"I always was my mother's daughter, Iago."Fahriha said to him, confused. "You said th same thing the last time."
"Well, I always thought you were too boring."he told her.
"Do you really think I'm boring?"she asked.
If Iago thought she was boring, perhaps Khalil would think so, too.
"How should I be less boring?"she asked him.
"You're doing it right now, by doing what your parents tell you not to do."
"That's what makes me boring?"
"In a way."
"Oh."
She didn't understand what Iago meant, but she took his word for it. After all, he knew more about the way they thought in the selamlik than she did. He'd been there more often. She hadn't, so she just nodded, and decided she'd take his advice.
"There's someone coming!"Iago whispered. "Get over there!"
One of the pages stopped just in front of the place where they were hiding. He looked confused and sniffed around, with a bewildered look on his face.
"It must be what you're wearing."Iago whispered to Fahriha.
"I always wear the scent. Everyone does."
The page shook his head, and decided it must be his imagination, and went on.
"Whew! Saved! Maybe you should put something that's not scented on for these midnight adventures."
"All my clothes are scented! Either with jasmine or orange or something! Does that make me boring, too?"she asked anxiously.
Iago rolled his eyes.
"That's another story. Just...forget it."
"But you said I was boring most of the time."
"Well, somethings are just a little troublesome but not boring."
"Do you suppose Khalil thinks I'm boring?"
"Possibly. Now that you mention it. We should start a make over for you tomorrow!"
"And that'll make me less boring?"
"As much as we can possibly arrange. We're here."
"It's like the haremlik."she said, looking around. "Only everything's a little duller."
"Well, I've never been in the haremlik. Especially not here, of course."Khalil was saying. "I mean your father barely lets you out, much less me in."
"Everyone says it's because I'm the only girl."she told him. "Do you have any sisters?"
"Three."
Fahriha sighed.
"Then they probably don't get as much attention as I do, do they?"she asked.
"No, they don't. They just get what they need, and want. But nothing else."
"Dad goes and sees me often. As often as he can. Almost everyday."
"Wow. And in the haremlik? Mine hardly ever takes the time to see us. He likes military stuff much more."
"War?"
"Yeah, something like that."
Khalil frowned.
"We used to play war games right there, to see who was the best rider and all that."
"I've never seen war games. My brothers tell me about them sometimes, though. But I've never seen one. Once Dad did get really mad because he heard them telling me about it."she nodded. "I was only curious, though."
"Oh, well, there's nothing to it if you're a good rider."he said.
"Are you?"
"Well, I never got thrown down."he said, smiling.
She smiled.
"Do you have a fan?"she asked him.
"A fan?"
"I forgot one. Are there none here?"
"Um, no. Not usually. Only if you do get hot enough, the pages can come and fan you, but..."
"The pages!"
"That's usually what happens if you do get warm."
"I'll...have to leave?"
"Or...?"
Fahriha started fanning herself with her hands. Then removed her face veil and tried to fan herself with it.
"I suppose the veil will have to do."she said as she turned to face away from Khalil. She stopped. Iago said that she was boring because she always did whatever she was told. She had been told that no one outside the haremlik should see her unveiled. She had decided before that the best thing to do was take Iago's advice. Iago could sometimes just talk for no reason, but she had to admit that sometimes he did say the truth. Maybe she was supposed to...she turned back towards him. He looked surprised.
"Um..."
She held her veil in one hand, no longer fanning herself with it.
"I..."
What would she do now? She was unveiled, just as her father had told her not to be, and she was now at a loss as to what she should do.
"I really didn't think you'd ever..."
"Me neither."she said.
"I've never seen you without the veils."
Fahriha blushed, and blushed even harder as he stroked her hair. She had an urge to cover her face with her hands and run, but fought it. She held her breath as he came closer, and then she felt his lips on hers. It was only for an instant before it was too much, and she could fight it no longer, backed away, covered her face with her hands and ran.
"Hey!"she heard Iago call out from behind her.
She paid no attention to him, and ran harder still towards the safety of the haremlik.
