Disclaimer: I do not own The Wrath and the Dawn. It belongs to Reneé dialogue between Shahrzad and Khalid is from the book, as well as Jalal's line after the almost hanging.

A/N: Thank you so much to all of my readers, especially to Directioneronfire and the guest reviewer for the last chapter for their reviews! I get so excited when I see them in my inbox!

Anyway, about this chapter...it's a big one, you guys! Plot-wise and length-wise, haha. It was so long, that FF basically broke when I tried to upload it.

Chapter 6: The Hanging

(Corresponds with Chapters: The Shamshir and A Silk Cord and a Sunrise of The Wrath and the Dawn, pages 89-114)

He was thankful the swordsmanship tournament took place that day. He really needed the distraction.

Khalid had enough of thinking about Shahrzad and all that she did to him and made him...feel. He needed to be his normal self again, and swordfighting helped him do just that.

After a successful tournament in which he was able to release all of his pent-up emotions, he had to meet with his viziers late that afternoon. He wasn't looking terribly forward to it, considering his uncle would be there...and he surely would want to discuss the events of that morning. He didn't feel like having to explain himself to Uncle Aref, especially since he found he didn't have the adequate words to explain it.

And just as he predicted, when his advisors left the daily meeting, his uncle stayed behind. Jalal lingered as well.

"Would you like to know what your queen was up to today, sayyidi?" the general asked him sardonically.

Sitting at the table, Khalid slowly turned to face him. Had he been spying on Shahrzad all day?

The general continued, despite receiving no response from the caliph. "She watched some of the men do their drills for the tournament. I caught her and her handmaiden hiding behind a wall."

Khalid was careful to not reveal his amusement by this news on his face. Jalal began to laugh.

"She's certainly a daring beauty that one," Jalal said as he smirked at Khalid. The shahrban glared at him.

"And did you allow her to continue watching, general?" Khalid asked, showing no signs of anger or amusement on his face. While it wasn't necessarily...appropriate...for a woman to watch the tournament, he wouldn't have been bothered if she saw the entire event. But he wanted to know what exactly the general had done to his queen.

"Certainly not! I confronted her after she witnessed your practice drill, and she was impudent as always."

So she saw him practice...Khalid felt a certain thrill at knowing she saw him wield his shamshirs.

"She must die tomorrow, sayyidi, before you leave for Amardha," the general stated, pulling Khalid away from his wonderings of what Shahrzad thought of his skills as a swordsman compared to an archer.

Khalid stared blankly out of the nearby window, where he saw a citrus blossom. He was instantly reminded of the night before, when he saw Shahrzad standing in the moonlight…

"What's the harm in letting her live?" Jalal spoke up.

He received another glare from his father in return. "What's the harm?!" he exclaimed. "You know very well the harm! The caliph has been unable to sleep. He is weak and will soon likely grow ill and unable to defend the kingdom. Enemies will strike. Then, there's the matter of Rey itself. We all witnessed the severe drought that came over the city when the caliph didn't abide with the curse."

All of it was true. He needed to remember this. Being with Shahrzad had made him temporarily forget...

"Don't listen to him, sayyidi," Jalal said as he looked at Khalid. "She's been alive for two dawns, and there's been no signs of a drought or any extraordinary trouble in the kingdom."

"Yet," the general was quick to finish his son's statement.

Khalid sat in deep thought. Would he let a mere attraction risk destroying the kingdom and his people?

He...he couldn't.

"Shahrzad," he swallowed. "...will die tomorrow."

He tried to ignore the feeling of a knife being twisted in his chest when he said it.

Disappointment spread across Jalal's face, while the general look pleased with himself.

"I will alert the guards, sayyidi. It will be easier on yourself if you cease all contact with her. Don't visit her tonight," the general advised softly.

Khalid reluctantly nodded in agreement.

"I could also advise the guards outside your room to ensure you do not leave your room before dawn…?" the shahrban suggested.

"That won't be necessary," Khalid calmly replied.

"Very well," the general said before slowly bowing before him.

After his father exited the room, Jalal spoke. "Don't let this curse control you! You don't have to -"

"Enough, Jalal."

"But Khalid -"

"You forget your place, Jalal," Khalid said sternly. "Enough of this."

The decision had been made. He was torn apart enough already. He didn't need to feel any more conflicted.

Jalal sighed as he left the room.

It was very late when Khalid returned to his chamber. He had decided to go for an evening horse ride around the palace grounds as a way to preoccupy himself.

Even though he strongly desired to, he could not visit Shahrzad that night.

He hadn't seen her since that morning, and he realized that he sort of...missed her. He wondered what she did today, besides watching the practice drills, and what brazen things she would say or do had he seen her today.

The fact he was pondering these things further solidified why he could not visit her tonight.

If he did, his resolve would surely weaken. The more human she became to him rather than just a pretty face, the harder it would be to know she would die. He could no longer develop this emotional attachment to her that had already begun to take root.

For his kingdom and his well-being, he needed to stay away and let the curse run its course. It was as simple as that.

He would just have to accept that he would never know why she volunteered.

He wondered if she had suspected this was the last night she would have in this life when he didn't show up tonight.

The thought that she soon would no longer be a part of his life left him...unable to breathe.

He let out a frustrated sigh. He had truly failed her and himself.

How would he ever be able to forget about this bride of his?

For every one of his brides, he'd allow himself one hour to grieve on the day of their death. After that hour was up, he would go back to being numb and detached from his actions. It was the only way he could cope with the burden, without being destroyed by it. It wasn't so simple in the beginning, but over time, he trained himself to be seemingly apathetic about it.

He often expressed his remorse and anguish in the form of a letter...a letter to the family of his bride that he would never send. Usually, he waited until after a guard came to confirm her death to him that he would go into his hour of mourning and write the letter.

But, just as he had discovered the first moment he met her, things were different when it came to Shahrzad.

He sensed the dawn was near, but he didn't know for sure as he had had the windows in the walls of his room sealed ever since he was cursed. He no longer could stand to watch day come.

Khalid grabbed a piece of parchment and a quill and sat at his desk. He needed to commence his period of mourning now, because his heart was already breaking over the fate of his bride that day.

She had to know how he truly felt for her, even if it was in a letter she would never read. He just needed some sort of proof of his affection for her…

Shahrzad,

I've failed you several times. But there was one moment I failed you beyond measure. It was the day we met. The moment I took your hand and you looked at me, with the glory of hate in your eyes. I should have sent you home to your family. But I didn't. There was honesty in your hatred. Fearlessness in your pain. In your honesty, I saw a reflection of rather, of the man I longed to be. So I failed you. I didn't stay away.

His hand started shaking as he wrote the words.

Then later, I thought if I had answers, it would be enough. I would no longer care. You would not matter. So I continued failing you. Continued wanting more. And now I can't find the words to say what must be said. To convey to you the least of what I owe.

When I think of you, I can't find the air to

He stopped suddenly. What was he doing? He couldn't let her die. She was his queen, his air!

He bolted out of his seat and dashed out of his chamber. His guard eyed him suspiciously as he left, but didn't say anything to him.

Khalid raced down the corridors, his heart pounding in his chest as he prayed he wasn't too late.

Please don't let me be too late. It can't be too late.

When he turned the corner at the end of the hallway, he bumped into another figure, causing him to stumble. He glanced at who it was, and it turned out to be his cousin.

In between gasping for breath, he managed to get one word out. "Shahrzad." Then he took off, heading for the outdoors. Jalal, understanding what was happening, hurried after him.

When the two of them stepped outside, a few guards were in front of the entrance.

"I'm sorry, sayyidi. You shouldn't go any further. Not right now," one of them warned him. The guards all lined up in front of Khalid, barricading him.

"Let me pass, right now!" Khalid shouted at them. "I am your king!"

"But the general said -" the guard started to say.

"I don't care! Let me go right now, or your death will be next!" Khalid yelled, feeling enraged.

They hesitated, but the guards stepped away and permitted the two cousins to pass. They ran to the alcove, shoving past the other soldiers that were standing near it. Khalid felt his heart stop at the sight of his precious Shahrzad hanging from the silk cord.

"PUT. HER. DOWN," he bellowed.

The soldier pulling the cord hesitated, and Khalid couldn't wait any longer. Every moment of hesitation was another second that went by that Shahrzad could die. Instead, Khalid punched the soldier that was holding the cord. The soldier released the cord as he recoiled from the hit, sending Shahrzad crashing to the ground.

He heard her gasping for air and was instantly relieved to know he wasn't too late.

He quickly ran over to her and sat beside her on the granite before pulling her by her shoulders to cradle her in his arms. Feeling overjoyed to see her alive, he stared into her eyes and caressed her face.

She was looking at him, and he was too lost in his delight that he didn't see her hand approach his face and slap him.

Khalid didn't even have time to react to the hit as another soldier came up to her and yanked her away from him, causing her to scream out in pain.

"LET HER GO! " Khalid barked at him, before getting up to punch the soldier in the face. The soldier released her arm.

He heard other soldiers shouting about as they approached, including the ones who had tried to prevent him from going outside.

Full of wrath, he turned to face them. His eyes were ablaze, silencing the soldiers. "You will not touch her. And you will never disobey me again," he said in a deathly whisper to all of them. "You will all be punished for what you have done."

"Stop it, Khalid! It's done. We have to get her inside," Jalal yelled to him.

Panting, Khalid looked at Shahrzad being held in Jalal's embrace. She needed medical attention immediately. Her neck was red, and she was still gasping for air. Her arm also looked to be dislocated.

Jalal picked up Shahrzad as she fell unconscious. Khalid led the way back into the palace with Jalal following close behind. Every soldier made sure to step out of their way as they headed straight to the palace healer.

The healer tended to Shahrzad and assured Khalid that she would be fine. Her neck was bruised and her arm would be sore for a while, but she would survive.

Khalid sighed with relief over the news. He wished he could grab her and pull her tightly to him in that moment and never left go.

But Khalid has some other business to attend to: punishment.

Even when he had instructed that the execution would be stopped, the one soldier had dared to touch Shahrzad and attempted to pull her away from him, damaging her arm in the process.

No one would get away with touching, let alone hurting, his queen.

Later that morning, Khalid ordered the soldier to the basement. After chaining his arms to the wall, Khalid threw punch after punch at him. Screams of pain escaped the soldier's mouth. Every few punches, Khalid would hear the crack of one of the soldier's bones. Blood covered Khalid's fists, and every punch made him angrier and angrier as he thought of Shahrzad's wounds...how broken she had become…

When the soldier had passed out, Khalid finally stopped. Breathing deeply, he felt as if his knuckles were burning. He looked down and saw how raw and red they were.

After one last look at the soldier's limp body, Khalid turned and left the room.

As soon as he finished with the soldier, Khalid had to make sure other measures were in place to ensure Shahrzad's protection while he was away. And there was only one person he could trust with such a task.

He knocked on the door to his cousin's chamber. Upon opening it, Jalal appeared slightly surprised to see him. He gave him a questioning glance when he noticed some dried blood upon his right hand.

"Sayyidi," Jalal greeted and bowed before him, granting him entrance.

Khalid stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Jalal," he said in return and paused. "Thank you...for your help today."

Jalal nodded. "She doesn't deserve to die," he whispered.

"Indeed, she does not, which is why...when I'm away in Amardha, I need you to watch over her. Ensure that no one endangers her life."

"Certainly!" Jalal readily agreed.

"And your father...I will speak with him before I leave. I imagine he isn't too happy about this morning."

"I'll keep my eye on him."

"Thank you, Jalal," Khalid said quietly.

"I'm happy to do it."

Khalid nodded, then turned to leave.

"Make sure you clean up that blood before you bid goodbye to Shahrzad, Khalid," Jalal advised to his retreating back.

Khalid chose to not acknowledge his statement and kept walking, while Jalal smirked.

Around midday, Khalid received word that Shahrzad was awake and had been returned to her chamber. The healer had managed to push her arm back into place.

Upon receiving this news, he headed straight to her room. He needed to see her and see for himself how she was doing.

He knocked on the door, and Despina opened it shortly after. His immediately searched the room for Shahrzad as Despina left the room. When he found her, her eyes stared back at his as he strode to her.

As he approached, he saw her neck was still quite purple. She looked...so weak and tired. He hated himself for being the cause of this.

"How is your arm?" he asked her gently.

"It hurts."

"A great deal?"

"I'm sure it won't kill me."

Her response felt like a stab to his heart. He sat beside her on the bed, and he felt her tremble. He needed her to know how sorry he was...

"Shahrzad - " he began, but was cut off.

"What do you want?" she said abruptly.

"To make amends for what I've done," he replied after a moment of silence.

She let out a harsh breath as she looked at him. "You will never be able to make amends for what you've done."

She was right. His actions damaged her...he wasn't sure he would ever be able to forgive himself.

"That may be the first truly honest thing you've ever said to me."

She laughed. "I told you, you aren't that gifted at reading people. I may have lied once or twice in my day, but I have never lied to you."

He fixed his eyes on her and wondered if she was speaking truthfully. Slowly, he lifted his hand to push back her hair. He then gingerly placed his hand upon her bruised throat...the injury that was his fault. If only he had gotten to her sooner…

She recoiled at his touch. "That hurts, too." She shoved his hands away from her.

Seizing her comb from her lap, she winced. He instantly wanted to pull her close to him and do whatever it took to take away her pain.

"Do you need help?"

"No. I do not."

She was terribly stubborn. He sighed. "I -"

"If I need help, I'll wait for Despina. In any case, I do not need your help." She attempted to stand, but he couldn't let her walk away. He couldn't stand to see her so upset at him. He grabbed her and pulled her back against his chest.

"Please Shahrzad. Let me make amends." Surely, there was some way he could make it up to her? He wasn't sure he could bear her being so angry with him…

He hugged her tightly. "There are no excuses for what happened this morning. I want you to -"

"Where were you?" she asked gravely.

He had been off acting like a coward.

"Not where I should have been."

"This morning and this last night," she clarified.

He couldn't tell her that he wasn't doing anything in particular, that he let his soldiers escort her to her executioner that morning and that he did nothing as she was being led to her death.

"This morning, I was not where I should have been. Last night, I was not where I wanted to be."

If only she knew how desperately he wanted to see her last night and hear one of her stories...it had required so much control on his part.

She finally turned her face towards him, and he leaned down to place his brow against hers.

"My Mountain of Adamant," he whispered.

In a matter of days, she had become his weakness. He was caught in her spell, and he was unable to escape it, and he wasn't so sure he wanted to.

He inhaled her lilac scent. It was...intoxicating.

He rested his hand against her face and suddenly felt a strong desire to actually show affection and kiss her.

But before he knew it, Shahrzad abruptly sat up, extinguishing any thought of kissing her at that moment.

"If you want to make amends, I will think of a way."

He wanted to shout for joy as relief washed over him. He removed his hands from her body and her face. "Good."

"Are there any rules, sayyidi?"

"The only rule is that I have to be able to grant your request."

"You're the Caliph of Khorasan. The King of Kings. Is there a request you cannot grant?"

She acted as if he had unlimited power, capable of anything, but he certainly had his limits. "I am just a man, Shahrzad."

She stood up in front of him. "Then be a man who makes amends. You tried to have me killed this morning. Consider yourself lucky I have not tried to return the favor."

Oh, he certainly was fortunate. He couldn't handle knowing how much he failed her. He had to put it behind him and numb himself from this pain.

He stood up beside her. "I'm sorry."

"Pitiful. But a start, nevertheless."

At least she showed a slight indication she could eventually forgive him…

After standing up, he walked to the door to leave. But before he did, he felt he probably should tell her he would be gone for a little while.

"Shahrzad?"

"Yes, sayyidi?"

"I'm leaving for Amardha this afternoon."

When she said nothing in reply, he continued. "I'll be gone for a week. No one will bother you. Jalal will be in charge of your security. Should you need anything, go to him."

Shahrzad nodded.

He couldn't leave without her knowing that she...she meant something to him. She had to know that she was his queen.

"I meant what I said to General al-Khoury the day I introduced you."

"You have a strange way of showing it."

He hated that he agreed. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't."

He bowed. "My queen," he said before he left the room.

He hated having to leave her, but maybe it would give him the chance to keep his sanity.