Eternal Love (MewGulf AU)

🌻Chapter 36

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Gulf suddenly realized that AA was going to Ziyard.

"Why are you doing this?" He stared into AA's disinterested face and got a lighthearted smile in return.

"Despite how easy you are to kidnap, I don't have any ulterior motives. You saw the beauty of Madina. Now I want to show you the dark corners of my blessed country."

Gulf didn't understand what AA was hoping to accomplish. He had nothing but horrible memories of Ziyard, but he knew if he asked to go somewhere else he would only be ignored.

Now the window stood between him and the city he had seen only a few days ago. They were in Ziyard, a shadowy crevice hidden in the desert.

This town was home to the brothels and lay, to use AA's words, 'within Madina's borders, but isolated from it.' Ziyard was far removed from the sparkling image people had of Madina. The citizens of Madina probably preferred that other countries not even know the town existed.

The jeep wove expertly through the intricate alleyways. That just proved how often AA came to this place. But why would he come here if he thought it was shady? This place was repulsive. AA was a strange man.

A chill ran down Gulf's spine when he caught sight of the brothel. They got out of the jeep and AA walked into the building, an air of long experience in his stride, and Gulf followed after him.

They saw Kadim in the sane room as before.

"Well, it's our unexpected guest again," the man greeted.

A strongbox sat on the table. Kadim, who had apparently been counting bills, replaced the box's lid and locked it before he stood up and walked towards them. His sharp eyes were caution itself. He didn't seem to fully trust the fact that AA had brought Mew's guest there.

"No, I'm just giving him a tour," AA said.

As AA and Kadim embraced, Gulf finally saw clearly that they were holding each other in check.

"There must be better places to take him to sightsee," Kadim grumbled.

AA must have been something of a double-edged sword for Kadim. It was good for business that a member of the royal family patronized his brothel, but on the other hand, AA was also a burden. Mo matter what Kadim did, he  had to be aware of AA's watchful eyes.

"Really? I think this is one of Madina's landmarks?" AA said casually, ignoring Kadim's stress.

Kadim had no response to that.

A cheer erupted from somewhere off to their left.

"Is that a show?" AA asked.

Kadim nodded, his face cracking into a thin smile. "In other circumstances, our guest might have been on stage by now."

Gulf recoiled from Kadim's sly smile. He couldn't begin to understand how a prosperous cointry like Madina could allow a place like Ziyard to exist.

AA gave a dry laugh. "You shouldn't joke about that. Mew wouldn't find it very funny. Or do you plan to start picking fights with Sheikh Mew?"

He threw Kadim a warning look with his sharp, penetrating eyes.

"Don't be ridiculous." Kadim shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of contradicting his majesty. I just thought I'd hazard a little joke with you, since you've been so generous in your patronage."

The room was filled with an uneasy atmosphere, as if this exact exchange had occured many times before.

Kadim nodded politely, then picked up the safe and went to the door. "Make yourselves at home. But if you'll excuse me..."

Gulf regarded the door Kadim had gone through uneasily.

"Do you want to see the show?" AA inquired.

Gulf rejected the invitation immediately. "No! That's horrible"

He wasn't going to humor AA. Kadim had revealed the true horror of the brothel.

'Once I get him in my brothel, he'll be dead to the world. No one will ever be able to find him again.'

A shudder of disgust ran down his spine at the memory.

He'd always heard that Madina's education and welfare systems were equal for everybody. But what went on Ziyard seemed contradict that.

"Yes, you would look down on that, wouldn't you?" AA said. "This place gives Mew the most headaches of the entire country. Ziyard is what's known as an extraterritorial region."

"He can't control things here?" Gulf asked.

The king of Madina had absolute power. As the king's successor, Gulf though that Mew could shut the brothel down.

"You saw the market, didn't you?" AA's eyes clouded over. "The people of Ziyard survive thanks to favors from the brothel. It's been that way for hundreds of years. I've also heard people say that long ago, Ziyard used to rule Madina. It's not easy to control Ziyard, since Madina has never managed to conquer it."

He spoke without emotion---Ziyard wasn't a sensitive topic anymore. That was a sign of how long standing the problem of Ziyard really was.

"Mew used to come here often once," AA revealed. "If people had found out that the heir to the throne was visiting Ziyard brothels, it wouldn't have done him any favors politically, but he came anyway."

"And so now you come in his place?" Gulf asked. "But you're royalty too, aren't you?"

"It's much less of a problem for everyone else. Mew and I are worlds apart, as far as our responsibility to the public goes."

Gulf felt like he could tell where this was leading. Maybe that was why AA had brought him here.

AA added, "Mew is an important man, not only for Madina, but for the Ridwan nations as well. He's the only one eligible to become king who won't turn his eyes away from the darkness in Madina."

A bigger cheer than ever rumbled outside. There wasn't slightest twinge of guilt in the audiences voice---just pure excitement. The show must have reached its climax. Gulf could just see Kadim's smirking face.

"You're a great man, aren't you?" Gulf said.

AA's face hardened, as if he had taken Gulf's words for sarcasm.

Gulf continued. "I really believe that. I mean, you could have just ignored a foreigner like me. You don't owe me anything. Mew could have taken me back with him, without any problems, but you made sure he gave me up."

AA relented a tiny bit. "He didn't have any choice but to give up," he replied briefly. His voice was hard as he stared off into space. It sounded like he was talking to himself.

Gulf looked away. "Can we leave now? This place makes me...uncomfortable."

He left the brothel and walked towards the jeep ahead of AA. The wind had picked up a cloud of whirling sand. He walked on, looking straight ahead. What else could he do?

TBC