Sands of the past

Banou is siting in the kitchen grinding the spices. The sun is hot shining down brightly in the courtyard. She is perspiring with her sweat beads rolling down her forehead. Today the servants are call away and Aylin is not around her. She is alone only some insects and spiders to accompany her. She grind without realising someone is quietly walking up to her. Within seconds, Banou finds a cloth tighten on her neck. She struggle to breath and hit the person with the wooden beater on the table unfortunately she did not have a good grip thus it falls from her hand. She kick and struggle with her might. That person pull her onto the ground. Banou cannot open her eyes to see who is the attacker because of the blazing sun above her. Banou struggle to move but the attacker is sitting on her and continue to tighten the cloth. Tears begin to roll down her eyes she pray in her heart for a less painful death. She hate to know that she is leaving her family behind. She cough and struggle to pull the cloth away. Soon, she faint. In the mids of the struggle, she hear her name. In her mind, she think it must be her maker coming to get her. 

Banou open her eyes in a warm room. She is on a bed and she look to her left, her son Li Nan is laying next to her. He is snoring lightly. She cough and he wakes up. He hurry to get off the bed and call for his brother. A group of men comes in an check on her. They conclude that she is fine. Banou close her eyes and fall asleep again. She wakes up the next day, she see her young son is asleep next to her. He is sleeping on his back snoring. While on the other side of the bed, Li Xing have half of his upper body on the bed and the lower on the chair he is sitting on. She touch his long curl hair. She smile and she close her eyes looking at the window. She slowly move out of the bed to the open space that face the window. In prayer position, she goes down on her knees and thank god for another chance in life. She realise that ever since she return to the empire, she haven't done any prayers. She tell herself she must do one at least a day from that day onwards. 

The following day, Banou is ask to attend the family court. It must be something to do with the attack on the other day. Banou walk along the long corridor with Halil. Her sons follow behind with Li Jun. Banou feels that today is the day that she should stand up for herself. She should not be a coward and let the attacker step her all over. They enter the court room with her siblings all standing separating from men on the left and women on the right. The Sultan enters and they all bow to him. He sit on the throne and ask Halil to bring the criminal into the room. In a short while Banou see her third eldest sister drag in. Her feet is bare and her hands are tied at her back. Her clothes are disarray , she looks like a mad person. Her eyes is cast on the floor as the guards brings her in. She is place on the floor in front of the throne. 

"Defne, look at me. What do you have to say?"

The Princess look at her father and remain quiet. She doesn't wish to defend her actions. She look down the carpet floor. 

"Banou, your third oldest sister is the one who strangle you in the kitchen the other day. Do you have anything to ask her?"

"Father, i did not know why she choose to kill me instead of talking to me the problem. I don't understand."

"Yes, Banou. I too don't understand. Defne, you are my daughter. Banou is my daughter too! She is your sister! Both of you share the same blood!"

Defne who is staring at the flooring speak in her soft voice. 

"No mother said she is a servant. A low life that will bring shame to our empire!"

"Defne! Do you not hear what i said!"

"She is not my sister! She kill my brother!"

The Sultan looks like he is going to faint on his throne. He point to her.

"Say it again! What do you mean?!"

"My mother said it! My mother told me that her mother cause the death of my unborn brother! He should be born instead of that witch there!"

"Your brother... your brother had been verify by the medical doctor. He was caught by the ... tubes of your mother while in her stomach. That tube had cut off the air that he needs! That's why he is born dead! Defne do you understand!"

"I don't! Mother said that servant witch had caused it! Mother is never wrong!"

"This is why i want all my children to be educated! How can this empire prosperous with this kind of mind set?"

He look at all his children who is standing there. Each of them have a look of guilt. 

"So each and everyone of you believe in what the consort had said? Banou's mother had cause the death of an unborn child?"

"My father... i personally don't believe it but my sister wants me to stay away from Banou. Thus i have to listen to her because we share the same blood."

The other boys said the same thing to the Sultan too. He realised that the girls in the family have an control over the boys. His daughters all avoid look at him at this point. 

"This is why i want my children to be educated! Not a person who blindly hear what other people said. Not able to think logically and rationally. How can ... i am lost for words. We are an empire that is living far better than greater than other civilisation. Yet ... you all have no knowledge or wisdom within your bones!"

The Sultan got up from his throne and walk to his daughter who is still on the floor. 

"I think i need to do something to save my pride, my honour and the future of this empire. All of you have to send me your children to the palace. Regardless they are given a title or not. As long as they call me grandfather, i will receive them in this palace. I will put them in classes. Learn everything our scholars can teach them. They cannot turn out to be like all of you! I will work to correct the mistake i made. I did not push my children to study well enough thus this is why and how Banou have to suffer. She did not do anything to an unborn child."

He walk towards Banou with sadness in him. He felt that he had made Banou suffer an unjust that spin nearly a lifetime to correct. It is thankful that she did not die from any of those mishap that happen to her. 

"Father, are we all to send..."

"Yes all of them from the age of five. Boys and girls. Titles or no titles. They are the future of this empire. If they cannot function. I don't know how can i meet the maker."

He walk back slowly and look at each of his other daughters. They all refuse to look at him. There is a mad look in his eyes. He is really angry this time. 

"Halil go fetch the daughter that is lock up in the tower."

Halil bow and walk out. While the Sultan walk back tot he throne and sit on it. Another young boy pour the tea and present to the Sultan. It takes awhile for Princess Azedeh to appear. Her hair is now extremely long and white. Her face is all ashen with winkles. She looks as old as the Sultan. She look around to see all her siblings. Then she notice there is a new face in the family court. She stare at the face before she continue to walk. Her feet is suckles with chains. She see her other sibling on the ground with her hands tie up. She understand her father is dealing with family issues. She kneel before her father. She greet him quietly. 

"After locking up for so long, do you understand what have you done to deserve that?"

"Father... i only desire to marry the scholar, i did nothing wrong."

"So you are saying you love that man?"

"I love my husband, from the beginning."

"Beginning?"

"Yes father. I saw him the first time in the class. He was a relief teacher. I love him then."

"What did you do to marry him?"

"I switch the marriage decree... She shouldn't marry him. She don't deserve a beautiful man like him."

"And you deserve him?"

"Yes. I believe he will feel my love for him one day."

"So you dislike the Marquis, Baris?"

"Yes. He is hateful."

"What did he do to make you dislike him."

"He belittle me. He said i am not smart enough to understand about the world today."

The Sultan stands up and walk to her. He stand before her. 

"Tell me, what did you do to switch the marriage decree."

"I ... My brother and i creep into your office to copy the marriage decree between Banou and i. We switch the names. Since i like the scholar, i am willing to marry him. I leave the wick man to Banou."

"Do you understand what you did was wrong?"

"Yes father. I know now. It is my fault. Please let me have my freedom again. I promise to be good." 

"That will depend on Banou if she is willing to let you have your freedom."

She look up to her father's face. She have an angry look in her eyes. She turn around and look at the new face in the back room. 

"You! Still alive! You Should be sold far away!"

"Azedeh is this how you ask for forgiveness?"

"I can never ask from that witch! Father! Don't be blind by that pretty face! She is not that a good person! She is like her mother! They just want to ..."

The Sultan had enough of what he hear, he raise and slap the face. Defne who is beside her got afraid that her knees goes soft. The sound of the slap seems to echo in the room. Everyone is terrified, his children knows that their father had reached a boiling point. All except for Banou kneel down to ask their father not to be angry with everyone.