The King had not expressed his desire for the wedding of his son to
take place as soon as possible in vain. The very next day he and King
Hamid had reunited, according to tradition, in the presence of two
witnesses, one from each side, and the High Priest serving in the
temple of Ahura Mazda, and signed the wedding contract. It was an act
through which the father of the groom asked for the hand of the bride
in marriage, on behalf of his son, and in return the father of the
bride gave his daughter away, accepting for her to become a member of
the groom's family.
Once the first step was completed, the bride's governess, Samah and
her handmaidens came to the princess' chambers to commence the
traditional procedures. Yasmeen was dressed in a simple robe, wearing
no jewelry and having her hair covered with a thick veil, only that
this time an extension of the veil fell over her face, down to her
collarbone, obscuring her face completely. The governess, a middle-
aged, corpulent woman with a dark complexion, dressed in colorful
robes walked in front along the palace corridors, followed closely by
Yasmeen, who was accompanied by six young girl, all dressed in plain,
blue, silk robes.
They walked like in a procession, two girls walking in front of
Yasmeen, throwing rose petals from a basket they carried at the
princess' feet, two walked beside her, holding each a white, lit
candle and the other two walking behind her, one of them carrying a
tray holding oils, perfumes and other bathing products while the other
one carried a folded yellow dress with a jewelry case on top of it and
a pair of golden sandals. When they reached the large bathing chamber,
even the governess could not help being impressed by the splendor of
the Persian architectural design, the carvings, the engravings, the
silk and flower ornaments, all beaming out in different shades, one
more enchanting than the other.
The women walked all the way to the large bathing pool and stopped
when Samah stopped. The girls holding the candles used them to light
the other candles spread across the margin of the pool, while Samah
turned to Yasmeen and removed her veil and her dress. She was then
told to step inside the pool and the two girls who had been holding
the candles proceeded to wash her, in which time the girls who had
been holding the flower baskets poured various oils into the water,
the oils that another girl had been carrying on a tray, as well as
rose petals.
When the bathing was completed, the girls with the baskets awaited for
Yasmeen to step out of the pool, each holding a large white towel of a
soft material. They dried her wet body and naked as she was, they led
her to a wooden, massage table, covered by a thick blanket as to avoid
the discomfort of having to lay one's naked body on a hard, wooden
surface. Without uttering a word, Samah took some perfumed cream,
containing clay as a main ingredient and stretched it against the
princess' skin, after which she vigorously began to massage her from
the neck down, all the way to her toes, even kneading her breast in
the process as a most common gesture, her expression remaining severe
and concentrated throughout the entire procedure.
The princess was then told to turn and lay on her stomach and after
the same massage was applied to her back side Samah came with a rough
cloth dipped in water to remove the hardened layer of clay that had
remained on Yasmeen's body, almost scratching her skin in the process.
A second bathing followed, meant to clean the body and prepare it for
the torture that was to follow, or so it was perceived by a young girl
experiencing it for the first time. Once again, Yasmeen was told to
lay completely naked on the massage table and Samah approached her
with a bowl containing a melted, warm paste of caramelized sugar. She
spread in turns the paste across various parts of Yasmeen's body, even
the most intimate ones, and despite the girl's screams of surprise and
pain, Samah continued to remove the consolidated streaks at a quick
pace until all unaesthetic hair had been removed from the princess'
body.
The now smoother skin of the princess was rubbed by two of the young
handmaidens with delicate oils and sprinkled with sweet perfumes. She
was dressed with the yellow dress, the golden sandals, her neck was
adorned with necklaces and her wrists and ankles with bracelets, both
of solid gold or of pearls. She was sited on a comfortable sofa and
four of the handmaidens worked with care to paint the traditional
patterns on her hands and feet using a pen-like instrument with a
small hole the size of a grain at one end of the tub filled with
henna.
Soon after the bathing ritual was completed, Gadwa entered the room
and approached her radiant looking daughter with a wide smile on her
lips. She stood next to her on the sofa and just admired her for a
long while, both happy and sad to see her daughter at the end of a
ritual that meant her fate had been more or less sealed. Yasmeen had
told her that she actually loved her husband and was looking forward
to her life as a married woman, but still Gadwa could not ban all
shadows of doubt and concert from her mind. Nonetheless, for the
moment she tried to smile and share the happiness of her daughter.
"Look at you, already looking like a woman and soon to become one. I
remember you used to dream about these wedding preparations all the
time when you were a little girl. How do you feel now, my daughter?"
The preparation were painstaking, each process almost meant to bound
the young woman to the life she was now looking forward to. She
fallowed each and every instruction to the letter, not disobeying
even though the rituals themselves almost drove her mad.
After the servants finished painting the traditional symbols on her
hands, she was dressed and adores with the most extravagant fabric
and the most beautiful of jewels. She sat down and waited patiently.
The door opened and her mother walked in, the saddens in her eyes
perceptibly masked by the fake smile that she forced herself to
portrait for her daughters' sake.
"Look at you, already looking like a woman and soon to become one. I
remember you used to dream about these wedding preparations all the
time when you were a little girl. How do you feel now, my daughter?"
She smiled while her mothers kind voice spoke softly to her. The
reassurance and the hope that escaped as she talked , only served to
calm her down and to ensure her that everything would be okay.
"Thank you mom…" she tilted her head forward in respect "Well to
tell you the truth I an a little anxious and a bit more scared about
…well everything " she smiled sincerely while she spoke "I really
hope that this would be a good thing for me, I can only hope that
everything he said and promised would turn out to be true" she
whispered to herself, almost afraid of the possibility that it all
could go trebly wrong ."But somehow …he seems trustworthy mom, his
voice is so calm ,and peaceful…I can't help but believe him " she
giggled
"If he is indeed as you say," Gadwa's face lit up and her tone became
cheerful, even superior, her attitude becoming that which once was
"then you will have no trouble having him wrapped around your little
finger. But for that you no longer have to be so naïve and fearful. I
will teach you how you must act and speak if you want your husband to
do your bidding and offer you a life both peaceful and plentiful.
Worry not my darling, one way or the other you will find your
happiness," the woman smirked as she tenderly caressed her daughter's
cheek. "I assume Samah has told you all you need to know about the
rituals that are to come and about your duties as a wife. Is there
anything that remained unclear to you or anything that you would like
to ask me?"
Yasmeen blushed nervously at her mothers comment, even if her
governess tried to give explanation to what exactly would go on, she
still felt s bit uncomfortable talking about it, conceivably it was
anxiety, lack of buoyancy or even fright.
She looked up at her mother with a sort of a half true smiled while
she tried to find her words for what she wanted to say.
"Samah was kind enough to proclaim the rules of marriage to me, my
duties and my part in the whole thing, as far as this goes I have no
problem with, but mother this sounds a lot like it is a one sided
advantage" she smirked while she looked over to her mother "It seems
to me that only the husband gets all the perks, and the wife is
there only to make them happen, this doesn't seem fair, now does
it ?" she asked with a bit of a giggle , trying her best not to
laugh to loudly
Her mother could not stop from laughing cheerfully at Yasmeen's
comment.
"A long time ago when I was in your position I too thought the same
but experience has taught me quite the contrary. You say this now
because you have not yet experienced the advantages you will benefit
from and trust me when I tell you they will be far more numerous than
those of your husband. If you think about it more carefully it is
actually him who is striving to please you in every way, while you
simply lay back, like the queen that you are and enjoy all that he has
to offer. He does seem to sincerely love you, even I have to admit
that and in such a case there should be no doubt in your mind that he
will do his best to pleasure you without asking for anything in
return. Nevertheless, it would be wise of you to return the favor. He
would enjoy it more than you think and secretly he does crave for it,
like all men do. But there is something you should know, especially
when it comes to men like him. He may appear mild and passive, but
beyond that he is a fierce warrior, a conqueror like all men of power
and as such he sees you too as a new conquest. But you must show him
that your treasures cannot be so easily reached. Always let him
believe that no matter how much he has discovered and possessed, there
is still much more to conquer."
She smiled while her cheeks blushed a bit as her mother talked to
her of such things, things that never wore discussed with her
before. She looked up a bit while a faint smiled curled her lips
from behind the veil that was covering her beautiful face.
"I think I know what you mean mother, even if I still have my doubts
about that "she giggled. "I'm sure he doesn't view me a trophy, a
prize, he seems so much more than that, I'm sure he is "she
whispered almost ting to make herself believe her own words, her own
promised.
Regardless of the feelings she had for him , she couldn't help but
feel that unforgiving fear that overtook her heart from the first
day she heard of this arrangement. All the questions, all the doubts
never fully left her mind .
"I hope that in the end everything will turn out the way that it's
meant to …" she smiled wile a bit of concern dampened her voice.
"For now you have nothing to fear my darling," Gadwa replied on her
usual proud and slightly arrogant tone. "You know enough to get you
pass your first days as a married woman. After that I or Samah, if I
will no longer be with you, shall teach you step by step all that you
have to do so that your marriage will be plentiful in every way. But
for now enjoy being an innocent, inexperienced girl, helpless even and
I mean that in a most serious way. Being a helpless woman does have
its advantages, especially when dealing with men. However, what you
really must be is a strong, independent woman pretending to be a
helpless, naïve girl for in this way you will be able to take
advantage of your man's weaknesses and use them to your advantage,
making him do your bidding without him even realizing it."
Two Persian female servants approached Gadwa and bowed their heads.
Knowing the purpose of their arrival, the queen nodded and stood up,
taking her daughter's hands into hers and helping her stand up as
well.
"Now it is time for you to greet your mother-in-law and receive the
gifts that she is to offer you according to tradition. Go with them
and I shall join you shortly, once I am properly dressed."
The two servants escorted the princess out of the bathing chambers and
led her down the corridor, taking a few turns until they reached two
beautiful carved wooden doors adorned with bronze models. They opened
the doors and entered before the princess in order to pull aside the
red, silk, transparent curtains that hang at about two feet in front
of the door, serving as a second doorway, thus allowing Yasmeen to
pass.
The room was almost as spacious as Yasmeen's bedchamber, if not a bit
smaller. Red, yellow and brow were the predominant colors whose
different shades adorned the curtains, walls, furniture and carpets.
In contrast to these three colors was the green of the plants and the
pale colors of the flowers, mostly white and pink. In the middle of
the room there was a traditional low table and around it, two
semicircular sofas carrying small and middle-sized decorative pillows,
each bearing customary oriental patterns.
As soon as Yasmeen entered the two women hurried to take their leave,
replying to her that her handmaidens will arrive soon when the
princess inquired with surprise how come she had been brought to an
empty room. Then the servants left and Yasmeen remained all by
herself.
Yasmeen fallowed the two young girls to the new room. They turned
around telling her that her chambermaids will arrive shortly. She
looked around the room , still a bit unsure of what was about to
happen next, but somehow the sent of the fragranced flowers calmed
her down, even if it was for a little while.
She walked up to the immense windows through which light enters,
worming up every single corner of the chamber. The curtains, a pale
shade of red and yellow, flickered in the faint breeze that blew
inside, she looked around the room more and more, trying to distract
her attention from her thought and worries.
She walked up the window and lost in the incredible view that
surrounded the palace. A foolish innocent found its way on her lips,
while she slipped more and more into her dreams. The perfect life
she dreamed of, the perfect man she wanted as her husband. Somehow
all of that wasn't so out of reach . He was indeed everything she
wanted, a love that was sparked in one night, a love that she wanted
to last forever.
The faint sound of a second, smaller door opening did not reach
Yasmeen's ears, mostly because the door was far from where she was
standing, obscured by a thick, velvet curtain. The sound of footsteps
approaching Yasmeen were again unnoticeable to her ears, for the one
causing them knew how to approach with caution and in utter silence.
Not when it was right behind her did Yasmeen sense the presence of the
uninvited guest that had snuck inside the room. A small, golden chest
was placed by the guest on a table next to which she was standing. The
sudden gesture obviously frightened the princess, taking her
completely by surprise and making her turn rapidly to face the person
standing behind her. Starring back into her beautiful black eyes, the
guest smiled softly.
"I hope this small token of my affection will please you. While I do
realize my presence here, in your company, is more than improper and
could even bring a punishment about me, I could not wait a day and a
half to see you and speak to you again. My mother, being as kind and
understanding as she always is, agreed to be my accomplice and
organized this encounter. I do hope you have not taken offence in my
having used deceit to reach you and I hope you will see it as a …
pleasant surprise," Sogdian's smile widened in a rather forceful
manner, not sure if his choice of words had been appropriate. What if
it had not been a pleasant surprise for her?
The aint footsteps came creeping up behind, she herd them , but
feared turning around. The noise got closer with each shift
the guest' made towards her, all of a sudden she herd a strident
movement coming from behind her and on impulse she twisted around .
There he was, staring into her eyes with his own.
"I hope this small token of my affection will please you. While I do
realize my presence here, in your company, is more than improper and
could even bring a punishment about me, I could not wait a day and a
half to see you and speak to you again. My mother, being as kind and
understanding as she always is, agreed to be my accomplice and
organized this encounter. I do hope you have not taken offence in my
having used deceit to reach you and I hope you will see it as a …
pleasant surprise," he smiled a bit unsure of her reaction
For a few seconds she stood there motionless, staring at him ,the
way he smiled and acted around her , trying to convince herself , to
make herself believe that it was indeed true .
He smiled grew wider as she took small steps towards him. She got up
close and stared deep into his eyes, that glitter of joy and love
never absent, not for a moment.
"Of course it is a pleasant surprise my love …" she whispered while
she leaned forward towards his lips "I missed you so …" she
continued while she placed her hand on his perfect face, pulling him
closer, while her lips glided over his "I couldn't stop thinking
about you ….all day " her words barely escaping in-between kisses .
"My love, I could not express in words how happy I am to hear you
speak such words, to see you so joyful and enthusiastic," he kept on
smiling looking at her as if she was a mirage, not believing that all
of it was real. "For a long time I had abandoned the hope of ever
finding true love. After years of sorrow it took less than an hour to
discover love for the first time. Now there is no doubt in my mind
that you are the woman I have always waited for," Sogdian put his arms
around her waist and pulled her close, responding with kisses before
with words. "Tomorrow at this hour you will be my wife and I give you
my word that all the promises I have made to you will not be forgotten
… my love," he added passionately and pulled her delicate body closer
to his, tracing his fingers along her lower back and enjoying once
more the taste of her full lips.
Yasmeen kissed him dearly , while he pulled her closer to him even
still "I love you to ,my love, more than words can say, even if I
cant tell you just how it is possible to fall in love on one day
this hard and with this much passion" she whispered close to his
lips, then pulled back just a little . "But you have to go, my
fathers guards are just outside the door, if they catch you here.. I
cant even speck of the consequences this would have on me …" she
trailed.
Sogdian gave her a deep kiss , just before he ,made his exit through
the secret passage way that he came in through . She smiled and sat
down on the couch that stood before her, awaiting the continuing of
the day.
She kept smiling at the thought of spending her life along his side,
his wife, the love of her life .
The much expected royal wedding, one that would designate the royal
couple that was to be one day on top of the hierarchical pyramid of
the Empire, was less than a day away and the preparations were in full
swing, servants and noblemen alike fussing about the palace, either
preparing the event or for the event. King Sharaman was the most
nervous and anxious of them all, yet the cause of his unrest was not a
pleasant one. Messengers had been dispatched, weeks before, all over
the kingdom to announce the nobility of the upcoming event and present
the invitation on behalf of the king but while the distant monarchs
did not hesitate to announce their participation, it was those of the
King's own family and entourage that had yet to send a response.
No response had come from Markug so far, Kyra had her share of
problems to deal with, he hadn't heard a word from Kian or his
youngest son ever since they had gone to battle and most intriguing,
Saiyn was nowhere to be found. All these misfortunate occurrences
disturbed the king greatly and clouded the joy that he should have
felt upon witnessing the long awaited marriage of his heir to the
throne. In contrast to this was King Hamid's exhilaration, to whom
such matters were of no concern, knowing that the ceremony would
undoubtedly take place despite the absence of a few personages. The
boundaries of his high-spirits reached beyond that for, unlike the
King, he was very well aware of the Prince's whereabouts and was not
going to let such an opportunity slip away.
Not too long ago, merely a few days before, General Thorak of the
Syrian army, foolishly pursuing General Sal'Eadeen, guided by his
pride instead of his reason, had been lured into a trap and remained
enclosed within a subterranean cavern, most likely leaving its
entrapper with the impression that he had been undoubtedly sent to his
death. Reality was however far from this impression, for the general
had eventually managed to find another way out of the underground
network of caves. Realizing that it would not be wise to return
defeated from a mission he had initiated without the knowledge of his
commander and king, Thorak and his men remained in the vicinity of the
Persian encampment, yet hidden from the eyes of the sentinels, until
the proper moment arrived for two of the Syrian soldiers to infiltrate
the camp and act as spies.
While one of them was caught and tortured to death, the other one
managed to escape with vital information. Upon questioning the
captured Syrian soldier, the Persians thought his purpose there was to
gather information that would aid Memnon in preparing another surprise
attack, or to sabotage their own plans, attempting to destroy them
from within. Little did they know that the two men were there only to
extract a piece of information as trivial as the Prince's current
location. Once Mmenon had been informed that the Prince left for the
hidden Egyptian temple whose position the Syrians had long discovered,
he had one of his spies operating within Babylon to give this
information to Hamid.
As much as he despised the Arabian King, Memnon knew he was still far
from victory and could not afford to take a wrong step that would
alert Hamid of his false commitment. Upon hearing the good news Hamid
was of course overjoyed and immediately sent word to his right-hand
man to gather the most skilled assassins serving under him and order
them to go in pursuit of the Prince and finish him once and for all.
The plan once devised and set into motion, there were still certain
issues that bothered Hamid. Beside the fact that he could not help
having certain doubts regarding the success of his assassins in
confronting the Prince, there was the newly arrived problem of General
Kyra Sal'Eadeen who, although a woman, had proved to be more skilled
and powerful in battle than most men alive. Even though King Hamid was
still skeptical in believing such nonsense as a woman fighting
alongside men and what was more, being good at it, he was too paranoid
not to pay heed to this newly arisen threat. Nevertheless, any option
of ridding himself of this threat escaped his mind at the moment.
The arrival of the eldest prince's wedding ceremony day was most
definitely best emphasized by the tripled number of guards patrolling
both outside and inside the city walls, as well as the numerous city
patrols striving to assure maximum security. Inside the palace there
was great noise and agitation, servants hurrying to prepare the last
arrangements, noblemen and women clad in silk, gold, silver and
precious gems from head to toe flocked in the grandiose, beautifully
adorned festivity hall, where the High Priest of Ahura Mazda waited
patiently for the King's permission to commence the ceremony.
King Sharaman and King Hamid entered through the main doors at the
same time, each followed by his own entourage. They advanced towards
the small flight of stairs in the back of the room, leading to a
platform upon which the priest stood. Both of them, together with
their parties, stood in their rightful place, Sharaman on the right
and Hamid on the left. While traditional Persian tunes played in the
background by the most skillful Persian musicians, all the
participants directed their gazes towards the large doors through
which Prince Sogdian stepped proudly, dressed in a white ceremonial
outfit with gold and silver trimmings, a red sash around his waist and
dark-brown boots in his feet. He walked with his head held high and
exposing a serious look on his face.
Sogdian stopped in front of a carpet made of a rich gold embroidered
fabric, placed in front of the flight of stairs. Upon the carpet
several items were placed for symbolical purposes. Foremost, a mirror
was placed in the middle and two candelabras (representing the bride
and groom and brightness in their future) one on either side of the
mirror. The mirror and two candelabras were symbols of light and fire,
two very important elements in the Zoroastrian culture. When the bride
was to enter the room she would have her veil covering her face. Once
the bride would sit beside the bridegroom she was to remove her veil
and the first thing that the bridegroom would see in the mirror should
be the reflection of his wife-to-be.
The following item placed was a tray of seven multi-colored herbs and
spices to guard the couple and their lives together against the evil
eye, witchcraft and to drive away evil spirits. The tray consisted of
seven elements in seven colors: Poppy Seeds (to break spells and
witchcraft), Wild Rice, Angelica, Salt (to blind the evil eye),
Nigella Seeds, Black Tea and Frankincense (to burn the evil spirits).
Then came a specially baked and decorated flatbread with blessing
written in calligraphy on it. The writing was usually with either
saffron, cinnamon, Nigella seeds, or glitters. This symbolized
prosperity for the feasts and for the couple's life thereafter. A
separate platter of this flat bread, feta cheese and fresh herbs were
also present to be shared with the guests after the ceremony, to bring
the new couple happiness and prosperity.
A basket of decorated eggs and a basket of decorated almonds, walnuts
and hazelnuts in the shell to symbolize fertility. A basket of
pomegranates and apples for a joyous future. Pomegranates were
considered heavenly fruits and apples symbolized the divine creation
of mankind. A cup of rose water extracted from special Persian roses,
"Gol-e Mohammadi" to perfume the air. A bowl made out of crystallized
sugar to sweeten life for the newly wed. A brazier holding burning
coals sprinkled with wild rue, a popular incense. Wild rue was used in
many Zoroastrian ceremonies, rituals and purification rites. It was
believed to keep the evil eye away and bring on plenty of health.
A bowl of gold coins representing wealth and prosperity. A prayer kit
was placed in the center to remind the couple of the importance of
prayer both at blissful times and times of hardship. This prayer kit
included a small rug and a strand of prayer beads. An assortment of
sweets and pastries to be shared with the guests after the ceremony.
The assortment usually included: Sugar coated almond strips, Baklava
(a sweet flaky Persian pastry), Mulberry-almond paste made in the
shape of mulberries, Rice-flour cookies, Chickpea-flour cookies,
Almond-flour cookies and Honey roasted almonds.
Soon after the groom had entered the bride followed, dressed in a long
white robe and having her face covered by a silk veil. She approached
with small steps and took her place on the groom's left side. In that
moment Gadwa stepped next to her daughter and removed the veil
covering Yasmeen's face. The couple kneeled in front of the carpet
bearing the numerous goods and directed their gaze towards the priest
that stood at the other end of the carpet.
After the preliminary blessings and a few words about the importance
of the institution of marriage, the priest waited for the approval of
the two witnesses, the father of the groom and that of the bride, each
standing next to them, so he could proceed with no objections. After
that he asked the mutual consent of the couple. First the groom was
asked if he wished to enter into the marriage contract. Then the bride
was asked the same question. Once the two had given their consent, the
priests read a few passages from the Holy Book, the Avesta, while two
noble women, relatives of the bride, held a silk shawl above the heads
of the kneeling bride and groom and the mother of the bride spread a
few grains of sugar above the shawl, symbolizing sweetness and
happiness.
Thus concluded the ceremony and once the shawl was removed from above
their heads the future king and queen stood up and started walking
slowly towards the main entrance, this time the husband holding the
hand of his wife. They walked in the throne room where a great number
of people were gathered down below the high balcony where the actual
throne was placed. King Sharaman addressed his people and announced
the name of his successor, while the people cheered gleefully. Then
the opposite ends of the social ladder separated once more, the royal
family and noble men heading for a great hall where the wedding feast
awaited while the simple people were escorted to the large square in
front of the palace doors where a separate festivity had been arranged
for them as well.