Please review


3. A guest in Kadir's home

The moment they almost reached Emir's home, a door opened up to a courtyard. Emir's servant halted at the door and waited for Emir and Kalare to pass through the door before he did so himself. In the courtyard men were waiting to take care of the horses. As she dismounted Kalare noticed one of the men passing a message to Emir. The moment he had read the missive he turned to her, his face was set and showed nothing, thus she returned his gaze with a silent question. He petted his horse one last time, as it had carried him far and long, before he stepped towards Kalare.

"I am afraid there are things that must be seen to before you go to your father's side," he spoke softly.

"Things?" Kalare questioned.

"My own father requests our immediate presence," Emir explained.

"Oh," Kalare breathed softly, before she inspected her dress. It was quite filthy from days of travel. "How immediate?"

"Now, immediate. Do not worry, he is aware of our travels and shall not care for the state of your dress, or mine," Emir assured her as they walked through the halls of his home.

A servant rushed into the luxurious reception room and quietly asked for his masters' attention.

"Your son has returned, my lord," the servant said softly to avoid being overheard by his masters' guest.

"Ah, at last and yet far quicker than expected," Kadir spoke. His honoured guest looked at him quizzically. "My king," Kadir started to explain, "my son has returned from a quest to the Christian continent."

"That is an impressive quest indeed. I shall leave you to tend to your son," Saladin replied.

"I beg your pardon, my king, for I believe you shall be interested in whom he has brought with him from the continent," Kadir continued. "For my son was send to the continent at the request from one of the other guests in my house. One who you have had battled against many years ago."

"Do not speak in riddles, lord Kadir," Saladin interrupted.

"The one who once defended the people of Jerusalem, Balian, has been recovering from a Templar raid in this very house. And it is his eldest daughter that my son, Emir, was send to bring to her father's side," Kadir explained.

"An interesting guest indeed," Saladin mused. "Who of course I would meet, however as they have come this very moment from the continent I am sure there is a better time for such a meeting then at this moment."

"Of course, my King," Kadir replied.

Saladin made his way from the room only a little too late, for at the exact moment he reached the door, so did Emir and Kalare.

At the unexpected sight of his king, Emir bowed deep, "My King." As Kalare heard Emir's words, she too bowed and as Emir stood up again, she kept her eyes lowered.

"Nephew," Saladin greeted Emir. "How good to see you so well upon your return from the continent, I look forward to the recounts of your journey. However, I believe that the honour of greeting your return is one that your father is highly anticipating. I shall leave you to his care."

"Of course, my King," Emir said, echoing his father's earlier words.

With swift steps Saladin left Kadir's chambers, avoiding the chance encounter with Balian's daughter.

"Ah, my son returns and so soon," Kadir's voice sounded through the room, claiming the attention of both Emir and Kalare. Hastily Emir shook off this short meeting with his king and uncle and stepped towards his father.

"Father," Emir spoke as he bowed to his father. Kalare slowly followed behind Emir.

"Stand, my son, and introduce our guest," Kadir said generously.

"Of course father," Emir replied. He gestured to Kalare as he spoke next. "This is Kalare, eldest daughter to Lord Balian."

"My lord," Kalare spoke as she bowed before Kadir.

"Rise, my child, and feel welcome here," Kadir beckoned.

"Thank you, my lord."

"No, dear Kalare, thank you, for it seems that you have returned my son to me earlier than expected."

"You are most welcome, my lord. However, I must thank you in return for your hospitality and kindness towards both my father and myself," Kalare answered.

"I believe we could send pleasantries back and forth for quite some time, however let us agree to both be grateful to the other and speak of it no more," Kadir replied.

"As you wish, my lord," Kalare answered with another bow.

"Now tell me," Kadir started as he motioned for both Kalare and Emir to take a seat. "How is it that you have returned a full month before schedule?"

"I am afraid, father, that I was forced to go against Lord Balian's wishes for our travel route," Emir explained.

"By what force, my son?" Kadir asked. Emir directed his eyes towards Kalare, who, in turn, diverted her eyes away from all those present. Kadir chuckled at their behaviour. "Indeed, son, there is no force greater than a woman with a strong will."

"I must fully agree with you, father," Emir smiled lightly. Kalare kept her eyes averted, however a small smile played across her lips.

"I assume then that you travelled across the Mediterranean," Kadir continued, asking Emir to speak more of their travels.

"We did father," Emir answered. "Though it would have most likely been impossible if Kalare had not convinced a captain to take us all aboard. Reminding the man of the debt he had with her father, like so many others, for reaching terms with our king and saving so many lives."

"Ah yes, your father," Kadir replied as if he was only now again remembering the man who lay healing in his own house. "His name and past actions bring him both pain and joy."

Though Kalare had kept her gaze respectfully to the floor, at the mention of her father's pains her eyes quickly focused on Kadir's. "Does he remain in pain?" she asked before she could stop herself.

"My physicians tell me his recovery is not completed yet and shall take several more months," Kadir answered her question without reprimand. "As of yet he has been incapable to take a seat at my table and in his absence I would be delighted if you would take his place there."

Kalare knew not how to respond to such an invitation. She had never heard of such a thing, the daughter of a guest to eat at the table of a lord. And so, with no certain idea of proprieties' rules in such an occasion, she simple nodded her head at his request and returned her gaze to the floor.

"Your father speaks very highly of you, young Kalare. I am sure you will do him proud," Kadir continued.

"I am sure my father has recommended me too highly, my lord," Kalare replied, before she quickly glanced at Emir.

It was this simple glance that reminded Emir of why she had come here with him and what it was she was now being kept from by his own father.

"Father," Emir started drawing the attention of his father back to himself, "perhaps we should now allow Kalare to make her own assessment of her father's condition, before she must prepare to dine with us."

"Ah yes, after all you did not come all this way to speak to an old man like myself. I am sure my son can guide you to your father's side while I wait patiently to hear more of your travels at dinner," Kadir instantly replied.

"Of course father," Emir answered, before rising from his seat and nodding his head.

Kalare followed his lead, also rising is she spoke, "Thank you, my lord," before she bowed to Kadir and she walked behind Emir out of his father's chambers.

They were silent for some time while they walked slowly to the chamber Balian occupied during his recovery. But the silence was straining for Kalare. And thus, as she decided that there was something she needed to know before seeing her father, she stopped walking completely. It took Emir several more steps to realise she was no longer following behind him. He turned quickly, spinning on his heel, to find her staring at him while her eyes blazed with something that he could not identify. If one of his sisters has looked at him with such eyes, he would have expected them to strike him swiftly. But he did not know enough about the young woman staring at him now, to even attempt a guess at her actions.

"Is something wrong, my lady?" he asked as he walked back towards her.

"Of all the stories you told of your homeland and your childhood, you never once mentioned that you are nephew to the Sultan, my lord. Why?" Kalare asked, her voice as calm as it had been when she had wielded her sword upon the road.

"I did not see how it would matter, after all I am one of many, many, nephews to my king," Emir replied slowly as he recognised her tone.

"It matters to me," Kalare replied before she briskly walked past him.

"Why? You treated me with as much respect as I could have asked for, you treated me with more respect than any other we met on our travels," he countered, following after her quickly.

"Clearly not enough, if I had known," she answered softly to herself.

"I hold nothing against you, my lady. You have been honourable and respectful in all your doings," Emir answered her murmurs.

They walked in silence again, while Kalare went over all her inappropriate actions towards Emir and silently berated herself for each and every one of them. She had ridden next to him, looked straight into his eyes, talked to him as if he was of her own rank, and threatened his servant. The list went on and on within her mind.

"Do you even know where you are going?" Emir asked, interrupting her thoughts. She was instantly aware of the disrespect she was showing at the very minute even though she had just been berating herself, she had continued her behaviour. And she was angry. He had consciously kept information from her; he had let her treat him as if he was her equal. So now, she felt within her rights when she ignored his question and kept on walking ahead of him.

"All right, keep on walking then," Emir allowed, silently following her. For several minutes she walked on, clueless to her direction, yet taking the correct route to her father's chambers. As she turned a corner when she should have kept going straight, Emir stopped following her.

"That is not the way to your father," he called after her. She did not heed his warning, instead she kept on walking, and going faster with every step she took. Emir rolled his eyes begrudgingly before he followed after her again, taking a quick sprint to catch up to her. She didn't stop when he reached her, her eyes trained upon the end of the hallway where light streamed in through a window.

"Kalare, stop running," Emir spoke as he closed in on her. She ignored him again. Reaching the end of the hall which he knew would not lead her outside as she seemed to hope it would, Emir did what he had thus far refrained from doing. He reached out to her and took hold of her elbow. "Stop running," he said as calmly as she had spoken before. His voice carried through the hallway while Kalare tried to pry her arm from his grasp.

"Let go of me," she spoke vehemently as her efforts proved unsuccessful. "You do not have the right to touch me."

"Stop running," he repeated in a softer voice now. "This way does not lead to your father or to a door outside. Let me escort you to your father," Emir spoke, not yet releasing her from his grip.

"I can't breathe," Kalare replied.

In a matter of minutes her entire disposition had changed. No longer was she the strong, oldest daughter of Balian; a woman not afraid of any man, a woman confident in her own skill. She had become what she truly was. A young girl, left to fend for herself and her siblings for too long and now thrown into a world far away from her own where she knew not what to fear and what to embrace.

"You must calm yourself before I bring you to your father. He will have my head if he thinks I did you any harm," Emir spoke softly. Once she had reached an arm towards the wall to steady herself, he released her elbow from his grip. "I am sorry I held you without permission, my lady."

She nodded in acceptance of his words while she attempted to slow her breathing. As she forced herself to calm down, she was hit with the intensity of her behaviour and how much disrespect she had shown towards him.

She swallowed through the last of her panic, focusing her eyes on the floor near his feet, not even daring to look at any part of him. "I apologize for my behaviour, my lord," she said softly while she bowed further towards the ground.

"Don't, my lady. I shall not keep it against you. If at all your reaction was only unexpected as I had expected it sooner. You have been strong and brave while you have been dragged from your home, travelled with a stranger. You have now seen more of the world than most women ever will. I doubt you have slept one single restful night since I first entered your life. You are exhausted and afraid. And nothing less is expected from you," Emir spoke hoping that she would again look at him as she had upon the road. The strange freedom she had exalted towards him then was what had allowed him to be so open with her himself. "Are you well again, my lady?"

"I am better, my lord," she answered still straining her eyes to the floor. Emir dared not sigh for her behaviour, fearing she would retreat even more into herself.

"Shall we then resume our way to your father?" he asked.

She nodded her agreement. In silence and with Emir almost constantly looking over his shoulder to see if she was still following him, they made their way to Balian's chambers.