Queen of Persia ✔️

chapter twelve

Now only two days away from one of the biggest events of the year, the whole Palace was getting ready for the arrival of two nations. Persia's support was quite important to China and the Ottoman empire. And if meeting the new Queen meant strengthening their relations with the strongest empire (Persia) then so be it. The Palace was decorated with beautiful flowers, from tulips to roses. The ball room was filled with chairs and tables made from gold.

"What are you wearing Friday night?" Darya asked Leile and Parisa who were eating their fruits. Aziz Banu gave Darya a sharp glance for addressing Parisa so informally. But Parisa didn't seem to mind it.

"My outfit isn't ready yet. How about you guys?" she asked them. Arman had ordered Parisa's outfit to be the most unique and special of all. He wanted it to be decorated with pearls and for it to be a beautiful emerald, as it was Parisa's favourite colour. Without asking her, he knew her favourite colour. And just like that, he knew everything about her. She was no mystery to him.

"I am wearing one of mothers old gowns," Darya answered in a sad tone. This was the first time she had talked about her mother. Parisa was curious to know more.

"Can I ask what happened to your mother?" Parisa asked cautiously. Aziz Banu looked up surprised. Had no one asked such question?

"Aziz can you answer? You know the story better than me," she asked Aziz to answer. And thankfully, Aziz Banu didn't disagree with such request. Instead, she began the tale of Arman Sassanian and his family. 

"Their mother, the old queen, was one of the kindest women in the court. Quite like yourself. She was a woman of power, always interested in political matters. She was beautiful and pure," Aziz began, "Only about ten years ago, she was murdered by a soldier who is believed to have been spying for the Roman Empire. Darya was only five then, so she didn't feel as much pain. But Arman was fifteen. A young man who had lost his mother at such young age. It wasn't long after that Arman found out that his father knew about the assassin. He knew about every plan the Roman empire had and he let it happen like it was nothing. I lost my sweet daughter because of that foolish prick," she explained before taking a long pause for breath. Parisa couldn't believe the story. A young boy losing his mother because of his foolish father. Prick. A name she had called Arman before. Guilt was washing over her, but that didn't explain why he had to murder so many young girls for pure entertainment.

Some part of Parisa felt empathy. Losing a mother is the worst kind of pain a child can go through. It destroys you and leaves you ruined. It shatters you. At first you wait for someone to build you again, but after a while you get used to being destroyed. That was exactly why Arman was in ruins with his own heart. The loss of a loved one.

"After that, Arman killed his own father. It was Arman's first kill, but he did it. He did it for his mother. Even if it would make him a murderer. He did it for Darya, because she was too young to be treated the way the old Shah had treated Arman. My dear, that is precisely what I meant when I said don't break him like everyone else. You cannot break a man who is in ruins, you can only help rebuild him and take him out of the eternal darkness," Aziz explained at last. She was right from the beginning. Parisa had no right to judge someone without knowing their life, the same way Arman had no right to judge Parisa without knowing her story. Life had its ups and downs, but for a few, the stronger ones, it created an everlasting mountain of problems. Ones that would never end.

Parisa didn't dare to speak or continue the conversation. She sat there for the rest of the day, thinking. Thinking about everything. Thinking about the things Arman had said to her. Thinking about the way he acted. She thought about it all. But most importantly, he thought about his heart, the one she had denied of its existence. Now she was sure it existed, yet unsure if it could be put together. For the sake of the country, and for her sake.