In the winding streets of the Persian Empire, a poor girl is chosen to become the third prince's concubine.
Aliya Farhad has no interest in the lofty ideas of the palace, the staff, or her lover. Prince Cairo has all the interest in his blue-eyed A...
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WHEN MARYAM OPENED THE door this time, her face was wane and pale, her eyes just barely showing through the cracks of the door.
I wondered if my own face was just as grave as how I felt inside.
"Aliya," she squeaked out. Maryam's voice has always been cheerful and high-pitched, somewhat akin to squirrel, but this time, I couldn't help but compare it to a mouse's.
"Hi. Can I come in?"
"Oh. Sure. Okay," she said. But the door kept shut.
I raised an eyebrow, and slowly, Maryam's eyes slid down from my face, down to my neck, down to my knees, all the way until the only thing left I could see were the dark roots of her hair.
Her words clearly did not match her actions.
I didn't know how long I stood there, waiting for her to pull open the door and let me in, but whatever time it took, it didn't seem to be enough. Maryam continued to stand there, fidgeting, and when I looked down to the hem of her dress I saw it shifting.
I could almost imagine her toes curling up in an effort to make herself as small as possible — after all, I myself had done it too many times here before.
Unfortunately, it didn't work.
"Is he still inside the room?"
"What?" Maryam's head snapped up as quick as lightning.
"Are you still hiding him in your room?" I asked, careful to keep my voice low. This was broad daylight, after all, and the saying that even the walls had ears was not something I took for granted.
At this point, had there been secret passageways embedded into the bricks of the Palace, I highly doubted I would even blink.
"I—" Maryam's eyes shifted. "I don't know who you're talking about."
Even in this juncture, she was still trying to lie.
I resisted the urge to sigh.
"Prince Cairo isn't listening right now," I said. "And as far as I can tell, no one is around us at this current moment. But I wouldn't be surprised if someone comes here in the next second and hears us. If that does happen, then neither of us can help you... Or that person you were hiding behind your wardrobe door."
If it was possible, Maryam's face paled even further.
"Hurry, then," she whispered, pulling open the door. "Hurry, hurry, come in."
It seemed that the threat of her well-being and reputation did not affect her, but even a word about her so-called sweetheart did.
As I stepped inside the room, I felt my eye twitch.
Maryam... what did you do to yourself?
The door shut with a soft click behind me, and as soon as it did, I started towards the wardrobe door.
