Magic on Kings

Sample from Chapter 1

-The Story-

The Servant Girl

Once upon a time, a young servant girl worked in the kitchen of one of the princes' castles.

Every woman picked on her, and every man said inappropriate things to her…

Her name was Jain, and the prince’s name was Ibrahim.

Jain was a slender girl. She wore her hair in a tidy bun at the nape of her neck, working long days in the kitchen, keeping quietly to herself. When she did speak, her voice was soft, which resonated with her respectful, forgiving, and loving nature. However, it was near silent, as if it was no more than a whisper. The other kitchen maids often had a hard time catching what she said. But no one cared enough to ask her to repeat herself. Jain was often ignored or unnoticed, but she preferred it that way.

Jain always kept her head down. She was the youngest maid in this castle and never talked back. She didn't even expect to be treated any better.

Occasionally, Jain would glance up at the older maids' faces as they ordered her to complete more tasks. She often got scared of what she saw. More she looked into someone's eyes, their faces will first turn angry, then something happens… Their faces start to change. All she could feel was fear as they turned into something sinister and evil. As a child, she once questioned, “Do we live among demons…?”

This is why Jain had a habit of always looking down. She did not allow anyone to look into her eyes, so she did not have to look into theirs. Hiding the most beautiful eyes anyone in the castle would ever see.

Jain was named after the Jainism religion practiced in northern India, while the prince's family was Muslim. The castle opened its doors to anyone with any religious background to get a job. However, social class was not tolerated in this prince's palace. Maids were paid well, and they were all hired from a middle class. This was due to the prince's hatred towards anyone from the lower class. With the extra income, maids often spent their days out shopping.

Jain preferred to be in the kitchen alone. You might call it she was a bit possessive over the kitchen, to have a space in the castle that is all to herself. But, sometimes, to be alone. She told the other maids she didn't mind doing all the work and encouraged them to gossip elsewhere or go shopping. 

People could usually find Morsal in a hallway outside the kitchen. She watched the birds and butterflies in the courtyard garden as she napped. Occasionally, she would walk around the castle enjoying all the intricate art on the walls. She would also stroll around the courtyard to pick some flowers for a tray served to the prince.

As far as the prince could remember, Morsal has been in his castle since he was a baby boy. He could close his eyes to remember his childhood vividly. Morsal lightly scolded him for stealing candies from her pockets before supper.

Jain was an excellent maid and quick with her work. Because of this, Morsal hardly had to speak to Jain. Nonetheless, Morsal was the one person who spent the most time in the castle with Jain.

When Jain first started working in the kitchen, Morsal watched her see how much knowledge she had on cooking. She noticed Jain would grab and stare at certain fruits, vegetables, and spices and did not seem to know how to cook with them. At first, Morsal wondered if Jain was just not a well-trained cook, then slowly, it came to her that every ingredient Jain does not know how to cook with are all expensive ingredients. Next, she noticed Jain's manner of speech when she spoke to Morsal. She tried too hard to use difficult words, trying her best to sound educated, although it was apparent she was not due to her incorrect use of those words. Eventually, Morsal realized that Jain was not from the middle class. However, she did not tell anyone this nor told Jain that she knew her secret.

 Morsal

Morsal's favorite chair was an old king's chair the castle no longer needed nor used due to looking rugged. It was placed in the kitchen until someday, someone would remember that chair had still not been refurbished. It belonged to Ibrahim's grandfather when he became the king. Yes, Morsal has worked as a kitchen maid for this family since Ibrahim's grandfather's time.

Morsal wanted to sit on that chair as often as she could to feel closer to the family, her memories, and to the first king she respected the most that she dedicated her whole life to serving this family.

Unbeknownst to Ibrahim of the sentiment Morsal held to this favorite chair, he once laughed at the sight of Morsal on this old king’s throne when he was very little.

He yelled out, "We can always expect to see Morsal on the comfy chair, and she is happy to sit on it even though it is something to be discarded by us. A lazy maid would be happy to sit on garbage as long as she can take breaks!"

She was shocked by the cruel words insulting her whole life. Even if it came from an ignorant child, calling her a lazy maid after all she had done for this family, the words were too harsh for Morsal.

The anger, sadness, and frustration filled her heart that she was not in a position to do anything about his comment. It reminded her that the person she respected the most and decided to serve is now gone. And now, the title of that king will be replaced by this foolish child.

She realized Ibrahim must have been too small to remember that this was his grandfather's chair but knew nothing of the people's hearts tied to this chair… As tough as Morsal was in everyone's eyes, she could not hide her lonely heart any longer. She burst into a loud cry…

When Morsal came to work for the first king, Bahlol Khan Lodi, she was a little girl. Unlike current servants in Ibrahim's castle, she was from a lower class but an educated one.

One day, the first king came back to his castle on a horse. He noticed little Morsal yelling at the castle gate, demanding to be let in. The first king was surprised what a strong will he could hear in Morsal's commanding voice.

The first king asked the guards at the gate, "What is going on here?"

The guards answered, "She is asking to be interviewed for a job in the kitchen."

He became curious and told the guards to open the gate for him and her.

Once they both entered the gate, Morsal was nervous. But, she kept telling herself in her heart, I am good enough. My father said so.

The first king asked the horse, "I see that you are a girl. Traditionally, women need to be escorted by their father or a male family member for an interview. We interview the man, not the women. Perhaps, you should come back with your father some other time so that he may speak on your behalf."

As the guards closed in on little Morsal to push her out of the property, she yelled out, “My father is a very busy man, and he gave me his blessing to represent myself!”

The first king turned his horse around to face little Morsal. He asked, "It will be unfair to offer you a position in my castle without a proper test given to everyone who comes for an interview. Will you be willing to take that test? Or will you cry like a child that you are still if you fail?"

Little Morsal answered, "If adults do not cry for not passing the test, then, of course, someone like me would not cry. I have an adult mind but in a child's body; capable of many things."

The first king asked, “Oh really? Someone said that to you?”

Little Marcel, "Yes. My father said so. He is the proudest of me in my life, as well as in his life."

The first king asked, “Would you respect me more than you respect your father?”

Little Morsal could not answer… She felt that it was an unfair question. She felt doomed that this was the test, and she so quickly failed without even being able to answer.

But she asked, "Is that the question to get a job in your castle?"

He laughed and said, "Are you asking a king a question before you answer him?"

His laughter almost made little Morsal smile. She quickly covered her mouth so that no one would see her smile.

The first king continued, "No, it is not. I just wanted to see what you would say."

Little Morsal quickly composed herself to act mature and replied with a stern voice, "I was only told I need to answer one question to get a job in this castle. If that is not the question, I do not believe I need to answer."

Not answering a question when a king asks carries a severe penalty. This is one of the reasons kings were feared, and people did not engage in conversation with the king so lightly. However, little Morsal did not know this rule.

One of the knights took out a sword waiting for an order from the king since she is, after all, a little child. The knight did not want to act too hastily to give her the punishment of disrespecting a king. King Bahlol gave the scariest look towards the knight. The knight froze in fear and put the sword down quietly so that little Morsal would not notice what just happened behind her.

The first king said, “You are still a little girl, and I am not sure you are aware of where you are nor who I am. You are not even aware of your surroundings. Someone would always have to look out for you, and you would be a burden to others.”

Little Marcel, "I am at the gate of the king's castle, and you are the king. Are you saying that I am unaware of my surroundings because one of your men just tried to cut my head off for not answering your question? Yes, I did not know such a rule, but I am well aware of my surroundings, as you can see. That is why I am a quick learner. I thank you for protecting me this time, but I do not need someone to protect me. If I make a mistake, I am willing to die for my mistake."

The first king laughed from surprise that this little girl was not even afraid when she knew that one of his men was just about to behead her.

He said, “I am actually frightened by you. You speak like one of my men.”

This again made little Morsal cover her mouth quickly. The king wondered what this girl might be hiding in her mouth. But he could see that she simply tends to smile easily, and perhaps she is trying to act mature and serious for a job interview. He thought to ask how old she may be. Still, He refrained himself from any further inquiries about this mysterious well-spoken little girl.

The first king finally got off his horse. Lowered himself to little Morsal's eye level and held out his hands. On the one hand, he held one gold coin, and on the other, two smaller gold coins.

The first king asked, “Whichever hand you choose, you can go home with what I hold today. Which would you choose?”

Little Morsal looked into the first king's eyes with a serious look and said, "I would choose neither."

The first king wondered if this girl was from a class that does not recognize gold or is able to count but asked, "Why?"

Little Marcel, "Because I am not here to seek riches from a king. I am here to serve. And also, there are many people in the town next to mine that desperately needs even a fraction of that one coin to feed their babies. If I do not take either, I heard you are a kind king. I believe that you will give all 3 coins to the town near where I live. I would rather have poor women be able to finally feed her crying child than to go home without employment holding 1 or 2 coins."

Her answer was beyond what he expected. The first king, moved by this little girl's lack of greed, as well as her compassion, could not speak for a brief moment. Societal issues and struggles of the people in his kingdom were so dear to his heart that he often stayed awake at night drafting and redrafting the remedy plan.

When he finally composed himself, he asked, “Are there many small children crying there often from hunger?”

Little Marcel, "Yes, my king. And it is disturbing my father's sleep at night."

The first king stood up quickly to turn his back towards little Morsal to hide his tears that he could not hold any longer. The first king asked, "Can you tell me the name of that town?"

Little Marcel, "I will not tell you, but I will show you. So that you can also give the great news to my father directly afterward that you have given me the job."

The first king walked away from little Morsal without saying anything else. As little Morsal watched him walk away, he stopped to whisper to one of his advisors, then kept walking towards the castle door.

Little Morsal watched the people's reactions, trying to figure out what was happening. Did she lose the chance to have the gold as well as to get a job?

The advisor came up to little Morsal, smiling. He, too, lowered himself to her eye level, and little Morsal noticed he was kneeling in front of her.

The advisor said, "You got the job, ok? But the king is very busy also, and I think he is not feeling very well. Would it be ok if one of my men escort you on his horse back to your house, then he will let your father know this great news?"

The advisor stood up to yell at the knight, fidgeting with his sword, wondering if he had lost employment.

“The king’s order!”

Everyone stood straight. “Escort this young lady back to her father safely! Protect her as you would the king himself!”

Little Morsal was ecstatic.

The advisor turned to little Morsal, smiled again, and asked kindly, “The king would also like to know what you are hiding in your mouth. Would you mind showing me?”

Little Marcel, relieved and finally smiled, showed how she still did not have all her adult teeth yet.

Little Morsal kept her promise to her father.

Before she left the house, her father told her, "Do not smile. No matter what. But give a 'biggest smile!' when you get a job so you can shock them by showing how young you are."

Little Morsal asked, “Why is it not ok to show how young I am before getting the job, but it is ok to show after if it matters to the position?”

Her father laughed, “You are such a clever girl! Are you sure you want to apply for the position in the kitchen? Maybe you should go for the position as the king’s advisor.”

Little Marcel, "You told me how my mother's cooking was fit for a king, and you always felt like a king in your home when you ate her dish. I want to imagine she is smiling in heaven at every bite king takes of her food cooked by her daughter for as long as I live."

Her father hugged her proud.

He lowered himself down to hold her hands, “Do you want to someday make your mother in heaven laugh from happiness?”

Little Marcel, "I think laughter is even better than smile…."

Her father took out a beautiful small glass bottle in the shape of a heart, with clear blue liquid, out of his pocket.

Her father said, "I was very worried about what may happen to you once you go for the interview, so I went into an ancient town and got this for you."

Little Morsal held the pretty bottle in her hand.

Her father, "It's a magic potion. One day, if it ever gets to the point that you need more help in the castle than the people there can offer you, feed this to whoever you want to be on your side, and be your friend. That person will feel your heart."

He sent her off towards the castle with admiration of his own daughter.

Sometime soon after, there was a food bank and an orphanage managed by Mullah, and educated women and men built in the town very close to Morsal's.

Little Ibrahim felt terrible for saying such a rude joke to Morsal and that he made her cry. He did not expect this outcome. The prince thought in his childish mind how to undo his mistake. He tried to explain it was a joke, and he also tried to apologize. But Morsal would push him away as she covered her face in her arms, not wanting to hear another word from him. Ibrahim thought he should leave her be.

Once little Ibrahim walked out of the kitchen, Morsal took out the blue potion with the still unbroken seal. She felt tempted many times in her life to using the potion so that someone would understand her heart. But the memory of the first king was enough for her not to resort to magic. Still covering her face, she fiddled with the red string that was wrapped around the top of the bottle, all withered, in her hand.

As little Ibrahim exited the kitchen, he turned around to Morsal and yelled out, "I announce you the king of this kitchen! So now, that is a real king's chair, no longer garbage! And I hope I can always see you sitting on it like how I always saw my grandfather!"

Morsal finally lifted her face in surprise. Ibrahim smiled in happiness to finally see her, showing his many missing baby teeth, and walked away.

 The Prince

Prince Ibrahim had just entered young adulthood. A few years older than Jain, he was slender with short dark hair and strikingly exotic almond-shaped eyes. He spoke with all the entitlement of a prince, and his handsomeness only made him more confident.

Jain had worked in his kitchen for a few years by now, yet, he never even knew she existed in his castle.

As a prince, his job was to memorize the names of the essential servants to show respect for their services. Still, with so many servants running his large castle, he could not have known how many he had not noticed.

The prince was more interested in speaking to and learning from his advisors and the occasional prince and princesses, more equal to his title, that came to visit.

His fascination with other kingdoms was unending. He loved to learn their culture, their rules, their history. It sparked his eagerness to reform his own kingdom someday to be the best among them all once he becomes the king. 

He was the most favored child by his father, King Sikandar, son of King Bahlol Khan Lodi. His father had nothing but great expectations from Ibrahim ever since he was a newborn. He had been given his own castle as a little boy when his father announced him as the next heir to the throne. His palace was the second largest in the kingdom after his father's. It was built in the best area of the region, with vibrant roses and mild weather year-round. Forests edged both the north and the south sides of the castle for miles, but Ibrahim had never traveled past those forests. His father's kingdom was prosperous from the trades along the Silk Road to the West and the East. The prince often accompanied his father on his trip to the West to be exposed to other European Kings and their heirs.

Secret Ingredient

One day, Prince Ibrahim was called to the dining room for his usual dinner time. But this day was about to turn very different. It would be the most memorable day of his life that would change his destiny.

The prince arrived in the large dining room with a large mahogany table just to serve him. The servants lined up in front of a wall by the door. The room was decorated with hanging Persian tapestries and blinding golden relief art. The servants were ready to hear any criticisms or orders as usual. As he sat on his chair and looked at what was on the main supper plate, his face brightened. Tonight's menu included his favorite dish.

He often told the maids he craves this dish but was disappointed that they would simply smile and walk away. The maids treated his words as merely a small chat that maids were not allowed to engage with him.

There was another reason, however, that he did not know. Maids were lazy, and their goal was to work as little as possible as long as they did not lose their jobs. No one bothered to tell Jain what the prince's favorite meal was, and they served any meal that the prince would eat unless it was explicitly requested or ordered to make.

The prince took his first bite in a hurry with all the excitement. His eyes sparkled with delight, and he was amazed at how well it was prepared. He could not hold his usual composure as a prince and compliment the kitchen maids enthusiastically.

"Who cooked tonight's meal?" he asked with a bright smile.

The maids exchanged looks, but no one stepped forward to take ownership.

The prince went on, "This is my favorite dish. I cannot believe whoever made this made it the best way I have ever tasted!"

The kitchen maids simply smiled and thanked the prince for the compliment.

The prince looked down onto his plate, wondering, and asked, "There's an ingredient in here that I am not familiar with... I need to know the recipe."

None of the kitchen maids knew the recipe since it was prepared by Jain alone, standing at the end of the servants' line, looking down as always.

One of the kitchen maids asked the prince, "May we taste the food so that we can tell you which ingredient you might be curious about?"

The prince pushed the plate forward.

One by one, the maids tasted the dish. They all tried to figure out what was giving this unique flavor, but none could guess what the special ingredient was.

To look competent, one of the maid lied, "We helped with the preparation, prince. and we do know the recipe."

Other maids thought how clever it is to simply lie. They all spoke at once to repeat the same lie.

The prince repeated, "Then tell me. There's an ingredient in here that I've never tasted before. I need to know what it is."

Every kitchen maid was ordered to write down the recipe. Some tried to be creative by adding random ingredients, hoping one might be it. Each maid peeked into the note written by a maid next to herself to try outdoing the others. They all thought they would be praised if they guessed the recipe correctly. The maids added as many ingredients names as they learned in culinary classes. This turned into a competition among the maids to show who memorized how to write more words, to the point that they all forgot why they were writing down ingredients.

The prince read each recipe one by one. He was first surprised by how this was the most complicated recipe he had ever heard of. Some with almost 100 ingredients. He wondered if this was why this dish was hardly made since the maids must have time to do other tasks, and he thought this dish would take up too much of their time.

The prince stopped when he started to read one of the maid's recipes. He kept looking at the note, reading intently. This made this yet another lying maid nervous. She started sweating, trying not to look into the prince's eyes. Hoping he would miss her as a liar. She looked around at other maids worried and thought, "If I get in trouble for lying, I am just going to expose all others as the same!" As she felt calm now that she had a plan for the worst-case scenario, the prince spoke.

"Fereshta (maid's name; meaning "Angel"), perhaps you should quit your position in my castle and go back to school if you do not know how to spell. I certainly hope you are not feeding me papers."

He handed her the recipe back and moved on to the next maid.

Unfortunately, to this one maid, a suggestion by a prince is a definite one. The House secretary took a note of the maid's name with today's date to mark the end of her employment…

The maid investigated what she wrote, and other maids whispered to her that she misspelled "pepper" as "paper."

This exercise was the first time Ibrahim saw and learned the level of education his middle-class maids had. He thought to himself, "I believed middle-class would be more educated than they would know how to spell."

He finally came to the last kitchen maid in line: Jain.

With trembling, thin hands holding the pen, Jain could not even remember when was the last time in her life that she held a pen. With her nervousness, her vision started to blur. She almost gasped in fear when one maid was immediately fired for misspelling pepper. She held her breath the longest time so that others would not be able to hear her panic that might accidentally come out of her mouth. You see, she was illiterate…

…..Find out what happens next in my book

Magic on Kings

Expected to Publish in 2022