We were seven years old, my cousin Sam and I.
I remember we were running towards the sun. It was a blazing pumpkin lowering itself behind the sand. Every evening we tried to catch it in our naughty fingers. We treaded the hills behind the palace upon youthful legs and drunk with laughter, pursuing something we believed to be tangible; but then it would suddenly vanish, and there far above its ghost loomed, the great pearl of the night. When the moon appeared we raced back to the palace. Sometimes I'd win, but I would need a head start.
We had been betrothed at birth, though this meant very little to us in our young age. We were raised to be close and compatible, of which we undoubtedly were. My older sister Tarana was allowed the freedom of love to choose for herself who she wanted to marry since she was the first born and closer to my father's throne. But me, I would never get a say. So Sam and I were together always, and what mischief we wreaked!
I remember asking him to turn around. The sun had set and the moon was rising, bringing with it a soft chill from the farthest corners of the strange and mysterious desert. My main concern was that we wouldn't get back in time for my mother to greet us after having dinner with the sultan, my father. Even when she was well I saw very little of her.
But Sam was far ahead of me, too far away to hear my calls, and then he disappeared over a sand dune and was completely out of sight.
"Sam!" I screamed out in fear. The number one rule was to stick together when alone in the dark, especially when away from the palace. We knew of the monsters that emerged in the darkness. Some of them were serpents that lived beneath the sand, while others descended from the nothingness up above and stole you away forever upon demonic wings.
My legs sunk into the hill as I climbed up after him. It's what I spent every hot afternoon doing, chasing invisible adventures with Sam and Tarana across the sand. I was nearly out of breath as I reached the top, and there was my cousin standing at the base, staring at something upon the ground some distance before him. I slid down the dune and made my way towards him with haste. "Sam, what are you doing?"
"Look," he said with intrigue; before him, bathed in soft moonlight was a golden oil lamp sitting in the sand. We gazed at it curiously. It was a shining object, glinting even in the darkness—one of great value, I recognized immediately. What was it doing all the way out here?
"I thought I heard a voice coming from the inside of it," Sam said to me quietly.
I laughed at the absurdity of his words. "Haven't you had enough fantasies for today?" I took a step forward, peering cautiously at the lamp. "But this is quite strange…"
Sam caught my arm quickly, "Wait, Sireen."
His tone startled me; the only time we were ever serious among this landscape was when we detected serpents nearby. We had fashioned crude spheres from the nearby rocks to serve as weapons if we were to face one, but they were left at the foot of the palace stairs.
This is where my memory fades. I've spent the past ten years blocking it out of my mind, because whatever happened there scared me so badly that I don't speak of it.
But when I strain my mind, I recall Sam picking up the lamp. There was a blinding light—one made of a thousand colors. I don't know what I saw next. Sam's screams filled my ears. Then they became something else; his voice was no longer his own. I think that's what scared me the most.
And then my cousin collapsed onto the ground unconscious. I didn't know if he could be dead. I can't remember anything else about that night. I just knew something bad had happened, and I was there.
Sam lived, but he was sent away. The healers whisked him out of the kingdom in pursuit for answers, and my betrothal to him was broken off. And then time went on, and all that was left of him was that small, mystifying memory like a dream…
And a magical lamp that would remain hidden by me for the next ten years.
The desert storm blew in many strange things that summer. From my room in the palace, all I could see was sand. It blanketed my father's kingdom, covering the good and bad alike. For all the things that go on here in the shadows, there is nothing more terrifying than a sandstorm in my country (and not to mention the serpents that surface upon this disturbance, and they try destroy everything in their wake).
Merchants appeared the next day at our doorstep, bringing gifts from the far-East. One of them approached me at the dais with a basket in his arms, in which he placed at my feet.
What could he give me that I did not already have? I am a princess.
The basket trembled, and I watched in silence as the arm of a strange creature poked out, adorned with sword-like claws. My father was captivated; though he was a man easily impressed by shining, strange objects.
And then the creature rolled out of the basket, growling in a faint, baby like way. It wore the colors of orange and black, but its eyes peered up at me through peculiar shades of piercing blue.
"What is it?" I asked, picking it up into my arms.
The merchant smiled widely. "It is a jungle cat- a tiger, your majesty. Brought to you from a thousand miles away."
The tiger child squirmed in my arms, aching to be let down so it could play.
"Hmm," I mused, placing it back into the basket. "I've never seen one of these before. I believe it will enjoy its new home here."
The tiger growled playfully at me; I growled back, as it was whisked off to my chambers to make bed.
"Ah-ha," the sultan mused, stroking his mustache with satisfaction, "I like these gifts."
"Is there anything for my mother?" I asked him. She had been ill for so long then, unable to even leave her room for years. I visited her every day.
My father held up a shimmering jeweled chain that sparkled in the richest of colors. It was long enough to hang twice around her neck. I smiled gratefully as he placed it into a box and had it sent to her quarters. Even though she was wilting, I believed my mother was the most beautiful of all the desert flowers still.
The merchants departed, and my father paid them greatly for their goods. He spent gold on animals, spices, tobacco, cashmere, and any odd items of value. Every time they visited our isolated palace would be renewed with exotic treasures, for we rarely left the kingdom ourselves. In the heart of the desert lay our mysterious province—mysterious to the outside world, in any case, for the jungle that surrounded the desert was unforgiving and very few dared take the road through it. I was forbidden to ever venture past the village border.
We were self-sustaining, however. Beneath the sand was an enormous reservoir of underground water that supplied the entire kingdom. We had crops and farms of our own that were maintained throughout the year—for in this part of the world, seasons do not come and go. It is always hot.
I've dreamt of the outside world—for I know there are hundreds of other kingdoms upon this land. I saw nothing of it except for the rare treasures brought to my father's palace. Visitors could be few and far between, and I was not too sheltered to know it's because outsiders feared this place. They feared the jungle, the desert, the storms, and most of all, the secret happenings inside this kingdom.
My story can be a testament to just how frightening this place can be. I've faced horrors so far untold, and definitely not believed. Instead, though, let it be a testament to what it means to be brave in a place where no matter how much light shines upon it, darkness is waiting around every corner to consume you. Let's just say I've gone there and come back.
It all started the day my sister returned from her coming of age journey through the desert caves. With her, she brought a strange man who claimed to be some lord from some kingdom. He didn't look like any noble I had ever encountered, but his smooth words and mannerisms easily won over whomever he encountered, my sister Tarana included.
"Where did you find this man?" I whispered to her upon her return. My sister and I were close, but our minds were vastly different.
"Sireen," she cooed to me in her sisterly way, "you are always so skeptical. My company and I saved him from a terrible death in the caves. He was trying to collect some wealth in one of the pits. Poor man; he is staying with us for some time to recover before heading back to his kingdom."
"Well, where is he from?" I persisted, glancing back at the tall crooner dressed in the colorful robes of my people. He looked out of place with his paled face and icy eyes.
"Shush," she said impatiently, "where are my gifts, now? Father said the merchants left me some things…" And she drifted away.
My mother's room was kept dark and cool. The servants had incense burning all the time to cleanse the air, but my mother couldn't get out of bed despite this. She could barely speak at all. When I entered her quarters with the gift, I checked her breathing as she slept. It was just something I always did. Her breath was slow and steady as she slumbered. I placed the box with the necklace inside upon her bedside table and quietly left.
Maybe I can show her tomorrow.
Dinner was always an interesting affair in this palace, especially when there were travelers lodging in the village who were invited for a feast. My father filled the dining hall with long tables and savory food. There were one hundred seats so it was a noisy, crowded event and even more were the entertainers who juggled, danced, and ate fire all around us. I sat beside my sister at the long table of faceless guests and we chatted about our time apart. As the oldest, she took part in a coming-of-age journey across the desert and into the caves before the jungle. It was an eight month journey, and as she was asked to do she brought back a fire gem from the oasis in the heart of the wilderness to earn her ascension to the throne.
"It was magical," she gushed to me, her cheeks flushed with heat, "my companions led me on; they didn't require me to look at the map even once! Father won't mind anyway, he's so enamored with the stones I brought back. Luckily we managed to avoid all the storms, too."
I raised my eyebrows. "It's been too quiet here," I said to her, "it's as if the whole kingdom has been sleeping since you've been gone. I've been going wild with boredom."
Tarana took a deep sip of wine. "Well, that's definitely coming to an end. We need to get back to practicing our dance."
Our dance.
It was more than just a dance, though. It was the one power her and I had, and we shared it, given to us from our mother who had possessed the ability to hypnotize someone by dancing for them. It was a secret gift and one that we did not yet fully understand how to use- or what to use it for. Tarana had always been much better at it than me, and it was exhausting to practice.
She turned to me with a wide grin, her pretty brown eyes full of mischief. "Hey, why don't we try it now?"
"What?" I was taken aback, "Surely not," I said in protest, "I'd rather not make a fool of myself tonight."
"You won't!" she replied with a subtle desperation, "At least, think of all the lonely men here looking for a beautiful bride. I am eager to see you matched with a suitable companion."
In the eyes of my kingdom, a seventeen year old princess should already be married. But I was defiant, and more than anything I longed to see the world before making that decision. I knew there could be wonderful things beyond the desert.
Her words made me laugh. "I don't think so, lovely sister. I have a new pet that I'm training to devour any man who tries to approach me. I've named him 'Rhajiv'."
"Oh," she stated disapprovingly, "this will not do. I told Mother we'd dance; you know she wants us to learn."
Yes, I know.
The air was filled with incense burning throughout the hall, and the acrid smoke of tobacco wafting about in the firelight. The atmosphere was heavily subdued beneath tingy instruments the entertainers danced about with; it was the most familiar sound I knew. My breath was saturated in wine.
"Fine," I gave into her, "but let's not draw too much attention, yes?"
We climbed up onto the pillared terrace that overlooked the desert, our silk dresses cool in the summer breeze. The blazing torches that lit up the stairs flicked about in the wind, and the moon was at its brightest, illuminating the desert in a soft grey haze.
Tarana's movements were slow and skilled, like the movement of water. I always mimicked her performance, for it did not come natural to me. My sister mesmerized onlookers right away. For me, it was a matter of being able to let go of my surroundings and let the power in me take its course. Dancing always made me feel vulnerable and unsure. It was something you would have to give yourself away to. Even more, you had to look someone in the eye to hypnotize them. I was always too scared to look into someone's eye; my mother had said, long ago, that by looking into their eyes, you would see their very soul.
I glanced out at the landscape bathed in the brilliant moonlight. I could feel eyes upon us; no doubt our power was beginning to take effect. I breathed in deeply and gazed out at the soft land; from up here I could observe the road that led into the kingdom. There were soft lights in the distance.
Could someone be approaching?
My attention gave way to the road, where I spied a small company on horses. I couldn't make out what they looked like from this distance, but I knew right away that strangers were arriving.
"Tarana," I said coolly, hoping to get my sister's attention.
Still dancing, she turned her head towards the desert and perceived the newcomers with a slight crease between her brows.
When we finished dinner, the entertainers took to enacting a play at the head of the dining hall. I was just romanticizing the idea of rolling some tobacco in paper and slipping away for a moment to enjoy the moon by myself when one of my personal advisors, Ezra, approached me through the crowd of guests. His hair was slicked back for this occasion, and his neck was decorated with gold and jewels.
"Princess Sireen," he said by way of greeting, "I hope the evening finds you inspired tonight."
I took the last sip of my final helping of wine for the night, and shrugged agreeably. "It's good to have my sister home. Plus, our palace is enlivened with all these new gifts."
"Ah yes," he replied, his hands setting casually upon his hips, "and new strangers, too." Ezra shot a pointed glance over to where Tarana stood conversing with the foreign lord she had met in the caves. He had an intense face, with eyes so piercing and an intimidating height. He leaned upon a crooked staff carved of wood.
"What's his name?" I asked quietly.
"They call him Lord Terrowin. He's not anyone I've ever heard of, and the circumstances of which he met your sister are confounding. But she seems fond of him and he has a way with words."
"I bet," I said dubiously. "Anyway, how are you?"
"I'm fine," Ezra said assuredly, "I actually have news to bring. Someone just arrived, and your father the sultan is summoning all members of the royal family to meet them."
My mind flickered to the image of the strangers entering the kingdom from the desert.
Suddenly, Tarana was at my side, her curious ears always hearing. "What is it, Ezra?"
Ezra leaned in closer to us, his voice low and deliberate. "They are saying it's Sam, the boy who lived here all those years ago. He's returned."
Tarana and I gasped simultaneously. "It cannot be," she said breathlessly, "that's our cousin. No one's said a word about him since he disappeared."
She looked to me. I shook my head. "Are you sure, Ezra? Could it possibly be true?"
"Well it's something the sultan wants to keep private," Ezra explained. "They're meeting now in his receiving room."
Tarana turned to me. "We must go."
I was still shocked, and a strange feeling came over me. Sam had returned. Everything that had happened was real. I would face him again for the first time in ten years.
I shook my head. "No, I don't think so," I said faintly. "I'm just going to retire now." I made to turn, but Tarana seized my hands. "Sireen—this is really important! You can't just refuse to meet him."
My heart was pounding quickly in my chest. "Tarana—I, I just don't want to, okay? Just let me go."
Why had Sam returned? Why did I suddenly feel so frightened?
"Ezra, don't you remember him? He was spirited away over something that happened in the dunes with Sireen," Tarana said with intrigue, "How old were you guys, seven? How old is he now, then?"
"Seventeen," I replied absentmindedly. "Remember, we were the same age."
Ezra bowed his head respectfully. "Princesses, I will be glad to escort you there."
Tarana linked her arm in his. "Sireen, are you coming?"
I stepped away from them. "Actually, no. I'm going to get some fresh air."
"What's your problem?" I heard her ask as I slipped through the guests and made my way far from everyone else as discreetly as possible.
Sam's sudden return would re-spark the mystery that I had buried so deep. It was not something I was ready to face, especially with no warning.
I could always find refuge in my mother's deserted quarters; besides, I knew no one would find me there. I brought my young companion Rhajiv to accompany me in her private gardens, and there I waited for the night to be over, playing with the tiger child until I knew I could return to my room unnoticed.
Only one servant remained awake at that late hour, and upon returning I dismissed her for the night and bolted my door. Finally alone, I pushed back one of the tapestry's on my wall to reveal a secret compartment, just big enough to hide an object of some kind.
I reached in and pulled out the golden oil lamp we had found in the desert ten years ago. The one Sam had said he heard voices inside. I gazed at it for a long time, reliving that strange night again.
It's time to find out what power this lamp really has, I thought to myself, And I think I know just the place to go to find out.
Tomorrow.