Ancient Arabia. The palace a sight to behold, majestic unto itself, a luxurious, gilded cage. Desert sands in clear view outside.
Situated among its fabulous rooms there it was resting on its base the delectable spinel jewel, admired by many. One just happens to be one tonight, propped upright and chained. Right there, arm’s length.
Veil pulled down from the face reveals a woman. Expect it be forlorn? The expected will not arrive, enemies denied their pleasure.
Peering into the past, wishing to be addressed as Jasmine, relates she’d entered the land, avoiding the desert’s cruel fate hoping wadi to wadi, making her way to the palace of delight. Irreverently calls it palace of the debauched. Her ruse of entry was presenting herself as a food merchant. Hiding till the night, made the dark her shadow of comfort. Face veiled, snuck her way inside the humongous power fantasy, past rooms and sights stealthy as she dared. The compound follows the Arabic aesthetic astutely.
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Finds herself in front a grand double door. Disaster laid a hand, knocking over a picture resting on a table. Guards are not far.
The emir summoned and meets this mysterious intruder. At the time veiled, bluntly says has every right to the spinel. The lord pushed back from moral grounds they the rightful owner, a grave wrongdoing invading their palace.
Th emir recoils when this fiery speaker calls them the wrongdoer.
Surprisingly even to security who react with expressions only, delves into back story was last in her family’s possession and spirited away without their consent. She knows specific details few can: where from, size, where and who cut it. The quest clearer now.
The story convincing.
A spinel is a sort of precious gem and men would set in jewellery.
The veil is pulled off by the emir showing it a woman. That was night last and now another to stare at the gem right in front, face steely, so close yet beyond reach…
Author’s note – unwritten idea someone was subjected to this psychological depredation dating some years back. I remember picturing James Bond in the title role. Date - 3 October 2020.