Disclaimer: I no own. You no sue. You sue me, I sue you back. . ....
A/N: Why start this, you ask, when I'm working on six or seven other fics? Because I can! Muahahahahahaha!!! This is not meant to be historically accurate... things that are historically accurate are for... people who aren't me! Yeah... Anyway, no flames. If you flame me, I will laugh at it and feed it to Malik, my roommate's beta fish. If you don't like it, I really don't care, but if you do, kindly review. My starved and nonexistent self-esteem thank you.
Oh, and RishidOdion... I mix the dub and the sub usually...
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()Rishid Ishtar sat on the Elephant Throne, and he was bored. Not as bored as his half-brother, but still bored. Granted, his half-brother was eight years old and too active for his own good, but it would not do for the Sultan to squirm and wriggle and in general act like a child. No, he had to pay attention, had to be strong and severe, focused.
That didn't stop him from being bored.
So bored...
"Big brother, I want to do something."
Sigh. "What do you want to do, Malik?" Rishid glanced down at his half-brother.
"I wanna judge somebody!" Malik give him a grin. "A criminal!"
Rishid sighed. "All of the criminals that are in the cells have already been judged, and we can't just go out and grab someone off the streets."
"Whyyyyyy?" Malik asked, giving him the dreaded begging-eyes.
Sigh again. "Because that is not what the Sultan does, Malik." He'd gone over this how many times? At least two dozen...
"But you're the Sultan! You can do anything!" Malik stamped his foot.
"That's true, I can." Rishid nodded. "But I won't. That is not what the Sultan does, Malik... we are leaders, we must take care of the city and its people..."
"But-" Malik was going to argue again, when the doors to the throne room burst open, and several guards stormed in, dragging a girl.
Rishid allowed an eyebrow to rise, and he sat straighter in his chair. "Is one woman so powerful as to warrant five guards to restrain her?"
The Captain of his guard flushed a bit and bowed quickly. "Your Majesty, she is a thief... she tried to steal from your royal stables..."
Rishid stood smoothly and looked down at the girl who was being forced to kneel. "You caught her in the act?"
"Red-handed, Your Majesty," the Captain replied, still bowing. "She was trying to steal one of the stallions..."
Rishid's lips thinned. "Stealing the Sultan's property is a crime punishable by death..."
The girl struggled a bit more and looked up at him. "How was I supposed to know that? I'm not from your kingdom... I don't know your laws..."
"Is stealing not a crime where you're from?" Rishid's eyebrow remained up. "How odd. What a strange place you must be from."
The girl's eyes flicked to one side. "I..."
He grabbed her chin in her hand and forced her to look at him, getting a better look at her in the process. "Hn." He'd never seen hair her shade before. It was a rich shade of reddish-brown- or at least, he assumed it was, underneath the dirt caked into it. It was snarled and tangled, and hung down into brown eyes that smoldered with resentment.
So... she is spirited, like the stallions... He frowned a bit in thought. "Perhaps death is too harsh a punishment for you... Perhaps I should simply have your hands removed..."
Now the girl went sheet-white- she had been pale to begin with- and started trembling a bit. "N-no... please..."
"Big brother..." Malik chose the worst times to tug on his robes and look up at him. "You said I could judge someone!"
Rishid sighed, looking down at him. "I never actually said that, Malik..."
Malik pouted. "Big broooootheeeeer..."
Rishid twitched slightly. "Very well, Malik, make a judgment, and I will decide if it is fair..."
Malik nodded and drew himself up regally. "I, Malik Ishtar, second son of the Sultan Ishtar, brother of the Sultan Rishid, do hereby declare that your punishment should be..." He dissolved into giggles. "You must become my storyteller!"
Rishid blinked. "Malik, that is hardly severe enough..."
Malik shook his head. "No, no, that's what I want! I want her as my storyteller! If she doesn't tell me good stories, you can cut off her hands! Or... make her your pleasure-slave!" He started giggling.
Rishid blinked, then colored slightly and coughed a bit. "Thank you for your... suggestion, Malik... that will not be a choice..."
The girl shivered a bit and bit her lip. Great... at least he's honest...
"So you'd just kill her? She's too pretty to die!" Malik turned wide violet eyes on the girl.
"Then she had better keep you entertained," Rishid's voice was very acidic. "This is the last I will say on the subject. She will be your storyteller, until you tire of her, then I'll consider the rest of her punishment."
Malik sighed a bit. "Very well, big brother..." He turned to the girl as the guards let go of her. "I'm Malik! What's your name?"
The girl swallowed a bit. "My name is Serenity, your Highness..." She bowed quickly. I'd better learn how to the play the game...
Malik chuckled a bit and grinned. "Yay! Ok, tell me a story!"
Serenity took a deep breath. "Ok... Well... not too long ago, there was a rich man and a poor man..."
Rishid wasn't going to get involved in the story that the girl as telling. He didn't want to. If he got involved, he wouldn't be able to punish her properly. His father had told him that that was his problem. He was too soft, too sympathetic... He was too insightful, too concerned with his people, and their welfare.
That is what being a Sultan is about... Grandmother managed to tell me that much... He brooded a bit, ignoring the girl and her talking.
But I can see where Father had a point. I can't care about this girl. She is a thief, and she tried to steal the Sultan's property, and I cannot allow that. Thievery is not something to be taken lightly... I cannot go easy on her... Making her Malik's storyteller was hardly a punishment... He sighed. I cannot win, can I...
He stared blankly ahead of him and glanced at Malik. He seemed utterly enraptured by the girl's story, eyes bright and wide. Rishid sighed and looked away. Well, I'm glad he's happy... however long that will last... I suppose I should be happy for that...
Malik giggled as the girl finished the story and he sat back. "That was a good story... wasn't that a good story, big brother?"
Rishid made a noncommittal sound and remained staring at the wall. Malik sighed. "I thought it was good... You're going to be the greatest storyteller I ever had, Serenity!" He smiled very sweetly at her.
Serenity smiled a bit. "Thank you, your Highness. That means a great deal to me." She bowed again.
Rishid stood. "Guards, give the woman a room next to the prince's. See to it that she is comfortable."
Malik stood up as Serenity did. "Do you think someday a prince will come for me, like he did in the story?"
Rishid immediately put a hand to his forehead. Not this again.
Serenity blinked. "... Er... well, wouldn't you like a nice princess, instead?"
"No," Malik stamped his foot. "I wanna prince!"
Rishid sighed. "Of course, Malik, I'm certain a prince will come for you someday..." God, tell me this is a phase...
"Right," Serenity agreed. "You'll find a true love... after all, there was once a great king of men who thought that love would never come for him..." She carefully started herding him towards his room, following the guards closely.
Rishid sighed, somewhat grateful to the girl for getting his brother out of his hair. I suppose that is one good thing about her... she has her uses. Other than what Malik suggested...
And what would be so bad about what Malik suggested? The insidious little voice in the back of his head that he had tried to ignore for his entire life was starting to speak up again. She's pretty... and young, and probably talented... and what about that hair of hers... it looked so soft... And I am not thinking this... I am not listening to myself! I am the Sultan Rishid Ishtar, I do not need her! I do not need anyone!
He stood slowly and headed out to the stables. He'd better make sure the woman hadn't done anything harmful to his horses...
And if he worked himself hard enough, maybe he'd get her out of his head.
Maybe.
()()()()()()()()()()()()
A/N2: Meet the Unusual Pairing. :: smirks:: I love this couple! I don't care if he's a decade older than her! Stranger things have happened! So there!
Um... review? Please? :: chibi-eyes::