Bitter waters:

— Now you, Cassandra.
— My Lord?-she asks, perplexed.
— You have tried to flog my other wives knowing that only I have the authority to do so. Your conduct goes against the law of family order. Your punishment should be similar to the one you tried to inflict on the women of the Pavilion.- Cassandra pales visibly.- However, considering the extent of your injuries, I have thought of a slightly more... merciful punishment.
— As of today, you are forbidden to enter the harem. Situations that require external intervention or my knowledge will be handled by Lady Cítiê. She will be in charge of matters related to the Pavilion of the Moons.
Cassandra's mouth opens and closes compulsively. His jaw trembles, keeping his eyes open and his gaze fixed on the emperor, he seems like a fish out of water.
— You should learn from Cítiê, you two. In all the years that he has lived in the Palace, he has never been the cause of scandals or caused problems. – He praises, in an affectionate tone.
He approaches Cítiê and gently taking her by the elbows helps her to sit up.
— A good wife watches over the tranquility of her home, removes any burden that may increase her husband's hardships. I have seen the errors to which my foolishness has led me and I am determined to correct them.– he murmurs, looking into Citié's eyes, it is a very intimate moment, full of feelings expressed in silence.
Cítiê modestly flees his gaze, staring at the polished floor tiles. I watch them out of the corner of my eye. The Emperor takes their hands in his and brings them to his lips, kissing first one and then the other.
—Lady Umara, stand up.- she orders and I obey. I have decided to take one more thing from you.
He approaches me and I tense. I avert my gaze pinning her to the ground. He takes the very long necklace that hangs around my neck, slowly wraps it around his strong wrist, walks away from me, arrives before Cítiê and places the pearl necklace on her shoulders.

000

— I think Cítiê hasn't had time to explain some things to you.– Mem murmurs.
Well, I think it will fall to us to instruct you in the intricate ceremony and impossible Kurani protocol," Burya murmurs happily, standing up and jumping up and down with delight.
—Slow down a little Russian, yes?- Mem scolds.
—Oh please. Enough of you two.– Sarab rebukes, addressing Burya and Mem.
I look at them and smile. They fight each other and poke, pinch and shove each other as if they were a bunch of little girls and not the adults they are. A doubt arises in my mind, but it would be most inappropriate to ask such a thing out loud. Sigh.
—Remember what happened last time, our incessant chattering made Lady Umara sick.-Mem observes.
—You're right. It's too hot to hold this conversation in here… Let's go out to the garden! – Burya yells and takes Zai by the hand.
Sarab shakes her head and rolls her eyes.
—How full of energy the Russian is today.- she comments.
Mem snorts and between the two of them they lift me off the couch and take me out into the garden.

After a quick lesson in court etiquette and protocol, I've gotten up and walked away from the others. A strange lethargy has come over me. I'm kind of stunned. Too much has happened in too few days and I haven't had time to take it all in.
The other Moons have stayed under the apple tree, enjoying the shade and the delicacies. I walk aimlessly among the bubbling fountains and the exotic flowers. A small group of five service maids follows me from afar, I don't know if to make sure no harm comes to me or to spy on me.
I sit heavily on the edge of the main fountain and run my fingers through the warm crystal clear water.
How I miss the desert! How I yearn for those unattainable horizons, those immense places of sand, those little Oases here and there. I look around sadly. Admiring once again my green, abundant and beautiful prison. O Merciful take me. Of what use is all this garden to a nomad, when his soul cries out for the desert?
I'm thirsty. I bring my hands together and take the water from the fountain, bringing it to my lips. I take a sip and spit it out right away. The water is bitter.

000
—Which one of you is in charge of the water supplies?
I have gathered the fifty maidens of the service and now I have them all before me. In front of the main fountain. They all look downcast and fearful. Some have even begun to shake.
—Please…– I soften the tone of my voice– …I'm not going to hurt you. I just want answers.
They look at each other for a moment and then one of them is a step forward, keeping her eyes downcast, her hands tightening on the folds of her robe.
—Forgive us, my Lady.- she whispers. – We all take care of the water supply. We fill the pitchers every morning and change the artificial pool inside the pavilion. Which means that we have all had contact with water, both the one you drink and the one you bathe in.
—I do not reprimand you for having contact with the waters. I just want to know why the one in this bowl is bitter.
The maiden recoils and begins to shake uncontrollably. I put my eye white. Damn Kurani! They have instilled so much fear in their servants that you cannot have a meaningful conversation with one without them beginning to tremble or faint with panic.
— I swear to you, I won't hurt any of you, just answer my questions.
The maid swallows dry. And with the stitches tight he continues to tug at the folds of her robe. It's a real miracle he hasn't filled it with holes already.
—My lady, the waters of this fountain are special.- The maiden answers with her head down.
— They come from the abyss of the sacred mount Kusyu, where the gods live. This water is reserved for consumption in the Pavilion, and the fountain carries water to the Emperor's chambers, which means that only you can drink it.
I frown.
— Do you mean to say that the pitchers from which we drink are filled from this fountain? -I ask.
— That's correct , my Lady.
— I don't understand.-I look disconcerted at the majestic fountain with its statues carved in marble, in a scene representative of some Kuraní legend.
—Since this is the main source, isn't it the one that supplies water to the others? However, they have closed it. The water here seems stagnant. I have drunk from the other springs and while this water is hot and undrinkable, that from the other springs is fresh and pure.
I don't know what I said but all the maidens fall to their knees and begin to utter cries of anguish.
— What's wrong with you?- Please stop.
The screams give way to uncontrolled sobs.
— My lady, if you please, have us flogged but do not drink from other sources. It is forbidden. If Lady Cassandra found out, she would flay us all alive! -The maid responds between sobs.

000

— Well, what a way to assert your rank as Luna of the Empire! You made fifty service ladies tremble with fear at once, it's a feat, without a doubt. – Burya commented amused.
—Not even Cassandra in her worst fit of rage has gone that far.

—In a way, it wasn't me who plunged them into such misery, but Lady Cassandra's methods of punishment. Apparently she enjoys skinning her maidens alive and the maids feared that I had planned a similar procedure.- she explained rolling her eyes.
We are inside the pavilion. It is some time in the afternoon because the day has become too hot to be outside. Burya plays the harp so out of tune that my head has begun to ache. Zai and Mem are sitting on giant cushions on the floor, having a yawning competition. Sarab walks from one place to another uneasily. Her silver anklet tinkles with each of her steps.
And a doubt assails me…it is true that we are surrounded by lavishness and luxury. The other wives wear dresses sewn with threads of gold, silver or silk. Small jewels are embedded in their dresses that sparkle when the sun's rays touch them.
The Emperor is supposed to be the richest and most powerful of the Kuranies, however his women do not wear precious stones, they only wear silver or gold bracelets. The only gemstones I've seen…are the huge red stone on Cassandra's thin headband and the tiny translucent pebbles on Sarab's anklet, plus the pearl necklace Cítiê won for being the most devoted of the wives.
—It's not just a simple anklet, you know?" murmurs Mem, who has seen where my gaze was directed. - It is remarkably beautiful the craftsmanship they did, intertwining the finest silver strands with small diamonds, but it is not just an ornament, but rather a shackle.
He looked at her askance. She must be half asleep to say such nonsense.
—A shackle?-Why do you say that? - I ask.
—Well, because... that's precisely what it is.- Sarab replies, startling me. A moment ago he was walking back and forth at a distance from us and suddenly appeared at my side.
I jump to my feet, scared.
—How did you do that?!- I yelled.
Sarab shoots a hostile look in the twins' direction.
—Haven't you been told about our abilities yet? What are you waiting for, that she dies of a scare? - She asks grimly, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at the twins and Burya while keeping a belligerent expression on her face.
— It's too soon, the girl has been with us for a few days. We thought that it could scare her away.- Zai explains.
—Skills?- I ask.
Burya bites her lip, looking nervously at Mem, who in turn shakes her head as Zai twists the hem of her dress between her fingers.
—You cowards!- Sarab protests, moving away from us in the most incredible way, she was right here next to me and then she reappeared ten meters away. I blink a few times, stunned.