25 Surprise

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Come here so I may comb your hair while you're closing your eyes,
And I'd count the white hair, and confess that when you'll be old, I'd love you more.

Shahrazad Al Khalij

Him

"Two of the palace guards are missing," someone says in the courtroom.

He doesn't bother looking up and indulging in the conversation. Calmly and steadily, he arranges the papers in his hands.

"Who are missing?" Sulaiman asks.

Someone replies to him, telling him their names. He can feel Sulaiman's eyes on him.

"Would anyone happen to know anything about them?" he inquires further.

No one says a thing. He calls his name.

"Adam?"

Adam looks up and meets his gaze, unfaltering and bold, giving him a naive smile.

"Unless they had business with me, which I certainly wasn't made unaware of, should I be knowing where they are?"

Sulaiman pauses, assessing him, and surely reaching the truth as he gives him a smile mirroring his own.

"I suppose not."

"Very well." He keeps his lips twisted up as he presents him the paper. "Now, about the matter at hand, I think I can make a fair treasurer for the public so I should have that post."

Her

"What do you think, which dagger is better, Daud?"

"Both look good to me, sayidati."

"Still, I need to choose one."

"You should check for the blade and the grip.

Her fingers glide over the hilt of one and she grasps it, holding it up to the sky and letting its blade slice the sunlight. Roya besides her picks the other one, turning it around in her hand and studying it.

"This one doesn't really have a strong grip, khanum," she points out. "The hilt is fancy, but it makes it difficult to hold firmly."

"You think?" Noura takes it from her and holds the hilt, checking for the grip before humming in agreement to Roya. "You're right. I'll take the other one."

They pay the shopkeeper for it and moves on into the bazar. Daud stays close behind her and Roya walks by her side. They're dressed simply so as not to be recognized as residents of the palace.

The day is past its middle but the sun feels warm. Noura keeps the hood of her cloak pulled over her head. The bazar certainly isn't the same as the last time she remembers, but the pathways she walks still nurture memories. She doesn't dare lingering onto them.

"The Ameer asked us to return early to the palace, sayidati," Daud reminds her, speaking in a hushed tone so as not to be heard.

"Let us stop by that one stall over there. We can leave then," Noura replies.

She buys a comb and a perfume and they make their way to their horses. Mounting hers with Roya and Daud following, they return to the palace. But instead of getting to her chamber, knowing there's still much time before Adam returns, she decides to let her horse trot around.

"Daud?"

Daud kicks his horse until its besides hers. "Yes, sayidati?"

"Adam has been receiving notes threatening his life?"

He hesitates to answer and Noura smiles at him.

"I know he does. I just want to know for how long?"

"You should ask the Ameer about it, sayidati. I'm afraid these secrets are not mine to talk about."

"If you care about your Ameer, you must know the one person willing to do anything for him is me. And for me to do something for him, I'll need to know everything I can."

Daud still doesn't open his mouth, throwing Roya a skeptical glance, to which Roya glares furiously at him.

"Roya is not under Eskander's service, she's under mine. You don't have to worry about her," Noura assures him.

He looks straight ahead, silently contemplating, before finally replying to her, "Ever since he became the governor of Qahira, sayidati. He started receiving those notes shortly after he moved there."

"And he never tried to find who sends them?"

"He did. He initially thought it to be..."

Daud glances at Roya again. She once again glares at him and he doesn't finish his sentence. Noura sighs and nods at Roya.

"I'll see you at my chamber."

She tips her head and leaves them alone. Noura turns to Daud who lowers his eyes.

"My apologies. One can never be careful enough."

"He thought it to be Al Hadi?" she completes for him.

"Yes, but we never found a prove to support the suspicion," he tells her. "Besides, the rivalry between Ameer Adam and Al Hadi isn't hidden. Al Hadi doesn't need to send him notes to threaten him, especially during the period of the truce when the council can hold him accountable for such actions."

"Then who can it be?"

"I'm not sure, sayidati. It must be a spy, but we don't know who they're working for. Who is it besides Al Hadi planning to harm Ameer Adam."

Noura doesn't respond, letting his words to take root into her mind. Someone besides Sulaiman who wishes to kill Adam. She wonders who, for if there was an associate of Sulaiman, Eskander would've known. He would've told her, for he has promised not to allow any harm come to Adam.

She tugs the reins and pulls the horse to a stop. Daud brings his horse to a halt too. Noura directs to him again.

"Why hasn't the spy being caught yet?"

"No attempts have been made on the Ameer's life, sayidati. There are only those notes. Initially, they threatened the Ameer's life directly. But then they started to warn him that there's someone who wants to kill him."

"You mean the spy has suddenly changed their mind from killing him to warning him against the danger?"

"That's what the Ameer suspects," Daud affirms. "There's also a possibility that different people could be sending those notes."

Noura remains silent, processing the information he has given her. She has received the notes too-- one threatening her life and other warning her for Adam's. She could've easily thought it to be different people, one wanting to help them and other with an ill intent, was it not for the similar handwriting in the notes and how both the times they were left on the same location, on her pillow, clearly meant for her.

"Did Adam receive notes about me, like I did about him?" she inquires.

Daud nods.

"What did they say?"

He thinks for a moment. Then replies in a taut tone, "That they will kill you."

"I suppose it's the same person, Daud, and probably someone we do not suspect." Noura gives him an ironic smile. "Someone who wants to kill me, but they want to save Adam."

They leave their horses in the stable and Noura sends Daud to inform Zahir she wishes to meet him. As she comes across the courtroom, she hears voices coming across the door in a heated argument. She instantly recognizes them as Sulaiman and Maysoon's.

Taming her curiosity, she walks past the door and doesn't slow her pace, until she hears Eskander's name and Noura stops abruptly.

"Eskander doesn't want to marry you," Sulaiman says. "I'm not going to sell my shame and beg him for you."

Her curiosity flares up and she loses against it. Retracing her steps, she moves back closer to the door.

"Then stop asking me to marry someone else," Maysoon retorts, sounding infuriated. "I told you before, either it's him or no one else. You still didn't do anything about it."

"I asked him to marry you. He came back with another woman. What do you want me to do?"

"You gave him a choice! If you had asked him in the right manner, I'm sure he wouldn't be able to disobey you."

"I couldn't force him to marry you, Maysoon."

"Then don't force me to marry anyone else either because I won't! It's still either him or no one else."

Noura clenches her fists, then clenches her jaw, a storm of fury boiling her blood. She inhales deeply, trying to remain calm, but it proves difficult with every word being spoken.

"Stop being crazy," Sulaiman scolds sternly. "I've been lenient towards you. Don't compel me to be harsh with you."

"He was forced by his family to marry that woman. He reciprocated my feelings but he held back because of you," Maysoon pleas with him desperately. "Talk to him once more for me, akhi. I won't bother you again."

Noura feels the veins in her head throbbing, her head aching, her heart mad and probing her to barge into the room before Sulaiman submits to his sister. But she somehow chains her wrath and decides to leave, unable to hear anymore, afraid her anger might propel her into actions with poor outcomes.

She needs to calm down. She needs to think. And she needs to act wisely. She finds herself striding away from the courtroom to her chamber.

Roya is waiting for her at the door when she arrives at her destination. She follows Noura inside. Noticing her unpleasant mood, her handmaiden questions her.

"Did that rude man say something upsetting, khanum?"

Noura frowns, unable to think clearly. "Rude man who?"

Roya blushes and replies sheepishly, "Daud."

Despite her worries, Noura chuckles at her and shakes her head. "Don't mind him, Roya. He cares for Adam like you would care for me, now wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would. But I wouldn't be rude like him."

"Then would you speak of my secrets before someone whom you do not know well enough and you cannot trust?"

Roya ducks her neck, blushing more. "Of course not."

Noura smiles at her and she twists her fingers, confusion dancing in her orbs.

"Noura khanum?" she speaks quietly, as if afraid of being heard.

"Yes?"

"Do you really think Eskander agha would mean any harm to shahzade Adam?"

"Do you, Roya?"

"I would never think so."

"Me neither."

She deters, and a few seconds slips by before she speaks again. "And would shahzade try to harm Eskander agha?"

"He would never. For if he had to, he would've already done so-- for he had many chances to do so."

"And who do we stand by between the two, khanum?" Roya asks, this time her tone soft and concerned.

Noura understands her, her dilemma to side between Noura and Eskander if situation demands. Though she might be her handmaiden, but she has been brought into her service by Eskander. Roya has spent her time serving both, and she probably doesn't want to choose between them.

"We stand by Adam, Roya, but that doesn't mean we stand against Eskander. Because Eskander himself doesn't stand alone, he stands by Al Hadi. Both of us know the implications of our choices, but none of us stand against the other," Noura explains. "We protect each other, as family should. And Adam is family too."

Roya smiles in understanding. Noura pats her arm and smiles back, going to sit down on her bed.

There's a knock at the door. She grants them permission to let them in. Tamara walks inside and comes to stand before her, tying her hands in front of her.

"Sayidati, I have news," she informs her.

"What about?"

"Syed Daryush, since you asked us to learn more about him."

Noura straightens in interest. "What did you find?"

Tamara looks between her and Roya, settling her gaze on Noura before delivering the information.

"One of the Khalifa's vizier has a daughter, syeda Asiya. She has been promised to Ameer Sulaiman ever since he claimed the throne. And although Ameer Sulaiman has been silent about the betrothal, not having taken her as his wife uptil now, the vizier wishes to marry his daughter to him."

Noura knit her eyebrows. "What does this has to do with Daryush, Tamara?"

"Syed Daryush has been meeting the lady in privacy, sayidati," Tamara announces, making Noura go still in shock. "Syeda Asiya stayed twice at the palace with her father. I saw syed Daryush visiting her chamber in the middle of the night both times."

Tamara finishes, and Noura finds herself at loss of words. There are worries on her mind that trouble her, things she knew prior to what she has learnt today, and the puzzle pieces she's being offered now, filling the spaces for her to see the bigger picture. And though there still may be riddles unanswered, she's learning clues which might help her solve them. Only if she keeps going. And she certainly will keep going. For Adam's sake, she will do anything.

"Say, what now?" Noura leans back on one hand, toying with her pendant with the other. "Daryush has been biased and favoring Al Hadi only so he can steal his woman?" She heaves a sigh. "How stealthy. How nasty. He must pay for being unfair to my husband."

"What are your next orders, sayidati?" Tamara asks.

"Keep your eyes open and report to me whatever you find."

Roya and Tamara both nod in union.

The doors to the chambers open. Adam comes inside and she stands up to greet him, gesturing for her handmaidens to leave them alone.

"Good job. You both are dismissed for today."

The girls leave and the doors close behind them. Noura turns to Adam and smiles at him.

"Marhaba, habibi."

He makes his way towards her and she opens her arms for him. Noura melts into his embrace.

"I don't know whether you're happy or angry, hayati," Adam says, pulling back and gazing down at her. "Your lips are smiling, but your eye are deadly."

Noura laughs, trying to mask her emotions as she lifts on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"I'm happy. Elated, actually. I've a surprise for you."

She walks towards the table and pours him a glass of water from the vessel.

"I don't think I like your surprises," he replies from behind her.

"I wonder why is that."

"Would poor past experience qualify as a reason?"

She feigns to be hurt, placing a hand on her heart as she brings him the water. He sits down on the bed to drink it.

"I'm a changed woman. I don't bring you trouble anymore."

She watches his lips curl over the rim of the glass, his eyes dark and focused on her as he gulps down the water. She shudders at the look in those eyes.

"You're still a wicked man though," she adds.

"How come?" He takes her hand and tugs her down on the bed with him. "I thought I wasn't a bad man to you anymore."

She lifts her hand to his face, stroking his jaw before running her fingers through his hair, rubbing the pads of them against his scalp. He hums in pleasure, leaning into her touch, eyelids fluttering shut.

"You aren't." Noura grins, relishing in the sight of him thawing at her touch. "You're my mighty tiger who purrs like a kitten in my arms."

His eyelids snap open again. She bites the inside of her cheeks to contain her laughter against his baffled expression and he narrows his eyes at her.

Adam places the glass down and in one swift motion he pulls her onto his lap. She gasps and he smirks, licking the corner of his mouth.

"I'll show you how wicked a kitten can be, zawjati."

My college is reopening so updates might be slow. But I'll still try to finish Malika soon so I don't have to put the book on hiatus when I'm to give my finals. Keep sharing your love.


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