which had its doors guarded with guards and all its atmosphere very well decorated; the young woman could not help but think that that place looked like a stage for some kind of show.

In the different pieces of furniture in that room, there were artifacts of all kinds, from kitchen utensils to dance implements. Things that the king's concubines used to entertain him when they entered the place.

The Shah had 20 concubines, whom he did not summon at the same time. Having the nights to himself and his rest, the king would call a couple of his women for his entertainment, amusing himself with their shows all night long. Until when he grew tired, he would keep only one of them to sleep.

Shyly approaching the center of that large and uncomfortable room, the young woman soon fixed her eyes on that man, who surrounded by four beautiful women, was laughing non-stop. King Jimmien was undoubtedly beautiful, dazzling the young woman when her eyes fell upon his beautiful body. Lying on the bed wearing only cloth pants, the Shah was surrounded by 5 of his most beautiful concubines, gorgeous women in different outfits, but each one more exotic than the last. The group of people on the bed took a while, but soon they fixed their eyes on the stranger who had just entered, who was shyly standing at the foot of the bed, with her eyes lowered and avoiding the shameful spectacle in front of her eyes.

Observing that woman with a certain curiosity and amusement, Jimmien could only notice her fire-red hair and milk-white skin. That young woman was usually not so pale, but after having spent weeks locked up in the warehouse of that ship without getting sunlight even for a second, her skin had become much more whitish.

Without having time to ask any questions, the king watched as through one of the side doors of the room entered his brother, Jessy. The young prince, who was informed that his gift was ready and on his way to see the Shah, stopped his activities as second in command and hurried to his little brother's rooms, ready to present that "exotic" purchase.

—My king —said Jessy standing next to the young woman, not paying much attention to the spectacle in front of his eyes.

Jessy was the only one who did not follow protocol when standing in front of the Shah. Everyone in the palace was forbidden to speak to him in a strong or even indelicate way, to look him in the face, much less in the eyes, and they always had to say a flattering word in every sentence they addressed him with. This protocol, which was followed for all the members of the crown, was only evaded by the king's elder brother, who, looking him in the face and without much etiquette, was much looser with Jimmien than anyone else in the room.

—I have brought you a gift.

Smiling with a certain satisfaction, letting one of his concubines feed him some grapes in his mouth, Jimmien only kept silent, observing the quiet young woman standing in front of his bed.

—I can see that —Jimmien answered, with a low but charming tone of voice, extremely sophisticated—, my brother's gifts are well received, but... I don't see the need to buy myself a new toy.

—She is not just any woman, my king, she is a special woman —said Jessy looking sideways at the young woman next to him.

The girl, who could not help but feel alluded with all those words, pressed her hands into fists tightly, starting to get angry. She was not a toy, much less an object of that shameless king.

—And why is she special? —asked the king, taking more grapes on his lips to eat them.

—His eyes are as green as emeralds, my king.

Awakening curiosity in that vain monarch, who had no concubine with green eyes, that special color that in his kingdom meant abundance; Jimmien stopped receiving the grapes from his wife, observing the young woman with more curiosity.

—Girl —said the king addressing this time to the young girl— Why are you so scared? This king is not going to hurt you, so please talk to me so that he knows you have a tongue.

The young woman did not answer, even though she had heard the king's words, she did not look up or say a word, putting up resistance. Causing laughter from those concubines who accompanied the king, and a sarcastic laugh from Jimmien. Listening to them, the young woman felt even more furious, believing that she hated the man to whom she had been sold.

—Do you understand where you are and in front of whom, girl? The only reason you are still alive is because of and for me —explained the king in a demanding manner— You won't even tell this king your name? You are boring, you make me boring... Kill her at once.

The Shah was not known for being a person of great patience, and although he appreciated exotic beauties and wanted to see those green eyes that his brother had mentioned, the king knew that more women would come to his port sooner or later and that there he would find another beautiful young woman with green eyes someday.

Jimmien was patient, so he could wait for the next opportunity to find a new young woman with eyes like emeralds.

And though it pained Jessy in a way to lose his money in such a tame way, in the end, he knew that the king had the final say, so turning away from the young woman, he allowed some of the guards to approach the young woman.

With her heart pounding, reacting only out of a survival instinct fearing to die, the young woman looked up, and said: —I don't have to answer you.

Everyone stopped laughing at those offensive words that had been said so rudely in front of the Shah.

That unknown woman had dared to look the sublime king in the eyes.