chapter 4 - the royal palace

The entrance to the Royal Palace consisted of two marble doors engraved in solid gold, their weaving patterns outlining an abstract image reminiscent of the forests that surrounded the hidden society. Inside, the palace smelled of incense that instilled a sense of calm within me, and as the solid doors closed behind us, the stillness of the palace air was a stark contrast to the bustling city on the other side.

“My lord you’ve returned!”

The deep female voice echoed through the stone halls just before a large woman came around the corner, waddling her short body towards us. I couldn’t help but stare at the 300-pound woman as she slowly made her way to our location, he ample flesh shaking and wobbling with each thundering step.

“I’d hate to live in an apartment under her,” I thought to myself. The woman was a few inches shorter than me and looked to be in her late 30’s. Much like the rest of the people in this society, her caramel skin was complimented by black hair and brown eyes, and much to my annoyance, her morbidly obese body was unclothed and covered in a glistening layer of sweat.

“Kelsey this is Shalpa, she is one of my most loyal and trusted servants. Shalpa, this is Kelsey. She has come from another country to better understand our way of life.”

The overweight servant’s smile soon disappeared as she gave me a look over.

“Oh you poor thing, who has been starving you and hiding you under those rags? We must get some meat on those bones at once.”

I wanted to snap at this gross woman, to hurl a vitriolic insult and put her in her place, but before I could open my mouth she had grabbed hold of my wrist and began leading me away from the king.

“Shalpa will take care of you for the time being. I must tend to a few matters but will return once you’ve finished your meal.”

The kings words echoed down the hall as I was forcefully dragged by his fat servant. For a short and overweight woman, she seemed to posses the strength of a wild ox.

Our journey finally came to an end when I was dragged into a small dining room and seated at a table made for 10 people.

“You poor little thing,” she said while pulling out several plates and a large crystal glass. “You must be so thirsty and famished from your trip. Don’t you worry, I will have a delicious meal in front of you in no time.”

The overweight servant then disappeared behind a set of swinging doors and the sound of plates and cooking utensils clattering followed. When Shalpa emerged only a moment later, she returned with a crystal drinking glass in one hand and a two-gallon jug in the other. Placing the two objects in front of me, I watched as the servant poured a strange purple liquid from the jug into the clear glass.

“What is that?” I asked incredulously. “I think I saw some women drinking it on my way here. It looks like wine, but I’ve never seen someone chug wine before.”

The overweight woman gave a hearty belly laugh that caused her protruding gut to bump into my shoulder as she placed the drink in front of me.

“This, dear, is Garlova, which means ‘nectar of the gods.’ It’s a wondrous liquid found only in the most sacred groves of our kingdom. While water is great for hydrating when you’re in a bind, Garlova is much more hydrating, nutritious, and it is believed to have mystical powers. Plus it’s absolutely delicious!”

Shalpa poured herself a glass, chugged the entirety of her beverage, and proceeded to slam the glass down before releasing a long, drawn out belch that wafted in my direction.

“This is one of only a few drinks we have on the island. Not because we lack options, but because nothing compares!”

I held the drink in my hand and watched the purple liquid swish around as I tilted the glass.

“Guess I don’t have much of a choice.”

Lifting the glass to my lips, a small stream poured over my tongue and my taste buds exploded with flavor. My eyes shot wide open as I found myself overwhelmed by the sensation, and soon enough, I too was gulping down the purple liquid as if I had just spent the last week in an arid desert.

An adrenaline-like rush came over me as I slammed down the empty glass, and before I could say anything, Shalpa was already handing me another.

“So I take it you like it huh?” She said with a laugh. “I’ll leave you with the jug. I’ll come back when your food is ready.

But I hardly even noticed when the large woman left the room, I was too fixated on the incredible liquid in my hand, and my sole focus was dedicated to getting as much of it within me as possible.

“How the fuck does this tastes SO GOOD” I thought to myself as the last drops drained into my mouth. I couldn’t stop, I needed more, my body demanded more.

The third cup came and went much like the first two, and then soon the fourth.I found myself losing track of time and I lost count of how many times I had filled and drained my glass. When Shalpa waddled back in, she was carrying a large plate of ribs, a bowl of macaroni and cheese, an assortment of strange fruits, and an entire chocolate cake. I would have protested, or remarked about how much food she brought me, but I didn’t. Instead my right had absentmindedly grabbed a handful of cheesy macaroni and shoved it in my mouth between swigs of Garlova.

A moan escaped my lips as I licked the cheese from my fingers, and instead of feeling embarrassed by my behavior, I reached back in for seconds. My mind was lost in the cycle of flavor. The food. The drinks. They were each so incredible. It was as if I had spent my entire life eating dirt, and then someone handed me a cheeseburger. I couldn’t think straight, and the world around me became irrelevant as my brain became solely focused on just consuming more. When the food and drinks were eventually gone, the fog lifted and i sat at the table with newfound clarity, almost as if a curse had been lifted from me.

“Wh- what happened?” I finally asked. My once flat stomach was protruding out by nearly ten inches from the rest of my body, giving myself a soon-to-be mom look.

Shalpa came to my side and helped me from my seat, wrapping her meaty arm around my back and helping me walk out of the room.

“Shhh dear, you did amazing. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen someone your size eat like that before. Adigon will be so happy to hear of your performance.”

“My performance?” I barely managed to speak with such a heavy ball of lead in my stomach. The fat servant continued walking me down a long hallway, but I felt myself fading out of consciousness. “Where are you taking me?” I finally asked. But just as the words began to leave Shalpa’s lips, my vision began to fade, and the world went dark.