Nadir stands before the shah, not sure what to expect this time.
"What do they think of us?" He asks, Nadir is taken aback.
"Who are you referring to?"
"Our foreign friends, the diplomats, what do they truly think of us?"
Nadir is not sure how to answer the question.
"They know what they are shown, and that's what they take with them, shadow of god,"
The shah does not like this answer, he frowns. He pets his cat, with a strange distant longing etched onto his face.
"What they are shown. They don't know the real Persia, do they?"
"I would say not."
"They think this," he gestures around him," if what we are."
"I would—this palace is not the best representation of our culture, our home."
"No, I would have to agree. I need to break away from certain influences, don't I?"
"I would never dare to tell you what you should do."
"Speak freely, Nadir is it?"
Nadir nods.
"She doesn't help matters, no. Her passions and interests are loud. In more ways than one."
"I love Persia."
"I do too."
"I want people to know how beautiful this land is."
"They should."
"Khanum isn't making it easy. I think I need to break away from her. I need a new chief adviser; someone I can trust."
"That would be a start. The more the people can see how we truly live, care for each other, our true art and culture, there would be more of an understanding. We would be able to approach Westerners and others, ignorance undoes many things."
"I agree, chief adviser"
"Me? Are you—"
"Yes. I think this what I should have done from the beginning. You are now my chief adviser, all matters that concern Persia, and our relations with outsiders, I will go to you for guidance."
"I-"
"You've traveled, you speak multiple languages. You care about people; you have a moral compass that is unyielding. I need that."
"I understand different languages, my fluency is—"
"You are intelligent and will learn. I will have you moved to a proper lodging, your son is ill, is he not? I will see to it that he receives the best medical care. I will have a medical staff moved into your home. Your pension will also double. Anything else?"
"I want a pet dog."
Nadir is not sure where that came from, but he could not help himself.
"Who is the new daroga then?" Darius asks, as he sets plates down for dinner.
"I don't know."
"We're getting a puppy?!"
"Reza, not now, and this pension, how much more did he say?"
"He said double."
"A puppy! What kind of puppy? Can I name it? I want to take it out on walks, and he'd join me in my comedy."
"Name him whatever you like, Reza."
"Please name it Erik."
"Darius."
"Ooooh! I will!"
"Reza, you may want to—"
"Nadir! Let your son name his own pet."
"Yes, Papa!"
Nadir seeing that he has lost, accepts defeat. He finishes setting food out onto the table. Darius swats Reza's hands away, and they pray. Once they have finished Reza jumps up and he begins to stuff food onto his plate.
"Why can't he be like Erik, and you have to force him to just take the smallest amount?" Nadir shakes his head.
"Erik never eats anything you "force" him to."
"Reza, this isn't a race, calm and pace yourself." Reza smiles, mouthful of food, he swallows and the chews slowly pointedly.
"Never change, Reza."
"Chief Advisor to the shah."
"Yes, it is a position of power, your lust is appropriate."
"That obvious?"
"You're drooling on me." Nadir uses a sheet and wipes his face.
"Do you get any special favors?" Erik rolled over to his. Fantasizes all the wonderous things he could be sharing.
"Yes, I agreed to marry the shah's cousin, and we're to leave on the honeymoon, as you would say, tomorrow, and I'm afraid he asked that I remain a monogamous husband, as with Rookheya. Also, get a dog."
"You're getting a dog?
"Reza has already named the creature."
"What name did he decide."
"It is going to be called Erik. Darius and I have already written down many puns and innuendos, that we cannot wait to use."
"Look forward to that."
"A medical staff moves in tomorrow, for Reza."
"Good."
"I may have to kill your girlfriend."
Erik takes intertest, and he turns over, props himself on his elbow.
"She made it clear to me where we stood and whose son she Is willing to kill."
"She, what?"
"Were you not there when Darius and I were used as Roman Gladiators?"
He shakes his head.
"Ah, perhaps you were sent away, made to be distracted."
"I suppose, but she really threatened Reza?"
"Are you surprised?
"No."
"She's convinced she conceals her emotions and opinions."
"She is more transparent than, than, something very transparent."
Nadir can tell that he is getting looks and eyebrows being raised. Sometimes Nadir loves that Erik wears the masks all the time, for all occasions, such as now, when they are together alone, when Nadir says something stupid, like just now.
"I had a long day and speaking in French takes a lot out of me. I feel like something is trying to fight my tongue and I'm losing."
"Speak Farsi then, you know I'm fluent."
"Yes, but it annoys me how well you speak it."
"So, speaking a language that causes you physical pain, because you're too annoyed with me?"
"It's not right that you speak it better than most Persians."
"They have every opportunity to learn how to speak properly. That's not my fault."
Nadir ignores Erik's flirtatious touches and focuses on the ceiling.
"I read in some books that Westerners, ah, your people, have mirrors in odd places, the ceiling in bedrooms above the bed."
Erik laughs, which stops the touches, until he composes himself.
"I've never had a mirror placed there."
"So its not a thing?"
"I don't know everyone's thing. It is not mine."
"Why?"
"That's it's not my thing?"
"Erik."
"Sex. It is to see yourself fuck and what, well you look like, it is another way to masturbate, essentially. Or to take notes."
This disgust Nadir. He shakes his head.
"No. I would never want that. I hate that you see my face when we copulate."
Erik sighs happily
"I love when you say fancy words for fuck."
"I would say make love, but you get weird."
"Sex is separate from love."
"True."
"You've been away a long time, so we can just sleep tonight."
"You're chatty, which means something is wrong."
"If I'm a threat to the khanum, how can I trust you?"
"That's not why you shouldn't trust me, and I hate the bitch, so you don't have anything to worry about."
"I think she may be jealous, and I don't think she can handle that without copious amounts of blood."
"Usually by my hand or inventions, if she orders me to kill you, I'll kill her."
"I can't have Reza be—"
"I swear to you, I won't let anything happen."
"How can you—"
"I'm me. I promise, he'll be safe."
"I'll need protection I think, at those court entertainments, they may actively try to poison me now, which is almost exciting."
"I'll figure something out, no dying, you."
"That's how I know I'm doing my job right."
"And my job is to make sure they fail."
Nadir sighs and he closes his eyes, trying to find peace in sleep. Erik settles and they remain in each others arm