Erik made his way to the Shah's throne room, giving a bow as he entered.
"A decent performance this evening," he pointed out.
"If you wish of me to do more, then all you have to do is ask."
"Curious little thing-your gift, is she not? What was her name…?"
"Adellade?" he guessed. "What of her?"
"She seems to know very little of you-or so she says…. You should've seen the look on her face when you were feigning your defeat. And to be so protective of her when she is under threat…."
He cleared his throat. "I am rather fond of her-and she does have quite the hand in conjuring up my tea."
"And you had Nadir escort her back to your chambers?"
"I presume that you have not failed to notice her poor sense of direction? If I did not have someone guide her, then she might wander straight out of Persia."
"You did not have a guard to escort her."
"The guards are so typically fond of pretty women-aren't they? If she is to be mine, then I would rather not share her with any of the other men. The Daroga is the only one to whom I am able to trust that my threats will never be taken lightly."
"Yes...about that…." He leaned back in his throne. "His son has been of concern lately. My men have caught him attempting to steal from me, of attempting to seduce my women…. These cannot continue."
"What would you have me do?"
"Kill him." He smirked. "Or else I'll kill your little gift. Hardly seems fair that you should be rewarded for failure, wouldn't you agree?"
He swallowed. "As you wish."
He made his way back to his chambers, only to see Nadir waiting there for him.
"You are going to have to apologize," he began. "Do you have any idea the look on her face when you pulled that little trick of yours? Did you even stop to think what her reaction would be? She cares about you, Erik, and she just might be the only woman who ever has! Now, you ought to go in there, apologize, and make it a good one or else I will be forced to punish you for what you've done to her."
"You would punish the Shah's own assassin?"
"If that's what it would take to force some sense into that head of yours!" He threw his hands up and walked off, muttering Persian curses under his breath.
Erik sighed and opened the door, closing it behind him. He saw her there, sitting on the couch, attempting to play the violin.
"You never did bother to practice," he pointed out.
"They made me not want to practice," she sighed. "Everything I've liked has always ended up being turned into something else-something I can't get away from fast enough…."
"Adellade…."
"You promised you wouldn't get hurt," she whispered.
He walked over to her and knelt before her, eyes pleading. "Then inspect me for cuts and injuries if it would ease your mind."
"How could you do that? How could you act like you were going to lose-like-like…." She bit her lip. "You're the only thing I've liked that they haven't taken away from me."
He held a hand up to her face. "Erik is sorry that he frightened his Adellade. Truly, very sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Never. And I do promise that you will never lose me-no one will be able to take me away from you."
"You said that once, and then you left. Two years and I never knew what happened to you!"
"I know." He wrapped his arms around her. "I was afraid that they would hurt you again. I didn't want to see you hurt, Adellade. Not again."
"I was afraid you were going to lose!" She sniffed as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Don't worry," he whispered. "It's all a trick, that's all. It's all one large trick." He looked at her. "Why don't I show you another?" He stood and found some items, laying them before her. "Now: the trick isn't in the magic-it's in where the audience looks."
"I don't understand."
"If I tell you to focus on this cloth, then you will never see me do something to the bowl," he explained.
"I suppose not…."
"And if I told you to focus on the bowl?"
"Then you could do something to the cloth and I'd never see?"
"Exactly." He smiled, producing an object from beneath his robes. "And therefore, you never do expect to see this."
"How did you-?"
"You were so occupied focusing on what was in front of you, that you never had time to see me craft this." He placed it in her hands. "As the man was too occupied with his sword and victory that he never did see me reach for the lasso-as you never saw me craft this paper bird."
She blinked and smiled slightly. "When did you learn to use a sword?"
He sighed. "The gypsies. It was a part of the-of the act. I only had the means to improve my skills here." His eyes narrowed. "And no, I will not instruct you to wield a sword."
"And yet you gave me a knife for my own protection?"
"A knife is easier to conceal. Also: you are able to cut through the flesh and escape from any who may wish to do you harm." Though I do pray that you will never have to use it, he silently added. He stood and held his hand out to her. "Come. I expect that you have been exhausted by today's events."
Adellade woke and dressed, going out of the room, frowning when she didn't see Erik there-only two guards. She opened her mouth to speak, yet they grabbed her before she could react, one holding a cloth to her mouth and nose, her limbs slowly growing heavy as she fought to keep her eyes opened….
She woke in a chamber, feeling the warm floor beneath her hands, seeing her reflection in the mirrored walls, the iron tree in the center….
"What is this place?" she wondered aloud. "Erik? Erik, where are you?"
He returned from his work, only to find her gone. His chest tightened as he searched for her, only to turn on his heel and make his way straight to the Shah's throne room.
"What have you done with her?" he demanded.
"I have only sped up the process," the Shah replied. "You will have her returned to you after you kill the Daroga's son. For now, my men are busy entertaining her."
His teeth clenched together to keep him from responding-from lashing out. The Shah could be prepared to give the order to have her killed at any moment should he make a move-and he couldn't risk that chance…. He couldn't risk the chance that he might lose her….
"It shall be done as long as she returned to me unharmed," he growled, turning to leave. "Or else I will have the head of every man who dared to lay a hand on her."
She was dragged from the room and back to Erik's chambers, being thrown onto the floor. He stood and ran over to her, grabbing her by the shoulders, eyes searching her.
"Are you alright? Are you hurt?" he demanded.
"I'm-I'm fine."
His fingers trailed at a small cut on her arm.
"It's nothing. I only scraped myself."
He held a hand to her forehead and frowned. "You have a slight fever. There are some herbs that will help." He sat her on the couch and returned with a cup of tea.
The doors flew open as Nadir barged in. "What have you done?" he screamed at him. "What have you done?"
"Nadir?" she asked, turning to look at him. "What is this about?"
"You!" he growled, pointing a finger at Erik. "You will pay for what you have done! And don't act as if you don't know what I am talking about! I saw it! The lasso-your lasso!"
"I was simply following orders."
"Orders?" Nadir grabbed him and shoved him up against the wall.
Adellade shot to her feet in surprise, blinking away the dizziness that plagued her head.
"What you have done cannot be excused! Not this time!"
"And what is it that he has done?" she asked.
"My son," he growled. "You ought to leave now, Adellade. Before he turns on you as well. If I could not protect my son, I can at least protect her from you!"
"Erik?" she asked. "What did you do to his son?"
"I followed the Shah's orders," he answered. "And his orders were the death of the Daroga's son."
She gasped. "You-you wouldn't, would you?"
"He did," Nadir growled. "And I suggest you leave, unless you wish to be a witness to a murder."
"Nadir! He couldn't have!" she argued, going over toward them. "I know Erik, and he would never do something like this! Never!" She held onto his arm to get him to listen to her-while also steadying herself. "Please. I'm certain there is a reason behind this. If anything: it was the Shah who ordered this thing to be done. It is him your anger should be directed at, not Erik."
"You are being much too kind to this-this-to him!" he argued. "Kindness he never deserved!"
"No!" she shouted, pulling on his arm. "You will not hurt him! I won't let you!"
"He has done terrible things, Adellade! Terrible things! Why shouldn't he deserve this? First being an assassin, devising that torture chamber, everything! All the more reason to enjoy ending his life! I am telling you one last time to leave us! Go and save yourself from this demon before he kills you as well!"
"He-he would never hurt me," she whispered. "I know him and he would never hurt me."
"What do you know of him? Tell me what do you know of him?"
"He's my friend." Her eyes narrowed and she pulled at Nadir's arm. "And I will not let you take him away from me!"
He threw her off him and she stumbled back, the dizziness overtaking her as she fell….
His eyes widened as she fell, his body acting on instinct, throwing the Daroga off him as he moved to catch her. "Adellade? Adellade?" He held a hand up to her face, still feeling the heat from her skin-if less so. He frowned, feeling the heat coming from all over her body….
"Is she-?" Nadir asked.
"Water, Daroga," he barked. "Fetch cool water and rags. Now!"
He did as Erik instructed. He carried her to the bed and undid her clothing, placing the dripping rags along her skin.
"Will she be alright?"
"If I can cool her down quickly, then yes," he muttered. "What did they do to you?" he whispered. "Erik is so sorry, Adellade. What did they do to you?"
He escorted Nadir out of her room and closed the door behind him.
"If you did anything to harm her…." Nadir threatened.
"I might as well have." He sighed and sat down, burying his face in his hands.
"What do you mean?"
"The Shah did order me to kill your son-yet that is not all he did, Daroga. He ordered that I kill your son, otherwise he would kill Adellade. He only died today because the Shah had taken her someplace-and if I did not kill him soon, then she would have paid the price." He looked up at Nadir. "I did my best to make his death swift and as painless as possible. The noose...that was only for show-he died by a knife."
"I suppose that was the best you could do, given the circumstances."
"And you have every right to be upset with me. You are a grieving man who has just lost his son-someone I have killed to protect her." HIs eyes narrowed. "I could just bear it when the gypsies did this to her...but now...now it is as if the Shah is ripping open an old wound...one that is meant to inflict pain…."
"What do you mean?"
"I was never the most compliant of children," he explained. "I would grow upset and refuse to do as they told me. When I did...they would turn to her…. They would hurt her, Nadir. They would hurt her and force me to watch. They never laid a hand on me, always on her-and the only way I could stop them was if I did as they instructed…. They would do such horrid things to her…. The countless times I planned my escape, always hesitating because I feared what would happen to her if I dared…. She has always been the only family I have-the only person I have ever cared about. To know that she is harmed because of me...because of something I did…. I could not lose her-I could never lose her, Nadir. I would have no one left in this world. My own unhappy mother refused to care for me out of love-she only did it out of duty. Adellade was the first person I had ever known to care about me. No matter what I do, she still cares...can you imagine that? Someone who knows what I've done-what I am capable of doing-still cares about me! And now I have put her in danger…."
"I might never forgive you for this," Nadir began, "but I am willing to help her-and only because it's Adellade. This isn't for you, Erik. This is for her." He turned to go. "And I will still make good on that promise to kill you if you ever hurt her."
"If I ever do, I shall be the one handing you the sword. That is a promise."