Khalifa

34 Embers

His fingers upon the strings of my heart.

— Khalil Gibran

✵

Him

"In the last few months much gold has been taken from treasury for reforms. Our governors claim that they need it to strengthen their defenses in this time of need. Thus, they're seeking the capital for help."

"So what are those significant reforms they've made so far?" He leans back in his chair, placing his elbows on the armrests and locking his fingers below his chin. "And what do they complain about? Isn't every region provided with enough of gold and army already?"

"True, my lord, but as of the situation, they reason that more is needed to recruit additional soldiers and meet public requirements."

He hums, running his thumb over his lower lip, contemplating. "When I can do with what I have, what more do they need to work any better?" His gaze snaps to the fire burning in the torches, sailing across them leisurely. "Report to me what additional advances they've made with the money. No more gold is to be sent out of Baghdad to anyone. I need to know if they're actually investing it in their defenses, or are they sold out corrupts of our enemies."

He extends his hand towards his confidante and he quickly places the list of governors on his palm. He goes through them, reading each name one by one who have been involved in draining the treasury. And his eyes come to fixate on a particular one.

"Fereydun Bakhtiar." He pauses and clicks his tongue. "What reforms has the governor of Khorasan been making in his region while sitting here in Baghdad?"

Her

She has never seen such rush in the palace before. Everywhere servants hasten to make arrangements with food and decorations for the evening. The day is still early and they seem to have started with their duties right at the break of dawn. It all feels overwhelming to her.

She strolls through the garden taking in everything. Faris, the new guard Eskander has appointed her, follows after her like a shadow. It has been a few days to the incident. No one has spoken to her about it or interrogated her, neither Eskander nor Adam. Maybe in the background, they're quietly doing their jobs without her knowing. But she hasn't tried to dig into the matter anymore either.

Unlike Hafez, Faris doesn't carry conversions with her. He speaks only when spoken to and even then keeps it short. To her, he appears closed off and fierce and someone no one would want to mess with, given his built and hawk like eyes giving everyone razor sharp looks. She tries to be rather wary around him herself, not to give him reasons to go and fill Eskander's ears. She knows he wouldn't be doing her favors keeping her secrets like Hafez. If anything, she'd need to outsmart him time to time if something private comes up.