The Imperial Kings

SABINA

A sudden scream escaped me when the man holding me in a vice-like grip suddenly shoved me down into a kneeling position.

I knew enough not to raise my head while kneeling in front of the king, so I gazed at the red carpet, waiting for the king’s verdict.

I could not believe it was him. Eight years. It had been eight years since I last saw him, when I had told him that I could no longer be with him.

I’d thought I would never see him again, but once again, life proved me wrong, just like it proved me wrong eight years ago.

Silence reigned before the sudden sound of someone snapping.

My heart jolted, but I did not dare move. The slightest movement in the king’s court could be perceived as disrespect. One had to be very careful when in the presence of the king.

The next thing I felt was something warm being draped over me. Unable to help my body’s reflexes, my head shot up to see a guard with tan skin and a black mustache standing next to me.

I touched the shawl with my fingertips, relishing the softness of the material. The guard wrapped the shawl around me, covering my exposed bosom, his actions taking me by surprise.

But I knew it was not the guard’s doing, it was Aboloft’s. He had ordered the guard to cover me up, and even though I knew how good a man he really was, I was still taken by surprise.

He was the first man in eight years in the whole of Quopia who had shown me kindness.

“We have brought seven pure maidens for you, your majesty,” the man standing behind me announced.

I had no idea what Aboloft was thinking, nor did I know what he was doing, because my eyes were downcast. I had never been in this position before, and even though I knew the king at one time, it was a long time ago.

Time passed and people changed, so I had no idea whether he was the same charming man that I laughed with while skipping rocks in the lake, or if he was different. Was he the same man I grew up with, or was this man a stranger?

If he was the same, he wouldn’t have started the tradition of having young maidens kidnapped and keeping them as his personal whores!

No, no. He would not do this to me. He was not so cruel. Aboloft was sweet and funny. He would never do anything to hurt me or any woman.

He knew the difference between right and wrong. Aboloft would never allow me to become a whore.

But a sudden thought struck me, and the possibility of that nearly crippled me. It had been eight years since I last saw Aboloft. Did he remember me?

No. Why would he remember me? I wasn’t the same person I was eight years ago. I had changed in every way possible.

I was a woman now; however, respect was something people of Quopia chose not to associate me with.

So Aboloft didn’t know me. He would not recognize me, which meant that I really would become his whore. He would treat me like he treated all the other women—as toys.

Oh God, please help me!

“Show me!” Aboloft ordered, his voice echoing off the castle walls.

The man who had covered me with the shawl grabbed my arm and tugged me to the side, meaning I was no longer facing the king. Once I was kneeling to the side, the woman behind me was brought forward.

“Olivia!” the man holding her stated. The woman had dark, curly hair, with fair skin and watery brown eyes.

The king sat on his mighty throne, eyeing Olivia. Once again, silence descended as Aboloft scrutinized the new maiden. But that silence was shattered as soon as it had gathered.

“Harem,” Aboloft bellowed.

“No, please! Please, your highness, please!” Olivia wailed, but her cries fell on deaf ears. Two men grabbed her arms and dragged her away, her screams echoing, until all fell silent once more.

As soon as Olivia was taken away, the woman behind her was brought forward. The same thing repeated. The man holding her announced her name as Aliah before the court waited for the king’s verdict.

“Quarters,” Aboloft decided, and the woman, Aliah, was taken away.

The next woman who was supposed to be brought forward began screaming and thrashing against the man’s hold.

Black wisps of hair escaped her messy bun while her hazel eyes sparked with rage as she seethed and tried to break free, but the restraints binding her wrist and the added grip on her arm prevented her from escaping.

The man did not even get time to announce her name when the king spoke.

“Dungeon!” His voice whipping through the room, silenced the woman into submission. After that, she did not fight nor scream, but silently allowed the men to take her away.

“Who is she?” Aboloft demanded as soon as the woman vanished from sight.

“Melanie, your majesty,” the man answered, bowing his head.

“She is to be taken to the dungeons in the east wing,” he stated, dark eyes boring into the man bowing in front of him.

“Yes, your majesty.” With a deep bow, the man marched away.

Aboloft did not need to order the next woman to come forward. His men were doing the job without any orders from their king.

This gave me another glimpse into the kind of man Aboloft had grown up to be. And I was afraid of this man. I was terrified of the King of Quopia.

He was not the man I knew. The man I knew would never order anyone to put innocent women in different prisons. And yet, that was exactly what he was doing now.

These past eight years had not only changed me, they had changed him as well. Aboloft sounded like he never smiled anymore.

There were no traces of the boy I left behind. There were no traces of my best friend.

Where was he? What had happened that made him so cold toward innocent human beings? What had happened that made him so cruel to the female sex?

Mary was made to kneel in front of the king. The man holding her stated her name before falling silent. Aboloft gazed at her while all the men waited to hear his decision.

Mary was so still, one could easily mistake her for a sculpture.

“Harem,” Aboloft announced after a while. I was surprised he took so long to make a decision. Just what was he thinking while deciding a place for Mary?

Eight years ago, I could tell what he was thinking. Eight years ago, I was so connected to Aboloft, I knew what he was thinking.

The gleam in his eyes, the smile on his handsome face, told me everything about him. And now, as I glanced at him from under my lashes, I couldn’t tell what was going on in his mind.

Despite myself, I had no choice but to accept the fact that this man, who ruled this kingdom while sitting on his throne, was not the man I grew up with. He was the King of Quopia. He was King Aboloft.

Before the men took Mary away, she stood up and addressed the king, taking all of us by surprise. No one had dared to speak directly to Aboloft, and Mary shocked everyone, including me.

“My lord, I have a request before I am taken away,” she said softly.

The men were about to drag her away, but a hand from Aboloft stopped them. “And what is this request?” Aboloft asked, his voice as authoritative as ever.

“My lord, since I am your property now, I want what is best for this kingdom. My wish is for you to have this witch burned alive.” Mary threw me a malicious glare, before turning back to address the king.

“And I want the whole of Quopia to witness it. I want Quopia to be free of Satanic influences. And so, my Lord, my request is for you to burn this witch.

“I hope you will honor my request, because I only want the best for this kingdom.”

If she had shocked me before, it was nothing compared to what I was feeling now. My mouth went dry as I contemplated her words. She wanted the king to burn me alive. She wanted me dead.

Just like the people of Wilsden, Mary wanted me dead. They tried and failed, and now she was requesting the king to do what the people of Wilsden tried to do to me seven years ago.

Pain like I had never felt before slammed into me while sheer terror drizzled over my heart. Mary had just requested the king to have me burned alive, and he was going to do it.

Aboloft did not know who I was. It had been eight years since he’d seen me. He didn’t know it was his best friend he was being requested to execute.

Aboloft would probably listen to his harem’s whore and fulfill her request. After all, he was not the man I once knew. He was a stranger. He was King Aboloft.

“Just like you are my property, she is my property as well. And what I choose to do with her is my decision. No one and especially ~you~, a worthless whore, can tell me to do anything!

“Take her away!” The force of his words had my ribs trembling with fear, and those words tore the last shred of hope that I had. Now there was nothing more to hold onto. Aboloft, my best friend, was gone.

Mary threw me one last withering glare before she was led away by the men, leaving just two other women and me with the king.

However, I did not understand why I was made to kneel on the side. I was the first one in line. Why had the king ordered me to sit aside? Shouldn’t he have decided my place in this castle first? Why was I the last one?

The next woman to come had the front of her dress ripped as well. Her brown hair looked dull and messy, while her blue eyes flashed with fear. She tried her best to remain still, but fear had her trembling in her place.

“India,” the man announced. The woman, India, trembled as Aboloft ran his gaze over her. I thought his gaze would linger on her exposed chest, but it didn’t, and after a minute he declared her place.

“Quarters!”

India hiccupped as tears fell from her eyes. But no one cared. No one wiped her tears. Instead, just like the other four women, she was led away to her place in the castle.

My heart picked up pace when the last girl was brought forward. She looked no older than seventeen. Her black hair was braided, and steady tears continued to trickle from her eyes.

The front of her dress was ripped as well, allowing the men to eye her with lust.

“Jane,” the man announced and fell silent.

Just like with all the previous women, Aboloft scrutinized the woman kneeling in front of him. He took his time, and with every second that passed, my heart rate increased.

From beating, it went to drumming, then finally, the organ thundered against my ribcage. Every second brought Aboloft’s decision closer. Each second that passed brought me closer to Aboloft.

Once this girl was taken away, it would be my turn. And I could not imagine which place Aboloft would decide for me.

“Quarters,” Aboloft stated. My breath hitched at his declaration. This was it, now it was my turn.

Jane was taken away soon after Aboloft’s declaration. And once she was out of sight, the man grabbed my arm and tugged me forward until I was kneeling in front of the king like before.

I bit my lip to stop the tears from escaping my eyes. Would Aboloft put me in the harem and have his way with me, just like he would with all the other whores?

Would he put me in the quarters? Would he throw me in the dungeons? Or would he fulfill Mary’s request and order his men to burn me alive? The last thought had me shivering in dread.

“Sabina,” the man standing next to me stated.

“Ah yes. The witch of Quopia. I must say I was not expecting my men to bring you here,” Aboloft said.

Tears burned my eyes, but I tried my best to stop them from escaping. I was not a witch! I never practiced magic. I never did anything resembling witchcraft.

However, despite his words, I remained silent. Talking back to a king was the worst offense, and whoever did so was punished severely. In my case, if I dared to talk back, the king would most likely burn me alive.

“I have heard a lot of people complaining about you. People beg me to either banish you from this kingdom or burn you alive like the others of your kind. So, the question remains, what to do with you?” he stated.

My fears were confirmed. Aboloft really didn’t know who I was. He had no idea that I was his best friend. He did not recognize me.

And because of this, he would most likely have me executed. To him, I was no one significant. To him, I was what the town people accused me of, a witch.

“Your Majesty, if I may give you a suggestion,” the man standing next to me said.

“No, you may not,” Aboloft said before I felt his feet stop right in front of me. I gasped but did not dare raise my head. What was he doing? Why did he come and stand in front of me?

Gripping my jaw firmly, Aboloft tilted my face upward until my eyes came in contact with his onyx ones. And what I saw in those eyes had me gasping in shock.

He knew. He knew who I was.

The acknowledgement in those eyes was unmistakable. And yet, myriad emotions flashed in those dark pools of obsidian, too many for me to decipher.

“Sabina.” Hearing my name from his lips after eight years had my soul shuddering. He knew who I was. The tone of his voice told me so.

And yet, there was no warmth or kindness in his eyes for me. His eyes were cold, and his words colder. And it was enough to fill me with dread.

“You, my witch, are going into the dungeon,” Aboloft announced.

Without waiting for a response, the men hauled me up and dragged me away. I wanted to fight, but shock had rendered me unable to do anything except allow the men to take me away.

I had met my best friend after eight years.

But he was not my best friend.

He was King Aboloft.