Chapter 1: Maryam

The Chief Eunuch was well enough pleased at his purchase of another woman for use as an entertainment hostess. The Emir was entertaining more and more these days. He was less pleased when he discovered that she had a newly-weaned infant hidden under her abaya, who she had contrived to smuggle through the auction process; the only saving grace was that it was a female and so could be sold on when it was a little older. There was always a market for very young females, even as young as three years old. The mother was EK0803, the Chief Eunuch did not usually think of hostesses except by their numbers; he assumed they had names but all his records were of numbers. The infant he did not bother to register, because she would be gone soon and when she was old enough to sell would be soon enough for registration.

EK0803 was kitted out with the common dress of all the available women in the Emir's harem: a sleeveless brocade waistcoat, in the style of a western bolero, which did not meet across the breasts but left them visible at each swing as she walked, was complemented by loose sheer chiffon trousers with no gusset or seam between the legs so that her shaven cunt was completely visible and accessible and her arse crack was also totally available. Rouged nipples and labia completed this ensemble. She was then put into intensive training as to her new duties, about which she seemed quite indifferent. Her lack of enthusiasm meant that she was punished from time to time, but no more than most such slaves. Meanwhile, she had little time for looking after her offspring.

Fortunately for the baby, there was a five year old orphan girl in the harem, Princess Marianne, who was going through a phase of being extremely interested in babies. She quickly annexed the new arrival and treated her as a doll to be dressed and undressed, fed, bathed, and generally mothered. As Marianne was the daughter of one of the Emir's real favourite concubines, and was also his granddaughter, she was allowed this harmless indulgence. After all, the worst that could happen was that the slave baby might be killed accidentally and that was of no importance whatever. Because she had no name of her own the baby was referred to, when anyone spoke of her, as 'Marianne's toy' which by the strange osmosis of nicknames soon became the old Arab name Maryam.

Since Marianne's mother had always spoken French to her, so she always addressed her 'baby' in the same language and Maryam, perforce, learned some French as she grew up, though her vocabulary remained distinctly childish and was concerned only with food, clothing, sleep and punishment.

Life in the harem went on much as before, with the newly purchased hostess performing her duties well enough to avoid being beaten, but with no great enthusiasm either. The baby Maryam grew up as the unusual companion of the orphan Princess, and was even used as a whipping-child, being punished for the Princess's misdemeanors when it was thought necessary to chastise the Emir's granddaughter. The pair were inseparable, even sleeping in the same bed. The Chief Eunuch gave up all thought of selling the infant, since it was serving a useful purpose in keeping the Princess contented.