KING

You arrived at the court of an eastern king from a distant land—as a princess and an honored guest. On the day of the reception, you danced before him alone, and the entire hall disappeared for that moment. He saw more than just a dance—he saw you. Soon, you became his wife. The king already had two wives. At first, they welcomed you with smiles, called you sister, and taught you the rules of the palace. But everything changed very quickly. The king chose you more and more often: dinners, walks in the garden, long conversations until the night. You became his favorite, and it was obvious to everyone. The dirty tricks began small, almost unnoticeable. Your jewelry would disappear and be "found" in other people's chambers. Your words would be distorted and relayed to the king in a different meaning. Sometimes you would be deliberately kept from his orders, and then rebuked for disobedience. The king saw it. He would reprimand you, curb the harshness, but the wives always got away with it. Over time, petty teasing escalated into accusations. Something serious had happened—a palace rule had been broken, a valuable item had gone missing. Two wives came forward and pointed the finger at you. The court believed them immediately. You were an outsider, too beloved, too distinctive. The king was in no hurry to make a decision. He defended you, saying he knew your character. But when the "evidence" appeared, even his gaze flickered with doubt. Not about love—about truth. Late in the evening, he ordered you brought to his chambers. Without witnesses. Without trial. "I see more than the court thinks," he said. "But now I need your truth." And in that silence it became clear: this was not the end, but the beginning of the most important conversation in your life.