The Eunuch and the King's Daughter

Mersabel loses a brother in a treacherous, brutal battle that involves her father, an ineffectual King, and the Bandit of Shishinda. Before she revives from the shock, the King begins to prepare for an extended war – this time he decides to fight even the King of Gimira, his father-in-law. Meanwhile, her belligerent mother, the second wife of the King, plots to marry her to Temari, the King’s spiritual councilor. He believes that her ploy can regain her the confidence and respect of the King. As the King accumulates soldiers for war at the Valley of Kulish and the Dell of Mejsungre, Adal, the Merchant, sells the King – with thirty ungelded slaves – Ferenj, an unfortunate English linguist, who was captured by rebels of the Northern Empire. Following Adal’s departure, the King begins pressing the Englishman to produce rifles. At the same time, Temari has an imperative Ferenj must discretely detonate an Oak Tree, where the King sacrifices to his gods. If Ferenj fells to do so, he will be sent to the goldmines. During this time, Mersabel and Ferenj become good friends, for she likes the stories he tells. This friendship, however, grieves her mother, who by now is suffering feelings of intense rejection. She expresses her jealousy as an unruly hatred towards the Englishman. War breaks before the intended time. Soon, Badar loses a city and a strategic bridge. To make matters worse, the drunken Englishman sets the King’s Compound on fire when he stumbles over a gas lamp. The now proudly pregnant Second Wife is shocked by the fire incident, and becomes terrified of miscarry. Using the confusion created by the fire, the Third Wife of the King disappears, taking with her the King’s only son. The woman was highly suspicious of the Second Wife. Cords of evil tighten around the neck of the Englishman. In this repugnant situation, Mersabel persuades Marebath, the Head Guard, who has given up all desires in life long ago, to set out with her for a deadly adventure. They must save Ferenj. Yet there are insurmountable hurdles. The King’s Compound is tightly guarded and watched. Dense and thorny bushes cover the rocky hill upon which the Compound proudly stands. The entire stretch up to the Bridge of the Gods is muddy. A ferocious, cold wind is blowing. Fierce and watchful wild animals inhabit the nocturnal realm. And the Bridge, the only way out from Méthi, is heavily guarded. Nevertheless, Mersabel and Marebath should act quickly to take advantage of all The King is now pursuing his Third Wife; the ferocious wind can exacerbate a fire, if they decide to burn Temari’s house, both to confuse and to mislead guards… Deep within, however, Marebath knows the price the whole quest demands of him. For the adventure they pursue is one whose cost is blood. Now that he has discovered a reason to live, is willing to give up his life for someone he loves… View Less