Chapter 1: The Crown and the Cage
They called me beloved of the empire.A vision. A jewel. A queen. They draped me in silk, painted my lips […]
Esther & Mordecai
We Who Watched
HEGAI I saw her first.Before the perfume, before the crown, before anyone else noticed. She was the girl who asked
Chapter 5: Teresh – The Final Whisper
I once believed in duty.I wore the uniform. I stood still. Spoke only when summoned. I believed that loyalty protected
Chapter 4: Bigthan – Before the Plot Broke
They call us “keepers of the king’s threshold.”Guards. Watchmen.Whatever the title, it means the same thing:We stand while others live.
Chapter 3: Hathak – The Messenger Between Worlds
I was born to serve behind veils. To walk where men do not.To speak softly, observe everything, and leave no
Chapter 2: Shaashgaz – The Ones Left Behind
They call my part of the palace the quiet wing. It is not.It is full of silk and bitterness. I
Chapter 1: Hegai — The Girl Who Asked for Less
They came by the hundreds. Girls from every province — frightened, painted, perfumed, chosen. I had seen it before. Each
Zeresh – The Silence After
I once knew a man who walked taller than his name. He thought himself above kings, above whispers, above the
Chapter 7: The Weight of the Wood
The March of Shame I had always imagined death would be distant. A possibility, yes — but not a certainty.
Chapter 6: The Accusation
The Weight in the Air I tried to hold my head high.I tried to wash off the scent of humiliation.