Chapter Two: the servant

CHAPTER TWO

The Imperial quarters were sumptuous and exquisitely decorated. Armed guards were posted at the heavy doors of the set of rooms. The quarters consisted of six rooms. One more beautifully furnished than the other. Every object inspired refinement and sophistication. Some of the vases and statuettes had been in the family for centuries. The antique pieces of furniture were works of art by themselves. On the walls were framed paintings of deceased ancestors. They were portrayed in their magnificent coronation dresses, posing proud and confident in their best angles. A tall and imposing glass case occupied most of the spacious main room, called the Red Section. It spread across two of the walls and reached up to the red ceiling. The case was made of unbreakable glass and equipped with a newly updated alarm. The precaution was utterly necessary because the glass case contained tokens of the past greatness of many centuries of family history. The case displayed gem-encrusted crowns, heavy sparkling jewels, dainty fans, wood carvings of animals, busts of people, sculptures, weapons such as daggers and arrows, handkerchiefs, painted vases and countless other objects. The Red Section contained the some of the most valuable and priceless possessions of the Empire.

A secret door adjoined the Red Section to another smaller room which was surprising in its simplicity. It was a comfortable bedroom, bathed in sunlight, which was pouring in from the open windows. Gazing out of an oval window, stood a tall and graceful miyel. She wore an olive dress which trailed on the floor. A frown darkened her flawless face. She twirled the end of her incredibly long braid around her fingers. The miyel was called Breeze. She was literally the soul of the Empire, which rested in her hands.

“I hope they find her quickly.” She was contemplating the wide bay that lay in the distance under a warm sun. Winter was nearly over. The sea glistened brightly and the gentle waves licked the beach in a soothing rhythm. Breeze sighed, “If they don’t I’ll bring her back myself. I’ve had enough of this. Everyday I have to face problems that affect thousands of lives. And now, added to that, I have to worry of about a troublesome daughter who is depressed for a reason still unknown to me.” She turned to look at a young sylph.

The sylph was meticulously arranging flowers in a vase. He was simply dressed in a scarlet uniform; made up of loose pants, the shirt exposed his right shoulder. It made him look fresh and relaxed. He looked up at Breeze.
“I, more than anyone, know what you go through everyday, Your Majesty.” The sylph sat back on his heels to contemplate his flower arrangement. Satisfied he stood to face Breeze. “It is true your daughter is adding weight to your problems. But you have to put yourself in her place. She is experiencing a lot of apprehension since her Initiation began. Maybe it was a little too early for her. I’m sure you remember your first years of etiquette and protocol lessons.”
This particular servant was very useful to Breeze. He was very young but also very intelligent and handy. He was allowed full liberty in expressing himself in the presence of Breeze. This is why he was offered special treatment. Other servants wouldn’t even consider talking so openly with their mistress.
“Indeed, Val. I remember my initiation.” Breeze sounded tired. Her Majesty, the Empress of the Shari Empire, sighed and went for a seat. Her long dress swished on the floor and trailed behind her. She carefully sat on her bed as if afraid to alter anything in her attire. “But I never ran away from my responsibilities. I did whatever I had to do. Times were hard, and I had to cope with it.”

Val took a bottle and started pouring a drink. He handed the drink to his Empress and sat at her feet on the carpet. “I don’t doubt it, Your Majesty. I just wanted you to keep in mind that you were a few years older than Lady Emerald when your Initiation began. You’ve had time to think it over and prepare for it, haven’t you?” He looked up at Breeze with questioning brown eyes.
Breeze simply sipped her drink, staring at the sunny sky outside. Val went on.
“Even then it was quite hard for you, wasn’t it? I remember telling me about it. You need not worry your Majesty. Even if Lady Emerald was not present last night, you were able to put everything under control as usual.”
Breeze stared into the blood red liquid of her cup. “Yes, but I will not always be present at the meetings she can very well manage on her own. I was only three years older than Emerald when I first conducted an event. I just hope that my nephew and that miyel called Bliss can convince her to come back. Maybe I was too harsh during our last argument. She was upset when I refused to let her go the annual Grand Outing. It’s the sort of thing youngsters like. You know; to be able to get together and do the most senseless and stupid things. I know she was really looking forward to it. But what else could I do? We had guests. Important guests, at that.”

Val rose to push a button on the door of a huge walk-in closet. The door slid to reveal an impressive array of splendid outfits that were neatly displayed inside. There were garments for every occasion; weddings, balls, riding trips, gala evenings, beach lunches and even the most ordinary of pants and sweaters. Val walked in and disappeared among the numerous colourful clothes.

“I’m sure that the short escapade of Lady Emerald will do her much good.” His voice was muffled by the fabrics. “She needs time to sort things out and of course, to get accustomed to the new changes in her life.”
There were shuffling noises from inside the wardrobe. Just as Breeze was sipping the last drops of her drink, she heard a crash, like something fell down. Probably just a coat hanger. Val stumbled out, his arms loaded with clothes. A pink feather was stuck in his shuffled brown hair. He lifted a light blue, twin-set ensemble from the pile and grinned.
“How about wearing this to the exhibition of today, Your Majesty?”
“Very well, Val. I’m not in a mood to argue my choice of outfit.” Breeze went to pull on a string by the dresser. Seconds later, a door knocked and Val went to open it. A horde of miyel servants filed in, carrying cosmetics and body lotions. They were all dressed in approximately the same way as Val; except that neither of them had the striking and impressive tattoo, which adorned Val’s bare shoulder.
“Go wait for me in the main room.” Ordered Breeze. Val dumped the clothes on the bed and bowed reverently in the formal gesture before silently closing the secret door behind him.
Val stood in the Red Section and scanned the room. Very few servants could claim that they had actually been in this glorious room. Let alone servants, not even ministers were allowed in here. He took a cloth from a concealed drawer and started polishing a silver statuette of Goddess Zeeya. It was simply beautiful. It pictured the resplendent mother Zeeya, in her full glory; wings widely stretched and about to take off. Her perpetual youth showed in the curves of her figure; her long slender limbs were arranged by the artist in the most graceful of postures. Val stopped his cleaning and closed his eyes.

He kneeled in the prayer posture and recited a silent prayer.
‘Most compassionate Goddess,
Giver of life, and protector of all,
May your grace rouse virtue in our mortal souls,
May we never fail in embracing the wonders of your creation,
May we never stray out of the path you have engraved,
Bless your children so that we may forever treasure your radiance.”

Val added his personal message. ‘Thank you for making me what I am.
Thank you for giving me what I deserve.’
Val’s shoulders sagged, ‘Forgive me for straying out of the path,
Of what is expected from me.’
He shook his head miserably. ‘I can’t help it.
I tried hard to deny it but it’s not possible.
Please don’t let me stray further.
Please help me out, Goddess.’
He finally lifted his eyes to the statuette. An image flashed through his mind; Lady Emerald. He squeezed his eyes shut trying to block out the thoughts, but they only came to him like a gust of wind. The calm invisible mask he wore in public suddenly fell. He couldn’t believe in his own hypocrisy when he was in the company of his own soul.

Val felt guilty of an unforgivable crime. A voice from inside his mind was screaming to him saying that it was wrong. He was not allowed to feel this way. It was a crime; an insult. Despite his conscience urging him to stop, he could hear Emerald’s laughter. He could see her smile. He could smell the rich fragrance of her hair. He could feel the light breeze caused by her fluttering wings. He could picture her silhouette; the attractive contours of her young lively body. Val opened his eyes again. He quit denying his longing. Once again, he gazed at the shiny silver statuette. Only Emerald could be compared to the beauty of Goddess Zeeya. She seemed to have been carved out from his most wonderful fantasies, except that she was not. She was the successor to the throne of Shari; the next monarch to rule. Val’s eyes were moist. He quickly wiped the tears before they could spill. His hands were trembling. He was horrified that he dared let such thoughts seep into his mind with such force. Again, the voice inside him yelled out insults and reproaches. His shaking fingers touched the cold pedestal of the statuette.

“Forgive me.” The imploring whisper was accompanied by a shudder.
Val had a lump in his throat. He swallowed but it didn’t go away. He was suddenly filled with anguish. His eyebrows furrowed in anxiety. What if something bad had happened to the Lady while she was away? What if she had wandered into a dark street at night and someone came and grabbed her? What if she was lost and couldn’t find her way back? What if some perverse maniac had laid his hands on her? A thousand what ifs were tormenting him. He twisted the wiping cloth in his nervous moist hands. Sometimes, he surprised himself at how composed and confident he could act when he was not alone; especially when he was in the presence of the Empress. When he was all by himself it was another matter. He simply broke down and sometimes he even hated himself. Mother Zeeya had given him every comfort he could wish for, and yet he wanted something that was untouchable for someone like him. It wasn’t just something. It was a living Goddess; a creature that was the nearest idea of perfection. He liked to think that Emerald was an incarnation of Goddess Zeeya. Val breathed in deeply and tried to regain control of his racing mind. No, Emerald was old enough to know how to stay out of danger. Her education had prepared her for many things. She was intelligent and reasonable. Her escapade was only a short trip outside of the imposing Imperial Palace. She would be back soon. She would still be as stunning and smart. She would still be Lady Emerald of Shari.

Val suddenly picked up the sound of heavy footsteps coming from the long corridor outside. It was probably Fayez, the unpleasant and overweight Imperial Attendant. A soft jingle-like chime announced his arrival. The guards’ weapons clattered as they made way for the visitor. Val heard the beep and the sliding of the waiting room door. The Red Section’s Walls was designed in such a way that the Empress could hear the sounds coming from outside. On the other hand, visitors could not hear the conversations of the Empress from inside the Red Section. Val looked at himself in a mirror and made sure he was presentable. He then, opened one of the small secret doors by twisting the hand of a statue. When the hand was turned the middle finger rose up in a rude gesture. He walked through a network of hallways to arrive to the waiting room. It was indeed Attendant Fayez. He was a middle-aged assistant to the Empress. He had been there since the first years of the Empress’ reign. Val wondered how Her Majesty had been coping with him for so long. No one could escape the bad attitude of Mr. Fayez. Val had taken an oath when he entered the Imperial Service Staff. He had to adapt to and abide by the ways of anyone linked to the Empress. So, his duty called for him to greet Fayez, who was being served strawberries and watermelon cubes.
“Good morning, Mr. Fayez.” Val faked a smile and bowed to him.
Other servant sylphs were coming in and out, bringing food and drinks. It looked like Mr. Fayez hadn’t eaten properly before coming to work. Actually, Fayez could never fill his stomach enough. He leaned back in his seat with one biscuit in each hand. He then looked at Val up and down with a disgusted face. Val strained to keep the smile. His years of practice had paid off. Fayez sniffed indignantly.
“That’s Attendant Fayez to you, insolent servant.” He eyed a plate of baked snacks. “You better go and announce me to your mistress. I hate wasting my time with commons.”
Fayez was forgetting that he was himself a common. It’s a surprise he didn’t despise himself.

“Right away, Attendant Fayez.” Val bowed again and went to the door. He paused and turned. “And that’s Helper Val to you, Attendant.” Val snickered and hurried to the behind the door as Fayez fumed. His pointed ears went red and he roared. He threw a muffin at Val and it ended up staining the door.

Fayez was an Elf, born in Elven; a neighbour country. Elves were wingless creatures, but they shared common ancestors with the Jalvas. Female Elves were called women. Male Elves were called men. Their female and male offspring were called girls and boys, respectively. Fayez was far from being a decent example of his species. His belly bulged as if he had stuffed a pillow under his clothes. The strings that held robe had to be tied at their very end. His fat fingers picked the cookies one by one. When he ate his whole face moved. His multiple chins wobbled like water balloons, when he munched. He made annoying chomping noises and his black beard often collected crumbs. If he had been a Jalva, he would not have been unable to fly anywhere, mind as well lift off the ground, due to his great weight. He was breathing hard from his recent fit of anger. He started to perspire profusely and called for the servants to turn on the air freshener. He sat back in the couch in which he occupied most of the space and decided to get busy arranging Her Majesty’s agenda while waiting. Seconds later, he poured himself a drink and grabbed another delicacy.

The Empress was applying the finishing touches to her make-up. The servants were finishing plaiting her hair. Her reddish brown braid was thick and long. When Val entered, she rose with all her majesty. The turquoise ensemble made her look a few years younger. She turned from the mirror and prepared to go out. The servants filed out of the room by the door reserved for them. Val circled the Empress and positioned himself one step behind her. A very trustworthy guard came in and posted himself one step ahead of the Empress. At Her Majesty’s signal the guard opened the door into a hallway then another door into the office. It was a daily ritual.

The office was very old. Entering the room seemed like a trip into the last century. Every piece of furniture was left intact since two generations of rulers. Breeze’s own mother had used this office daily. The Empress took her seat behind her desk. The wooden desk was massive and wide. No matter what mess the Empress put onto it, it was always impeccable the next morning. It was Val’s job to clean it up. The task had to be done by someone who could be reliable. Val waited patiently at the right side of his Empress for his instructions of the day. Her Majesty took some important looking documents out of a drawer and thumbed through the papers. She took one page out and placed it on the desk. She finally decided go give her orders.
“Today I won’t need you much, Val. I won’t come home until tonight.” She handed a white envelope to Val. “Make sure this reaches the Prime Minister’s office before noon. I would prefer it you would hand it to him in person.”
Val took it and bowed. “I will, Your Majesty.”
The Empress went on. “If you don’t have any tasks to attend to after this, take a free afternoon. After last night’s meeting, I think you deserve it.”
Val walked to the other end of the desk. “Thank you, Majesty.”
The Empress looked back into her papers. “If Emerald comes back, let me know. Stay with her until I get back.”
Val couldn’t wish for a better order. “Very well, Majesty.”

After a nod from the Empress, Val went to fetch Attendant Fayez. The bulky Elf waddled inside the office. He turned sideways to fit through the doorway. The man had a special chair that was armless and every large. After a most formal greeting, Fayez sat down, stretching his robe almost to the threshold of tearing up. He opened his files and read out the issues of the day. Val silently crept out of the room. He went to a balcony called the Take Off post. Here the Jalva servants could land and take off in order to enter or go out of the palace.

The guards were checking the pass cards of the servants before letting them circulate. Val didn’t need any pass cards. A guard took one look at Val and immediately cleared the way for him. Val was handed flight goggles. Sometimes Jalvas wore special eyeglasses to prevent anything harmful from entering their eyes and to shield the sunlight and the wind, during a flight. He put them on and flapped his chestnut brown wings to the city centre. The capital city of Anisheen, bustled with life below him. The air traffic was dense that morning. Three times he nearly bumped into someone. He was distracted by the thoughts of a certain Sharian princess.