Erik's POV
"I don't want a wife, Khan! Once again, you've lied to the Shah, and for what?!"
"Thank you for being so grateful, Erik! This is the second time I've stretched my neck out for you! It will be the second and the last time, I can assure you that!"
"A wife? I couldn't even get a whore to go to bed with me, Nadir, and now, you've talked the Shah into letting me choose a wife!"
"I chose between your embarrassment and your dignity, and I chose your dignity! Would you have rather had the court see your inexperience with a whore, or would you rather have a lifelong companion to do with as you please? It was bound to happen anyway, Erik! Once the Shah believes that you're old enough to marry, he matches everyone of his men up with a wife…"
"Is that what happened to you?" I snapped. "Did he match you up with your wife? Was she a worthless chambermaid?"
"My wife was not worthless!"
"How can your people marry without even knowing a thing about their mate? What if you hate each other?"
"Jasmine and I started off as friends on our wedding night and woke as lovers, Erik. It may come off as a strange custom for you, but if you wish to continue living here, you must follow our way of life."
"What if I don't find one that I like?"
"Like? Like? Erik, you will go into that hall tonight and you must choose one of the maids. If you do not pick one, the Shah will become insulted and I don't wish to see how he would punish you for it."
"You lied," I began. "You lied to him about my face…Why?"
"Erik, the Shah loves to collect things. He collects animals from all around the world, fine wines and foods…If he ever finds out that you were born with a facial deformity, he will want to add you to his collection. That is one place you do not want to find yourself. Now, I will not step in for you again, so you must start treating him with respect, or a whip lashing won't be the only thing you will have to fear."
I pulled a clean shirt from out of my wardrobe and slipped behind the door to change.
"And I must warn you, Erik…When you pick a maid tonight, you must not be seen treating her like a man would usually treat a woman."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Here in Persia, women are not looked upon as being equal to men. They are to call their husbands "master" and the man is to treat them as a slave."
"And just how am I supposed to get a woman to love me, Khan?! I don't have the looks, and now, I am to treat them like a slave? I refuse!"
"And your refusal will be the death of you, Erik… If you want the Shah to respect you, you must respect him. This will be my final warning to you about his evil ways of entertainment."
I stepped out from behind the wardrobe and presented myself to the Persian.
"H…How do I look?"
"Like a million Euros. I'll escort you to the royal court… The Shah will be expecting you. Don't disappoint him tonight, Erik, otherwise it will be your head."
I was nervous, oh, so nervous. I was to be married! How was I ever going to be able to look my wife in the eyes and smile? I knew that she would fear me, for a whore couldn't even look at me without screaming. And then, I was to treat her like a slave? My hands sweated as I entered the royal court and stood before the throne. The Shah smiled and twisted a few of his diamond rings that were on his slender fingers.
"You clean up real nice, Erik of Egypt. I'm sure any woman would be lucky to be in your bed tonight. As you have told me before, you say that you are good with your hands…Well, I'm sure that you will prove yourself worthy of that title tonight."
The Shah snapped his fingers, and in that instant, ten maids came walking out in a single line. Oh, I couldn't even look at them, for one of these women would soon become my wife. I looked down at my feet with a nervous twitch as they lined up beside the throne. I took a deep breath and looked up once more, ready to seal my fate forever more.
"Why so nervous? Come, I shall tell you about each of my maids."
The Shah rose from his throne and dragged me to the first maid. She was Persian with jet black hair and a thin build. She was still so young and so innocent… How could I ever taint such a beautiful creature?
"Sanni…" The Shah began. "She is a wonderful cook and a good listener."
The girl named Sanni, looked up at me with frightened eyes. Oh, I knew it was the mask! I knew she was nervous about what lay beneath it. I couldn't blame her, for I too would be nervous if I were her.
"Not to your liking?" the Shah questioned.
"She is beautiful, but I would like to see every one before I make a decision."
"Ah, good man… Always wanting to test everything out before he purchases it. That is a smart man."
We left Sanni and approached the maid standing next to her. Oh, all these maids looked the same with their jet black hair and thin builds. How was I ever to choose?
"Mayba… She is good with her hands, much like you are. I believe that the two of you would do wonders for one another. Usually, all my chamber maids are virgins, but this one comes with experience. She has been known to give a man so much pleasure that they only last a few seconds."
I wasn't sure what the Shah was talking about, but I just simply nodded as we headed down to the next maid that was up for my hand in marriage.
"Sheyta… She is known for cooking the best meals in my palace. Are you a man of food?"
"I…I don't really eat much to tell you the truth," I began. "There aren't too many things that I can eat without becoming ill."
"Well then, Sheyta will be of no use to you. You're a hard man to please…Tell me, do you like pain or pleasure when you are in bed with a woman? Perhaps you like a little of both, much like myself. There is nothing better than thrusting yourself into a woman while she is digging her nails into your back. Perhaps you like to be the one putting the hurting on the woman?"
Oh, I was speechless! But what would happen if I told the Shah that I was a virgin? What would he do for me then? Would he punish me for it? Or would he sympathize with me and offer me the greatest woman in the world? I wasn't sure, and I didn't want to risk telling him the truth, therefore, I just lied to him once again.
"All pleasure," I replied. "I've felt enough pain in my days."
"Really? How so? What was the worst pain you ever felt a woman bestow upon you?"
"I…I once had a woman tie me down and stab me multiple times."
"And was that considered pleasure?"
"No…She….she wanted me dead."
"Well then, enough with this pain game. My next maid up for grabs has been trained to obey in bed. Anything you want, she will be willing to give. What is it that you want most in bed?"
Oh, now he really had me. I ran my fingers nervously through my hair as I tried to think of a way out of this.
"Alita has been trained in every position there is to know. I'd test her out myself, but I can see that you're a man of purity. Does she make your blood boil with want?"
The Shah pushed me in front of her.
"Tell me she doesn't make you want her…"
"To be honest, your highness, I do enjoy making love to women, but it is the activities done outside the bedroom that give me pleasure."
"What sort of activities?"
"Well…" I rubbed the back of my neck and wondered if this were something I should be getting into with the Shah. The less he knew about my personal life, the better, but if I was being forced to marry one of these maids, I wanted to marry one that was sort of like me in a way. I wanted us to be able to share the same interests in art.
"In my free time, I enjoy writing music. I've always wanted a partner who would be understanding and astonished by my love for music. Do you know of any maids that can sing?"
The Shah began to laugh…It was a cruel laugh, one that left my heart aching.
"Music? Yes, music is enjoyed by many, Erik of Egypt, but I'm sorry to tell you that it does not go over the love of bedding a woman. These maids that I have presented to you are the finest and purest in the palace. You will pick one of these women by sight, not by the sound of their voices. Now, on to my next maid. She is a very spontaneous one indeed. She once preformed here with her father before I killed him and made her one of my maids. She dances…It may not be music, but you will not be disappointed when she is dancing in your lap."
I was not interested in any of these maids, and all I wanted was to be back in my flat. Why? Why did I agree to go with Nadir to that whorehouse? If I wouldn't have went, I wouldn't be in the situation that I was in now. The Shah wanted me to pick a wife simply by the way that they looked. Sex and looks were all that the Shah cared about, when in reality, I wanted someone who loved music and would come to love me. But that was a dream, for as my mother once said, no one would ever look upon me and love.
"We're almost down to the last few maids, Erik of Egypt. It is almost time for you to pick who you wish to take as your wife."
"You've shown me nothing but Persian women."
"And? Is there a problem with that? Our women are some of the best in the world. There isn't a man who comes here from another country and leaves disappointed."
"I don't have anything against them, it's just that I like light skinned women."
"Ah, then you're in luck…"
The Shah pulled me all the way down to the end of the line where the last maid stood.
"A delicacy from France… Oh, she is a beauty too…"
The woman had been wearing a full head scarf, but the moment the Shah pulled it off, a head of brown curls bounced to her shoulders. My heart stopped within my chest the moment the girl looked up at me with those beautiful and familiar green eyes. Christine! This was my Christine! But how…and why? I had not seen her in years, but the moment we both stared at one another our worlds collided and came to a standstill. There was no doubt in my mind who I would choose as a wife, the only question that remained was could I? Could I drag her into this mess and put her life at stake? But most of all, how could I ever treat her like a slave? It couldn't be done, for I cared for her too much. No, I couldn't choose her…I needed to choose another. But if I did, what would happen to her?
DUN DUN DUN! Christine has returned! Stay tuned to find out what happens!