Yikes! I know it's been a while since I've updated. I'm really sorry that it took so long to churn out this chapter. I had a few ideas of where I originally wanted it to go, but I finally settled on this, hoping that it'll push the story along a bit better. A big thank you to anyone who's still reading this story and as always, I'm open to ideas, comments, etc.
The young servant who had been tasked with delivering the King's message to Farah had the misfortune of finding himself in face to face interrogation with Roshanak's servant, Bahar.
"You just came from the King, didn't you" hissed Bahar at the servant, backing him into a corner.
The young servant gulped as he tried to back away. He had been told that it was essential that he deliver the King's message. If he failed...well, it was an unpleasant thought.
"Do you bear a message?" spat Bahar at the young servant. "Where is it? Hand it over!"
The young servant chose to remain silent and tried to move away from Bahar, but she blocked his path.
"Not going to talk, are you?" she whispered in a dangerously low voice. "You will if you know what's good for you. Answer me! Who are you delivering this message to?"
"Enough, Bahar" rang out a voice from the other side of the corridor.
Both Bahar and the young servant turned in surprise to see the source of the voice. A tall, thin figure with hair the color of pale gold emerged from the other side. Lady Anemone might have been ill, but her presence was not lacking in the least bit. She confidently made her way over to the pair surprisingly fast without stumbling.
"Lady Anemone" acknowledged Bahar with a nod and a grumble.
Anemone first turned to young message-bearing servant, who even in his frazzled state, greeted her respectfully. She gave him a sympathetic, knowing look before directing her attention to Bahar.
"The message this servant is carrying is intended for me"
Bahar snorted and rolled her eyes, a gesture that shocked the young servant. He had been taught that any kind of disrespect towards royalty was punishable by beating or death. Bahar's behavior, however, did not faze Anemone.
"Bahar, you are dismissed. Your presence is not needed here." said Anemone firmly, meeting Bahar's haughty look with a glare of her own. "And," she added, "You can tell Lady Roshanak that she should go easy with that skin whitening regimen, lest she should want to eventually end up like me."
Bahar eyes widened and flashed with anger, but she bit her tongue and flared her nostrils, as she knew it was better to stay silent. She could not disobey a direct order from one of the King's wives. With a slight nod, she turned and left.
Once she was out of sight, Anemone turned to the young servant, who bowed slightly, relief and gratitude evident on his face and in his movements.
"Young man, who is this message intended for?"
"Lady Farah, your majesty," answered the servant, still bowing.
"Leave it with me. You have my word that it will be delivered directly into her hands." Giving him another sympathetic look, she added, "It will be safer this way, and you can return to your other duties."
The servant nodded and handed the message over to her before bowing and heading back. It was out of his hands now, and he knew that Lady Anemone was trustworthy. Who else would have stood up for a lowly messenger?
Anemone sighed and shook her head again. Roshanak and Bahar were insufferable. Seeing their antics against Farah reminded her of what happened when she had first arrived to the palace. Intercepting her messages and barring her path were only the beginning. It had soon escalated to more extreme measures such as setups and gradually led to the slow poisoning. Remembering all of this, Anemone furrowed her brow. She'd be damned if she let the same happen to Farah.
"Parisa," she called for servant, indicating for her to come close. "I have a very important message I must deliver to Lady Farah, but it must be done as discreetly as possible. You know what to do."
"She said what?" hissed Roshanak in a dangerous tone.
"That-that Your Highness should go easy with the skin whitening lest you should want to eventually end up like her" answered Bahar, slightly stumbling over the beginning of her sentence in fear of how Roshanak would react. She had already recounted the story of the failure to intercept the King's message, and Roshanak was not amused.
"That Greek dog" snarled Roshanak. "Been so quiet for so long, and now she chooses to bare her teeth? Too little, too late. She's got one foot in the grave anyhow."
"But Your Highness," started Bahar, "She knows about the identity of the poiso-"
Roshanak put up a hand. "It matters not." she snapped. "She still cannot prove anything. Any accusation she would make would be of no use at this point. It would be seen as a desperate attempt to make herself relevant before she withers away into nothing."
Roshanak paused for a second, eyebrows raised.
"But it does beg the question, what was in that envelope? It contained the King's seal. What would he want with that walking corpse?"
Palace Laundry Quarters
"Make haste, make haste!" yelled a woman in the center of the large room where laundry was being washed, dried, and pressed. Steam made the air thick and slightly suffocating, but it seemed to have little effect on the laundry staff, who bustled around with admirable efficiency.
All except for Farah, of course. Dressed in a servant's garb, cloth wrapped around her face, she was thankful for the anonymity, but she felt her sluggishness was going to out her at any moment. But she could not let that happen. She had a purpose here. As soon as she had received the message from Lady Anemone, attached to the message from the King, delivered in a rather weathered-looking shawl and had read the contents, she knew that she had to exercise caution. Lady Farah's message had read as the following:
My Dear Farah,
I was fortunate to have intercepted this message from a servant that was meant for you before Bahar could force it out of his hand. It bears the seal of the King, and the contents are likely very important. Lady Roshanak will do anything to keep you from communicating with His Majesty, but you must not allow that to happen. I urge you to not repeat the mistakes of my past. Plan ahead and act with caution. To survive against Roshanak, you must try to stay ahead of her at all times.
Anemone
Farah's heart surged with gratitude and sadness when thinking about Lady Anemone. Given everything that she had been through, Farah would not have been surprised if Anemone was bitter and angry. On the contrary, she exuded love and compassion, and she was watching out for Farah. Once Farah broke the seal on the second message, she found a rather brief note.
Lady Farah,
You are being summoned to the King's Quarters at sunset. Arrive alone.
King Sherfiruz
If this message had not been intended for Farah, she would have ruefully laughed at its brief and blunt nature, but as soon as she read it, a wave of nerves had shot into her body. She had avoided the King for so long, and now he had summoned her to his quarters. She had been filled with fear, but she remembered Anemone's words.
"I would suggest that if that the next time the King requests your presence, please do not avoid it. You need the time to at least talk to him alone. Believe me, my dear, you do not want his trust in you to be marred by the poisonous rumors of this palace."
Anemone was right. There was no more beating around the bush. For too long, she had found ways to stay aloof, but if she wanted to avoid harm, it was time that she directly spoke to the King. He would perhaps be willing to listen if she took the opportunity to try, but she did know one thing: there was no way she was simply going to show up in front of the King's quarters with the message, and instead of scaling the walls like last time, she would find another way in.
And that way happened to be through the laundry quarters.
As Farah tried to blend in with the rest of the workers, she listened carefully, trying to figure out where the carts of clean laundry were headed. As if someone had heard her thoughts, she overheard a worker converse with another.
"These linens and towels in this cart here are going to His Majesty's quarters. We'll take this one first. The blankets and sheets over there need to be folded and loaded for Lady Roshanak's quarters."
The worker paused for a second, a look of undeniable annoyance on his face. "No need to rush with that load. She and that abomination named Bahar will find something to complain about either way."
The other worker nodded and turned to get more linens and towels for the cart while Farah stifled a laugh, happy to hear that she was not the only one who detested Roshanak and Bahar. When no one was looking, Farah, lowered herself into the large cart and squished her body under the numerous folded linens and towels, flattening herself as much as possible. She felt a few more items land on top in soft thumps, and then the cart began to move.
"Is it just me, or is this cart a lot heavier than usual" mumbled one of the workers.
"No, you're just getting old or weak, my friend." retorted the other worker.
Farah silently made a prayer of thanks that no one suspected or thought to investigate the cause of the extra weight and tried to stay as still as possible. After some time, she felt the cart come to a halt, heard the mumbling of guards, and then the creak of opening doors. The cart then once again began moving briefly until it stopped.
"Wait, aren't we going to start putting these away-" began one of the workers.
"No, we're laundry," answered the other worker sharply. "Our job is to make the delivery. Let the chamber servants take care of that part."
Once Farah heard their footsteps fade, she carefully lifted herself from the cart, making sure no one else was there, and then stepped out to what looked like a closet room filled with shelves. Cautiously, she made her way out of the room, and as soon as she turned the corner, she collided with something. With horror, she realized it was a body, and once the shock wore off, she managed to step back and found herself looking straight into the blue/green eyes of King Sherfiruz. In a split second, she let out a squeak, and her eyes widened.
Sherfiruz looked at her with a practically penetrating glare. "There are only a few servants from laundry who come here, and none of them hide their faces. Who are you?"
Farah was in such shock that it took her a few seconds to realize what he was saying. Her face was still covered, and she looked suspicious. Without thinking, she reached in her servant's garb for the message with the King's seal. Sherfiruz's eyes darted to follow her movement and quickly pinned both arms in a swift movement. With his free hand he pulled down the cloth covering her face. As soon as her features became visible, his hard expression turned to one of shock.
"Farah?!" he exclaimed in surprise with raised eyebrows.
Farah winced, trying to rotate her pinned arms, and Sherfiruz immediately let go of his grip, his expression softening into one of concern.
"I'm sorry, did I hurt you? I didn't mean to-" He began, reaching for her arm. Farah, however, shook her head, took a step back, rubbing her arms, as she looked at him. Sherfiruz stood at the door dressed much casually in a thin cotton tunic with a neckline that dipped low, exposing some chest hair, loose pants, and a light robe about his shoulders with the not unpleasant masculine smell of musk emanating from his body. Farah felt her face grow warm immediately as she took him in, and at the same time grew frustrated with herself.
What is wrong with me? We worked together to regain this kingdom, and he is more clothed now than he was then. Why do I feel so shy?
Shaking aside her nerves and ignoring the warmth that came from her cheeks, she took a deep breath and reached for the message with the official seal.
"I received your message, granted, after it was almost intercepted. Luckily, it found its way to me eventually."
Sherfiruz frowned. "Intercepted? I had almost thought you didn't receive it. Is this why you're…"
He motioned at her laundry worker's garb. Farah nodded.
"It was best for me to arrive here 'unannounced'" replied Farah softly.
At this, Sherfiruz held a door open and put out his arm, motioning for her to enter. As she walked into his living quarters, she was amazed at how expansive they were.
Sherfiruz, however, then took her by the hand and motioned towards a door on the side.
"This way" he said.
Farah followed him and realized they had entered his bedchamber. Her face grew warmer and her heart began to race. He hadn't he called her here for that, had he?
"Please, take a seat anywhere" said Sherfiruz, sitting on his bed.
Farah settled herself a chair on the same side facing him, but she had some trouble looking him directly in the eye. Nevertheless, he cleared his throat and began to speak.
"Farah, the truth behind me sending that note is that we needed to talk in private. We have not had a chance to talk at all even though we have been married for a while now."
Farah nodded in agreement. That was true.
"In truth, I was looking forward to spending some time alone with you the day of our official ceremony, and I understood your decision to take care of Yasmin, but…"
Farah took a deep breath. Uh oh…Here it comes.
"I know that you have been avoiding me, Farah." said Sherfiruz. "Look at me, please"
Farah exhaled and looked up at him. There was nothing she could say.
"I'm not sure what it is," he continued. "I thought…I thought after we defeated the vizier, we were at least on good terms. But now, almost every time I make contact with you, you become so stiff and quiet. Am I so repulsive to you that the thought of being near me disgusts you?"
At the last statement, Farah jerked her head up in shock. "No, no, my King, it's not-"
"My King?" repeated Sherfiruz incredulously with a wry laugh. "We are alone, Farah. Away with the formalities. See? This is exactly what I was talking about…"
"No,…Sherfiruz" Farah said correcting herself. "It is not what you think. I have never found you repulsive or disgusting-"
"But you do not care to be near me"
"No!" exclaimed Farah. Tears of frustration filled in her eyes. It was her own fault. She had been so distant with him and now…perhaps Lady Anemone had been right in this matter.
Farah looked at him pleadingly "Firuz," she began, using a shortened version of his name that she had once heard the old man address him with, "If I did not care for you, I would not have returned for you when you fought the twins. I would not have cared about the assassins at the front garden. I would not have brought you the fruit preserve-"
Farah suddenly stopped. It was the first time she had mentioned any of these incidents and the first time she had admitted anything about them.
When she looked up at the king, she was surprised to see his face bearing a half-smile.
"At last," he said. "I finally got you to address some of those things. Now that we have established you don't hate me, please tell me why you avoid me as if I were some kind of plague."
Farah bit her tongue and looked at the ground, internally conflicted and struggling to explain. Would he ever understand?
Sherfiruz noted the conflict in her face. He walked over to her and took her hand in his.
"Farah, you know some of my darkest secrets and my greatest flaws. You witnessed them firsthand, and I am not ashamed of any of this, because I trust you."
Farah looked up slowly and took a deep breath.
"Now, I am asking you to trust me and be honest. Why do you avoid me? What is it that you are so afraid of?"
Farah chewed on her lip and struggled to speak.
"Tell me, Farah" he said gently. "I promise to listen without passing judgment."
With a shaky voice, Farah began. "I-there are so many things. Ever since I've come here, I've been painfully made aware that I have no identity. Here, I am a foreigner, and outsider. And to my own people, I no longer belong to them either. Although our kingdoms are now united, I am-"
Farah paused as she felt her eyes water.
"I am an outcast. What will happen to any child I bear? Will that child suffer as Yasmin does? Will that child be nothing but a half-breed to everyone? Will our existence serve to be nothing but a burden?"
"I cannot take it" suddenly exclaimed Farah, her voice breaking into a sob. "I cannot bear to see my child become a monster for the throne! I cannot! "
Hot tears continued to flow uncontrollably down her face. She suddenly felt the king's hand on her face.
"Farah," said Sherfiruz softly, shaking his head as he used his thumb to wipe her tears.
"Perhaps I felt that it was best if you just ignored my existence." said Farah flatly. "No power, no influence, no heirs-"
"And no relation to me?" said Sherfiruz somewhat harshly, causing Farah to look up in surprise.
Sherfiruz placed both his hands on either side of her face. "How could you make this decision for me?" He sighed deeply and locked his blue-green gaze into her brown eyes. "Do you still not know what I feel for you?"
Farah found herself turning even warmer under the combination of his gaze and his words. She wanted to lower her eyes, but he kept her face in position.
"Farah, I promise you that any child born of our union will be treated as an equal. You do not have to worry about the status of our child. As for the throne, I will ensure that only the most worthy candidate will take the throne."
Farah nodded, satisfied with his promise. Sherfiruz got up and took Farah's hand.
"Farah, do you recall when I told you the story of the sands of time and our journey in Azad?"
Farah nodded. It has been a great tale, one that was almost too crazy to believe.
"I told you about the hourglass and our journey together, but I left out one thing: The nature of our relationship."
Farah's eyes widened. She had suspected this the first time he had told her the story, especially when he spoke of her "death".
"We started out as allies of circumstance, but over the course of our journey, we grew to be something...more."
"What do you mean by more?" inquired Farah with raised eyebrows.
Sherfiruz cocked an eyebrow and simply gave her a look that made her blush, a look that almost teasingly asked if she really wanted to know the answer to her question. Clutching her pendant, she chewed her lip in embarrassment before she continued. "I've had odd visions...dreams...ones where I'm-we're in a pool of warm water-."
"It was a bath" interjected Sherfiruz with a look of mixed surprise and amusement. "And that was no vision or dream."
Farah's eyes grew wide once again and her hand flew to her mouth. "You mean-" she gasped, "We-we…" Immediately, she lowered her eyes in shame. She couldn't believe it.
"You and I have always shared a special bond Farah, one that transcends any timeline" answered Sherfiruz, bringing his finger underneath her chin. Without warning, his lips were suddenly on hers, sendings a jolt through her entire body. Her pendant began to turn warm, as visions materialized in front of her.
Don't leave me...my love, please don't leave me…
Isn't it beautiful?
Just take me in your arms…
Shall we take a bath?
I've been waiting so long…
Why do you act so distant?
Don't you want to touch me?
Farah pulled away from Sherfiruz, gasping and clutching her chest.
"These images in my head, my voice" Shaking her head with frustration, she exclaimed, "I can see it all happening, but I have no memory of any of it! Or what it means!"
Sherfiruz once again gently lifted her chin and bore his blue-green eyes into her dark ones, and Farah felt the pendant tucked into her clothes grow warm. When Sherfiruz placed his hand at her back, her body suddenly trembled at his touch. Embarrassed, Farah bowed her head in silent apology, but he once again lifted her face.
"Farah," he said softly, stroking her stubborn strand of hair from her forehead yet again. "I will not force you. What we had, I believe we can still have, as long as you are here."
With these words, Farah's pendant glowed once more, and images materialized before her eyes.
"All right, I've decided-I will marry her. I'll tell her the first chance I get. It's time to put an end to all this fencing about and not saying what one really means. We've made it this far; it's foolish to deny what we both feel."
Farah then saw an image of a younger Sherfiruz weeping over her younger self's dead body.
"No,"sobbed Sherfiruz, cradling her lifeless face to his own. "No…."
She then watched as the vizier came in, rasping that the girl (she) was unimportant, a statement that caused Sherfiruz to tackle him in a fit of rage. The vizier pushed him away, ordering Sherfiruz to give him the dagger, promising to give him power and eternal life.
"Live forever?" Began Sherfiruz angrily, pulling out the dagger. "While those I loved dead, and I to blame? I choose death!" He exclaimed, as he hopped on top of the hourglass and struck the dome with the dagger with a howl, causing a grand rewind.
Loved...
As the last of the images faded, Farah shook her head slightly and looked up at Sherfiruz. She saw the tenderness in his face. He truly did care for her, and the images, as fragmented as they were, coincided with the story that Sherfiruz had told her back when she had asked him how he had known her name. Of course, he had not gone into the intimate (no pun intended) details, but they confirmed what his feelings towards her. In her heart, Farah knew she cared for him. She could not deny her own feelings. Perhaps it was time that she also acted on them before it was too late.
As she met Sherfiruz's gaze, she leaned over and gently brought her lips to his own. To her surprise, a sudden warmth and familiarity filled her body. It took but a few seconds for Sherfiruz to respond, pressing back firmly with his own intensity, placing his hand behind her head to steady her.
Whoooshh
The evening breeze rushed through an opening, blowing out all the candles that had been illuminating the room, bathing the room in a blue/white sea of moonlight. Farah's eyes opened at this sudden change, and she instinctively moved towards the blown-out candles, but Sherfiruz's grip on her shoulder tightened.
"Let it be..." he whispered. He then he let go of her shoulder and brought his hand up once again to her face and brought his lips to her own. Farah closed her eyes, placed her arms around his neck, and allowed herself to be once again taken in by a wave of sensations that were both intense and calming at the same time.
For the first time since coming to Persia, she felt safe. She felt like she was home.
Note: The poison that they are referring to is Arsenic. In the story, I implied that Roshanak uses it to both lighten her skin and slow poison Anemone. Anyone here watch those period dramas where the palace ladies scheme and have their servants do the dirty work? :P
