In the women's hall of the old desert palace, size is rank. The court's favourites are very large women, and the largest of them, Lady Zafira, sits in the victory chair as first favourite. Roxxana was the newest and slimmest: a dancer with a narrow waist, a blue top hung with gold coins, and an ambition nobody took seriously until she said it out loud.
"Seven banquets, Zafira. Largest wins first favourite and the victory chair." Zafira smiled and told her she had already ordered the chair. Roxxana swayed her hips once, a dancer's habit, sat down at the carved table, and began.
The first banquet was dates, lamb and an innocent amount of honey. Her waistband surrendered before the dessert. The second was apricot lamb, sesame bread and almond cream, and by the end of it her flat dancer's stomach had become a round, full belly that she carried to the brass mirror with obvious pride.
Zafira came to inspect the competition. "Turn for me," she said, and Roxxana turned slowly, all the way round, so her rival could see what two banquets had done to her hips and her rear. Then she lifted her chin and tapped the coins of her top, which were starting to strain.
Nima, the servant girl, began feeding her by hand between courses — saffron rice, honey cakes, fig pastries, roast duck with pomegranate. Roxxana stroked her belly in a slow circle while looking straight at Zafira, and asked for the traditional blessing between courses. Two circles for luck. Three would frighten the cook.
By the fifth banquet the sultan himself came to watch. The doorway of the hall had an opinion about her by then; the steward measured it twice. Her thighs met and spread on the cushion, her belly rested heavy on her lap, and her coin top had become a narrow, glittering band across a vast, soft chest.
The seventh banquet has no lines in the film — only food, lantern light and Roxxana growing past a thousand pounds as she finishes it. At the end, Zafira looks at the victory chair under her and says it seems to have become a footstool. Roxxana, the largest favourite of the court, smiles. "Order a bigger one, Zafira. You've already mastered small."
