I Won't Grant You The Divorce...
In the court...
The emperor sat down as the judge. I wondered how a man whose heart was like stone, will be the one to administer justice. I sat close to my mother who smiled at me.
"Do I have your permission to start ?" The prime minister asked.
"Go ahead, please," Emperor Sargon said.
Apollos ruffled through the pages slowly, his eyes darting left and right. He soon found whatever he was looking for. He read aloud, slowly:
"This dispute is between Mrs. Caldor and her husband. Caldor got married to his wife here, and after some years he fell In Love with Stadia. Now, he wants you to permit him to divorce his wife to marry the love of his life."
"I see…What did our law say concerning this situation?" The emperor asked.
"A man who is not a king can not have more than one wife" He answered.
"Is that all ?"
"Yes my Lord" Apollos confirmed.
"Does anyone have something to say about this?" The Emperor looked around the room quickly, as if he was searching for proof that something was wrong with the law.
Nobody stood up, the court was quiet. I raised my eyes to look at the people and I noticed that they were all in a state of panic. It seemed like they had something to say but we were afraid to speak out.
"Marrying more than one wife is not allowed by a mere man, only the king is allowed to have many wives in our religion. But you went ahead to love another woman outside your marriage. However..." He paused and looked at me.
I smiled at him. I was excited that, the Emperor has finally come to his sense and realized that true love exist.
Turning back to the accused, he continued
"However I can not allow history to repeat itself, that ss's why I am saying I won't grant you the divorce" he passed his verdict.
"The court is dismissed" he added.
Words couldn't be explained how I felt at that moment. I thought he was going to reunite two lovers, who had been separated a long time ago. But No! He did the opposite! He was indeed the Devil in the guise of a man. My hatred for him increased each day. Sargon was a disgusting man of no honor.
I stood up from my seat and left the court. What a waste of time! I promise myself that this was the last time I will go to a man be so wicked and cruel!?
I entered my room and sat at the edge of the bed. Anne walked into the room, she asked
"My lady, why did you leave the court like that?"
"How?".
"You left before the king, which was wrong," she said
"The emperor's decision angered me, I didn't want to oppose that why I left".
"oh, am sorry about that my lady," she said.
"Anne, I think you are right".
"About what, my lady"
"The Emperor. He is a devil in the guise of man!" I blurted out.
"Don't say that my lady, he is your husband" Anne said quietly, covering her mouth with her hands.
"So?"
"What I said the other day was just a rumor I heard of" she continued.
"But it's the truth, I have witnessed it today".
"My lady, I think the Emperor's decision is based on a previous event, I could tell from the way he spoke," she said quietly.
"Are you trying to defend him?"
"No my lady, am not".
"I advise you to talk to the king, maybe he will listen to you".
"Ha-ha-ha" I laughed.
I laughed so much that my stomach started hurting, "Do you want the king to slap me?"
"No queen Ariadne, I am not saying you should talk to him like a king but as a wife to her husband. I have a feeling that he would listen to you".
I stopped laughing "I think you are making sense in this but the Emperor might disgrace me publicly again".
"I am not saying you should go and talk to him in public, go to his room, and asked for privacy. I am sure he will take the matter seriously.
"Anne, are you married?" I asked.
"Yes my lady, my husband is one of the king's warriors."
"No wonder you know much about men" I teased.
She giggled and pulled at one of the cornrows underneath her black scarf.
"Are you sure this will work?" I asked her again.
"I am not certain my lady, but it better you try"
I stood up from the bed immediately. I was heading towards the king's chamber when I bumped into queen Valeria.
"How do you see today's judgment asked.
"Everything about it was wrong", I said.
"Nobody cares about your opinion, that's what happens when you come between a husband and a wife", she said.
"I don't understand queen Valeria" I wondered what was wrong this time around because I was sure I didn't step on her dress.
"You won't, Time shall speak for itself". She walked and passed almost pushing me down. What was wrong with her? I wasn't dragging her husband's heart with her so why can't she let me be?
I knocked on the king's door. The guard opened the door, I told him to inform the king that, I wanted to see him and it was urgent.
A few minutes, he came back ushering me in. I went into his chamber for the first time. The room was bigger than I thought, it was a huge bed, there was a library at the corner that looks like all the books in the world were kept there. Also, a reading table was kept closer to the bed.
There he was, going through the pages of the books placed on the table. Behind him was Apollos who was explaining whatsoever to him.
"Excuse my Lord" I interrupted.
He didn't look up to see who it was. I felt like I made the mistake of coming to see the king. I was about to go when I heard a voice.
"You are welcome, queen Ariadne, come in please" Apollos urged.
I smiled and made my way in.
"Queen Ariadne…" the king called out my name though his eyes were still in his books.
I smiled, gazing at him for a safe moment. I loved the way he pronounced my name. AR-iadne, with the accent on the A, makes it sound strong and exotic.