"It's just not fair!"cried Ruwa.

"Life is never fair."Nura said, consolingly.

"My life is ruined!"

"No, it's not. You'll just have to learn to deal with it. So you can't marry the man you want. No girl chooses her own husband. It's just not done!"

"I will!"exclaimed Ruwa.

"You're crazy! A daughter's duty is to obey her father! Not to go around, well, venturing into the rough world of men, and choosing her own husband!"

"But don't you see! My life is over then!"

"You are simply upset. That is why you are being so dramatic. Now, why don't you tidy yourself up a bit? The Sultan's vizier should be in the selamlik by now, I guess, and we'll all be in so much trouble if he can hear you crying."

Ruwa dried her tears.

"What am I going to do?"

Nura didn't reply, but just looked at her hands. Abbas looked over his lady's shoulder, apparently, interested in the conversation.

"I must elope!"cried Ruwa suddenly.

"You must what!"

"Elope."

"How can you even suggest such a thing! Not only is that not right, it is not…suitable. It just would not be. Even if you were to elope, um, well, you would have to wait at least a week."

"You must let me stay here."Ruwa pleaded.

"Won't this be the first place where your father will look for you?"asked Nura.

"You mustn't let him know I'm here."

Nura scratched her head.

"I guess…oh, all right."She turned to Abbas. "Abbas, you must not let anyone know that Ruwa is here. No one. Not even my husband, she will stay here, until…until we decide something else. I'm guessing he must go and let your beloved know?"she asked, looking at Ruwa.

Ruwa nodded.

"Very well. You've seen what she wants done, Abbas. You must immediately go, find him, and let him know."

"He could only meet me here, in the haremlik."she said.

"The haremlik!"exclaimed Nura.

Abbas almost lost his balance, and toppled down on a small table. The grabbed the back of a chair for balance.

"If someone finds out…"

"They will not find out. Only Abbas and perhaps the other eunuchs, and they can not say a word to anyone. No one else will ever need to know."pleaded Ruwa.

"Anyone else who might visit…might…?"

"No!"

"What you are suggesting is…insane."said Nura weakly. "Isn't one to be allowed a week, at least, to get…accustomed to the idea of being a wife?"

"You know I have no other choice!"

Nura nodded, and looked at Abbas to carry out her orders.

"Shut the haremlik. Let no one in. No one! I have not been feeling well, I am…ill, and incapable of receiving visitors. We don't know when I'll be better, just…just…that. Nothing else. Ruwa has not been here since…yesterday."

"Your husband, my lady?"

"Um, I just…simply…do not wish anyone to see me in my current state. Ruwa shall stay in my sitting room, where I will remain with her, not coming out, you know."

Abbas sighed and nodded.

"I shall inform the rest of the eunuchs and the girls, then go and find the young man, lady. I suppose he must be at the tailor's."

He turned and walked away.

"We must get to my sitting room immediately. We can't leave that room. Unless Abbas makes sure it is completely safe."

She grabbed Ruwa's wrist, and led her to the sitting room.

"I think I will be ill, you know. Ruwa, how could you have brought this on me?"she hissed.

"It will only be for a short while."

"And after? I'm guessing your father will want to find you."

"No. He will probably think I am gone for good."

Abbas gritted his teeth, and made his way to the tailor's shop. He found Cassim.

"My lady wishes you to know that you are to meet the…"he cleared his throat. "That her friend, Ruwa, shall be…hiding in my master's haremlik, where she wants you to meet her. It seems that she is determined to elope, as from what I understand, her father does not wish his daughter married to you." And with good reason, he thought to himself. "I am to lead you to her to make sure you are not seen upon entering the haremlik. Everyone has been told that my lady is ill. She wishes that absolutely no one, not even my master, come to see her in her current state. She must not be distressed, simply see that her wishes are granted, to help calm her nerves."

"Take me there now."said Cassim.

Abbas looked at him thinking, you are no one to give me orders, my master is the pasha, not the streetrat. But he led him anyway.

"My hands are growing cold."Nura remarked, as she paced back and forth, back and forth.

There was knock on the door.

"It is Abbas, lady."she heard Abbas's voice say from the other side. "I have brought the young man with me."

"Cassim!"

"Enter, Abbas."

Abbas opened the door, and walked in, with Cassim behind him.

"Everything has been attended to, lady."

Nura only nodded.

"If anything goes wrong, I shall never forgive either of you!"exclaimed Nura. "Oh, what will happen if something does go wrong? What will become of all of us?"she asked Abbas.

I'd rather not even think about it, lady, he thought. Out loud he said, "Let us pray to Allah that everything goes on just as planned."

Nura nodded.

"Everything must go right!"said Cassim. "It simply must!"

"Not so loud."Nura pleaded him.

"I'm sorry. I am so grateful to you that you have agreed to help Ruwa and me. You truly are a great lady."he told her as he kissed her hand.

"Oh, don't you ever say that. I'm just doing what I can. Only very little."

"It is not very little."

"You must not distress my lady."said Abbas. "You must rest, lady."he said to her.

"I'm fine, Abbas."

Cassim, Ruwa, and Nura agreed that they should be married the within a week.

"A week will never go by more slowly."said Nura.

"I agree with you."said Ruwa happily.

"I would have chosen to remain an unmarried girl if I were you."said Nura. "All this trouble we're going through, only for…"

"It is my happiness, Nura."

"It's no more different than the way in which you've lived up until today. The same ways in which you please your father, those same ways will please your husband. Perhaps only in the difference being that it's a different man, and he will have different likes and dislikes. And, of course, the husband expects you to…"Nura's hands tightened on the ring she was playing with.

"Is it hard?"asked Ruwa.

"It's always been for me, but I don't like to talk about that. I will never understand why…anyway, we must dye your hands and feet with henna. Fortunately, there is no one else in the house today, so we need not worry. Hanif is at a meeting."

They rose, and walked out of the sitting room.