Once Upon A [Hidden] Time - [Stolen] Series IV

CHAPTER 7

JASMINE
1198

"Lords and Ladies of the Court," announced the Royal Bellman, "Her Majesty, Queen Jasmine."

I stepped into the Great Hall and walked to my throne. Taking in my surroundings, my eyes darted from one man to another—presumably my suitors—but my eyes were searching for only one man.

Thoughts of him had kept me awake all night. I kept wondering if he knew who I was. I still had his sword. Would he ever return to take it back?

I was the Queen of England, and it was not appropriate to say it aloud, but the man had successfully managed to steal my heart. Despite so many knights, guards, and servants, I was still unable to keep my heart safe. I hadn't realised this until later last night, when I was unable to sleep, and the only thing that comforted me was thinking about how he kissed my hand. No one had ever made me feel this way.

The banquet table had been set up in an adjoining hall; the smoky scent of roast meat and other succulent food filled the air. The palace's Great Hall had been lavishly decorated, the walls covered with tapestries, illuminated by the countless burning candles. In preparation for celebrating my birthday week, I had been receiving courtiers and their gifts for the past four days. They were all unique and exotic, but right now, nothing was more precious to me than the sword that belonged to a man whose name was a mystery.

"Ibn Hubayra al-Baghdadi," announced the Royal Advisor, "the ambassador to the Caliph Al-Nasir from Baghdad."

An old man with a long white beard, face strewn with time, entered. He was definitely not a suitor.

"Your Majesty," he bowed, talking in his Arabic accent. "On behalf of the Abbasid Dynasty, may I present the gift for Your Majesty from our Caliph?"

"You may," I answered.

A servant entered the hall, carrying a small golden chest. For the past four days, I had been receiving gifts from many parts of England and some parts of Europe, but this was the first one coming from the East.

Ibn Hubayra opened the chest and took out a goblet. "Your Majesty," he bowed again, "may I present a crystal."

I leaned forward in anticipation. The light reflecting off the goblet was throwing different colours all around the hall.

The Royal Advisor took the goblet from the old man to present it to me.

"It is fragile," cautioned the old man.

I was handed the goblet with care. I raised the goblet under the light and marvelled at the hues emanating from it as the beautiful colours filtered through to create a unique pattern on the floor.

"Splendid," I admitted. The design on the goblet was intricate, with patterns of honeycomb all around it.

"The crystal comes from Nishapur, Your Majesty."

"I accept the gift from your Caliph," I smiled at Ibn Hubayra. "Kindly inform Caliph Al-Nasir that I'm pleased with his offering, and I offer him a humble gift in return."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Ibn Hubayra replied.

"I'd also like to hire your craftsmen, who could work in this palace to bring more beauty and colour to my abode."

"We are pleased to be at your service, Your Majesty." Ibn-Hubayra bowed again and parted from the court.

"Zhu Xi from Song China," announced the Royal Advisor, looking at the list he carried. "Ambassador to the Emperor Huizong of Song China."

A middle-aged man entered, eyes as sharp and thin as a woollen thread. His beard was pointed, and his height was as short as the children in our kingdom.

"Your Majesty." He bowed as he placed a wooden box on the floor. I was surprised he didn't need anyone's help carrying a box this size.

"And what have you brought?" I asked.

"Our Emperor has sent his best wishes of long life for Her Majesty." He opened the box and took out a flowerpot. The Advisor took the pot from Zhu Xi and placed it on the table beside me. I noticed some flowers with sharp edges.

"Flowers?" I said, surprised that a mere flower could be considered a gift.

"Not just an ordinary flower, Your Majesty," Xi stepped forward. "It is a cactus, called the Queen of the Night."

I stood up and rounded the table, looking at the flowers carefully. "What's so special about them?" I met Xi's eyes. "They are withered."

"No, Your Majesty," he replied. "They bloom only in the night." He gave me a sharp smile. "The petals stay closed during the daytime."

"You don't say?" It sounded fascinating—something I could keep in my chamber.

"You do not need to water it every day, Your Majesty," Xi added, "but only one flower blooms at a time."

"Not all of them?"

"No, Your Majesty," he answered. "And they bloom only once in a season."

"So, you're saying," I asked, scrutinising the flowers, "in this pot of seven flowers, one will bloom only once." I met his eyes. "What happens after seven days?"

"It is not guaranteed that any of them will bloom in the coming seven days," Xi said with mild nervousness. "But the flowers are a sign of hope." He gave a wry smile. "Every night, Her Majesty waits for any one of them to bloom, but they might not, and it gives her hope that one night, it shall bloom."

"So, I wait for how many nights?" I asked, certainly displeased.

"Any seven nights in the season, Your Majesty." He took a step back. "You could mark those nights as the lucky ones. It could be tonight, tomorrow, or after a month."

"Interesting," I said, contemplating if one of the lucky nights would be tonight. Xi was right, though; it was giving me hope—the mere thought of seeing it bloom was enough to create anticipation in my heart.

"Kindly inform your Emperor that I'm very pleased with his present, and I shall accept it." I gave Xi a comforting smile. I addressed my Advisor, "Make sure this is put safely in my chamber."

"Certainly, Your Majesty," the Royal Advisor replied, and he ordered a maidservant to take it to my chamber.

It seemed like it wasn't a day for suitors today.

"Next is," he announced, but paused, looking at the list, "Alexander of his beloved Soredamors."

My heart took a leap, and I stood up instantly at the name. My Royal Advisor looked at me with mild surprise, but I ignored him. I knew who he was. He finally took the time to come!