Secret Garden:

—That can't be true.- Burya protests.
—Are you completely sure?
—Yes.- I reply on a muffled squeak.
They look at me with frowns and different expressions of puzzlement.
—Show us your mole.- Burya orders.
I take a step back. Oh no. I'm not going to undress before them.
—Come on, don't be shy. We are all women, why the excessive modesty? - Zai tries to convince me.

Between her and Mem they come to grab me and I go out and shoot in the opposite direction.
Burya and Sarab join the chase, running after me as if their lives depended on it. They scream and scream, while the twins close the distance with me reaching me and making me trip, the impulse takes us to fall into the artificial pool of the pavilion.
The girls seem to have completely forgotten the point of the chase, as they amuse themselves by throwing water at each other and laughing their heads off.
Sarab and Burya come up to us, Burya squeals happily and jumping up and down.
—What fun! – she shouts.- let's do it again, eh, eh?
—Russian.- Sarab scolds her. Who has been satisfied with crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking at us with a raised eyebrow.
—Wow, what happened now?-mutters Cítiê, appearing from behind Sarab and Burya.
The twins smile cheekily, throwing great jets of water with their hands at the little woman. Slowly and quietly, I climb the stairs, a maid wraps me in a soft cloth, and I try to walk away without attracting attention.
—Lady Umara.- Cítiê calls me and I instantly tense.

I turn to look at her.

—Dress quickly, our lord has summoned you to his chambers.
I break out in a cold sweat, instantly turning pale.

********

Arriving at the emperor's chambers, Cítiê and the other maidens abandoned me. I have gutted my heart and come to meet him with my face uncovered, but I remain barefoot. A malicious gleam shines in my eyes, the dictator made his rules very clear, but he is not going to take away all the desire to fight.
—You are here once again, flower of the desert.- A deep voice that I recognize greets me.
The royal gardener has entered the main room through the door that leads to the garden. He stands against the lintel, looking at me. His face is covered by a burqa again. I can only see his flashing eyes.
—My lord . – I greet him respectfully.- The emperor has summoned me, it's dangerous, you shouldn't be here.
—Dangerous?
—Yes. The emperor could get angry if he arrives and finds us together.- I admonish him.
He shakes his head a few times.

—The emperor won´t be angry. What's more, he will be very pleased.- He answers with complete certainty.- Come, little flower. I want to show you what we have achieved.
He extends his hand offering it to me. I hesitate for a second but then I take a few steps forward and take it. His touch is warm, soft, his aroma reaches my senses. It smells of sandalwood and roses, probably from working pruning them day after day.
He leads me through the door and out into the garden. The change is undeniable. The place no longer stinks, and the black, barren soil has been replaced with one that appears healthy and fertile.
I smile pleased, but my smile is immediately replaced by a frown of deep sadness.
—What's wrong, little flower? – asks my companion. - Don't you like the new look of the place?
— Truth is, I don´t .- I whisper.- All the progress that has been achieved weighs on the backs of the slaves.
— Oh, mercy. The privilege of the masters, the gift of the powerful to their fellow servants... admirable.
—Your words are laden with venom, Lord. I do not consider myself one of the powerful, I am not the mistress of slaves either, I myself am a kind of slave. I was brought here against my will and I am forced to stay because someone else's will is imposed on me.

The gardener keeps silent, looking at me with an unreadable expression.
—And yet you have maidens at your service all the time. I heard you made fifty of them tremble not long ago.
—It was a misunderstanding. They feared that I would flog them because I was not pleased with an explanation they gave me.

Without letting go of my hand, he gently pulls me towards a bench where we sit together.

—Tell me what happened.-he asks in a whisper, releasing me from his touch.
I take a deep breath and tell him how things really happened.

***

—I suspect it's all connected. Supposedly the water of the main source is sacred, coming from that mountain.
—Mount Cusyu, where the gods fought against the great celestial beasts and defeated them, thus granting freedom to men.
—Yes, that one . Anyway, it should be pure water, but it's bitter as gall and it was even lukewarm. – An idea strikes me suddenly.- That's why I got sick when I was taken to the pavilion for the first time. I assure you Sir, that water is poisonous.
—I understand.
I stand up, taking a few small steps and walking away from the bench.

—Where are you going little flower?- asks the gardener.
—It's getting late. I'm hungry.- I sigh.- It's the second time that The Merciless summons me to meet him and he doesn't come.
I shake my head. My companion visibly tenses.
—Anyone would expect that being such a strict man…- I compressed my lips, crossing my arms over my chest.-… he would at least meet me every time he forces me to come, but…
My companion gets up from where he was sitting and approaches me, instinctively I tense, it's not exactly that I'm afraid of him, it's just that there's something in him…I don't know. Although he has been relatively kind to me, I suspect that beneath all that kindness lies a dangerous edge. He comes up to me and extends the palms of his hands to me, I put my hands in his, looking into his eyes.

—The Emperor is a very busy man. Besides, anyone would say you dislike my company.
—It was not my intention to offend you, Lord.- I bite my tongue, I am too reckless sometimes.- Truth is, apart from the girls in the pavilion, you are my only friend in this infernal place.- I look into his eyes grateful.
I think I see him smile, the way his eyes widen. Oh, her eyes are so beautiful. They are a shade of gold that I have never seen before, surrounded by those very black and long lashes that give it a mysterious air.
—Since I'm your friend, I'll give you some advice. Do not go around referring to the emperor as "The Merciless" or any other of the titles used by the people to refer to our sovereign disparagingly. If the wrong person hears you, you could end up suffering a terrible punishment.- He informs me, whispering.
—What's more, if you have any complaints about our master, tell me, I'll listen to you very attentively.- he proposes and I smile.
—The man is a tyrant. – I whisper.- My tribe and two others were decimated, a captain of the golden army made a massacre on his orders.- I bite my lip, fighting tears.- I fear that my mother and sisters have perished during the massacre.

Ponders my words for a moment.
—However, he ordered three holidays in your honor, giving the nomadic slaves a rest.
snort.
—What good are three days in the life of a slave? His edict only achieved the displeasure of his subjects. When the festivities ended, the masters intensified their mistreatment, the servants were flogged for any nonsense. After a month if not sooner, none of them remember the parties of those days.
My companion falls silent, gently frees my hands and takes several steps back. I bite my lip, I'm afraid I've overdone it.
—Forgive me.- I beg ruefully, placing one of my hands on my chest and extending the other to him. -I didn't mean to bother you. My father raised his daughters in a very liberal way, he gave us freedom to express our ideas and be heard. Forgive my outburst of frankness, where I come from we have no slaves, all men are free and equal.

I see him looking at me sideways and I bite my tongue.
—I'll shut up now.
He Laughs . His laugh is a contagious one , a happy laugh , without realizing it I start to laugh too.
—Don't apologize, it's refreshing…hearing another's true thoughts and feelings and not what they think I want to hear.
I give him a wide smile as I lace my fingers together, bringing them together in front of my abdomen.
—Well, what would you like to plant? Have you thought about which seeds to choose? - he asks me.
I look at him and purse my lips.
—Don't worry about the emperor, he knows of your efforts and greatly appreciates them.
—Okay, then I'll need a pair of scissors. The plants I would like to plant are in the pavilion. We just have to take some stems.
—It is decided then . In a few days you come back here and we get down to business.