Ahhh finally! Chapter seven! Sorry it took me so long, but I had finals! This is a little short, but chapter eight will be up very soon, I promise! Enjoy!
Nadir ran feverishly through the great halls to Erik's apartment. His breath came in hoarse gasps as he ran from the marketplace where he heard from one of his trusted servants what Erik had just done. He burst through the doors to Erik's apartment, shocked to register that he has not encountered one single guard upon his entry. Surely the Khanum would not stand for such defiance and his life was to he quickly extinguished.
"What have you done?" Nadir choked out as he caught his breath from his recent sweaty flight.
Erik stood solemnly in front of the open window, staring out into the courtyard. He inclined his head slightly in Nadir's direction but did not look at him. He sighed and his silence professed his refusal to answer.
"Erik! Get away from that window immediately!" Nadir demanded as he gripped his arm, yanking him back. Erik flailed his arms to gather balance as he stumbled down the steps to the bedchamber. He pulled his arm from Nadir's vise-like grip and straightened his tunic, smoothing out the wrinkles in a relaxed nonchalant way. Nadir stared at him incredulously wondering if Erik had finally lost his mind. If he had any sense in his brain at all he should be well on his way of leaving the country by now, rather than sitting around the palace as if he wished to be put to death for his heinous crime.
Again, Nadir repeated his question, this time slowly. "Erik, what have you done?"
"I don't know what you mean," Erik replied with a hint of a smile in his voice.
"Erik, have you lost your mind?"
Erik sarcastically ran his hands through his hair and replied, "Seems to be all here, Nadir."
Nadir started wide eyed at his odd companion, "Erik, do you even know what they will do to you after you humiliated the Khanum as you did today? She will want your head for this and Allah knows what will happen to the rest of your body."
"As for my head, I'm certain it will make a magnificent trophy for her, but the rest of my body will not be such a loss," Erik replied as he started to tinker with a small sparking device he had been working on. He collapsed onto a pile of cushions on the floor and gave a deep sigh.
Nadir recognized what was wrong with him now. He was entirely too relaxed given his recent dangerous display of defiance on the mother of the living shah of Persia. Even Erik in his most suicidal moment would never let his guard drop this far unless otherwise influenced. His eyes darted around the room and found the opium pipe lying next to an empty poppy-cake bag. He looked at Erik's eyes more closely to see that they were dilated completely.
Nadir picked up the pipe in one hand and stared at it, "Why Erik? Why are you behaving as though you did not care whether you lived or died?"
"Perhaps I do not," he argued calmly.
"Come with me Erik, I beg of you," Nadir gestured towards the door. "You can hide with me until we can get you out of the country."
"What makes you think I want to leave?" Erik said, making no move to leave.
"If you had any hold on your senses right now you would have already left!" Nadir made an exasperated sound as he realized that if he were determined to save his friends life, he would have to take him away. If the Khanum's guards took hold of him now under the influence of the potent drug, he would be no match for them, should he even choose to fight. Nadir went about the apartment quickly gathering a few articles of clothing and valuables. Erik curiously watched him move around the room.
Nadir looked up at him with an armful of his belongings and said, "Erik, please, I beg of you to leave with me now."
Erik shrugged his shoulders and rose up slowly from his comfortable bed on the floor and made his way gracefully across the room where Nadir waited by the door.
"If I knew any better, I'd say that Allah had some hand in your fate my friend. It's a wonder the Khanum didn't have you killed hours ago." He held open the door for Erik to pass into the hallway. Nadir breathed nervously as he made his way through the corridor.
"Where is he?" the Khanum slammed down her glass of wine, spilling it onto the fine ivory tablecloth.
"I beg your forgiveness My Lady, but he is nowhere to be found," stammered a servant from his humble position on the floor.
She threw the glass at her servant, shattering it on the floor in front of him. "What do you mean he is nowhere to be found? I want every available man in this damned country looking for him. He can't have just vanished into thin air!"
"Please Madame, it has only been three hours since you issued the search," pleaded the man at her feet.
"I don't want excuses! I want him to be found and punished accordingly!"
"Yes Madame. We will find him."
She dismissed all her servants wanting to brood in the silence they left behind. A large array of emotions coursed through her body from humiliation to blood-boiling rage, but most of all the need for revenge. Erik needed to be punished; he needed to suffer.
She needed something fitting to make him suffer for what he had done to her. Nobody made a fool of her!
Several hours and many strong pots of coffee later Erik sat in Nadir's parlor quietly. Nadir joined him followed by a servant carrying trays of food.
"What I don't understand is why the Khanum's guards didn't go to your chambers to arrest you on the spot."
Erik looked at him and sighed, "Nadir, do you honestly think that after what I did today that they would bother looking for me in my chambers? They must be combing the countryside looking in every stench-infested rat-hole this city has to offer."
"Erik, don't you think you are over-weighing the odds that they still consider you enough of an asset to overlook today's misbehavior?"
"Not necessarily. If the shah wants his palace built he will have to rely on me, for I am the only one who can sufficiently read the plans I've drawn up. He will have to overlook what his dear mother most certainly deserved."
"Erik," Nadir asked cautiously, "What do you mean by deserved?"
Erik grew quiet. He knew he had overstepped his bounds and there was no avoiding the subject any longer.
"Erik, what did she do to you?" Nadir grew very quiet and waited for Erik to start his explanation.
Erik drew in a deep breath and began to slowly explain the Khanum's behavior when they were alone in her chambers together. He explained the dream he had of her coming to his bed, then beginning to bleed in his hands. Nadir listened intently, trying to make some sense out of the jumbled descriptions of emotions and experiences that Erik, in his innocence of the matter, did not know how to better explain.
When Erik finished his detailed story, ending with the events of the day and how he had wanted to make her suffer some indignation by his hand, neither of them said a word for quite some time. Nadir was speechless. Although her sadistic nature was well known through the kingdom, he had never had a better first-hand account of it than the one he had just heard.
Nadir refilled the glasses set before them and went to hand one to Erik when a loud knock came at the front door. Erik's eyes flashed with momentary alarm and Nadir rose to answer the door. He turned to motion for Erik to hide when he heard the familiar sound of the Shahs armored horsemen outside, but by the time he looked, Erik was already nowhere to be seen.
Sorry so short! Hope you enjoyed it!
Nadir ran feverishly through the great halls to Erik's apartment. His breath came in hoarse gasps as he ran from the marketplace where he heard from one of his trusted servants what Erik had just done. He burst through the doors to Erik's apartment, shocked to register that he has not encountered one single guard upon his entry. Surely the Khanum would not stand for such defiance and his life was to he quickly extinguished.
"What have you done?" Nadir choked out as he caught his breath from his recent sweaty flight.
Erik stood solemnly in front of the open window, staring out into the courtyard. He inclined his head slightly in Nadir's direction but did not look at him. He sighed and his silence professed his refusal to answer.
"Erik! Get away from that window immediately!" Nadir demanded as he gripped his arm, yanking him back. Erik flailed his arms to gather balance as he stumbled down the steps to the bedchamber. He pulled his arm from Nadir's vise-like grip and straightened his tunic, smoothing out the wrinkles in a relaxed nonchalant way. Nadir stared at him incredulously wondering if Erik had finally lost his mind. If he had any sense in his brain at all he should be well on his way of leaving the country by now, rather than sitting around the palace as if he wished to be put to death for his heinous crime.
Again, Nadir repeated his question, this time slowly. "Erik, what have you done?"
"I don't know what you mean," Erik replied with a hint of a smile in his voice.
"Erik, have you lost your mind?"
Erik sarcastically ran his hands through his hair and replied, "Seems to be all here, Nadir."
Nadir started wide eyed at his odd companion, "Erik, do you even know what they will do to you after you humiliated the Khanum as you did today? She will want your head for this and Allah knows what will happen to the rest of your body."
"As for my head, I'm certain it will make a magnificent trophy for her, but the rest of my body will not be such a loss," Erik replied as he started to tinker with a small sparking device he had been working on. He collapsed onto a pile of cushions on the floor and gave a deep sigh.
Nadir recognized what was wrong with him now. He was entirely too relaxed given his recent dangerous display of defiance on the mother of the living shah of Persia. Even Erik in his most suicidal moment would never let his guard drop this far unless otherwise influenced. His eyes darted around the room and found the opium pipe lying next to an empty poppy-cake bag. He looked at Erik's eyes more closely to see that they were dilated completely.
Nadir picked up the pipe in one hand and stared at it, "Why Erik? Why are you behaving as though you did not care whether you lived or died?"
"Perhaps I do not," he argued calmly.
"Come with me Erik, I beg of you," Nadir gestured towards the door. "You can hide with me until we can get you out of the country."
"What makes you think I want to leave?" Erik said, making no move to leave.
"If you had any hold on your senses right now you would have already left!" Nadir made an exasperated sound as he realized that if he were determined to save his friends life, he would have to take him away. If the Khanum's guards took hold of him now under the influence of the potent drug, he would be no match for them, should he even choose to fight. Nadir went about the apartment quickly gathering a few articles of clothing and valuables. Erik curiously watched him move around the room.
Nadir looked up at him with an armful of his belongings and said, "Erik, please, I beg of you to leave with me now."
Erik shrugged his shoulders and rose up slowly from his comfortable bed on the floor and made his way gracefully across the room where Nadir waited by the door.
"If I knew any better, I'd say that Allah had some hand in your fate my friend. It's a wonder the Khanum didn't have you killed hours ago." He held open the door for Erik to pass into the hallway. Nadir breathed nervously as he made his way through the corridor.
"Where is he?" the Khanum slammed down her glass of wine, spilling it onto the fine ivory tablecloth.
"I beg your forgiveness My Lady, but he is nowhere to be found," stammered a servant from his humble position on the floor.
She threw the glass at her servant, shattering it on the floor in front of him. "What do you mean he is nowhere to be found? I want every available man in this damned country looking for him. He can't have just vanished into thin air!"
"Please Madame, it has only been three hours since you issued the search," pleaded the man at her feet.
"I don't want excuses! I want him to be found and punished accordingly!"
"Yes Madame. We will find him."
She dismissed all her servants wanting to brood in the silence they left behind. A large array of emotions coursed through her body from humiliation to blood-boiling rage, but most of all the need for revenge. Erik needed to be punished; he needed to suffer.
She needed something fitting to make him suffer for what he had done to her. Nobody made a fool of her!
Several hours and many strong pots of coffee later Erik sat in Nadir's parlor quietly. Nadir joined him followed by a servant carrying trays of food.
"What I don't understand is why the Khanum's guards didn't go to your chambers to arrest you on the spot."
Erik looked at him and sighed, "Nadir, do you honestly think that after what I did today that they would bother looking for me in my chambers? They must be combing the countryside looking in every stench-infested rat-hole this city has to offer."
"Erik, don't you think you are over-weighing the odds that they still consider you enough of an asset to overlook today's misbehavior?"
"Not necessarily. If the shah wants his palace built he will have to rely on me, for I am the only one who can sufficiently read the plans I've drawn up. He will have to overlook what his dear mother most certainly deserved."
"Erik," Nadir asked cautiously, "What do you mean by deserved?"
Erik grew quiet. He knew he had overstepped his bounds and there was no avoiding the subject any longer.
"Erik, what did she do to you?" Nadir grew very quiet and waited for Erik to start his explanation.
Erik drew in a deep breath and began to slowly explain the Khanum's behavior when they were alone in her chambers together. He explained the dream he had of her coming to his bed, then beginning to bleed in his hands. Nadir listened intently, trying to make some sense out of the jumbled descriptions of emotions and experiences that Erik, in his innocence of the matter, did not know how to better explain.
When Erik finished his detailed story, ending with the events of the day and how he had wanted to make her suffer some indignation by his hand, neither of them said a word for quite some time. Nadir was speechless. Although her sadistic nature was well known through the kingdom, he had never had a better first-hand account of it than the one he had just heard.
Nadir refilled the glasses set before them and went to hand one to Erik when a loud knock came at the front door. Erik's eyes flashed with momentary alarm and Nadir rose to answer the door. He turned to motion for Erik to hide when he heard the familiar sound of the Shahs armored horsemen outside, but by the time he looked, Erik was already nowhere to be seen.
Sorry so short! Hope you enjoyed it!