Sandstorms (On Hold)

Chapter 2: Duty

The second Amani entered the royal courtroom, all eyes were on her. Whispers and wandering eyes—some gazes curious, others, threatening. The Caliph had demanded their presence for the inquiry, and the room was packed. We had a full house tonight.

Beautiful women with kohl-lined eyes and bangles of gold covering their forearms filled the room, some veiled, some without. The men shared the same features as the women, with slight variations. Dark heads, tanned skin, square jaws, and a warrior build. Their features were harsher, both as a result of their masculinity and the hardening caused by war. They clearly weren't all Egyptian. She glanced at Omar at her side, who gave a reassuring smile before they continued walking from the room's entrance. We got this.

The Caliph, called Al-Ashraf, was an imposing man. Sitting at the centre of the main table in the banquet hall, one could immediately feel the power emanating from his presence. Dressed in richly coloured robes and a white turban with a precious stone, he was regal. He resembled other men in the banquet hall with the facial hair and the harshness of his overall look, but he had light eyes and certain features which weren't native to Cairo.

The court was filled with men sharing the same features as their Caliph, however, they were all dressed in warrior garments. Clearly men of the military, the difference was almost jarring. No Egyptian men were seen in the distinct garb, only Mamluks.

Upon further inspection, the natives were dressed close to royalty. They were men and women of nobility. They had a distinct aura of wealth and power.

Thank God Omar entered with me. Amani braced herself for what was to come.

"My Caliph, I present to you my younger sister, Amani, princess of the Funj Sultanate." He bowed, and Amani immediately replicated his movement. The Caliph smiled without warmth.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. How do you find my kingdom so far? Are you liking it?"

"Unfortunately, I haven't been able to tour much of your great kingdom. But from what I have seen, it is stunning and magnificent."

"Have a seat, please, and tell me about yourself. Omar speaks of his home quite poetically, and I would like to know if it is as beautiful as he says."

"My homeland is pleasant; the land is similar to Cairo in terms of climate and landscape, but we do have much greenery." He smiled.

"You paint a pleasant picture; I would like to consider your viewpoint on another, perhaps more frugal, matter after we enjoy the meal. Excuse me, I must take leave because I have important matters to attend to. Please make yourself comfortable." He gestured to the table before swiftly exiting. What was that all about?

Amani again searched for her older brother but found a stranger smiling at her instead. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"You already have." He winked. She stared at him blankly.

"My apologies; allow me to introduce myself. My name is Arzen." He smiled in a reptilian manner.

"Amani, nice to meet you," Amani replied, scanning him with her eyes. He was handsome, with dark brown hair and hazel eyes. But he was a flirt.

"If you don't mind me asking, what business do you have here as a princess?" He asked curiously.

"I am just visiting my brother, Omar. He happens to be an ambassador in Calpih's court. Do you know him?"

"Of course, he is well respected among us and is considered a favourite. Surely you would be too." He uttered, sipping from his cup.

"A word of advice: don't be too trusting Amani. Not everyone is rooting for you. Have a nice night." Arzen briskly got up and left. Who is he talking about?

"I see you've met the shady bastard." A deep voice rumbled in her ear. Amani turned.

"Zayn."

"Let's go; the Caliph awaits you with Omar." No "Hello, how are you?" just "move.".

He led the way out of the dining hall and through the corridors. Zayn took long strides that Amani struggled to keep up with. He kept glancing back before sighing, pulling the girl's arm, and dragging her along.

"I should have mentioned how urgent this was; maybe you'd walk faster," he muttered, rolling his eyes.

"You're practically jogging, and you barely spoke two words before grabbing me. Is this how you treat women, grabbing them with your grubby hands?" She huffed out indignantly.

"After you, my lady," Zayn remarked in a mocking tone. She entered the lavish room, finding both Omar and the Caliph amid a heated discussion in hush tones.

"Amani, as you know, my sister Amira is missing." The Caliph began, "Omar has done a great job convincing me to keep my army from your land. He is very talented at finding peaceful resolutions and is quite convincing. He has managed to keep me from arriving at your father's step and bringing war in exchange for your land's loyalty to me. In confidence, I married him to my sister. She is nowhere to be found, and my vizier as well as other members of the court are willing to blame your dear brother."

"I assure you, my brother is innocent," Amani replied.

"I need more than empty words, princess." This fool.

"I don't see how her disappearance is our problem, considering your security failed to protect her, your Highness."

His eye twitched before he smirked and slowly made his way towards her until there were only a few inches between them. He towered over her and regarded her with a cold gaze.

"You have guts for a mere princess to talk to an emperor in such a way. In seconds, I could be your ruler, and you would be a mere peasant. Your future is in my hands; it would be wise to remember that."

He dipped his head until his breath fanned her ear. "Tell me, princess, one good reason why I shouldn't kill you both."

"I'll quickly forget any peace talks if you don't step away from my sister Caliph,"  Omar uttered in a chilling voice.

"You dare threaten me in my palace?" The Caliph took large strides to a smug-looking Omar.

"Gentleman, let's not lose our decorum." Zayn's bored voice halted the Caliph's murderous march. Both men eyed him warily.

"I have a suggestion," he continued. This is where I knew things were about to go from bad to much worse.

"To avoid telling Prince Othman that his wife slipped under your nose, or that you are refusing to return her to her new home after her visit. You could send a small team to search for her without alerting the public and spreading the secret like wildfire."

"Who would this team be?" the Caliph mused.They were hanging on to Zayn's every word. He was taunting them like one would hold a bone in front of a dog's snout before snatching it back.

"One valuable member from each kingdom, to even out the stakes. I volunteer to go but who will accompany me?" Omar can't go, he is the crown prince.

"I'll go." She's met with silence. The thrumming of her heart rings in her ears, becoming louder with each passing moment, bile runs up her throat but Amani forces it back down. Am I even breathing?

A large hand clasped her shoulder, Amani turned to meet her brother's worried gaze. "Are you confident you want to do this?"

"I must do it." Amani uttered firmly, steeling her resolve.

"You leave in three days."