Chapter 11
Sleep had eluded her. Now Aisha sat at the table near her window, arranging the bits and pieces she had gathered on her walk earlier: leaves, flowers, bark.
It was something she always did with her younger siblings back in Avanid.
They would find things in the gardens and create pictures with them.
And when they were done, they would return everything to the garden.
She had just finished arranging a colourful butterfly when there was a soft knock at the door.
‘Come in,’ Aisha called out.
Maryam stepped inside, balancing a brass tray.
Steam drifted from the spout of the teapot.
She crossed the room and set the tray on the table.
‘Some tea and fruit, Your Highness.’ She then proceeded to pour the tea.
When she was done, she looked over at the bag Aisha had gotten out.
‘You are still planning to leave, then?’
Aisha drank before answering her, savouring the warmth of the tea. ‘It feels like the only sensible choice.’
Maryam observed her a moment. ‘Does it?’
Why did that simple question make Aisha choke up?
Maryam tilted her head. ‘Perhaps you are not ready to decide. It is all right if you need more time. Time to see more, to know more.’
Aisha sat back, her fingers tight around the cup. ‘At what point is it too late to turn back?’
‘After the wedding.’ Maryam’s mouth curved up.
It was the first time Aisha had seen her attendant attempt humour. She liked Maryam. There was something about her that felt safe, familiar even.
A knock sounded at the door. Maryam went to answer it for her. Tariq stood in the corridor, freshly washed and looking every bit the prince in his dark blue tunic and riding trousers. He looked past Maryam, green eyes meeting Aisha’s.
Maryam excused herself, then slipped past Tariq.
‘Can I come in?’ he asked.
Aisha got to her feet. ‘Of course.’
He stepped inside, leaving the door open behind him. She felt oddly nervous.
‘I wondered if you might like to see some more of Gruisea before you leave,’ he said. ‘Something other than corridors, courtyards, and mines.’
That wasn’t what she had been expecting him to say. Her first instinct was to refuse, but there was something in his tone that stopped her. Something quiet. He sounded like a man trying rather than a prince commanding.
‘See what, exactly?’ she asked.
His gaze drifted to her butterfly construction on the table. He stepped forwards to see it better. ‘What is that?’
‘Nothing.’ Aisha moved to stand in front of it. ‘Just something I do to entertain myself.’
Undeterred by her repositioning, Tariq stepped around her so he could see it. ‘You made this?’
She turned on an exhale. ‘I did.’
He reached out and touched a piece of bark, withdrawing his hand when it moved. ‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t be. It’s supposed to be disassembled at the end.’
He continued to touch various parts of it. ‘Seems a shame to mess it up.’
She straightened the piece of bark. ‘The joy’s in the doing.’
Tariq lifted his gaze. ‘You know, there’s an oasis about an hour’s ride from here. It has some of the most exotic foliage in the kingdom. Would you like to see it?’
The offer took Aisha by surprise. It was spontaneous and thoughtful, something just for her enjoyment rather than serving some purpose. ‘Oh.’ She glanced at the bag sitting on the bed. Packing would take her all of five minutes, so there was no real rush. ‘All right.’
He looked as surprised as she was by her answer. ‘Great. Well, I’ll have Maryam bring you something suitable for the ride.’ He began backing up to the door. ‘Meet me in the courtyard when you’re ready.’
Then he was gone.
Maryam brought her a linen kaftan with fitted trousers, then braided her hair, humming as she worked. ‘Enjoy yourself,’ she said before leaving the room.
Aisha found Tariq waiting in the courtyard with Kaidon and another guard. The guards bowed their heads in greeting before mounting their horses. Tariq was holding the reins of two horses, one of which was presumably hers.
‘Ready?’ he asked.
‘Ready.’
He helped her mount, then wrapped his fingers around her ankle to adjust her foot in the stirrup. In that fleeting touch, Aisha realised he no longer felt like a stranger. His voice, his manner, the weight of his hand against her skin—it had grown familiar.
The ride to the oasis was far more enjoyable than her trip to the mine with the queen. The company felt safe, so she was able to relax.
City turned to countryside, to scattered palms and clusters of mudbrick houses. Children emerged from them, following the horses and asking them questions.
‘Where are you going?’ asked one young girl.
‘Prince Tariq is taking me to see an oasis,’ Aisha told her.
The children exchanged excited glances.
‘You shouldn’t have told them where you were going,’ Tariq said when the children stopped following. ‘They’ll all be waiting at the oasis for you.’
And he was right. The children were already there when they arrived.
‘They know all the shortcuts,’ Tariq said as he dismounted.
Aisha slid down from her horse, taking in the sight before her. The water was so clear it reflected the palms and sky like a mirror. Wildflowers dotted the sand in splashes of red and yellow, and reeds swayed at the edge of the water.
The children rushed forwards in a noisy cluster, calling to Aisha to come see this and that. She took the hands of the smaller girls and let them lead the way. The men had no choice but to follow.
One of the boys ran up to Tariq, and Aisha was surprised when the prince called him by his name, Sadiq, resting a hand on his shoulder. So he did know people outside the nobility.
‘Can I go on your back?’ Sadiq asked.
Aisha nearly fell over when Tariq swung the boy up onto his back without breaking stride, carrying him without saying a word. Judging by how comfortable the boy was, she suspected it wasn’t the first time. She found herself watching them.
‘What are we going to do now?’ one of the girls asked, as if she had been part of the plan all along.
‘What’s your name?’ Aisha asked.
‘Yara.’
‘Well, Yara, we’re going on a treasure hunt for beautiful things.’
The girl’s eyes widened with excitement. ‘We are?’
That got the attention of the other children, who all gathered closer to listen.
‘But there’s no treasure here,’ a boy said, his voice laced with scepticism.
‘What do you mean?’ Aisha gestured to their surroundings. ‘Nature has treasure everywhere. Any beautiful thing you come across.’ She stopped walking. ‘But there are rules. You’re only allowed to collect things you find on the ground.’
‘That’s not treasure,’ Yara complained.
Aisha scooped her up and placed her on her hip. ‘Maybe not yet, but it will be when we’re finished.’
‘How?’ Sadiq called to her.
Aisha glanced in his direction. ‘We’re going to create masterpieces for the exclusive viewing of those of us present today.’
‘Out of things on the ground?’ one girl asked.
Aisha nodded. ‘You need to trust your inner artist.’
Yara was all in at that point, wriggling down from Aisha’s grip and running off to begin her search.
‘Are you going to do it?’ Sadiq asked Tariq as he was placed on the ground.
‘I’m going to try.’
Aisha’s insides warmed when he said that. She had assumed he would only watch.
They spent some time collecting items, then Aisha showed them all how to start arranging them into familiar things.
The children pressed in around her, tossing bright petals and smooth stones, eager to see what she would create with them.
Tariq had to keep gently pulling the children off Aisha so she wouldn’t get crushed by their enthusiasm.
Eventually, everyone settled down to create their own.
‘Yours isn’t very good,’ Sadiq told Tariq when he was done.
Tariq feigned offence. ‘Are you saying I’m not skilled in the art of bark-and-petal pictures?’
‘Yes,’ Sadiq replied simply.
The older children laughed, and Aisha joined them. For the first time since arriving in Gruisea, the heaviness in her chest eased just a bit.
When the sand was covered in makeshift butterflies, trees, animals, and various kinds of suns, the children raced off to splash around in the shallow water. Aisha brushed sand from her hands and looked over at Tariq.
‘They adore you,’ she told him.
Tariq watched the children play for a moment. ‘Not as much as they adore you, apparently.’ His gaze travelled back to hers. ‘Thank you for this, by the way. I’m sure they’ll talk about it for years to come.’
She shrugged. ‘This is what childhood is supposed to be.’
He dropped his gaze when she said that. It was guilt. Guilt for all the boys whose childhood ended at ten years old.
‘Do you want to have a look around?’ Tariq asked, looking up again.
She nodded.
Tariq went to fetch his saddlebag and told Kaidon to keep an eye on the children in the water. Then the two of them set off along the faint trail along the water’s edge.
The air was cooler in the shade, and the tranquillity was unmatched.
‘I’ve seen oases in Avanid,’ Aisha said, ‘when I was younger. But nothing like this.’
Tariq looked up at the canopy of trees above them. ‘My father first brought me here when I was six or seven. He told me this place is a reminder of how even in the harshest conditions, life finds a way to flourish.’
‘I didn’t know the king was one for poetic sentiment.’
‘He has his moments.’ Tariq stopped and pointed up at the trees above. ‘Look. A sooty falcon.’
Aisha followed his line of sight and spotted a bird perched on a high branch, its sleek grey and white feathers shimmering in the sunlight. ‘It’s gorgeous.’
They watched it spread its majestic wings and take flight.
‘Are you hungry?’ he asked.
She looked at the saddlebag he was carrying. ‘You brought food?’
‘Credit goes to Maryam. I usually forget to eat during the day.’
‘Ah.’
Opening the saddlebag, he pulled out a tightly rolled blanket and laid it out on the ground, gesturing for her to sit. He then retrieved a small bundle of food wrapped in cloth and a flask. He opened the flask, smelled it, then offered it to her. ‘I think it’s honey wine.’
Aisha took it from him. ‘I’m guessing there aren’t any cups in the bag.’
‘Afraid not.’
She removed her gloves before drinking.
Tariq opened the food parcel, revealing some flatbread, dried fruits, and cheese.
Once he was seated comfortably, she handed the flask back to him, watching his lips press against the same place hers had been moments earlier, without any hesitation.
They ate with the gentle sounds of the spring as a backdrop.
When Aisha was finished, she leaned back on her hands and looked at Tariq. ‘Tell me about your sister.’
He held the flask out, and when she shook her head, he placed it on the blanket between them.
‘Amani is the perfect daughter. Not only is she married to the future King of Kuzebet, but we’ve also just learned she’s pregnant.
Now she’s the extra-perfect daughter.’ He followed the comment up with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
‘Do you think she’s scared?’ Aisha asked.
‘Of the birth?’
‘All of it. She’s barely eighteen with no family nearby.’
Tariq picked up the flask. ‘If you say that to my mother, she’ll tell you how blessed she is to have her husband’s family to care for her.’ He drank before saying, ‘Your father seems in much less of a hurry to marry his daughters off.’
‘I think if he had his way, we’d never marry,’ Aisha said in a joking tone, even though it was the truth. ‘Zara, on the other hand…’
He watched her a moment. ‘Which sister are you closest to?’
‘I’m close to all of them for different reasons. Zara keeps me anchored. Lilah keeps me sane. Safiya keeps me stressed.’
Tariq’s mouth turned up.
‘And Yasmin…’ She remembered the exact feel of her youngest sister curled against her. ‘Yasmin keeps me guessing. She has a way of seeing the world that makes one think they’re seeing it wrong.’
He was silent a moment. ‘And what about Prince Omar?’
‘Oh, he’s the worst parts of all of us,’ Aisha laughed. ‘Impulsive, mischievous, reckless.’
‘But he’s also twelve, so there’s still hope.’
Her smile faded. ‘Those boys are too young to be working in mines. But you already know that.’
Tariq’s eyes moved between hers. ‘Yes.’ He held out the flask to her, and she took it. ‘My family built this dynasty to endure, no matter the cost. Whereas I refuse to let Gruisea endure like this.’
He sounded sincere.
‘So, you plan on changing these laws when you’re king?’ she asked.
‘I would like to change them before then.’
She drank, then passed the flask back to him.
When her fingers met his this time, a chill ran through her, and the world dimmed.
A rush of images, sharper than memories, played in her mind.
She saw herself standing with Tariq in the centre of a grand hall, dressed in ceremonial robes.
Their hands were clasped, their gazes locked.
Around them, a sea of faces blurred into obscurity.
It was the connection she felt with Tariq that she was most aware of. The absence of fear. Only certainty.
The vision left as abruptly as it had come. Aisha blinked hard, grounding herself back in the present. Her forehead was slick with sweat. Oh gods.
‘Are you all right?’ Tariq asked, his brow creased with concern.
She nodded, swallowing down her nausea. ‘This is why I don’t drink wine during the day.’
He rose and tipped out the wine, then walked down to the water’s edge to fill the flask. Returning, he handed it to her. ‘Here.’
She took it and drank. The water tasted of wine, but she swallowed it anyway, desperate to cool the heat in her chest. ‘Thank you.’
‘Are you sure you’re all right?’
Aisha nodded again, though her head felt light. She tried to pull herself together, but her trembling hands weren’t helping.
Tariq leaned forwards until his face was mere inches from hers, searching her eyes. Seeing too much.
‘Stay,’ he said. ‘Stay and marry me.’ The gold in his irises flickered like sunlight on metal. ‘Together, we’ll fix it.’
The air between them stilled. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
Say no, reason whispered. Wait.
But the vision urged her towards him.
She released a shaky breath. ‘All right,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll stay and marry you.’