Chapter 12: Harem Life

Passing through a door at the far end of the room, they came into a large pleasant area, again roofed with frosted glass in which were gardens with terraces, pools and small gazebos which seemed to Princess Elaheh to tempt one to stroll or to sit and chat. The courtyards were bounded by the fronts of indoor pavilions with decorated eaves, beautiful tile work, and elaborate carved shutters.

"Father, why is the roof enclosed? Surely it would be nicer to have this open to the air?"

"Oh, yes, I agree. It was something I asked about, and I was told that originally it was open, but that the roof glass was added by my grandfather to stop helicopter owners from examining the contents of his harem."

Then Elaheh noticed for the first time that there were a number of women there, all wearing silk dressing gowns in a variety of colours and all kneeling with their foreheads to the floor. She had been so bemused by the beauty of the place that she had not realised that they were people, but had taken them for some kind of cushions or stools.

Just then a woman in a linen smock came into sight carrying a tray with a coffee pot and a cup and saucer on it. Apparently oblivious of the Emir's presence, she put the tray down beside one of the kneeling women and then looked up to see the Emir and Princess Elaheh. Uttering a little shriek of surprise, she turned to run back the way she had come, but was easily caught by one of the eunuchs, who dragged her back a few feet towards the royal pair. Raising his arm only the minimum distance needed, the eunuch gave her three sharp cracks with his dog whip across her shoulders. The woman whimpered in pain and fell to her knees in obeisance.

"Come here," said Elaheh imperiously.

The servant looked up but was uncertain whether to obey a female when in the presence of the Emir. Another lick of the whip across her buttocks convinced her that she should obey.

"Let me see the stripes," said the Princess, and the woman quickly removed her smock.

The Emir looked on indulgently as Elaheh examined and fingered the weals on the woman's back. Judging from the other marks it was far from the first time she had been whipped.

Seeing a gleam of excitement in his daughter's eyes, the Emir asked, "Would you like to take this one into the Emerald Palace with you?"

"No, thanks, father. I was just interested in what the newly acquired marks looked like on such a dark olive skin."

A very corpulent eunuch, dressed somewhat more ornately than most of them, puffed up to them and said, "Master, may I help?"

"Not really," said the Emir, "Up!"

At this all the women who had been kneeling rose and Elaheh saw that their dressing gowns were short, reaching only just below the curve of their buttocks and buttoned only at the neck, so that as the women moved most of their breasts showed and their shaven vaginal clefts were clearly visible. Beckoning, the Emir called two of them over.

They were very pale skinned; European in colouring and cast of countenance. Elaheh guessed the older one, wearing a pink dressing gown, was in her fifties and seemed very similar in facial features the second, who looked to be twenty years younger.