Heart of Sand

10.

"You are mistaken sultana".

The general's voice surprised even me and there was a hushing in the hall as the sultana fixed her eyes on him, her lips thinned as she glared at him. But he didn't seem to be effected.

"I gave the princess the shawl", he paused and stared straight at her, "after I saw how she'd been dressed".

At this the sultan seemed to notice something in his wife's expression and he glowered slightly, "what did you do", his voice was cold and when she turned to look at her husband her face was one of sugared sourness. He was dressed in a black cloak with a silver circle to his greying hair and his gloved hands clutched a goblet of wine.

"Nothing my sultan, I merely wished to remind her of her station here".

I winced at the statement.

"You will not access the girl unless I give you permission to", the sultan answered, "the girl and boy are under my charge", he turned to Elyas with a look of decisiveness on his features, "thank you general", he said.

The general nodded and before I could say anything else, he unlocked the chains on my wrist and walked away towards the edge of the crowd. I watched him go, realising suddenly that I was all alone. The sultan stared at me for a second longer and then he sipped from the goblet, the red of the wine staining his lips as he put the cup down.

"Tell me how you are finding your stay with us", he said.

My mouth was dry as I found myself at a loss of words, "as well as any prison can be", I said finally and although the gasped whispers rang loud in my ears, the sultan seemed to smile.

"But is it not the most comfortable prison any prisoner could be offered", he said and his eyes glittered at the tightening of my lips.

"Regardless of it's comfort, it is a prison and you cannot expect me to thank you for it", I said aware of the icy tone my voice had taken.

He laughed loudly and a few of his courtiers joined in after a while, "what a serious girl you are princess", he took another sip, "but I don't expect you to thank me, what I want for you to do is", he looked at me and I was aware of the dangerous glint in his eyes, "swear your allegiance to me".

I swallowed, I couldn't. He knew I wouldn't, and I wondered whether my silence would be the cause of my death. I hadn't even seen Haz yet, Gregga had lied or perhaps been fed a false truth to get me here. Haz wasn't here. I looked back up at the sultan and he seemed to have a satisfied look on his face. I waited for him to give the order of my execution.

But he didn't, instead he smiled, "you know princess", he said in a lilting voice, "I admire sincerity, it is a quality that none seem to possess", he thrust a look towards the noblemen of his court, "and I believe you are sincere in what you say", he paused again and sighed, " but know this, false allegiance would have led you to your death".

"My sultan, I tire of this", the sultana suddenly spoke and I found my eyes draw up to the rubies of her crown, the woman seemed even more menacing than the last time I'd set eyes on her.

The sultan frowned slightly, "I want to ask you a question Sara".

I jerked as he said my name, I hadn't heard my name being spoken for a fortnight and it felt almost foreign in his mouth. The fact that he knew it was almost unsettling and I wanted to suddenly start weeping, an odd dam seemed to want to break inside of me, but I bit my lip as he continued to look at me.

"Are you the heir of the sea lands".

I looked away, "yes".

"And you are sure it is you that has the power in your hands", the sultan continued, "and not your brother with his strange pale eyes, the same eyes he seems to have inherited from your father".

"Yes".

I didn't know if he believed me, I couldn't look back at his face and instead I focused my gaze on the crowds at the edges of the hall. They were all dressed so extravagantly, pink silks and yellow gold danced around my vision and I suddenly ached to feel the tide around my ankles.

"Very well, I hope you are not deceiving me princess", the sultan said after a heavy silence.

"What have you done with Haz", the words bubbled out of me and I felt the sultan whip his head back around to me.

"He is content", he looked at his wife with a measuring look on his face, "my sultana cares for him".

The sultana didn't seem to hear, and suddenly I had a shakiness in my gut, "I will swear allegiance to you, I will give you what you want", I said breathlessly, "if you give me my brother back".

The sultan seemed to weigh my comment and then a ruthless gleam entered his eyes, "do exactly as I tell you princess", he said, "and I swear no harm will come to the boy", he sipped again from his goblet and I felt an urge to rip it out of his hands and throw it across the hall, "but I will not allow him to stay with you, think of it as an added caution that you won't try to escape".

I couldn't speak, the hope that had been unfurling in me had been snuffed out with his comment and I gazed at the floor wanting to sink in to the cold marble.

"Elyas", the sultan's voice cut through my thoughts and I felt the general step back beside me, the leather of his armour touching my arm as he bowed his head slightly, "prove the princess's claim as heir, you have till summer solstice", he looked at me, "and if I find that you have even lying and that you aren't the heir, you will die".

I'd expected the words, but still the coldness of his tone made me shiver.