,Stephaniehadbeenpractigeseoccultarts.Coulditbethatshehadreachedthefinalstageofherpractice?

    “Stephaniehasmovedtothegoldpace”saidAisha.“Shefeelsthatsheisheblueskiesthere.Thegoldpacesymbolizesherpure,brilliantsoul”

    “It’stetoday”saidKingDimitri.“Letusgotheretomorrow.HesatsilentlybahisthroheimageofStephanieseemedtoebeforehiseyes–aslim,elusivebeautywithlong,lusciousbckhairreagtoherankles.Herrgealluringeyesseemedtohideamillios.

    “ItwasIwhhtherheretotheKingdom”thoughtKingDimitri.“Butnowsheisleaving.Howotfeelsad?”Thenhelookedatallthebeautiessurroundinghim,allbroughttotheKingdombyhim.

    “Theyhavegiveheirlovewhole-heartedly.WhatdidIgivethembareturn?Alovethathadbeenchoppedagainandagainintopiecemealbits.Thisisnotfairtotheverkhatreceivingtoomuchlovecouldbesodisquietingandvexing,endlesslytroublingandunavoidable.What’sgoodaboutthisisit’sallbutadream.OnceI,thebeautieswilllgotheirownway,backtotheirownpre-ordaiination.Gooddreamsareshortaimefesalltoosoohetimeapproaches,thereisallyupwhoowesmore,whopaidoutless.SoIshouldbeallthemoreappreciativeofthepreomentsinourdreams.”Justthen,anattendantbroughtoutnewlycoctedcocktails.KingDimitritookagssandsaid,

    “Cheers!It’sAisha’sbirthdaytoday.Let’sdrinktoherhealth.Mayshealwaysbeyoungaiful!”Thebeautiesallraisedtheirgssesandsaid,

    “Cheers!”Aishastoodup,herexpressionserious.ShewalkedstraighttoKingDimitri’sthroneadownbeforehihebeautiesdidnotknowwhattomakeofitandexcmationsandcriesroseandsubsidedalround.BeforeKingDimitricoulddecidewhattodo,heheardAishasay,

    3

    “ThankyouKingDimitriforleadingmeheretdomofDreams.Iamgreatlyhoobeoneofyourtwenty-fourbeauties.Igaveyouallmylove.MentallyIamfaithfultoyou,butphysicallyIhavebeenastrayandittedthesinofiy.ImustfessholytoyouorIwouldnotbeabletolivewithmyselforeverfacemyownscewithposure.”

    KingDimitristoodupbeforeAishafinishedspeakiretchedoutbothhandsandhelpedherup,whisperingsoftlyinherears,

    “Saynomore.Ifiveyou.Itwasnotyourfaultalone.IfiveyoubecauseIknowyou.IknowyousoIwilltrustyouasIdidbefore.”HeheldAisha’shandandsaidtothebeauties,

    “NowIwillformallyprocimthatfromthismomentoowonAishathetitleofQueenofmyKingdom.Onthemorrow,procmationswillbepostedallovertheKingdomtonotifymypeople.Doanyofyouhaveobjes?”Thebeautiescppedtheirshahusiasticallyandshoutedandcriedtheirapproval.Dornawhistledshrillyandexcimedrepeatedly,

    “See!Itoldyouso.KingDimitrihaslongwaodothis.Hejustdidn’tannouuntiltoday!”KingDimitrithoughtforawhileanddecidedonapromise.Hesaid,

    “Mydecisionispreciselycorrect.Aishaisnotonlyhighlyeducatedandintelligent;shehasdeepfhtandpopursupport.Thenativesbriribaldisputesandquarrelstoherandinafewwordsshesettlethingsfairlytoeveryone’ssatisfa,thusgainingtheloveandtrustofthepeople.ShouldIdiewithoutissue,Aishaistheidealsucythrone.Shouldanheirbeborntooneofmybeauties,hewouldbegreatlyfromaqueenmothersuchasAisha,whocouldteachhimandhelphimwithgtheKingdom.”KingDimitriraisedhishandstostopthecheeringofthebeautiesandtinued,

    “Aisha’sbraveandhobehaviorjustnowshould

,Stephaniehadbeenpractigeseoccultarts.Coulditbethatshehadreachedthefinalstageofherpractice?

    “Stephaniehasmovedtothegoldpace”saidAisha.“Shefeelsthatsheisheblueskiesthere.Thegoldpacesymbolizesherpure,brilliantsoul”

    “It’stetoday”saidKingDimitri.“Letusgotheretomorrow.HesatsilentlybahisthroheimageofStephanieseemedtoebeforehiseyes–aslim,elusivebeautywithlong,lusciousbckhairreagtoherankles.Herrgealluringeyesseemedtohideamillios.

    “ItwasIwhhtherheretotheKingdom”thoughtKingDimitri.“Butnowsheisleaving.Howotfeelsad?”Thenhelookedatallthebeautiessurroundinghim,allbroughttotheKingdombyhim.

    “Theyhavegiveheirlovewhole-heartedly.WhatdidIgivethembareturn?Alovethathadbeenchoppedagainandagainintopiecemealbits.Thisisnotfairtotheverkhatreceivingtoomuchlovecouldbesodisquietingandvexing,endlesslytroublingandunavoidable.What’sgoodaboutthisisit’sallbutadream.OnceI,thebeautieswilllgotheirownway,backtotheirownpre-ordaiination.Gooddreamsareshortaimefesalltoosoohetimeapproaches,thereisallyupwhoowesmore,whopaidoutless.SoIshouldbeallthemoreappreciativeofthepreomentsinourdreams.”Justthen,anattendantbroughtoutnewlycoctedcocktails.KingDimitritookagssandsaid,

    “Cheers!It’sAisha’sbirthdaytoday.Let’sdrinktoherhealth.Mayshealwaysbeyoungaiful!”Thebeautiesallraisedtheirgssesandsaid,

    “Cheers!”Aishastoodup,herexpressionserious.ShewalkedstraighttoKingDimitri’sthroneadownbeforehihebeautiesdidnotknowwhattomakeofitandexcmationsandcriesroseandsubsidedalround.BeforeKingDimitricoulddecidewhattodo,heheardAishasay,

    3

    “ThankyouKingDimitriforleadingmeheretdomofDreams.Iamgreatlyhoobeoneofyourtwenty-fourbeauties.Igaveyouallmylove.MentallyIamfaithfultoyou,butphysicallyIhavebeenastrayandittedthesinofiy.ImustfessholytoyouorIwouldnotbeabletolivewithmyselforeverfacemyownscewithposure.”

    KingDimitristoodupbeforeAishafinishedspeakiretchedoutbothhandsandhelpedherup,whisperingsoftlyinherears,

    “Saynomore.Ifiveyou.Itwasnotyourfaultalone.IfiveyoubecauseIknowyou.IknowyousoIwilltrustyouasIdidbefore.”HeheldAisha’shandandsaidtothebeauties,

    “NowIwillformallyprocimthatfromthismomentoowonAishathetitleofQueenofmyKingdom.Onthemorrow,procmationswillbepostedallovertheKingdomtonotifymypeople.Doanyofyouhaveobjes?”Thebeautiescppedtheirshahusiasticallyandshoutedandcriedtheirapproval.Dornawhistledshrillyandexcimedrepeatedly,

    “See!Itoldyouso.KingDimitrihaslongwaodothis.Hejustdidn’tannouuntiltoday!”KingDimitrithoughtforawhileanddecidedonapromise.Hesaid,

    “Mydecisionispreciselycorrect.Aishaisnotonlyhighlyeducatedandintelligent;shehasdeepfhtandpopursupport.Thenativesbriribaldisputesandquarrelstoherandinafewwordsshesettlethingsfairlytoeveryone’ssatisfa,thusgainingtheloveandtrustofthepeople.ShouldIdiewithoutissue,Aishaistheidealsucythrone.Shouldanheirbeborntooneofmybeauties,hewouldbegreatlyfromaqueenmothersuchasAisha,whocouldteachhimandhelphimwithgtheKingdom.”KingDimitriraisedhishandstostopthecheeringofthebeautiesandtinued,

    “Aisha’sbraveandhobehaviorjustnowshould