The rains had just started. Amidst the downpour, the stealthy cover of the night envelloped the castle in a shade of midnight blue. Owls hooted atop apple trees and slithering snakes glided through the thick mesh of bushes. In the abandoned garden behind the palace, Adonis and Firdaus met for an important discussion.
Each had kept themselves cloaked in order to not be recognised. Their attire blended with the darkness of the night. Dried leaves were sewn into the cloth to make the camouflage better.
They were both hooded. In order to confirm if it was indeed Adonis, Firdaus said the code word. "Khorshed."
Came the reply, "Mah."
Thus the identities were established. The two lifted their hoods and revealed their faces.
"Was it necessary to kill him?" Firdaus asked.
The youngest melophoroi gave him a look of disgust. He scrunched his nose and clenched his teeth. "I can't believe that you are speaking like a coward. You are the second melophoroi, with more experience and respect than me."
Firdaus clicked his tongue. "You don't understand. He was one of them."
"You had trained me enough to ensure I would be brave to face a day like this. I wasn't so courageous and bloodthirsty! I was a broken lad from the streets. I was defensive and afraid. You made me keep faith in myself and the Shah. Or else"–Adonis massaged the bridge of his nose–"so many folk had lost hope on the Shah."
Firdaus shut his eyes. "So it was right, you say, to kill Caspar?"
"It was. I admit it is a consequence of my own mistake. I had spoken too much about our plans while being drunk. And he heard it all." Adonis gritted his teeth and glared at the stars. "That pea-brain was jumping to tell everything to Parmenion. I realised then and there what a grave mistake I had committed." Adonis hovered above the selection of words
"Only choice left was to kill him."
"The Shah thinks we killed a well-wisher. He doesn't know we uprooted a thorn."
"The Shah is stuck in such an intricate web of lies and deceit."
"Sometimes I feel if everything is destined and we are mere pawns in the game," Firdaus mused. "I never knew I was going to be siding with the Shah and secretly protect him. But here I am, doing what is necessary to keep the candle of his life burning bright."
"Heartbreak has its own way of healing and redeeming."
Firdaus closed his wet eyes and recalled the smiling face of Khushboo. He could still feel her rosy smell waft to his nose. It was guarded well in his memory. "I was helping Parmenion do his nasty deeds. Never did I know that my own beloved would be asked to marry the Shah. Parmenion knew something was going on between me and Khusboo but he never tried to stop the marriage." Firdaus stiffened at the roar of the stormy rain. "He thought he was testing me."
"And you had no other way but to let that happen."
"I was powerless, Adonis. I was still not the man I am today. I had to gulp down the death of Khusboo and act like I had moved on." Firdaus felt his tears mix with the raindrops. "Parmenion believes we are all his slaves, that we are staying with him like dogs with protruding tongues, saliva dripping in the sight of wealth and fame. But what are those luxuries when weighted against sins? They will crumble you."
"Every of his moves have been a sheer expression of mastery. But we aren't fools either."
"There's one thing which we still don't know, Adonis. Why does Parmenion think killing them all would actually make the Shah abdicate the throne? I mean, as an attempt to weaken the mind, yes, but the Shah doesn't seem to budge from his position."
A shuffling noise was heard. The men got alert and lowered their voices.
"The Shah was on the verge of finalising his belief on the fact that he was cursed had not Shahrazad come," Adonis said.
Firdaus chuckled. "There's something about that man that interests everyone. I guess we all are infatuated about different sides of him."
"He is–"
Adonis paused. His hand immediately reached for the sword in his belt. Firdaus heard a faint feminine scream. He ran towards the direction of the sound. Adonis followed in tiptoes. His eyes widened when he saw whom Firdaus was dragging.
"Dunyazad? That sister of him?" Adonis gaped.
Dunyazad had got her foot cut on a sharp twig. Blood drizzled away with the trail of rain. She yanked away her arm from Firdaus' grip. Her eyes glowed with rage and she stomped her uninjured foot. "I am going to tell the Shah everything."
Firdaus lowered his tone to a menacing whisper that rivalled the intensity of the lightning. "That is not a wise solution to the problem, Dunyazad. The devil is smarter than we can comprehend."
"Damn the devil. I know the truth now. I know who was behind all these murders."
"Please keep your mouth shut, sister," Adonis hissed. "We are as concerned about the Shah and his consort as you are. And we are more capable than you in handling this mess."
"Exactly," Firdaus said. "So be quiet."
However, Dunyazad wasn't in her sane mind. She, being overly protective of her brother, thought it was her duty to inform him about the truth.
"Firdaus, I understand you all mean no harm, but–"
Firdaus put his hand over her mouth. He pulled out a spare piece of rag and gagged her. Then, taking her over his shoulder, he headed for the dungeons. Adonis followed him too, a little clueless about what was happening. But soon the young melophoroi understood the urgency of the situation. Creeping out of the shadows came a third intruder, and now with hasty steps that man stood in front of them.
"Where are you taking her?"
"To the dungeons."
"Why?"
"She heard too much!"
Parmenion eyed Firdaus with suspicion. Firdaus kept his eye contact stable and didn't let even a muscle on his face twitch.
Parmenion heaved a sigh. "Put her in the dungeon. And yes, that bloody Shahamsar-am now has got the hint of it all, as you all may understand. He may take a step any time."
"And we shouldn't underestimate our enemy," Adonis said, tasting the ironical depth of his own words.
"Yes." Parmenion rubbed his chin. "And I am thinking about what to do. Meet me tomorrow at dawn."
"Yes," Firdaus and Adonis said in unison. Parmenion fetched the keys to the dungeon and then let Firdaus handle the situation while he went away to his room. Firdaus put Dunyazad in a cell and locked her up.
"Adonis will be here to keep a watch. Know that this was for your own welfare. Had we not done this–"
"–I would have been possibly killed. I get it."
"Good girl." Firdaus handed over the keys to Adonis. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
Adonis smirked. "Probably the last day for many of us."
****
Shahryar had curled up into a ball. Shahrazad hugged him close. The storm had only increased. Outside even the trees couldn't be seen. The onyx darkness blinded the couple.
Shahrazad's heartbeats increased as he looked at the window. It was as black as coal. Some ominous call had begun its song. Nature draped their world in sinister signs. Shahryar shivered in his embrace like a child left alone in a wintry night.
"Do not worry," Shahrazad said. "I have a plan."
"I want to flee, Shah. I want to flee!" Shahryar clutched his head and ducked down. As much as Shahrazad wanted to savour that name 'Shah' from his lips, as much as he wanted to enjoy the moment where the Shah himself called him Shah, he couldn't bring himself to it.
"I got you after so many years and I do not want to lose either of us to this madness," Shahryar croaked. "You know what hurts more? The ones I considered my own betrayed me."
Shahryar couldn't close his eyes. Whenever he did the face of Nafisa floated in the obsidian canvas. Her face was pale and yellow with fear. Tears streamed down her eyes. Her pleas of help rang in his ears. He moaned, crying in Shahrazad's lap to release the pent up pain.
"I had not believed Nafisa. I had killed her. I am to be blamed."
Shahrazad couldn't let him break and lose all hope at this moment. "You cannot cry over the past."
"I cannot bring the dead back and ask for forgiveness."
"She is still there, in this very palace. And she wants your good."
Shahryar wiped his eyes. "She wants my good? She is too pure, too pure! I killed an innocent woman. I tarnished her family and reputation. I am to be punished!"
Shahrazad held him by the shoulder and jerked him. "You have already suffered a lot. Do not fall deeper into despair. It is not going to help us. If you are really guilty and want to redeem, go along with my plan. Keep your faith in me."
Shahryar cupped his face. For some moments he traced Shahrazad's jawline, felt the softness of his skin, his fluttering eyelashes and the scarlet plump lips. "You are perfect not just in beauty but in wisdom too."
"Though I might not present the same aura of intelligence. I know I can be a little too much."
"I will miss those, Shah."
Shahrazad's eyes bulged out of their sockets. He pulled Shahryar by his collar. "You coward! You won't die. You won't. You have just begun calling me Shah. You have to keep the promise of love."
"Indeed, now I know whom father was searching. The boy in his dreams whom Mah had blessed was you. You are the true king of Persia. Maybe somewhere he had felt that, that's why he worked hard to keep you safe."
Shahrazad didn't know if he would live to see the prophecy fulfill. He didn't care at this point. All he wanted was the safety of his family and his beloved. "Mother had had the same dream and she shared it with Baba. And Baba kept it safe in his heart."
"I don't know what is going to happen next." Shahryar whimpered. "I-I just hope we get to spend some more time with each other. This night shouldn't be all that we have."
Shahryar pulled him to his chest. He caressed his head, calming down his sobs. The thunder cracked the sky into halves, tearing apart every barrier Shahrazad had built too. Again, he felt his eyes soak with the blood of his soul. "This is not our last. This is not."
This can't be.
Shahrazad took a deep breath. "Now listen to me, Shahryar."
"What do I need to do?"
Shahrazad took a deep breath. "Abdicate the throne."