Selected by the Savage King

The Savage King’s rule did not always exist Naomi remembered a time before the uprising when freedom was given to all, and everyone had an equal chance at following their heart to wherever it may lead. During the uprising, the loving queen fell ill and passed on from their lives. Leaving her son to become the savage king whose laws left no room for anarchy, punishing all for the actions of a few. Angry about the loss of his mother he no longer felt love or compassion for women and decided that from that day forward Women were to become property they would be owned, and their lives were now forfeit, destined to forever live a life that was chosen for them.

Naomi lived in a small hut on the outside of her Hamlet it was not much, but she loved it none the less. Growing up Naomi was taught that great suffering strengthened her for what was to come on her sixteenth birthday. Women from every nearby hamlet were to send their daughters for the selection a ceremony they had been prepared for over the course of many years. Ruling with fear was the only way for the king to maintain control of the people, since the last uprising. Sixteen was the age that she would find out not only where she would be living but who she was to love, how many children she would be permitted to have and if she would be granted a work permit or be stuck slaving at home for the man they felt would benefit most from her skill sets. Naomi’s mother had always focused a lot on the more feminine skillsets. “Beauty is a woman’s greatest weapon sweet pea” she could hear her mother’s words in her head even now.

Despite years of preparation Naomi still could not shake the feeling of dread that had settled into the pit of her near empty stomach. Naomi was from one of the smaller hamlets in the kingdom. Standing five feet tall, Naomi was one girl that although she may not have brawn was one of the most resourceful girls in her hamlet. Today was her time, at some point within the next few hours her childhood would end, and she would wed the person she would be with the rest of her life. Feeling her breath catch in her throat she briefly thought about the possible outcomes of her selection and what she could realistically hope for. Every girl dreaded the thought that they would be selected to join the king’s harem, there was no worse fate. Concubines were never allowed to wed unless the king found them fit to become a wife and would never bare children or work outside the palace, some would compare it to a forever stint in the king’s dungeons.

Naomi stood in front of the small broken mirror that stood against her wall. She remembered the day she stumbled across the lost treasure. Most women were stuck grooming themselves in the reflection of the bathing pond. Although she shared her prized possession with her sister she made sure to express the importance of keeping the gift to themselves with fear someone may take it if they were to discover it. Her hair hung black over her shoulders knotted from the pond water. She laced her fingers through her hair to pull some of the knots out. When presenting herself to the king, the goal was to show her natural beauty without catching the kings attention.

Glancing into the mirror again, she put on the faded blue dress that she had chosen for her selection. She remembered how her sister said that it brought out the blue in her eyes, hoping to distract from her pale complexion and lack of breasts and body fat. Disgust grew across her face as she threw on her boots, running her hands over the leather materiel that had once belonged to her father. Although her mother discouraged her use of the masculine attire they had come in handy on many jobs and treks thru the woods. Taking one final glance at herself and turning away from the mirror she walked towards the door and with a deep breath and a final look at the home she had grown up in she walked through the door and took the first step into her new life.

Naomi stood in the center of the hamlet next to three other girls she recognized. They all stood before a crowd that had gathered to watch. When the waiting became almost unbearable, she could hear the start of the drums as the king approached, instilling fear in the hearts of everyone present. Kneeling, the girls looked to the ground as they had been taught. “No woman is to ever make eye contact with the king, a crime punishable by death.” This rule had been drilled into Naomi’s head throughout the years, anytime she would forget and make eye contact with her mother she would be beaten as a reminder of the lesson she must remember. Naomi had long since learned many laws essential for her survival. The king walked slowly as he stopped to lift the hair of the first girl before lifting her chin to inspect her face, watching as the girl averted her gaze. Naomi could see the light the fear brought to the king’s eyes, “Stage two” he bellowed before moving on to the next girl that had begun to weep uncontrollably. Naomi observed as the king looked down in disgust, “Brothel” he bellowed hoping to see a reaction and receiving none began to walk towards her.

Shaking she returned her gaze to ground just in time to see the king’s feet standing before her. Naomi held her breath hoping to be passed over, touching her hair and lifting her chin as he had the first she feared she had caught his attention. “Stand” One simple order brought her from her knees as she kept her head down, biting her lip in anticipation. “Concubine” his words rang through her ears causing her heart to stop and as she bit harder the copper taste of blood in her mouth brought her back to reality.

Her life was over she would be taken to the palace and dressed in provocative outfits as she served the perverted allies of the king and would serve no purpose in life outside of pleasuring the king. Holding back the whimper in her throat she watched as the king waved to his guards and retreated to the carriage that would take him home to the place she would now come to see as a prison. Knowing she had only a few minutes to say her goodbyes she began to walk towards her sister with tears in her eyes. Holding each other in a tight embrace Naomi vowed to herself that she would escape by any means that this would not be her life, she would show her sister that there was hope a reason to dream. Naomi did not know what would happen in the days to come but she knew one thing she could not be broken; she would rise from the ashes of those that had tried and failed and succeed at what they could not. Naomi would bring peace and freedom back to the kingdom that once was a haven to all, she was prepared to suffer the greatest of all sacrifices if it would put an end to the savage king’s tyranny. Not all stories have a happy ending, some must endure the rain before they may ever see the rainbow at the end.