The poem begins not where the knife enters but where the blade twists.

— Hanif Abdurraqib

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Him

"Here's the plan, Zahir." He lays out a paper before his vizier. "Since Al Hadi asked for my opinion, these are the names I'll give him as the replacement of my officials in Qahira, now when I'm no more the governor."

His vizier carefully studies each of the names on the list before his lips pull up into a knowing smile. "Ah, wise of you, my Ameer. I see what you're trying to do. But Ameer Sulaiman is no child. He'll see through our plan."

"He certainly will." He rolls back the paper. "These are names of the officials who are neutral in their opinion towards me and Sulaiman. If they're promoted by my suggestion, I'll earn their favor. If not, Sulaiman earns their disapproval."

"I'm sure Ameer Sulaiman will try to find a middle ground."

"Doesn't matter, Zahir. Whether he acts upon my opinion or not, in either case the loss will be his and we'll be left in at least some benefit for showing favor towards these men."

"Very well, my Ameer. Now, have you thought what position will you request for in the court of Al Hadi?"

His tongue flicks at the corner of his mouth as it curves upwards. "Oh, I've thought about it as well."

Her

They had longed crossed the borders of Baghdad and twilight is at bay when they arrive at the palace. The stable keepers rush to take their horses and guards are lined to welcome them. When her eyes fall on the palace of Baghdad, it feels like yesterday when she was last here. But it has been two years. And though it appears the same, it feels different.

She has lived here twice before-- during her childhood and under Al Shafay's reign when she unknowingly became the queen of this palace. Noura feels a strange thud of her heart. It feels as if life has brought her to a turn where she once vanished, to continue a journey left midway. But this time, she intends to stand strong and not run away.

Adam places a hand on her back and they both make their way inside. Upon entrance through the palace doors, they find Yusuf bin Khalid and Arwa waiting for them in the entrance hall.

"Adam!" Arwa's face split into a grin and she runs to him with open arms. Adam welcomes her embrace and wraps her back in his arms. "I missed you so much, akhi." She tilts up her head and kisses his cheek. "I wish we never have to part again."

"I missed you too, dearly," Adam replies before pulling away from her embrace. He smiles down at her. "Look at you, still beautiful as ever. I'm starting to wonder if you're aging backwards."

"I would've said you still coat your tongue in honey, but you've only spoken the truth." She accepts the compliment with pride before stepping away so her husband could greet him too. Adam flicks his eyes to him.

"You, however, are growing old, my friend," he remarks at Yusuf who takes it with a hearty laugh.

They exchange greetings while Arwa turns her attention to her. She smiles at her, and Noura manages a smile back.

"Marhaba, azizati." Arwa leans in until their cheeks touch and she leaves an airy kiss their. "I hope you claim your place this time," she whispers in her ear only for her to hear before pulling back with the same smile. "It's good to see you again."

A little stunned, Noura can only nod in response. She never had friendly relationships with Arwa when she was queen of the palace, but in the end, she wasn't a foe either.

Her gaze shifts to Yusuf bin Khalid who tips his head to her in greeting. "Salam, sayidati."

"Salam." Noura tips her head back.

"Where is my niece?" Adam asks.

Arwa motions over to a handmaiden who brings forth a little girl. Noura watches as the child, about two year old, holding the hand of the maid while carrying an apple in her other hand curiously and cautiously comes towards her mother, her brilliant dark eyes studying the newcomers. Adam kneels down and opens his arms for her.

"Nawal." He grins at her. "Come here, malaki (angel)."

The little girl quickly hides her apple behind her back and looks up at her parents. Arwa gently nudges her forward. "Go to your uncle, habibti."

After a little probing, Nawal makes a slow walk towards Adam and he picks her up in his arm, coming to stand beside Noura.

"How did you grow up so fast, little one?" Adam kisses her head before directing to her parents. "Last I saw her was when she was only a few months old."

"That was when you last visited us in Dimashq," Yusuf points out.

Nawal seems to be still busy watching Adam with interest, before she blinks and looks at Noura who gives her a warm smile, and she grins back meekly, flashing the apple in her hands at her.

"I have this," she tells them with excitement and delight, finally easing a little and deciding to participate in the conversation.

Adam bounces her in his arms. "And what is this?" He feigns to be intrigued as he looks at the apple.

"Apple."

"Would you mind sharing?"

She tries to hide it back in her small hands. "This is mine."

"I'll only take a bite."

Noura throws her husband an amused glance. He's messing with the child who now looks troubled at the thought of sharing her food.

"It's mine. Baba gave it to me," she tells him, as if trying to scare him off.

"Then we can share this and you can ask your baba for more."

Nawal helplessly turns towards her father and stretches out her arms for him. He steps forward to take his daughter from Adam and she hides her face in his neck, peeking at them secretly.

"Are you always this nice to children?" Noura mutters quietly to him with a bit of sarcasm.

He smirks and replies as quietly, "I try."

"To send them away running?"

"To be nicer."

"Oh, I've seen," she jests.

"You've yet to see."

"How come?"

"When we've our own."

His response has her ducking her neck and hiding away her blazing face. She sends him a glare which he effortlessly deflects with an innocent smile.

She's glad she didn't have to stay long as Adam excuses himself to go meet Al Hadi and other officials at the throne room, while Noura is shown to their chamber.

Roya and Tamara has both joined her but for the night they're dismissed and the palace own maids are assigned on her duty. They help her settle in and it's only a few moments later that she hears a knock at the door. Noura grants the visitor permission to come in. With her back towards the door, she doesn't know who it is until he calls her name.

"Nour?"

Noura turns around at his voice. "Eskander?"

A grin instantly lights up her face and she hurries to meet him. He gives her a smile of his own as he comes to kiss her forehead.

"Khosh amedid, azizem."

"Thank you." She gazes up at him, finding his eyes dim and tired. "I thought you might had left for home already."

"I was expecting your arrival, so I stayed late. I wanted to see you before leaving."

"You did good. I missed everyone a lot."

"We've missed you too." He pets her head in affection. "How are you? How was your journey? Did you have any trouble?"

She gestures towards the chairs. Eskander goes to sit down on one and Noura joins him.

"I'm fine. The journey was fine too. Somewhat exhausting. But I was too elated to be reunited with my family, so it didn't bother me much."

"And Qahira? Was your stay there well?" he inquires.

"Everything was well, Eskander," she assures him, giving him a non accusing, knowing look. "Azar would've informed you if there was a problem, no?"

He chuckles sheepishly and his gaze to his palms. "I had to hear it from you to be content."

"There's nothing to worry about."

He looks back up. "Ameer Adam is good with you?"

"Of course he is, silly you." She pats his knee, giving him another smile in assurance. "I'm happy with him."

"Good. I want you to be happy. Always."

"Are maman and Laleh good?"

"Yes, by God's grace."

There's a moment of silence between them. She notices something off about him-- he appears distraught, his demeanor tensed. As if willing to speak about something but not knowing how to word it. Noura waits for him to break it. But when he doesn't, she questions him directly herself.

"Is something the matter, Eskander?"

He blinks absently, as if coming out of a reverie, then shakes his head.

"Nothing is the matter. I just wanted to say if there's any problem you face at the palace at any time, you let me know right away, Nour."

She arches a quizzical eyebrow. "Is there something I should be worried about?"

He sighs and shakes his head again. "There's a whole list of people. Just don't be too trustful of anyone here."

She can only nod in response, knowing well how her previous attempt of assuming a friend in princess Maysoon had turned out to be. She isn't willing to take the risk with anyone again.

"Maman wanted me to tell you to come home as soon as you get a chance," Eskander changes the subject, his features relaxing slightly. "Spend some time with us."

"I would love that," she agrees blissfully, the corners of her mouth tugging upwards again. "Or you could bring maman and Laleh here."

He laughs nervously. "I'd rather not."

"Why not?" Noura frowns, suddenly furious as a thought occurs to her. "Is the Amira still clinging to you like a leech?"

"That, and there's more."

"What more?"

His ears tints a faint pink as he smiles shyly and rubs his palms against his thighs. "I'm going to be a father, Nour."

Her eyebrows shoot up, utterly surprised, staring at him for a long minute before a ecstatic laugh escapes her. "Eskander! This is great new. Congratulations!"

He tries to contain his grin as he gazes back at her. "Thank you. I still can't believe it. I was overjoyed when I found out."

"I'm so happy for you, and for Laleh. I hope she's well and healthy?"

"She is," he affirms. "I thought it better that she rests at home and not tire herself with any sort of travel."

"You thought good. May you be blessed with a healthy child and may our Lord put goodness in them for you."

"Ameen." He looks at her expectantly. "So, will you visit us?"

"God willing, very soon."

The doors to their chambers open and they both turn towards it. Adam walks in. His eyes fall on Noura, then shift to Eskander.

"Ameer Adam." Eskander stands up from his chair. "Salam."

"Salam, general," he returns his greetings.

Noura gets to her feet too and Eskander refers to her. "I'll take my leave now."

She nods and they bid each other goodbye. When he's gone, she looks at Adam and he slowly stalks towards her.

"Did you meet Al Hadi?" she asks him.

"I did."

"How did it go?"

"Pleasant." His words are grim and ironic. He goes to fill himself a glass of water from the vessel before coming to sit down on the chair Eskander had previously occupied. "As pleasant as it could be meeting someone you want to stab through the jaw straight up into the palate and let their brain spill out."

"Horrific. I see you've quite enjoyed exchanging pleasantries with the Khalifa."

She sits back down on her chair and he chugs down the water from the glass, leaving it half filled. Noura wraps her fingers around his and lifts the glass to her lips, gulping down the rest. When their eyes connect, he gives her a wicked smirk, his orbs becoming a portrait of starless sky.

"I was thirsty," she tells him.

"So am I," he admits.

She quickly puts her hand over his mouth before he could make any advances. "I've to make a request."

He licks her palm. She removes her hand. He takes her wrist and kisses the inside of it. "Anything you ask of me."

"I wanted to visit the bazar and buy a gift for Laleh. I just learnt that she's expecting."

"Oh?" Adam ponders for a moment before humming in agreement. "It's good news. I'll ask Daud to accompany you."

"You should congratulate Eskander," Noura urges him. "It'll make him happy."

He chuckles humorlessly, running a hand through his hair. "We got married side by side and didn't bother congratulating each other on the nikkah, what makes you think I'm so desperate to make him happy now?"

She glowers at him, arguing back, "But it'll make me happy as well."

"You can ask me of anything else and I'll do it in the blink of an eye to make you happy."

"Really now?" She bat her eyelashes at him, deciding to drag him to the edge and push him over it now when he's being obstinate. "I was hoping I could stay with my family for a few days. Now when Laleh is expecting, maybe I'll be needed at the house."

"How many days are a few days?" he questions skeptically.

"A week or two?"

His face falls and he grumbles out in protest. "But it's a long time."

"You've lived twenty months without me. A week or two are nothing in comparison."

"That doesn't mean I want to experience anything remotely similar."

"But I miss my family," she insists. "And you agreed to fulfill my request."

"How about two days?" he suggests instead. "Two days are a few days. It's more than one day."

Noura rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, puffing up her cheeks at him. "You lie to me, sayidi. You do as you please and sweet talk me out of what I want."

"Your family has servants to help around the house. What help would you offer, hayati? You're needed more here than there."

"So you say I'm not allowed to go?" she dares, looking him straight in the eyes.

Adam hesitates, pausing as he thinks, then gives up against her. "Fine, how about I congratulate the general? How many days will it deduct your stay to?"

She struggles not to jump in triumph as she brightens up. "Two days?"

"And one night," he finalizes. "Then you're back with me."

She leans forward and pecks his temple. "Thank you." Noura fumbles with the collar of his shirt as she adds, "Would you like to visit with me at least?"

"I don't think your family is really fond of me," he declines politely.

"They will be once they get to know you."

"I don't know, Noura. I think it'll just make me really uncomfortable."

Her heart saddens at the thought but she doesn't push him anymore. "Another time then."

He smiles and nods, then gets up to put the glass away.

"Now, how about I ask someone to draw us a bath? We can have dinner afterwards, and then we can stroll through the gardens and reminisce about our childhood together?"

She laughs lightly at his suggestion. "Sounds dreamy."

"Doesn't it?" He walks back to her and leans down, putting his hands on the armrests of her chair as his lips curl up to one side. "You can sing to me then, like you used to in the past. You and me in Baghdad."

With his face inches away from her, her senses fail to cooperate in the proximity. Noura searches his eyes, as if finding something lost. They're endless and consuming. She drowns into them as always.

"Sing what?" she asks breathlessly.

He let out a dark chuckle, the sound of it vibrating through her body, and she melts down at his voice.

"Our poem, farasha." He places a kiss on the pulse of her neck. "The one that stabbed me in the heart." He places another kiss on the other side. "The one that carved into it: Noura and Adam, to the end of time."

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Let us bring rivals face to face. Who wants to add spice to the drama?

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