Chapter 2: Chapter 2: a woman in the court

The court is usually for men. If there would be a woman there, she would be the queen sitting next to the king, but now the chair next to the king was empty. 

Once upon a time there used to be a queen with a soft smile. She had golden eyes under long lashes and blushes mixed into her milky complexion. 

There were endless freckles on her cheeks below the circles of her eyes that extended up to her nose. Those freckles used to enhance her beauty.

Now there was no queen, no smile and no freckle…

There were mostly gaunt-faced men whose faces were burnt by the hot sun, whose faces were scorched by the hot sun. Nor was there gentleness in their dark eyes. Even if there was any freckle on their face, it was not visible in their dark complexion.

When she entered the court, every eye was on her. Not only the land of Gulistan was colorful but also the people had many colors. The inhabitants of Gulistan were pink and white in complexion with light colored hairs and eyes.

On the contrary, whatever the natural complexion of the people of Sahranagar, the intense sun and lack of water made their complexion dark and their skin hard.

On the other hand, those who sat on the throne could be recognized from far and wide. Fateh Hatim’s features were Arabic and his complexion was golden while his hair was black and curly.

Each state of Dastan was ruled by Hatim’s son’s descendants. Hence, royal family imprints were aristocratic and golden in complexion. Except the royal government of Gulistan…

The son who ruled Gulistan was from his second wife who was a princess there. That son of his went to his mother on his complexion and his features were stolen by his father.

The royal family of Gulistan  has sharp features and red hair. They couldn be recognized everywhere because of their hair.

Along with Saharanagar, Pothohari state also participated in the war with Asfandyar .

Therefore, apart from Sahranagar, some Pothohari faces were prominent in the court. Their complexion was fairer than that of the desert dwellers, and their skin was as stony as their region.

Their big sharp eyes were usually black and brown but randomly golden.

Among so many faces, her brown eyes stopped on one face.

Five levels were built below the king’s throne. Courtiers were sitting on each step according to their rank. The seats of the rest of the common courtiers were on the carpeted floor. 

Abdul Muttalib Shah was sitting on the highest level after the king’s throne.

Bald head, golden complexion, long white beard and fierce eyes…

He was the first son of Dastan’s first ruler, Fateh Hatim. His age will be around seventy years. According to the principle, he had to sit on the throne of the Dastaan. But he had seated his brother’s grandson there.

Jannat’s eyes narrowed. “why so?”

Abdul Muttalib’s cunning eyes immediately went to the girl standing on the threshold. She fake smiled and bowed her head to greet him and walked gracefully and sat on the seat on the third step.

If she was the royal healer, it was her seat. Lower than ministerial advisers and higher than ordinary courtiers,

As she sat there, she felt an imperceptible stirring in the court.

Whether that anxiety was due to her gender or her age… she didn’t know.

Most of the faces there were much older than her. There were a few young people too, but they were on the floor seats.

But they should not object to her age when the man sitting on the highest seat was a mere 26-year-old youth.

The said person's arrival in the court at that time had alerted everyone.

His arrival was unannounced.

“Why so?” she thought.

The palace rules were changed. Jannat put the matter aside for another time and stood alert to greet her king. 

At that time she needed to keep her ears and eyes open.

She was in her own country but among the enemies.

When Asfandyar sat on the throne, those people also follow his lead. 

Today he was dressed like a king, but it was not silk that was on his body.

All his attention was on Abdul Muttalib who was now sitting on the seat next to him.

Abdul Muttalib had an unpleasant expression on his face. He was whispering something in his ears. On the other hand, Asfandyar’s whispers were trying to calm him down.

Jannat saw this scene very carefully. When both of them looked up at her, she immediately lowered her eyes and kept them lowered for a long time.

After some time the whispers of both of them ended and the court started.

Jannat wanted to see Asfandyar’s way of managing court. But there was something else that was distracting her from the conversation going on in the court.

There was something, which was bothering her.

But what? She was not getting the answer.

She was startled from her thoughts by hearing her name. They were talking about her. 

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“Our grandfather Abdul-Muttalib objects to what such a young lady is doing in the position of royal healer?”

She immediately stood up from her seat after hearing her name.

All eyes were on her. Her eyes were downcast but her head was raised.

“Miss Jannat is Princess Gulrukh’s special pupil. She has completed her training and is a natural healer and you all know, how rare natural healers are.” After hearing him, she looked at Asfandyar with a start.

Only a few people in Ashiyan knew about her abilities. If King knew this, it meant that either princess Gulrukh had told him this or else…

Thinking about else, the heart of Jannat sank.

There was an uproar in the court. The faces of some were brightened after hearing this, while others were uncomfortable.

But her mind was somewhere else. 

Else what? She thought again. 

Or else Asfandyar had spies in Ashiyan. 

She was so deep in her own thoughts that she didn't realize what King was saying.

Asfandyar’s next sentence passed through her head. When he fell silent, She felt all eyes on her.

After a moment, she realized they wanted to hear her introduction. She composed herself immediately. 

After greeting everyone with a clear throat, she said a few words to assure them of her competence, honesty and dedication, then she returned to her seat.

When her speech was done, food was ordered to be brought. To her confusion, during the previous ruler’s reign, the food was never  served in the court.

The erstwhile sultan always liked to eat in his wing with his family.

Asfandyar’s had no family. 

She glanced at the king's throne. The food taster was examining the food from one side of the colorful platter  in front of him and then tasting it.

She was not a food taster. But as a healer she was trained to diagnose poisoning.

His testing method was not correct. He was taking out the food from one side. The poisoner could have been aware of this and put poison in the middle part of the food. Especially in food that he knows the king eats with gusto.

The King noticed her consideration.  

Asfandyar had eagle eyes, as such, he had conquered five states of the Dastaan in just five years and had not routed any person of royal blood from his path.

Except Abdul Muttalib, the original heir to the throne… who was the biggest threat for him to get the throne. 

Something clicked in her mind again. But she couldn’t pinpoint what it was. 

She turned her attention back to the food in front of her.

She had enemies around her. But she didn’t want to be suspicious by doing the diagnosis of food poisoning in front of everyone.

The easy solution for this to use her ability of a natural healing. 

Natural healers are a gift from God. Every wound, every medicine, every poison speaks to them.

They naturally know the effect of every mineral that comes out of the earth and every herb that grows on the earth.By looking at the wound, they know what kind of wound it is and what kind of herb or medicine should be used to treat it.

But their abilities are raw. They need training to use it.

But they learn faster than ordinary doctors.

For them it is like a fish learning to swim in a pond.

The wisdom that an ordinary person takes decades to attain, that kind of knowledge she had attained at the mere age of twenty.

She closed her eyes for a moment and went into meditation state. Her focus was only on the food present in the court and its ingredients.

The aromas of different foods hit her nostrils. She could feel the ingredients, minerals, nutrients of the food. Iron, minerals… she stopped. 

There was something else that was colorless, odorless, but dangerous.

Water… 

Immediately she checked her glass of water, it was ordinary water. She closed her eyes once again. Her senses went to the higher seats and through there to the table set for the king and stopped at his water tumbler.

Food taster only tested food, not the water. 

Water is such harmless substance that no one notices it.

“Is there a problem, miss. Jannat?” The eagle-eyed ones asked her.

“There is poison in your food.” 

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