When You Are Dissatisfied (2)

When Emeravwe turned thirteen, she reached the age at which Maidens of the Ministry of Rites were permitted to visit the marketplace outside the palace.

The Maidens of the ministry were allowed this pleasure only two times a year. When she came of age, Emeravwe was among the Maidens chosen from the Bureau of Halls and Chambers to go on the outing.

They were divided into small groups chaperoned by the Aye, and guarded by officers of the Palace Guard.

Emeravwe was placed in a separate group from Akpokene's. But not even this could stanch the overwhelming giddiness she felt at being able to leave the palace for the very first time.

They visited Joyovwi Market, the main market at the center of the city, which had sprawling malls and neat shops. There, Emeravwe and other Omote who had never left the palace went about wide-eyed, at first. They followed meekly behind the Agaenaye and Aye, who deftly avoided animal droppings, carts, and people alike.

Emeravwe found the noise and bustle of the marketplace baffling compared to the monitored order of the palace.

All around was the din of activity. Of shop owners proclaiming the goodness of their wares and patrons haggling prices.

People milled about the crowded streets. Most were on foot, but others rode on camels, horses, or in carriages and sedan chairs.

Women and girls strolled in long, richly patterned skirts and blouses topped with diaphanous, flowing outer robes. Some with headscarves settled on their heads and others without.

Men and boys were garbed in long garments and vivid, loose trousers and headcloths.

All had various gems embedded in their foreheads: rubies, emeralds, yellow apatites, tree agates, and carnelian stones.

Emeravwe had seen officials and guards in the palace with rubies and emeralds in their foreheads. Yet, this was the first time she saw so many people with all the various gems mingling in one place.

For once, she did not feel like an outcast in her surroundings. Instead, she was filled with a strange sense of assurance and belonging. She had a strong urge to remove her headscarf from her forehead, reveal her own ruby, and join in their silent communion.

As she and the Maidens and guards moved through the market, people recognized their palace attire. They cleared the way for them, and shop owners paid them the utmost attention and respect.

In no time at all, Emeravwe and the other Omote in her group eagerly rushed to stalls and shops. They sampled foods, tried on headscarves, and admired crafted jewels, powders, and perfumes.

At one shop they came to, she removed the plain green headscarf she always wore. She tried on one of a rosy pink, woven with dazzling blue topaz.

She settled it above the jewel in her forehead and, to her surprise, received a multitude of compliments from the Omote and Agaenaye who shunned her for years as a valued child.

She could only attribute their sudden kindness to the excitement of being in the marketplace. For they commented on how pretty she was and how the scarf suited her perfectly. Emeravwe was embarrassed when even the shop owner chimed in and brought over a mirror.

Indeed, she was quite pretty. With deep olive skin and large, luminous gray eyes.

Her face was small and round, her lips thin and eyebrows dark. Her hair was a thick, wavy dark brown beneath the pink headscarf; the blue topaz of the scarf offsetting the spectacular ruby in her forehead.

A round brilliant cut, the ruby's deep vermilion shimmered clear and vivid beneath the bright rays of the morning sun.

The Omote encouraged Emeravwe to purchase the scarf, and when she agreed, the shop owner sold it to her at a discounted price.

Though palace Maidens and Eunuchs were allowed to dress up during festivals and New Year celebrations, they were not permitted to have jewelry and other accessories inside the palace. This was for the same reason their foreheads were unadorned.

Yet, many of the Maidens purchased just such items. Seeing this, the Aye scolded them but lightly. They acquired small powders and ornaments of their own when they thought no one was looking.

Over the years, Emeravwe noticed that though such things were prohibited—and confiscated by the Department of Court Inspections when not adequately hidden out of sight—the Aye were not overly strict about this rule.

When they returned to the palace, Emeravwe immediately found Akpokene, and they talked at length about their experiences at the marketplace.

Even so, she could not wait to tell Aslan all about it when night fell.

On nights on which Aslan appeared exhausted, however, Emeravwe often tried to allow him rest. Though, he assured her her conversations did not bother him in the least, and that he rather looked forward to them.

Hearing this warmed her. But still, she thought it best not to disturb him. For she enjoyed simply sitting in his presence as much as she did speaking with him.

They were sitting just so one night. Aslan was lying on the garden's bench while Emeravwe sat on the ground beside it, admiring a waxing crescent moon, when Aslan said, "Eme, do you know that the sun is always out?"

"Hm?" She turned to the glow of Aslan's face, illuminated by moon and lantern.

He stared up at the moon, and reached out a hand toward the sky, as if to capture it. "It is simply that you do not always see it, especially at night."

"But it can rest at night since we have the moon," she responded. She folded her arms on the bench beside him, resting her chin on top.

Lowering his hand, he turned to her with a smile that flashed like the sun itself, just inches from her face. "But you see, the moon gets its light from the sun. Thus, even at night, the sun gets no rest."

Emeravwe clicked her tongue; rolled her eyes. "The sun should not complain, since its role is an important one. But regardless," she stated firmly, "the moon's beauty is its own and its role is no less important!"

As he watched her, a tender smile spread across his face, softening the look in his eyes. "Indeed."

Emeravwe's heart flutter. Lately, she often caught Aslan gazing at her with just such a look. Though she did not quite understand it.

She wanted to ask why he looked at her so, but jumped. Her heart leapt to her throat, a sudden rustling in the purple fountain grass startling her. "What was that?"