"What kind of animal is that?" asked Rim, the edge of the water brushing against his toes, his palms digging into the dirt behind him to keep him sitting upright comfortably.
The night was calm, the sky unbelievably dark but illuminated by a full moon which reflected beautifully off of the water's surface. The lights from the town behind them were dimming, and soon it would be time for Rim to head back.
Hafa swam closer to the young human, his blowhole producing a spout of clear water that Rim had to playfully dodge. There was no real need for his current form to have a blowhole, but he found it to be quite fun to use.
"A dolphin," Hafa said simply, swimming farther away again and disappearing below the surface of the water. Rim giggled, and waited for Hafa to reappear before speaking again.
"What kind of animal is a dolphin? Does it really exist?" he asked the marid. Hafa swam around beautifully for a moment longer before answering.
"It is an animal that loves the water," he said distantly. The voice of a marid was a sultry mixture of light and smoke, drifting and languid and strange to the human ear, but Rim had grown used to it.
"Is that why you chose its form? Because it loves the water as much as you do?"
Hafa didn't answer, and once again dove down into the clear water, taking longer than usual to resurface. Rim watched him all the same, humming to himself and bringing his knees to his chest, hugging them.
"Is this your true form, then? I mean, is this what you really look like?" Rim continued curiously, as soon as he saw Hafa break the surface of the water. The first time he had seen Hafa he had been a blue crab, but almost ever since their first meeting Hafa had taken on this form instead.
"No." Hafa replied, glancing at the human as he swam on his side, one fin treading water gently. "We have no true form. We are not bound by physical confines. To be constricted to only one physical form is a mortal concept that I do not understand. Or envy," he said, and Rim rested his chin on his arms, grinning.
"I think that would be so fun to change form. Do you know what a shark is?"
"Yes," Hafa answered simply, splashing his tail. "There are shark infested waters just off the coast. I see them often."
"Really?" Rim chimed excitedly, his smile widening. "I used to hear stories about them. I would want to be a shark, tearing through the ocean, leaving everything behind, taking what I need with no one to stop me… And getting to swim with you! Aaahh, that sounds so amazing!"
Hafa's blue eyes fixed themselves on Rim as he spoke. He couldn't understand wanting to 'leave everything behind', or do anything other than enjoy what the water had to offer. But he knew that he liked these times with Rim the best, even if he didn't show it. And he knew that soon Rim would have to go back to the village, even though Rim never wanted to go back. It wasn't his home.
Although Hafa couldn't know what that felt like, he knew that if he were ever to be separated from the water, it would be the most terrible feeling in the world.
.
.
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"Ahn, haah, Prince R-Rim… I… Soon, I'll…"
Aini leaned back into the waves of satin sheets, tossing his head back with a strangled moan. Rim grunted and slid his hands over Aini's pale inner thighs, spreading his legs wider to grant him better access.
The Prince's mouth slid slowly and teasingly along Aini's modest length, tongue working independently and licking up the shaft with agonizing care. His tongue flicked at the head and foreskin before gently taking the sensitive skin between his startlingly sharp teeth and nibbling. As Aini wailed in pleasure, Rim took the entire length into his mouth again, plunging it so far down he could feel it pressing into the back of his throat, and then he pulled his mouth away with an alluring wet popping sound.
Trembling and on the brink of orgasm, Aini stared at Rim through half-lidded eyes, his mouth open and producing incoherent noises. "Pl-please…" the boy pleaded mindlessly, his gaze trailing to Rim's crotch and focusing on the obvious hardness beneath the layers of expensive cloth.
Wordlessly, Rim stood up and untied the black sash at his hip, allowing the cloth to fall, his pants following suit. He stepped out of the pool of clothing at his feet and leaned his knees on the bed, positioning himself over Aini, his cock touching the smaller male's, causing him to intake breath sharply.
Rim reached down and wrapped his hand around both of their lengths, pressing them together, his hand slick from saliva and precum. He began to pump them both at once, and Aini cried out and arched his back, his hands flying to Rim's upper arms and holding him tightly. Rim's mouth opened and he sighed in satisfaction, his crimson eyes falling closed and working on creating a rhythm as he stroked them both in time.
Aini couldn't hold out any longer, and with a cry he came, his release loud and messy, as it usually was. Rim grunted and continued to stroke their cocks together roughly, focusing on the feeling of Aini's organ twitching and expelling the remainder of its seed; it wasn't long before Rim followed suit, his own cock shooting thick ropes of semen onto Aini's heaving stomach and chest. He groaned loudly as if in pain, and then fell forward on top of the smaller male, his breathing ragged.
"Aini…" he whispered softly into Aini's collarbone, and the silver-haired boy smiled and closed his eyes, always happy to hear his name coming from the Prince with such a fond inflection. It didn't happen often anymore, usually only during the heat of sex or in the afterglow.
Predictably, Rim pushed himself up and off of the bed, turning away from Aini and pulling his clothes back on. He walked to the table nearby and tossed a clean cloth at Aini, who had managed to sit up on the bed.
"You may go. Clean yourself up first." he said coldly, and Aini bit on his bottom lip, wiping off his chest and stomach obediently. He dressed himself shakily, the orgasm having left his body numb and hard to maneuver.
"I will tell the servants to prepare a bath for you. Have a pleasant evening, Prince Rim." he called from the door, but Rim said nothing. As Aini closed the door behind him, he could faintly make out the familiar cloud of smoke forming just behind Rim's back.
Aini's footsteps echoed throughout the hallway, dissolving into curved architecture and high sloped ceilings. The floor was smooth and reflected everything, chiefly the torches that burned on the walls that illuminated several stone fountains filled with clear, flawless water. The footsteps ceased, and Aini fixed his eyes on the water in one of the fountains. He felt more worried than usual today.
He wasn't sure how long he had been standing there in a fog, but soon another set of footsteps marked the arrival of someone approaching from behind. Aini snapped out of his thoughts and resumed walking, worried that it was one of the palace guards who enjoyed giving the Prince's only male concubine a difficult time whenever the chance presented itself.
"Aini, wait!" came a familiar female voice, and Aini stopped, turning with a smile.
"Princess Ghazi. Good evening." he offered as Ghazi came near, her lovely and complimentary outfit jingling and swishing as she hurried to him. Aini was one of two people the Princess allowed to call by her regrettably masculine first name instead of the name she preferred. They had been friends since they were very small, so it was one of the perks, Aini supposed.
Ghazi swept some crimson hair away from her eyes and smiled brightly at him. "I've been looking everywhere for you! Where were you?" the Prince's sister asked, slightly out of breath.
Aini noticeably flushed, and Ghazi took note of his rather disheveled appearance. She brought a knuckle to her lips and stifled an embarrassed giggle. "Oh… I see." she said cheekily, and Aini crossed his arms, glancing away and fixing his eyes on one of the many fountains.
Ghazi's expression softened. "How is he?" he asked softly, dropping her hands to her sides. "Any better?"
Aini frowned thoughtfully, meeting Ghazi's eyes with concern. "No. To be honest, I'm surprised he spoke to me at all… He's just getting worse and worse," he said, lowering his voice to ensure his opinion stayed between them. Part of him felt terrible… No matter how worried he was for the young Prince, he knew that Ghazi had much more reason than he to be concerned.
"I thought as much…" She sighed heavily. "I don't think my brother is telling me everything there is to know about what's going on outside the walls," Ghazi continued, biting absently at her thumbnail in thought. "Every time I ask him anything, he gets so defensive and angry. I tried to talk to him yesterday about how much water is being moved into the city, and he practically forbid me to talk about it."
Rubbing his arm awkwardly, Aini glanced once again to the water in the fountains. In the palace, water was everywhere. No one seemed to know where the water was coming from, and there was plenty of talk of Gods and demons and genies between the palace staff to explain away the phenomenon. Aini wasn't sure what to believe, but he knew that the amount of water they had at their disposal in the palace was more than enough for the entire city to live comfortably for years and years.
And yet, hardly any water was ever seen leaving.
"You told me a while ago that you thought Rim was afflicted by something," Ghazi said, surfacing Aini from his thoughts. "Do you still believe that to be true?"
Aini frowned in thought. Ghazi had never been much for talk of curses and magic, but Aini had always been inclined to pay mind to those sorts of stories. He was rather sensitive to things that others couldn't see or didn't want to see, which had always led him to be more open-minded.
He nodded resolutely. "I do," he said, and Ghazi sighed once again. She placed a hand to her cheek, tucking her elbow in her other hand.
"I heard my brother talking to someone the other day. When I walked into the room, he was speaking to someone so angrily, and they were talking back to him in a strange voice I couldn't understand. But when I made my presence known, there was no one in the room with him. My brother was alone." she said worriedly. Aini chewed on his bottom lip, remembering the smokey presence he had seen before he had left Rim's private quarters.
"I don't see what we can do for him," Aini said, focusing hard on the ground. "If he won't even listen to his own sister, there's little hope for the rest of us." He hadn't meant to sound so bitter about it. Ghazi seemed to understand, though, and put a comforting hand on Aini's arm.
"He's not himself," she said softly, with a reproachful smile. "You know how much he cares about you, right?"
Aini offered Ghazi a smile in return and nodded. Lately, it had been a habit of his to try and remember the Rim he knew years ago- the Rim that smiled- whenever he was feeling disheartened. It worked to quell his worries, but only slightly.
"Don't worry about me. Anyway, why were you looking for me in the first place? To ask about Prince Rim?" Aini asked the Princess curiously, and Ghazi cast a look around them.
"That was part of it," she said, her voice hushed, "but I wanted to talk to you about something else, too." She shuffled a bit closer to Aini, and he inched his face closer to hers.
"What is it?"
"I'm planning to go along with the guards tomorrow, to see how much water is being moved into the city for myself." she said seriously.
Aini paled. "Wh-What? Ghazi, you can't, you know that Rim won't allow it-"
"I'll be in disguise! They'll never know it's me!" Ghazi declared deviously. Aini pointedly eyed her up and down, and the action must have been enough to get the meaning across. "I'll be dressed as a merchant, of course!" she said hotly, her face flushing crimson. "But I was wondering if you could help cover for me while I'm gone... You know, just in case Rim is wondering where I am."
"And what exactly am I supposed to tell him?" Aini asked exasperatingly.
"Anything! I'm sure you can come up with-"
The sound of wooden shoes clicking on smooth, stone floor behind them caused both Princess and concubine to start badly, and they immediately ceased talking.
It was Siraj al Din Ibn-Mouhsina, Grand Vizier to the Prince, an impressive man with fiery red hair and a hard-to-read disposition. As he passed them, he flashed them a charming smile and a respectful nod; his gaze wandered to Ghazi only long enough for her to be almost certain that he had heard them. In an instant, he was gone, his robes flowing impressively behind him as he disappeared down the hall.
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.
.
"Haru! Haru, can you hear me?"
It always felt like being pulled very forcibly from deep beneath the ocean currents. It wasn't altogether an unpleasant feeling, but it certainly didn't feel good, either. The process of a mortal body spurring back to life was in of itself an abomination of nature, so it only stood to reason that it should be rather uncomfortable. Lungs suddenly contracted and filled up with air, and blood rushed from the previously unmoving heart to spread through the veins and burn like wildfire. It was an acquired taste, a flavor that unfortunately Hafa had grown used to over time.
"Haru!"
Hafa's eyes slowly opened, his pupils trying hard to adjust to the darkness that surrounded him on all sides. For a short moment he thought maybe he had gone blind, until he saw a dim light being moved over toward his face, and he could just make out Makarim's unmistakable broad shoulders, the light from a lantern illuminating the man's worried face.
Groaning weakly, Hafa squinted through the darkness at the man.
"Thank the Gods! You're actually alive. With this much blood lost, I didn't think you possibly could be… You're really something, aren't you?" Makarim said with a relieved chuckle, kneeling down close to the other man.
Hafa pushed himself up and winced; his hand slid to his stomach, but there was no longer any wound. He could still feel it, a phantom pain, the cold steel cutting him through. He pulled his hand away and looked at it hard through the darkness, surprised to see no traces of blood.
"I cleaned you up as best I could," Makarim said worriedly, watching Hafa closely. "There was so much blood… What happened?"
The marid didn't answer right away, sweeping his gaze to stare directly into Makarim's eyes for an uneasy amount of time.
"I was killed, I suppose," he answered stoically, looking around. He didn't recognize his surroundings. He had his back resting against a warm stone wall, and the two men were currently positioned behind a large wooden wagon filled with hay. They looked to be in a back alley somewhere, and night had fallen over the city, the star-littered sky visible directly above them through the gap between the buildings.
"Killed? Well, there was certainly enough blood for that to be true." Makarim tilted his head at Hafa curiously. "Are you unable to die? Is that part of the curse, or is that your power as a djinn?"
Hafa was still staring at his hand. "Why are you here?" he asked quietly. Makarim set down his lantern and sat himself on the ground near the raven-haired marid.
"I went looking for you. After you left, I closed down the shop and headed for the palace, since I figured you would be heading that way. I probably wouldn't have found you at all if I hadn't heard a group of people talking about a palace guard executing a nameless traveler." he said, propping his knees up and resting his arms on them.
"No," Hafa said firmly, shaking his head. "Why are you here? Why did you come looking for me? I don't understand."
Makarim regarded Hafa for a long moment with an expression of surprise. He chuckled and smiled warmly, causing the pit of Hafa's stomach to blossom with warmth for reasons he couldn't identify.
"I don't think I really understand, either. I just wanted to be sure you were okay. But I guess I was worrying too much," he said.
Unsure of what to say in reply, Hafa fell silent and again looked at his hand, his fingers curling inward and pressing hard into his palm. Humans were so confusing. Before he had been cursed into a mortal form, he had been wise to stay clear of humans whenever possible. They were greedy and manipulative, always trying to lure him with honeyed words and pitiful stories of their suffering that would have had anyone else sobbing before they'd even finished their tale.
But all they wanted from him was power, or riches, or the swift death of their enemies. Wishes. That's what is always came down to. He had only made the mistake of trusting a human once, and he was still paying for his glaring naivety in spades.
All of that considered, Hafa couldn't understand what it was that Makarim wanted from him. The man couldn't have known with any certainty that he was a creature born of magick when he'd picked him up from the sands, and even after having it more or less confirmed, he had done nothing to trap him. In the storage basement of his shop, he could have easily subdued him; in his weakened mortal form, it wouldn't have been terribly difficult. But he had given him water and a safe place to rest. He had let him leave unmolested. And now, he was braving the city to make sure he was okay.
What was it all for?
"I should thank you again," Hafa said evenly, finding it harder than usual to make eye-contact. "I'm causing you a lot of trouble."
"No trouble," Makarim said, picking up his lantern and standing up, offering his hand to Hafa. "It isn't every day that someone like you appears in our midst. I'm finding it all incredibly interesting."
Hafa eyed the out-stretched hand before taking it in his own and allowing Makarim to help him to his feet. His joints and muscles were still aching from the after-effects of reanimation, having been rudely pulled from their state of rigor mortis and forced to function.
He was only unsteady for a moment before mastering himself, and his vivid blue eyes swept their immediate area. "How far is the palace from here?" Hafa asked, and Makarim's mouth fell open.
"You can't still be serious about going there…?"
"I am," Hafa replied coolly.
Makarim brought a hand to his forehead and sighed. "There's no stopping you, is there?" he asked, to which Hafa did not reply. Another short silence followed, and Makarim groaned.
"Alright… Let's go, then. We'll have to make a stop on the way, though… I don't know if you need to sleep, but I've barely laid my head down tonight."
Hafa stared at Makarim so blankly that the taller man had to laugh. "I just worry when you run off on your own, so I may as well come along. I know the city better than almost anyone, and I have a feeling I could explain your way out of trouble a lot more effectively than you could. I might even be able to save you the trouble of getting killed. Again." Makarim said, bending to pick up a satchel filled with the various cleaning and medical supplies he had used on Hafa.
Hafa's gaze was unwavering. "I'll most likely be breaking in. You could be arrested, or worse."
Makarim grinned and walked past Hafa into a neighboring alleyway, motioning for Hafa to follow him. "I'm more resourceful than I appear. Now come on, I know a place nearby where we can get some rest before heading for the palace." he said, Hafa walking after him stiffly as if his legs were compelled to do so.
He still wasn't sure why the human was so eager to help him, but for some reason, Hafa wasn't inclined to deny him.
.
.
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Footsteps echoed ominously from behind, and Najiya pushed on, feeling sweat at his brow and a pain in his ankle. He tossed a glance over his shoulder and saw two of the guards emerging into the alley; just as quickly, Najiya tore around another corner, cursing under his breath.
Just after Najiya had helped the old man home, he had gone looking for Haru, but found no trace of him anywhere. He had looked for him until night had fallen, and had finally succumbed to sleep when it became too dark to search any longer.
Najiya had known that interfering with the situation hadn't been a good idea from the start, but he hadn't imagined the soldiers would be this persistent to find him. One of them had caught sight of him in the marketplace in the early morning, and Najiya wasn't sure how much time had passed since then, but he had been running and hiding ever since. It was getting exhausting.
He hoped Haru had fared better than he.
As he turned another tight corner, Najiya's ankle finally failed him and he tripped, falling headlong into a wall. He hissed in pain and held his head as his vision spun out of control; he blindly felt for the offending wall and staggered to his feet. When he gained control of his vision, he saw that he was surrounded on all sides by four sneering palace guards.
"Oh… Hello," Najiya offered with an impish smile, his breathing still ragged.
"Why've you been running, blondie?" asked one of the guards, stepping closer to Najiya. With his back to the wall, Najiya couldn't back away any further.
"Well, you were kind of chasing me," Najiya pointed out, shrugging casually, "so it seemed like the best thing to do."
"He's a cheeky one, this," commented one of the guards with a laugh. "Yeah," said another, getting uncomfortably close, so close that Najiya could smell the stink on him, "he is, isn't he? I heard we were supposed to arrest him for disturbing the peace yesterday along with that other brat."
"The asshole that was executed, you mean?" another guard said mockingly, to which the first guard chuckled, leaning his arm on the wall above Najiya's head and pulling his face close to the blonde's. "Yeah, that one. I hope he wasn't a friend of yours, sweet-pea."
Najiya's eyes were wide. Something like that couldn't be true, could it? Everyone knew that the guards that came from the palace could be cruel, but executing a man without any sort of trial? Najiya's expression turned fierce, and he advanced on the man in front of him, unsure of what exactly he would be capable of doing but wanting to do something. He was easily grabbed by the other men and held firmly, although he did not cease struggling.
"You're lying! Why would you-? How could you!"
"Fuck, he's a fighter, too!" a guard laughed, and the first guard pressed a hand to Najiya's cheek in an uncomfortably gentle way, caressing him. "You know, I think this one is too pretty for prison. I say we take care of him in our own way. What do you say, blondie? No prison time, and we'll even throw in some water for you. It's a good deal. Although your knees might get a little sore..."
Najiya promptly spat in the man's face, and in reply received a sharp blow to his abdomen, dropping him to his knees with a groan. The guard wiped his face on his sleeve and scoffed. "Fortunately for you," he sneered, "I like them feisty."
"What's going on here?" came a sudden commanding voice, accompanied by the sound of footsteps coming from one end of the alley. Najiya was in too much immediate pain to move or look up, so he remained focused on keeping what little food he'd managed to eat that day in his stomach.
"Officer Reem!" There was a shuffling of footsteps, as if the guards were all scrambling to line up; surprised by this turn of events, Najiya managed to look up, his vision blurred.
The dark-haired officer that now stood facing the guards was wearing a slightly different uniform than the others. Deep purple cloth suggested that he held a higher position of power than the other men, and an impressive sword was strapped to his side. He wore eye glasses that were of a pale color; it was rare to see spectacles in the city, and Najiya couldn't remember ever seeing someone who owned a pair.
The officer's purple eyes flashed to Najiya behind the expensive glass, and then back to his men with an annoyed expression.
"Is this how you've been spending your morning? Hassling people in the streets?" Reem asked venomously, and the one of the guards glared at Najiya with loathing.
"We were just about to arrest the brat here." he explained hastily, and Reem crossed his arms.
"On what grounds? By whose orders?"
"'Disturbing the peace', sir. And strictly speaking, we were acting without orders. We were upholding the law, which is part of our job-"
"Your job is to do as you're told. Prince Rim doesn't have time to deal with…" Reem waved a hand in Najiya's direction, "...this. And nor do I. Today, you're needed at the palace, like everyone else, while we prepare the water for selling. People are already lining up, and we haven't even moved the water yet. Get back to the palace. I'll deal with the whelp." he said, his eyes once again moving to Najiya.
"Yes sir!" The guards bowed their heads respectfully, although it was obvious they had other things they wished to say. They cleared out of the alley quickly, and soon Najiya and the palace officer were left alone.
Najiya wasn't sure what he had expected next, but it certainly hadn't been a hand extending towards him to help him to his feet.
"Are you alright?" the man asked, and Najiya scoffed, regarding the hand in front of him for a moment before smacking it away and standing up on his own. The officer didn't seem very surprised, but he did appear reproachful, which took Najiya a little off guard.
"Your men killed an innocent man yesterday in cold blood. Why should you care if I'm alright?" Najiya snapped.
If those men had been telling the truth and Haru had been executed, Najiya felt incredibly responsible. He had been the one to push his way into the situation in the first place, when they should have just kept walking… It wasn't fair for Haru to have paid that price.
There appeared to be a flicker of remorse behind the officer's eyes. "They aren't 'my men'. I rank above them, yes, but their orders come from the Prince. And regretfully, Prince Rim Ibn-Majd al Din has become lax in his discipline as of late. Men in positions of power can be easily swayed when they have no one to answer to for their actions."
Najiya frowned at the man determinedly for several moments before finally sighing in resignation. He rubbed his stomach, which was still burning with pain. "Well, you don't seem as bad as they are. Can't you do anything about them?"
The spectacled man shook his head and crossed his arms. "Only a few of us have any desire to keep this city from falling into shambles. Damage control is difficult, especially when there are so many things to see to. Although, I suppose that's a poor excuse for not being able to save a man's life…" the man trailed off, sighing. He looked down at the blonde with regret. "I'm sorry… If he was a friend of yours, or family…"
"I barely knew him, but I think he was a good man. He was just trying to help someone." Najiya replied quietly. A silence followed, and was ended only when Najiya coughed into his hand.
"Thank you for helping me," Najiya said, smiling at the royal guard charmingly. "I'm sorry I came off so angry. I didn't think there were any decent soldiers left in the city… Anyway, I'm Najiya," he said brightly.
The officer nodded his head, the corners of his mouth pulling into a small smile. "My name is Reem."
"Reem," Najiya repeated, as if he were testing the name out on his tongue, "Beautiful gazelle. Wait, isn't that a girl's name?" he giggled, and Reem immediately flushed.
"Najiya is a girl's name, too!" he exclaimed indignantly, and Najiya could only laugh harder.
The man adjusted his eye glasses and cleared his throat, hoping to change the subject. "You're a dancer, yes? I remember seeing you perform a couple of years ago, before…" he trailed off again, and Najiya's laughter slowly faded as he dusted off his clothes, which had gotten rather dirty during the earlier chase.
"...before everything changed?" Najiya finished with a sad chuckle, and Reem flushed somewhat.
"Y-yes. Back then, I remember you were… Quite beautiful." he said, and Najiya tilted his head in interest.
"Beautiful, really?" Najiya asked brightly, and Reem looked away hurriedly, fixing his gaze on the wall next to them.
"Your dancing. That's all I meant." he said, and then cleared his throat once again in an incredibly official manner. "They'll be bringing the water out soon." Reem reminded, his second attempt to change the subject, "I probably shouldn't be saying anything, but they're bringing less than usual this time. You'll want to get there as soon as you can, and be aggressive about buying some. You know that it's first come first serve."
Najiya stifled an embarrassed laugh. "I don't exactly have any money this time around," he admitted, tapping a finger on his chin. "With the way things are right now, work isn't exactly plentiful, you know? It's okay though, I've been pretty good about rationing my water, so I should be fine for another week."
He hadn't been good about rationing his water at all. He had a rather bad habit of sharing his water with others who seemed more in need of it, regardless of how much he had left.
Reem frowned and rested a hand on his hip. "You have enough water to last another seven days? From the amount they were selling last week?" he asked suspiciously, and Najiya only grinned in reply, teetering playfully back and forth on the balls of his feet.
"I can make it work," he assured, rubbing his arm absently. Reem fixed his eyes on the wall next to them again and sighed.
"If it's work you need, I know where you can find some. And water, as well," he said. Najiya blinked at the man in surprise.
"Where?" he asked curiously. He half-expected Reem to suggest prostitution, as sex was the only other thing left in the city that people were willing to pay generously for. He would have been lying if he said he hadn't thought about it, but right now he saw it as a last resort.
"Prince Rim has been requesting new entertainment recently. Dancers have been hard to come by, and since female dancers are highly indecent, I suppose that Prince Rim would be pleased if you were to be hired at the palace."
Najiya's mouth fell open, and for once, he didn't quite know what to say. He had never expected to be offered a job at the palace, and had honestly never fancied the idea of working for the Prince. But beggars couldn't exactly be choosers. And if the guards had lied to him and Haru was still alive, that's most likely where the man would be headed.
"I thought you were going to say 'prostitution'!" Najiya admitted with a relieved laugh, and Reem's face immediately flushed pink and his cool composure faltered.
"Wh- How- No! I wouldn't- That's not beautiful at all!" Reem exclaimed, flustered, and Najiya held a hand over his own mouth to stifle the giggles.
Najiya shrugged up his shoulders endearingly and leaned in closer to Reem in a friendly way. "But dancing is beautiful, right?" he asked, grinning, and Reem looked down at the young man for a moment before pushing his eye glasses up the bridge of his nose and averting his eyes.
"Y-yes. I believe it can be." he said, red-faced. Najiya's smile broadened.
"Okay, then!" he exclaimed cheerfully, grabbing Reem's arm and linking it in his own, "Take me to the palace!"
.
.
.
It had all gone surprisingly well.
As most of the guards filed into the front of the palace, their swords gleaming in the sun and strapped snugly to their sides, the rest of the procession went rather unnoticed. Merchants hired to sell the water also had the job of carrying it outside in huge wooden barrels, and Ghazi tried her best to hold up her end although she severely lacked the physical strength. Luckily, no one had cast her a second look. The merchants typically wore so many layers of cloth and robes, she was practically covered from head to toe and blended in perfectly.
Soon there were only a couple of barrels left to move. Ghazi couldn't believe how little of it was leaving the palace; the amount they were about to sell was little more than the amount that swam uselessly in the fountain in her bedroom every single day.
Ghazi silently followed the other merchants back into the palace to retrieve the last of the water, frantically thinking of when to make her exit. She had seen what she had come to see, but she couldn't be gone too long or Rim would most definitely notice that she was missing. Just as she was contemplating this dilemma, a hand firmly clamped down on her shoulder from behind, and another hand planted itself to her mouth to prevent a surprised yelp. Giving her no time to struggle, she was pulled gently into the shadows of the hallway and then into an empty corridor just as quickly.
When finally Ghazi's senses returned to her, she pulled away from her captor, staggering a bit as she was released, her white turban slipping and falling to the ground. Standing before her was the Grand Vizier, his mouth curled into an apologetic grin and his hands out in front of himself in a calming gesture.
"Now, Princess…"
"Siraj al Din Ibn-Mouhsina!" Ghazi put a hand to her chest, taking in a relieved breath. She glared up at him fiercely. "Just what were you trying to do? You are not permitted to touch me-"
"If Prince Rim were to catch wind of this, he would be furious. There are better ways of gathering information than disguising yourself and risking being discovered." Siraj al Din said, blazing amber eyes locked on Ghazi's with purpose.
Ghazi's expression deflated. "Do you… Plan on telling my brother what you saw here?" she asked him, and the Grand Vizier lowered his hands and offered Ghazi a kind smile.
"I have no intentions of telling Prince Rim any of this. I came here to help you." the man said, and Ghazi inclined her head toward him suspiciously.
"Help me with… What, exactly?"
Siraj al Din crossed his arms over his chest. "There is more wrong with your brother than you know," he said in a hushed voice. He cast a look around them and then turned, his cloak swishing around him. He glanced back at her. "If you want to know what I know, you'll come with me."
As the Grand Vizier strode down the hall, Ghazi watched him go and considered his offer for only another fleeting moment before hurrying after him.
She needed to know what was happening to Rim. And at this point, she didn't care at what cost.
.
.
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Journal of Reem Ruqayyah
Jumādā I 22nd, xxxx
Tomorrow is my birthday. I am turning 11.
My father is taking me hunting to celebrate, and I am quite excited as I've only ever helped clean the animals afterwards, and helped to carry the game home. Mother is nervous but hasn't said anything about it.
Something happened today. A palace rose from the sands.
A gigantic palace that wasn't there before now sits just at the edge of the city. It made the ground creak and rumble and everyone ran outside to see it. But even as I write this I feel that the palace has always been there. But I know I saw it rise up just minutes ago.
There was chaos when it first appeared, but now all of the adults are acting normally. They too feel that the palace has always been there, and that Prince Rim has always ruled over us. It's hard to remember if that's true, but I know what I saw. I needed to write it down right away, so I don't forget like the rest of them.
But even as I write, I feel myself forgetting.
Tomorrow is my birthday. I am turning 11.
