"Alright, Big Sis, what was that all about?" Das protested as he finally managed to shrug his arm free of Zal's grip, some distance from their tutorial chamber. "Ya coulda told me we were goin' out..."
"This is far 'nough, alright," the Little Viper affirmed, as if to herself. "Now, look 'ere: I love ya, runt, so I don't want ya to keep on livin' in some stupid delusional bubble. Mom's definitely not as good n' kind as ya think she bloody is."
"How can ya say that?"
"For one," Zal lowered herself to his height, "ya been wonderin' where Eara is, right?"
"'Tis gone, Mom told me so."
"Only 'alf the tale. What she didn't bother to tell ya, was that she made hher gone."
"H-how..? What are you..."
"She burned it in her room's fireplace, saw the act myself."
"Why would she..?!"
"'Cause I been skippin' my lessons, that's what she said."
"Well that's your fault then, ain't it? Had ya been but a tad more diligent, Ea would still be alive!"
"A kitty's life for not gettin' to work out a couple lines o'er the days? She went way too far!"
"That's just how hard Mom can get, ya'd know! She cares for ya-"
"Cares for me, that it?" Zal blurted out. "Then how the heck am I the only one to 'ave gotten all the slaps from her, and ya not an inch, eh?!"
Dastra blinked. "I- what, she slapped ya?"
"Bloody freak, she did! So many times! Those 'fresh wounds' ya saw that other day? Mom's marks o' courtesy."
The boy chewed his lower lip briefly. "Just how naughty 'ave ya been to deserve all that, Sis? Way it is, ya're probably just sayin' bad things o' Mom, 'cause ya don't really like her..."
"Dastra!"
"I... I'm sorry if Mom's been hard on ya, Sis Zal, I really am. Still... she's our mom, and just like with Vessy's lot, it may not be a good idea to be so rude to her. She's been workin' so hard to get us both 'ere, I'm sure. Mom's so like ya, I'll say, and I love both o' ya."
That gave the Little Viper pause. Her mom's 'hard work'... it was pretty much true that she, Azalea, never really bothered to check that quarter. Mira was presently a queen, sure, but what had she done to really deserve that? What could be her true aims?
"Tell ya what," Das resumed, gently caressing his true sister's cheek. "If ya still think Mom's so bad, we could pray that she'll get better..."
Zal groaned. "The very same option Lei's been suggestin', truth be told... and I been plannin' to get to know more o' these prayers. What, so ya too believe it might work on this occasion? For all their prayers, Mu and Rashid still ended up losin' two maids, mind ya..."
"But not their own lives! That's something, surely? And hey, we've seen how they'd been a lot calmer in handlin' that kinda loss; certainly not the kind ya'd most likely 'ave pulled off..."
"Huh. Now that ya said it..."
Once more the fiery Zal was metaphorically floored. The calmness bit was especially true: she had seen it at play in Isfir's shop. How Leia had managed to retain such composure in the face of her own tirade!
There must have been something more, deeper down, Zal surmised, than just her counterpart's graces; and in that moment, Das, the brother she genuinely cared for, seemed to be urging her to have a peek into whatever it could have been...
"S'pose I agree to what ya say, runt, and we are gonna pray for Mom," Zal said aloud, "we still don't know how."
"Vessy would! We could go to her again, and..."
"Nah; she's got more than 'nough for one day, I say we leave her be. Come dinner, I'll see her again I guess... but for now, I'm gonna check up on Mom."
"That's great! I'll-"
"Don't follow me!"
"I wanna! I wanna watch how Mom's response would be..."
"LISTEN! I'm the one she's wronged most often, li'l bro; I alone must come to her. She might get angry, things might turn damnably-ugly... and believe me, ya won't wanna be part o' that!"
"But-"
"Okay, look... ya wanna feel like ya got any part on how things are gonna turn out, yeah?"
Das blinked away welling tears. "Uh-huh..."
"Then pray for me, li'l bro. If this prayer thingy is as impactful as ya said... I shall survive that encounter."
Screw it all, I had survived Mom's wrath once; but 'pushing one's luck' is a thing, the Little Viper presently reflected. Only dumbasses would dare to do it, and yet... am I not a dumbass myself when it comes to holdin' back?
Why, Isfir of the garb shop might vouch for that. If he cares to.
"And..." the princeling could not resist a squeaking sob. "And if not..?"
This time Zal wiped his tears with both of her thumbs. "Know that I love ya always."
"Me... Me, too, Sis..."
***
The Lion Prince, in the meantime, was already beginning to ask around for the whereabouts of the current Grand Sheikh, Nouman. One of the courtiers that he ended up asking was a certain Aldeer.
It might be recalled that this particular courtier had also been the only one daring to voice his opposition in continuing to regard the young princes as targets for Mama Viper's future schemes, during one of her subterranean councils.
Even so, and following some private and rather intense soul-searching, Al figured that he was not yet prepared to start playing the other side of the road by tipping Yasnar off on the possible brewing scheme against his life. Suppose what Mira said about the current Prime Vazir having been a turncoat were true... Trying to rid children was one thing; having a go at traitors of such influence, quite another.
"You, sir!" Mustafa's voice, referring to him, presently brought this courtier back to reality.
"Ah- yes, excellency?"
"Do you happen to know where I might find the Grand Sheikh?"
"The... the Grand Sheikh, m'lord? Yes, I might help there, but... pray, why would you wish to see him, and today of all times? Like as not, he'd be too preoccupied with the cases at hand; on taxes, mostly."
Mu paused. "How do you mean, taxes? The Grand Sheikh attends more to religious matters, as far as I'm aware..."
"Ah, but welfare is an inseparable part of our religion, my prince."
"Sure, I've been taught that much; but still... why would some of the people wanna lodge complaints to the Grand Sheikh for whatever sums they are supposed to contribute to the state's finances? I do not follow."
"'Tis not the sums that's being put into question, but the religious feasibility; and for that, the Grand Sheikh is eminently suited. As we know, our gallant Pathfinder has made it a part of his policies to try to subjugate heathens, dissenters and unbelievers through so-called 'field-trips'. Those are going to need money, and to lay hands on that, taxes would need to be raised, on and on. More simply put, is it to be considered moral to think of further conquests when a good part of your people could not even afford their daily bread?"
The Lion Prince blinked. "I... didn't realize it was that bad out there."
"And we're fortunate the people's animosity has yet to reach unmanageable proportions as of late, sir; but, as I said, the Grand Sheikh has seen better days."
"But I gotta see him! This issue could be just as important..."
"Pray let me in on said issue, then, my prince, if you would; see if I couldn't help to ease your concerns somewhat."
Thus prompted, Mu recounted the heart-touching tale (to him at least) about his pair of dear and trusted maids, Vareena and Zahra, who ended up giving their lives so that his and Rashid's might still go on; and just now, the Lion Prince added, he had come to learn that Queen Mirani might well have been behind such a foul scheme!
Hearing up to this point, Aldeer sighed with sympathy. "My condolences, prince."
"Yeah, thanks... heard those often enough already. But more importantly, I was gonna ask the Grand Sheikh, just what manner of punishment would be fitting for such felony..."
"A life for a life... is what might come to fore for some people. But do think on this, prince: suppose that kind of creed is to be strictly applied, what then would become of your father, with his string of no-less-impressive military accomplishments over the years? Far as I can tell, through these exploits which no doubt involved so many losses of life, he'd founded a homeland for you and your lot to grow up in. Would you also have the heart to let such a man be the hangman's guest in his advancing years, I wonder?"
"I... That's different! He's a warrior-"
"Now I beseech you, think of that attempt again. Your maids gave their lives out of loyalty- most commendable. But have you noticed, since then, how there had not been any such attempts to date?"
"I don't suppose you would know how that come to be?"
"Oh, sir, but I would... for I'd helped bring that about."
"What... How?"
Aldeer smiled slightly. "During an audience with Queen Mira, she'd seriously considered a retry of that attempt, perhaps with different, ah... means, if not more assassins. After my string of pleas and injunctions, however, she agreed however reluctantly to tick you and your brother off her target list. Not without possible recriminations, naturally, but the truth is out and I can rest easier knowing that I had my part in sticking to it..."
"That is to say, I owe my life to you?"
"That's indeed one way to approach it, my prince; but come, let's not head that way. I spoke out for you not for favors, but so that I could better serve our queen by not letting her to indulge in her baser pleasures, killing off blameless young souls... and yet you had death in mind for her."
Mu gulped. "Well, I mean... Mira not wanting to come after us again with a vengeance does change things... but for how long?"
"I know not, sir; but in my humble opinion, the queen's willingness to abandon further crimes is a fine mark of goodwill."
"In that case... if she could be convinced to see truth, somehow... then maybe death's not so appropriate a punishment for her as I thought it'd be. Heck, she has kids too and they're gonna need her, much as I still need my mom... You've got a darn-good point, sir: going to the Grand Sheikh with that kinda argument would at best be a waste of his time, even for me."
Al inclined his own head. "My thoughts exactly, sir."
The Lion Prince huffed. "Well, that does it, then; I think I'm gonna wait and see how Lady Mira's goodwill is gonna develop... for now. In the meantime, guess it's time to head to the stables and have a peek at some real horses for a change!" There was new excitement in his voice. "Nice to meet you, Sir..?"
"Aldeer's the name, Prince Mustafa. I wish you a safe trip."
"Thanks again!"
***
Having spent some 'quality time' with her sibling just the other day, Leia now sought her own. This time around, with a pair of escorts at a respectable distance, the princess opted to invite herself to the royal stables. Once there, she took her time to gaze at the horses one after another, marveling at how they came in so many pigments: snow-white, coal-black, dust-brown...
There were even quite a few destriers with the colors of fine sand, said to have been imported from the Principality of Estreon--Queen Vestra's girlhood home and, as far as the Amir was concerned, a damnably-reliable trading partner. Only bands of pirates from the barren but strategically-located island of Sigista yet remained as a thorn in this otherwise-lucrative lane.
"Ho there!" someone called presently. "I'd thought it be the other princess. A day's so full of surprises, true 'nough."
As she turned to look, Lei found herself face to face with a smiling stable-hand--seemingly so tall to her--that was carrying two pails; one of carrots, the other of hay.
"Greetings," the princess returned, remembering her courtesies. "You are..?"
"Ronan's the name, excellency, at your service. Fourth months' worth o' work alongside these-" he paused to feed a carrot to a horse, "-mighty heralds o' victory."
"Victories are obtained only by Allah's Grace, sir."
"Dear me, what else would I have expected from the scion of our more pious queen... By all means, Princess, feel free to think so. But you'll pardon me for saying that these beasts shall have more tangible roles in 'em, I trust? We pray before every charge, of course! Prince Idris and your lord father would know that."
Lei smiled, pleased to have her viewpoint accommodated. "How many summers have you seen, Ronan?"
"Closer to sixteen, my lady."
"Sixteen," the princess repeated. "I often hear it said that by that age, one shall be eligible to be elevated onto positions of greater responsibility."
"Aye... but not me, I fear."
"How well would you have taken such opportunities, though?"
"Our Amirate lacks not for men of such ambitions, my lady. I'm but the son to a peasant, happy 'nough to serve however I can."
"Be that as it may-"
"Think of it like this," the stable-hand pointed out as he moved on to feed the next horse, prompting the princess to follow along. "An army beckons not only for men to fight astride horses; they'd also need men tending them--without whom the beasts would've been in poorer shape, and our famed cavalry charges would thus lose some of their force. The same force, mind ya, of which our Amir never ceases to gloat in bringing heathens in faraway lands to heel!" He shrugged. "Us stable-hands, we do know our place; you need not dry your eyes 'bout it."
"But the pay-!"
"Oh, pay's decent 'nough to live on, not gonna whine... But at times it boils down to bein' of use to one's country, excellency; simple as that." He stooped down, smiling, and only the gap in social standing--as well as the escorts that he noticed were still present--prevented him from actually patting her by the head. "Reach my age and you'll probably get it. Your brother had, I'd say."
She blinked. "Rashid?"
"Mustafa."
Leia blushed at this bit of indiscretion: this was the first time she'd ever heard someone, and a common stable-hand at that, refer to her eldest brother without his title! Such a brazen move, intended or not...
After some thought, however, she decided to let it slide for once. The merit of what was being said, to her, bore more weight than this simple slip of the tongue. Chances were, Ronan was just being in such good humor that particular day...
Her counterpart would not have overlooked that kind of slight so easily, Lei realized; as had been vividly proven at Isfir's garb shop.
Indiscretions aside, Lei was finding this particular stable-hand likeable enough to be a talking companion, so she decided to probe just a bit further.
"Earlier you mentioned that you expected my sister to have come here," she continued. "What do you say about her, Ronan?"
"Well, let's see. That one's got much lesser scruples with formalities, ain't no lie... A lingering pain in the backside, some of my fellows had considered her to be, in whispers of course; but what can I say, she's the sorta hero who prefers to be known in her own peculiar ways. In truth, we may have need o' more people like her, who are unafraid to utter truth whatever it should take."
Memories of how passionately Zal had pushed for the provision of better clothing to urchins occurred to Lei then, and she found it hard to disapprove.
"And... what say you of Akhi Mustafa?"
Here the stable-hand paused for a good while.
"Takes a damn-brave man to speak ill of him, not gonna lie," he conceded. "Seems to take after Prince Idris, that one; a leader in his own right, with the--what?--charm to match. Started to question some of us on which horse we might get to offer him when the time should come, he has."
Lei nodded. "I see. I think so too... Akhi's been our proverbial glue, but in due time--at sixteen, and unlike you--he shall be offered, as I said, a position of responsibility. Oh, what will happen to us here then, I dare not imagine..."
"Sounds simple 'nough to me," Ronan interjected. "You be the glue, Princess Leia."
This conjecture did surprise her. "I- What- I-I mean, I do like the sound of that, but... how?"
"Start by studying what ya'd like, I'd say... something that you're sure will benefit you in bringing n' keeping order to those 'round. Then give that a shot, and be consistent 'bout it."
"Oh my. For a stable-hand, that's quite the stuff..."
"Hey, I may look a stable-hand here, but I won't let that limit what I could study out there, and never will! Nor should you. Your very sex, beggin' pardons, makes it possible to go where we ought not, explore what we cannot. Use that to your advantage. Afford us--and our country at large--the chance to see you grow into the lady worth our esteem, on par with Princes Mustafa and Idris; good men both. May Allah keep our resolve strong and our faith pure."
The princess beamed as well, feeling her zeal soaring to new heights. "Amen!"
"Good gracious," a new voice joined them; Mustafa, with his own pair of escorts, was casually observing them with folded arms and a warm smile. "Ronan, was it? More insights like yours and this Amirate might well be expected to recognize new heights."
The stable-hand, with a slight smile of his own, inclined his head. "Fare you well, excellency."
"How..." Leia gasped. "How long have you been there, Akhi?"
"A while," came the reply. "Try not to look so surprised, Leia; you know I so love these neighing beasts... and those who've taken such good care of them, as it were. And before I forget," the Lion Prince winked, "you can count on me not to let Mom know of your, ah, advances with Ronan just now. Practice makes perfect, as they say~"
Lei blushed deeper still. "You saw nothing, okay?!"