Some time passed and the summer months ended on the note of dancing peacocks welcoming the first rains for the monsoon season. The black clouds eclipsing the sky and its tears falling down brought relief to the Emperor who was more accustomed to the cold. His burning skin felt at ease while his mood seemed to brighten. The land had a fascinating landscape. Iragi was closer to the deserts while Furuyas belonged to the mountains far East. Their home was never too cold, wool from the sheep some animal skin was all they needed to protect themselves. The weather was pleasant and much milder than that of Iragi .
Rains were plenty this year …the harvest too, the country's treasury swelled like the banks of the rivers. The soldiers were preparing for the conquest of another king of the Western territories.
Ahma continued his duties at night. After being trained months of staying awake at night and sleeping only when the sun was high up in the sky Ahma did not feel tired. In fact, he looked forward to the nighttime when he would bathe the Emperor.
The Emperor at the night after pleasure and in the morning was like two different people; like fire and ice. His expression would mellow down as he enjoyed the massage. They talked sometimes, of the policies and Emperor's inhibitions of ruling such a large empire. Ahma would suggest him or advise him only when he thought it was the right moment to give guidance. A council is only well heard and considered when other person would let his guard down. Other times he would keep quiet or hum a hymn a gypsy once taught to him.
He came to know about various things regarding the Emperor. He might be a plunderer; a conqueror however he enjoyed talking about poems among his close friends. He did not drink and never smoked opium which was seen as a common habit for the nobles.
What fascinated Ahma the most was Akihito's interest in what lay East of Oxiri which was a deep split in the earth's crust. Some believed that Oxiri had two different seasons on either side split that was infested with youkai and demons. Old bard wrote in their songs as Oxiri to be a place where one world ends and the other starts. For now, the West of Oxiri is where Akihito and Ahma's world was.
One hot summer day Ahma was able to see Akihito making love to a woman from the thin chiffon curtain that let the lukewarm wind inside his chambers. As Ahma imagined Akihito was rough and selfish, who could only pleasure himself. His cruel ways were almost sadistic that could make the woman have grievous health consequences. Surprisingly the woman beneath him was aroused beyond her own limits that made Ahma believe she might pass out.
Akihito saw the wide-eyed Ahma who shared the same hole as the woman he was mounting. He let out a chuckle on seeing the disgust in his eyes. Thinking that at least he would not be trying the way of seduction in order to gain favors. It would be boring for him.
"My Emperor may I ask you something?" Ahma said while bathing him that day.
"What?"
"You were well aware that I was watching so might I ask why did you not kiss her. You did not even leave any marks on her and even jerked her hands away when she was trying to hug. It almost felt like…."
"…I was only after her hole ." Akihito completed the question.
"Yes…"
"Because I do not love her so I was disgusted at the thought of tasting her saliva. She is my commodity, a possession and not my obsession thus leaving any marks on an already branded thing was foolish. And I certainly cannot let her leave mark on this majestic body of mine."
"The Emperor sounds like a young maiden saving her virginity for her marriage." Ahma teased.
" It is the truth…even the Emperor of Iragi is unable to achieve love that would keep him awake at night not from pleasure but from happiness. Someone who could comfort me not with her body but her heart."
"Emperor you might never find someone like that. The higher the position of the person is, the lonelier he tends to be." Ahma said in all honesty. After all, he had seen the unhappiness in the women's as he whisked their husbands away. He was always called a house wrecker by them. He was seen as a villain in their stories while all blame lay on the men who were not loyal to their wives. Wives in turn were also not in love with their husbands, all they loved was their position and jewels. It made them feel threatened on seeing Ahma who used to gain favors for his own survival. In this era, nobody loved anyone boundlessly, without terms or conditions.
"Hmmm…hum that song of yours Ahma . I want to hear it."
"As you wish my lord …."
The nights used to pass like this slowly, like the whisperings of a sweet love song filled with tenderness. While the palace used to drown itself in the unending cycle of love, pleasure and greed.
***
Before Ahma knew he became Akihito's trusted servant. The Emperor used to give him gold coins, fresh silks from the traders, and even holidays when he seemed to be not in the mood to embrace anyone . He used to attend the royal court hearings, gathering every kind of detail and information that would prove beneficial to him. Life can be said to be moving smoothly…a servant could not be anymore happy than the little favors Akihito used to bestow on Ahma.
However…Ahma was different.
All his life he has always got the best and not just enough. He used to be a treasured possession of many provincial rulers. Loved by every man that ever came across his beauty.
Ahma knew in his mind that this was enough but his heart felt that it was not enough.
One day the opportunity presented itself.