Smooth and smiling faces everywhere, but ruin in their eyes.

—

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"Butterflies and roses," he hums to himself as he watches her sitting on the balcony of his room. "Nightingales in proses."

She's staring up at the sky. She's always too lost in the stars. As if those stars are any brighter than her own eyes, only if she'd look more closely. Only if she knew the way he looks at her, she'd realize her worth is more than those stars for him.

"All the world fades away," he continues, twirling a rose between his fingers. "Love is only what must stay."

He grins to himself, holding up her pendant in his hand-- the pendant he had seen her wearing all the time back at her home. Maybe he should return it to her; she must wear it, unlike the crystal pendant he has gifted her. Though he knew she likes it-- he remembers her admiring it at the bazar in Isfahan. But maybe she's reluctant to wear it not knowing its sender.

"She is who he chooses," he finishes the poem she once taught him. "He is who she chooses."

Princess Maysoon bint Khalid, caliph Khalid ibn Al Malik youngest daughter, is unlike any other person Noura has met in the palace so far. She's kind, humble, and warm towards her. Noura felt instantly welcomed by her the moment they met and she greeted her with a smile. Her company doesn't demand strict disciplines from her, neither does she act like a royalty with her. Instead, she chats with her as if they've known each other since forever and lets the laughters flow between them smoothly, her hazel eyes aglow in mirth. Noura likes her right away and hopes now she won't have to cut her time alone with the beasts at the palace. She's glad to have found a friend finally.

"I wish I had met you earlier, Nour," Maysoon says, sipping her tea and gesturing to Noura to take hers too. Noura smiles and picks up her cup. "But unfortunately we both had things to have us occupied."

When Eskander had introduced them, he did introduce her as Noura to her. But he himself referred to her as Nour more often which Maysoon probably noted, thus she too is sticking to calling her simply that.

"When I learnt that Eskander's sister is here at the palace, I had to meet you."

Noura notices how she doesn't mention the theft which everyone she has been coming across rubs in her face, neither does she say how she's taken away from her home and forcefully brought to the palace. She's rather considerate towards her and keeps her words casual yet measured.

But what more she notices is the princess's informality towards Eskander, and how unlike the rest of every who refers to him by his title, she calls him by his first name. Although Noura takes it for breezy nature and disregards it.

"How do you like it at the palace so far, Nour?" Maysoon asks her.

"It's different," she answers subtly, and Maysoon chuckles.

"Ah, yes, but certainly not a good different than your home or expectations?" she points out openly.

Noura smiles from behind her cup. "You can say, yes."

"I suppose Eskander didn't tell you much about this place then?"

She shakes her head. "He wouldn't really talk of the palace and its affairs when at home."

"Good thing," she comments, putting back down her cup and looking around her to the garden with an with an exasperated sigh. "There's nothing to talk about anyway, except all things wicked. Ironically the place is so deceptively appealing for it, isn't it?"

Noura ponders over her statement. It's apparent to her the princess isn't fond of the riches as one would've assumed her to be, neither diffident in hiding her dislike towards the life of the palace.

"How is it in Isfahan, Nour?" Her question surprises her and Noura blinks at her. She elaborates further, "A simple life I mean, at home which isn't like this one. You get what I mean?"

Noura nods and looks down at her teacup, her reflection staring back at her. How was her life before coming here? Regular, bland, doing boring chores and counting days until the return of Eskander. She doesn't know how to summarize it any better for Maysoon.

"It was how we usually hear of it, but nothing really special as you're probably expecting it to be, amira (princess)," Noura replies.

"Well, it's just you and your mother?"

Noura nods.

"And when Eskander is home?"

She shrugs with a smile. "It's better with him. He teaches me sword-fighting and archery, and sometimes tells me stories at night when we're stargazing."

Maysoon smiles back softly, her eyes becoming distant. "I'd give anything to be in your shoes."

Noura studies her, taken aback by her response. Maysoon gestures for a maid to refill her teacup, then dismisses her and leans closer to Noura.

"You've freedom, Nour. You don't have these chains of gold at your feet which might appear entrancing, but are too heavy to carry."

Maysoon seemingly isn't reticent or cryptic like the rest of the palace residents. Instead, she's rather candid and has easily placed her trust upon her. Noura doesn't know what to gather of it.

"But it looks like the caliph wasn't liking my freedom so much, was he? That's why he brought me here," she remarks carelessly and Maysoon lets out a small laugh, lifting both shoulders.

"That's new though. Al Shafay is suddenly taking an interest in court and kingdom when before now, Ameer Zakariya would see all the affairs and there hasn't been an incident like this."

"So how did the caliph rule then?"

"Only by passing orders through his council but never showing his face."

Noura looks at her dubiously, her curiosity resurfacing for the nth time to get answers. She lowers her voice as she asks, "I've a question, if you don't mind?"

"Of course not." Maysoon smiles favorably. "Ask away."

"Do you know who Al Shafay is?"

She isn't sure if the princess will answer her honestly, but she can only hope for it. Maysoon hasn't given her any warning signs so far and it adds to her confidence to inquire about the matter hammering on her head.

"Truthfully, I don't know." Maysoon glances around, as if making sure they're not heard, before adding, "I just know he's not my brother."

Noura tilts her head in confusion, fishing for more. "Then who do you think he can be if not someone from the royal family?"

"He must be royal blood, that's what we're told. How do you think he's the Khalifa if he wasn't?" Maysoon sighs and closes her eyes. "He's not my brother but someone else-- maybe another one of the princes. But not Yusuf or Sulaiman."

Noura gives her a moment to collect herself before gently calling her, "Amira?"

She opens her eyes and they're glossy. Noura reads the terrible ache in there and she hurts for her.

"If Yusuf hadn't done what he did, none of this would've happened," Maysoon mumbles weakly. "The throne rightfully belonged to Sulaiman after him, but Yusuf declared that his son would be the next heir to it. Look what the lust for power did, it brought two brothers against each other and Sulaiman rebelled against Yusuf. Both of them lost everything." She pulls away and stares blankly at the cup lying in front of her, her mind apparently still wandering in the past. "That's why the crown is a prison to me. It took away my everything from me."

Noura doesn't know what to say, so she lets silence settle between them for a while, soaking in everything Maysoon has told her. They both finish their tea and the maids clear the table afterwards. She glances at the princess, sunlight and shadows dancing over her striking features, adding more charm to an already exquisite masterpiece. Noura secretly praises her in her head.

"I don't know who is Al Shafay," Maysoon repeats after a long while, her voice still hushed, turning towards Noura. "After the death of my father when my uncle, Marwan, started the first rebellion, many princes lost their lives and those who survived went into hiding. When Yusuf was crowned, it was only him and Sulaiman-- Sulaiman naturally the next heir to the throne. But Yusuf had other plans. And after the second rebellion when Yusuf was dethroned, Al Shafay became the Khalifa after defeating Sulaiman, entitling him a traitor and claiming himself to be a prince. Now who is he? I don't know. Because no one knows which princes survived the wars, if any of them actually did so."

The pieces of the puzzle slowly fall into their places. Though the bigger picture might still be incomplete for her, yet she still has collected enough colors to paint the portrait. Noura allows it all to settle in her mind. Then, another question occurs to her.

"And queen Arwa?" she asks.

Maysoon raises both eyebrows. "Ah, you've met her?"

"Only once," she tells her. "If Al Shafay is another one of the princes, how is she still a queen?"

"I told you, Al Shafay never showed any interest in the palace and its affairs until now. Even after Yusuf was dethroned and Al Shafay replaced him, he didn't change much and let things run as Yusuf had left them. He did remove many of the officials from their positions and appointed his own trustworthy men there, but the system remained the same as it was in the time of Yusuf. As for the harem," Maysoon pauses, smirking playfully, "all of those women can only dream of becoming the caliph's queens. But to this day he hasn't taken anyone of them. I suppose he cannot afford exposing his identity, or maybe his heart belongs to someone else out of the harem."

Her thoughts drifts to what Adam had told her, and what the queen had said-- Al Shafay wanted her here because he's smitten with her. It still doesn't make sense of her. The caliph who has been in hiding and away from his own harem is showing interest in her. But why?

"So," Maysoon continues after a minutes, "that's how Arwa still remains the queen, because Al Shafay doesn't have his own."

"You don't seem fond of her?" Noura gingerly hints upon noticing the edge to her voice, and Maysoon clicks her tongue bitterly.

"Akhi (brother) had a weakness that blinded him to every reason, and that weakness was Arwa. He would do anything in her love, and it was upon her request that he changed the old law of brother succeeding brother to son succeeding father, and thus the credits of the hell that broke loose afterwards go to her," she spits.

"She was from the harem?"

Maysoon shakes her head. "Royal blood. Yusuf could have anyone from the harem, but he still insisted to marry her." She then starts twirling the ring on her finger, all emotions suddenly replaced by a longing. "Sometimes, love not only destroys us, but destroys those who love us too, Nour."

Later during the day Noura decides to go to the bazar to get some supplies. Hafez accompanies her to the stable to get her horse. She runs into Eskander and Fereydun there, briefing Annas, the stable keeper, about something. Their attention turns to her upon finding her there.

Fereydun greets her with a smile and she returns his greetings with a smile of her own. Eskander looks at Hafez, as if asking for their purpose of being there, and Noura explains to him before Hafez could open his mouth.

"I needed to get a few things from the bazar, Eskander. Hafez and I are going there. We won't be long."

He simply nods before gesturing towards Annas. "I'm sending Annas to run an errand for me. Go with him. Two guards are better than one." Noura frowns at him and he quickly adds, "For your own safety, Nour. I would've come with you myself but Fereydun and I have matters to deal with. And given the circumstances, I can't be taking risks with you."

She doesn't protest any further and quietly agrees to his proposition. Annas gets them their horses and she mounts hers. Eskander hands a letter-case to Annas.

"Tell Hadi I'll come to meet him as soon as possible, but that right now I've other things at hand."

Annas tips his head, mounting his own horse.

"Take care, make no mistakes," Eskander says, and she doesn't know if it's an advice to her or a command to the men. "And be back before sunset."

She snaps the reins, embarking on her way to the city. It doesn't take them long before they're at the bazar, and Noura starts looking for the things she needs. Both the men follow closely behind her, but in the rush of people it's difficult to catch up with each other.

"Sayidati?" Annas calls her after a while when she's shopping at one of the stalls.

Noura turns to him. "Yes?"

"I'll deliver the general's letter to his friend and meet you back here afterwards. Will it be alright?"

"Of course. Hurry before it's late," Noura replies, casting a look at the darkening sky and remembering Eskander's instructions. She doesn't want to worry him by staying beyond the decided time. "If you're unable to find us in this crowd, just wait for us at the stand. I'll be done soon and we'll meet you there," she tells him.

Annas nods and leaves while Noura continues her shopping with Hafez. It's at one of the stalls when she glances up and coincidentally her gaze falls upon the man she had stumbled into a few days back when she was here with Eskander. He's in the same plain tunic and old cloak, sitting on a plank placed upon cut barks of two trees at the periphery of the bazar, watching people come and go with vacant eyes.

Noura stills, staring at him, those unalike orbs once more crawling up the fibers of her memories, testing them, teasing them, telling her she knows him, yet she once more fails to recognize him. There's something about them she cannot shake of, maybe the mismatched colors of them that floods her with familiarity. If it was any other pair of eyes, maybe she wouldn't have recollected them like this. But his are unique, right being brown and left being blue, and she cannot help feeling like she has seen them before.

"Sayidati?"

Startled at Hafez's voice, she turns towards him and he looks at her questioningly. She has been standing like a statue and must have baffled him.

Noura glances in the direction of the man again, considering, not sure if she should go see him with Hafez following her. Eskander might not like her running into random people and Hafez will certainly inform him of their encounter. So she decides to leave him behind and go alone to meet the man.

"I've someone's debt to pay, Hafez," Noura begins. "I'll go pay it. I'm done shopping here."

"Alright, sayidati, I'll come with you," Hafez offers.

"No," she hurriedly refuses. "Wait for me at the stand. I'm coming in a few minutes."

A look of dread and uncertainty crosses Hafez's face. "But sayidati, general Eskander will kill me if he finds out that I left you alone."

"He won't find out. I won't tell him if you don't."

"I'm sorry, sayidati, but I cannot. Please try to understand."

Noura first glares at him to imitate him. When it doesn't work, she sigh defeatedly and glances around, another idea quickly forming in her head.

"Alright, how about you buy milk from that seller," she points towards one, "while I pay this shopkeeper for the things I've bought. We go together then to give milk to this man whose milk I accidentally spilled last time," she suggests.

Hafez looks in the direction of the seller not far from them, and Noura gives him a convincing smile, ushering him to leave. After a minute of hesitation, he finally turns to walk away from her and she uses the chance to disappear from his sight, rushing towards the man she wants to meet.

When she gets to him, Noura slows down her steps, silently nearing him, until he notices her approaching and looks up at her. She comes to stand in front of him, her eyes sinking into his peculiarly mesmerizing ones.

"Remember me?"

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About the princess?

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