Queen of Persia ✔️

chapter six

The war was a life-threatening event. It had been almost three days since Afshin was first drafted. All he could think about when he was drafted was Parisa. All he could bear himself to think about was how heartbroken she would be. He was in love with her and so was she. An ever-connecting love that lasted longer than time itself. But here he was at the half line between the front line and the backups. He was dressed in a neat military outfit, ready to join the war knowing he wasn't going to survive. No one ever survived. There was no way he could escape this position besides running away and that too was impossible, because then they would find Parisa and torture her instead of Afshin.

"Afshin Dehghan?" the officer asked in a serious tone, holding a letter in his dirt-covered hands, "This is yours," he said, handing Afshin the plain white letter. Afshin nodded as a thank you before opening the letter. His eyes fell on the first words noticing Parisa's handwriting. She always had the most beautiful Farsi writing, unlike Afshin who had the most crooked letters. As he scanned the words on the page, he felt his vision darken and darken. His head began to spin endlessly.

Parisa was gone. She had volunteered to marry that cursed man. Shah Arman. The man who murdered women for fun. The man who had most definitely murdered Parisa by now. Tears began to well up in his eyes making every work written on the paper blur up. Afshin could feel his legs shake anxiously. Parisa was gone and she was never coming back. He quickly scanned the last few words on the letter.

So, move on from me. Escape and live the life you deserve. And don't wait for me.

She had wanted him to escape from this war. To desert his position and live a life without her. He couldn't bring himself to even imagine the pain she had felt when that monster had killed her. All he could wish for right now was that she was somehow magically alive and well. But he was going to murder that monster and he was going to seek revenge. Whilst Afshin sat on the bench beside his tent, he looked up to see his friend Emir walking towards him. Emir wasn't fully fluent in Farsi, but he understood it well enough to interact with Afshin.

"Guess what I heard today," he said without looking at Afshin who was still crying silently, "Apparently this woman has married the Shah voluntarily and surprisingly she has survived even after dawn. Maybe the Shah has finally found love," he added suddenly noticing Afshin's face. Afshin suddenly felt a spark inside him. Miraculously, Parisa was somehow alive.

"God thank you," Afshin silently whispered to the sky.

"Why are you crying?" Emir asked Afshin whose face had lit up immediately from the news.

"I need to escape Emir. I need to escape tonight," Afshin immediately responded. But it wasn't the kind of response Emir wanted.

"Hold on a minute, what?" Emir asked in a high-pitched voice with confusion, "Brother you can't just run away. Have you hit your head somewhere?" he asked once more.

"No, I will explain later but help me escape tonight. Please," Afshin pleaded and out of the kindness in Emir's heart he agreed. Their plan was foolishly horrible yet surprisingly effective.

"If you are escaping, I'm coming with you," Emir informed Afshin. At first, Afshin gave him a hesitant look but a few moments later he accepted defeat and allowed Emir to come. The two boys were going to escape just like Parisa had asked them to. Now that Parisa was alive, Afshin was going to do whatever it took to free her and kill the Shah forever. Whatever it took. Even if love was involved.

✸

Parisa stormed off to her bedroom chambers to cool herself down. He was in no position to order her around. She was a woman of her own and she did not allow herself to receive orders from a boy-king. Shortly after, Azin rushed into the room after her. She stopped hesitantly to take a glance at Parisa who seemed awfully frustrated.