Ja'far sat in his office surrounded by paper work frustrated that Sinbad had once again disappeared leaving him to do the work on his own. He'd been so used to Sinbad disappearing that it had just become second nature to him. He didn't have the energy to go chasing after the king. Ja'far looked up from his work suddenly feeling a figure looming in the doorway. His eyes landed on a small child hiding her face under a large hood. He stared at the child blankly for a moment. What was she doing here he wondered. As he stood up to go to the child Sinbad plucked her up setting her on his shoulder.
"This is my daughter" he told Ja'far enthusiastically pulling back the girls hood. Short light purple hair stuck up from every direction.
"Your daughter!" Ja'far yelled coming forward smoothing down the girls hair. She peaked up at Ja'far her eyes identical to Sinbad's. "Where did she come from," Ja'far pondered taking the small child from Sinbad.
"Her mother. She dropped her in my lap and told me she was my problem. Poor girl" Ja'far looked down at the purple haired girl gripping at his robes and hiding her face in his chest.
"What's her name" he asked Sinbad holding the girls head lightly
"Mommy never gave me a name," the girl squeaked softly her face red. "She always called me a burden and a waist of space." Ja'far looked down at the girl his mouth agape. How could a mother be so cruel? Was it the fact that the child looked like Sinbad that made her hate and abandon the child. Ja'far had warned Sinbad that something like this would happen.
"We'll call you Sinbad junior," Sinbad said ruffling the girl's hair. She looked up at him her eyes blank. Sinbad smiled at the girl's the expression on her face reminding him of Ja'far when he was younger.
"That's not a girl's name," Ja'far yelled lowering his tone when the girl flinched in his arms. "Can you please not torture this child any further?"
"Sindra," Sinbad told Ja'far with a huge grin on his face. Ja'far sighed.
"You're not very creative are you?" Ja'far looked down at the girl, her tattered clothes just barely hanging onto her sunburnt skin.
"I'm going to get her cleaned up and looking like a proper princess."
"You're going to girl her up on me? Why are you so cruel" Ja'far gave Sinbad a hard look
"Coming from the man who wanted to name a girl Sinbad junior" Ja'far walked away from Sinbad trying not to jostle the clearly abused child.
"Don't worry," he said softly smoothing out her tangled hair. "Sinbad will take good care of you. He did with me" The girl looked up at him her eyes lifeless. He frowned down at her. He didn't enjoy that look in those eyes. They we too close to Sinbad's eyes and he never wanted to see his eyes look like this.
"Pisti" Ja'far yelled catching a glimpse of the girl. She looked at him and smiled before giving a strange look at the girl in his arms.
"Can you please help me and get the girl cleaned up? I think she would just be more comfortable with a woman." she smiled at him and took the girl from his arms. The small purple hair girl held onto his robes catching him off guard. He smiled at her before pulling his arm back.
"I'll wait for you right outside the room." she nodded and went with Pisti.
After about an hour Pisti lead the little girl out of the room. Ja'far smiled at the girl wearing a little white dress with purple trimming and flowers in her hair.
"It was far too hard to get this girl in the bath." She looked at Ja'far very seriously. "She's covered in bruises be careful with her." Ja'far nodded taking the girls hand in his own. His large hand covered her smaller beaten one. She didn't look up at him as they walked down the hall. He couldn't understand why her mother kept her hair short when it was so pretty. When he thought about it the woman must have hated Sinbad so much that she refused to ever see long purple hair ever again. Ja'far could understand that. Get knocked up by a man who uses you as a one night stand. That could make anyone bitter.
But why take it out on the child? It wasn't her fault that she was born, but she was his seed. Ja'far sighed looking away from the little girl holding her hand tighter. It was unfair. He wanted to find this woman and make her pay for hurting an innocent child. Even if it was Sinbad's child, she didn't disserve to be treated this way. Ja'far pushed the doors to the throne room open ignoring the improper way Sinbad was sitting. Sinbad's eyes lit up when he looked at the little girl.
"Hello Sindra," He said beaming striding over to her picking the small girl up. She gave him a slightly terrified look. She wasn't used to people embracing her like this and it scared her to no end.
"Sin, if we're going to name her shouldn't she have a say in the name. Especially at this age?" Sinbad looked at Ja'far with a blank expression before looking at the girl. He set her down gently.
"What do you want to be called," Sinbad asked her softly pushing a short tuft of hair out of her face. She looked away from Sinbad looking back at Ja'far. He smiled at her hoping she'd choose a more suitable name.
"I like whatever Sinbad likes," She whispered looking down at her feet. Sinbad smiled at her. Ja'far sighed loudly irritated by Sinbad's influence. He had not known this girl for more than a few hours and already he was getting her to do stupid things.
"That is hardly a suitable name for a Princess," He muttered pressing his hand to his forehead. His mind was screaming at him.
"Does Ja'far not like it," Ja'far's head snapped upright at the girl's soft voice. Her downcast face made Ja'far's heart drop.
"I love it. Sindra's a beautiful name," He smiled at her cursing Sinbad out in his head. Ja'far shook his head walking away. He had work to do, Sinbad could watch the child.
Ja'far sat in his office ignoring the work in front of him. The thought of that woman laying a hand on the child. It made his blood run cold. He tapped his fingernails on his desk the clicking sound the only thing keeping him sane. It was all Sinbad's fault that this had to happen to that poor child. Sleeping with random women constantly. He balled his hands into fits. It was a good thing that woman left the child here because if she hadn't….
Ja'far paused looking down at his hand, blood dripping from it. He hadn't realized that he had done that. He shook his head. There was no point in getting angry at nothing. He had to be here for Sinbad for the country and for poor little Sindra. He hadn't expected his day to start off with a little girl standing in his doorway. He pushed himself away from his desk he was too flustered to get any work done right now and he was beginning to worry about Sinbad alone with that girl. Ja'far was sure Sinbad didn't even know how to handle children.
Ja'far froze when he peaked in on Sinbad and his daughter. She had a wooden sword in her hand and Sinbad was teaching her to stand properly. Oh sure, he can do that right, Ja'far thought watching the scene play out before him. The girl smiled up at Sinbad as he taught her how to block an attack and when the moment was right to strike someone. As much as he enjoyed seeing the smile on his face he knew this wasn't the time to be teaching her such things.
"Sinbad what are you doing?"
"Teaching her swordplay."
"She is a princess. She is a female. It would be nice if you would step out of your delusional mind and acknowledge the fact that there is a difference between genders."
"If she is going to be the queen of this country, then she needs to know how to defend herself, right? Who said a girl couldn't be good at combat. Just look at Pisti and Yamraiha and how strong they are. Would it make you feel better if we taught her magic or something?"
"She's 5 years old Sin. She just got away from an abusive mother. Have you not seen the bruises that cover her skin? Do you really think it's appropriate to teach her sword play at a time like this?"
"Think about it. She will become more confident if she has a means to protect herself from harm like that in the future, even if it is with a wooden sword."
"Whatever, we need to get some food in her. She's far too skinny, she won't have any strength to fight off anyone if she doesn't eat" Sindra looked down at her stomach putting her hands over her it blushing. She followed close behind Ja'far sitting next to him unable to keep her mouth from watering at the smell of food. She held her hands in her lap unsure if it was okay for her to take food. Ja'far smiled at her handing her a piece of bread.
"Eat, it'll make you feel better." Sinbad sat down next to his daughter shaking his head at Ja'far.
"I'd like you to not make my daughter fat Ja'far." Ja'far shot him a dirty look puffing out his cheeks refusing to respond to him. Ja'far looked down at the little girl smiling at the freckles that decorated her face. He hadn't noticed them before. The dirt that had caked her face covered them up. Ja'far looked up at Sinbad.
"Did you sleep with a woman who was the spitting image of me?" Ja'far asked jokingly giving him a disapproving glance when he saw the ashamed look on Sinbad's face.
"She didn't look exactly like you. She had blonde hair."
"You're sick," Ja'far spat at him shoving food into his mouth. He swallowed still annoyed at Sinbad "Of all the women you have to impregnate, it's the one that looks like me. Of course, it couldn't be a normal woman could it?" Ja'far looked down at the little girl unaware that his sharp tongue had brought tears to her eyes.
"Why doesn't anyone want me," She sobbed moving her hands across her face wetting her cheeks with her tears. Ja'far grabbed her holding her in his lap. She tried to pull away from him only making him pull her closer.
"We do want you. None of this is your fault. Everything is a result of your father's irresponsibility. Eat some food and cheer up." She pushed away from him shaking her head. She didn't want to hear his lies. She moved away from Ja'far sitting on her father's lap with her back toward him. Ja'far reached out weakly only to place his hand on his lap. What was he to say to her? Ja'far looked away from the girl, there was nothing he could do at the moment.