Jamil felt like utter crap, but at the same time like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He could hear someone sleeping next to him, their head on his chest. He tentatively opened his eyes and felt a wave of relief pass through him when he realized his younger sister was there with him.
He had been forced to limit his time around her, purely for her own protection. Hassan took great pleasure in making his life hell and using his sister as a noose around his neck. Seeing her here, alive and unharmed left an indescribable feeling of relief pass through him.
More to the point, he could tell without being told that several of the hidden 'shackles' had been forcibly removed.
When he attempted to speak, his throat let out a cough instead. He was incredibly thirsty, and his throat was beyond sore.
Najma, alerted to the fact he was awake, swiftly realized what he needed and brought him some water. Jamil sipped it carefully.
It tasted like the most wonderful thing he had had in his life.
His recovery was slow, and Najma visited him daily. She told him of the city outside the room, which he had only seen a brief glimpse of before being taken to the throne room. She spoke of the hidden sisterhood of 'hostages', which the locals considered their King's personal harem at this point.
The fact Aquarius was considered a legitimate king in the city did not surprise him. Royal lines had to start somewhere after all, and if he played his cards right the women he held 'hostage' could easily elevate his bloodline to legitimate royalty.
Once he was well enough to leave the room, he was promptly taken before the Boss again.
Jamil didn't even hesitate when he saw the man. He'd happily swear his fealty to him in a second...not just for removing the curses, but for saving his sister as well.
"We don't stand on ceremony around here. If you wish to join the others, we can arrange for a proper welcoming party once you're physically up to it," said Aquarius. "There's been a few... developments...while you were sleeping."
Najma winced at the reminder.
Jamil looked to his sister in confusion.
"Our parents are gone. If they're not dead yet, then they probably wish they were," she told him quietly. "Hassan did not take my kidnapping well, especially since that attack knocked him into the canal and gave him a minor concussion."
Jamil felt no pity for them. It was partially their fault he had been stuck with that bastard in the first place. He only cared about his sister at this point.
"Jamil what can you tell me about this secret room you hinted at before?" asked Aquarius.
Jamil's grimace was rather telling.
"It is a foul, wretched place that only a select few of the main family are aware of. I'm fairly certain he found it via his mother, actually. If he hadn't been made the heir, then perhaps his activities would have been curtailed long ago."
"What do you mean?" asked Aquarius.
"The original heir went missing, almost ten years ago. His personality was much, much different from Hassan's," said Jamil. "The only way Hassan could be removed from the line of succession would be if the original heir were to reappear and expose his crimes."
"How does that work out?" said Hakim, confused.
"The previous heir was much more well liked than Hassan, and had the making of a powerful mage if trained up right. Most of the allies preferred his methods to that of his younger sibling, and he was the eldest by a margin of two years. Hassan only became the heir because those in his way died of 'mysterious' circumstances, and nothing could be openly proven back to him," said Jamil. "If he were to reappear, his position would be openly threatened."
"Is there any other way to prevent him from gaining full access of the Al Asim fortune?" asked Hakim.
"The easiest way would be to find the original heir, Kalim. However there is a way to severely delay his ascension, at least long enough that one of the younger siblings could be trained to overthrow Hassan as heir. The only reason he's heir is because of his age, but if his competence is called into question it could allow one of the younger siblings to take the reigns instead."
Jamil wondered why the boss twitched at the name.
"What's option two?" said Aquarius.
"There's a special ring that's been passed down since before Silk City became what it is today. It's been authenticated to being older than the Sorcerer of the Sands himself, and legend has it he used it to find the 'diamond in the rough'."
"How does a ring help us?" asked one of the men.
"I'm getting to that. The ring itself isn't very special, but because of what it was used for, and the fact it sat in the sorcerer's workshop for so long, it's acquired special properties. The few dormant abilities it was originally made with were super charged to the point it's become almost sentient. As such it's been used for generations now to help determine the next head of the Al Asim."
"I think I've heard this story," said Aquarius. "The ring partially absorbed the spell the sorcerer used to find the 'worthy', and would react in a rather unpleasant manner if someone who did not fit the criteria. That effect doubled if worn by a mage. However if worn by someone it deems worthy, it would bestow great blessings and a protective spell that would last until their death."
Jamil blinked, as he had never heard that part. Only that the ring was very particular about who it would permit to wear it. As such the Al Asim had been using it to secretly test their heirs for centuries, since if they weren't worthy of wearing it then chances were they'd lead the family to ruin anyway.
"So you're saying we need to steal this ring?" said Hakim.
"Hassan is set to test his worth by the next month. Normally he'd have to wait until he's sixteen, but considering his reputation the Al Asim want to curtail any more rumors before they get out of hand."
Jamil could feel Aquarius' grin.
"So what are we waiting for? Let's get to planning! Besides, it's about time we hit the Al Asim anyway," said Aquarius.
Jamil didn't want to get up. It had nothing to do with being sore from his treatment, and everything to do with being too damn comfortable to move.
It wasn't until his mind finally registered the warm body pressing against his own that he realized what was going on.
Opening his eyes slowly, he sees an arm wrapped around his waist, pulling him close. The body behind him was warm, almost ridiculously so. The arm was like a band of steel, but at the same time he could tell from the hands that it belonged to someone younger. Possibly his age.
He tried to figure out who was cuddling against him. He remembered walking home from his treatment, with Najma at his side. He remembered hearing the boss' voice, and seeing him with some loose women.
Hakim, who happened to be passing by cheerfully explained how all the brothels had what was called "The King's Privilege", where the Madams would call Aquarius in whenever they got a new girl to 'break her in'.
Aquarius was not only well liked by the women, he never had to pay for the night.
Before he could muse further, Jamil felt the arm move and the breathing pattern change.
Imagine his shock realizing that the other person in his bed was none other than the boss!
"...Why are you in my bed?" asked Jamil.
Aquarius blinked, his usual covering having slipped to reveal part of his nose. He wasn't wearing the usual veil, but rather a scarf which covered the bottom half of his face almost as effectively.
Aquarius winced at the volume, likely still hungover from the night before.
"Weird...normally I end up curled against Yas or one of the other girls. It's been a long time since I shared a bed with another guy," said Aquarius, just as confused.
"You have a habit of crawling into bed with random people?" said Jamil, slightly bemused at this point.
"Only those I trust with my back. Which is weird, because only a handful of people are on that list," he admitted.
Jamil was slightly relieved they were both dressed. He'd openly admit that he had slept better with Aquarius curled up against him than he had in a very long time.
Later that day, Jamil asked Hakim about the almost festive atmosphere in the city.
"They're preparing for the Rain Festival," said Hakim.
"Rain festival?" said Jamil.
"Long story short, the boss is going to use his magic to refill the underground cisterns," explained Hakim. "He accidentally discovered them while refining his ability to control his water spells. Once the city established a trade route, the locals decided to make it a festival of sorts."
Jamil looked incredulous.
"How can someone refill an entire city's worth of water?"
"To be fair, once we figure out how to unblock the old water source he won't have to do it as often," said Hakim. "It's still there, but something collapsed the opening so it only comes out as a mere trickle...not something that could sustain a city for more than a day or two at most."
Jamil was baffled, as was Najma. Still he was curious as to how the boss could sustain an entire city with his magic alone.
Aquarius walked up to the decorated stage, carrying an ornate staff topped with a fist-sized magestone. It was shaped almost like a hissing cobra, and looked ridiculously familiar for some reason. The stone was being held in place by the cobra's mouth.
Aquarius raised the staff high, and the magestone glinted from the magic being channeled through it. Jamil watched with baited breath as the boss chanted his signature spell.
"Respite in the scalding sands, a never-ending party! Dance! Sing! Oasis Maker!"
Clouds formed overhead, despite the sky being practically clear a moment again. Thick, heavy clouds began to rumble in from the sky above Aquarius.
Suddenly, Jamil knew why someone so young had gained a name that was linked to a constellation known as the 'Water Bearer'. Aquarius' signature spell allowed him to create rain from almost nothing. Jamil couldn't detect a hint of strain, despite the wide area of effect.
"Jamil, look!" said Najma, watching with delight.
The rain clouds continued to share their burden with the locals, with the children dancing with glee while splashing puddles.
However it was the dance Aquarius was putting on the stage that had the siblings watch with fascination. It almost made Jamil want to join him, if only to let loose and use the break dancing skills he had been forced to put aside lest Hassan use it against him.
Seeing the boss control the water like it was a part of him was absolutely breath-taking.
Najma noticed her brother's open interest and smiled sadly. Jamil had really gotten the short end of the stick after Kalim's disappearance. She had no problems with him joining the growing harem of Aquarius, since she knew he treated his girls well. They had all spoken fondly of their 'captor', as he allowed them to enjoy their hobbies and even speak to their families.
They were hostages only in name, and it was only the fear of the Al Asim's reaction to them allowing their daughters to marry a complete unknown that kept them from making it official.
Either way, Yas had made it clear she intended to be his First Wife, and the other girls had agreed it was only appropriate due to the fact she was the first person Aquarius had rescued from an unwanted marriage to Hassan.
Najma found herself laughing and actually enjoying herself, as she was pulled into the atmosphere of the rather odd festival. Then again it was clear to her that Aquarius was the sort of king who wanted his people to actually enjoy themselves, and to do more than just survive in the deep desert.
The only reason the city wasn't even busier was due to it being the base of his operations. It was a rather bad idea to let the rich and understandably unhappy families know where he was hiding the bulk of his riches after all.
It still did a lot of trade, and Najma had seen Aquarius hard at work with the other merchants. For a thief, he had a surprisingly good insight into what merchants wanted and how to make a hidden city rather attractive to people who spent their lives moving large sums of money from one venture to another.
All in all, it was a rather enjoyable evening...if a bit wet.