4
Come morning, Nadir's happiness had not faded in the slightest, anticipation making him restless, hope making him nearly giddy.
All he had to do was get through the remaining nightmare caused by his worthless parents.
At least he wouldn't have to see them today.
No, today he was visiting his sisters.
Who weren't really his sisters at all, not legally.
How strange to think that if the people they should have been able to trust had not betrayed them, they'd never have met.
He couldn't imagine life without knowing them.
He loved his sisters, loved them dearly, even if he hated the way their parents had always favored them heavily over him.
Sighing, he climbed out of bed and dressed for the day, then ate the breakfast that had been left for him.
He set the tray outside the door on his way out, pulling up a wrap around his head to protect against the sun as he left the palace and headed into the city.
The day was hot, as ever, but not unbearably so.
The journey would be a lot easier if he had a horse, but those had been confiscated along with everything else.
His heart sped as he realized that in a few months, he'd never need a horse again.
Concubines were forbidden to leave the palace, just like the monarch they devoted themselves too.
Last night still felt like a dream.
Had he truly shared wine with Shafiq? Cozied up with him in a garden until he fell asleep? It was all so hard to believe, but he could remember Shafiq's warmth, the taste of the wine, the scent of flowers and fresh water all around them.
The promise of a question.
He tried to think of other things as he reached the city gate and joined the milling throngs.
Guards watched over the comings and goings, occasionally wading into the fray to sort out a problem or potential problem.
When he finally stepped into the city proper, the first thing he did was look around for a food cart, his stomach grumbling, despite the breakfast he'd had before leaving.
He settled on some sticky-sweet dumplings on a stick, nibbling happily as he made his way through the bustling city to the area where the wealthy lived on a hill that overlooked the ocean and part of the city.
Eventually, he came to a halt in front of a beautiful white and teal house with a colorful mosaic fountain in front.
Guards stood at the gates, and Nadir bowed in greeting.
"Hello, I'm here to visit my sisters.
They invited me." He offered the slip of paper from them, but the guards only opened the gate and motioned him on through.
A servant was waiting in the entryway, and bowed to him.
"Good day, Lord Nadir, you are expected.
This way, please." He led Nadir through the beautiful, ornate house, and it was nice to once more be back in the cool indoors.
At the back of the house they finally came to a stop on a beautiful porch shaded by a pergola covered in ivy and flowers.
Still more fountains helped to keep the area cool.
His sisters, just twelve and ten respectively, brightened where they'd been sitting quietly, nervously.
"Nadir!" cried Ghada, the elder of the two.
"You're here! You're here!" She pushed to her feet and ran to hug him, followed immediately by Aida.
"Are you two all right? Where are your caretakers?"
"Mistress Habiba said she'd be along shortly; she's dealing with a wine order that was delivered and is all wrong."
"Sit, sit," Nadir said, ushering them back to the table.
"You're both looking well, I'm happy to see.
How are you doing?"
That was apparently all they needed to regale him with tale after tale, from the guards showing up to arrest their parents through going to court to meet the family appointed to care for them up to moving into the city.
"Mistress Habiba says they're going overseas soon, for five whole years," Aida said, voice almost more of a hushed whisper.
"To Pelenna! Where everything is ice! Can you imagine? They say that half the year the sun never sets, and the other half it never rises! What must it be like to never see night, and then never see day?"
"Sounds like you want to find out," Nadir replied with a smile.
"You always did want a good adventure, though.
What about you, Ghada?"
"Mistress Habiba says she'll send me to school there, if I want.
I'd have to study the language very hard, but…"
Nadir could have cried.
"It's generous and kind of her and Master Juda to take you in so."
"Hardly," said an unfamiliar voice from behind him.
A woman he could only assume was Mistress Habiba smiled as he turned.
"It is our divine duty to help where we may, and Juda and I have always wanted children.
The gods did not grant them to us, but here we find ourselves with two daughters, if they are willing to have us as parents. We're already petitioning for permanent adoption, and I think it will go through."
"That's wonderful to hear," Nadir said. "Truly."
"What about you, Lord Nadir?" Habiba asked as she sat down and poured them all tea, handing out sweets when she was done.
"What are your plans? This must be so difficult for you, dealing with all your parents did, finding out… well, so much about them.
I am truly sorry.
You do not deserve to suffer for their crimes. You've always been a fine young man."
Nadir swallowed.
"Thank you, Mistress Habiba.
That is good to hear.
I admit I mostly felt invisible at court I was always so busy working and studying. As to my plans…" He hesitated, but in the end took the chance. "After I am finished assisting His Majesty and the courts with assuring my parents see justice, my king has asked if I might remain close to him."
Habiba's eyes widened, the sweet bun in her fingers slipping free. "He did?"
"Not officially," Nadir said quietly.
"For obvious reasons.
But yes.
I would deeply appreciate your discretion, Mistress."
She snorted and retrieved her food.
"Unlike most of the court, I know how to keep my mouth shut.
That is why we were chosen as guardians for Aida and Ghada.
Rest assured, no one will hear anything from us."
Ghada and Aida stared in confusion.
"I don't understand."
"We'll discuss it later," Habiba replied.
"For now, tell your brother more about the trip you'll be taking, the school you'll be attending, Ghada."
After some hesitation and a slow start, they resumed their eager torrent from earlier, going until well after dark and a pleasant dinner.
Nadir hugged them at the entrance as they finally saw him out, happy and sad all at once.
"Write to me.
We might not be blood-related as we always thought, but you will always be my sisters.
I hope I get to see you again before you leave, but if not, be well and thrive. Mistress Habiba, every happiness to you and yours. Thank you for the lovely afternoon and evening."
They all bid him farewell, and several minutes later Nadir finally headed out, humming softly as he slowly made his way through the dark city back to the palace.
He'd just reached the intersection that would take him back to the main part of the city when he heard footsteps behind him.
Moving quickly.
Nadir turned, curious—right as a hand landed on his shoulder, forced him all the way around, and another hand punched him in the face, splitting his lip and sending him crashing to the ground.
Before he could get his bearings, see past the shock and pain, someone straddled him, pinned him, and then a damp cloth was slapped over his mouth and nose.
The world tilted.
Went gray.
Then black.
***
Nadir woke to his head feeling like someone had mistaken it for firewood.
He'd thought his life utter misery when he'd woken after getting drunk once, but he'd gladly take that over this.
Fighting not to throw up from the pain, he slowly— slowly— sat up and took in his surroundings.
He was lying on hardpacked earth and surrounded by cheap stone held together with cheaper grout.
One good storm would knock the whole thing over like a pile of sticks.
It was also hot and muggy, as the shed clearly did not have much air circulating, or anything else to keep it cool.
To judge by the smell of dirt and fertilizer and damp grasses, he was somewhere well outside the city.
No wonder his head hurt, if he'd been drugged to sleep the whole trip.
Who? Why?
Well, the answer to those questions was broadly obvious.
This could only have to do with his parents and Shafiq.
That left a glaring lack of details, but given he was locked in a shed in the middle of nowhere, the details didn't seem terribly helpful.
At least he wasn't tied up.
Bracing against the wall, Nadir slowly climbed to his feet.
His head did not enjoy the movement remotely, but there was nothing for it.
He refused to just sit around waiting patiently for his kidnappers to show up and do whatever was next.
The door of course was locked, and from the sounds, it was also padlocked and possibly barred.
Even if he did miraculously acquire tools to pick the lock and the skills to use them, that would only be a small part of the problem.
He set to exploring the walls next, but though the mortar was crumbling apart, it was just strong enough he couldn't simply shove a wall over.
The roof was too high for him to reach, though it was thatching, not tiles, which was promising. Hmm.
Letting his various ideas simmer, Nadir shifted his attention to the many and varied cracks and holes that were letting in dull sunlight.
He peered through all of them, trying to gauge something, anything, about his surroundings.
All he came away with was that he was likely on a farm or ranch of some sort, somewhere not too far from Salla Province.
The landscape didn't look sandy enough to be far enough north to butt up against the Great Desert, so more than likely he was somewhere in Kenira Province, possibly Harn, but that seemed a stretch.
That was still a long, long way from home when he had no supplies, not even the right clothes for hard travel under the blazing sun or the chilly nights when the most dangerous predators came out.
Not that such impediments would stop him.
Nothing would stop him getting back to Shafiq.
Nothing would keep his parents and all their cohorts from facing justice.
Still, it was strange that he had just been locked in a crumbling shed in the middle of nowhere, without even a guard, it seemed, to make certain he stayed put.
Maybe they thought he was a soft noble who'd be too scared to do anything but cower in a corner.
Well fools them.
He'd done enough cowering.
He triple-checked the cracks in and around the door one last time, to ensure there were in fact no immediate guards.
It was all too possible they were simply out of view of his limited sight, but he couldn't hear them either.
As assured on that point as he could be, he turned his attention back to the shed.
He could climb up and tear through the roof, or he could tackle the weak masonry and try to make a hole in one of the walls.
There were pros and cons to each, but in the end, he decided to try the roof.
The thatching was much easier to get through, and a shed wouldn't be so high off the ground he was at great risk jumping from it, though he'd still have to be careful.
Right.
Decision made.
Time to act.
Nadir took a deep breath, then worked first on his hair, undoing the ruined bun it had been in before braiding and winding it. Next, he removed his slippers, as the soft silk would be useless for climbing walls. He tucked them into his sash, then explored the different corners until he found one that proved adequate for climbing. It took him a couple of tries, and some painful slips and scrapes, but eventually he reached one of the crossbeams. From there, it was easy enough, if awkward, to tear the thatching out bit by bit. He dropped the shredded remains to the ground, as stealth hardly mattered and he had nowhere else to put them anyway.
He was sweaty, filthy, and sore by the time he made a gap big enough to push through, and the roof wouldn't be holding his weight for long now he'd torn a hole in it, but it only had to work for a couple of minutes.
Taking another steadying breath, Nadir then grasped the beam nearest the hole he'd made and heaved himself up.
There'd been so many days when he'd resented having to add his exercises, his knife-fighting practice, on top of his studies and sister-watching duties, but he was grateful now, even if he hated the parents who'd forced the matter.
Outside the stifling shed was better in some ways, worse in others.
It was one step closer to regaining his freedom, though, and that was all that really mattered.
He hastened to the edge of the roof and swung down over it, dangling as far as he could before letting go.
He landed with a bone-jarring thud that knocked him on his ass, but thankfully nothing seemed injured, save his dignity.
Picking himself up, he put his shoes back on and pulled up the headwrap he still thankfully had.
His kidnappers had taken his knives and money, but that was all.
Nadir looked around, but save for a small curl of smoke coming from the main house some distance off, the farm might have been abandoned.
Maybe it was, and that was why they'd stashed him here, and whoever was in the house had taken watching Nadir for a joke of a job.
Not wasting any more time, Nadir got his bearings from the sun and headed off.
After several minutes, he came to a road, and a faded sign that indicated there was something in roughly the direction he needed to go.
He didn't have money or anything else to barter with, but he'd face that problem once he reached the town.
The sun was blistering, but thankfully had crested an hour or so ago and was steadily sinking toward the horizon.
A few more hours and his problem would no longer be the heat, but the cold.
He'd been traveling an hour or so when he heard horses drawing closer and moving fast.
Damn it.
Looking around frantically, he raced toward an outcropping of boulders and scrambled behind them.
Hopefully he hadn't left footprints or something.
Hunching down, tensed to bolt if necessary, Nadir waited—and nearly cried in relief when the horses didn't even slow, just blew right past his hiding spot, and continued on down the road.
Nadir collapsed on the ground, trembling and barely containing a laugh-sob of relief.
Too close.
He should avoid the road as much as possible, but he also didn't know the area well enough to take that risk.
He would just have to be careful and pray the gods continued to favor him.
Standing slowly, still shaky from the close call, he stepped slowly around the rocks—and froze as he saw an errant rider who'd stopped by the side of the road to take a piss.
Unfortunately, the man saw him at the same time.
Nadir bolted, but he was no match for a well-trained mercenary.
The man grabbed him by the braid that had come loose, yanking him back with a wrenching pull on his neck, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Thought you'd escaped, huh, little brat? You won't be so lucky a second time." He hauled Nadir to his feet and then backhanded him, sending him right back to the ground.
Nadir spat out blood and stared blearily up at him.
The man was huge, more muscle than anything else, with an elaborate tattoo of a cobra on his right cheek, going down his neck to wrap around the base of his throat, like an actual snake coiled there.
"I'll make sure the defiance is knocked right out of you."
He grabbed Nadir by the hair again, close to the scalp, his grip painfully tight, and dragged him along like some sort of sack.
Humiliation and fear rushed through Nadir—and then sparked into anger.
He was tired.
All his life he'd been a dutiful, obedient son.
Abused. Neglected. Overlooked.
Stolen from a life he would never know.
Then he'd been a good citizen, siding with king and law against those parents.
The only thing he'd ever truly wanted, he couldn't have until this was all over, and these men were trying to ruin it for him.
He'd done nothing wrong, and yet continued to suffer.
To be punished for the crimes of others.
He was done.
Nadir twisted and writhed until he was being dragged along on his knees rather than his back, and managed to grip the back of the bastard's belt.
If the mercenary noticed, which he must have, he clearly didn't care, far more interested in getting Nadir to the horse.
There was a knife on the belt, loose in its scabbard like the mercenary had used it recently, or been too lazy to secure it properly.
Nadir yanked it free, braced his free hand on the man's wrist, and sliced through his own hair.
The sudden loss of his weight sent the mercenary stumbling forward, and Nadir used the moment of surprise to regain his own feet and surge forward, slamming the dagger into the bastard's side, then yanking it out and thrusting it into his neck as he dropped to his knees from the shock of the pain.
Leaving him there, shaking badly, Nadir ran for the horse and clumsily mounted.
The mercenary lay dead in the sand, his blood soaking into it all around him.
Bile burned in Nadir's throat.
Tears stung at his eyes.
He would have to deal with it later, though.
He urged the horse into motion and raced off down the road.
When he came to a fork, he took the one that led away from the village he'd initially been headed for.
This would take him into Harn Province, and even further away from the palace, but it would make finding him more difficult once the others went looking for their dead comrade and realized what had happened.
He could swing into Harn, then down to Tey, and cut east from there back into Salla Province.
It would take him days instead of hours, but he stood a better chance of remaining alive and getting back home to Shafiq—and if no one could find him, no one could use him.
Nadir would be damned if anyone ever used him again.
***
He arrived in the dead of night, so exhausted he more fell off his horse than dismounted.
The guards at the gate broke protocol and rushed to him, one helping him to his feet while another called for someone to come tend the horse.
"You are Lord Nadir, are you not?" the second guard asked.
"His Majesty has put out strict orders for us to keep an eye out for you, and same for the city guard.
Come, he said that you were to go to him the very moment you were found."
Nadir nodded, too tired and wrung out to figure out words right then.
The guards summoned a servant once they were inside, who helped Nadir walk, for which he could only mumble thanks, for his legs were entirely too weak and wobbly from hours of hard riding to trust himself to walk the length of the palace alone.
It seemed to take them years to reach their destination: the royal wing, where Nadir had never really been, save for one illicit night in the garden.
He didn't know if he should laugh or cry in relief as they were granted entrance to Shafiq's private chambers, and the servant gently helped him through the doors.
The room smelled of flowers and sandalwood, warm and fragrant and welcoming.
There was color everywhere, in the drapes and bedding and rugs, the decorations on the wall.
So in contrast to a man who most often dressed in somber colors with little embellishment.
"Nadir!" Shafiq said, rushing forward from where he'd been speaking with a servant.
"Nadir, you're alive.
Are you all right?"
"Just tired, Your Majesty," Nadir said, thanking the servant, who hastened out at Shafiq's nod.
He sank to his knees, fighting exhaustion.
"I am sorry I've arrived at—"
"No," Shafiq said, the words ragged.
"You are sorry for nothing.
Out," he added, sweeping an arm out to indicate everyone in the room.
"I want everyone out. I need to speak with Lord Nadir privately. Have Captain Bahiyya summoned, but nobody enters until I grant permission."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the guards chorused, and in moments the room was empty of all but the two of them.
Before Nadir could ask what was going on, Shafiq dropped to his knees and pulled Nadir into his arms, fingers threading through his hair, and if Nadir didn't know any better, he'd swear Shafiq was trembling.
"I'm so glad you're alive.
I thought I would have to bury you as well."
Nadir's eyes stung as he lifted his heavy arms to hold Shafiq in turn.
"I'd never let anyone take me away, not ever, but especially not now." He swallowed as Shafiq drew back and cupped his face, thumbs gently stroking Nadir's cheekbones.
"Majesty?"
"I want you to use my name when we're alone.
If I'd just been a selfish oaf from the start, this might not have happened, but you're home and safe, and I vow you will stay that way.
Are you still willing to be mine, Nadir? Even with all the trouble that being mine will bring?"
Pinching his eyes shut to fight back tears that escaped anyway, Nadir then opened them and said, "I've always been yours.
Yes, my king, please."
"Finally," Shafiq said, and dragged him into a kiss.
It was ragged, toothy, and graceless, but Nadir loved it all the same.
He twined his arms around Shafiq's torso and leaned into him, eager to get as close as he could, feel warm and safe and home once and for all.
What he managed to do was upset their balance, sending Shafiq splaying across the floor and him splayed across Shafiq.
Not a bad place to be at all.
Laughing, Shafiq kissed him more softly—then wrapped his arms around Nadir and in a deft move Nadir couldn't follow reversed their positions.
"Have I mentioned I like the short hair? I worry about what provoked the sudden change, but it suits you immensely."
"Oh, good," Nadir said.
"I would have grown it long again if you wanted, but I admit I've always hated my hair and wasn't sad I had to cut it off to get away from that bastard who caught me on my escape."
"I sense you've quite the tale to relate." Shafiq kissed him again, pinning him to the floor and taking his mouth like he was determined to mark Nadir property of the king.
Nadir might have whined when he pulled back, even as his body reminded him he was far too sore and exhausted for any of the fun stuff he was now allowed to do.
"Later," Shafiq said.
"Once this mess is over and you've recovered, I intend to have you thoroughly."
Shivering, Nadir pushed him off and rolled to his feet.
"Stop saying things like that."
Shafiq laughed.
"Sit at the table while I tell everyone crowded around the door trying to eavesdrop that they can come in now."
"They would never."
"You'd be surprised."
Nadir shook his head as he went to the table and, with a racing heart, took the spot that would place him immediately to Shafiq's right.
Gods willing, it would be his place for the rest of his life, shared only with other concubines and a wife should Shafiq ever remarry.
He looked up as Shafiq opened the door all the way to admit his servants, Captain Bahiyya, and a few of her guards.
Shafiq smiled as his gaze landed on Nadir, eyes going soft, and as he sat, he briefly rested a hand on Nadir's back, warm and heavy and as loud a declaration as words.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty," Bahiyya said as she sat directly opposite them.
"Lord Nadir, you as well.
We are happy to have you home safe and sound.
Would it trouble you overmuch to tell us what happened to you?"
Nadir spread his hands.
"There isn't much to tell.
I spent much of the day visiting my sisters.
That was… honestly, I don't know now, two or three days ago?"
"Nearly four, actually," Shafiq said.
"That's why I feared the worst."
Beneath the table, Nadir twined their fingers together and gently squeezed.
"They got me as I was leaving my sisters' house and heading back here.
I don't even really remember what happened.
I was knocked out, and the next thing I recall was waking up in a shack, probably on an old farm or something."
He related the rest of the tale, from his awkward escape through the roof, the nasty tangle with the mercenary, and his nearly non-stop flight back home.
It took a while, despite its brevity, because he couldn't stop yawning throughout.
As he finished, and answered what few questions they had, Bahiyya laughed and said, "You're quite the mongoose, Lord Nadir, tangling with and taking down a cobra so fearlessly and ruthlessly.
I know it's grisly work, and I'm sorry you had to do it, but well done all the same.
It greatly suits His Majesty to have a mongoose at his side."
Nadir flushed and lowered his head, but smiled as he said, "Thank you, Captain."
Shafiq squeezed his hand and stroked the back of it softly before withdrawing.
After that, Nadir was more than happy to let the rest of the conversation wash over him.
He didn't realize he'd fallen asleep until Shafiq called his name and gently shook him.
"Sorry!" Nadir jerked up, face flushing.
"My deepest apologies, Your Majesty."
"We're alone," Shafiq said with a smile.
"You don't have to call me that, and you certainly don't need to apologize.
You're exhausted, and you've had quite the fraught past few days.
Come, we'll get you a bath to ease some of the soreness and then go to bed." He lifted a hand to signal a servant Nadir hadn't even noticed standing against the wall.
Groaning, Nadir pushed to his feet and headed over to the corner where the bath was located.
Shafiq remained behind, bending over the various papers still arrayed across his table, spreading them back out and resuming, presumably, whatever had kept him awake so late into the night.
Nadir would have loved to stay in the hot water for at least the rest of the week, but he also wanted to sleep, so after he was clean and the worst of his soreness had eased as promised, he let a servant towel him off and then took the offered robe.
Offering a wispy smile and a bow, the servant departed.
"Are you going to keep working?" Nadir asked, abruptly at a loss.
Shafiq looked up, and there was no mistaking the direction of his thoughts as heat flickered in his eyes.
"No, I was simply waiting for you." He dropped the pen he was holding, put out the lights on the table, and rose with more elegance than Nadir would ever be able to muster, let alone after a long, hard day.
"Come." He offered a hand, and Nadir drew close enough to take it.
Putting out the rest of the lights, save for the one hanging from the ceiling close to the bed, which was covered in blue glass that lent a soft, soothing light to the room, Shafiq then pulled him down into the bed and drew the gauzy curtains closed around them.