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KINGS CALVARY

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Synopsis

Chapter 1 - The Tribute.

Esmeliyah looked at her glammed image in the mirror. She had come almost full circle and fallen face first into the life she tried so desperately to save herself from.

At just seven years old Esmeliyah knew exactly what it meant to be married off in a treaty, to be given away as tribute, to be offered up with a handshake as a seal to a deal. Being the 12th young mistress of the Don Avan-Knightly family, Esmeliyah had witnessed four of her sisters cry and slip into a depression before their wedding and one had killed herself. Only one of her sisters Tayan, had secured herself a love match by intentionally getting pregnant by a Dukes son.

Esmeliyah had always adored her seventh sister Tayan. Tayan was troublesome and bold and daring. Too bold for a woman talk less of one of noble birth. She often got into trouble, she climbed walls and walked around in men's pants. She came to breakfast table with bedroom hair and she was often without a bra or a corset and sometimes her skirt had no springs. Tayan was the Avan-Knightley disgrace but was Esmeliyahs hero.

Though Esme loved Tayan she couldn't help but be a little angry at her. Because of Tayans constant disgraceful habits, Esme's father Dajeon Don Avan-Knightly tightened his iron fist around his youngest daughters. As much as Esme wanted to be like Tayan there just wasn't any chance.

When Tayan proudly announced that she was no longer a virgin. Esme and her unmarried sisters found their lives even more restricted than before. She had just turned eight and the two different experiences of that year sealed her decision forever. Tayan was married off to her lover, the Dukes son Arcan Aron Dezin. It was the happiest wedding ceremony Esme had ever witnessed.

Though her father didn't spend much money in making it as grand as her other sisters weddings because it was tagged as a disgraceful cover up ceremony, Esme had decided that if she ever married she wanted her wedding to look just like Tayans.

Tayan was smiling, she wore her heavy head piece, bra, skirt springs and beautiful bridal dress without hesitation or coercion. She willingly behaved like a lady. Arcan was smiling too, he looked constantly at Tayan and through out the ceremony the couple seemed to be constantly laughing at an inside joke paying little attention to the ceremony that was too bind them forever. They already were terribly in sync.

However, only two weeks later her sixth sister was married off to a foreign northern prince. Esme's new beautiful image of weddings and marriage was once again destroyed as she watched Kliyah grow thin from crying days before her wedding.

So at just eight years old with her fathers Iron fist around her neck Esme decided to take control of her life the best she could. She had heard whispers about the King's Calvary from her older brothers. Every family of the kings right hand was to offer up one person to be in the secret calvary, every gender was accepted, the benefits were incredible including assets and a bountiful salary in exchange for risking their life for the king.

She constantly eavesdropped on her brothers discussing about whether the Kings Calvary was real or not and if they were willing to risk being a member if it was real. In the end all her brothers opted to be officials, scholars, generals rather than be a member of the kings calvary. But Esme swore to herself that if she ever got a chance, she would risk it all to be a part of the calvary.

Two months after, her father had called his children from age 10 to 16 to a secret meeting and ask for volunteers for the kings calvary. When no one would step forward, her father simply decided to pick anyone. That was when Esme had stepped out of her hiding place and volunteered. There was much contemplation but in the end after witnessing Esme's determination her father had agreed. All her other siblings that had been asked were then given a portion to help them forget the last 24 hours.

Esme was charged to keep her recruitment into the Kings calvary a secret. Six weeks later she was kidnapped out of her bedroom.

Now Eleven years since the incident Esme had never set her eyes on any of her family members. She had received trainings all over the world from several masters and was now old enough to begin her first mission.

Being the Kings secret eye of the harem under the guise of a beautiful but dumb tribute woman.

The harem...

Esme shivered a little at the thought of the word. Though women were exempt from politics only a fool wouldn't know that in reality the royal harem was a bigger political stage than the royal court. Women were simply poisonous.

Having witnessed the battles of her own fathers harem, Esme had sworn never to be a member of another one.

In the royal harem not only did the women compete for the kings attention and affection they also competed for official positions for their family members, recognition for their children and even competed for children as though they were toys. She had heard numerous stories of women faking pregnancies and then abducting a newborn baby, usually male to raise as theirs.

With so many foreign tribute women, some foreign princesses and indigenous noble ladies, the entitlement factor was at an all time high. Women who had hardly had to courtesy and bow their head to others now found themselves in an hierarchical system that didn't favor them.

Tensions were always high, living on bated breath was the norm because everyone knew that the next war could originate from an 'unitentional' foot tripping or a ripped skirt.

A stubbed toe, a wrong look, unpleasant body language, a frown, a suspicion of partiality, children plays. The list could go on and on.

And this was why the King needed Esme to be his eye in the harem.

Naturally, the Queen who was the legitimate wife of the King preceded over all matters of the harem while the King focused on all things politics. But this system was built on the concept that women were exempt from politics. While the system was still intact only fools would ignore the talent women had for playing politics and the King needed to be fully aware of the political game that went on in the Harem because it directly and indirectly set the pace for the political game that played in court.

Esme's job was very important, she knew that but she had spent ten years of her life learning to wield every weapon ever invented, perfecting bare hand combat with both a bare handed opponent and a weapon wielding opponent, perfecting foreign languages, accents and unbelievable disguising techniques, mastering theories and concepts that enlightened her on the intricacies of the human mind and their corresponding body language, building muscle memory and studying military strategies as a hobby.

Only 365 days ago had she begun to receive lessons on charm, courtesy of all kinds and situations, the right smile, the perfect eyes to command sympathy, crying at the drop of a hat and the worst of all dresses. Esme hadn't worn a dress since she was eight.

She felt like a stranger in the shiny turquoise colored dress that changed from light green to light blue in the glare of the sun. Her suffocating corset had disoriented the organs in her gut, her perfect make up made her face feel heavy, her shiny white shoes (worn only by women who were marrying/married to the King) pinched her toes so bad she could barely feel them and her glamorous hair in an updo decorated by her headpiece made of gold and diamonds was the biggest headache. Esme had thought she knew what torture was having had practice rounds to ensure she could keep her secret as a member of the King's calvary. But, she thought as her neck swayed from side to side under the weight of the headpiece, if anyone threatened to make her wear three of these piled up even for an hour she would surely say a word or two about the calvary.