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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WE GATHERED IN THE DINING HALL for dinner before they announced that it was going to be served in our rooms. The butlers wore tense, frightened faces, and the maids scurried along like little mice.
They didn't tell us the reason why, just ushered us up the stairs like shepherding pigs to barns, but we could guess.
"Absolutely not!" Prince Finn's voice roared along the halls, distorted by the walls and high arches like the wail of a resentful ghost. I couldn't tell where his voice had come from, but it passed through me like a spirit and chills ran down my spine.
"Hurry, Miss," the maid behind me whispered. Her hand was placed perpetually on my shoulder, never touching but always there to push and urge. "You don't want to be late for dinner."
Another ghostly wail rang out across the hall, and I felt both of us perpetually shiver in unison. What should've taken two steps to cover quickly became one.
Neither of us was scared of missing dinner, but I didn't know if the girl behind me knew I could hear the mumbled prayers recited under her breath.
When we got to my room, Maria was already waiting inside, holding a silver tray.
"Miss, you came just in time," she said, kicking the door close. "Everything is still hot."
"Really?"
"Yes. We have fruit dolma, tachin, kabab koobideh—"
"Maria, what is happening in the palace right now?"
Maria paused. "I'm not too sure, Miss."
Her eyes shifted down. "Do you have to lie to me?" I asked. "Speak properly."
"It's— It's not that I don't wish to tell you, Miss, but I'm not sure of how reliable this is," she said, frowning. "I heard from the kitchen hands earlier that it has something to do with naming the Valiahd."
"The King wants to name Prince Omar Valiahd so soon?" I reached my hand out to grip the side of my dress.
Prince Omar may spare Prince Finn, but he will certainly not spare Prince Cairo. When he becomes King, there is no telling what will happen to the latter. A concubine-born son is undeniably an eyesore to the ruler and a threat to the throne.
And when that happens, what will happen to me?
"Oh, no, Miss," Maria said, setting down the table. Her earlier look of reluctance had quickly been replaced with the ecstasy of gossip. "You misunderstood. The problem is that the King doesn't want to name Prince Omar as Valiahd."
"What?"
"Yes, it's the most shocking news we've had in a long time." Maria scurried over to the side of the bed. "One of the chambermaids has been cleaning up the King's study for years now. She's a senior in the palace but her mouth is very loose. She came into the kitchen the other day and made a big riot. Apparently, the day before yesterday, the King called the princes to his study. After a long meeting, he called his advisors over. The maid was cleaning in the room beside the study and couldn't resist eavesdropping. It's said—"
