The only heaven I'll be sent to is when I'm alone with you.

—

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"So we've a change of plans. I don't think I can wait any longer."

His vizier looks up at him from the papers in his hand, disapproval clear as a crystal in his orbs. "We're barely able to clean the mess you've already created. You want to give me more to deal with?"

"It was accidental before. But now I've tricks up my sleeves." He leans back in his chair and grins. "You don't trust me? I've been a good boy so far."

The old man only glares at him. "You'll blow your cover like this."

He shifts his attention to the fire burning in the lantern, flickering, close to dying before flaring up, giving out light he cannot help staring into. What good is the world to him if she's not part of it?

"For her, anything."

What did she expect a man raised as a soldier to do with a sword? What did she expect to happen in a battlefield or on training grounds? Definitely not children's play. Whether she had a chance before to see him against an opponent or not shouldn't surprise her now when he's in front of her, unchained, in a form he was born to be raised in. He's a soldier, she tells herself. No. Not just a soldier, but the best of them all, a general worthy of his title. He's a man with a sword and he's bound to use it. Yet her heart shudders with every strike of the blade in his hand.

Eskander. Noura cannot blink. Ruthless.

She doesn't need Hafez to give her a description of the general to her. He's presenting to her in flesh and bones who he is. And this side of him scares her. She swallows thickly.

"General Eskander?" Hafez says his name as if making a decent definition for him in his head, weighing his words before speaking, "He's an exemplary fighter, an uncompromising general, and a hard-headed, sharp-witted man."

No where in his speech Hafez mentions to her what she's used to seeing of him. Kind, considerate, compassionate and patient. She scolds herself mentally and closes her eyes. He had told her he was a simple man to her but a general at the palace. She isn't supposed to be sketching a comparison between his two polarities. This is who he has to be here. And it's about time she opens her mind to the fact that all along when she was getting to know him as one person, there was an another side to his personality too which he couldn't possibly had shown to her when she was in Isfahan and he'd come home every once in a while. Neither is he a naive boy anymore she grew up with. He has grown up into a man too-- a different man she's only getting to know now.

"I'll cut off your head from your body and tear you limb to limb," Eskander growls, and if Noura was shocked before, now she's terrified. "I'll drink your blood and leave your flesh for the vultures and dogs."

His opponent laughs, as if mocking him, and that's when Noura tears her gaze away from Eskander to the man fighting him. Muawwiz.

"Less talking, more acting, general."

They swing their swords at each other again, and Noura takes a step back from where the duel is on fire, a circle of soldiers around them watching the show with hungry eyes, as if waiting to see who will kill the other first-- as if waiting to crown the victor.

"Hafez?"

"Yes, sayidati?"

"They aren't training, are they?" she asks anxiously.

"Doesn't look like it, sayidati. It's always a fight between the general and the commander, never a training."

Noura turns to him with frantic eyes. "You mean they fight like this often?"

"Only when one provokes the other," Hafez answers calmly.

"They look like bloodthirsty animals." Noura turns towards the duel again. "Why wouldn't anyone stop them?"

"Because no one is willing to lose his life in the process," Hafez jokes to ease her worry, smiling reassuringly. "Fret not, sayidati, no one can beat general Eskander in a fight. No one ever has," he tells her, as if it's supposed to lull her nervousness-- as if Eskander beating the life out of Muawwiz is any better. She doesn't want that, no matter if she doesn't like the man.

A collective roar raises from the army as Eskander manages to slash Muawwiz across his chest. He raises his sword again for another hit. Noura inhales sharply. The tension in the air suffocates her. Eskander relentlessly brings the blade down. And she's sure her eyes would've seen red had Muawwiz not dodged in time. She exhales in relief.

"I'm going to hang your head in the public square, Muawwiz." Eskander smirks wickedly. "You'll be an admonition for anyone who dares to earn my wrath."

Both the men apply their full forces trying to push away the other. Noura feels her breathing stopping once more. A shiver runs through her at the thought of the outcome of this madness. She directs to Hafez.

"Do something, stop this insanity."

"My lady--"

Another screeching sound of metal gliding against metal pierces her ears as Muawwiz succeeds in pushing Eskander away who stumbles and falls back on his knees. Before he can react to regain his balance, his eyes connects with hers and the void in them is instantly replaced by something fierce-- something charing her. It's only a second of a distraction but enough for Muawwiz to bring down his sword and before Eskander can roll out of his way, he cuts his back and Eskander once more falls to the ground, supporting his weight on on his sword and groaning in suffering. Noura watches the blood starts seeping out of his wound and staining his uniform.

"Eskander!"

Hafez stops her before she can rush towards him.

"No, sayidati."

Her struggle and protests die down as Eskander pushes up himself and charges at Muawwiz again. If his hits were brutal before, now they're murderous. But Noura pays them less attention as her focus shifts entirely to his bleeding wound and the pain on his face he's so expertly masking but still visible to her from the terse pull of his features.

"ARGH!"

In one final, unsparing hit from Eskander, the sword goes flying from Muawwiz's hand. Before he can leap for it, Eskander kicks it out of his reach and elbows him in the face. He falls back, and Noura cannot figure whether the blood on him is from his nose or lips. Eskander puts the tip of his sword at his neck, ceasing any further attempts from him, and with it ending the duel as Muawwiz stills, giving up, staring daggers at Eskander.

Eskander raises his sword, roaring like a lion over his hunt, announcing his victory, before bringing the sword down straight towards Muawwiz's head. Noura chokes on the air, for a moment thinking he might sink it in there, before he digs it in the sand right beside his ear. She releases her breath heavily through her mouth, completely dumbfounded at the display before her.

"Men! To your business, now!" Eskander hollers, announcing the show to be over, and everyone scatters away instantly like ants being wiped away. He then looks down at Muawwiz, gritting through his teeth, "Get. Lost."

Eskander doesn't wait for him to respond as he turns in her direction and starts walking towards her. Her heartbeat goes berserk within a flicker, and if she's on the edge, Hafez besides her is as stiff as a board. She feels sorry for the man.

Noura tries to steady her nerves as he nears her, combing his fingers through his hair to push the long bangs away from his eyes, his tanned skin-tone covered in sweat and dust from the duel. Yet if his appearance does anything to her, it only lures her more towards him. She feels her throat go dry for whatever reason, cursing herself secretly.

"Noura." His gaze fixes her, both heated and sharp. "What brought you here?" He briefly glances at Hafez and she quickly comes to his defense.

"I insisted, Eskander. I had to see you."

"Is everything alright?"

She only nods, and he gestures for Hafez to leave them alone who doesn't waste a second in disappearing. Eskander focuses his attention solely on her, eyes going soft now like how she's used to seeing them.

"Tell me, azizem, what is it?"

His voice has regained its tender timbre, the one he only uses with her. Noura feels all the jitters leave her nerves.

"You didn't return last night, Eskander. I was waiting for you."

"I was with my friend and came back late. I had to see Fereydun for a matter and by the time I was free you were already asleep," he excuses.

She chews on her lip, thinking of the pendant, then deciding not to mention it given the situation.

"Did you mind my coming here?" she asks feebly.

He smiles and shakes his head.

"Liar," she calls him out blatantly. "I was a distraction to you. Because of me you got hurt."

"I've taken worse than this, azizem. So don't blame yourself for this."

"Still, I'm sorry."

He chuckles lightly at her, eyes gleaming like the burning sky under dying sun. Noura gazes up at him, sweetly smiling back. How can he fascinate her with each of his gesture, every little word, is beyond her understanding. But if there's one thing she knows, it's that Eskander can be all the stars in the sky, brilliant, or the sky itself, eerily dark, yet still she'll never stop admiring him.

"How about we've dinner together tonight?" he offers, and she beams at the suggestion.

"I'd love that."

"Let me finish training the men and clean up. I'll send a message to you. Hafez will bring you to my chamber."

She nods eagerly, barely holding herself from grinning like a loon. Eskander motions Hafez back to him and steps away from her. He speaks to him about something she cannot catch, keeping his voice hushed. All Hafez does is only tip his head in response to his every command.

They part ways with Eskander and Hafez takes her back to her chamber. The sun is preparing to dip down the horizon, the day close to dwindling before evening falls. Noura decides to make the most of her time before Eskander calls for her. She takes a bath and chooses the most beautiful dress she finds to wear among all the garments provided for her, all the while smiling to herself and then thinking of herself being a lunatic. Were Eskander to see her like this, he'd find her laughable. They're not even a couple, yet she's acting as if they're one.

She's making her hair when Hafez knocks on the door, telling her Eskander is waiting for her. Noura quickly fixes her hair before exiting her room. Hafez escorts her to Eskander's chamber, leaving her there. She takes a moment to compose herself, taking deep breaths and reining her galloping heart, telling herself not to melt at his feet, before stepping through his door.

Her heart faints in her ribcage at the sight of him standing before the mirror, shirtless, with damp hair and skin, trying to reach behind his back to put an ointment on his wound. Her gaze nimbly shies away from him and she blushes unwillingly.

"Come in, azizem. I'm almost done," he says without looking at her and she steps in further into the room.

Despite the wilderness in her bosom, she finds herself stealing glances at him as he tries to balm his cut, his fingers failing to properly to do. Before she can appraise her words, she finds her asking, "May I?"

Eskander turns to her, a little surprised, before shrugging casually. "If you don't mind."

He comes to sit on his bed and Noura takes the ointment from him, moving behind him to rub it on his gash. It looks deep to her and sends a pang through her. She notices Eskander clenching his jaw as she puts the medicine on him.

"Does it hurt too much?" she mumbles to him.

"It burns a little."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't," he shushes her, looking up at her over his shoulder. "Don't apologize, Nour."

His gaze on her ignites her feelings, and they blaze like flames of hell in her veins. The dark strands of his hair come to fall over his light brown eyes, the color of them turning to gold and glitters in the candlelight. Gingerly, she curls in her fingers, already done balming his wound, but still busy admiring his form, the muscles taut and built from the battles and his skin bearing scars as memories. Noura finds herself helpless against him for the millionth time-- totally at the mercy of her heart's desire.

Eskander reaches for his shirt and she forcefully tears her eyes away from him, turning her back to him as he slips it on. Noura places her hand over her abdomin where a strange sensation settles, the proximity she shares with him suddenly too sinful. She drags her mind away from her feelings for him to her fidgeting fingers.

"Janem." He calls her and she turns back towards him. He's fully clothed now and standing by the mirror again, gesturing her over. Noura walks up to him and stops a foot away. He's holding a box in his hand and she looks down at it.

"What is this?" she asks.

"Your pendent," he replies, smiling, and her throat constricts. "I was supposed to give it to you last night but I got caught up with Fereydun."

Her logic disarrayed, she only stares at him blankly as he opens the box, a gold chain lying in there with a small dagger-shaped ornament attached to it. Her eyes widen in amazement.

"My God, Eskander."

"You like it?"

She looks up at him and he searches her eyes for affirmation. Noura smiles at him. "You can give me a leaf and I'll see it as a rose, let alone a jewelry this impressive."

"For the most devastatingly stunning woman I know, I couldn't get anything less," he whispers in reply and Noura feels her cheeks warm up.

"Devastatingly?" she points out quizzically as he takes the pendent out of its box.

"For the havoc you always stir within me, yes." He motions for her to turn around. "May I?"

Noura faces away from him towards the mirror, too embarrassed to utter a reply, and too dazed to refuse him. He locks the pendent around her neck and their eyes meet in the mirror. She gazes at their reflections, them together like this, and Eskander smiling at her. She bites on her lip as a grin breaks on her face.

Here with him, away from the troubles of the world, the thought that someone has been watching her all the way from Isfahan to Baghdad and plotted to bring her from her home to the palace lies in a distant nook of her mind.

The fact that Eskander has gifted her a pendant suggests to her that the pendent she received earlier is from someone else-- someone who might be the caliph himself. And only for a fraction of a second, Al Shafay grazes her consciousness and wakes up a fear in her.

What does the Khalifa want from her?

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We're at chapter 10. To each of you who has been reading and supporting this book, thank you for helping me come so far. To each of you leaving comments, believe me, I read each of them even if I can't respond to all, so thank you for taking time to drop me your love. It means a lot and I appreciate it with all my heart. Stay with me (:

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