Whispers Behind Silk Curtains

Chapter 1.




Anirian had often wondered who the breathtaking beauty was—the woman who had managed to enchant him at their very first encounter.

Her eyes shimmered like emeralds, captivating all who dared to meet their gaze. Her lips beckoned seductively, awakening something primal within him, as though long-dormant passions had risen from the ashes. They kindled an untameable fire of desire, setting his very being ablaze.

No, he knew each and every one of his concubines by sight—of that, there could be not the slightest doubt. But this girl… Her face stirred not a single memory within him. Who was she, this mysterious, fleet-footed gazelle who had dared to appear before him like a fleeting apparition, only to vanish without a trace, escaping his scorching gaze? Where had she come from, and how had she managed to disappear into the labyrinthine corridors of the imperial palace?

Seized by a sudden impulse, he had rushed after her, determined to catch the stranger and draw her into his arms. Yet the moment he drew near, the girl seemed to sense the danger and darted away in fright, like a delicate flower caught in an unexpected gust of wind. Within an instant, she had vanished from sight.

*Who are you, fiery beauty, whose enchanting dance has conquered the heart of an emperor before whom all others tremble?*

With a gesture that brooked not the slightest objection, Anirian ordered his servants to summon the keeper of the imperial harem to the throne room. Meanwhile, the royal cupbearer filled a golden goblet with wine. It rested in the emperor's hand, its precious vessel gleaming beside the massive gemstone rings adorning his fingers.

“Has a new girl arrived at the harem, Eytlan?” the emperor inquired casually, as though the matter were of little consequence.

The servant immediately prostrated himself before his sovereign, trembling with awe and reverence.

The keeper of the harem turned deathly pale. His features contorted in an expression of terror, and his entire body began to tremble uncontrollably, like an autumn leaf quivering beneath the icy gusts of the wind.

“No, my lord,” the eunuch finally managed to stammer, shaking his head. “I dare assure Your Imperial Majesty that not a single new girl has entered the palace of late.”

The emperor took a sip of wine without once taking his eyes off the wretched figure sprawled at his feet.

“The girl I ordered you to find. Have you found her?”

“The mysterious stranger Your Majesty commanded us to seek remains undiscovered,” the keeper of the harem reported, not daring to raise his head.

“Curious…” Anirian drawled, taking another sip of wine and arching an eyebrow ever so slightly. “So, you have searched every corner of my empire? Examined every territory, from the farthest frontiers to the very heart of the capital?”

“Everywhere, Your Majesty,” the pallid servant replied with an emphatic nod, still unable to bring himself to meet the emperor's gaze.

“Is it truly possible that you still have no knowledge of the name of the woman whose whereabouts I entrusted you to discover?” the emperor inquired, watching the eunuch intently. The latter remained bent in a deep bow, barely managing to suppress his trembling.

“The finest portrait artists in the realm have produced several likenesses of the stranger based on Your Majesty's descriptions,” Eytlan reported. “And yet, even the empire's most skilled trackers have been unable to find her.”

“Is that so?” Anirian let out a mocking laugh. “The finest artists in the empire, you say?”

“Indeed, my Lord and Sovereign,” the keeper of the harem hastily murmured.

“Very well…” A glacial gleam flashed in the emperor's eyes. At that moment, he resembled a formidable lion, poised to tear his prey apart at any instant. “I trust you are perfectly aware of the fate that awaits liars and deceivers within the borders of my empire?”

He paused briefly, then fixed the eunuch with an icy stare.

“Or do you truly take me for a fool?”

“Never, Your Majesty!” the eunuch cried, nearly striking his forehead against the marble floor. “Should you command this very moment that I be thrown to the wild beasts or condemned to be broken upon the wheel, Your Majesty would be entirely justified. Yet I, as your most devoted servant, would never presume to question your wisdom or discernment, my Lord!”

“Much better,” the emperor remarked, apparently satisfied with the answer and the display of loyalty. He was now fully convinced of Eytlan's sincerity, and the sternness of his features softened ever so slightly.

“However, I would have you commit one simple truth to memory,” he continued, articulating each word with deliberate precision. His words lashed through the air like the cracks of a whip. “Should the mysterious guest fail to be brought to my private chambers before nightfall today… You do understand what will follow, do you not?”

“I would sooner embrace death itself than betray Your Imperial Majesty's trust!” the servant continued to grovel, shuddering with terror. His imagination readily conjured the horrifying fate that the emperor had so pointedly left unspoken.

“Remember my words: once the sun has set, any further delay shall be regarded as an act of disobedience.”

Having drained his goblet, the emperor extended it towards the cupbearer, who bowed ceremoniously as he reverently received the precious vessel.

Anirian straightened to his full, towering height and began to make his way towards the exit.

“Now, see to it that you attend to your duties without delay,” he commanded, his voice cold and composed, not a single emotion betraying itself upon his face. With a majestic sweep of his robes, the emperor strode away, every movement exuding the effortless grace and authority befitting his exalted station.

The keeper of the harem rose from his knees, bowed respectfully before his sovereign, and hurried away, determined to carry out his master's command without delay. He had no desire to endure the oppressive, scrutinising gaze of his ruler for a moment longer.

Eytlan could scarcely have imagined that the charms of an unknown maiden might wield such irresistible power over a man whose very will made those around him tremble, and whose might inspired fear even in the bravest of warriors.

“We shall find her,” Eytlan declared, speaking more to reassure himself than his sovereign. “We shall find her. Without fail.”