Anna Alexander: queen of fire

She quickly covered my mouth with her palm. My body was covered in sweat, I was drowsy, and then the terrible hiccup began.

“What was that?” – flashed through my mind.

– You’d better keep your mouth shut! – Azazel said and rushed out the door.

At that very moment, everything froze, as if a fierce frost had bound all living things. It is impossible to imagine the emotions of the people living under the same roof as me. Everyone was so frightened that they could not return to their duties for a long time. Lion and Anastasia immediately understood the reason for what was happening. They guessed that I was the cause of it all.

After leaving the office where Lion usually worked, he hurried to us. One of the maidens greeted him as if she had been waiting at the door, knowing he would come. And he came. With his usual calmness, he opened the door and walked in, running his fingers through his hair.

In the room, Jim, Azazel, and I awaited him. The Smoke was no longer there. He surveyed the room and eagerly inhaled the scent of sulfur still palpable in the air.

– A familiar aroma, the Smoke was clearly here recently, – he said with a barely noticeable smile.

They were whispering to each other, not taking their eyes off me. I felt uneasy under such intense scrutiny.

– Please try not to worry, you will soon return to your “normal” state to be ready for departure! – Jim began soothingly.

An old man with gray hair, a long beard, small eyes, and a wide mouth. He resembled a warrior who had gone through countless battles. His face was marked with scars, and in his sad eyes, there was so much warmth that it was impossible to refuse his help. That is why Lion the elder brought him from the depths of India, from the bustling market where slaves were traded. His gift had repeatedly saved the lives of the entire Lion family.

Jim was of mixed race. His father, Soleiman, came from a noble Arab lineage. A wealthy merchant from the East, who brought silks and Persian carpets to Europe and America, he wallowed in gold, like all who had tasted the luxury of life. Jim’s mother was a simple maid, one of those whom Soleiman’s sister treated like possessions. Monica, a girl from an Iranian family where her father was an ordinary commoner and her mother the heiress of great wealth, was the eldest among four sisters and as many brothers. The whole family knew that the father worked tirelessly, returning home in sweat and blood. He often lined up the children and took turns asking them about their accomplishments for the day. His cruelty knew no bounds, whether it was with sons or daughters.

The father of the family was convinced that sons were more valuable than daughters and would inherit the small part of his estate: an old cottage on the edge of a poor village, where they kept nothing but livestock and subsisted on milk, cheese, and veal.

He was especially strict with his daughters. Monika always received the most blame, likely because she was the eldest and responsible for the education of the younger ones. But the true reason for his dislike lay in something else. She reminded him of the only woman he had ever truly loved, whom he had lost so early, perhaps out of foolishness.

Once, in distant times, when Monika’s father worked as a groom for wealthy gentlemen, he took a liking to a beautiful girl who often visited the family, namely her friend. He watched for hours as the young and charming lady, as you have already guessed, did not reciprocate his feelings, not even noticing him. Gussa secretly admired her but did not dare to approach, fearing the loss of his job and condemning himself to a miserable existence.

But fate had other plans. One day, while taking a walk, the beauty was swimming in a lake near her home when she became entangled in nets left by the servants. The master’s daughter managed to escape, only scraping her knees and slightly scratching her head, but Ayghul, the guest, would have said goodbye to life forever if not for the stable boy who was nearby. In gratitude, the girl’s father generously rewarded her savior with gold and invited him to dinner. How wonderful it was for the young man to find himself in luxury next to his beloved! He blissfully watched her every move and couldn’t believe his happiness.

And so, at the banquet held in honor of the miraculous rescue of his daughter, the father introduced the guests to the modest but now wealthy stable boy. Discussions about this did not die down for weeks.

– How could he do such a thing and shower this filthy stable cleaner with gold?! – exclaimed a lady, a close relative of Ayghul.

– Apparently, he has lost his mind to have done such a thing! – her sister echoed.

Father Ayghul was no longer young and devoted all his time to his children. He was madly in love with his daughter and was ready to fulfill her every whim. Nothing was forbidden to her. The spoiled girl was beautiful, but excessively proud.

Choosing the moment, our hero, forgetting about his origin, decided to ask for Ayghul’s hand. His heart was pounding wildly, and many thoughts were swarming in his head. Ayghul’s father was somewhat annoyed by the young man’s impudence that he asked to go with him to the office in order to discuss the proposal, and invited his daughter to them. The guy was embarrassed to see his beloved in a depressed state, because his father flatly refused to marry her. But she insisted, ahead of her father in her convictions.

– Father, let me make this decision myself. You’ve always been on my side, so what’s changed? – the girl said eagerly.

– But, Ayghul, you are still very young and you will always have time to get married. At any age, crowds of men will be at your doorstep, why rush so much? – father insisted.

– Dad, just let me go, and that’s the end of the conversation!” – the daughter repeated.

Since then, the head of the family lost his peace. He walked in circles around the house, as if measuring its square meters. His gait became weary. He stopped eating properly, and health issues began to manifest. On that fateful day when he refused her marriage proposal, the girl didn’t wait long and ran away to her suitor.

Ayghul managed to take some jewelry with her, but all of it was long gone, just like the generous gifts from Gussa. She was proud that she had never turned to her family for help, even though she needed it, as well as the blessing of her parents and support. After all, she had received the best since birth, and now her life was becoming worse and more difficult.