Shadow Seer [18+]

~ Eighteen ~

*This chapter is completely new since the redraft*

~~~

She'd not been back since overhearing what Ghassan and Amir had said about her in the Treasury but Sanaa realised it was time she returned to the tunnels.

Now that Miri was in her confidence, she told her maid that she was not be de disturbed and to deter anyone who wished to see or speak with her. She'd enquired about Archimedes but he was still not receiving visitors. If she wanted to admit it to herself, Sanaa was worried for her friend but until she had leave to visit him, there wasn't much she could do.

Intent on spending as much time as she could in the tunnels - and possible find a way out should it ever be needed - Sanaa readied herself to explore. She dressed into more suitable clothing and packed a small back of provisions. She took along paper and a stick of coal to draw a map, candles as she had before along with flint and some fruit in case she got hungry. There was no way she could tell the time once she was in the tunnels but once she'd entered, she saw there were small openings that allowed her to see outside, whether through holes in needs of repair or ventilation holes for various functions.

Her exploration took her all over the palace including of course, the library which had more than one entrance into it, the treasury as she had witnessed before and countless other bedrooms and reading rooms dotted around the building. She found a small armoury from which she stole a small ornately decorated dagger that could be concealed within a kaftan and hoped no one would notice it missing. She found a small linen closet that led into a small formal dining room and at the farthest end of the path that led to her own rooms, Sanaa came upon a nursery.

It was clear from the dust mites and cobwebs that no one had entered this room in many years. Sanaa's heart broke at the sight but got trapped in her throat as she took in the life size portrait of Ghassan. She was shocked, not only by its size and the scowling look on his face that had no business being in a nursery but by the other people in it.

Children. Ghassan's children, Amir's siblings and...

"Amina."

Standing beside Ghassan was the most beautiful woman Sanaa had ever laid eyes on. She was olive skinned and dark featured as most Cotaini women were and had the startling jade green eyes that she had obviously given to her son. Amir was the only one of the four children who stood on his mother's side while the other two boys and their sister stood beside their father.

Dead. They were all dead and Amir had killed them.

Sanaa had been here before. This duelling of her feelings but seeing this portrait, putting faces to the lives Amir had ended hit her in a way she'd yet to experience. His sister, his twin stood beside one of her other brothers, a shy smile on her face. She exited the room as swiftly as she had come.

The next room she found was a fairly large linen closet, stacked high with crates as well as shelves lining the walls filled with sheets. Circling the room and finding nothing of note, Sanaa started to leave. Before she could return to the tapestry covering, the door opened to let someone in. Sanaa rushed to find somewhere to hide since she couldn't access her exit without being seen. She held her breath as she crouched down behind some crates, praying whoever it was would go away. It was only when she heard the moans and grunts and slap of skin, did she realise she wasn't going anywhere any time soon. She could only see the back of one of them through a small break in the crate stack but it was enough.

Sanaa shamefully watched ass cheeks clench as they pumped into someone whose hand braced the wall in front of them. The feminine cut of the fingernails told her it was a woman as did her breathy moans for her lover to go harder. His pants were at his ankles, the woman's legs clamped together as the man held onto her hips and moved vigorously. Sanaa tried to look away but she was transfixed. Was this what people did? This rough coupling that looked so... degrading. As if to emphasise her point the man spanked the woman, hard, making her cry out in obvious pleasure.