Page 28 of Bound By Wishes

The servant never made a peep as he scrambled to his feet and rushed to follow Razoul, closing the door behind him.

Ranen reappeared beside me, staring at the door like it was going to answer his questions.

I fell back into my pillows. “Well, start packing. I blew it! I told the king ‘no.’ He’s probably going to behead me.” I groaned. Namir started purring again, the steady vibration shaking the bed.

Ranen finally tore his gaze from the door and met my eyes, the fire of anger dimming slightly as he saw the weariness in my own. “I think you impressed him.”

“You can’t be serious.” I scoffed.

“I underestimated you, sayyida,” Ranen said, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Asking the king forthe tiger’s name was clever, much more than I would have credited you for.”

I ignored his barb. I was too exhausted to argue with him. The sun was rising, and its rays were starting to filter through the sheer curtains, brightening up the room.

“What did that servant mean when he said dig site?” I asked, feeling the first rays of sunlight warming my face.

Ranen glanced down at me, and I saw a chasm in his eyes, as vast and empty as the depths of the sea. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.”

For the first time since encountering this genie, an excited smile crept across my face.

Being a princess was just as demeaning and dull as my life in the museum. At least there, I had ancient artifacts to study; here, my time was wasted being pampered and paraded off to stuffy banquets and endless parties. Gag. That might be some women’s dream, but it certainly wasn’t mine. I needed a purpose.

I lounged on a settee on my balcony, trying to keep myself from going stir-crazy as Namir watched a white luna moth dance through the air. Its fluttering held my attention with its subtle yet elegant cream-colored wings. It reminded me of the different species my father had collected, preserving their carcasses behind glass picture frames. I laughed when Namir swatted at it, obviously irritated at the moth’s taunting. It floated away as innocently as it had appeared, taking with it what little amusement there was to be had in this dull palace.

I sat up straighter as commotion near the main entrancedrew my focus. One good thing about my room was that its balcony faced the main gate, allowing me to entertain myself by snooping. I eased closer to the railing, trying to make out what was being said, but I couldn’t hear a single word. One of the guards was yelling at what appeared to be an older child or young teen. Anger flooded my veins, burning rampant when the guard shoved the child and slammed the gates on him.

The hierarchy of the royals irritated me. Irritated me enough to do something stupid. I glanced around the room, wondering once again where Ranen had ventured off to. He wasn’t hovering around when I woke up this morning, which was odd. Fueled by boredom and the intense desire to help these poor people, I slowly opened my bedroom door and ventured out into the hall.

“Do you need something, princess?” I nearly jumped out of my skin as a guard standing by my door addressed me.

I quickly composed myself and smiled at him. “Just stretching my legs.” I walked off without another word, only to be disappointed when I heard him following me. It was pointless to tell him I didn’t need a chaperone. Whenever I left my room, I was surrounded by guards or servants, another downside of being a princess. I glanced down the hall that led to the bathing pool, and I veered toward it. The guard wasn’t allowed near the women’s bathing chamber.

“I’ll send for your servant, Your Highness!” the guard yelled after me, and I picked up my pace. I had to find a way out of here before Arwa caught up with me.

The temperature soared as I ventured into the muggy bathing chamber, the air thick with perfume. Fortunately, no one was inside. My gaze swept around the room until itlanded on a small door at the back. I rushed to it, elation buzzing through me when I pulled on the handle and found that it wasn’t locked. The door squeaked open, and I looked down a dark, empty hall. This must be the servant's entrance. I started down the hallway only to end up in a part of the palace I had never seen before.

The servants' quarters were an eyesore compared to the brilliance of the rest of the rooms. Tucked away in a dimly lit corner of the palace grounds, the quarters were cramped and poorly ventilated, with a stifling heat adding to the discomfort. The walls were bare and stained, and the floors were made of rough, uneven stone. A few tattered rugs provided scant relief from the cold stone underfoot.

Basic wooden cots, covered with thin, worn blankets, served as beds, offering little comfort after long hours of serving those of privilege. Guilt squeezed my chest just thinking about the lavish bed I had been sleeping in. The air was heavy with the mingled scents of sweat and the faint odor of unwashed bodies. Emotion tightened my throat as I glanced around the meager accommodations that struggled to hold so many.

I quietly ventured further into the room, relieved that it was empty, as daylight had just broken and the servants were busy with their morning duties. Maybe I should have Ranen turn Razoul into a toad to teach him some humility, if there was any to be found in his cold heart. I continued through the pitiful dwellings until I reached another door. More heat flooded into the stuffy room as I pulled it open. The rich, savory scent of roasting meats mingled with the buttery aroma of freshly baked bread and floated into the room. No wonder the servants’ quarters were sostifling. They were wedged between the humid bathing chambers and the bustling kitchen.

All eyes turned to me, and I froze in the doorway. Fear and shock skipped across the kitchen staff's expressions. I smiled to try to alleviate their fears, but they hit the ground hard, bowing before me.

“You can rise.” I huffed and waited for them to slowly stand back up.

My gaze wandered over the kitchen. Massive stone hearths lined one wall, where roaring fires cooked whole spits of lamb and other meats, their juices sizzling and dripping into the flames. Long wooden tables were loaded with an array of colorful spices in jars, fresh fruits and vegetables piled high in wicker baskets, and bunches of fragrant herbs hanging from overhead beams.

I plucked a juicy-looking fig from one of the wicker baskets and took a bite. A burst of sweetness, with undertones of honey and a hint of berry-like tartness caressed my taste buds.

“I was just in search of a little snack,” I said, smiling innocently at them, but they remained frozen like zombies, never so much as blinking an eye. I snatched a few baskets from the wooden tables packed tight with fruits, vegetables and breads. “Really hungry,” I insisted as I continued through the kitchen. Discarded burlap sacks lined the floor near the door, and I used them to cover the food. “I’m just going to borrow this.” I snatched a dark-brown cape from a hook near the door, draping it over my shoulders and pulling the hood over my head. Opening the door, I was pleased to find that it led outside. The bright sun brushed against my skin as I turned back around. “You never sawme.” I smiled at the servants as I closed the door behind me.

There was a fifty-fifty chance that any of them were getting ready to rat on me, but judging by their shocked faces, they might completely ignore the fact that a princess had just walked through the kitchen and stolen food.

The heavy basket handles dug into my skin as I trekked through the gardens toward the gate. As I neared the arched gateway, I wondered if the guards would try to stop me. Surely, the servants had lives outside of the palace, so hopefully, I could walk right through unnoticed. Holding my breath, I approached the entrance. The guard's gaze brushed down the length of my body before dismissing me with a sneer. I scurried through the gate, never looking back, and stumbled into the dusty streets of the city.

My chest tightened as I noticed several smaller children tucked tightly against the palace wall, wailing for the guards to open the door and give them food. They were dirty and grimy and the rags they wore barely covered their tiny bodies. Tears pricked at my eyes as my heart broke for them.

I ducked down a nearby alley and motioned for the children to follow me. It struck me how desperate they must be to trust a stranger leading them into darkness. I set the baskets down on the dusty ground and pulled the burlap cloths away, uncovering the food. The children pounced on the baskets, stuffing anything they could in their mouths and fighting for more like wildcats.

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