Five days passed in a similar fashion and I could now feel the fatigue starting to set in. Lack of sleep, food, and water was beginning to take its toll, more so now that the larger predators had found what remained of the slavers. An hour into the fifth day they turned their attention to me, circling my cage waiting for their moment to strike. Under the cover of my black cloak I watched them, hoping a menacing glare would be enough to change their hopes of playing cat and mouse. Almost in a literal sense; some of the lions or cheetahs would reach in the cage and bat at the edges of my cloak, hoping to get a grip and pull me toward them. However I remained calm and simply tucked my cloak in underneath my body to make sure that didn't happen.
"So ladies and gentlemen. We enter the fifth day of this who'll give first challenge and our human competitor is looking pretty much out of it. Will today be the day she finally gives in? We'll just have to wait and see." I mumbled to myself. Five days without sleep tended to do things to one's mind, as if working it into overtime and frying it. The heat didn't help either, plus I was beginning to think the lion's knew it too.
My eyes felt as if the world rested a top them as they threatened to fall across my eyes. So absorbed in my attempt to stay awake I didn't notice the every predator begin to become restless as they moved about this way and that, as if looking for something out on the horizon. By the time I had reconvened myself, I found that all of my neighbors had long gone, leaving nothing other than decaying corpses and the buzzards.
"Where did everyone go?" I muttered swinging my head around as if I'd become drunk. "Are you guys hiding? Cause I'm, I'm not going to fall for it." I shouted into the wind. Nothing stirred in the blazing bright light of the afternoon sun, causing the paranoia to slightly shift. I honed my hearing and listened to what the desert might be trying to tell me, what could have convinced the predators to leave an easy meal?
Now either I'd truly gone mad but in the slight distance I could have sworn I heard a horse whiney, to which then I wished to have gone crazy. They're coming back. As the horses grew closer, the metal cage began to vibrate from the pounding of hooves drawing nearer. I tensed up my body knowing full well that I was in no condition to fight off an attack from Balthazar and the other Hassansins, but I wouldn't go quietly into the night either. Then rounding the cluster of rocks to the right rode in a group of men- but they were not Hassansins. Nor were they anytime of desert drifter, their garments clearly giving that much away.
With my hood pulled over my face enough to cast in into shadow I watched the men slow their pace to observe the carnage that they'd ridden into. So absorbed where they in their own observations that I had become completely over looked; a minor blow to my ego to be honest. May be they wouldn't even notice that I was sitting here, which I couldn't decide was a good or bad thing.
"There's someone alive in there!" So much for that thought. A man rushed forward as to open the cage.
"Wait!" A new voice emerged from the group of men. I cast my sight in his direction and found a rather attractive man with shoulder length light brown hair, that seemed to contrast against his white tunic and tanned leather armor. "They may be in there for a reason." The first man back away slowly, suddenly cognitive of this thought as well. The attractive man strode forward on a fine chestnut mare, a symbol of his wealth and status, until he was just out of arms reach from the metal bars. "Reveal yourself."
"On who's orders?" I calmly responded. The voice of a woman suddenly changed everyone's expressions as they cast glances at each other then back to the campsite around them.
"On the orders of the prince, son and heir to the throne of Persia." His voice mingled with arrogance as he spoke his own titles.
"Ah; Prince Tus, I assume." I smirked in the safety of my hood having heard the stories of the Persian prince. Slowly reaching out from the cloak I pull my hood back and felt my blonde curls tumble out of their confinement. "It is an honor sir."
As if finding out I was a woman made everyone's attitude change pretty quickly; no one's more quickly than the Persian prince. Finding his manners, prince Tus graciously slid off his horse and moved to the cage's bars.
"My dear lady…"He muttered, his eyes studying the curvature of my face. "Pray tell- what is your name?"
"Laleh." He seemed disappointed by my response "Expecting someone else?"
"You just resemble someone I knew from a long time ago. I had hoped you'd be her, but no matter. Now," Tus adjusted his robes "why is it you have been placed within this cage?"
"I'm not very responsive to authority." I teased even though I felt as if every word winded me. Tus smirked and walked just a bit closer to the cage, still just out of arms reach incase I made a move. Move. Just the word made my head swim.
"And these slavers?" He gestured to the scattered remains behind him. "Was this your work?"
"As much as I would like to claim responsibility for their deaths, sadly, no. I do not know how to work a blade." So that last part was a lie, but would probably be better in the long run if the Royal Guard didn't know I too was a Hassansin. "As they slept another group of slavers ambushed them, putting them to the blade quickly. Then took the other women and children, only I wasn't so complacent. I fought, and well, I think you know the rest of the story." I nodded toward the cage bars.
"They left you here? Someone as beautiful as you?" Tus seemed to have a hard time believing the story.
"To teach a lesson to the other women- it doesn't matter how pretty you are; Obey or die." He remained quiet for a moment, mulling over the story within his head, however I was growing impatient and increasingly worried that Balthazar might decide to pop by for a torture visit.
"Look-" I moved to stand up, but my head became suddenly very light. I extended my hand out hoping that something would stop my downward decent. Unfortunately, in a move that made me look like an idiot, my hand completely bypassed the metal bar right in front of me, causing my face to run full force into the metal. It didn't really help the headache either.
I slumped onto my back, my whole body feeling the vibrations of the cage violently shake through my body, or was I just violently shaking? The whole world seemed to move in unison and I felt someone grab my extended hand through the metal bars, as if trying to comfort me. Not really working. I wanted to shout, but found my mouth drier than the sands I called home. Darkness creped upon the corners of my vision, threatening to take the world with it. No matter how hard I fought to stay awake and in the light, the darkness descended.
I remembered regaining conscious a few times; feeling a breeze through my hair, the swaying motion of riding a horse, strong hands carrying me, and finally being laid down into a pillow large enough to envelope my entire body. Never before had anything felt as fantastic as that pillow.
Sweet smoke filled my lungs, nearly choking me as I was forced to wake up. I coughed a few times to empty the smoke from my breathing way, catching someone's attention a few feet away from my makeshift bed.
"Ah, you've awakened." Tus' smooth voice drifted through the air, greeting me with another wave of smoke.
"Survived five days in a cage only to be suffocated by smoke, yes." I coughed once more attempting to wave the away the smoke. I opened my eyes and found myself lying in a lavishly decorated traveling tent; fit of course only for the Persian royalty.
"For someone saved, you are quite ungrateful." Tus mussed playfully across the tent, eyeing documents lying on a low table in front of him. I propped up to my elbows I searched for the nearest exits, in case of a hasty escape would be needed. "I wouldn't bother."
"Bother what?" I asked innocently.
"Running." Tus peeled away from the document to study me. "One you are in no condition to run. Second, guards surround this tent; so I imagine you wouldn't get very far."
"Worth a shot." I lay back down onto the pillow and placed my hands behind my head. "So what do you want? I can't fathom why a prince would save anybody for free."
"Oh no." Tus smirked. "Your freedom comes with a price." I rolled my head to look at him expecting to see some sort of lustful desire in his eyes, but found nothing other than childish humor. Obviously this price isn't sex. Not with him at least…
"Oh? Well then please- enlighten me."
"I have a brother-"I rolled my eyes and moved to stand up, but Tus continued, "Now wait just a moment. Hear me out. I have a brother whose birthday is this week. He has no wife or concubines."
"Your reasoning is becoming less reasonable." I interrupted, continuing my upward motion as to leave the tent and brave the wilds once more.
"He is this way by choice. Every year, on his birthday, sheiks, noblemen, and other mentionable men offer him their daughters, subjects, or own concubines. And every year he turns them down." I stopped walking toward the door; simply out of kindness because I imagine princes' aren't used to being ignored. "These women are beautiful beyond compare, trust me, but he never accepts one. Over five days of celebration they are brought and declined."
"And what," I commented loudly "does this have to do with me?" Crossing my arms I leaned against the frame of the make-shift doorway, eyes scanning the horizon.
"I want you to be my final gift for the fifth day. I'm basically giving you your freedom." Tus reasoned, standing from his desk and walking halfway toward me. "He's never taken a wife all these years, so what's the change this pattern now?" It was true that Tus' reason seemed sound. Show up to a party, eat, drink, get offered as a concubine, rejected, freed. Overall it wasn't the worst plan I had heard.
"And those are your only terms?" I asked after mulling over the idea for a moment in my head.
"Yes." Came the hasty reply from the prince.
"How can one say no to a prince?" I turned, arms still crossed. Clearly the idea of even being offered as a gift to someone wasn't a pleasant one, but what other choice did I have. "I'm in." A large smile broke across Tus' face, showing his boyish manner. It was going to be a long trip.
The return trip to Avrat from our location was roughly a three day journey when you're a normal person, but when you're traveling with royalty the trip takes more like a week. Royal appearances, allies, crowds of admiring commoners, it never seemed to end. I really hoped this brother wouldn't accept me, because I was not cut out for this kind of lifestyle of popularity.
Tus, wishing to keep my appearance a secret till the celebration, had offered me a large, golden shawl, to cover my entire body with.
"Yes because nothing says "not important" as a giant gold wrapped woman." I said glancing over the very decorative cloth with its fine beading and intricate patterns. "No thank you." I handed it back to the prince, his shock very apparent.
"Then what shall you wear?" He puzzled.
"This." I motioned toward my own clothing. "And preferably a cloak with a hood. Something plain and not standout-ish."
After moving through the small rural towns of the Persian kingdom, the ascending towers of Avrat became clearer as we traveled closer to the capitol. I had been moved within the royal guard with my tattered brown cloak to not draw attention to the Prince, however amongst their fine gold trimmed uniforms I stood out even more. I probably looked like a prisoner in reality which did explain the glares and shouts I received from passing villagers.
"Ignore them m'lady." A guard spoke beside me.
"I'm used to this treatment by now, do not worry." I gripped the reigns of the horse and continued to stare ahead at the looming gateway before me. Forged of mud and brick it was nothing overly extravagant to look at but stood six feet thick with heavy wooden and iron doors to bar the entrance. Clearly this had one purpose- keep invaders out. Traveling through the lower districts of Avrat, many peasants cheered Tus, but continued to move throughout their business in an ant like ferocity.
The second gates were more decorated with common gem stones and a thinner wooden door; this marked our movement into the middle class. We saw even less greetings as merchants shouted orders at their apprentices to hurry up with orders or how they'd missed a certain detail.
"All this is for the celebration?" I asked no one in particular my eyes moving around the open bazaar of moving bodies.
"Persian celebrations are known for their extravagance and beauty. Many different nations come from around the continent for a Prince's celebration for it promises never to be a bore." One of the guards responded as we neared the final doors to the palace. These doors we not massive, or thick, instead were made of sturdy stone decorated with murals and images of past Persian victories and conquests. Nothing says "Welcome" like "hey remember that time we beat you and everyone else?" I thought ironically to myself as our party entered the gates.
The scene beyond the wall was nothing less than what I had come to expect of the Persian royalty; lavish green plants neatly organized the courtyard, contrasting to the light brown dirt. A large, marble fountain poured cool water down into a long pool that stretched the length of the courtyard, reflecting light upon the brown walls that danced calmly without a care. The palace itself was something to behold, with its large dome covered in glazed tiles of blue and purple, while all along the balconies precious gem stones stood out against the pale white marble. Glistening in the afternoon sun, placed high upon the domes were balls of pure gold, or so the rumors went. Those were often the envy of many poor people who gazed up at the palace from down below in the out districts of Avrat.
"She is something of a beauty, isn't she?" Tus had slowed down to ride beside me.
"I've seen better." I smirked at the prince and looked away from the marble. "But she is something." Tus cast a sideway smile at me and continued on ahead of the group just as we arrived at the large double doors of the palace. No sooner than Tus had dismounted, did a sea of golden clad figures pour out from those doors to take his horse and usher him back within the palace. Rising my eyebrows quizzically I too dismounted with the rest of the guards, and no sooner than my feet touching the ground did a presence walk up behind me. Twirling on my heel with my senses alert I was surprised to find a small cluster of gold servants around me. Apparently they were just as surprised as I was to see them.
"Uh…can I help you?" I asked after a moment of shared awkwardness. Like cracking a whip the servants moved about, silently whispering to themselves they took the reins of my horse from my hands and began urging me into the palace. "Well it certainly is nice to meet you guys as well."
Inside the palace was more phenomenal than the outside, or at least I assumed it was. My gold troupe didn't really let me stop to admire it for very long as I was escorted quickly from room to room in an almost maze like manner. Finally after I was sure that all of the pulling was only intended to elongate my arms, we stopped inside a small, ornately decorated room with a balcony overlooking the city of Avrat. I moved further inside the room of my own will, my eyes captivated by the view through the open door, but it was short lived as one of the servants quickly closed the doors.
"Hey I was-" One of the women removed my cloak, with quick fingers as others began pulling off other articles of clothing. "Hey. Whoa, whoa." I shoved them away, fixing my clothes. "I don't think so." The women glanced at each other, clearly unsure what to do now, hesitantly they took a step forward with outstretched hands. "No." I pointed at them each individually making my point very clear. The women were beginning to move forward once again, when the sound of the door knob twisting caught all of our attention.
Wearing a new set of clothing, in walked Tus along with five other servants, each one carrying a different object for the prince; a pitcher, a gold cup, and various stacks of papers, probably documents of great importance. Tus glanced up from the paper he held in his hand and at the scene before him, which I could have only assumed was slightly humorous due to the small smile flirted on his lips.
"I see you're getting along with the staff." He spoke as he took the cup from one of the servants and handed off the paper to another.
"Oh, yeah, we're getting along famously." I slapped away a hand that traveled too close. "Remind me again what they're trying to do." Tus smiled coyly.
"Why they're trying to bathe you of course."
"Of course." I retorted sharply. "You know I can bathe myself."
"Hmm." Tus took a sip from his cup and handed it back to the servant. "Oh I have no doubts about that. A woman like yourself can probably do many things by herself, however," He paused to sign a paper. "this is much more humorous to watch. Let them bathe you and prepare you for the party of your life, Laleh." With that he turned and walked out of the room before I would muster a witty response. The sounds of the door closing echoed through the room as I glanced at the other servants.
"Ladies, please-"
I mean if I really wanted to I could have easily avoided this situation entirely, but they were just doing their jobs. So there I sat, in a tub of hot, soapy bath water while the women cleaned my hair and washed away the dirt from my skin. Needless to say there was a lot of it; hassansins weren't real big on the whole "hygiene" thing mostly being men and all.
"Ow." I complained as they roughly rubbed away at my arms and scalp, but not once did the ease up on their assault. I opened my mouth again to say something but a fresh bucket of hot water crashed down upon my head and funneled into my open mouth. "Never mind." I remained silent for the remainder of the wash.
Luckily that wasn't a long wait time, as I was quickly taken out of the water and into the cooling air of the evening. After the whole bath fiasco, I kind of just gave the servants leeway to do whatever they wanted since it was clear that only Tus's word would be the one to stop them. I closed my eyes retreated deep within my mind, thinking about everything that was happening. Balthazar has probably already figured out I've gotten away… would he be crazy enough to follow me here to the Persian capitol? The thought brought me back with a sickening realization that everyone here could potentially be in danger. For if Balthazar was true in his conquest of me, he would never stop. He's not that much of an idiot. I reassured myself, praying that I was right.
"Are you almost done here? The festivities are about…uh…" Tus's voice in the room surprised everyone, no one more than myself, who had been so deep in thought to not have heard the door open. I turned to look at the prince who stood in the door way with his mouth half open as he searched for the words to say.
"What? Is there something on my face?" I asked bringing my hand up to my cheek, only to feel a veil sitting neatly across my face so that only my eyes showed. "What the..?" I glanced down and found myself wrapped in a deep blue sash with silver beading speckled throughout and an embroidered silver hem of ornate design. Underneath the sash, a cut off blouse of the same color showed of my toned stomach thought I was happy to say that the sash made some of my scars almost unnoticeable. A skirt hung loosely on my hips, falling straight down to my feet and was also decorated in a silver threading. I glanced across the room into a small mirror and saw my face was covered also by the sash as it swept around my shoulders and wrapped itself neatly on top of my head.
"You look…stunning." Tus managed at last.
"I look like a nun."
"Not one I have ever seen" He smiled "I almost wish I could keep you for myself, dear Laleh." He moved closer to inspect. I removed the veil from my face and crossed my arms.
"A deal is a deal, remember?" My serious tone brought his eyes back to my face. He smiled half heartedly and took a step back with his hands held up in defense.
"You are right. A deal is a deal."
"Right. Now remind me again why I'm completely covered up again?" I motioned to my clothes with slight annoyance. I wasn't a big fan of skirts.
"It is your first time attending such an event, you must be there to get the full experience, but you are also the main attraction so we can't have you drawing too much attention." He straightened his white tunic. "Which is why you will be arriving with the rest of my harem this evening, and you will remain under this veil," moving closer he placed the veil back across my face. "For the rest of the evening. Is that understood?"
"Yes, your highness." I bowed with mock humility. He smiled none the less and held out his arm for me to take. This is going to be a long night.