The Moon hung majestically in the sky, shining down upon the living. Her position was lower than when she first took the sky's reins.
She gave her best with a few hours left before her shift ended. It was her golden hour to showcase her beauty.
Her children twinkled serenading around her. With the various sizes and intensities of their shine, they added to the grace that emphasized her beauty.
Inside a humongous room, a slender figure sat on the edge of her open window facing the moon. Her barely covered body shimmered under the light, creating a halo around her. The runes covering her body added to the beauty as though her skin was bathed in glitter.
With her eyes closed, one could hardly tell that she was awake. But then, she wouldn't pass for someone sleeping either, since she was sitting.
Her legs hung outside, the breeze keeping her awake. Her long, black, curly hair floated around her. She sighed, letting her eyes peel open.
Intensively alive orbs stared directly into the silvery beauty's glow. Amber hues, translucent and brittle, warm and homely.
Her heart warmed up, letting peace momentarily reign over her soul. Maha smiled at the moon, the mole on her nose seducing the stars.
Each bone in her body screamed of exhaustion, yet she couldn't bring herself to lie on the bed. She was back in her prison again.
The place that she used to call home. She was freed for at least a few months. A few months of utter bliss, and now she was thrust back into her reality. She sighed, her eyes staying glued to the sky. She loved watching the process of the moon leaving and the sun taking its place.
A beautiful reminder of life and death. She needed that to look forward to a new day. That wasn't the only reason, though.
She loved the moon because it reminded her of her late mother. The woman who taught her the meaning of love. Her heroine was taken away before she could experience the warmth and connection.
Sadness overtook the warmth she was feeling before. The darkness threatened to creep into her soul. In hopes of forgetting it, she let herself think about those hazel orbs.
Her teacher's words echoed in her head. Prince Zuneir! The arrogant man who felt it beneath himself to compromise.
His face was the rare kind of attractive, hard to forget, and easy to fall for. Even she wasn't immune to it. Her heart had skipped a beat when her gaze first rested on him. Truly a sight for sore eyes. Unfortunately, that face was useless, coupled with his stinky attitude.
She couldn't help but smirk at how Abdullah had put him in his place. Perhaps it was one of the things she loved so much about the old man. His fearlessness in the face of power. He taught her to appreciate people and give respect when it was due.
He was her mentor; A man she loved and regarded with a lot of respect. For her, Abdullah was the father she never had. Not because her father was dead.
That beast was very much alive, and it irked her even more, to think about him. A cowardly king, a sinful husband, and a monstrous father.
Those were but a few adjectives she could use to define Gul. To the rest of the citizens, he was a just ruler and a revered King.
For her other siblings, he was a loving father, while towards his other wife, a loyal husband. Her lips formed into a disdainful pout.
She was his first child and he watched her get turned into a servant for her younger siblings. Unlike the rest of his children, she was hidden from the world.
Maha was known as the head servant to her younger siblings rather than the first princess. She shook her head, not willing to let her life taint her mood.
This was her time to relax because when the sun takes reign, her torture begins. She was back after three months. The stepfamily must miss causing trouble for her. Wasn't that sweet?
She sighed, no longer in the mood to stare at the moon. She walked towards her bed. Standing on a stool nearby, she reached out for the painting attached to the wall.
Her arms stretched out to carefully lift it off. Once it was removed, she observed the portion that was painted purple like the rest of the wall in her room.
Her palm rested on a spot, immediately making the wall move. A compartment opened up, exposing a safe. She opened the place and looked inside.
Ignoring the stack of books that were neatly arranged inside, she took out the small black case. Maha sat down and opened it, letting her amber eyes move over the object inside.
A beautiful gold turquoise pendant shone from the brightness of the moon. Her trembling fingers took it, holding it with utmost care.
She pressed a small knob at the bottom watching it open. As her gaze fell on the portrait of the woman inside, she let the first tears fall from her eyes.
She missed her so much. On this day several years ago, her mother was brutally killed as she watched. Another year, and yet she hasn't fulfilled her promise.
Maha caged her emotions in a golden prison. Her heart was shackled in heavy chains, hiding away the bloody wounds and unhealed scars. She was tolerant and patient, and hardly showed emotions around others. To the world, she was a meek, easy-to-bully person. A disguise she used to survive and investigate the murder of her mother.
It's because of this trait that her other siblings enjoyed bullying her. No one knew that she had a vulnerable side. That she could feel pain, too.
In that moment, she was sharing her worries with the moon. As though aware of her grievances, the silvery beauty dimmed a little, lowering its brightness.
She sobbed freely, no longer the twenty-one-year-old she was. She felt like the ten-year-old who witnessed her mother's last moment.
She held the pendant close to her heart. Her knees hit the ground in weakness. Her entire frame shook as the sobs wracked through her entire being.
"Mama, your daughter feels so alone! Mama, do you know how lost I feel without you? I miss your sweet voice that sings to me before bed. I miss your glorious presence that makes me feel brave. Mama, your child is cold despite a roof on her head and a blanket to keep her warm.
Eleven years! Eleven years since you left me to face the cruel world. My darling Mother, I crave for you. I miss your shoulders, your touch, and your protective embrace.
I miss the father I had when you were alive. Do you know, Mama, that I became an orphan the day you were killed?
The man I used to adore became a monster. The people I used to respect changed. All this while, they were pretenders.
Your friends, Mama, your friends were the first to abandon me. Mama, your daughter is so deprived of love. I have no mother or father.
He is better off dead than alive. I am sorry, I didn't help you. I apologize that all I did was watch you get hurt and bled to death. Mama, I miss you. Mama, I love you.
I hope that you find peace in death. Shine among the stars and dance with the moon. I pray that you are smiling wherever you are. I promise to make them pay Mama. It's just that I miss you so much."
She didn't know how she managed to return the pendant and the painting. Everything was a blur for her. She hates crying because once she starts, it becomes hard to stop.
Maha didn't know when she got into bed and fell asleep. She had no idea how long she had rested, either.
***
A loud banging on the door made her jolt up from the bed. Her eyes were swollen from the lack of sleep and the hours spent crying.
Before she could open her eyes, the sound of skin coming into contact with skin filled the room. Her hand instinctively moved to touch her cheek, her eyes flying open.
The confusion cleared up when she saw the person glaring down at her. The she-devil herself. What a way to start her morning!
She counted to ten in her head before it started. " Don't you feel ashamed? Just because you have a roof over your head doesn't mean you belong here. Shouldn't you be in the kitchen?"
She sighed, trying to get up when a second slap was thrown her way. "You little freeloader! When I ask you a question, you answer. I can see that the time you spent away from home taught you to be unruly! Get up, you stupid motherless wench! Ungrateful orphan"
Unlike the slap, it was the last word that stabbed her heart. Orphan? Indeed, she was one. She had admitted it to herself a long time ago.
Yet hearing it from others didn't hurt any less. She murmured an apology and stood up. The woman watched her walk away, disdain apparent in her gaze.
She loathed the girl with a passion. Every little thing she did reminded her of the woman who gave birth to her.
Hafsa strode out of the room, her mood already ruined for the day. For as long as the girl lives under the same roof as her, her blood will never stop boiling.
As she walked out of the room…..