The servant knocked on the door. He prayed to Allah that the demon would be out. He held his breath as the door was open. He let it out when he saw Christine's face.
"Hello. Can I help you?"
"Her majesty would like your prescence in the throne room."
Christine chewed on her bottom lip. Erik said that she shouldn't go near the Sultana without him, but could she risk angering her? Christine decided to go see what she wanted. Surely, she would be okay for just a little bit.
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCThe Sultana eyed Christine before speaking. "Christine, do you know how things work here?"
"No."
"I take it then that Erik has not explained to you how we function in the palace."
"No."
"Then let me be so kind as to explain it to you, Christine. I get something that I want, and then everyone else gets what they want. I have something that you want, Christine."
"You don't have anything that I want." Christine replied back quickly. Erik had warned her to be careful of the Sultana's tricks.
"Of course, I do. I have many things that you want, Christine. Whatever you want. All you have to do is ask."
"Anything I want?"
"Anything. And all you have to do is sing a song for me."
"That's all? You don't want anything else?"
"Just a song, Christine. Now what is that you want?"
"I want to go home. Me and Erik. The both of us back to the United States."
"That is asking a lot, Christine. You expect me to give up both of my favorite toys."
"You said anything that I wanted."
"I did say that, didn't I? Alright, Christine sing for me."
ECECECECCECECECECECECECECECECECCCCCCCEEEEECECECECECECECECECE
Erik walked into the apartment and heard singing. He followed the sound to the bedroom. He saw Christine folding a shirt. "What has you in such a fine mood?"
Christine looked up and smiled at him. When she smiled like that, Erik wanted to lock her away from the rest of the world to keep her all to himself. "We're going home."
Erik walked across the room as Christine turned back to what she was doing. He took both of her arms in his and spun her around to face him. "What did you say?"
"We're going home."
"Says who?"
"The Sultana. She said we could go back home."
Erik's eyes closed in anger. "Christine, do not get your hopes up. She is full of trickery. We're not going home. No matter what she said."
Christine pulled her arms away from him. She started to step away towards the kitchen.
"You may think that I am an idiot, but I am not. I am just as perfectly capable of getting us home as you are. There is no reason for you to act childish because I managed to let her getting us to go home when you couldn't."
"Christine." His voice so full of longing and begging for her to understand. He watched
as she crossed the apartment and went to her own room.
"Leave me alone, Erik. Just leave me alone."
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Erik could hear the small sobs coming from Christine's room. He hadn't meant to sound so cross with her earlier. He didn't know where she had gotten the ridiculous notion that he thought her stupid from. It was the Sultana that he didn't trust.
He walked over to Christine's door and locked it. He could hear her move from the bed to the door and attempt to open it. Her fists started banging against the door. "Erik, unlock this door. Unlock it, right now. Let me out. Erik, please."
He walked off and tried not to pay any attention to her pleas. He walked out of the apartment, locking it behind him.
Erik slipped through several secret passages. Through the dark, he found his way and was soon standing in the back of the throne room. He could see the Sultana eyeing him, wondering where it was exactly that he came from.
"What do you want, Erik?" The Sultana sounded bored and disinterested. The rest of the room stopped what they were doing to watch what could possibly be exchanged between the two.
"What did you tell Christine?" Erik kept his voice and face emotionless.
"I simply told Christine you both could go back to the United States. I am simply giving her what she wanted."
"I thought she was your new favorite plaything."
"Christine doesn't play well with others. Do you not wish to return? I thought that's what you wanted all along."
"If you're lying to Christine, I won't hesitate to kill you."
The Sultana laughed at this. Everyone else was held still in silence. They had never before heard anyone else threaten the Sultana and live to tell about it. "Nadir will help you to the plane tomorrow."
Erik turned his back on the Sultana and left the room. Even if the Sultana was playing at some game, Erik would hold her to her word. He had promised Christine they would go home.