You can't be more generous than a woman when she loves. You give her safety and she'll be a home for you.
— Nizar Qibbani
Eskander
He scans the letter the general from the northern borders has sent him. A pleased smile pulls his lips up to one side before he holds it over the candle and let the flames eat it away. Hafez waits patiently before him to take his orders. They stand alone in his tent at the barracks.
"Call a scriber, Hafez," Eskander instructs him. "Send a letter back. Tell the general to keep his strategy. I like it. In case there's an another attack on the borders, kill those who resist and capture those who submit. Do not compromise on the lives of our soldiers in any case. I'll ask the Khalifa to send them more gold. Buy mercenaries if a need arises, but protect our borders. I don't want an inch of the land being lost to the enemy."
"Yes, sayidi."
"Did they send the war prisoners?"
"They did."
"Do they have mercenaries in them?"
"Only a few."
Eskander hums, thoughtful, and makes his way out of his tent. Hafez follows after him.
"I'd like to buy soldiers from the mercenaries for myself if Al Hadi permits," he suggests. "Our enemy might be willing to pay for their soldiers and free them, but not for the mercenaries they hired to work for themselves."
"That's true, sayidi. But you should assess them for their skills first. Some of them have barely entered youth. They only fought for money because of their unfavorable circumstances."
"Then they can prove much useful, Hafez." He places his hand on the hilt of his sword and glances him. "I'll give them provisions they need if I'm assured of their loyalty towards me. We can always train them later on. Those boys can become more dedicated and trustworthy than the soldiers in the royal troop."
They arrive at the training grounds where the soldiers are engaged in different drills. Eskander helps guide and train them, until the midday sun is well down the sky. A messenger informs him that the caliph has summoned him after the training. Once he's done and cleaned up, he makes his way towards the palace.
When he dismounts his horses at the stables, he notices the majestic black stallion in one of the stands. In the adjacent stand is the white mare, as expected. Buraq and Hayat. He turns to the stable keeper.
"Yusuf bin Khalid has arrived at the palace?" Eskander asks him.
"Yes, sayidi. He arrived a while back with his family," he informs him.
He hands the reins of his horse to him and finds his way inside the palace. The guards greet him on his way. Upon asking about the caliph's whereabouts, he learns that he's at his chambers. Passing through the corridors towards his destination, someone stops him from behind him.
"Eskander?"
His jaw contracts at the voice. So does his back. He halts in his tracks but doesn't turn around. Eskander closes his eyes and releases a silent breath. Then composing his expression he turns towards her.
"Amira." He tips his head respectfully. "I'm in a bit of a hurry--"
"You always are." Maysoon smiles dismissively and makes a graceful walk towards him. "It can wait."
She's without her handmaidens. Eskander subtly peers around and finds the corridor to be empty. A vein in his temple throbs in frustration.
"The caliph has summoned me urgently," he excuses. "I don't want to keep him waiting."
"He's with Yusuf right now," she argues back. "It's better to wait here than to wait outside his door."
He wants to say he can wait anywhere but in her presence. He knows it's never safe with her. She's that corpse of his past which he keeps trying to bury, but it keeps ripping its grave and clawing its way out. He knows there's no escape from her but to confront. Eskander ties his hands behind his back.
"Is there something you want to speak to me about, Amira?"
"There's much to speak to you about, general," she replies sarcastically, the smile still plastered on her face, and gestures towards the balcony, silently asking him to join her. Having no other choice, he steps out in the air with her. "I wasn't seeing you around the palace as much as before. I learnt that you've now gotten a house of your own and don't spend your nights at the palace anymore."
"That's right, sayidati."
"In the arms of your wife."
His jaw ticks again, but he refuses to look at her. He keeps his gaze up ahead and holds back any reply. Maysoon turns to him and rests a hand on the handrail of the balcony.
"Tell me about her, Eskander," she demands. "I'm curious as to who is the woman to have convinced you into marrying her when I couldn't. What has she done so differently that you fallen before her?"
"I don't think it's necessary--"
"It is."
"I don't wish to speak about it."
He turns around to leave but she holds his hand. Eskander jerks away from her touch, sending her a look at disapproval. She gives him her own look of displeasure.
"If you were a man, Eskander, you wouldn't run away after what you did to me. But you're not a man."
"Then consider yourself lucky to be ridden of me."
"Easy for you to say when I'm the one being scarred, and you get away untainted."
His shoulders drops in resignation and his defenses shake against the wounded look in her eyes. They're glazed over and he resists the urge to comfort her, but cannot find himself walking away either. He exhales heavily and softens his voice.
"I'm carrying the burden of my sin to this day," he confesses to her. "If you cannot let go of it, go tell your brother. Let him deal with me."
"He will kill you."
"I die every time I look in his eyes. I die remembering what I did behind his back, when he trusted me with you."
"Does your wife know about it?"
His minds freezes, then replays every conversation he had with Laleh. And the conversation before their nikkah. What disclosures took place between them. Unfiltered. Without any lies. His secrets that he splayed in the open before her. And her reaction. Her acceptance. It warmed him.
Eskander nods his head. "She does."
"How noble of you to be honest with her." She smiles sardonically, putting her arms around herself. "How noble of her to forgive you." She takes a step closer. "But I cannot forgive, Eskander."
He smiles back, ironically, a little remorseful as he reminds her, "You blame me for giving up on the sin you invited me to keep committing. Now I'm guilty, but you're innocent?" He clicks his tongue in dismay. "Fine, be it so. But I've forgiven you long ago. And I hope you can some day forgive me too."
"You could've married me to save us both," she suggests, her tone gentle. "I was helpless in your love. But you only used me to forget your pain and left."
"The pain you caused me," he retorts harshly. "You made me kill Ruwa."
"She was a traitor!" she snaps.
"But still a woman I was in love with!" he bites back. "I didn't know she was a spy. I accepted her punishment. But at least you could've spared me of the pain by not insisting I should be the one to execute her. Yet you made Al Hadi appoint me as her executioner. You expect me to love you after learning the truth, and marry you, no less."
"Eskander--"
"Stop approaching me, Maysoon. You're only deluding yourself if you think I'll give into you again. The first time I was foolish and in denial, but I'll be damned if I do so again." He turns away from her, walking towards the balcony doors. "And if you're still not satisfied, then I'll gladly let you be my executioner, if you have the courage to confess to your brother what you did. Or maybe lie that I forced you, seduced you, threatened you, and adulterated your wine a few times like you did to mine, so as to keep you at my service all night."
"Laleh, that's her name, isn't it?" she's says suddenly and he stills in his path. She chuckles and walks past him. "I was just asking."
"Don't you dare--"
Before he could say anything anymore, a shadow falls over them. Eskander looks up to meet a pair of mismatched eyes. They appear evaluative and shrewd, sweeping from him to the princess. The smile on Maysoon's face turns from devious to deceptively innocent.
"Akhi (brother)." She steps closer to him and touches his arm. "I'm sorry to hold back your general. You were busy and I ran into him on my way to my chambers."
Sulaiman gives her a single, unimpressed look, both forbearing and blunt. He tips his head towards the hallway leading to her chambers.
"Go to your chambers, Maysoon."
Maysoon doesn't waste a second fleeing from the scene. Sulaiman shifts his attention to him and Eskander lowers his eyes.
"My Ameer, I received your message. I was on my way to your--"
He waves him off and comes forward until they're face to face. He then squeezes his shoulder and Eskander lifts his gaze to him.
"I don't want to see you near my sister again."
It's a simple command, but it shoots through him like an arrow. Eskander swallows thickly and nods.
"My apologies, sayidi. I'll be careful now onwards."
"Don't apologize. There's nothing to apologize for."
Sulaiman gestures towards the end of the balcony and they both go to stand by the handrail where he was with Maysoon a few moments ago.
"You were a mere soldier when you came in my service," Sulaiman says, his eyes sailing over the palace grounds before them. "But I saw that you had great potential in you. I knew one day you would climb great ranks. So when the opportunity arose, I made you the general of Ar Raqqa. And today, you're the general of the capital of this kingdom-- Baghdad. The general of all my generals."
"I'm grateful for your trust in me, my Ameer. I hope never to disappoint you."
"You're my pride. I hope my pride is never let down." Sulaiman looks at him. "But my sister, Eskander, is very fond of you. So when she expressed her desire of marrying you to me, I couldn't think of a better man than you for her. Although when I made that request to you and you asked me for some time to think it over, I didn't expect you to return from Isfahan bearing me news of you having married someone else instead. You couldn't have found a more cruel way to decline her."
"Sayidi, I..." Eskander lowers his eyes once more. "My mother wanted me to marry my uncle's daughter. She expressed her will long before you asked anything of me. And my uncle wished the same. I didn't consider it at first so I didn't mention it to you. But then my heart started to incline towards my wife as well. I couldn't deny her."
"Don't worry. You had the right to choose for yourself and I don't blame you for it." He smiles softly. "All I'm saying is that Maysoon is still wounded from your rejection. She's my sister and she's dear to me. It hurts me to see her hurting. So I think it better that she distances herself from you to heal. That's why I say, keep away from her."
Eskander nods in understanding. Only if Sulaiman knew the truth, maybe he wouldn't be so accepting of everything. He releases a breath and casts a glance at the dimming sky.
"Anyways," Sulaiman continues, drawing back his focus. "That wasn't why I had summoned you here. Adam arrives at the palace in a few days. There's only a year left before our truce ends, and so does my reign. I'll have to reclaim the throne, and he'll try to claim it for himself," he state calmly, though there's a tinge of unease beneath it. "I might have given up on war before, but this time I'll give it whatever it takes to have the throne."
Eskander tips his head dutifully. "I believe the council will make a decision in our favor. But our armies have only strengthened than before, my Ameer. Whether by war or peace, the throne will be yours."
"That's what I wanted to hear." Sulaiman smirks and claps his back. "I wanted to make sure your sister's marriage to my rival hadn't deterred your values."
"You know my loyalties had always been with you."
"I know, Eskander. And I don't doubt you. But the love for one's family can be dissuading. When Adam was at a disadvantage because of his identity being revealed and the crimes of his father, and we were at a disadvantage because of the power still being in his hand, it was only logical to come to a truce for a time being. But not anymore. This time when I come in power," Sulaiman holds his gaze meaningfully, "No life will be spared. None who have ever submitted to him, supported him, served him. Those who resist me will have to perish."
Eskander let his words sink in silently. It isn't that he had never known the implications of Sulaiman bin Khalid becoming the Khalifa and exercising his authority to the fullest. But things have changed. From how they were in the past to uptil now, a lot had gone against his expectations and his plans, especially Noura marrying Adam. And though his loyalties might still lie with Sulaiman, he'll be lying if he tells him killing everyone standing against him will be of no difference to him. For now, it's not just Adam who stands against him, but Noura. And he'll cut his hands before he raises a sword at her.
"Sayidi," Eskander voices his concern, "what about Ameer Adam?"
"Isn't it obvious?"
"There's still a majority who support him. Any intention of his execution can fuel a rebellion against us."
"I cannot be foolish to let a snake bite me twice, Eskander. He took my throne once. I'm not giving him another chance." Sulaiman puts his hands on the handrails and leans forward. "Don't worry about your sister. She'll not be harmed in any way, I assure you. But you've still got time. The wise thing to do is to talk her into leaving Adam. Because if you expect me to spare his life on yours, hers, or anyone's behalf, I won't."
Eskander doesn't reply, his mind becoming a hive of bees, buzzing deafeningly. Sulaiman tilts his head and lifts an inquisitive eyebrow.
"Did you talk to Noura about what I asked of you?"
His proposal. He never mentioned it to her, knowing well what her response would be. He didn't bother severing his relationship with her over something fruitless. Instead, he had mentioned the said proposal to Adam to warn him. If Sulaiman were to know of the letter he had sent to Adam to bring him back to Noura, he wouldn't be pleased with him, given that he wished there separation rather than reunion. But Eskander looks into his eyes and lies smoothly.
"I did, sayidi. But she's stubborn. She refused."
"Well then, it'll be a shame once he's dead. But," Sulaiman straightens, "if she agrees, I'm still willing to take her as my wife."
With this, he leaves him to himself. And to the mayhem in his thoughts he's sure will consume his peace for the many days and nights to come.
That night when he lies with Laleh in their bed, her head on his chest and her long hair splayed behind her on the pillow, he absently caresses her arm as his mind keeps circling around the events of the day. Sleep wouldn't come to him, neither has anything pushed pass through his skull of what his wife has been talking to him about. He remains troubled and lost.
Laleh finally lifts her head to look at him.
"Eshgham (my love)?"
He hums in response.
"You're exceptionally quiet today."
He gives her a comforting smile and runs his fingers through her hair. "I'm tired, that's all."
"Did something happen?"
"Long hours of training."
She strokes his cheek lovingly. "You should rest in between."
"I'll put in a request to have nap breaks after each drill," he teases and pulls her down to himself.
She laughs and rests her head back on his chest. He returns to caressing her arm.
"I worry for you. Can you blame me?" she says.
And he worries for her. And for Noura. Greatly so. He'll have to do something on his own very soon.
"All is well, janem." He kisses the top of Laleh's head. "Don't worry yourself. Especially now."
He brings his other hand to her abdomen and presses his palm to it. She smiles up at him and cups his jaw, bringing his lips to her own. Eskander easily gives in to her.
He would do everything in his power to keep her safe, hidden away in his arms out of the harm's way. He will protect her at any cost, break any rules, and take any measures. For she's his lover. For she has given him a home. Especially now. When she's with his child.
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Thoughts on this chapter?
I tried a change of POVs to cover things from a broader perspective. We may or may not have more in the future.
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