THE DESERT ROSE | ONGOING

The Hero's Bloodline

After doing a thorough study of the imperial family tree, the princess concluded that no one was eligible to claim the throne except for her half-brothers; Kir and Danyal. And Danyal, by all means, was out of the game as he had made it clear numerous times that he had no intentions of taking the power.

Besides them, she had four more brothers from the emperor's other concubines, all four not old enough to ascend as an emperor. Other relatives and kins who could have possibly claimed the succession were either killed or exiled while their family remained under the emperor's iron grip.

Aside from that, her interest was piqued by a name that was of no use to her now. The name of the first descendant of her bloodline.

"Fereydoun__ "she mumbled tracing her finger over the name. "We are the descendants of Fereydoun?"

"Long distant and indirect, but yes." Nariman's deep baritone resounded across the bookshelves, who as usual, was behind her, either reading or observing her. She didn't bother turning and discovering his actions although.

"His blood flows in our veins?"

"If there wasn't any illegitimate affair in between, then yes."

"The same fabled hero, Fereydoun?" No matter how many times she read the name, she found it utterly difficult to believe.

"As per my knowledge, there's only one Fereydoun that ruled the empire, so yes."

"I can't believe it__ the hero whose stories I had been hearing throughout my childhood_ is my far ancestor? The same__"

"Yes." He replied before she could finish, in his stoic, somber tone.

By heavens!

"Isn't that something to be proud of? Being the descendant of a hero?" her voice rang in awe.

Nariman remained silent this time, but his silence spoke volumes to her. Of course, __ they should feel ashamed instead of being proud. For sullying the name of such a great hero with their shameful deeds. But that guilt should go to her father and Kir_ and the other late emperors who were bad rulers, not innocent people like her, who were nothing but a victim of their greed and lust.

She was certain that Nariman shared those sentiments with her as well. If not, then someone as wise and clever as him wouldn't have betrayed his empire so easily. She had her reasons for detesting her father and her brother but what drove Nariman to loath them?

"What about__ your family?" she voiced out loud.

The static pause from him conveyed a different message to her. A question she shouldn't have asked__ forbidden part of him she perhaps scratched.

"I hope I'm allowed to keep my personal information with me, your highness." Even though he didn't intend to, she perceived the hidden warning in his words.

She went ahead of herself. It was her fault. "Sorry."

The princess could have asked him what she wanted, could have let him know her true intentions but she knew that going abrupt and direct as she did with others wouldn't help her when it came to Nariman. She would have to take her own time, to let him see her, to let him show her an opening to him, or else she'd lose him before gaining his alliance. The most important person who could help her get what she wanted. He was someone who had already once dethroned the emperor, in her past life.

Her fingers turned the pages of the book with listless flips, while her mind was occupied with some other thoughts. "How do we pronounce this?" she asked as her eye flicked over a sophisticatedly spelled name. She sure knew how to read, but it still wasn't easy for her to understand complicated words.