The Tattooed Princess

Princess or Slave?

        The following day the girls were awakened separately in their cavernous rooms, each by a different woman. These females seemed to have been given the task to attend to each of them. The women appeared to be in their mid-thirties, of a fair complexion, much like the girls themselves, with angelic blue eyes and fair skin. Each woman spoke to them softly but rarely in their familiar Slavic tongue. It was comforting for Zaria, Svetlana and Branka to be in their presence as they were led down a dark hall, eventually into the light where the cave complex led up through a steep stone stairworks into the open air. There in the bright sunlight, on a wide ledge and exposed to the sky, they were brought to a shallow pool of water. It had been carved into the solid stone floor. Three fires were burning around this small reservoir, protected from the wind, and each heating a large iron cauldron of water. The attending women worked together as they donned thick leather gloves to carefully tip the boiling water from the heavy, hot  containers into the pool. They then would refill the caldrons again from a nearby spring which ran steadily out of the mountain.

        It was a bathing pool perhaps big enough for six to eight people to sit in and wash comfortably. The girls waited quietly, standing nervously together. And when the temperature of the bath seemed to be to the women's liking, they took off their gloves and proceeded to strip off their loose-fitting robes. They then helped each girl undress, as well. One of the women carried a decorative golden bowl with an aromatic mixture of herbs and placed it near the side of the bath.

        Naked now, they all eased slowly into the hot bathing pool and sat on its circular ledge. The bowl, with graceful deer and twisted trees adorning its sides, was passed around to each girl to dip their hands into. It was a mixture of perfume and soap, made from mountain blossoms, ashes, olive oil and other herbs. The women freely covered their body with it and lathered the soap up around them until the entire bathing pool  was covered by a snowy covering of white froth. The older women kept to themselves and said little to the new captives—seemingly remaining detached by orders.

        The young girls followed the behaviors of their mentors, dipping their heads under the water and washing their long golded hair in addition to their bodies. The girls smiled at each other performing this communal bath, as it was something they had never done back in their village toward  the West. Each tried not to remember that former homeland and village  which had been reduced to ashes with only themselves as survivors of the terrible assault. For now, they felt the warm water around their tired bodies as a great relief of their suffering. Andd they  found the heady fragrance of the soap new to their senses and an exotic pleasantry which they had not experienced.

        After some soaking while girls spoke in quiet tones to each other, one of the women rang a bronze bell which she had put at the edge of the pool with the golded bowl. In a few moments this summoned another woman, looking more Asian like her captors, who carried a oval basked. As the signal for the girls to get out of the bath was motioned by the three women, the attendant handed each a large piece of woven material for her to dry her body with. All six females dried themselves and quickly put back on their clothing which had been stacked at the sides of the pool. They were told by the women to keep their towels as they were led down the stairs and hallway back to their respective rooms.

        Once inside, each girl found a large bronze mirror and hair comb had been left on their beds. Next to them a more refined body sheath with a decorative sash was also waiting for them. And at the foot of each of their beds a pair of deer hide boots, freshly sewn, were now in their possession. As the attending females only nodded at the girls and touched their mouths with their fingers, it was tacitly understood that they were to prepare themselves with the clothing provided them and attend a meal shortly. This was a silent, yet welcome signal to each of the teens as they were now lightheaded and totally weak from hunger.

        Before long the girls were fetched again from their rooms by the Slavic-looking women, this time marched off in a different direction, down several hallways illuminated by wall torches. They soon entered a wide, well-lit room adorned with the horns of many animals mounted on the walls. Tapestries of bright colorscovered on the floor and thick pillows of camel hide were put into a circle in the center of the room. The girls were told to remain standing behind a pillow and to wait. Subsequently three men, acting as servants came into the room, each carrying a large round tray of food—cooked meats, cooked vegetables, fruits and a flat brown bread. One of the men carried a large bronze container decorated with fishes, and with it on his tray four tall, golden cups.

        As the circular trays of food and drink were placed onto the floor amid the four pillows, the servants and attending women quickly left the room. The girls waited silently at their pillows, afraid of what would happen next. Suddenly there was the sound of a drum tapping out a rhythm and the sound of a flute wafting down the hallway. Entering the room first were the two magicians, wearing blue feathered costumes, with pointed hats covered with the same iridescent feathers of birds. They still played the hypnotic tune and took their place, standing against the wall.

        Following this dramatic entry, came the King himself, the brutally handsome man they had seen before upon their arrival, and whom everyone knew as Sharvur. He wore a red cap, embroidered with gold threads, a white, loose-fitting top, and baggy red pants which looked to be made of silk. Across his waist he sported a broad belt of leather and attached to it a long sabre in an ornate silver sheath. To the girls as he neared them, his dark beard looked clean and his eyes, penetrating of each of their faces, looked as though he had the potential to be kind, even affectionate as a father would be to them. He walked up to each and touched her chin lightly with his index finger. There was a defening silence as he did so, the music becoming non-existent to the girls as they trembled before their enigmatic captor.

        It was Zaria's face he touched last. He smiled at her as her eyes widened. Out of his belt he produced a narrow band of gold. He carefully placed it around her forehead as an ornate stigma, and attached it with its delicate clip behind her clean and combed hair. He motioned for her to sit on one of the pillows before the sumptuous food. To the other two girls he motioned for them to turn around, slowly. As they did so nervously, it became obvious that he was looking over their young bodies as one would look at a new treasure to be enjoyed soon. Several times he asked the two grils to turn again and the stop to pose--smiling once in satisfaction that they were much to his liking.

        Svetlana and Branka were then told to take a pillow next to Zaria's and the king took one next to all the three. He raised his hand as a signal to the magicians to play louder and with a livelier tune. Sharvur poured the drinks for all of them and then held out an open hand toward the food, indicating they should feel free to eat. Taking the first large piece of cooked meat into his hand and up to his mouth, the girls felt assured they could finally eat, this first solid food they had had in days. He seemed to take great delight in seeing them eat so vigorously and satisfactorily.

        The entire meal was held in silence, only the sound of their drinking of the sweet fruit juice and the noisy consumption of all the food in front of them was heard under the sound of the haunting music. Before they had finished the meal, a woman had entered the room and waited  near the musicians. She carried two large ceramic bowls and a small stack of towels. As the king raised both hands she approached with one of the bowls. She washed his face and beard with the wet towel and then his hands as he extended them into the water.  With this, Sharvur stood and the girls hurriedly rose too, standing in supplication of his power and position. As he turned before leaving the banquette hall, he looked at each then nodded his head.

        To Zaria, now wearing the gold band, and to Svetlana and Branka, who were submitted to the king's lustful inspection, they each did not know what their future would hold in this new palatial life. Was their existence soon to be of that of a slave or that of a a princess? No clue was given them that day, as Sharvur left the room in his typical perplexing silence.

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