It was about time for the occasion downstairs, I skittered to the royal washroom, it was over occupied with all the girls washing their delicate skin with all kinds of soaps and doing all manner of treatments to make themselves more attractive. With the incident that happened earlier, I went to the steam room to relax a bit.
'Crjstaljh!!!! I can't believe you're here, so you actually shower huh?' rhye said jokingly, putting her hands on her waist, she adjusted her towel and sat beside me.
Rhye was my best friend and closest step sister since I was six, I hugged her and broke down into tears,
'Awnn, I was gone for just a week and you missed me so much that's adorable,' rhye said sarcastically,
Rhye had a slender body, she had purple hair and blue eyes and acted like a boy sometimes.
'I guess that's it,' I sniffled,
'Hey I was just joking, come on let's get into the bath the water's cool today,' she pulled me in saying.
The water was actually cool, I decided to pretend like nothing ever happened with Ryoka and I.
She told me about all her adventures she had in defense training camp outside the kingdom not too far away from our land, I was supposed to go with her and the others but I fractured my leg a few hours before the day, I fell while climbing a huge tree so I couldn't go.
We laughed and joked around a lot measuring and discussing the other girls body shapes and sizes in the washroom, one of them approached us when she figured out she was the topic of our discussion, we looked at each other and pretended like we were discussing something else,
'What's so funny?' The fat girl asked with her tongue on the roof of her upper teeth
'Nothing,' rhye said, 'crjstaljh just thought that you are what you eat'
the fat girl made her voice louder to get attention 'So what's that supposed to mean, jackass'
Everyone turned to watch to drama,
'You know what? Sorry let's not make this a big issue,' I said. The fat girl rolled her eyes then clicked her tongue afterwards,
'You know what? Keep rolling your eyes maybe you'll find a brain back there also, were you born in nekada village cause that's where accidents happen,' Rhye said smirking devilishly.
Everyone around laughed mockingly pointing the fat girl. The fat girl got angry and tried to throw a fist at rhye but missed and slipped landing on her buttocks, the girls went wild with laughter.
Clunk clunk! Queen rashmea hit her walking stick on the floor behind her, her two loyal senior servants stood.
Someone whispered, Queen rashmea is here!
Queen rashmea, the first Queen of my father, brutal, rude, extremely elegant, and intelligent. She cat-walked into the washroom with a long laced dress and her obviously huge mole underneath her nose. Some say she had four sons for the king, unfortunately one died in battle. Some died from different causes too but the king had so many children he didn't bother most.
Everyone arranged themselves in a line,
koin koin koin koin!
The queen walked forward checking the girls one by one from bottom to top making sure everyone was elegant enough to attend the occasion happening downstairs.
Some of us, especially me just thought she looked like a clown because she over decorated herself.
She kept walking, checking everyone then stopped at the fat girl, firstly she eyed her then fanned herself with her portable gold fan she carries around with her all the time, she told her to turn around, the fat girl did so and some low noises of chuckles were heard. The queen spat on the floor beside her and told her to remove herself from the queue.
She kept walking and reached a certain point
'You two were laughing, isn't that so? Remove yourselves! an elegant princess that you are supposed to be keep themselves looking elegant at all costs, and you my dear are not elegant' she Said bodly with her chest pushed forward and her head held high. The two girls left the line scurrying before they get hit by the queen's walking stick.
She removed a few others that had scars on their bodies also.
The Queen said with her palms opened as if she was about to receive a baby
'now princesses, as you were' she left the washroom and no one uttered a single word till she left completely along with her servants.
I guess the seven of them aren't going to attend father's birthday celebration then, so sad, someone said.
' I wonder how the royal special washroom looks like' crjstaljh said sadly.
What even brought that up crjstaljh?
Nothing, I just wished father knew my name at least. Mom has been really consistent for me getting his attention and blah blah, she says we would get to move out of that small room and finally move to the high chamber where father and his important wives sleeps and whatever, crjstaljh replied with a long face.
'Everyone wants to be father's favorite crjstaljh, but not everyone gets it,' Rhye takes off her towel and dances around naked trying to cheer her friend up.....well it works, they finish up and get all powdered up, ready to steal the crowd that night.
★
'Crjstaljh, I'm hungry' brjstaljh complains. You can eat All you want later but first let's go downstairs, I told her grabbing her hand, 'come on let's go' I won't lie, we both looked stunning.
We hurriedly went downstairs, everywhere was beautifully decorated with amusing colours and crystals. Everyone was there, a few important guests from other kingdoms and people of the kingdom, the queens, royal children. I looked for rhye but everywhere was flowing with people so I took my sister by hand and walked down the stairs. My mum was already downstairs talking with some other queens.
My Mother and I didn't talk much, I don't think she cared about anyone else but herself.She made me practice with brother denba to learn how to fight and made me join dancing lessons because the King loved a woman who knew how to move her waist.
I felt like someone grabbed me by the waist and stood behind me pressing his body against mine from behind so hard I felt his eggplant, I immediately remembered what happened between me and ryoka. I turned behind and I saw his face.
.... his hair was very silky by the looks of it, his cold gaze sent shiver down my spines. I shuddered because of the way he stared deep into my eyes, his skin was surprisingly very light like he bathed in milk all the time and he was tall and had a cold face, he looked down on me and with a deep voice he said;
'You'll do fine as my wife'
I stared at him in confusion but then the whole room was in applaud, this tall cold stranger lost his focus on me and I used that opportunity to mix with the crowd. I suddenly remembered I was holding brjstaljh when I came down.
I looked for her around until I saw her by the compliment table and by that I mean snacks and appetizers; at the corner she was stuffing her face with a lot cream bread.
'brjstaljh, I told you to wait until after the event,
I said.
' I couldn't wait I was soooooo hungry!!!' she cried'
'Fine fine stop yelling, let's go stand where the other princesses are if not people will think we're from outside the castle' korj said while pulling her sister's hand.
We stood with the other princesses while the king started to make his way to the room along with his first six wives behind him all dressed ravishing and the King's two giant cats beside him making his entrance grand. The crowd applaused with wide smiled while some of the men made a grimace because the king always took the most beautiful women from the kingdom as his wife either willingly or by force.
There was always a rumour of the King, my father was not supposed to be the king because of his womanizing- addiction they say. Some say he was in a duel with his only brother for the throne and he won, his father only had twelve sons and when he sent all of them to war, only three came back. The third one died of food poisoning mysteriously.
The King and his wives made an entrance to the room and sat on his throne chair with two extra golden chairs for the first two wives, the rest sat on the staircase close to the king.
I looked at my mother because I knew how badly she wanted to be in one of their positions. I never believed she cared about anyone else but herself. I used to think there was a reason she made brother Denba teach me how to fight and made me endure torturing dancing practices just to be perfect at it, I just hope all those sleepless nights won't go to waste this year again.
After the performers danced, the singing, the drinking and the a moment before the feast, the King gave a declaration that whichever of his daughters who could leave him amazed and impressed that night would get a special gift.
The crowd gasped knowing the fact that the King's gifts are always big and eye-catching ones.
Princess jamaine, the most cunning one of them all stepped out;
'The one who will be receiving that gift will be me tonight for I shall be the one to steal your gaze'
'That's if you are able to' another princess replied her.
The drums started, the music started, the princesses lining up to take the stage, we were up to sixty three except for those who were already hitched. I was in the middle of the line. After we made our way to the stage, everyone danced so majestically and swayed their hips with the rhyming melody.
Everyone was dancing so gracefully except for Rhye and some others, Rhye didn't give a damn about dancing and trying to please the king, same as me the only thing, I'm doing it for my mother.
I thought I could never outstand their movements but then I remembered;
'just move with the melody'
I took a deep breath. The music took over my body. My hips swayed with the beat, my hands traced patterns in the air. Jewelry around my waist jingled, I felt free, a storyteller with my body, expressing emotions through dance, as the music reached its crescendo, my movements became more animated, my expression a mixture of determination and vulnerability.
The crowd gasped, eyes fixed on every twist and turn. As the final notes reverberated through the air, I caught a glimpse of the King's eyes, shimmering with appreciation and approval. A soft smile crept across his lips, and my heart soared with pride and relief. The dance had achieved its purpose - to please the King.
I smiled and bowed, everyone stared in awe. I felt like I took all the attention but it didn't matter, I wasn't sure if the smile on Father's face was for me or for someone else. We made an exit.
The feast started, I wasn't feeling hungry so I let brjstaljh eat till she was swollen like a fed newborn chick. I went out because I was feeling dizzy from all the spinning and twirling.