Tahereh
I was fourteen years old when I first met my husband. I was in the village market with my mother when the palace guards announced the daily procession of the Queen and her son, Prince Majid. Mother held my hand and pulled me behind her, she then quickly looked around and turned to me and said: “Do not look up at her Majesty.”
I nodded and continued to look at my feet. As the Queen and the Prince were carried through the streets, I could feel someone's eyes on me, and did not want to betray mother’s words, but I could not resist. My eyes quickly glanced up without moving my head but an inch so mother would not notice. I stole a glance from the Prince, who looked at me with adoring eyes. He smiled mischievously at me while his mother arrogantly looked ahead, as she rested comfortably on her throne. The Prince is much older than I, but he is very handsome; with eyes the color of the blue sea, long wavy locks that fall gently on his shoulders, and olive colored skin. I felt my cheeks turn hot red as I noticed and read the secret behind his smile. I proceeded to look back down at my feet. I imagined that it was not me he leered at, but rather some other girl who was more voluptuous and curved. Mother says I am too thin and small to win the heart of a man, but she also said someday I will be fully grown and gain many suitors. As for now, I am not so; with thin legs, small breasts, ivory skin, and dull dark brown hair. I do not think myself as pretty, but mother does her best to hide me from leering eyes. Like the Prince.
As the procession ended, mother and I resumed our shopping for fresh bread and meat. Upon arriving home, mother immediately ran to father in their room and began to whisper about something, I couldn’t hear what she said to my father, but she sounded very worried. I began to step closer to their room to listen in on what they were saying, but my mother suddenly popped out of the doorway and startled us both.
“Tahereh! My dear, do not sneak up on me like that!” she cried with a hand to her breast.
“I’m sorry mother,” I said softly, “I just wanted to make sure everything was all right with you and father.” I explained this as her eyes gradually fall to the ground and back up to my eyes.
“Oh,” mother began to say unconvincingly, “It’s nothing you need worry about.” Mother said this with a very forced smile and wrapped her arms about my shoulders, ushering me towards the kitchen, “Come, let’s prepare supper.”
During our meal, father looks very worried and almost sickly. Mother had not said a word and ate her food very slowly. As I pondered what they were thinking behind those worried eyes, we could hear the sound of the town quieting down to the sound of a pin drop. I could hear the distant sound of marching up the roads. Mother looked out towards the window and back to my father as the sound grew closer to our hovel. Father rose from his seat and walked over to the door to investigate and swallowed hard. Mother looked at me, then to father, who gave her a small nod, motioning mother to rise from her place and grab my arm.
“Don’t worry Tahereh, your father will see what is going on outside, but you must hide until we say it’s safe,” mother says with a trembling fear behind her voice. I obediently oblige, and with that mother hid me in my room and pulled the drapes over tightly so no one could see me. Finally, the marching sound has stopped at our front door.
BANG. BANG. BANG.
The noise so loud, it made me jump, initiating my mother to quietly hush me as I accidentally knock over something in the dark. Father hesitated to open the door, but then flattened his shirt of any wrinkles, and proceeded to open the door. He introduced himself as the Queen’s Second Lieutenant and his guardsmen. The Lieutenant then allowed himself inside our home and cleared his throat to speak. His voice is broad and assertive, as if he challenged someone to a game of chess and was sure he would win.
“We have a palace summons directly from Prince Majid for your youngest daughter,” the Lieutenant began, “She is to immediately report to the West Wing Palace and-”
“No! Not my little girl!” Mother shouts as she falls into my fathers arms.
“She’s only fourteen,” Father began to challenge back, “She is still only a child.” The Lieutenant stared down at my father in an attempt to intimidate him. “I won’t allow it.”
“Sir, I am certain you have no choice but to comply,” the man replied with a sly smirk, readying his men to use brute force, “this is a palace summons, and you will either cooperate or be put in prison for treason against his highness.” Mother gasped and began to weep as father held her close. I began to shake throughout my entire body at the thought of being taken away from my family. I have never been away from either of them for more than a minute.
“Very well,” father said lowly, “We shall get her ready.” Even as I am still young, I know that prison usually means certain death. For all of us. Mother continued to sob as father approached my room and pulled the drapes open. “Come Tahereh, you have a palace summons from the Prince.” I held back the lump forming in my throat and silently turned to my dresser to get ready. As I prepared to leave, father told me many things in discretion as the Lieutenant and his guardsmen waited impatiently outside. “Please keep yourself pure.” It was the last words he whispered to me before the guardsmen took me away. I did not know at the time what he meant, or what would happen to me, but I would try my best to keep his words in mind.
As we reach the West Wing Palace, the Lieutenant dismisses his men and leads me to a long corridor that is grand and elegant. Tall arches decorated with murals and rhinestones along the moldings. The torches lit it brightly enough to see the murals; painted affectionately, beautiful men and women looking at each other adoringly. They only adorn loin cloths and the women’s breasts are bare, this makes me blush noticeably. The corridor leads us down two large doors and the Lieutenant knocks softly.
“Sire, the girl is here.”
“Let her in,” a voice echoes behind the doors. The Lieutenant opens the door and gestures me to enter. I hesitantly step forward, and he shuts the door gently behind me. The sudden change in behavior in the Lieutenant when he is in the presence of royalty has me slightly irritated. The room is faintly lit, and I can only see the corners of the room. There is an elegant and magnificent bed in the center before me. My heart races once I look upon the man on the bed. The Prince lays comfortably on his royal bed with a wine cup in his hand, leering at me as he did earlier.
“Hello my dear,” he greets gently. “Won’t you come and sit beside me?” I bite my bottom lip as I inch close to his bed and slowly sit down, facing the wall. The Prince chuckles in amusement. “Do not be afraid my dear,” the Prince says as he places his wine cup down beside his bedside table. “I am not going to hurt you.” I blink several times as I always do when I am nervous, and turn to face him.
“I am sorry your highness,” I finally say, “I am not used to being in the presence of royalty.” The Prince chuckles again and leans forward, closer to me.
“What is your name?” he asks. I gulp down hard and blink again, meeting his gaze with mine, admiring his full lips.
“Tahereh,” I say almost like it is a question. A soft smile crosses his full lips and he chuckles heartily.
“Tahereh, what a pure name,” he says delicately, as if my name were something sacred. I muster a weak smile and begin to lower my gaze to his open shirt, exposing his broad and muscular chest carelessly. The Prince leans in much closer and holds my face softly in his hand.
“Well, Tahereh, my dear, do you know why I have summoned you here tonight?” I swallow hard at his question before I finally respond.
“T-to make love to me?” I answer. The Prince smiles with wide eyes and begins to laugh.
“Not quite,” he says, still caressing my face and neck.
“Then if not that, then why?”
“To get a much closer look at you,” he continues to move his hands towards my backside, and I feel a slight tingle in my stomach. “You are beautiful Tahereh, I only wanted to meet you.” A sigh escapes my lips and I smile weakly. The Prince reaches further down my back and begins unbuttoning my dress. I wear simple dresses, with only an undergarment and nothing else. Not elegant saris most girls my age wear. We cannot afford them. I gasp and pull away gently.
“I will not take anything away from you. I promise,” he says softly, and captivates me with his soft indigo colored eyes. I allow him to continue unbuttoning my dress. He softly pulls my hair back and begins planting kisses on my neck and tracing them down my back. Slowly, he pulls my dress over my shoulders and kisses them. He continues pulling my dress down, along with the undergarment, showing my bare breasts in the dim light. He caresses my skin gently and it creates new feelings of pleasure in between my thighs. A feeling I have never felt. He sensually traces his fingertips along my arms, making me tremble. I am unsure of what his intentions are, but it makes my blood boil and my lips quiver. He wraps his broad arms around my waist and pulls me further into the bed. He pulls me into him, and continues to plant soft kisses about my flesh.
He is now on top of me, pulling off my dress completely; now I am fully bare and my body palpitates in his sensual touch. I keep thinking to myself:
What is he doing and why is he doing it?
He stays fully clothed, not hinting any sign of taking my virginity. He only continues to kiss me. My neck, shoulders, breasts, thighs, hands, and the mystery I have yet to discover about myself are all explored by his soft lips. He grazes over my thighs and explores the depths of what is between them. Sliding his fingers slowly, parting the lips, and softly rubbing it, making me groan in the delight of his touch. At last, his lips reach for mine, and I fall into his spell. His kiss is sweet with the taste of wine still on his soft and wet tongue. I slowly lift my trembling hand to cup his face, and kiss him back. I am inexperienced in the art of kissing and sensuality, but I feel as though I have known his kiss my whole life. As if I have been waiting for him to find me.
He rubs my swollen knob, penetrating his finger inside me, but carefully. I feel my face turn hot red, moaning in spite of myself. Unknowingly, and without warning, I feel a surge of climaxing pleasure explode inside me, and he continues to pleasure me as I moan loudly; I never have before in my life experienced such euphoria. He parts my lips with his sweet tongue, and smiles as he rubs his nose into mine. I feel so embarrassed that I cover my face quickly with my hands. He pulls them away, and looks into my teary eyes. He cups my face and kisses me softly on the lips.
"Tahereh," he begins to speak softly, "I have summoned many women into this room and lain with them, and although many were virgins, I fear of taking yours." My heart calms its rapid beating and I gazed into his blue eyes; I simply adore them.
"My Prince," I almost mumble and clear my throat, "I do not understand, I am no one special." The Prince smiles sweetly and says:
"I have always admired you from afar, I refused to summon you here on many occasions, because to me, you were untouchable." My face felt hot and my body grew stiff as his words reach me. "You have a beautiful aura that emanates from your body, when I am near you, it seems brighter and more powerful, as if it were calling to me."
"Your highness, your words flatter me too much," I tell him, "I am only a simple girl with nothing to offer. I do not know what your intentions are with your kind words but," I gulped down hard before saying, "If it is my virginity you seek, I shall give myself-"
"Stop," the Prince interrupts me and looks hurt after hearing my words. "Tahereh, if it were any ordinary girl, who come only for the gold and jewels I gift them, I'd gladly accept, but your words sting me." I begin to feel a wave of guilt wash over me as he explains. "The first I ever laid eyes on you, you were helping a child collect water by the lake," the Prince explains as he lifts himself off me and covers my body with a large blanket, "While all others ignored the helpless child, you proceeded to help him." I recollect that incident very well. The village is full of busy farmers and merchants, and they are always too selfish to care for others. I have always acknowledged this fact, but never accepted it. "Tahereh, out of all the women I have courted, none carried such an aura as yours." The Prince reaches across towards his bedside table and picks up what looks like a jewel encrusted comb. "Today in the market, I finally realized that I am in love with you," the Prince says bashfully, a weakness I have never seen in him. "I thought I could make love to you tonight, but I would be more satisfied if you would accept my love." He fiddles with the comb in his hand then looks up into my eyes, and I was speechless. I have never noticed that the Prince paid so much attention to me before, and begin to realize that maybe that is why mother never wanted me to look up during the daily processions, and as of late we have avoided them entirely. My parents knew all along and were trying to protect me.
"My Prince," I begin to say with a timid smile, "I gladly accept your love." I subconsciously lean over him and kiss him.
He sends me home that same evening, and requests that I meet him in the royal garden tomorrow. Mother and Father are happy and relieved upon my return home. Mother holds me tightly as she weeps.
"Did he violate you in any way, Tahereh?" Mother cries. I shake my head with a smile and point to the white and purple comb in my hair.
"He gave me a gift that represents his love for me," I explain, but my parents look terribly confused. I told them everything from that evening, except for our intimate moment, and they said that I was blessed. For not many leave the West Wing Palace until they have lain with his highness.
