Tasmina's Tale

18. An Ally

Tasmina

And so it came to be that merely days after we both turned eighteen, I wed Prince, soon to be King, Rikom. I had been surprised to find that the two days I was forbidden from seeing him seemed to take an age to pass. I had gone for two years only seeing his face once, and yet these two days came close to being unbearable. 

The wedding was truly small, with only our families in attendance. We cut the palms of our hands and Aliza bound them together as we said our vows. Honestly, it was all rather a blur. What I did know is that I had been shaking like a leaf before the ceremony began. But when he looked into my eyes and took my hand in his, my shaking stopped. He wore a black ceremonial shalwar, golden cuffs on both his giant arms, and kohl in his eyes, that made them seem lighter. Looking at him sent a strange feeling through my body, a dull ache that I couldn’t quite place.

His voice reverberated through me as he spoke.

“I, Rikom Iza Zal, vow to protect and honour you as my wife, to be your friend and your champion. I will be your pillar when all else crumbles.”

He treated me to his crooked smile as he spoke. I took a deep breath. 

“I, Tasmina Miya Kaiz Zal, vow to protect and honour you as my husband, to be your guide and your reason. I will be your anchor when you feel adrift.”

His smile grew wider at my vows and I resisted the sudden urge I had to kiss him. Aliza held the candle aloft. 

“You are now one before High Goddess and your family as witnesses. May Goddess bless this union as long as your hearts beat. Any may they always beat as one.”

I didn’t have to resist my urge for long. His eyes grew narrow, a hunter honing in on his prey as he pulled me into him. When he kissed me, the earth stopped moving. His lips were softer than they looked, moulding gently against my own. He showed a gentleness that I hadn’t been expecting from such a brutish looking man. When he finally released me, I was breathless. As his family cheered, with only Rodin putting any real enthusiasm into it, Rikom didn’t look away from me at all; his piercing eyes looked at me as though he could see to my soul. With great difficulty, I pulled away from his gaze and bowed politely to his family. 

Once it was over, we made our way to the Hall of Judgement. One of the girls came running to me. She couldn’t have been older than six or seven. 

“My Mama says you will bring the kingdom to ruin. Is that true?” 

Rikom bristled beside me, but I knelt down and smiled at the girl.

“What is your name?”

“My name is Diha,” she said.

“Well, Diha, you can tell your mama that I had no intention of bringing the kingdom to ruin. But I can give it a very good go, if she wishes.” 

I made no effort to lower my voice, ensuring her mother, Dowager Queen Darya, heard me loud and clear. She hurried over, gripping her daughter by the arm.

“Children, they say the craziest things,” she said, waving away her daughter's words flippantly. 

“Indeed,” I replied, smiling coldly at her.

“Surely we must have a feast, Maha?” one of the dowager queens said. 

There had been seven of them, but four of them had already left for their homelands since the passing of King Iza. The only three that remained were the three who had borne his children.

“There will be a special dinner, but the future Queen of Zamee insisted on no grandiosity for her wedding to our future king,” Queen Maha said. 

“Oh. Well, how very humble of her,” the dowager queen replied. 

She said the word as though it were an insult. I assumed her to be Salma, mother of Prince Enzo. She was also the sister of Lord Silas Gul. As far back as I could remember, daughters of the Gul line had married into the royal family. It was a way of honouring their royal heritage, as well as keeping the peace, I supposed. 

We sat down to eat, my brothers and Ruki staying close by my side as we sat around the table, all sitting to my right hand. 

“So, Rikom dear, explain to us why exactly you chose to break all traditions and take a mystic as your wife. It shocked us enough to hear that she would be your wife, let alone your first.” 

That would be Dowager Queen Banu, mother of the nine year old Princess Arzu. They were making their disapproval of me abundantly clear. I felt the heat rising to my face but I put my hand on Felan’s as I felt him bristling beside me. Both my brothers and my sister looked at Rikom expectantly. 

“Well, Mother Banu, it is quite simple. She is my mate, chosen by High Goddess herself.” 

A gasp went around the table and my eyes went to Queen Maha to see what she thought of him sharing the secret we had kept for two years. As more eyes turned on her, she remained neutral, her face unreadable.

“Yes, it is true,” she said, finally. “Tasmina is mated to Rikom. And who are we to question the decisions of High Goddess herself, isn’t that right?” 

Though her words asked a question, her tone dared any of them to answer it. Masterful. No one dared challenge her and we returned to eating in silence. 

—

The time had come to retire and a large stone had settled itself into the pit of my stomach. What would he expect of me tonight? Queen Maha rose.

“I will take the new bride to the future King’s chambers now. Please, enjoy the rest of the meal without me.” 

With that, she gestured to me subtly and I rose, bowing my head to all those at the table. Ruki stood and hugged me tightly, as did Felan and Faris. I had the absurd urge to cry and in that moment, I missed Mama more than I could bear. 

Queen Maha led me to the chambers and I followed her silently, trying not to gawk at the opulence of the palace. The hall that you found yourself in upon the entrance to the palace was vast, with a large, ornate rug spanning at least thirty feet in both height and width. There were busts of past kings lining the room and tapestries telling stories of battles, victories and historic events all over the walls. As we ascended the marble steps, the feeling of dread in my stomach grew. 

Queen Maha opened the door for me and I entered with great trepidation. The room was large, with a giant bed big enough to fit the entirety of my old bedroom in it. There was a beautiful ornate table with four chairs, that sat by steps that led out onto an open balcony. There was also a chaise, and an area on the floor that was just filled with cushions to laze upon. 

I took it all in, wide-eyed as Queen Maha closed the door behind me. 

“Queen Maha, I appreciate your help, I…”

She held up her hand to stop me. 

“You may call me Maha. You are wedded to my son, we can drop the titles now. I shall call you Tasmina, if you see it fitting.”

I nodded quickly.

“Good. Now, did your mother explain to you… the ongoings between two mates? Or a husband and wife?”

I felt my ears burning as the heat rose to my face. 

“Yes, I am aware of what is to take place on my wedding night.” 

She nodded and I saw her sag with relief slightly. 

“Are you feeling warm? Feverish at all?”

I shook my head. 

“It’s… I don’t know if mystics go into heat. We don’t mate and therefore we don’t ever really… I don’t know if it is different for me, but I am not feeling any different.”

She only nodded in response. 

“If there is anything else you need from me, you will tell me,” she said. 

“Thank you, Qu… Maha.” 

She stepped closer to me, her eyes assessing me carefully. 

“I do not wish to lie to you. You will not find many friends in this palace, Tasmina. It has not helped that you have brought a Rai mystic onto these grounds. Ironic that we still honour the Guls but ostracise the mystics who served them. But these are the rules of power and I cannot change them. Be careful what you say and to whom you say it. I shall be your ally, but you must help yourself. My power will only stretch so far. Understood?”

“I understand. Thank you.”

She looked at me and a strange smile spread across her face.

“I remember being a young bride in this palace. Do not fear, Tasmina. With these Zal men, sometimes their bark is worse than their bite.” 

With that, she turned on her heel and left. What did that mean? I was now more confused than scared, which I supposed was an improvement. It didn’t last long as the door to the chambers opened and Rikom appeared.