Being listened

 

I was tired of being ignored. Whenever I talked, people would just ignore me. I felt like I didn’t even exist. So when I got the chance to change that by making a wish, I did so without hesitation. The genie did warn me that sometimes wishes turned into unexpected results. “I’ll take my chances, I wish that when I talk everyone listened to me” I said. “Wish granted” the genie said. The world started spinning around me. In a matter of minutes everything had changed. 

I was in a big palace sitting on a throne. “Pero que habéis pasado?” I whispered. At the moment I didn’t realize I was speaking Spanish, I had bigger things to worry about. I was no longer a man, I was a woman, and I had a crown on my head. “Mi Reina, uno de sus súbditos quiere hablar con vos” a man told me. “Si, permítanle acercarse” I said for the first time hearing my voice and language. The man that wanted to speak to me, could barely look into my eyes, it was like ha was afraid of me. He spoke of another man that was stealing his crops, and he wasn’t going to be able to deliver the grain he promised. I don’t know why, but I felt upset, I wanted to tell my guards to punish him. “Y por que habéis esperado hasta hoy para decírmelo?” I asked with a firm voice. He then said something about please giving him a few more days, he can deliver. His voice trembled. The guards grabbed his arms, like they were going to take him to the dungeon. “Alto” I instructed them. “Este hombre requiere otra oportunidad, traedme lo que habéis producido hasta hoy, y tenéis dos semanas para entregar el resto” I said, the whole room went quiet. It was like they were expecting me to execute him. I signaled the head of my guard, I instructed him to have a guard go with him. “Para ejecutarlo en el camino?” The head of guard asked me. “No, para protegerlo a él y su familia” I responded. No one could believe how benevolent I was being. Apparently I used to be an evil ruler. 

Later that night, after my ladies had helped me change clothes 2 times. My guards took a man into my chambers, he was handsome. But he was stripped naked. Apparently, i had asked for him earlier in the day. He was already naked, for my sake. That way he could not be carrying a knife or any other weapon. He looked scared of me. 

It wasn’t until that time that I realized how different my life would be by being a woman. He was kneeling down. After instructing the guards to leave us alone. I spoke to the man “No tenéis que hacer nada que vos no queréis”. I handed him something to cover himself.

I told him sex was out of the question. I wanted to talk to him. I asked him about by kingdom, about me, about my people. I realized quickly he was lying to me, telling me what I would want to hear. “No me mientas” I told him. He then told me everything how my guards took advantage of my people, how I would execute without a second thought people that did not do what I wanted, how my people were starving. I couldn’t believe it, but it was time for me to change, to be listened. I promised the man I would change all this. I then asked him about himself, he said he was married, and he was doing this because one of my advisors offered him protection. I then asked if I could trust him. He said yes. 

I told him to pretend with me like we were having sex. And I told him my plan, I would have him join my court. He and his family would move in into my castle. He is not to speak to anyone about tonight, and I would need him to be my eyes on my court. “Necesito a un hombre honesto en mi corte” I told him. He had no choice so he accepted.

I made sure him and his wife was treated respectfully. He fed me News about my people. I gathered intel, and waited until the time was right to change my court completely. I made sure to keep the right people, and arrested all the other ones. It took months, but the change was viewed positively by my subjects. 

I told them I hadn’t been the best queen, so I was changing the government structure. This was centuries ahead of time, I proposed to have two different branches of government. A prime minister selected by the people, and me. We would keep tabs on each other.

That very same year, I also met the man who would marry me. He would not be a king, but a regent that would serve over me. 

It would be soon that I will become pregnant. And the baby that would come out of me, will be heir to the throne. I know being a pregnant woman during this time is a risk, but I must make sure my kingdom is being steered for the better.