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.
✵
Started: May 2, 2022.
Completed: December 3, 2022.
✵
cover by @xniftykayx
It is a dream. He feels afloat as he walks through empty corridors of the palace. But it isn't the palace of Baghdad. He's in Qahira. And the palace looks as it looked during his father's reign.
There's laughter of a child, shrieking in exhilaration as if being chased. He tries to follow his voice. Until he finds himself before the chamber of his parents. But there are no guards in sight. He pushes open the door and steps inside.
His father is holding a young boy in his arms, and the boy has a wooden sword, eyes dark but alight, ardent and full of life, and a grin adorning his face. He steps towards them.
"Baba?" he calls his father and he turns towards him, setting down the child.
"Who is the boy, baba?" he asks.
"Harun," his father replies.
Before he could ask more, the child makes a run in his direction and wraps his arms around his legs. He looks down at the boy and he grins up at him.
"Baba!" the child exclaims in joy.
His eyes snap open, the dream coming to an abrupt end. He sits up in his tent and pulls away the flap of it, suddenly hot and sweating. The night is more than half gone but still dark. A little distance away from his own tent, he can see a lantern lit in Taha's. He's probably praying, he gathers.
Putting away his blanket, he performs the ablution and joins his general.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Her
"Ameer Sulaiman has sent a messenger," Daud informs her while she's having breakfast on the balcony of her chamber.
"Send him to me, Daud."
"Yes, sayidati."
He disappears and she gestures to Roya to clear the table who gets to it at her command.
The dawn has cracked and the sun rays have pierced through the horizon to paint the canvas of the sky. The morning breeze is cool and carries with the chirping of the birds to her. It is a peaceful beginning to another long day.
"Saba al khayr, Amira," the messenger greets her and she nods her head in acknowledgement. "The Ameer has sent you a message."
He presents to her a scroll and Noura takes it from him. Unrolling it, she reads the message written on it.
Join me for a stroll through the gardens in the afternoon and we can discuss whatever it is that you wish to discuss with me.
Noura purses her lips, rolling back the scroll and looking up at the messenger.
