Harem:

His words made me pale. I hid my face for a moment, feeling embarrassed.
—Do you know?- I whispered. -Do you know what it means?
—Yes, and if I have noticed it, so has our lord. His mother was a nomad as I have already told you.
That caused me to instantly tense up. I got up from the marble bench and walked in his direction.
—Do you think so?
—I'm certain. It is not convenient that you provoke him constantly, your audacity can cost you dearly, my Lady.

His tone, which had been so easy and jovial had gone cold, I felt the foolish urge to cling to his waist, bury my face in his chest and beg for his forgiveness, but I stopped myself.
What the hell was happening to me? Since when had I started thinking such nonsense?

***

Back in the pavilion, I sat on my bed thinking about many things. Until that moment I had not achieved any of the thing what I had proposed with my small acts of rebellion. I was still a concubine and I was still a prisoner in a golden cage.
Maybe it was time to accept the harsh reality I had tried to avoid and resign myself to the empty and frivolous life inside the harem.

—Are you feeling unwell?- Burya asked me during breakfast the next morning.
—A little.- I whispered.
—What happened in our Lord´s chambers? I went to collect you this morning but you were gone.
—I came back last night.
An eerie silence reigned among the women in the pavilion.
—Perhaps... I should instruct you in depth in the sensual techniques that as a good wife you must perform to please our beloved.-Cítiê murmured sadly.-You must have performed a very poor execution of your marital duties so that he is bored to the point of returning you so fast .
—Citiê. Not now. Can't you see that Umara is embarrassed? - Burya whispered in an almost inaudible tone.
—Thank you, for offering to instruct me in the arts, Cítiê. I'll think about it.
I got up and went to my rooms, where I wept bitterly for the rest of the morning, not knowing exactly why I was crying for, but suspecting that my gloomy mood was strongly linked to the contradictory feelings Alessios aroused in me.
Everything seemed to indicate that I had started falling in love with the royal gardener, without even realizing it.
******
—Today, our beloved will go out for a ride on the royal barge. It is time for him to bless the crops and let himself be seen by his most humble subjects. As his wives, it is our duty to stand by his side on this momentous occasion. Not you, Sarab, you will stay in the pavilion.

Cítiê had met us early and had informed about the plans for the day. The maidens ran here and there, helping to dress us, doing our hairdos and bringing and carrying ornaments.
—Please, behave with the dignity and decorum that our position demands.- the little woman pleaded. "The eyes of the entire kingdom will be on us, it is not convenient for us to embarrass our beloved.
—It will be fun!- Burya screeched excitedly. -We are rarely allowed to leave the Palace but this an annual celebration . Oh, last cycle a great multitude gathered on the banks of the river and cheered for our lord with great revelry.
—They also praised Cassandra's name, if I remember correctly.-Zai growled.
—Well yes, her gift of clairvoyance has kept our beloved undefeated during all these twenty cycles.- Burya whispered.
By mid-morning we were ready, although the excess of accessories was ridiculous and the clothes were enormously heavy, the other women were deeply enthusiastic about the occasion.
The boat was gigantic, carved from oak wood and covered with allegories and symbols cast in pure gold, making us get on it I ran my fingers along the gleaming balustrade. In the center of our carriage stood a richly furnished pagoda, on which were clearly visible three royal seats made more comfortable by the presence of soft cushions.
Most of the servants and maidens of the court brought trays displaying sumptuous delicacies, while others held huge feathered fans, two colorful peacocks strolled over the stern of the ship and little by little the slaves who would be in charge of rowing They were placed in their respective positions.
Scattered all over the floor were other cushions, and even at each end of the pagoda was a wooden bench, carved from the ship itself.
—You can sit where you shoose, Umara. Except in the central chairs, those are reserved for the emperor, Lady Cassandra and…- I saw her hesitate.-… me.
The little woman sighed and looked at me sadly, twisting around her fingers the long pearl necklace that had belonged to me. I understood that she felt insecure, so I decided to cheer her up.

—Cítiê… you shouldn't be embarrased.- I murmured, extending my hands to take hers. -The emperor has seen fit to elevate you to the position of second wife and I cannot deny his wisdom.You deserve the honor of sitting next to him. From what I've seen, many of the women in the pavilion give themselves to him out of resignation or for valuable gain, but I suspect you truly love him. I am right?
—Yes, you're right, I do love him. And I must say, you are a very strange creature, Lady Umara. You should hold a grudge against me for taking your place.
—It was never mine, I did not deserve such a privilege and you know very well that I never wanted such a thing.
Cítiê nodded and the respective entourage of Cassandra and the emperor boarded, the women of the pavilion took seats on the floor cushions, for my part, I sat on the bench on the right side, waiting for the boat to depart.
After much delay and ceremony, the emperor, Cassandra, and Cítiê each took their seats and the journey began.

The tour has become increasingly monotonous and boring, every hour, the merciless rose from his glorious seat and turning to the right or left side of the monstrous boat, joined his hands and raised the same prayer over and over and over again. Even the way the slaves rowed was ceremonial, slow and desperate, making the journey take hours.
The suffocating heat and the suffocating clothing had caused me to sweat copiously, the drinking water was bitter again and for some reason, the delicacies became bland. Eating them was like tasting dust. By the time we had completed the entire tour, I was on the verge of fainting.