'Arshi, run! Run!... 'No matter what you hear, don't glance behind you.'
Arshi sat up in her bed after quickly opening her eyes. She'd been having the same dream for days and had no idea what it signified.
"I had another dream involving the same person... But why couldn't I see him clearly? I wish I could see his face. I'm positive I've never met such a person in my life, so why am I so sad?"
She pondered for a few moments, not noticing the presence of her chambermaid beside her bed. She was certainly deep in thought.
"Salam, my lady, your bath is ready," Sumeiyah, her chambermaid, said, holding a tray with two tiny jars of water in her hand. One for cleaning Arshi's face, and the other for cleaning her mouth.
"Oh, my! Sumeiyah, you truly caught me off guard. Salaam to you as well."
"My lady, you were deep in contemplation, is there something bothering you?"
"Thank you for your concern but nothing ails me. I have just been having night terrors recently perhaps if I pray more, they will stop tormenting me."
"My lady, I concur with you. Prayers are vital... and, uh...the old master has requested that you come to his office."
"He has?" Arshi bit her lower lip. "Did I perhaps make any mistake?"
"I'm afraid. I do not know anything, my lady."
'Why is the old master calling for me? I'm quite certain I did not do anything wrong this month. Or perhaps is he going to scold me like he always does?'
Arshi prepared herself and headed to the old master's office.
"May I come in, my Lord?" she said as she entered the chamber.
"You may."
"You wished to see me?"
The elderly master, Abdulkareem, Arshi's adoptive father, groaned as he gazed at his seventeen-year-old daughter. He was a noble who acquired Arshi from slave traffickers when she was five years old and decided to adopt her. He also had two other children, Kaseem, who was two years younger than Arshi, and Amina, who was four years younger. Arshi was his favourite and would certainly have been his successor if she hadn't been a female.
"Do you resent me?"
"Pardon?" Arshi's aquamarine blue eyes widened as she looked up at her adoptive father, who sat on an armchair with a sorrowful expression on his face. His silky, sumptuous maroon robe was wrinkled, and his caramel cup of coffee on his office stool beside him remained untouched.
"You do not call me father anymore. Are you angry with me?"
"No, my Lord, I wouldn't dare."
"You know, when I first met you, you were this little." He said it cheerfully, gesticulating the measurement. "My child, I lifted you up and fell in love with you. I'm sorry for not being a good father to you, and I'm sorry for causing you suffering."
"That is not what you should say, father. You were only carrying out your parental responsibilities. You have never denied me anything, for which I am eternally thankful. So how can I be resentful of my own parent?"
"You are a really well-behaved youngster. I deeply regret ever causing you pain." Arshi was taken aback by Abdulkareem's severe tone.
She knelt, and her beautifully thick curly, calf-length midnight black hair brushed against the floor.
"What exactly do you think you're doing, child? Get up right away! "Abdulkareem sprang from his seat and dashed over to prevent Arshi from kneeling.
"I have made father sad and I wish to apologize for that."
"It's okay. Now arise from there. I have urgent news that concerns you", he said, with a worried look on his face.
"I just got a letter from the royal palace. The Sultan is in desperate need of concubines. I wish I could resist his instructions, but he is the sun of the Kingdom. My child, I feel so powerless. I never imagined I'd have to say goodbye to you in this way. You may not be my biological daughter, Arshi, but you are still my kid, and it pleases me immensely to have you as a part of my life," he concluded with a smile. "If I had my way, I would have halted all this marriage foolishness and forced you to stay with me, but you are of marriageable age, and being chosen as the Sultan's companion is considered an honour. You will be the face of our family."
"I understand, father. I'll go "She responded calmly, knowing it was the answer her adoptive father desired. "It is my responsibility not to disappoint this family. I'll go to the palace."
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, father, I will never defy your or the Sultan's orders." I am aware that I am of marriageable age, and you and my mother have taught me my entire life that one day someone will come to give his hand in marriage, and I will come to leave our house and find my own, much like a bird liberated from a cage. That day has come, father, and you should rejoice since I will be living at the palace rather than someplace where I will be deprived of everything."
"This is something I strongly oppose, Arshi. If you are not at ease, I may transport you to a remote location where no one will discover you."
"Do not dare to do that, father!"
That was the first time Arshi had lost her cool in front of her adoptive father. She was startled by herself when she realized she had no option but to stop him from making any stupid mistake.
If she ran away, as her adoptive father recommended, in a country where gender segregation is practised, a free unmarried woman without a family and no means of assistance would not survive on her own.
"If you do that, father, our family will be in jeopardy. You are well aware of the Sultan's nefarious nature. He spares no one, not even an animal. So, please don't think that way again. I am prepared to go to any length to ensure your happiness and the protection of our family. I have determined that I will travel to the royal palace voluntarily. At least it's something father would approve of," Arshi said with a smile. "I vow I will not let you down."