Yes, it has been insanely long since I uploaded a chapter for this story (or any other). Sorry.


5. Dining in the Company of Men

Though her visit to him had been short, Balian quickly felt the absence of his daughter after she left his room. She had brightened it with her smile and her laughter while it was now once again grim and silent. Though the nurse returned quickly, her ever presence and care did nothing for the room and its occupant. Yet, not a half hour past before the silence was again disrupted. A servant entered the room and with a single nod the nurse disappeared from the room. The servant stepped into a corner of the room, almost blending in with the walls, before another man entered the room. He was tall and was long past his youth. His beard was greying yet his eyes were still strong with the will of life. The man sat silently in a chair besides Balian's bed until the servant left the room.

"Lord Balian, I am sorry to find you in such a state of harm," the man spoke calmly.

"Good King, I am sorry to greet you in such a state, even our first meeting found me in better condition then I am today," Balian answered. "And yet I am sure I will heal quickly now."

Saladin smiled as he, too, remembered their first meeting, the day they came to terms on the surrender of Jerusalem. "Many years and fewer meetings have come to pass since that day, my old friend."

"Indeed they have and yet we continue to meet as our lives continue to cross. I will assume that your brother-in-law has told you of my reasons for being here and that you have your own reasons for being here at which I will not pry," Balian replied.

"My reasons for being here are no secret. However, I will not place my own burdens upon your shoulders while you are recovering from your injuries."

"I thank you for your kindness, good king."

The men turned silent as one stared out the window and the other continued to scrutinise the ceiling.

Several minutes passed before either man made a sound. Balian closed his eyes before he focussed back towards his visitor. "It has come to my attention that you will be introduced to my daughter this evening," he stated, "that you have already seen her today."

"She resembles her mother greatly," Saladin replied.

"In more than her looks I fear," Balian countered, smiling. "Though I do not wish my daughter at his table this evening, my daughter and I are both unable to deny Lord Kadir anything at the moment." Balian waited for Saladin to speak but as he remained silent, Balian continued. "My daughter is unaccustomed to dining in the company of men, as she should be. Therefore, I will ask that you shall not judge her."

Saladin nodded his head in agreement. "I am afraid Lord Kadir enjoys placing people in situations they are unaccustomed to. However, if your daughter's character resembles her mother's, as you say it does, I believe that she will be exactly as she should be."

Kalare moved around carefully in her new clothes. Emir's sisters had dressed her in a similar style to their own and though the clothes were unfamiliar to her, they were comfortable. As she stood before a mirror Kalare wondered if her mother had dressed in this style when she had lived in Jerusalem.

"Do you know how many will attend your fathers table this evening?" Kalare asked.

"I fear it differs every evening, not that me or my sisters have ever attended," Amina answered.

"I am sure that you, like me and my sisters, have watched occasions such as these at every opportunity. Don't worry I shall tell no one," Kalare replied. The girl nodded as she smiled.

"As long as you won't tell," the girl winked, "all I have ever observed were boring conversations on politics. Though, I must also confess that I have never had the opportunity to observe while the sultan attended. I fear all I can tell you is to trust my brother."

"Then I hope he will remain as trustworthy as he was on the road". The girls smiled at each other one last time before Kalare stepped out of the room.

Amina had given her instructions in order to find her way around. When Kalare thought she was at last nearing the dining hall she found Emir waiting in a corridor. She halted her movements as soon as she saw him. It was that exact moment that he looked up into her eyes. Their eyes wandered over each other as they were both once again properly clean for the first time in over a month.

"Are you alright?" Emir asked as he noticed that Kalare's face was even paler than it had been a few hours ago.

Kalare gave him a soft smile before she answered. "I am, thank you. Your sisters took care of me. They are just as you described."

"Overwhelming and aggressive?" Emir asked smiling, as he stepped closer.

"Respectful and sweet. Oh and if you are ever wondering, they speak as highly of you as you do of them."

"Somehow I wonder if that is a good thing."

"Now that is not a very nice thing to say about your own sisters."

"I see they have found an advocate in you."

"They have taken me in as one of their own, they have been kind and generous towards me," Kalare explained. "They have earned my respect and if I am given the opportunity to speak in their defence I will do so."

Emir wondered at Kalare's behaviour. While she seemed paler and perhaps ill, her words reminded him of their easy speech upon the road. He wondered but he did not question, for he preferred her conversation to her silence.

"I am glad to hear they treated you well, perhaps they have learned how to behave properly after all," Emir replied.

"They do appear to share your disregard for proper introductions. I was quite surprised to find three young women waiting for me as I entered the chambers I was given," Kalare answered, while she attempted to keep her face serious, she could not stop a small smile from forming on her lips.

"You appear to have forgiven me for not mentioning my station throughout our travels," Emir countered as he noticed Kalare's smile.

"It would be more accurate to say that I have been instructed to keep my own station in this world in mind. While it was of no importance in France, it apparently still carries some weight in these parts of the world," Kalare explained.

"It does indeed, my lady. Will you, then, allow me to escort you to the dining hall?" Emir asked, knowing full well the station Kalare would have had in life if history had favoured the Christians in the battle for Jerusalem instead of the Muslims.

"I would be honoured to be escorted by you, my lord," Kalare answered, as she placed her hand a top his.

They were indeed very near the dining hall and soon entered the room where they found several men waiting for their arrival.

"Ah, here they are. Gone are the travel clothes and before us we see a prince and a princess," Lord Kadir announced, as Emir and Kalare bowed before the table.

Emir rose slowly from his bow, ignoring his father's loud welcome, he addressed all the men at the table. "My king, father and my lords, may I introduce Lady Kalare, eldest daughter of Balian, defender of Jerusalem."

At Emir's introduction, Kalare also rose from her bow to find herself the object on which all eyes rested. "Sultan, my lords," she greeted as she lowered her eyes from the men watching her to a spot below their eye line.

"Dear Lady Kalare, allow me to welcome you again to my home and now to my table," Kadir spoke more calmly now, as he stood from his seat at the table to guide Kalare around it to a chair. "Let me introduce you to my other guests. My most honourable guest Saladin, Sultan of these great lands," Kadir indicated the man Kalare had already seen earlier that day. She swiftly flashed her eyes to the man's face to indicate she was listening to Kadir's introductions. She continued this as Kadir introduced the other men at the table.

Several of the men travelled with the Sultan, there was Lord Nasir, Lord Imad, Lord Hafiz and Lord Yasar. The other two men at the table were younger and proved to be Kadir's other elder sons, Tamir and Basim.

Sitting at the table, Kalare found herself between Emir and Lord Imad. Conversation flowed around her, as she kept her eyes on the centre of the table and tried to follow one conversation while shutting out others. Meanwhile the servants filled their cups with water and placed food before them on the table.

"Emir, you must tell us more of your journey to the European continent," Kadir demanded from his son.

"If you wish, father. Though, I must warn you that I am no great story teller," Emir replied. At his words, Kalare's eyes quickly left the table to look at Emir.

Though she swiftly returned her eyes to the tabletop, Kalare's surprise at Emir's words was noticed all around the table and instantly questioned. "You disagree, my lady?" Lord Imad asked, drawing her attention away from the table.

As she took a steadying breath, Kalare remembered her father's lesson from when she was younger; to be without fear, brave and upright. Deciding, then, to do more than sit and eat, she gave voice to her thoughts. "I fear I must disagree with Lord Emir, my lord," Kalare replied.

"How so, my lady?"

"Lord Emir has proven his worth as a story teller to me, as he was kind enough to entertain me throughout our travels over the past month," Kalare explained. "Instead of riding in silence Lord Emir told me stories of his younger siblings, of his own childhood adventures and he has told me more about these lands than my father ever did. Then again, my father is by no means a story teller, let alone a great one."

"You appear to be a fond story teller yourself, my lady," Lord Nasir said as Kalare fell quiet. "Perhaps we should ask you to tell us of your travels from the continent."

"I do not believe that you should, my lord. For I only know of one leg of Lord Emir's journey. He has not told me of his journey to my home and I am as curious as Lord Kadir to hear the story," Kalare replied hastily, hoping to turn the attention of the table back to Emir.

"Well then, my son. Our honoured guest has placed her honour in your hands, it is up to you to not prove her words false," Lord Kadir stepped in, enthusiastically turning the conversation back towards his son.

"The honour of a lady is a heavy burden. I shall do whatever I can to do the lady proud," Emir replied, before turning to Kalare. "Though, if the lady would be so kind as to assist in telling the story of the time we journeyed together, I would be ever so grateful."

Smiling, Kalare nodded her head in assent to Emir's request.

It was only now, while she listened to his tales, that Kalare realised how much worse Emir had been treated upon the road of the Continent when he had ridden without her. And she saw how, in comparison, her treatment of him must have appeared appropriate, though in her eyes it remained far from appropriate.

Some of Emir's tales where full of wonder for the others at the table, as the lands he had travelled through were so much greener than some of them could imagine. Other tales were more shocking to Kalare than those around her. She learned that when Emir had first set out to find her, he had been escorted by three men. Two had lost their lives on the road, during a fight with Christians. As Emir described how he had lost his men, Kalare turned her eyes back towards the tabletop while she felt the blood leave her face

"Perhaps, Lord Emir, we should not speak of death at this table," Lord Nasir interrupted, his eyes focussed on Kalare. "We are, after all, in the company of a lady."

As she quickly realised that the change in her demeanour had been noticed, Kalare again lifted her eyes from the table to the faces of those around her.

"I do not mind, Lord Nasir. I am only saddened that Lord Emir was treated so unjustly on the road," Kalare said in an attempt to turn the conversation back towards Emir. Though she could not help herself from sharing some of her thoughts on the subject. "However, I would not call the men who attacked you, Lord Emir, Christians, even if they call themselves thusly. I do not believe Christ would have acted in a similar manner. I do not believe it is God's will for men to take each other's lives." Though she felt the eyes of every man in the room on her, Kalare let her own eyes drift and saw, from the corner of her eyes, that Saladin nodded his head very slightly in agreement.

As she still held the attention of all those in the room, Kalare made another attempt at turning their attention back to Emir. "I hope the rest of your time upon the road to find me was more civilised, Lord Emir, or do they pale in comparison to the horrors you faced on the return journey?"

"Travelling with you, my lady, held no horrors," Emir replied. "And by God's grace, the rest of my travels to your home were peaceful."

"It gladdens the heart to hear it, my lord," Kalare answered, while she noticed her eyes became heavy with sleep. While Emir continued to tell of his time upon the road, Kalare attempted to focus her eyes back towards the table. However, her eyes refused while her mind drifted away from the conversation around her.

"My lady?" one of the men called, though her mind had drifted so far she did not recognise the voice. "Are you well?"

"Yes, my lord," Kalare answered, blinking repeatedly to make her eyes focus again on those around her. "Apologies, my lords."

"None are needed, my lady," Lord Nasir spoke from besides Kalare. "Perhaps the day has been too long."

"Or the month, my lord," Kalare replied, a small smile again on her face. "I fear, I remain unaccustomed to travel, no matter how comfortable lord Emir was able to make the journey."

"Then let me escort you again, my lady. So you may rest comfortably under the same roof as your father once more," Emir offered.

"I would be grateful for your company, my lord," Kalare answered as she rose from her chair.

"I hope we will see you again at this table, lady Kalare," Lord Kadir requested.

"I would be honoured to dine with you again, my lords," Kalare replied as she bowed to the men still at the table and placed her hand again on Emir's, as it had been when they had entered the room together.