She lifted my chin, peering into my frightened eyes. I tried to pull away, but with my hands tied, I just jerked to the side and nearly fell.

"How dare you behave like this in the presence of the Queen," the guard rudely shoved me from behind, and I painfully fell to my knees before her.

She seemed uninterested. Her eyes wearily slid downward, and she noticed what got me into all this trouble. I tucked it right into the loop of my jeans. The young woman looked into my eyes again. Her beautifully outlined mouth opened slightly in what seemed like surprise, just for a second. Then she put on the mask of cold indifference again.

"This one will do," the Queen said indifferently. "Bring her to me on the terrace first." With her elegant hand clad in a long black glove, she reverently retrieves the flute.

***

I've always loved music. My grandfather and grandmother were musicians, piano and violin players, and they still are, having spent their whole lives in a well-known classical orchestra. My parents graduated from music school but didn't become musicians themselves. They pursued history degrees and spent their lives studying the history of music and musical instruments.

It was destined for me to become a musician. Everything pointed to it, but alas... I was just talentless in music. After studying for six months at a music school for children, the director delicately hinted to my parents to find something else for me to do.

My parents, of course, were outraged but didn't argue. However, my grandparents, proud classical musicians, upon learning that I was no longer needed at the music school, went there and caused a scandal in the director's office.

"This is not you getting rid of our granddaughter; on the contrary, our granddaughter will not attend this pathetic excuse for a music school! Shame on your untalented teachers who couldn't find an approach to our gifted child!" my grandmother thundered. Her voice was audible even through the door as I stood outside the director's office, head down and eyes averted, waiting.

Children passing by heard it all and laughed at me.

"What, little privileged girl, not even your supposedly famous relatives' connections endowed you with talent!" a teenage girl with a violin case said.

"Quiet, Linda, what if teachers or other adults hear you," her friend whispered.

"I don't care; in a couple of minutes, rumors will spread to all the music schools in the city. Heir to the famous Byrd family is totally talentless, but her relatives, using their position, insist otherwise."

"What did you say, little brat?" I heard my mother's voice. She came to pick up my documents and was surprised to see me and hear the thunderous outbursts from her mother (my grandmother, as soon as she heard that the school was rejecting me, ran to the director's office with me). "I heard you squeaking on the violin, miss little mediocrity. You should perform only at farmers' markets in overalls and a straw hat in front of the local hillbillies and rednecks."

Linda blushed and pouted, "Who are you anyway? What can you do to me?"

"Linda, let's go," a shy girl in big glasses and a cardigan pulled her away by the sleeve.

"I'm the one who's going to the school principal right now and tell her that the older girls are bullying a kid who's five years younger. And you," she pointed to the glassed girl, "if you defend her, I'll say you're in on it with your friend." My mother was so angry and exuded such a toxic aura that Linda quickly let herself be led away.

I never saw them again. My mother calmed down my grandparents. I didn't know if my mother kept her word; I didn't know if Linda spread rumors about me, but I was no longer enrolled in any music school. A couple of times, my parents tried to hire music tutors for me, but they all shrugged and unanimously said it wasn't my thing, and I should try something else.

I didn't understand why I was talentless in music. It seemed to me that there were kids in my former class who were much worse, especially the boys who just fidgeted in place or stuck out their ugly tongues at me. Maybe I was too young to understand why they all came to this conclusion at once. I just remembered them saying something to me during class, and I floated in the clouds. That's where my parents' attempts to make me a musician ended.

My friend, my so-called friend once said to me not to show off: nature takes a break on prodigies' children. He hinted how small and miserable I was to compare with my intelligent family of talented musicians and history scholars. Only now, several years later, did I realize how lonely I was. I even envied Linda a little; she had that caring girl in glasses, and I had only Sam, who definitely gaslit me for several years, knowing that I would be afraid to step out of my comfort zone and make a new friend. Unfortunately, my parents adored him; they even secretly dreamed that we would date.

***

"You still haven't received an acceptance letter from college?" my father asked me at breakfast. My mother had already left for work early in the morning; she couldn't resist — new finds promised excellent scientific research and possibly even a separate collection not only in the national museum of music but also in the state historical museum.

"I'm waiting for an email," I replied with a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

"That's so unprofessional to send such serious emails online. Anyway, did you check the lists?"

I shook my head. "Not yet, haven't had the chance."

"Sam hasn't visited us in months, everything okay between you two?"

"Oh, everything's fine," I lied. "He's just busy, found a side job before college."

He didn't find a side job; he stole my job, practically snatched the winning ticket from under my nose, he stole my chance to get into college too, he stole everything.

I didn't tell my parents, because I knew they'd take his side and blame me for everything.

~~~

To my dear sapphic readers:

I vividly remember the first time I listened to the Queen of the Night aria from Mozart's opera, "The Magic Flute." It left an indelible impression on me, stirring something deep within. However, when I later watched the opera, I found myself disappointed. The powerful and fierce Queen, whom I had envisioned, seemed stripped of her strength, portrayed as a typical villainess, as is often the case in many male-dominated narratives.

Her aria brimmed with such power, might, and fury that I couldn't fathom her defeat. It sparked a desire within me to reimagine these classic characters in a new light. Thus, I invite you to embark on a journey with me through my feminist and lesbian novel, "The Queen of the Night's Concubine."

This is the story of Ti, a young eighteen year old girl whose life is turned upside down when she discovers a magical flute and enters the realm of the Queen of the Night. In this feminist tale, she becomes Queen's concubine, unwittingly drawn into a whirlwind of events that test her strength and courage.

I hope this novel challenges preconceived notions, ignites conversations, and inspires readers to see beyond the surface, embracing the multifaceted nature of human experience. So, without further ado, let us venture forth into the world of "The Queen of the Night's Concubine" and discover the untold stories that lie within.

Welcome to a journey of transformation, empowerment, and liberation.

Warm regards,
treepipit

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