Queen of the Sun

by J A Armitage

  "Gaia, I am not going anywhere until you let me in."

  "I'm fine. Just let me be alone..." I didn’t want him to see me like this. I’d never cried in front of him. I never cried in front of anyone.

  He pushed on the door strongly enough to move me out of the way.

  "What has gotten into you?" he said as he made his way in, closing the door behind him. "I was coming to check on Asher, but when I ran into your chambermaid in the hallway and asked her about you, she moved so quickly I knew something was amiss. So, what is it?"

  “Nothing. I told you, I’m fine.”

  He studied me for a second, his face taking on a quizzical expression like he could see into the depths of my soul. I’d always felt attracted to his beautiful eyes, but now I wanted to look away in case he could somehow guess what was wrong. I wasn’t ready to tell him yet. He loathed any mention of magic. How could I have him look at me in disgust if I told him? I couldn’t bear it.

  He broke eye contact and walked toward my terrace to look at Asher. "He doesn't look too good. Hopefully, he'll transition rather quickly. This phase really doesn't suit him."

  “So, you think he’s near the end?” I asked, taking a place next to Asher’s perch and glad that Genie’s attention was not on me.

  “Or the beginning,” Genie said, stroking Asher’s once bright plumage. “I guess it depends on which way you look at it.”

  I bit my lip as I tried to word my next question. “Why did you buy me a phoenix?” I asked. Asher had been presented to me on my fifth birthday as a gift from Genie. I’d never wondered why he’d picked such a pet instead of a dog or cat. “I mean, it’s such a magical bird.”

  “You were such a free spirit with a fiery temperament as a child. The phoenix seemed to suit you.”

  “Is that all? My fiery spirit?”

  He turned to me and wiped away a stray tear with his thumb. The gesture, if coming from anyone else, would have been sweet. Coming from Genie, it made my heart race and my breath catch in my throat.

  “This isn’t about Asher, is it?”

  Slowly I shook my head and told him everything.

  19th June

  My long braid whipped behind me like an angered rattlesnake, as I turned to face my mother. "Another?" I said in disbelief, watching as she soaked in every moment of my anger.

  Her smile seemed insincere, at least to me. "Gaia, you are eighteen. It is only natural to have more suitors coming to call on you. Besides, it’s no secret that you are stunning...and eligible. "

  "Mother, do you even hear yourself? Eighteen, mother. Eighteen! Do you really want me to be married at eighteen?"

  Her soft, delicate hand caressed my face. "I'm not saying you should get married. I'm asking you to consider the possibility of a suitor. You get so many proposals; it’s all we can do to keep up. I honestly thought Yama was a nice boy, but after you missed lunch with him yesterday, he and his father got the message."

  My body jerked away from her as I paced toward an open archway that looked out over Kisbu.

  "What was this? The third one this week? Are we to entertain all offers?" I said with discontent.

  "When I was your age, I'm sure it was the same."

  "You said to consider the suitors. But what they are coming to you with is an actual marriage proposal. Have times not changed enough to want to consider my feelings in this at all? Or what, shall I just sit there quietly and obediently as if I have no say in the matter? Is that what you want for me? Because it surely isn't what you wanted for yourself. You got to marry the man you loved, despite his circumstance in life."

  "Gaia," she paused. "I'm only asking you to consider. That is all. You have men falling at your feet. The people are beginning to wonder why you haven’t found anyone yet. I’m not asking you to marry them. Just go on a date or two. You never know. You might actually have some fun."

  I rolled my eyes without a thought, knowing all too well that there was no way I would even consider what she was asking me to do. She left me alone as I stared out over Kisbu. It wasn't perfect, but the people were worth believing in. And I knew that sooner or later, I'd have to consider my position and the future of the kingdom. I wasn't dense. My mother wanted to secure an heir to the throne, and although she didn’t think she was pushing marriage on me, she was certainly shuffling me in that direction.

  I took my frustration to the one person I knew who would listen. I’d talked with Genie for hours in my room yesterday, hence me missing both lunch and dinner with the sheik and Yama. Even though I’d told him about my magic, or curse, or whatever it was, he’d not looked upon me with disgust as I had feared. He’d done what he always did and listened, before discussing the situation rationally. We’d not come up with any kind of reasonable answers, but just the debate was enough to calm me down.

  I knocked on his door and let myself in. He sat behind his desk, looking at some documents.

  I perched myself on the edge of his desk and told him about my frustrations.

  Genie, as usual, listened to everything I had to say before speaking himself. "I know you know that your mother only wants what is best for you. Besides, settling down isn't such a bad thing."

  "Do you know how many marriage proposals I had before I turned eighteen?" I whined to Genie.

  "No," he replied, although I knew he was secretly keeping score. Nothing got past Genie.

  "Two-hundred and thirty-seven! Not one of them thought to ask me first. They all asked my parents. And now that I'm eighteen, it's worse. I'm getting five or six a week!"

  “You are young and beautiful.”

  I cut him off. "And rich. Don't forget to add rich to my resume. Oh, and while you're at it, tack on the heir to the throne of Badalah. I mean, why not? Right? For kicks and giggles."

  "Princess Gaia, they are captivated by you. I've seen photos of some of these men. They're not all that bad. In fact, I might dare to say that some are quite good-looking."

  I moved closer toward him. "I have no desire for the looks of the whole lot of them. I only desire one man whose mind is so beautiful that no other human being equals it."

  I held my breath. It was no secret who I was talking about. "I desire knowledge, and you have thousands of years of it."

  Genie stepped away from me, his face masked of any emotion.

  "I'm your father’s closest friend and confidant. I can be no more."

  His words hurt me more than I cared to admit. I was laying my soul on the line. Me, the girl who didn’t believe in love, and he was acting as though this was a casual conversation. I’d hoped in the deepest part of my heart that our conversation last night would have sparked something in him, but he remained as impassive as always.

  Later, in a secluded part of my terrace, I tried to recreate the magic that had shocked me so much yesterday. The pulse of magic rolled through my skin as I outstretched my dominant right arm. I focused on a small side table on the terrace. Upon contact, the magic erupted over the wooden furniture, engulfing it in flames. Asher squawked, batting his wings as he moved away from the flames in a geriatric manner.

  "Oh, come on, Asher. You can do better than that."

  I lifted him from the back of the chair he'd been resting on. Where soft feathers once lay, his shriveled skin showed through. "I love you, Asher," I whispered as I gently pressed him to my chest, listening as he took in labored breaths.

  I carefully placed him upon the fig tree, his favorite spot to rest and returned indoors.

  There was a small knock on the door, and for a second, my pulse raced in the hope it was Genie.

  “Come in.”

  Freya entered with a tray of newspapers and a glass of juice, and with her, my heart plummeted. I’d been using my new found magic, attempting to control it, as a way to get Genie from my mind, but it was impossible. However much I didn’t want to admit it to myself, Genie was becoming more than a mentor in my eyes. Much more.

  “Shall I attempt to feed Asher, Your Royal Highness?” Freya
asked, laying the tray on the bedside cabinet. Her eyes turned to my bird that looked ever so sorry for itself. The poor thing was looking so forlorn that I almost wished he would die, just to get it over with. According to legend, he’d come back better than ever.

  “Yes, if you don’t mind. Although, I doubt he’ll eat much. I’ll be back later. Thank you, Freya.”

  I left Asher in her capable hands. I’d been so caught up with Asher and my own pathetic state of affairs, i.e., mooning over Genie, that I’d forgotten to ask after my father. My mother had assured me there was nothing really wrong with him, but he’d not shown up to breakfast that morning.

  Two guards at his door stood to attention as I stopped in front of them. “I need to see the sultan, please.”

  “Your Royal Highness, we have strict orders from Sultana Jawahir to not allow anyone in.” One of the guards asserted.

  “Really? Did the Sultana specifically say not to let me in?”

  I waited as the two guards looked to each other for confirmation, and from the looks of it, neither had the answer. Which worked to my advantage. “I didn’t think so. Excuse me, gentleman.” I pushed one of their staffs away and let myself into my parents’ room.

  “Father?” I said carefully, walking through the spacious sitting area to announce myself, just in case he was indisposed. “Father?” I said more loudly.

  The sound of a throat clearing reached me from the terrace. I found him out there, staring out onto the city. “Dad, how are you feeling?”

  He didn’t reply. In fact, he didn’t even bother to look at me. His gaze was fixed across the city toward a large clock tower by the town square. I knew it had meaning to him. He’d shared stories with me about how, when he was much younger, he’d climb up to the tower and look upon the palace, a place he never imagined he’d once live. Yet, in that very moment, I sensed the reverse was happening. He was staring at the clock tower as if he yearned to be there.

  “Father...Dad, are you ok?”

  His focus slowly turned from the clock tower to me, but his eyes were glazed.

  It was like he was looking right through me.

  “Daddy?” I waved my hand in front of his eyes, and finally, he came out of his weird trance.

  “Gaia...sorry. I was lost in a memory for a second.”

  “The clock tower?” I asked.

  “The world was mine when I had nothing. When you have nothing, you have nothing...”

  “To lose,” I finished for him with a grin. He spoke a lot about his youth and how wonderful it was to be free. Of course, he’d fallen in love with my mother and ended up defeating my grandfather’s chief advisor, who had been threatening to take over the palace through force and magic. But he often wove tales about the adventures he got into before his days in the palace. I guess that’s why I often sneaked out and walked around the city at night. I wanted to share his adventures with him. Not that I’d ever tell him where I went. No one but Asher knew of my night time escapades. Asher was the only one who wouldn’t stop me.

  I would have happily sat with my father for the rest of the day, listening to his stories about his youth, but a knock on the door put a stop to that idea. A quick glance at my father told me he’d drifted off into his trance-like state again. He most certainly wasn’t well, despite what my mother said.

  I walked through the bedroom and my parents’ private sitting room to open the door. To my surprise, it was Freya on the other side.

  “Is it Asher?” I asked, noting her worried expression.

  She shook her head. “Asher was fine when I left him, Your Highness,” she said as she stopped for air. She gave a nervous glance at one of the guards then looked back at me. “My apologies, miss. I’ve been sent to find you and tell you that you are needed in the throne room.”

  "Who needs me in the throne room?" I asked, suddenly worried myself.

  "I don't know, Your Highness, but I was asked to accompany you at once."

  The last request seemed rather strange. Since when did my chambermaid need to accompany me to the throne room?

  We walked through the palace in silence, and when we got there, the room was empty.

  "Are you sure I was to come here?" I whispered to Freya. She responded by shrugging her shoulders.

  "Gaia, there you are," Genie said, strolling in through the main doors. I could barely look his way after our talk this morning, though it hadn’t seemed to have affected him at all. "Her Majesty, the sultana, is on her way. Just a heads up, she is not in the best of moods, and there is a handsome young man in her company."

  I rolled my eyes. This was an intervention of the worst kind.

  “So now you are bringing men straight to the palace for me?” I said, leveling my finger at Genie. “I’m not a fat cow to be bred with every bull that happens to come along. Just because I told you I had feelings for you, doesn’t mean you have to sell me off to the highest bidder just to get rid of me.”

  My heart pounded, and bile rose in my throat at how embarrassing this all was. I knew love was a crock of crap, and now I’d just proven it. I should have kept my feelings to myself.

  Genie held his hands up and took a step back. It was the first time I’d ever seen him quail under anyone’s stare. He was usually so strong. Well, it served him right.

  “I had nothing to do with this, Gaia. I never thought of you as a fat cow for breeding. And as for your feelings for me...”

  "My dear daughter, Princess Gaia."

  My mom walked through the main doors with a man at her side. My cheeks flamed as I wondered how much she’d heard.

  “I’ll speak to you later, Gaia,” Genie whispered, and, after a quick nod to my mother and the man, he waltzed out the door.

  The young man in tow was truly handsome. Genie wasn't lying about that, but all I could think about was the scene I’d just made.

  "Jamal, please meet Princess Gaia. Gaia, this is Jamal. He is the grandson of one of my father’s oldest and dearest friends."

  He stepped in my direction, bowing without taking his eyes off me, then reached for my hand to kiss.

  "It is a great honor and pleasure to make Her Royal Highness’s acquaintance."

  "Likewise," I responded, quickly retracting my hand. "So, what brings you to the palace?" As if I didn’t know.

  He smiled before looking at my mother. "I had business in Kisbu. I figured I'd gamble at my chances to stop by and become acquainted with the royal family. After all the wonderful stories I'd heard of this place, I could hardly pass up the opportunity. Thankfully, Her Majesty Sultana Jawahir was gracious to accept me as a guest for the day."

  I’ll bet she was. I glanced her way, and she had the audacity to give me the thumbs up as though she’d found me a beautiful treasure.

  And he was. Beautiful, that is. Strikingly so. Deep dimples formed on each cheek, and I could have sworn there was a bright twinkle in his eyes. His light brown hair stood out as most of the people of Badalah had deep dark silky hair.

  "What sort of business is it that you have?" I asked, playing along. The business of asking princesses to marry him then sitting around doing nothing for the rest of this life, I wondered.

  “Trade,” he said. “I make fine rugs and tapestries, among other things, with wool.”

  "So, you're a sheep farmer?"

  "That I am, fifth-generation, Your Highness. I was born a humble shepherd, but I’ve built the family business into a thriving company that trades with the other kingdoms. Last year we turned over half a million Rubees."

  I was intrigued. He was not the lay-about I thought him to be...if he was telling me the truth. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was unutterably beautiful, but his hands were rough—the sign of someone who worked hard.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I caught my mother smiling. Of course, she was. I was playing her game, and after my horrible morning with Genie, she might just win.

  “Jamal’s grandfather was a regular visitor to the palace back in the
day, He provided the wool for our clothes and furnishings,” she said.

  "How long will you be in Kisbu?" I asked Jamal.

  "I haven't really decided on a return date. You see, I don't make it to this part of the kingdom very often. So, I'd kind of planned to do a bit of everything."

  “Yes,” my mother interceded, “which is why I called for you and your maid. I know how you've been dying to get out into the city more. I figured Jamal's visit is just that opportunity. You can show him around. Freya can accompany you, along with a few guards.”

  Oh, she was a sly one. I’d been complaining for months about how I never got to leave the palace save for royal occasions, and here she was, using it as a way to get me on a date. It worked too.

  I threw my arms around her, ignoring all royal etiquette. “Just because I’m going on a date, doesn’t mean I’m marrying him,” I whispered in her ear.

  She grinned back at me and mouthed the words, “We’ll see.”

  “Jamal, you'll be guest of the palace,” she said, ever efficient. “A hand attendant will come to find you here shortly to show you to one of our guest rooms. I'll see you both after dinner, in the drawing room for a light dessert and drinks.”

  "Are you not joining us for dinner, mother?"

  "I'm afraid not. Genie and I have business to tend to."

  My stomach turned at the thought of Genie. A date with a gorgeous guy would be exactly what I needed, and I wasn’t going on a date to make him jealous...not at all.

  When I looked at Freya, I could see the glow on her face. Of course, I'd noticed. My mother had not so subtly given her a promotion. It wasn't just in title, but it would be in status and pay. Freya was no longer just my chambermaid. She was my Lady in Waiting. My first and only Lady.

  I smiled in acknowledgment. "Freya, why don't you go find me a chambermaid and see to it that we are set to venture into Kisbu tomorrow."

  She understood the request. I'd essentially tasked her to find her replacement.

  Freya curtsied and excused herself, leaving Jamal and I by ourselves.

  "Would you like to take a stroll in the gardens, Jamal?"