KINGS CALVARY

Esmeliyahs heart soared.

They had not drank of the ancestral binding wine. She was not the Kings woman.

In the eyes of the law and God. She was still a free woman.

She couldn help the big smile that spread over her face.

Of course in the eyes of all that were present she was the Kings Woman bound to a lifetime of the harem never allowed to step out of the inner palace till she died.

In truth, after this assignment was fulfilled she would be able to simply dissapear.

But that puzzled her. When would an assignment like this ever end. The harem was always in the middle of some scheme or the other. Thats why she thought she would be truly married and kept in the harem until she died or was compromised. There would always be something to report about the harem. Also her superiors had never informed her that the binding would be sabotaged.

Even as her brain pondered, her body gracefully went through the motions she had practiced hundreds of times.

She entwined her arm with the kings arm and drank of the supposed wedding wine thrice as was custom.

After that the king declared a feast. Food was served at all tables and soft chattering and laughter was heard.

Esme barely touched her plate, picking a little here and there occasionally, though she was starving. It was what she could see the officials wives doing.

Two men pretending to be officials of Otunara came forward and congratulated her. By tradition they weren to attend the ceremony but were allowed into the after feast as witnesses. This was so they could report back to their homeland on how their lady of tribute was treated.

Of course it didn matter with these two fake officials but the sham had to be complete.

As the feast progressed, Esmes escorting procession performed a good bye dance for their unforgettable mistress since only Colene her personal maid would accompany her in her husbands home.

Esme cried big fat rolls of convincing feminine tears showcasing the pain of missing an escort crew she had only met six hours ago.

Once the sun sunk completely, Colene urged her to announce her retirement and leave the men to drink into the night reminding her that none of the officials wives could announce a retirement if she was still present.

Esme didn have to be told twice. She refilled the Kings cup of wine, then stood up and courtesyed.

Your majesty, your concubine Esmeliyah seeks to retire for the night.

The King just nodded a bit drunkenly and waved her away.

Esme signaled to Colene who signaled to the announcer who announced her departure.

A new procession of Sukechan servants freshly assigned to her lead and followed her to her quarters. Her own corner of the Palace.

Esme had no strength in her to admire her quarters or the views it provided her. She was so tired from performing elegance and gracefulness all evening.

When she stepped into her inner room she kicked off the pinching shoes and yanked off the thigh jewelry.

Colene come assist me in taking off this dress.

Colene froze, But my lady the King would most likely visit you tonight. We must wait.

Right only her and the King and whoever provided the wedding wine knew that they weren truly married.

If the King visited her that night he would speak to her as a master and demand a report of what she had noticed so far and what she had managed to gather from outside the palace. So there was a possiblity that he would come.

It was also possible that he would not come. He had treated her ceremonially and with nonchalance and some noticeable reluctance. She guessed that this was part of a scheme she wasn informed about. Word would surely spread about what the new tribute woman looked like and if the King had any interest in her.

If the King came and she was unpresentable she would be in trouble. If the king didn she would have waited in vain wearing such uncomfortable clothing.

Fetch an Otunarian strolling dress, Colene. That should be presentable enough and also change this headpiece. Ill just wear some fancy combs in my hair.

Colene courtseyed, Yes your highness and went to look through her luggage that had since been sent there. Esme watched the girl as though she had said something strange and out of place.

No longer was she a destined highness.

She had completed the ceremony, all those months of training and she had really become a royal concubine with her own palace quarters and an highness in her status.

Remembering the shock of the taste of water rather than wine, Esme smiled there wasn anything high about her.

She took a bath and wore some fragrance to smell and appear fresh. She then changed into the figure hugging dress and decorated her hair with some fancy combs and golden flowers.

When she was dressed she dismissed all her maids and even asked Colene to retire for the night. If the King came they would needed absolute privacy to discuss between themselves.

She waited hours occupying her thoughts with what she would have done if Tayan was not heavily pregnant and had attended the ceremony.

Would Tayan have recognized her?

She didn think so. If there was a risk of that happening the superiors would have taken it into consideration.

Her stomach grumbled as she thought of how Tayan would have polished off the food on her plate unlike the other wives.

Esme was hungry, her anticipation to get her meeting with the King over with had distracted her from her bodies needs.

Just as she began to consider sending someone to the kitchen, she head the sound of an arriving procession.

It was midnight and the King had come.

Esmeliyah immediately stood at alert.

When the King entered her inner chamber she immediately bowed herself to her knees.

The greeting of a warrior to his general.

My Lord, the observer at your service.

The king didn seem uninterested then.

Don stand on ceremony, eye.

She stood keeping her head slightly bowed.

The secret eye of the King, I believe you have a pledge of gratitude you wish to offer me.

Esme assumed a salute.

Much gratitude to my Lord for securing my freedom.

As long as your loyalty remains in the calvary your freedom shall remain unrestricted.

I understand, my lord.

Esmeliyah, he called softly.

Esme raised her head slightly.

Your father must be proud.

I hope so your Majesty.

The King sighed and the moment passed.

I have begun a thing. Tommorrow everyone in the palace will know that the Otunarian beauty did not catch the Kings eye. Although I have supposedly visited you tonight, I will only stay seven minutes in total. That would make word travel even faster.

I want you to record how several different people treat you as a foreign tribute woman who is yet to be favored by the King.

Yes my lord.

Everything that your eye observes is information. Time is up. When you have an extensive report seek my audience the calvary way.

Yes, my lord.

He turned and stepped out to gasps and shock of his procession that had been preparing to settle for the night. They quickly arranged to match with him and in a couple of steps they were out of sight.

Immediately after Esme discovered that she was more sleepy than hungry. She embraced her quilts, tommorrow she would endure shit treatment.