This book is a sequel to Khalifa and cannot be read as a standalone. To avoid spoilers, description and excerpt are added inside the book.
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Started: May 2, 2022.
Completed: December 3, 2022.
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cover by @xniftykayx
Come here so I may comb your hair while you're closing your eyes, And I'd count the white hair, and confess that when you'll be old, I'd love you more.
— Shahrazad Al Khalij
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Him
"Two of the palace guards are missing," someone says in the courtroom.
He doesn't bother looking up and indulging in the conversation. Calmly and steadily, he arranges the papers in his hands.
"Who are missing?" Sulaiman asks.
Someone replies to him, telling him their names. He can feel Sulaiman's eyes on him.
"Would anyone happen to know anything about them?" he inquires further.
No one says a thing. He calls his name.
"Adam?"
Adam looks up and meets his gaze, unfaltering and bold, giving him a naive smile.
"Unless they had business with me, which I certainly wasn't made unaware of, should I be knowing where they are?"
Sulaiman pauses, assessing him, and surely reaching the truth as he gives him a smile mirroring his own.
"I suppose not."
"Very well." He keeps his lips twisted up as he presents him the paper. "Now, about the matter at hand, I think I can make a fair treasurer for the public so I should have that post."
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Her
"What do you think, which dagger is better, Daud?"
"Both look good to me, sayidati."
"Still, I need to choose one."
"You should check for the blade and the grip.
Her fingers glide over the hilt of one and she grasps it, holding it up to the sky and letting its blade slice the sunlight. Roya besides her picks the other one, turning it around in her hand and studying it.
"This one doesn't really have a strong grip, khanum," she points out. "The hilt is fancy, but it makes it difficult to hold firmly."
"You think?" Noura takes it from her and holds the hilt, checking for the grip before humming in agreement to Roya. "You're right. I'll take the other one."
They pay the shopkeeper for it and moves on into the bazar. Daud stays close behind her and Roya walks by her side. They're dressed simply so as not to be recognized as residents of the palace.
The day is past its middle but the sun feels warm. Noura keeps the hood of her cloak pulled over her head. The bazar certainly isn't the same as the last time she remembers, but the pathways she walks still nurture memories. She doesn't dare lingering onto them.
