Page 3 of The Shrouded Queen
He’d gotten lost in the Wastelands, was near death, when he was approached by a pack of jinn—minions of Shaya, God of the Underworld, beings of sand and fire. They offered an end to Ashorah’s drought and to the war with the cannibal Kaldfolk, and promised to return King Zaid safely home to a prosperous land.
In exchange, the king’s firstborn would be Shaya’s.
The king—delirious with dehydration and heatstroke—accepted without question.
When he returned home and told Queen Neema of the deal, she was appalled. Over the centuries, the other six gods had all borne half-human children, but Shaya was different. King of Death, Sire of Monsters. Queen Neema could not bear his spawn. A child of the Underworld would be too dangerous. Power over death wasn’t a power any mortal creature should have.
Queen Neema ensured she would not have a child. Details onjust how are vague, but it is said she almost did not survive the process. Mutilation might have been involved.
It was decided that the crown would pass to the king’s cousin, Hamadi, and the succession would be settled without a direct heir.
The Lotus River rushed with gallons and gallons of water, just as the jinn had promised. The king promptly dammed it up and claimed complete control over it.
Together, the King and Queen of Ashorah had outsmarted the God of the Underworld.
But a deal with a jinni cannot be broken.
Nearly two decades later, the middle-aged queen fell pregnant. Though she had been so very careful, so very smart, Shaya was smarter. He wore the king’s skin when he came to her. Neither she nor the king were any the wiser until she missed her monthly bleeding.
The queen died during the birth, but my princess survived. King Zaid’s deal with the jinn was upheld. And in one month’s time, my princess would turn twenty, go through the Igniting, and receive the full might of the Underworld.
She was one of us. Had lived nearly twenty years as a mortal. She’d take care of us. She’d make hundreds of rivers flow and stop death from snatching so many of us.
She was going to be our salvation.
“It’s been five minutes, my princess,” Tabia murmured.
Princess Amunet jerked Nailah’s head out of the water for the last time. The scullery maid gasped and choked, water exploding out of her mouth and nose, strands of hair flung across her face like blindfolds. Her limbs trembled from exertion, and her eyes rolled in her head.
My princess gazed down at the scullery maid without emotion. “You are forgiven.”
Still heaving, the girl replied, “Th-thank you, my pr-princess.”
“You may go.” Princess Amunet turned away from the girl andreturned to her desk, where she picked up the water chalice and took a big gulp.
Nailah staggered to her feet, her face red and chest rising and falling erratically. I wanted to step forward and offer my arm for her to lean against, help her back to her room. But I didn’t. I just stood with the other maids and watched her stumble out the door.
It was an honor to work in Khada Palace. We were luckier than most Ashorans. The rest of the kingdom—theworld, really—battled drought daily, but here, I got a glass of water every two days. Plus, we would be the first to witness the Gods-Chosen’s transformation. We would be by her side when she saved us all.
Some days it was more difficult to remember that than others.
“I want to sleep,” my princess declared.
“Yes, my princess,” we all murmured, and jumped to action, laying out her nightdress while slipping her out of her current gown and wig.
Tabia looked pointedly at me and then the tray of barely touched food, wordlessly ordering me to take it away. I mentally chastised myself for needing to be told and hurried to collect the tray.
For all my princess’s claims of hunger, she’d hardly touched the pita bread and chicken.
It used to be torturous to watch her eat, even harder to see what she didn’t. Leftovers went to the livestock. And at the end of the week, anything the livestock didn’t touch came to us. It was a message. A reminder of our place in the palace.
My first week as a maid, my stomach had growled in response to all her food.
I’d received ten lashes.
I’d learned to control my stomach after that.
Though Princess Amunet didn’t look at me, I curtsied before I left, taking the wide stone steps down to the servants’ quarters two at a time. All maids were required around my princess’s bed for Nightly Prayer. I wouldn’t be late.
