The Hour of the Crow

Chapter 16: The Basics of Magic

Arran's body was rigid next to hers, his bright eyes so large they seemed to take up the entire upper half of his face. His lips formed a thin, bloodless line, the skin around his mouth taut and pale. Inna ascribed it to the nerves, yet something in his expression as he looked at the well-dressed adviser in the doorway didn't sit well with her.

Subtly, not to draw suspicion, she assessed the newcomer's face. A handsome man, around his forties, with nearly black hair and striking green eyes. He was tall, his back straight with pride, and he walked with the ease and elegance of a person familiar with a royal palace's etiquette. The classic, aristocratic lines of his nose and cheekbones evoked a certain familiarity, and she directed her gaze at Arran once more. He had returned his attention to the Shah, though the tension hadn't left his shoulders.

Is it me, or do your new friend and the Shah's royal adviser look unusually alike? Zazi whispered in her mind.

Inna bit the inside of her cheek in thought. The ghost of an idea passed through her mind, but it evaporated when the Shah broke the silence.

"Farooq! Inform my council of the coming wedding and tell them to prepare a list with problems that have to be solved and decisions that have to be made during my absence," the Shah ordered. "I expect to be away for at least a month, so any urgent matters will have to be resolved as soon as possible."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Farooq answered, bowing. The lilt of his words betrayed his Primsharahn origins.

The Shah clapped his hands once in almost childlike delight. Inna didn't think he had noticed the way Farooq's eyes flitted to Arran's face every once in a while, nor the odd, troubled expression that disfigured the adviser's features.

"Oh, and if you see Hashim, will you tell him to pass a message to the kitchen?" the Shah continued, unbothered. "Our guests would like to taste some of Rasir's most renowned delicacies. Although I doubt they will ever admit that our cuisine is better than theirs"—he winked at Inna and Arran—"we will give them an unforgettable experience."

Farooq gave him a small, polite smile. "Of course, Your Majesty. Only the best for our guests."

The Shah dismissed his adviser with a single nod as he relaxed back in his throne, lacing his fingers on top of his considerable belly. Farooq made another formal bow and slipped out of the door, silent as a ghost. Inna found herself staring at the spot where he had stood before, a light furrow creasing her brow.

Distantly, as if she swam underwater, she heard the Shah ask a question. Something about a wedding date. She shook herself out of her stupor and blinked, glancing sideways at Arran. He looked the Shah right in the eye when he responded, "We cannot give you an exact date yet, Your Majesty, since preparations for the wedding have only just started. Our sister has promised to send us a letter as soon as the details are clear."

The Shah pursed his lips, but Arran's answer seemed to satisfy him for now. To lift his good mood even more, Inna decided to step in. "Your Majesty, if I may. We have also brought you a gift from the Shah of Primsharah, in hopes that the union of Prince Rabyatt and Princess Serafina will be the beginning of a fruitful cooperation between our nations."

"Ah. And what is this gift?"

She folded her hands in front of her. "The carriage in which we have traveled here. It is an example of impeccable craftsmanship and is pulled by magic instead of camels."

A slow smile crept across his mouth. "Magic, you say? How uncommon. I will schedule a ride in it as soon as I find the time. Thank you."

She inclined her head.

"Good," he said and made a vague gesture with his hand. A woman in a simple, green dress whom Inna hadn't spotted earlier came forward from the shadows. "You are welcome to stay in the Tower until we leave for the wedding. As my guests, you are free to explore the grounds and the city, and my staff will pander to your every whim. Mehrdag will now escort you both to your rooms."