The Queen
as it had been decreed by the gods, in her twenty-fourth year Ashria ascended to the throne and began to search for a mate. a strong queen must have a strong king with whom to mate and birth the next Queen. Ashri’s own mother was still living. she was in ritual exile from the capital, as was custom.
each week Ashria travelled to a new village and witnessed the brutal contest between men to win the right to prove their worth as lovers as well as warriors. the winners of these contests would then follow her royal escort to the next village, where another man would be chosen. and so forth. and so forth. by the time she had travelled to all the villages, thirty weeks had gone by. she recommended to one of her brothers that when this whole spectacle was done, they maybe join some of the villages together. surely it would make life more convenient. when the time came, though, for the final challenge, Ashri found herself rejuvenated in her enthusiasm for this system.
***
The Suitor
Mekki wasn’t a man known for his strength nor for his brutality, though he believed he possessed his fair share of both. he was, however, a man who had fallen under the spell of this new Queen. he’d been entered into the competition by proxy as the eldest son of his family and had fully intended to lose in the first round and return to his home. but when she had arrived, this Queen who’s eyes burned with the fires of conquest, he’d known he must win, if only to meet her.
each of his tests was merely a hurdle along the way; the friend he’d beaten to a bloody pulp in the final challenge, an unfortunate casualty. for that entire week his only thoughts had been of the Queen Ashria. he’d lain in his bed in the nights, erect at the idea of her lips on his body, his manhood drenched with her juices. on the trail from his village to the next he’d thought maybe he would able to speak to her, but none of the men were allowed in her presence. she spared none of them a single glance. he desired her more for it.
***
The Night
the guard led Mekki from his lodgings and to the Queen’s ompound. She lived at the top of the mountain city which was the capital, constantly watching over her people and her lands. it had been weeks since their arrival and he had shaken with anticipation of his meeting with the Queen that entire time. he’d lain awake, thinking of her disempassioned gaze as he’d fought for his right to bed her. she had looked on, emotionless as Mekki pounded his childhood friend’s head on the hard ground. killing the man was not a requirement yet Mekki had done it anyway, almost unthinkingly,
entering the Queen’s chambers was a religious experience for Mekki. Her bed was shrouded by see-through red drapes on each side. on it, her body lay still and inviting. Mekki caught his breath in his throat and looked to the guard who had brought him there for instruction. the guard waved him towards the bed then stepped out of the room and closed the door heavily behind her.
and there they were. for a long moment he stood, paralysed by adoration and anticipation, until her voice called him out of it.
“please me and you will be a king”
“and if i don’t please you?”
he follows the hand she extends and looks to the lines on the left wall.
“you’ll die.”
there are twenty-five lines.