Eventhough this story hasn't had a lot of response I still love it and will continue to write for it when inspiration strikes. I have several more chapters planned, they just need writing. I think more reviews/faves/alerts would totally help strike inspiration more often but i have decided to write this story for myself and publish it here so others can enjoy it as well, even if updates are sporadic.
Please enjoy this fourth installment.
4. Reunion
Unlike the houses on the European continent the only doors in this great structure let outside. Inside there were archways, at times hidden by large pieces of thin cloth, allowing the little wind that blew around the place to reach every inner chamber. Kalare left Emir behind her in the hallway, stepping past the draped fabric that covered the entrance to her father's chambers. A nurse instantly met her and guided her through silent gestures to her father. He lay in a bed, staring at the ceiling He looked restless, bored and broken. He looked older than she remembered then again it had been two years since she had last seen him. She dismissed the woman at her side and kneeled beside her father. Once there she at last removed the scarf which covered her hair. It was only at this action that her father turned his eyes from the ceiling to her. She feared he would not recognise her. She slowly raised her hand and placed it over his, "Father," she breathed softly. She kept her eyes directed to the bed he lay on instead of on him until he pulled his hand from underneath hers and guided her chin up so she would be forced to look at him.
"Daughter?" he wondered softly, moving his hand from her chin to her cheek. As soon as her eyes reached his both her hands latched on to his as tears slipped from her eyes silently. He let her cry without interruption, instead observing the girl who had been but a child when he saw her last and now resembled her mother so strongly he had been unsure of her being. Slowly Kalare's tears dried as she found strength at the sight of her father.
"Fear no more Kalare," Balian spoke, "you are safe now."
Kalare nodded in reply, continuing the strong hold she held on his arm and finally allowing herself to look over her father's bruised body.
Balian noticed her wandering gaze and spoke to her once more, "I am healing well, daughter."
"Then why did you want me here father?" Kalare questioned.
"When I send for you, four months ago, I was not yet healing," Balian explained and though he would have continued speaking his daughter's behaviour halted him. At her father's mention of his time spend recovering Kalare instantly realised the days in bed had blended together for him and he had not yet noticed that she had come to him sooner than predicted. She had gone against his orders and now no longer felt she could look upon him. Her shift in posture alarmed her father. "What is it Kalare?" he asked.
"Three months," she whispered, pulling her hands from his and placing them in her lap before focusing her gaze on them. "It's been three months since Prince Emir left to find me."
"That is impossible, no one can ride that fast," Balian contradicted. "Unless you–" he trailed off.
"Went against your orders and took to the sea," Kalare finished his sentence. She instantly tried to explain her actions. "Father, I could not travel for two months with strangers, it's unheard of, it goes against every rule of propriety. What were you thinking asking me to do that?" During her explanation a part of her mother's personality, her defiance and stubbornness, shone through Kalare, even her eyes blazed with the same intensity.
"I suppose I was barely thinking clearly, after all I was severely wounded," Balian replied calmly, smiling brightly as he remembered his wife. "You are so much like your mother. Except in your need for propriety, that you inherited from me even if I no longer strife towards perfection myself."
"I do not seek perfection," Kalare offered slightly offended.
"No, you strife to do what is right. Which is why I knew I could send for you by means of young prince Emir," Balian explained. "I knew you would treat him with as much respect as he deserves and that you would be able to see that his words were truly sent by me."
"He is not so young," Kalare countered, letting herself fall into the easy banter she used to have with her father when he was home. "And I would have treated him with the respect he deserves if I knew who he was."
"What do you mean Kalare?"
"He only introduced himself as son of Kadir. He neglected to mention through our entire travels that he was nephew to the sultan. I doubt I would know now if we had not come across the sultan himself right here in this house," Kalare explained again feeling the disrespect she had shown Emir and the anger towards him for keeping his identity a secret.
"I doubt he will hold your behaviour against you if it was his own choice to withhold information from you," Balian said, echoing Emir's earlier words.
"That is what he claims, but father how could he not? I treated him as my equal, rode next to him, spoke openly with him."
"You do not believe yourself his equal then?" Balian asked.
"Of course not," Kalare exclaimed in disbelieve.
"You should remember your own place in this world Kalare. I know you have been hidden away for a long time but you are the daughter of the woman who was once queen where Emir's uncle is now sultan."
"Mother was not queen when I was born."
"But she was when Emir was born."
Balian's words caused Kalare to stop. She had never truly seen her mother as a queen, after all she was her mother. Yes, she had walked more gracefully, had known more about the world of men and had a stronger character than any other woman Kalare had ever met but she was her mother. In her childhood mind Kalare had never connected her mother's knowledge and inner strength with the makings of a queen.
"You said the sultan is here," Balian said, intruding upon his daughter's ponderings after some time. Kalare nodded, too far away in her thoughts to give him a proper reply.
"And you met him," Balian continued.
"No," Kalare replied, clearing her mind from her musings. Her father gave her a questioning look, silently asking her to elaborate. "There was no formal introduction, no introduction to speak of at all. The sultan greeted his nephew as he left lord Kadir's chambers at the same time we entered them. He is not aware of who I am."
"I doubt that very much. Lord Kadir will have informed him of the presence of us both. Though propriety would not let you be introduced to the sultan before he has seen me, we are in a less than normal situation and the sultan will feel obliged to meet you as he knew both your uncle and your mother," Balian replied, giving sound to his thoughts.
"I suppose I shall be introduced to him at lord Kadir's table tonight," Kalare said, interrupting her father's thoughts. Instantly his eyes sought hers. "Lord Kadir invited me to sit at his table tonight, I dared not refuse him."
Balian nodded his head slowly. There was no question about it in his mind. His daughter would be introduced to the sultan and he would not be there to stand beside her. He was glad it would be his oldest daughter, for the others would make fools out of themselves. Kalare had known her mother and had made her mother's behaviour and movements her own. And yet he wished he had been able to protect her, keep her from knowing what went on in the world. He knew, clearly, that she knew far too much of this world. He doubted not that she had read every book in his library and had kept training with his swords even when he was gone. She was nothing like the protected and sheltered young lady she was supposed to be.
"I wish I could be by your side when you go to lord Kadir's table, Kalare. You are not prepared for such a meeting and there is not enough time to prepare you now," Balian told his daughter.
"Prepared or not, I must attend, must I not?"
"Yes, you must," Balian mused. He sighed as he thought of the few instructions he could give to his daughter as a final and small preparation. "Remember your mother and her ways, be strong but respectful. Do not speak unless spoken to. Remember who you are and who surround you at that table."
"Of course father," Kalare replied. Kalare was aware of society's rules, at least the rules of the society she has grown up in. She had heard rumours of the society she found herself in now, but those rumours had come from prejudiced women at the market, women who looked at her with as much disdain as they held for the house she was now in. Kalare decided then that she would form her own opinion; she would observe everything around her and adjust her own behaviour appropriately. And so far, her interactions with Emir and his father lead her to hold him and his family in high respect.
It wasn't long after her father's instruction that Kalare left his chamber behind to finally wash the travelling dirt from her body. Though before she even left the room she realised that she had no idea where to go from there. As she side-stepped the curtain covering the entrance of the room Kalare found herself, again, in front of the nurse she had dismissed from her father's care earlier. Kalare glanced both ways of the corridor before her eyes met with the nurse's, the woman smiled but remained silent. With a single wave she beckoned Kalare to follow her and with no other options before her that is what Kalare did. The woman guided her through corridor after corridor for so long that Kalare never expected her to stop. She felt as if they had crossed the entire building from one side to another when the woman finally and abruptly halted her movements. Standing before another curtain the woman gestured to Kalare to enter the room behind it. Hesitantly Kalare smiled at the woman, who had, in her silence, made Kalare feel completely save and at ease. Though the woman's eyes were turned towards the ground, she, too, smiled before she gestured again for Kalare to enter the room. Taking a steadying breath Kalare moved the curtain aside and stepped through the opening. The room she found herself in now was richer in almost every sense of the word than the room her father lay in on the other side of the Kadir's house. Where Balian's room was plain, bare and clean, this room was filled with colour, beautifully carved wooden furniture and intricate panels that covered the windows and doors that lead outside. Also there in the room were four girls, two appeared to be of Kalare's age, while the others were much younger.
"Good, you are here," one of the elder girls said as she saw Kalare standing at the entrance of the room. "Emir was right, you look quite a mess."
Kalare looked at the girl questioningly, this girl spoke of her as if they had known each other for some time and yet Kalare was absolutely sure that they had never met. The girl answered Kalare's look with an expecting one of her own.
"I'm sorry," Kalare spoke softly. "Who are you?"
"My brother said you two had spoken openly on the road, did he not mention us in his conversations?" the girl answered with her own question.
"You are Emir's sister?" the girl nodded. "He did speak of you, often even. I just hadn't expected for you to be here," Kalare answered.
"He did not, then, tell you he had asked us to help you prepare for tonight?" The girl's eyes dwindled to the floor before she continued. "We are sorry to have come into your room without permission, we shall leave if you so wish."
"Oh no, please do not leave. I truly could use your help for I have no idea what to expect. And as for your brother, I assume he asked for your assistance after he left me at my father's chambers," Kalare replied quickly, finding quick comfort in the female company. All four girls smiled in answer.
"Come, you must wash and we have prepared a bath for you," the elder girl said smiling.
"Yes, I must truly wash. I must look terrible to you," Kalare answered, again aware of the state of herself. "But, would you mind. Your brother did tell me about all of you and your brothers, too, but I must say I cannot yet place a face with a name."
"Ah, of course", the girl answered. "I am Amina, Emir's eldest sister. This are Fadila, Hasna and Nafeeza," Amina said as she gestured to each girl.
"Thank you, it is very nice to finally meet you all," Kalare answered.
