Isa walked the halls of the seedy apartment her and her mother lived in. it was like her body wasn't communicating with her mind, it was simply working on its own. She let errant fingers trail the walls. Turning to her dorm she opened it. Only when she did Isa, was greeted with her mother. Her soft features pulled into a smile. She stroked her head. She realized when she embraced her that she wasn't her thirteen year old self, but her adult self. As her height passed her mother by a bit.

She could smell the avgolemono soup, cooking on the furnace. The light of the sunset painting Mykonos slum buildings in shades of gold and fiery orange. The wind blew through the curtains, making them flow and wave with the air around it.

The sight made her want to hold on to her mother longer.

"I miss you mama." Isa struggled out.

"I know, feggari mou." Isa held her tighter.

Isa bolted upright when she was awoken by a loud shattering noise. She quickly slipped out of her room and followed the nose of slurred speech and mummering

"You dumbass, I told you to shut up!" Isa was briefly relieved when she realized it was Erik speaking. Another man was stumbling around, he was dark headed and looked hopelessly drunk. His brow was covered in sweat.

"Isa do me a favor and don't speak of this." His speech was slightly slurred, "better yet go back to bed. We can act like this never happened"

"You're drunk aren't you?" She asked flatly.

"Oh ! What gave you that idea ?" He mockingly asked.

Isa couldn't help herself, biting down the smile. "Who is with you and what did you break?"

Before he could answer, their conversation was cut short by a very livid Nadir.

"It is four in the morning, Erik, Ibrahim. Why are you in my house?" he paused, "better yet how did you get into my house?"

Erik let out an irritated sigh, "at this point I don't even know." Erik's companion seemed to be out of it.

"Just get Ibrahim to sit down. I'll be back with tea and coffee. Isa, I know it's late but can you watch them please? they act like children like this."

Isa nodded, "of course sir." she went to sit down on the sofa adjacent to the pair. Erik had his hands as if he was either embarrassed and the other sat back his head laid back, his arms splayed out on the back of the sofa.

"Erik, who is your, erm, friend?" suddenly her demeanor turned timid for no reason again.

He seemed to let out a sigh through his nose, " This ass hat is the grand Visor for the shah."

"And why are you two here, drunk?"

"It seemed like a brilliant idea to stay here but now, its incredibly stupid."

She nodded, suddenly the vizier's head lifted up slowly, "I annoyed Erik into seeing you." He slurred. "He spoke of you, I mean."

Isa suddenly felt more awkward with both of the men here. But resisted the urge to walk away from them until Nadir came back.

"Oh and what did he say?" She pried.

"He called you a smartass. And that you were from Greece." he managed out.

A beat and she burst out laughing, " I knew I could be mean but I didn't know it was that bad."

Erik seemed to be keeping his head down out of pure embarrassment.

—

The moment her captors left the room was when Isa finally allowed herself to run to him "Erik, Erik look at me. It's alright." Putting her hands on either side of his face. "Erik please breathe." Isa begged, but there was no change. His skin felt cold and clammy underneath her hands. She got up looking for a basin or anything that had water in it. Running to the dry sink Isa got a rag and dipped it into water. And slowly walked back to him. Holding out her hand to touch his shoulder and when he showed no negative reaction, She pulled him up, helping him onto a mattress on the floor. Laying him back down slowly. He was still mumbling to himself. Tears slid down his face. Isa desperately wanted to tell him it was going to be okay. But she couldn't bring herself to lie.

"Erik, I need you to talk to me, I need you to breathe." He seemed to take notice of Isa finally. She wiped the grime and dried blood off his face. Around the slice on his cheek.

His face was the same massacre as she had remembered. He was still as violent. But that was born out of years of rejection, fear and pain.

"Why?" he sobbed.

"Why what, Erik?" Isa was careful not to sound angry or upset.

"Why are you here?" He demanded.

"I-" Isa seemed to be at a loss of words. "I came back for you. I'm not going to let you die."

" I thought I was the man you despised the most." He said bitterly,

"I am in no mood to fight with you, so stop being overly dramatic." Her voice was hoarse. She continued to clean Erik to the best of her ability. His sobs eventually died out into hiccups and shudders, and somewhere in the night he fell asleep.

She lay back thinking about what happened, running through the events that got her stuck with him.

Her eyes soon slipped closed as well, into a dreamless sleep.

She and Erik were rudely awoken by a door opening and slamming shut. Angelique stood before them.

"Sophia get up, and follow me." she ordered coldly

Isa looked back at Erik. Whose eyes were full of the same dread as a man sentenced to hanging.

"I promise I'll be back." she whispered.

"Hurry up." the edge in her voice was rising.

She quickly got up to her feet and followed. She couldn't decide whether her neck was sore from being strangled or from sleeping on the floor. Idley rubbing it. She followed behind her captor who turned sharply into a windowless room.

"You are to treat my husband with the utmost care. We will know what you do, doctor." she paused. "If you are to harm my husband, we will harm your friend." Her eyes were puffy and had dark marks under them. "You are to also treat and heal your friend as well. I want him to live as long as possible." She turned away from Isa, her skirts swaying slightly around her as she pulled out an old gray dress, chemise And a corset. The bare minimum attire for a woman. She quickly shoved it in her hands.

"Put this on. I do not want either of you to smell like shit. We will give your clothes back after they have been cleaned." her cold eyes studied Isa " do not think for one second I am going easy on you. I wanted Nadir dead as well. But my husband is more merciful than me. I promise to god on that." She was right up in Isa's face now. Isa took heed.

Isa quickly followed her orders and had a pair of clothes for Erik to wear as well. As well as soap. At least they had this.

It was barely a comfort though.

—

They had yet to come home. Neither Isa or Erik. And nadir was growing more frantic by the hour. He had realized that they both were in a spot of trouble. He feared that he would need to request help from someone with more power than anyone else in the country. And he dreaded it.

He grumbled as he mounted his horse. Keeping his head down going through the streets until he made it to the palace.

The shah had listened. And he would help for a price.

The sultana had fallen ill. A tumor had grown on her throat. Both surgeons and doctors refused to touch it.

Only after the sultana was healed would they all be free.