ALIZEH WAS STILL STUDYING THE surreal sight of the pink blooms all around her, astonishment driving the thunder of her heart.
“Cyrus did this,” she said again, this time without inflection.
Just saying his name aloud left her with a strange, disembodied sensation. Alizeh felt suddenly desperate to see him, felt this need inside her like a physical ache.
Of course it was him.
How had she not realized right away?
“As I said, I find it egregious,” Huda was saying. “He’s acting like some wounded child – painting the city in flowers as if he’s planning a funeral –”
“Where is he?”
“Who?” Huda startled. “Cyrus? Oh, I haven’t the faintest. No one does, usually, and he certainly never tells me what he’s up to. All I know is that he cannot be trusted.”
“Why?” Alizeh asked, her eyes widening. “What has he done?”
“You mean aside from all his overt sins?” Huda laughed. “He hasn’t murdered anyone yet, if that’s what you’re asking. But he’s very, very
secretive, and very irregular. Do you know, on several occasions I caught him speaking, with great feeling, to a dragon?”
Alizeh frowned. “That’s not very irregular, is it? People talk to animals all the time.”
“Yes, but who speaks to dragons?” she said, sounding exasperated. “Their ears alone are about a mile up their heads, which are about a mile from the ground. Imagine speaking to a dragon and thinking they could hear you! I’m certain you’d have to be deranged.”
Alizeh’s frown only deepened. “Surely you might choose some other reason to dislike him? This feels a bit unfair.”
“Oh, I’ve loads of other reasons for thinking he’s deranged, don’t you worry.” Huda waved a hand. “I needn’t list them all.”
At that, Alizeh felt as if something had flickered out inside her, taking her energy with it. “No,” she said quietly. “You needn’t list them all.”
“Anyway, as I was saying, it likely was Cyrus who poisoned you, if you could only recall –”
“Huda,” she said, staring into her hands, trying desperately to channel calm.
“Yes, dear?”
“I’d like to leave this room – to find Hazan – I’m feeling a bit faint, and I think fresh air would do me some good. Perhaps we might finish this conversation at a later time, preferably while I’m wearing undergarments.”
Huda made another shrill, birdlike sound, then jumped from the bed as if she’d been branded. She spun around and said, “Yes! Of course, they told me to bring you a set of clothes – I’ll be right back –”
“What? Who’s they?”
Huda was halfway down the stairs when she called over her shoulder: “The Diviners, of course! They had to burn your other ones, you know” – she grabbed the door handle – “because of the contamination – though I
wouldn’t mourn the loss too much, as they were all covered in blood in any case –”
“Huda – wait –”
But Huda had already yanked open the door, called for Omid, exchanged a few hurried words with the boy, retrieved something out of sight, then slipped back inside the room, nudging the door closed with her hip. The heavy panel slammed shut behind Huda’s back, and the young woman smiled up at Alizeh with great joy. In her arms she held a small,
beautifully fashioned piece of luggage, the supple, powder-blue leather of the hard case fastened at intervals by brass hinges and clasps.
Stunned, Alizeh only stared at her.
“Can you not imagine my delight?” Huda said, ascending the steps in a flurry. “Now it’s my turn to dress you!”
Alizeh felt the light fade from her eyes.
“Oh, don’t look so horrified! Besides, if you don’t trust my taste, you might trust Sarra’s – she and I are a similar size, and she’s been letting me borrow a great deal of her garments.” Huda threw back her head and laughed. “I’m wearing the castoffs of a queen! If only Mother could see me now!”
“Your mother,” Alizeh repeated softly, reminded that she’d overlooked an enormous detail. “Huda, if you’ve been here for almost four weeks,
where does your mother think you are? Your family must be worried.”
Huda’s eyes went round. “Oh, no, it’s quite incredible, really. Father is outrageously proud – he said he always knew the blood of an ambassador ran through my veins! And now Mother hasn’t any choice but to sing my praises, for we’re all practically famous –”
“Famous? What do you mean?”
“Yes, right, best to start at the beginning, isn’t it?” Huda placed the suitcase on the floor. “Well, the news out of Ardunia is that the Diviners have stayed Zahhak’s hand –”
“Who’s Zahhak?”
“Ah.” Huda’s brows pinched together. “Can you remind me where you left off in all this? It’s been a frantic few weeks, and I can’t remember how much you don’t know.”
Alizeh stared blankly at the girl. “The last time I truly saw you, you were trying to beat Cyrus over the head with a candelabra.”
Huda reddened at the mention of this, then laughed nervously, and
before Alizeh could question her reaction, the young woman delivered her a mad rush of information. They passed a few minutes in this way, Alizeh prodding and Huda providing. Huda described all that occurred after Alizeh was whisked away from the ball on the back of a dragon, and how Zahhak – the oily defense minister of Ardunia – had tried to steal the throne out from underneath Prince Kamran, “who was basically locked in a tower by the
Diviners –”
Alizeh gasped.
“– but then saved by Simorgh –” Again, Alizeh gasped.
Too, Huda explained her coincidental presence during this difficult time at the palace –
“And then all of us, including me and Deen and Omid, flew to Tulan, even though Kamran did not want us to come with him, and he was adamant that he didn’t care whether any of us died in the process, because he mostly just wanted to kill Cyrus –”
Except that he hadn’t killed Cyrus, and instead the two young men had come to some impossible truce, which resulted in an open invitation for their group to remain at the palace. When Alizeh had asked to know the
terms of this unlikely peace treaty, Huda’s color deepened very suddenly, and she refused to say more except to explain that the prince, in an unexpected pivot, was being praised by the people of Ardunia as a
compassionate peacekeeper, for it was now passing as common knowledge that he’d traveled all this way – against the interests of Zahhak – in the
hopes of preventing war.
“And now,” Huda said eagerly, “all of us are being credited for forging friendship between the two empires!”
“Heavens,” Alizeh said softly.
“Incredible, isn’t it?” Huda was nodding. “Our kingdoms have never coexisted so peacefully. It’s been well over a decade since an Ardunian sovereign has even been invited to stay in Tulan. In fact,” she added in an undertone, “I’ve learned from the servants – who are oddly tight-lipped when it comes to gossip about their king, by the way – that Cyrus has never hosted a single guest at the palace during his rule, which is quite unheard of, and makes our stay all the more exceptional as a result.”
“And no one thinks it strange?” Alizeh asked. “That the Ardunian prince would choose to make nice with the person responsible for murdering the king of his empire?”
Huda considered this, tilting her head as she said, “Actually, now that I see how it’s all developed, I think it would’ve been a great deal worse if Kamran had, in fact, killed Cyrus. Did you know that a mob tried to storm the palace before we left Ardunia?”
Alizeh shook her head, horrified.
“Well” – Huda nodded – “the people were so disgusted with Zaal after he was unmasked at the ball that they rioted for about a week. Even the
royals were scrambling to distance themselves from the late king – some going so far as to praise Cyrus’s actions, if you can believe it. A few even joined the fray to protest.”
“What were they protesting? The possibility of war?”
Again, Huda nodded. “Most were refusing to die in the defense of a disgraced king; but they were also condemning Kamran by association, claiming they didn’t want another corrupt sovereign who’d just as likely strike a deal with Iblees –”
“But that’s terribly unfair –”
“Yes, terribly unfair, but the riots were quelled once word spread that
the prince had already fled Ardunia – immediately after Zaal’s death – to try to make amends with the southern empire. The general consensus is that he’s wonderfully selfless to have spared his people unnecessary bloodshed, even while grieving his grandfather.” She laughed, then shook her head. “Not at all the truth, of course, but my point is that if he had killed Cyrus, our empires would’ve certainly gone to war, and it would’ve been tragically unpopular. Kamran might’ve faced a veritable insurrection.
“Of course” – she leaned in – “we’re the only ones who know the real reason it all worked out for him, and that’s entirely thanks to you, isn’t it?” She pulled back and smiled. “Cyrus really, really wanted to have us all executed, but Hazan pointed out that you’d be terribly cross with him if he murdered your friends, and he hasn’t mentioned it since. And now here we are! Making peace! Best of all, Zahhak looks dumb and Kamran looks grand and –”
“And you and Omid and Deen have been celebrated,” Alizeh finished for her, feeling dazed. It was a great deal to absorb.
“Yes!” cried Huda, who then quickly sobered. “Apart from being worried sick about you, of course, it’s been the most exciting time of my life. I’m getting letters from fans! Can you imagine! People love me.” She hesitated. “Well, it’s mostly children. Some old men, too, I think, though it’s sometimes hard to tell –”
“Huda?”
“Yes?”
“How does Hazan feel about all this?”
She stilled, her smile frozen. “I don’t know.” “Surely you might venture a guess?”
Huda looked away then, biting the inside of her cheek before she said, “I think it might be best if you talked to Hazan about how Hazan feels.” She looked back. “He doesn’t share his feelings with me.”
Alizeh softened. “Is he all right, at least?”
“I suppose so? He’s been terribly grim. Not as bad as the others, but grim nonetheless.”
“I see.” Alizeh averted her eyes, taking a moment to study the shape of a particularly fine rose. She took a steadying breath before she said: “And Cyrus?”
“What about him?”
Alizeh struggled to meet Huda’s eyes. Her interest in the southern king was almost impossible to hide, though she made an effort to appear indifferent. “What’s he like?”
“What’s he like?” Huda echoed, surprised. “You mean aside from being obviously cracked in the head?”
Alizeh suppressed a flinch. She couldn’t explain why, but every insult Huda leveled against Cyrus seemed to prick her with its sting. And yet, she had no good reason to defend him.
“Well,” Huda was saying. “I suppose you should know: he doesn’t act at all like a king. He wears the same dreary clothes every day, no pomp whatsoever. He’s obscenely quiet; he never sits down; I’ve never seen him eat; and he performs a shocking amount of magic. He’s always disappearing, for example, or else appearing when you least expect him.
I’ve seen more magic from him in this last month than I’ve seen in my whole life – and I’m inclined to agree with Kamran that he must get his power from the devil, for how else could he cast so many spells? And no one knows where he goes when he’s all the time disappearing! Very
suspicious.” She lowered her voice. “Though I overheard Kamran in a rage one day, telling Hazan how he’d witnessed Cyrus in some ungodly state the night prior – something about him being drenched in blood –”
Alizeh inhaled sharply.
“I know! Horrifying! Then again, when I saw Cyrus later that day he appeared perfectly normal, so I fear Kamran might’ve been exaggerating.” Huda exhaled, deflating as suddenly as she animated. “Otherwise,” she said, “he’s boorish and awful and wastes all his evil magic on stale displays of imitation guilt. Heavens, if he feels so terrible about what’s happened to you, perhaps he never should’ve kidnapped you to begin with!” she cried,
angrily swiping petals off the bed. “I swear, it’s insupportable. He’s enchanted every inch of the city with the same pink roses, and he refuses to say a word about it – he hasn’t even accepted responsibility! The citizens, of course, think they’re all elaborate displays for the Wintrose Festival, but I know better. I caught him once, saw him growing roses in his hands –”
“I see,” said Alizeh with a quiet finality. She couldn’t bear to hear more about the flowers; her heart was already too soft toward the notorious southern king. “I take it he’s treated you all poorly?”
Huda hesitated. “No,” she said. “In fact, we’ve been well cared for.
Omid eats enough for ten of us, and Deen has been delighting in the medicinal stores available in the castle. Deen says that, in Ardunia, he’s only allotted a very small amount of magic from the crown for his business, but here, they have access to a great deal. He asked the king one day if he might try his hand at mixing potions, and Cyrus did not deny him access.” She shrugged. “Anyway, Omid eats a lot, I spy a lot, Kamran skulks, Hazan broods, and Deen spends most of his days working with the palace alchemist. We all meet for meals, though mostly we don’t see Cyrus at all. I suppose he has lots of secretive things to do, being king, et cetera.”
Finally, Huda’s small speech came to a close, and Alizeh turned to face her. A thousand more questions sat at the tip of her tongue, but she was prevented from asking, for Huda had pinned her with a curious look.
“Are you really going to marry him?” she asked.
Alizeh froze. She felt oddly breathless at the thought, and said softly, “I might.”
Surprisingly, Huda did not condemn her for it. Instead, she canted her head and said, “I didn’t understand at first, of course. Though I suppose now I can see the draw.”
Alizeh’s lips parted in astonishment. “You can?”
“Of course I can.” Huda laughed, then frowned. “I might marry him, too, if it meant I got to kill him shortly thereafter and take his empire.”
At once, Alizeh felt as if all the blood had rushed from her head. “How did you – How do you –”
“Oh, my dear, don’t look so afraid! No one is upset with you! That is, Kamran was understandably distressed at first – but just until Cyrus told us about Iblees forcing him to marry you.” She waved a hand. “Not to worry; he clarified the terms of your deal. He even told us he’d offered to make you a blood oath – which I think is a very good idea, by the way, no matter
how brutal Hazan claims it to be.” She raised an eyebrow. “I certainly wouldn’t risk marrying such a man without a blood oath to secure my future.”
Alizeh blinked, stunned. “So everyone knows? And no one objects to me marrying Cyrus?”
“Well.” Huda bit her fingernail. “Perhaps you should speak with Hazan before you make your final decision. I fear he has a great deal to say to you on the subject.”
Again, Alizeh blinked. “I see.”
“Anyhow,” Huda said cheerfully, and tapped the suitcase. “The gown I’ve chosen for you is sublime. Sarra showed me the trousseau she’d gathered in your honor, and together we went through the many articles she’d selected for your wardrobe. Most things have to be remade in your
measurements, by the way – which I found shocking, considering how well that lavender dress fit you the night of the ball – but Sarra explained that Cyrus’s gifts had been magicked to fit their wearer, while the garments she’d chosen were ordinary commissions –”
“Huda,” Alizeh said, struggling to center herself, “I don’t mean to offend, but I’ve grown weary under the weight of these many disclosures. I think I’d prefer to return to the palace and choose my own clothes. There
are many important conversations ahead of me, and all I need for now is something decent and sensible –”
Huda scoffed. “As if you could wear something decent and sensible to face such a crowd! You’re their queen, dear, and you have to look the part, especially as they’ve all been waiting so patiently –”
“What?”
Huda, who’d been unlatching the luggage, briefly froze. “Right,” she said, wincing. “Did I forget to mention that part?”
