Happy New Year to everyone in the FF Community! Wishing everyone good health and success as we start this year. It's been a bit crazy, and I was lacking inspiration for a while, so it took me longer to get this chapter out. It seems a little short, but I decided to keep it that way. There is a chance I might edit this later, but most likely, I will be keeping it as is. As always, thanks for your support and feedback. I know it's probably been a pain for anyone who has been following this story since my initial posting, and I promise that I'm trying to finish this story. :)
Roshanak's Quarters
"Is it done, Bahar?" asked Roshanak.
"Yes, My Lady. The rumor has spread throughout the palace. There is no doubt that all the servants have heard it, which means she probably knows as well. Commander Mehran has had Aman seized and taken in for questioning."
Roshanak smirked. "Knowing that self-righteous savage, Farah will run in to save her precious bodyguard. And it will only make her look more suspicious! That fool is going to play right into my hand."
Roshanak then turned to her servant. "Good work, Bahar. You are dismissed. Send in Prince Shaheen, and then go out and see what is happening. I expect a full report later today.."
Bahar nodded and left. In less than a few minutes, a young boy with Roshanak's features appeared. Although he had the same eyes, his expression was visibly more vacant. Around his neck was the same amulet that Roshanak had previously used to summon the Dark Prince. Roshanak reached over and thumbed the amulet.
"We are alone now." she said.
Prince Shaheen's vacant expression suddenly changed, as his lips curled into a grimace, and his eyes turned into a fiery gold.
"No need for annoyance," snapped Roshanak. "You have fully inhabited a body, and I bring promising news."
The Dark Prince sneered. "I inhabit a child's body, Roshanak. A weak and sickly child's body. Adjusting to this has been a challenge to say the least. And what's this about Farah having Sherfiruz's spawn?"
Roshanak sniffed dismissively. "A female. Not a real threat at this point, but I will take care of her soon enough. If all goes well, Farah will lose all credibility with Sherfiruz, and that clears our path."
/**********************************************************/
Interrogation Room
Farah burst into the interrogation room and spotted Aman, his hands tied and elevated above his head, attached to a chain hanging from the ceiling. His face had specks of blood and swollen areas visibly apparent, and his shirt had been ripped off, revealing the bloody areas where he had been struck on his torso. Reaching for a handkerchief she had brought with her, she went over to Aman and began dabbing the cloth to his wounded face.
"Aman, this should have never happened," she said, her voice shaking with anger.
"My Lady," rasped Aman, as he opened his eyes. "You...you should not be here."
Before Farah could answer, men with covered faces burst into the room and roughly shoved Farah aside. She gasped, trying to maintain her balance, but she landed on the floor. The men made their way to Aman wordlessly and began to whip him.
"STOP!" screamed Farah. "I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!"
The men paid no attention to Farah and continued to wordlessly whip Aman, who closed his eyes and clamped his mouth closed, the grunts of pain still audible from his chest.. Farah shook her head. She could witness this any longer without doing something. Before anyone could stop her, she ran, arms outstretched and clung onto Aman's torso, shielding his body from any more blows. As the first stroke of the whip cut through her shawl and made contact with her back, her eyes watered, and she cried out in pain but only hung onto Aman even harder.
"No…" rasped Aman. "What are you doing? My Lady, you must go!"
Farah ignored Aman, but with each passing stroke and bite of pain, she felt her mind start to swim when she heard the sound of a door opening.
"HALT!" shouted a voice. The strokes suddenly stopped.
"Well, what do we have here?" said the same voice, and Farah recognized it immediately before she floated off into a state of unconsciousness.
Commander Mehran...
Right behind the commander entered King Sherfiruz, whose first sight was Farah with a ripped and slightly bleeding backside clinging onto Aman's naked, bruised and beaten torso.
Inwardly, Commander Mehran smirked with pleasure. This was even better than he and Roshanak could have planned for. Farah had literally thrown herself into Aman's arms.
"Whose work is this?" said Sherfiruz in a tone so icy and ferocious, it could have chilled one's bones. Commander Mehran immediately jumped in to respond.
"Your Highness, the guard was taken for questioning due to a suspicion that aros-"
"And what was the evidence for this suspicion?" snapped Sherfiruz.
Mehran stood quiet, taken aback. He had thought that the sight of Farah in Aman's arms would have angered him enough to not ask such questions.
"There was a rumor that the guard-"
"SILENCE!" glowered Sherfiruz. "A rumor, Commander? You gave the interrogation order over a rumor?"
Before Mehran could say another word, Sherfiruz interjected.
"This interrogation is over. Release Aman immediately and have his wounds tended to."
Mehran grimaced but bowed his head. "As you wish, Your Majesty. And Her Highness-"
"Leave her. I will tend to her myself " snapped Sherfiruz. He went over to Aman and unpeeled an unconscious Farah from his body."
/************************************************************/
"Farah? Farah, please wake up."
The voice was masculine, a bit raspy, and the sense of urgency present seemed to snap her out of her stupor. Farah slowly came out of her dreamlike state and opened her eyes. She was greeted with the smell of salve and a pair of blue/green eyes. As her vision came into focus, she realized it was Sherfiruz.
"Farah," he rasped, stroking her forehead, his eyes filled with a combination of worry, confusion, and even disappointment. Farah was immediately reminded of what had just transpired.
The interrogation, Aman, and Commander Mehran.
Trying to sit up, she immediately winced as she felt chafing and pain across various parts of her back. She suddenly realized that she wasn't wearing a tunic, and that her otherwise bare torso was covered in bandages that were wrapped front and back. Slightly embarrassed, she tried to pull her blanket up to her chest, only to have Sherfiruz stop her hands.
"Relax, it's only me here," he said.
Farah gave him a look. As if that's supposed to make this any less awkward.
Sherfiruz took a deep breath. "Farah," he began. "I know how you are, and I know how you think. But do you have any idea as to what kind of danger you put yourself under today?"
Farah averted her eyes. There was no adequate answer to this question.
"Farah," said Sherfiruz once again, bringing his hand to the side of her face. "You just gave birth and then got yourself whipped in an interrogation room."
At this, Farah's gaze darted back to him, indignation in her eyes. "Aman is innocent. Why was the commander punishing an innocent man with no evidence?"
Sherfiruz sighed deeply, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Farah, I've told you this before, but you need to stop jumping into situations like this to fix things that are more complicated than you think."
Farah's memory flashed back to when she and Sherfiruz had been fighting to get the kingdom back when she had tried to turn back and help the women in the brothel.
"I go to kill the Vizier- to end this! While you run around trying to apply bandages to axe wounds!"
Farah frowned. "I realize that, but what if Aman had been killed? Do you know how bad that would have made the Persians look?"
Sherfiruz sighed and looked at Farah. "And do you know how it looks that the King's wife is clinging to the body of one of her countrymen-one who is being accused of having an illicit relationship with her, while he gets whipped?"
Farah straightened immediately despite her pain, her eyes flashing in fury. Anger boiled in her blood, and Naseemeh's blue/green eyes flashed in front of her. As if anyone could accuse Aman of fathering her daughter when the child had clearly inherited Sherfiruz's eyes.
"And do you believe that baseless rumor?"
Sherfiruz met Farah's gaze with his own. "No, not for a second, but it's not about what I believe or what I know. Farah, as my wife, you are under scrutiny at all times."
Farah huffed. "You forgot to mention that it's also because I am a foreigner."
Sherfiruz let out another sigh. "Yes, also because of that."
Farah then crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "You also probably know who is responsible for spreading this nasty rumor. Why doesn't the person responsible face the consequences in this situation? Why is an innocent man from my kingdom made a sacrificial lamb? Yes, I can see how this was a trap that I likely ran into, but still. Why did it even come to this?"
Sherfiruz looked at Farah, and she could see a mixture of sadness and fatigue in his expression.
"It is not as simple as it seems, Farah. " he said quietly.
Farah burned internally. Of course, Roshanak is Persian royalty. She can get away with literal murder without being questioned.
"Maybe," said Farah icily, "you all will just have to wait until I share the same fate as poor Lady Anemone." Then she turned and buried her face in the pillow, silent tears flowing down her face.
The bit with the flashback is from the Two Thrones. In case anyone is curious, I used that part of Farah's personality from the game to develop her character here because she does seem like the type of person who will jump into to crazy situations to save people without thinking of the consequences. I also work with some awesome people in healthcare who are like this too, and I guess Farah's character in my story is also inspired by them.
