22

02:12

It was going on so fast. The process of selecting candidates was carried out very scrupulously. They checked girl's appearance, they assessed their adequacy and value. They provided Jacob with ten pictures of the most likely candidates. Jacob invited five women for an official dinner held in his palace. Ladies were sat by the table and allowed to gorge on delicious food and drinks. Jacob didn't talk, only observed.

And the next day Gemma received an official letter stating that she had been chosen.

While for Gemma it might have been a surprise, for one person definitely it wasn't and that person was Melquiades.

When he first received news about a beautiful girl living in one of the communal houses, he had an unexplainable hunch and had to visit the place. When he first cast his eyes on Gemma, he was sure that she would grow up perfect. He was sure that she would be ideal not only for N. He remembered Jacob's long talks about women, he recalled traits of appearance which were so important to him, he distinctly remembered exact features which he liked in a woman. He had a clear recollection of all the girls with whom he was hanging out, dating or sleeping. Gemma had all the right qualities. Her teeth, waist, eyes, limbs, arms, lips, the oval of her face, the roundness of her bottom, the shape of her knees, the shade of her skin and the color of her hair was everything Jacob had ever desired in a woman. Melquiades was growing and feeding that woman. And now he was to give her to him like a dinner on a plate.

'He will kill you.', he said to her seriously.

Gemma didn't say anything. She knew it was true. She knew that being so close to Jacob was to live in a permanent state of fear. She was, however, determined.

She had never felt the same amount of stress until the day she was dressed in a beautiful white gown ornamented with diamonds and sapphires. Her ears were pierced, her wrists were carrying a collection of bracelets, her neck was surrounded by the number of thin golden chains. Her hair was plaited and in between her locks flowers, jewels and pearls were woven, which made her head heavy and difficult to move. She was given silk shoes and a long white lily to carry in her hands with fingers ornamented with rings and white tattoos.

The crowd of people in front of Jacob's palace blended into one noisy mass. People were cheering and smiling to her, while she was terrified like a child for the first time in life alone. Women were throwing petals on the streets and she felt every petal through her thin silk shoes.

The ceremony was long and boring. Jacob was awaiting her in front of the entrance. A crown was put on her head, a ring was placed on her middle finger and a kiss was bestowed on her by Jacob. Jacob didn't smile but she sensed that he liked what he was seeing.

People were cheering for three days, given food and drink. They were celebrating the new queen with love and admiration.

And Jacob took Gemma to his chambers and one by one he took from her the jewels, flowers, and ornaments, and when he finished, he looked at her, admiring her body with an unhealthy interest. And then he took off his clothes and lied on her, spread her legs and for hours he was touching her with his hands. She was expecting to be raped but none of that happened. After he finished exploring her body, he rose and walked away.

Left alone in her chamber, she cried releasing her stresses and anxiety. The chamber was huge, both in comparison to her flat in N. and her room in K. It was the biggest, the most glamorous room she had ever lied her body to sleep. She covered herself with white sheets. And then she cried some more but this time with happiness. Jacob was impotent and she couldn't believe her luck.