Seven Excerpts from the Story of Queen Saba
I wished I knew... which of us is the slain?
By the writer and author Dr. Hakima Djadouni "NinarEskila"
“For one who waits—
who hides love within until the awaited one arrives—
his emotions shall be pure,
sacred, whole.
They are untouched by deceit,
untainted by falsehood,
unshared with any but the beloved.
With that one, he becomes complete.
And the soul—
it remains wild,
never sated by what it gives,
never fulfilled by what it receives.
For to the beloved,
it offers everything,
because he is the only one.
Nothing else tempts it,
nothing else draws it near.”
First Excerpt
That king had gained such power and might that none could match him.
He had united two kingdoms under his hand.
He was strong, with sharp authority and far-reaching insight,
stern against injustice, a protector of rights.
Thus, he conquered hearts before lands,
seized the entire western world—
all without loosing a single arrow.
News reached the young king
about a kingdom in the eastern world
that rivaled his in strength.
He sent out his spies to gather precise information.
When they returned, they reported:
it was a mighty kingdom,
greater in power than his own.
Its people worshipped the sun—
present in every facet of their lives:
their homes, sacred sites, temples, ships,
jewelry, necklaces, bracelets, clothing,
even the tattoos on their bodies and their beasts.
Everything bore engravings of the sun—
its shape, the colors of its rise and set.
They called it The Kingdom of the Sun.
Any object held sacred was carved within the sun’s symbol to elevate its status—
their princes, rulers...
Even all their doors and windows were aligned with the sun's movement.
The king’s men returned with what they had seen,
bringing artifacts—drawings and tablets.
As he examined one of the artworks,
he noticed faint engravings resembling a girl inside the sun—
unclear, yet striking.
Intrigued by all he had learned,
he commanded preparations for the journey.
The Kingdom of the Sun would be his destination.
He entrusted the rule to those he trusted,
appointed a successor,
and with his knights, he departed—
intent on uncovering their mystery.
And the young king called himself
“Son of the Moon,”
or “King of the Moon”—Anir’Elsina.
Second Excerpt
Midnight had fallen, and the darkness grew ever deeper.
Within Sina stirred a yearning to speak to someone,
but everyone had dispersed and gone to sleep.
He wandered restlessly through the place,
troubled, until he recalled what had occurred that morning
with the King of the Sun.
Quietly, he made his way toward the King’s chamber,
hoping to speak with him—
perhaps to apologize
if he had done anything to offend or sadden him.
He entered through the first door,
which opened onto a narrow, long corridor ending in a second door.
Then he passed through a door he alone knew—
after all, this was his palace,
and he knew every passage within it.
Upon reaching the middle of the King's chamber,
he saw someone lying upon the bed.
He approached, thinking the King was awake, and began apologizing for anything that might have caused offense.
But no reply came.
Sina felt a strange sensation as he drew closer—
and when he reached the head of the bed,
he was struck with shock:
it wasn’t the King of the Sun lying there—
it was a woman.
He stepped back in disbelief.
A woman— with a face of radiant white,
hair of deepest black that spilled across her pillow and bed,
a figure alluring and fully feminine.
Even in the dim light of the room,
her beautiful features seemed to cast away the gloom.
He stared, confused.
He had never seen her before—
she was not of the palace,
nor one of the royal attendants.
No women had arrived in the King’s entourage.
Looking around,
he saw the King’s sword, armor, and garments beside her—
and cried out in astonishment:
“My God… the King of the Sun is a woman?!”
“Was it a woman who defeated me in combat?!
Who is she?
How does she rule over them?
How did I not realize she was a woman?
And how could she possess such strength, skill, and speed—
greater even than most men?!”
Third Excerpt
Sina was content merely to gaze at her—
walking beside her in silence,
watching her ceaselessly…
how she moved, how she spoke,
how his every sense was drawn to her, forgetting the world and all within it.
And when night would fall,
he’d steal into her chamber—
each night witnessing the same bewildering truth.
His mind refused to believe:
How could a woman strike with such might?
How had she bested a man in combat?
Why hadn’t he foreseen her moves?
How had she mastered skills that even he, with all his prowess, could not detect?
He grew accustomed to watching her— until his heart was filled with her.
He became captivated, consumed by her love.
In her, he saw all he ever sought—
and more, far more.
She was a book never read,
a world never wandered,
a wild dream untouched by reason.
She was unlike any woman he had ever known.
What she did,
no woman had ever done before.
In her, intelligence took form,
culture breathed,
strength pulsed,
and brilliance glowed—
all that he had been searching for.
He sought to uncover her truth.
When he recited poetry,
he would speak for her ears alone—sending the advisors away,
keeping only two close confidants.
He would hold quiet gatherings,
inviting women to join—
with Feryaro and Anlil present.
He watched for any stir of her femininity— hoping she might betray the softness of a woman.
He called for music,
had his poets recite tender verses of love,
watched her closely…
He would draw near to Anlil in her presence,
laughing, teasing,
to see if a spark of jealousy would flicker,
if some primal instinct might awaken.
They spoke of gardens,
of sculpture and painting,
but she remained composed—
silent and still.
Sina marveled at her brilliance—
not once did she err...
Fourth Excerpt
Sina was wise enough to see that this woman’s heart was empty—untouched—so he began to think of her in earnest.
Where had she grown up?
Who were her people?
Who raised her?
Determined to know, he resolved to travel to the Kingdom of the Sun.
His love was now certain, and he could no longer bear the ache of separation.
Sina soared toward her kingdom,
riding his steed faster than the wind, racing against his longing, his yearning to stand before her and fall in worship between her eyes.
He raced against himself—his mind,
his heart,
his soul all rushing ahead, striving to reach her before his body did.
She had become his everything—
and taken everything from him in return.
She dwelled within him,
and he became utterly lost in her.
She was now his refuge and his home,
and life, without her,
no longer held the secret of living.
Fifth Excerpt
Sina began carefully inspecting the old books and ancient manuscripts at night,
studying those writings about the Kingdom of the Sun—
where it came from and how it arose—in the finest of details.
He would spend all that exceeded his food expenses on buying candles,
which he used to hide between the folds of his clothes when purchasing them, so that no one would see them,
to use them at night.
He would hide himself between the shelves so that no one would notice his presence.
He remained engrossed in reading until dawn.
As for the modern writings, he was not allowed to approach them except after a long time,
which required from him patience and clever behavior—
after they became certain that he was no traitor.
They had kept watching his comings and goings,
but they noticed nothing suspicious about him;
all he did was buy his food and return.
King Sina used to spend his nights reading, examining, and scrutinizing the writings,
and his days in arranging and organizing.
He read about civilizations
and religions,
and about sciences in the books that fell into his hands.
When he moved on to the second section of the library,
he found in it everything related to the Kingdom of the Sun:
Who were the kings who succeeded one another?
What happened in the ages they ruled?
He read about their alliances, their wars,
the names of their kings, and the names of their sons and daughters—
until he reached the current King of the Sun.
His curiosity increased the more he delved into his research,
for he had become close to his goal.
Sixth Excerpt
When King Sina reached the news and story of the King of the Sun,
something strange caught his attention.
The records mentioned an event most unusual that had once occurred in that kingdom:
There had been years in which the sky grew intensely dark,
the horizon was filled with thick black smoke,
the sun disappeared, and darkness spread everywhere.
Fierce winds blew, turning the land into a solid mass of ice and frost;
everything froze,
a biting cold enveloped the place,
and deadly, poisonous rains fell—
mixed with water, soil, and air—
killing trees and plants,
and taking the lives of many humans and animals.
The earth became barren, the crops dried up, food grew scarce,
diseases spread, and ailments and afflictions worsened.
The kingdom remained in this state for years,
in which many lives were lost—
but gradually,
life began to return to the land
as the darkness began to fade,
when the sun found its way back to the horizon and rose again.
Its people returned,
watering the earth and reviving its planting and cultivation.
The sun became the cure for all that had befallen them.
Through it, their illnesses were healed,
their waters and air were purified,
and warmth and life returned to their bodies.
The sun was the mercy that dispelled all their suffering.
Since that time,
the sun came to hold a rank untouchable in their eyes,
a place inviolable,
and a worthiness that— to them— merited worship.
Thus, it became a sacred symbol
they engraved as a mark upon their bodies,
the bodies of their women, children, livestock, their crafts, and all they produced.
Excerpt Seven
It was then that King Sina grasped the secret behind their veneration and deification of the sun,
And he also learned that their kingdom’s rule had been passed down through generations,
All the way to the parents of the Monarch of the Sun,
Who had been without offspring.
Their hearts had long been filled with prayers,
Pleading to be granted a child—
A son who would inherit his father’s throne,
And carry on the family line, so it would not be severed,
Especially on that night
When lightning tore across the sky,
And thunder struck the earth without cease,
Threatening to split it in two...
When the parents witnessed this terrifying event,
Unlike anything they had seen before,
The sky seemed as if it might burst open,
They prayed fervently and with awe,
For they believed that night was sacred,
Its skies teeming with divine energy
Not of natural influence,
Perhaps God Himself had manifested in it.
They spent the night in supplication,
Pleading to be blessed with a child who would bring joy to their eyes.
Months passed, and the mother gave birth to a girl.
They could not announce her birth to the public,
For she was not the awaited son,
Who would inherit the throne and rule after his father,
But the father declared to his people that he had been granted a son,
Buying time until he could reveal the truth.
Her existence remained a secret until she had finished nursing,
Then her father ordered her to be hidden,
Removed from the sight of curious eyes,
Who would surely uncover the truth sooner or later,
He decided to send her to a relative,
In a village not far from both families.
The girl grew up,
Far from her parents for many years,
Yet they continued to introduce her to the people of the kingdom,
At public events and royal gatherings,
As a young man.
،؛،
A boy who would one day play a great role in the kingdom’s future.،؛،
To be continued...
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