The opportunities we may take (Sinbad x OC)

Confession

Confession

--- Kingdom of Sindria, Palace of Sindria---

Exuberant laughter echoed through the well-filled hall. The generals, their families and some of the king's guests sat all around him, enjoying the music and the wine that was being served. To the delight of Sharrkan and Sinbad, some female dancers and bards also took part in the small celebration and thus turned it into an illustrious little gathering. Sinbad hadn't given a reason for the occasion, but in the end he was never needing one to pass the time with some of his favorite activities such as drinking and flirting with beautiful woman.

As already during the Maharajan a few weeks ago, some scantily clad ladies had gathered around the king of Sindria, fawning over him, while they vied for his attention, which he seemed happy to give to the willing women. Deep down, Salome felt a painful stab in her chest at the sight of her savior sharing frivolous gestures with his female guests, not understanding how much the bond between them affected her so strongly while apparently he seemed not at all affected by it. The young prophetess looked down in dismay as she dug her fingers into the light fabric of her dress. Sinbad had not exchanged a word with the young woman since he received the scroll from Isaac, a behavior that bothered her more than she was ready to show in public. Why had he ignored her for the rest of the day? What was going on inside his mind?

Instead of pressuring him, Salome had also withdrawn to give him some space, but the more hours passed, the more unbearable this situation became for her. Nonetheless, at the beginning of the festivity, the young woman had sat a little further away from the other attendants. She had placed herself on one of the wide window sills and was now leaning against the golden, ornate frame while she silently listened to Malik's and Isaac's conversation, without really registering what they were speaking about. Other priests who were allowed to linger in the castle also sat around them and talked quietly to one another, but these too were no more than part of the background noise that surrounded her.

Lost in her own miserable thoughts, the young prophetess looked out of the window and began to watch the sunset with a yearning gaze. Its orange glow reflected on the lively waves like golden flames, coloring the water in a sea of liquid gold. The surface reminded her of Sinbad's eyes, when candles illuminating his iris by night.

"Salome?"

Surprised, the addressed girl turned around and looked at Isaac, only to find that her childhood friend kept his attention to the King of Sindria with a frown, watching him with his steel colored eyes. "Yes?" She replied, pushing a strand of hair away from her face and secured it behind her ear. "Are you happy?" He asked bluntly without turning towards her, not wanting to lose sight of Sinbad's behavior. Malik fell silent, observing his sister glumly, while Salome followed the archpriest's gaze and watched as Sinbad laughed at something one of the ladies had told him in a coquettish manner, as he pulled her onto his lap and leaned carelessly over her neck with a wolfish grin. Swallowing hardly, the young prophetess witnessed how the scantily clad woman pressed her lips to the king's ear, before biting in its shell without shame. At that very moment, however, Sinbad's eyelids lifted, so that his golden iris looked purposefully past the dancer's neck and focused on his little prophetess. They kept eye contact to each other for a few seemingly endless heartbeats before Sinbad turned away again to empty his goblet filled with spiced wine, turning his attention back to the dancer, who was looking at him questioningly, because he had not reacted to her  directly.