13. Freedom (Patreon)

Days had passed since Aloe had examined the Aloe Veritas leaf with the sultanah’s description. She had tried her best to recreate the woman’s internal infusion – for it was impossible to apply to herself the external infusion – but no matter how much she tried, Aloe hadn’t managed to activate the ‘charm’ infusion.

I’ve seen it used by two people, maybe even more. It was difficult to identify who and when they were using that infusion. Most infusions in fact were inconspicuous. I have had more imagery than with any other infusion, yet I’m not able to recreate it…

Truth was, Aloe was having difficulty thinking about herself as charming. How could she use ‘charm’ if she had no charm to begin with? She could understand speed, strength, toughness, and even acuity, but allure was beyond her imagination. In her mind, Aloe and attractiveness were opposites.

There was no world where Aloe Ayad could be beautiful.

That discovery made her sour, but fortunately, it didn’t affect her health. Her psyche remained at an all-time low as always, but her body slowly healed. She would have loved to put her vitality into a higher march, but she was wise enough to not risk it. Evolution and Infusion would increase her maximum deposit – and therefore making her ‘toughness’ more powerful – but she was inclined to believe that the imperials didn’t know about her methods, so risking its discovery would only make them even more powerful.

I… I think I know how they get their vitality. It was something Aloe had realized since the beginning, they didn’t use any plants after all, so how could they have this much vitality to themselves? Yes, she had noticed that since the day she had become bedridden, but it was hard to accept that fact, especially because it led to her current state of affairs. Reaping, Aaliyah had said. She had mudded her words and facts, but the more I think about it, the more obvious it is. Especially when considering Sulnaya.

Sulnaya, the official yet dying religion of Ydaz, had curious tenets compared to the other religions found in neighboring countries. The very name was confusing, for it meant ‘The Light of the Rulers’ in old Ydazi. The ‘Light’ part referred to the important influences of the stars and the heavens in the religion, the ‘Ruler’ part was because it was founded by the first Sultan of Ydaz. And yet, even if the sultans were the ‘Heavenly Descendants’ there wasn’t much worship around them. What mattered was the tenets: love, fornication, and prosperity.

Aloe didn’t consider herself a very religious person, nor she was a practitioner of the Sulnaya faith. Many weren’t in this day and age. After Aaliyah’s education reform, Sulnaya was no longer enforced, and most of the sites of prayer had become mostly schools. And yet, even if Aloe didn’t identify with the… most preposterous aspects of the tenets, the core message of Sulnaya was a good one.

Love everyone equally. Your body is your sanctuary, your children the future, fornication the tool for it. The heavens wanted this desolate earth to be populated, prosperity is but the presence of people.

That was the most common psalm if it could be even called that. Even in the harsh and infertile lands of Ydaz and the Qiraji, Sulnaya beckoned people to reproduce and be plentiful.

Aloe hadn’t thought much of it when she was younger besides the shamelessness of the state’s religion as she always had been uncertain of her own body. There was no sanctuary in herself. But now she realized the truth.

Sulnaya was founded by the imperial family. By their Nurture and reaping… She was tying knots of differently-sized ropes, but it made sense in her mind. What if instead of controlling the population like normal religion… it was just to make them more used to the idea of sex? To not doubt the act, to seek it? So they could… reap.

Yes, of course, she had realized the sultanah’s words.

Yes, of course, she had noticed the lack of vitality in her body.

Much to her disgust, she was not blind.

For reaping refers to people, to sexually harvest their vitality.

Much like a plant, Aloe had been pruned.

Why doesn’t it surprise me? Aloe commented grimly as she looked beyond the window of her room. It was nighttime and she was unable to sleep. Yet again I have been treated like an object. Now, no more than a fruit tree, a potted plant.

She knew if that she stayed in the palace, she would be consumed.

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To say that the garden brought her calmness was to tell a lie. Yes, the gardens of the palace of Asina were majestic and lovely, but her heart was too clouded to be soothed by shrubbery and flowers.

The soldiers carried her around without protesting, more than once setting down the palanquin to let her rest. For her crumbling body, even being carried was tiresome. Not that they have a lot to carry. These men were tall and well-built, one of them could carry Aloe around with some difficulty. Four of them? Even with the palanquin taken into account, they would not sweat.

Even if it wasn’t of much use, Aloe took note of all the plants she saw in the garden. She could recognize some, but alas, she wasn’t capable of evolving them without raising suspicion. The best she could do was to ask the soldier to pick the exotic flowers she couldn’t recognize under the pretense of decorating her room and store them for later.

They of course refused her orders. These were the gardens of the sultanah, and they couldn’t defile them. Even if they did, they were brutish and would kill the flower instead of replanting it. She passed those orders unto the maids, who then arrived at Farah, and then she complied. After all, Aloe wasn’t asking for trees to be moved to the other side of the palace, just some flowers that weren’t exactly short in order.

Whilst she hadn’t laid a finger on them yet, she intended to bring a pot littered with a myriad of colors back to Sadina.

The scribe tried to go to the gardens each day, if possible, just to feel the breeze on her face if anything. As of late, she felt better… her body felt better. She couldn’t move just yet without getting paralyzed by pain, but she was almost ready to be able to sit down. Yes, not a lot of progress, but a wheelchair would bring her far more freedom than a palanquin. She even talked Zeeshan into it.

Being lost in thoughts was the best she could do in her current state, though she wouldn’t deny the gardens were especially beautiful with her ‘acuity’ active. Enhancing her senses under the sun was oppressive, her eyes caught too much sunlight and she was under constant threat of being blinded if she was not careful, but the augmented perception granted her an intoxicating freedom.

Her body may be restrained to a bed – whether it was stationary or mobile – but her mind was not.

The ability to perceive more things than she should be able to was invaluable to her current self. To even sense the steps that were approaching her.

“It has been a while, princess Fatima.” Aloe welcomed the sultanzade with her eyes closed. Only once she felt the sunlight being disturbed, she opened them.

“Indeed, scribe,” Fatima responded casually. Aloe could only be thankful that she almost treated her like a human being, unlike the twins. “Though I must say I am curious about how you knew it was me.”

“Your presence is quite unique and notable.” The commoner appealed to the sultanzade’s sense of superiority and authority.

“Oh, but of course.” Fatima led a hand to her eye-catching cleavage, her visage reddening ever-so-slightly. 

Aloe doubted she could have noticed that without her ‘acuity’, but she was more surprised about how the woman was honestly grateful for the compliment. She has a sense of insecurity. The scribe recalled how the sultanzade had presented herself with a unique title the first time they had met. She already had brewed that idea, but it was now obvious. I guess it makes sense why she desired the Grace’s Exaltation concoction that badly then. Whilst the sultanzade wasn’t ugly, not even close, people like her wanted securities to cover their insecurities. No matter how badly founded those may be.

“May I inquire about the purpose of your visit?” Aloe tried to raise her back to the best of her capabilities. One of the soldiers noticed she was pushing herself too hard and assisted her by raising her by the armpit and placing some pillows below her back.

“You may.” The sultanzade ceded her the opportunity to guess in a not-so-subtle way to state her supremacy.

The scribe smiled. She could play around with this type of people. People who may have power but want to believe they have more than they truly possess, they are desperate for attention; those are one of the easiest to sweeten. Her father, Amid, had once said many years ago. Whilst the man was a banker, he sounded like a con artist most of the time. Some would say there wasn’t a difference between those two terms.

“May I presume you are here about the aphrodisiac?” The scribe spoke with a confidence that almost spooked her. She had once partially feared the woman before her, but after witnessing true power and humiliation, Fatima couldn’t do worse than her mother had done to Aloe.

“Y-you may presume correctly.” It was faint, but Aloe detected it. Her enhanced senses detected a slight stutter and tic on the woman’s visage.

She’s desperate. Aloe noticed. Oh my… The image of a sultanzade suffering, no matter how lesser that affliction may be, brought incomparable pleasure to the scribe.