AN: I figured it was about time I got something else up. Enjoy!
When word got to the Shah that the prisoners had arrived and that not only were the three he had requested delivered but a young girl as well, he was delighted. However, he soon found out that Javert had no intention of handing her over with the others.
"Give him more. Don't stop until that girl is mine!"
The guard nodded, heading out to deliver the message. The Shah sat back on his throne, a sneer painting his handsomely boyish features. Although he had grown into a fine adult, the Shah's childish fancies of his youth had not changed much. He still insisted on wearing gaudy, jewel encrusted outfits and being entertained in his favorite way: torture. It was why he was so excited when he found out his magician was still alive and was accompanied by the former Doroga. His delight had doubled when he learned of the magician's son.
Immediately he sent word out that if someone could capture the trio and bring them to him in Persia, there would be a hefty sum to be payed. He was looking forward to having his old entertainer back under his command.
Erik stood before the Shah, dressed all in black from his mask all the way down to his shoes. This was the Angel of Death, the Shah's Magician from long ago. His blood boiled as he performed for His Majesty. The man in question was dressed in flowing peacock blue robes encrusted in sapphires with a matching sapphire headpiece. He still had the boyish features of days past although he had grown. Everything about the situation infuriated the masked man immensely. It didn't help that he was back to his old duties under the insolent man's rule.
The Daroga had also been given back his old title and responsibilities. Gustave had been sent to training to become one of the Shah's elite guards. As for Mélodie, her fate was still unknown. Her back had healed nicely during the remainder of the journey thanks to Erik's constant care. By the time they reached Persia all that remained were a few bloody scabs and the beginnings of scars. As her strength returned, the fire in her eyes had grown until she became a feisty ball of determination the others in the cage hadn't seen in her before. It worried the Persian and her father what would happen when she would come face to face with the Shah himself.
"Wonderful! I believe that will be all for today, Magician. You may go," the Shah said as Erik finished a set.
Nodding his head, the Angel of Death turned on his heel and exited the throne room, headed for his quarters. He wished he knew where his children were being held, specifically his daughter, but they were all being closely monitored for the first few weeks of their stay and he didn't dare sneak off just yet to find them. He would just have to wait for a more opportune time to utilize his abilities as a phantom.
Mélodie smirked as she strolled through the streets of Persia. She had figured out really fast that she could get away with quite a bit if she just mentioned that she was the daughter of the feared Angel of Death who worked for the Shah. Really, with the way she was acting, her cockiness would most likely catch up to her sooner or later, but she couldn't help herself. She knew from her mother's records that her father had behaved similarly when he first arrived in Persia all those years ago until the Shah ordered he be thrown in jail and be killed due to the knowledge he had gained.
She hadn't seen much of the others since they had been separated upon their arrival in the foreign land. However, it hadn't been hard to find out that both her father and Nadir had both resumed their old roles under the Shah's command and Gustave was training to become a royal guard. The only one, it seemed, the Shah hadn't found a job for was her. To be fair, until their arrival, he hadn't known of her existence, a fact that had led to Javert's treatment of her a month into their journey.
Mélodie was aware that both Nadir and her father were worried that her newfound fire and determination would get her in trouble with His Majesty once she came face to face with him. They both knew from past experience with her father what that sort of cocky behavior would get from the Shah. However, she had already thought through and come up with a plan that would guarantee she wouldn't get in trouble when faced with the Shah directly, while still keeping up the behavior outside of the dreaded throne room.